The banquet three days later was not as dull as expected. Most of the attendees were Spell Casters directly under the Three Great Academies or who were studying or working. The one who represented the city lord at the border was Sir Ryan, who had met Brand only a few days ago.
Sir Ryan's concise and straightforward speech received unanimous praise from the people present. The entire banquet was somewhat relaxed because of the smooth end of the annual assessment. Some of the mages who did not pass the assessment did not show up, and some took the opportunity to consult their masters and peers for experience, hoping to be promoted smoothly next year.
Actually, not everyone participated in the annual assessment every year. After all, they were the most clear about their own standards. They would not do things that they were not confident in. This was very similar to the rational thinking of mages, but it was also the opposite of the spirit of exploring the unknown. Therefore, even if they were not confident, there were still many people who would try their skills.
Loren was unusually well-behaved. He sat beside Brand and casually ate something. The two of them trained together for a few days, and Loren naturally went home after the assessment. This made the mage, who bickered with the pretty boy every day, a little unused to it.
"Country bumpkin, haven't you seen enough? Just a few ordinary maids can attract you. Don't tell others that we're close in the future…"
Retracting his lazy gaze, Brand said in a bad mood, I'm just checking to see if Master Floren is here."
When Loren heard Master Floren's name, he immediately stood up and realized that the other party was obviously playing a prank. Loren, who had fallen back into the wide chair, said listlessly,
Forget it, I…I won't argue with you." Loren seemed to have thought of something and said,"
"Oh right, now that you've successfully advanced to rank 8, have you thought about which specialization to choose in the past few days?”
Brand was already prepared for this. He replied,"" I'll major in Battle Mage and support in Equipment Crafting…"
" Battle Wizard!!!" Loren was shocked." You're a Battle Wizard?! Was it because Uncle Ryan's toast was too good and he drank too much?”
Brand quietly looked at his good friend and voiced his thoughts.
" I don't have much money…Loren, unlike you. Oh, I don't mean anything else. I'm just stating the facts."
Almost saying something wrong, the mage picked up his wine glass to hide his embarrassment and continued,"
"I don't have much money, you know. I was born as a small handyman, and even now, I have a small farm, a house that looks decent, and the Magus Tower and Silversail Town that my teacher temporarily entrusted me with. I don't have anything special. Here ~~~ This…"
Brandt waved his magic staff, which only mages who had entered the Advanced Level or were about to enter the Advanced Level, to stop the other party from speaking. He continued,
"I borrowed this from you. A few hundred gold coins might not be worth mentioning to a noble family, but did you know that when I received a bonus of about 200 gold coins more than a month ago, I couldn't sleep well for several days?"
" Even though Battle Wizards might be able to enter the battlefield, and the current situation is indeed going to erupt at any moment, and I don't know when they will really be called up, with the support of both the army and the academy, I might be able to dream of becoming an Advanced Mage in my lifetime. This dream is too beautiful. How many mages have never been able to achieve the dream of becoming an Advanced Mage in their entire lives? It's too beautiful."
Loren finally couldn't help but curse in a low voice,""Bastard! Are you a pig's brain? Or did you get sick from eating free food a few days ago and even your brain is damaged!! County city, no…In the last few years of the ten-thousand-year bloody battle, Hubble City was still the imperial capital. It was a magnificent imperial capital with a population of eighty thousand, and there were so many excellent mages! Many mages who were determined to pursue their dreams in the flames of war became Battle Wizards!! And how many of them had died in bloody battles after becoming Battle Wizards?!!”
Loren, who was on the verge of exploding, spoke louder and louder,"
"Is it embarrassing to be a magic consultant for a noble?! Is it rude to serve the powerful?! Wasn't a Battle Wizard also serving the Emperor of the Imperial Capital?!”
Brand, who was at a loss, did not understand why Loren was so angry. However, since he had already made up his mind, he would not change it. The mage's personality was just like that poor young handyman from back then.
" This is my decision. Please support me…"
Loren seemed to have yet to calm down. Completely ignoring Brand's serious expression, he stood up and walked around the dining table. The pretty boy mage gritted his teeth and said,"
"If you really choose to be a Battle Wizard! Just pretend that you don't have a friend like me! This is also my decision."
After saying that, Loren, who did not turn his head, left Brand with a lonely back view and strode away without looking back.
The dinner party didn't change because of the little episode in the corner, but…it really wasn't in the mood anymore. Brand was chewing on a high-quality smoked meat roll as if he was chewing wax, and no one knew what he was thinking.
**************************************
In the past month, Brand had not seen Loren again, but the busy mage had no time to care about this.
Everyone in Silversail Town, whose income from fishing and hunting had greatly exceeded that of previous years, was all smiles. Marcus, the burly man who had survived the attack of the magic antelope, was driving a carriage towards the city. Sitting next to him was Mayor George.
A net income of over 130 Gold should be able to make Mr. Brand somewhat happy, right? George was very satisfied with this year's harvest. He believed that the new owner would be satisfied as well.
George, who was experienced in the ways of the world, especially brought Marcus, who had been unconscious for a long time and had not thanked Brand in person. Marcus was not as stupid as he looked. When he heard that the mayor was going to enter the city, he offered to drive the carriage without waiting for the mayor to say anything. He also went to thank the new master of Silversail Town.
Brand, who didn't care much about family background, personally welcomed his mayor and the tall young man at the gate, which made Marcus, who had entered such a high-end mansion for the first time, feel a little helpless.
