Chapter 664: Chapter 415 Worry_2
"The independent right to nominate was used, but at least that Colin passed the review of the Supreme Councilman."
"Congratulations to the family on the addition of a new councilman!"
After saying that, Nickler laughed.
"I haven’t let Colin join the family," Nois continued.
His nomination of Colin to be a councilman was in the hopes that he would strive forward with the resources of the Supreme Council, bringing new hope to wizards in the future, rather than entangling him in endless cunning and intrigue.
Caught in the family’s grip, Nois had a deep understanding; he did not wish Colin to end up the same.
Nickler was stunned, then, furrowing his brows in thought for a moment, he asked, "That wizard you mentioned, the one you say is only at the Second Rank Advanced, is it because his talent isn’t good enough, and he can’t cross the boundary between half-blood and pureblood, so his hopes of advancing to a High Rank Wizard are slim?"
"No, his talent is very good, better than most of the pureblood wizards, and he also doesn’t have the postnatal deterioration problem that most half-blood wizards have. Advancing to a High Rank Wizard poses no obstacles for him."
Nois shook his head.
The majority of half-blood wizards have inferior talent due to innate factors, and improper practice after birth can also lead to a deterioration of their talent.
Such impropriety is generally incomplete meditation methods, too much tainted babbling in the practicing environment, a shaky foundation, or errors in cultivating the Talent Seed, among other issues.
All of these factors have more or less an impact on the probability of a wizard’s advancement each time, especially the probability of advancing to a High Rank Wizard or Third Rank and above.
Thus, wizards also refer to it as the postnatal deterioration of talent.
In contrast, pureblood wizards who practice advanced meditation methods from a young age and receive comprehensive elite education generally do not suffer from this postnatal deterioration.
This is also one of the sources of pureblood wizards’ sense of superiority.
Compared to ordinary half-blood wizards, they start ahead in the race from a young age, and this advantage only grows larger as time passes.
Of course, even so, among the half-blood wizards there are still some who can break the norms.
The pureblood wizards call this breaking the boundary between half-blood and pureblood.
That means they could be accepted into the family, barely regarded as half a pureblood wizard.
Although Nois did not agree with such views.
Those geniuses from humble backgrounds who could contend with the well-born pureblood wizards — what boundary between half-blood and pureblood had they broken? Clearly, they had already surpassed most ordinary purebloods.
The room fell silent.
Nickler stared at Nois as if trying to discern whether he was joking.
If Colin’s talent was so good, then why not absorb him into the family?
If he wasn’t absorbed into the family, wouldn’t that precious, once-in-a-century independent nomination right have been wasted?!
"I will report this situation truthfully to the Family Council."
After a while, Nickler left a lukewarm statement and then, with his two followers, turned and left.
Nois stood beside the Communication Ring Tower, his expression calm, watching Nickler and his party leave. He then continued to activate the Communication Ring Tower and consulted with the shocked Fourth Rank Great Councilmen about the arrangements for Colin’s badge-presenting ceremony.
*
*
*
Elsewhere, after leaving the Council Hall, Colin stopped a carriage.
Not long after, he arrived at Lillian’s residence.
The white villa’s front gates were tightly closed at this moment, and the plants overseen by Nado at the entrance were also half-dormant.
Although it looked no different from usual, Colin, who had visited here before, noticed something off at a glance.
’Lillian Senior... She’s indeed not at home.’
After lingering at the entrance for a while, Colin headed to the Tin Saint School’s residence.
Unsurprisingly, Mentor Atbolde was also not in the School.
Standing outside the mentor’s residence, Colin’s brows furrowed slightly. He looked around and then, seeing something that caught his eye, he strode towards a wizard passing by.
"Lord Bernie."
"Colin?" Although it had been a long time since they had seen each other, the brown-haired wizard recognized the familiar wizard in front of him almost instantly.
"It’s me." Colin nodded.
Bernie’s expression was complex, as he hadn’t forgotten the exceptionally gifted Golden Feather who had offered knowledge exchange and one-on-one explanations after class.
Although he was somewhat envious of Colin’s talent each time he listened to his explanations, overall, Colin had helped him save many contribution points he would’ve otherwise spent on repeating classes.
