The next morning, not long after breakfast,
a handsome wizard of indeterminate age came for a visit.
It was Luke, whom Colin had been thinking about the night before.
"Colin," Luke said with a smile as he walked into the yard, handing Colin a thick book, "I believe this Transformation Technique won't disappoint you."
His frame was lean, but his walk conveyed a weightiness like that of refined steel.
Luke had been present during Colin's duel with Barney, capturing the event with an Image Capturing Crystal. He was quite a familiar figure.
Since they both had Friday night shifts, they had become somewhat acquainted.
As it happened, Luke specialized in Life Transformation, so Colin had previously asked him to find a transformation technique suitable for ordinary people.
"Then I look forward to seeing it." Colin responded with a smile, leading him to the second-floor reception room.
They sat down on the milky yellow sofa by the window, with a carved small round table in between.
After sitting down, Renee brought over two cups of tea.
Luke looked around at Renee and said,
"Colin, your maid looks too thin... she definitely needs strengthening. But are you really not going to consider my suggestion?" He curled his lip, "Maintaining a human appearance is good for nothing other than looks. The human body has its limits..."
Renee's complexion gradually turned pale.
"... I have no plans to change my mind for now," Colin shook his head.
What Luke was referring to was not something as simple as growing animal ears, adding some scales, or acquiring a tail. He meant transforming people into unrecognizable flesh machines.
Luke sighed regretfully, and Renee breathed a sigh of relief beside him.
He took a sip of his tea and continued,
"Did you know Regina went back to the Wizard Territory to advance?"
Colin nodded and also took a sip of his tea.
"She's really remarkable," Luke couldn't help but comment, a touch of melancholy on his face, then he curiously asked, "Did you go to Regina's party a few days ago?"
"No," Colin shook his head, setting down his tea and watching as the cup lightly touched the table, the red liquid rippling.
"Even you didn't get an invitation?" Luke was surprised, and sighed, "We're the closest people to Regina... and even you didn't get one... It's true, those on top still look down on those below."
Colin didn't explain that Regina had actually invited him; instead, he wondered aloud, "We, as in who?"
"We, who are talentless apprentices from down the mountain," Luke explained with a sigh.
"Colin, you spent ten years barely advancing to Intermediate Wizard Apprentice," he looked up at Colin with a smile, "And it took me nine years..."
"We're the same. Maybe in forty or fifty years, we might luckily advance to Advanced Apprentice... but it's more likely that we'll stop at intermediate due to fear of Tainted babbling and the dread of becoming alien degenerates. After all, even if we could advance further, without becoming Official Wizards, our lifespan won't increase, plus there would be many more downsides."
Colin silently picked up his tea again and drank, maintaining his silence.
Luke continued, without considering Colin's silence.
"An Intermediate Apprentice lives at most 120 years, even if you were a Great Knight, it would not exceed 150 years... Life is so short, making friends and enjoying life is the only sensible thing!"
"Tomorrow, I and a few friends, all of us apprentices from down the mountain, are also having a gathering. Are you interested in joining?"
Colin picked up the thick book on the table and shook his head, politely declining, "I'm eager to study this book on Transformation Technique you said wouldn't disappoint me... Maybe some other time for the gathering."
Luke paused for a moment, but promptly smiled again and said, "Alright, but make sure you come when you're free next time."
Then, he added meaningfully, "Apprentices like us are just loose sand when alone. But by staying in touch and moving together, we can become formidable..."
After exchanging a few more pleasantries politely, Luke took the initiative to leave.
After seeing Luke off, Colin returned to the master bedroom and went onto the balcony.
Leaning against the railing, he watched Luke's carriage slowly recede, feeling an inexplicable sense of caution rising within him.
Wizards are not nobles; gatherings are not common.
Having been in Blackstone City so long, he had only now heard of these two close-in-time gatherings.
'The mountain above and below... two different groups of people, huh?'
A breeze fluttered, perturbing the broken hair on Colin's forehead, his expression inexplicable.
Involved in such a vortex, in these trivialities, he wanted no part of it.
Time sped by just like that.
A month later, Palm Street.
It was morning, and the brilliant summer sunlight made everyone feel joyful.
Colin was sitting under the awning on the second-floor balcony, enjoying his morning tea.
Tap tap tap~
Renee came up carrying freshly made pastries.
She approached Colin and placed the silver tray on the black, carved, round iron table.
Colin sipped his milk tea and looked up, examining Renee.
Renee was still dressed in her black and white maid's outfit, her appearance unchanged, still clear-skinned and beautiful. Perhaps the only thing special were the faint red lines at the base of her collarbone.
For aesthetics, Colin specifically had painted the lines in the shape of a rose, and now it seemed, he had chosen well.
It was these faint red lines that bestowed upon Renee the physical fitness between an Intermediate Knight and Advanced Knight.
While not exceptionally strong, for Renee it was enough, at least now when carrying hot water, she no longer spilled it on the ground like before.
A breeze blew, the distant seascape was beautiful.
Colin sat quietly on the balcony, enjoying this brief moment of morning tea time.
A while later, just as he was about to stand up and return to the basement to continue his training, a familiar carriage suddenly appeared in his vision.
Dark red large horses, a beige carriage adorned with golden floral patterns.
"...It's Regina's carriage," Colin recognized.
"Could it be that Regina has successfully advanced, becoming an Advanced Apprentice?" he speculated silently, "If she really has advanced, according to the School's rules, the next time I see her, perhaps I should address her as 'My Lady'..."
A sense of urgency inexplicably welled up in Colin's mind. He withdrew his gaze and hurriedly walked to the basement.
After reaching the basement, he summoned the Golden Paper.
The pale golden particles converged, and a sheet of Golden Paper hovering between illusion and reality gradually appeared in front of him.
[Name: Colin Leonard]
[Rank: Intermediate Wizard Apprentice (10/100); Great Knight (99/100)]
[Meditation Method: Apprentice's Circulation Meditation I (81/100); Sunlight Breathing Method II (20/100)]
[Witchcraft: Zero Level Tricks: None; Zero Level witchcraft: Steel Armor I (54/100); Arrow Shooting Skill I (58/100); Lesser High Temperature Tolerance I (19/100); Hope Defense Field I (21/100); Fireball Skill I (16/100); Detect Evil (96/100); Purification Evil Power (97/100); Swift Skill (31/100)]
[Skills: Basic Level Magic Crystal Making—(Bright Crystal Making (Golden); Image Capturing Crystal Making (94/100); Blood Pattern Transformation Skill (67/100)]
[Talent: Intermediate Strong Life↑ (100/100)]
[Limit Breaking Point: 81]
He read carefully from top to bottom.
Now, Colin had a clear understanding of his current situation.
First, the most noticeable was the progress of his Knight Rank. Perhaps today, or tomorrow, in any case, within these two days, he would definitely advance to an Ultimate Knight!
Then, there were the only two witchcraft skills, Detect Evil and Purification Evil Power, and the Image Capturing Crystal Making, which had not yet reached their limit.
These three, if he focused all his energies on them, should reach their limit within these two days too!
As for the Magic Stones, he had already accumulated 65 Magic Stones, and still had 81 Limit Breaking Points.
Everything was ready; he was close to another increase soon!
But before that, he needed to go to one place—
That was the eastern part of the city by the seaside.
Because, according to the School's information,
the trading caravan he had been longing for, was expected to arrive at Blackstone Island this afternoon!