After ordering Aunt Riley to prepare more dishes, even Caterina was called over to have a meal. The scars on Miya's face were almost gone, and her dry hair was gradually replaced by a glossy luster. Caterina tied her hair, which was the same color as her red eyes, into a high ponytail. However, she added a blue butterfly headdress on top of it, making her look like the daughter of a rich family in the city.
It seemed that it was not only because George had sent over a hundred gold coins, but also because the mage seemed to be having a good time today. He, who usually did not talk much, also started to talk at the dining table.
" In the past month, I've basically mastered all the skills of the Battle Wizard. Of course, I'm afraid that it won't be easy for me to master them in a day. Fortunately, I've made some basic progress in the production of magic tools…"
In fact, only Caterina could understand what the mage was talking about. As for George, he probably knew a little about it. The big Marcus would put down his fork from time to time and look at his master respectfully. Mia's interest in Brand had never decreased. If it weren't for Caterina sitting beside her, she would have long burrowed into the mage's arms.
However, Brand was clearly enjoying himself. He didn't expect the entry into a specialized profession to be so easy. However, when he thought of the words of the professor in charge of guiding the theory," It's easy to enter the entry but difficult to cultivate," his originally full confidence dissipated a little.
Just as dinner was about to end, a servant brought in a fully armored officer. He was not wearing a helmet, and under the light, Brand recognized him as Knight Maiev.
Knight Maiev nodded at Brand, but his eyes fell on Marcus. Good lord, he was a size bigger than the tall and handsome Maiev. Was he a descendant of the High Mountain Tribe?
Remembering his mission, Marv looked at Brand seriously and said,"" Sorry to disturb you."
Without waiting for the other party to respond, Knight Marvin pulled out a letter from his cloak and read aloud,"
"By the command of the Empire:
Recruiting-- "Mage Brand must report to the City Guards of Hubble County with his personal belongings within a day of receiving the order. He is not allowed to resist, escape, or delay in any way. Otherwise, he will be punished for treason, excluding the punishment of the three academies."
After reading out the contents of the draft, Marv said apologetically,"" The war officially broke out five days ago. I'm sorry, Wizard Brand. I only saw your name on it when I left the military camp…"
Had this day come so soon? Brand took a deep breath and tried to calm himself down. Although the muscles on his face were a little stiff, he still said to Marv in a friendly manner,
"Knight Marvin, can I call you Marvin?”，The other party nodded, and Brand's expression became a little more natural. He continued," Marvin, someone will come and inform me, so please don't mind."
Not knowing what to say, Marv was also a soldier, after all, and had adapted to the current situation faster than Brand. The two sides briefly discussed the issue of the conscription order, and Marv, who had finished the announcement, repeatedly reminded them not to delay the time before riding away.
Everyone in the room had a strange feeling. Fortunately, Miya didn't seem to understand. Otherwise, she would have cried already.
Caterina, who was tidying up some clothes in the master bedroom, didn't want Brand to see her red eyes. Brand was also a bit listless when he spoke, but he still told Caterina about everything in the family.
Unable to fall asleep, Brand had no choice but to meditate with his mind for the entire night.
In the morning, Mayor George kindly warned his master about the army and the battlefield, but Marcus was unwilling to go back with George.
Marcus, whose father had died early, only had a healthy mother. Marcus had been pestering Mr. George all night last night. In the end, he could not persuade the big man who was as stubborn as his master and agreed to take care of Marcus 'mother.
According to Marcus, his master was going to the battlefield. How could he not have someone to help him? Besides, he had some strength. Although he was injured by the demonic antelope last time and was unconscious for several days, it was a sneak attack. Marcus was confident that he could deal with three to five ordinary men with just his hands.
Brand didn't think too much about it. He felt that the other party's words were reasonable, so he readily agreed. In the end, he simply asked George to bring ten gold coins to Marcus 'mother as a reward for the big guy.
Marcus happily carried the big and small bags on the hired carriage for his master. The most important things were in the Dimensional Bag, but the Frog Bag, which could only be halved in weight, could not hold too many things, such as magic tools and materials.
Caterina was worried that Miya would know about this, so she had asked the servant to take her out to play early in the morning. How could she be any better? Caterina turned her body to the side, no longer looking at Brand's back. She handed Marcus a small sword the length of a forearm and asked him to put it on for the mage. Her father's inheritance was two swords, one long and one short. As a mage, Brand could only wield this short sword.
As the wheels rolled, Caterina's beautiful but determined face finally shed two rows of pearl-like tears.
**************************************
Brandt and the other two, who had just come out of the Academic Area to retrieve their items, were blocked by Loren, who had an unfriendly expression on his face.
"Bastard, where's my staff?"
Brandt took out the Fate Oath from his dimensional bag with a bitter smile and handed over the staff that he usually didn't want to use.
After lashing out, the other party stuffed another Oath of Fate into Brand's outstretched hand. Loren looked at Brand, who didn't understand what was going on, and said hatefully,"
" Alright, this Young Master…I didn't make it clear to you last time. The one you used was the Oath of Fate, while the one I used was the Song of Fate. It might not look like much, but the increase in mana is actually different. That's why I was able to break through the enemy's defense with the same spell when we fought the Demonic Antelope last time, but you couldn't."
Brand looked at the Song of Destiny in his hand. It looked very similar, but the color of the magical gem on it seemed to be a little darker than the one he had used before. There seemed to be two words engraved on the staff-" Saro."
Brand, who did not probe further, asked cautiously,""Not angry anymore? We're still good friends, right?"
Loren rolled his eyes and turned to leave."Country bumpkin, we'll talk when you come back ~" What Brand didn't know was that Loren couldn't help but tear up after turning around.
"Saro…My name is Saro…!”
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