Chapter 66 : Chapter 66

Chapter 66. A Chance Encounter

In Habos’s view, for Fran to create something like that, she must have invested a great deal of time and effort.

And for apprentices, was that not exactly why they spent so much time and energy—to join one of the schools and gain the chance to become a true mage?

To show his regard, Habos even gave Fran one of his own proud creations: a ring capable of releasing a high-tier spell.

“This is a ring that can release a high-tier spell. With your Mental Power, you should be able to activate it, albeit barely.”

When Fran saw Habos handing her the ring, she hesitated for a moment before accepting it.

Right now, what mattered most was preparing for the pursuit that might arrive from the Modification School at any moment. Accepting the proposal to join a school was the best option she had.

Her plan to carefully search for a suitable school had already become extremely difficult to continue.

Up until now, the information she had gathered was hardly any more than what she knew at the beginning of the academic year.

The possibility that the Modification School might send a true mage after her was like a sword hanging above her head.

She had absolutely no confidence in facing a true mage alone. Accepting the offer was therefore her best choice.

Fran took the ring and examined it in her hand. A massive red gemstone sat atop it, mounted on a wide band.

It was yet another ring that was far too large to fit on her finger.

Habos noticed her hesitation and asked curiously,

“Do you have some concern that still makes you hesitate to join a school?”

Fran thought for a moment and did not answer immediately. At a time like this, she certainly could not say that she wanted to examine which school’s spells were the strongest before deciding which one to join.

“I want… to learn more spells,” she said. “Not just the spells within a single school. So I have been considering which school would allow me to learn the most spells.”

Habos was somewhat surprised.

She wanted to learn spells beyond those of a single school?

For a normal apprentice, such an idea was almost rebellious. Most schools demanded loyalty from their apprentices.

The most powerful spells were firmly controlled by the various schools. The only way to learn them was usually by joining one.

Those who concealed their identity and joined multiple schools were often discovered eventually—and once they were, they would be jointly hunted by all the schools.

However, this was the art of speaking. Fran had deliberately added the final sentence, saying she wanted to see which school could teach the most spells.

That made it sound as if she was merely interested in magic itself, rather than planning to switch between multiple schools.

Habos pondered for a moment before speaking.

“Are you certain you want to learn more spells?”

He admired Fran greatly. With her talent, he believed that becoming a third-tier or fourth-tier mage was only a matter of time.

But wanting to learn more spells…

He had thought the same thing when he was young. In fact, many young people had the same idea—if they could learn the spells of other schools, they would surely use them better than anyone else.

Yet the schools guarded their magical knowledge extremely carefully. Even members within the schools had to make contributions before they were granted access to spells.

“Yes,” Fran replied, the corner of her mouth lifting slightly. Could there really be another possibility?

“If what you want to learn are first-tier or second-tier spells, then it is possible… However, you must first become a true mage.”

Habos decided to give Fran an opportunity. He knew of a place where one could indeed freely learn first-tier and second-tier spells.

However, he did not truly believe that learning so many spells would ultimately benefit her. The spells within any single school were already more than sufficient for a mage.

If one mastered the spells they already had, advancement to higher tiers would naturally follow.

And higher-tier spells were far more powerful than lower-tier ones. Learning numerous low-tier spells had little meaning.

Moreover, those spells were not easy to master. Although Fran had already managed to cast a first-tier spell while still an apprentice—proof enough that her magical talent was exceptional—

Each spell required different knowledge. Mastering one did not guarantee mastery of another.

“Thank you… Mentor,” Fran said after a moment of consideration, ultimately deciding to address him that way.

By doing so, she signaled that she had joined the Forge Furnace School.

Habos smiled. Fran’s decision also benefited him. In fact, he had already begun planning what he would do next.

He had gained many inspirations from Fran and needed time to research new spells.

First, he would develop a method within the Forge Furnace School to help Fran advance to become a true mage.

After her advancement, she would leave the City of Apprentices and spend some time conducting research.

Once the advancement method was finalized, he could trade it to the Law School, which had long wanted to make a deal with him. At that point, the task of cultivating more mages would fall to him.

As for Fran, he would send her to that place to learn whatever spells she might be able to master.

And when Fran eventually realized that she should not waste her time and energy on so many useless spells, he would begin teaching her the high-tier spells he had researched.

Once he guided Fran to become a third-tier mage, his school would finally take proper shape. It would be considered a fully established school.

Who would have thought that just yesterday I was worrying about how to develop my school, and now I can already see its brilliant future, Habos thought with great satisfaction.

“You must be exhausted after learning this spell,” Habos said. “Tomorrow, come to the Headmaster’s Office at Cuilan Academy and see me. I will give you the method to advance to a true mage.”

“All right… Thank you, Mentor.”

Although she did not know why she had to go to the Headmaster’s Office at Cuilan Academy, she assumed it was because Habos held a high rank. It would be quite normal for the headmaster to show him some favor.

This time, not only had she gained a shield that would prevent the Modification School from troubling her, she had also resolved the dilemma that had long plagued her regarding which school to join.

Her mood improved greatly, and a smile appeared on her face.

After watching Habos leave, she had no intention of resting.

She had just drunk an Energy Potion. Although she had cast Equipment Augmentation twice, she still felt energetic, and her Mental Power had not been heavily consumed.

Her gaze turned toward a box in the room filled with scrap materials—leftover pieces from when she had built the Steam Engine.

“Let me throw out the trash first.”

She had not left the house for days, so the garbage had piled up quite a bit. She still felt energetic, but she did not want to continue practicing spells either, so she might as well step outside for a moment.

She gripped the ring in her hand, lifted the box, and walked out of her home.

After dumping the box at the designated garbage disposal area, she encountered someone she had never wanted to see again.

That person wore a black robe bearing the emblem of the Modification School.

According to Fran’s memory, anyone whose robe carried a school emblem was a true mage of that school.

Belori also lifted her gaze from a sheet of paper in her hand and looked toward Fran.

On that sheet of paper, only a few names remained uncrossed.