Warlock Apprentice

Fairytown was an extremely particular wizard union in the southern region. Or rather, it was a concept. It consisted of a number of wizard organizations who were willing to admit the concept. There were also some weaker organizations who joined the union for protection, against the powerful ones around them.

Greya’s organization was called “Candy House in the Woods”. Candy House joined Fairytown 400 years ago and was still a unique organization among all organizations under Fairytown because most gourmet wizards in the southern region originated from it.

The difficulty for gourmet wizards to break through was among the worst in the entire Occult Art. There had been less than ten gourmet wizards that explicitly showed themselves in the south. Greya was one of the best among them.

“Greya isn’t really strong, but she can use some of the most strange spells, even Bloodline wizards who’re famous for their raw power don’t want to make her an enemy,” said Flora. After talking about Fairytown, Flora spoke about Greya, “If I make a top-ten list for wizards who I absolutely don’t want to offend, Greya would be in there.

“Getting the golden card from Barbie’s Restaurant already earned your friendship with her. Once you become a wizard, it will bring you to profit you won’t expect.”

Flora was talking about profit again, but that was how the wizarding world was—profit over everything.

Sunders also nodded gently. He gave his own opinion towards Greya, which was rare for someone like him:

“She is a real wizard who deserves people’s respect. Either as a friend or as a rival.”

“A… real wizard?” Angor mumbled. He did not know what that meant. Were the other wizards not real?

Sunders only smiled at his question. The kid should walk down his wizardry path on his own. Telling him now would confuse him.

Still, Sunders added something. “Walk on your own path without being restricted by the ancestors and keep it up for years on end. Even if you can’t see where you’re going, you are creating your unique sight. Such a wizard is a real wizard.”

Sunders stroke his cane. “Pity. Many know of this and tried to walk down such a path. But they had neither enough knowledge nor enough insight. That’s why there are fewer and fewer real wizards now.”

Sunders stopped there. What he said was enough to tell Angor to decide his own path.

As the discussion went on, Angor felt more relaxed. With Flora hinting him, Angor began to tell something about himself.

His life had always been a routine of “study, eat, sleep”.

Angor thought his new teacher would be bored listening to his uneventful life, so he looked at Sunders with some uneasiness.

As usual, Sunders was not showing any emotion on the outside. He put down his cane on the table, crossed his legs, and spoke in a casual tone, “From what you said, you already possess the will to study as a wizard, but your approach is too moderate. I think you will be a better academism wizard.”

Angor froze.

From their conversations earlier, Angor learned that Sunders and Flora were from Brute Cavern. It was one of the top major organizations in the south mainly consisting of black wizards. There were a small number of white wizards, considered “dissents” in Brute Cavern. According to Sunders, most academism wizards were white wizards.

When viewed as an apprentice, Sunders and Flora were both black wizards. Now Sunders just considered Angor as “academism”… Was Sunders dissatisfied?

Angor remembered how Flora showed her disdain towards academism when talking to Mara. He began to complain to himself for worrying too much. But… he could not help it.

And what he was thinking was completely obvious on his face. Sunders looked at him and glanced at Flora.

Flora immediately got the idea. She patted Angor’s shoulder. “Heehee. Looks like you’ll be responsible for repairing our relationship with the dissents after we get back!

“Don’t mind the different factions. You make your decision in mere moments. White or black or gray can’t determine one’s nature. ‘Dissent’ is only a moniker we made behind them. All wizards have a bloody and cruel image in the Fey Plane, and most wizards who colonize other planes are actually academism wizards. So academism doesn’t mean good wizards. Your actions determine who you are. To hell with the white and black stuff. The apprentices don’t know what they’re doing when labeling others. Don’t worry too much about it.

“I don’t like academism just because some of them in Brute Cavern are petty double-dealers. Not that I have a problem with academism itself.”

Angor knew they just saw through him again. He blushed.

Good for him though as their attention was attracted by Greya who slowly stepped in while carrying a service plate.

A porcelain dish under beautifully crafted cover was placed in front of Angor and caught everyone’s attention. Behind Greya followed Tom Weasel and Greasy Bird, who were both carrying a dish. They put them in front of Flora and Sunders.

“What’s with the pretty dishes? We have to put them into a container anyway.” Flora opened her cover while not forgetting her sarcasm.

A transparent crystal bottle in the shape of a water drop was placed on the dish. A bandaged cork kept the content inside. Inconspicuous magic runes were shining on the cork’s surface.

The water seemed to be the only thing inside the bottle, but once looked upon using Truesight spell or similar methods, one would see a transparent worm swimming inside the water lively.

The worm was called Section Ephemera.

“Bon appétite, Angor dear,” Greya ogled at Angor. With that, a woman like her would easily make someone feel burning inside.

What did she mean? Should I drink it?

Angor could not see the Section Ephemera so he could only sway the bottle in his hand in puzzlement.

“There’s a Section Ephemera inside. You don’t need it now so you can keep it,” said Sunders. He added, “You can sell it in the organization and get something you need in return, but I won’t recommend that. Section Ephemera has a unique effect that will greatly help you when you become a wizard.”

Sunders seemed certain that Angor would become a wizard. Greya inspected Angor with a weird look, without getting any answer to her doubts. This made her heart itchy.

Greya told Tom Weasel to standby beside Angor and walked to her cooking table.

“Your turn, Sunders. Still Twisting Protozoa?”

It was a normal question, yet Greya’s eyebrows were downcast as if she was thinking about something.

Sunders grinned mildly.

After the incident, Sunders could easily interpret the meaning behind the seemingly ordinary question. Greya was trying to get a hint about Angor’s talent from Sunders’ choice.

If Sunders said no, Greya would quickly reach some kind of conclusion. Sunders had been asking for the same order for decades, if he changed his mind so quickly, something must be off.

Of course, Sunders knew that Greya simply wanted some harmless gossip, not actually trying to reveal Angor’s secret.

However, as someone who quite enjoyed seeing people’s frustration for having questions hanging in their minds, Sunders certainly would not easily give an answer to them. Especially when Angor was his student now.

Intending to protect Angor’s little secret, Sunders only showed a plain look.

“Naturally.”