Chapter 54 : Chapter 54

Chapter 54. Conversation

When Habos announced the end of class, Elan was the first to rush forward, while the other apprentices were still sitting in their seats with blank expressions.

“Sir Habos, may I speak with you privately?”

Habos glanced at Elan and immediately assessed his situation.

A first-tier mage. Judging by his aura, he did not belong to the Elemental School or the Necromancy School. He had likely advanced many years ago, and the Mana within his body was very stable.

“That is acceptable.”

The content he had taught required practical application. Without hands-on practice, those apprentices would never be able to learn it.

Originally, he had not intended to pause the first lecture to answer questions from apprentices. This situation provided a convenient opportunity to deal with such matters.

“Why did he take the teacher away?”

Laiyi looked at Fulan with confusion, while Fulan herself had no idea what Elan was doing.

“I am not sure either.”

Fulan watched Elan leave the classroom and scratched her head. She decided she would simply ask him about it next time she visited the Emerald Heart Tavern.

“By the way, are you planning to learn that spell?”

Fulan asked.

“No. That spell is not something apprentices like us can learn. Anyone capable of mastering it would probably have already advanced to become a formal mage.”

“Why do you say that?”

Fulan asked, puzzled. Habos had just demonstrated in detail how to practice the spell and explained that its principle involved manifesting a weapon one had personally forged, granting the wielder a certain degree of enhancement.

Although the complexity of the structural model was rather frightening…

“Just look at the structure of that spell. It is definitely a first-tier spell. How could apprentices like us possibly learn it…?”

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Inside a meeting room, Elan and Habos sat across from one another at a red hardwood table.

“Allow me to introduce myself first. I am Elan, a member of the Law School and also the headmaster of Cuilan Academy, appointed under the laws of the Alliance.”

“What do you want?”

“I wish to join the Forge Furnace School.”

Habos fell silent for a moment after hearing this before finally speaking.

“Are you certain you want to abandon the school through which you advanced and join mine? Are you not afraid that your spells may never progress further in this lifetime?”

Although the methods of advancement for mages were broadly similar, mages who advanced through different spells and methods developed very different abilities.

During the apprentice stage, if a mage mastered certain spells, there was a chance of gaining a specialization related to that type of spell.

This was the easiest way to obtain a specialization. All other methods were extremely difficult, and even attempting them could consume years.

Advancing to a second-tier mage—or even higher—required specializations. A specialization was one of the most important prerequisites for advancement.

Under the current mature training system, mentors required apprentices to master spells thoroughly before advancing.

In recent decades, almost every formal mage had obtained a specialization when they advanced.

However, different specializations produced different effects, and they could not replace one another.

Combined with the fact that some spells were difficult to learn outside one’s original school, very few mages dared to switch schools.

Especially in Habos’s case. He had pioneered a completely new path with no related schools nearby. Naturally, no one dared to gamble their future by joining him.

“Of course I know that. I have already informed the Third Seat of the Law School, and he has agreed.”

Habos glanced at him, immediately understanding why Elan dared to join his school.

Elan still maintained ties with his former school. Although nominally he could no longer follow the original path of his school, the situation changed if the decision came from above.

After all, who would care how a mage from a school advanced?

This situation was quite common among mages who joined new schools. Sometimes they simply wished to test whether another school suited them better.

If it did not work out, they could always return to their original school.

Of course, such arrangements required approval from those above them. Betraying one’s school was highly frowned upon in the mage community.

“So what can you offer me?”

Habos now understood Elan’s purpose and the intentions of the school behind him.

Elan had not come because he believed the Forge Furnace School had great prospects or because its spells suited him. He still maintained connections with his original school.

That raised an obvious question.

Why should Habos allow someone who was not truly “loyal” to join his school?

“I am the headmaster of Cuilan Academy. If you can provide some small assistance, I will ensure that the entire academy prioritizes sending its students to the Forge Furnace School.”

Habos raised an eyebrow and fell into deep thought. Elan did not dare interrupt.

Elan’s position as headmaster had been appointed by the Alliance. The various schools only had the right to make suggestions regarding such matters; the final decision belonged to the Alliance Council.

When the council made appointments within the system, its principle was always balance—maintaining an equilibrium in the number of positions held by each school.

Elan had obtained the headmaster position precisely because the Law School had been expelled from the City of Apprentices. The council had balanced the situation by assigning the position to him.

If Elan could obtain Habos’s support, he would be able to regain control over Cuilan Academy rather than relying on the Law School’s uncertain return.

And the benefit for Habos would be the apprentices.

Although Habos currently appeared quite impressive—with apprentices from across the academy attending his class—the truth was that these were merely the students left over after other schools had made their selections.

The truly talented apprentices had already been noticed by their instructors and invited to join schools during their first academic year.

When Habos’s course opened, first-year students were not allowed to select it. This restriction had been negotiated between him and the other schools.

Although Habos was a fourth-tier mage, many of the mages teaching in the City of Apprentices had powerful connections. Some could even directly contact fourth-tier mages.

Therefore, he could not push matters too far.

However, controlling an academy would be different.

First, its scale was relatively small and still within the tolerance of other schools. They would not unite to oppose him over such a matter.

Second, he would possess legitimate authority. After all, what was wrong with helping mages from his own academy?

Of course, such matters could eventually be reported to the council. But due to the slow processing of council affairs, it would likely take five or six years before Elan’s lifetime appointment as headmaster was revoked and everything returned to its original state.

In that sense, accepting this deal with the Law School seemed like a wise decision.

However…

“I refuse. That academy is of no use to me…”

Elan’s expression stiffened. Forcing a smile, he said,

“Why? If your school had an entire academy as its source of apprentices, it could rival the Elemental School by next year—”

Habos interrupted him.

“That would be meaningless. My school does not possess low-tier knowledge. Forcing those apprentices to learn my spells would only destroy their futures… What I need is a genius capable of creating new spells.”

Elan’s heart sank. He knew the negotiation had failed today, but he still tried to salvage it.

“Sir Habos, an entire academy has far more people. The probability of finding a genius would surely be higher than searching among the students in your course—”

Habos smiled faintly, causing Elan to fall silent.

“You may not know this, but high-tier mages possess additional perception. We can judge whether someone has truly grasped certain knowledge. During the lecture earlier, I found a genius.”

Elan’s mouth fell open, yet no words came out.

“You might not be able to tell from expressions alone, but I clearly sensed that she understood the knowledge I taught. Once she successfully casts that spell, I will proudly announce that the Forge Furnace School has gained a genius.”

“Of course, you may wait and see. If that apprentice manages to create a spell that even apprentices can learn, then the foundation for cooperation between you and me will exist.”

That was the reason Habos had rejected Elan.

Now that another path had appeared, he did not need to expand his risks for uncertain benefits.

“Come to think of it, that apprentice was sitting not far from you. Yet you did not even notice that she had understood.”