So much so that when they later heard that Colin had been assigned by the School to a garrison mission in the Roon Kingdom, they felt a sense of regret.
"You... just got back from the garrison duty?" Bernie paused before asking, eyeing Colin in front of him.
"Yeah... sort of. Has something happened to the School recently? I just got back and found out that none of the mentors are around..." Colin queried.
"Nothing has happened within the School, but as for your mentors... they’ve probably been conscripted to the frontline battlefield. General Affairs Castle has the specific conscription list, you can go and check there," Bernie responded, his gaze lingering on the badge on Colin’s chest that signified he was a First Rank Wizard.
Colin felt Bernie’s gaze and finally realized that Bernie, who had been a First Rank Wizard two years ago, now sported a badge indicating that he was a Second Rank Wizard.
He felt somewhat emotional.
"Is there anything else, Colin?" Bernie looked at Colin, his gaze equally complex, feeling a sense of unwarranted pity for him in his heart.
"No, that’s all." Colin shook his head, wanting to congratulate Bernie on advancing to a Second Rank Wizard but worried that revealing his own real strength afterwards would seem like mockery.
Telling Bernie outright that he himself had already advanced to Second Rank, and that there was no need for pity, would also be a bit odd.
So Colin chose to gloss over the topic in the end.
"Well, then I’ll be taking my leave, um... congratulations on completing your garrison duty," Bernie said, pausing, then adding meaningfully, "Sometimes, you bend down temporarily so that you can stand up taller with your chest out later..."
Colin was taken aback, nodding in acknowledgment, "Thank you for your advice, sir. I will."
He hadn’t expected to receive such advice from Bernie, whom he wasn’t particularly close to.
It seemed... not every Wizard was so bad after all.
Colin smiled, watching as Bernie walked away.
Arriving at the General Affairs Building, Colin indeed found the names of Atbolde and Lillian posted on a list on the first floor.
This caused him some annoyance.
The frontline of the war was undoubtedly dangerous, and even though their mentor’s wounds had mostly healed and Sister Lillian had already become a Second Rank Wizard, Colin still felt somewhat worried.
’I wonder if becoming a Councilman will allow me to call them back.’ Colin silently contemplated.
Such consideration was not entirely a matter of abusing one’s power for personal gain.
Now that he had become a Councilman, he’d inevitably have to handle many minor matters in the future, and he would need some assistants.
’Where to next?’
Leaving the Tin Saint School and looking at the bustling streets before him, Colin felt momentarily lost.
After moving away from Neustadt over two years ago, he no longer had a fixed home here.
Normally, when he came over for the holidays, he mostly stayed at his mentor’s or Lillian’s place.
But now, with Lillian and their mentor at the frontline...
After some thought, Colin suddenly remembered a place he could go.
He hailed a public carriage.
Soon, Colin alighted from the carriage in a secluded street.
Before him stood a quiet and somewhat dilapidated castle.
Behind the black iron fence gate, a dry, round fountain and the slightly damaged statue of a book above it declared the name of the place—the True Knowledge Society Castle.
Taking out the True Knowledge Society badge, Colin prepared to head to the familiar laboratory to research the Tin Saint Meditation Method for Third Rank.
Yet, as he was about to push the door open, he saw a familiar figure coming up the stairs from the basement level.
"Shelley, you’re back in Neustadt City too?" Colin stopped in his tracks, surprised.
"You’ve already completed your summons by the Supreme Council?" Shelley also looked surprised, returning the question.
"Yes," Colin nodded.
"The Supreme Council hasn’t given you any trouble, have they?" Shelley scanned Colin carefully, her tone showing concern.
"No," Colin shook his head, then added with a smile, "The Nois City Lord nominated me for Councilman, and I passed."
"You mean to say, you are now a member of the Supreme Council?" Shelley was visibly taken aback.
"If nothing unexpected happens at the badge presentation ceremony in a few days, yes."
Shelley opened her mouth, still shocked, weren’t Council members supposed to be at least Third Rank Wizards?
"What about you, why have you suddenly returned to Neustadt?" Colin asked further.
Upon mentioning the reason for her return, the surprise on Shelley’s face was swiftly replaced by deep sorrow, she paused before saying:
"I came back to research some information about those contaminated farmlands."