Chapter 64: Wizard

Robin listened intently, then asked: "What exactly do these wizard small groups do? Surely they aren't performing evil rituals like in the legends, are they?"

Men Luo curled his lip and said: "There aren't that many evil rituals. In the city, most wizard groups are white wizards; they mostly study some kind of magic together, or else they work to protect wizards' rights in the city. However, there are also some black wizards who like to sneak around doing shady deeds, but that's a minority. If you encounter a wizard in the city, it's best to keep your distance—they tend to have bad tempers, and the strong ones are terrifying."

Robin nodded, committing what he'd just heard to memory, but his doubts weren't fully resolved. He couldn't help asking: "What's the difference between white wizards and black wizards? How do you tell them apart?"

Men Luo was about to speak when an elderly knight beside him interrupted. The old knight was tall and broad-shouldered, his face lined with the marks of age, yet his eyes remained sharp as an eagle's. He snorted coldly, his tone tinged with disdain: "You, a knight who knows only a little about wizards, dare to spout off here?"

Robin was startled by the sudden interruption, but quickly reacted, turning his gaze to the old knight with a hint of expectation: "Could you tell me, then?"

The old knight glanced at Robin, then didn't answer right away; instead he slowly lifted his head to look at the sky, as if pondering something. His silence made Robin a little anxious, yet he dared not urge him.

Men Luo, seeing this, snapped irritably: "We call this old guy Lao Ba De Er; he's the oldest knight in our party, experienced but also the tightest with money. If you want to get anything out of his mouth, no matter what the question, you have to pay."

Hearing that, Robin was both amused and exasperated. He felt his pockets, found he had little gold, but still produced a silver coin and handed it to Lao Ba De Er: "Old knight, this is a token of my respect; please advise me."

Lao Ba De Er glanced at the silver coin, the corner of his mouth turning up slightly in a satisfied smile. He pocketed the coin, then slowly began: "The distinction between white and black wizards isn't as simple as it seems on the surface; their differences mainly lie in the nature of their magic, its purpose, and societal judgment."

Robin instantly became interested, perking up his ears to listen closely.

Lao Ba De Er drawled: "First, the nature of their magic. The magic white wizards study and cast is mostly related to light, nature, and life force. Their spells can heal wounds, make plants grow, and even purify land corrupted by darkness. For example, they can cast Healing Spell to let the seriously wounded recover quickly, or cast Growth Spell to make barren soil yield lush crops."

He paused, then continued: "Black wizards' magic, on the other hand, is often tied to death, curses, and dark energy. They can command the undead, unleash curses, and corrupt everything with dark power. Like they can summon Skeleton Warriors to fight for them, or place a vicious curse on an enemy, dooming him to misfortune."

Robin listened intently, then quickly asked: "And what about their purposes—how do they differ?"

Lao Ba De Er glanced at Robin, then went on: "White wizards mostly use magic to protect and help others. They step forward when towns are attacked by magical beasts, using magic to shield residents; they also employ healing magic during plagues to aid the sick. Their aim is to preserve world peace and order, and to promote the flourishing of life."

"As for black wizards!" Lao Ba De Er furrowed his brows, a flash of disgust in his eyes: "They use magic purely to satisfy their own selfish desires—perhaps to seize power and dominate others, or to amass wealth by any means. They don't care what disaster their actions bring to the world; they only seek to maximize their own gain."

Robin then asked: "What about social perception? Surely people's views of white and black wizards are quite different, right?"

Lao Ba De Er nodded, saying: "That's only natural. White wizards are deeply respected and beloved, seen as protectors and saviors. They enjoy high standing in cities, and people turn to them for help when in trouble. Black wizards, however, are despised by society at large; people regard them as dangerous and steer clear. Once a black wizard's whereabouts are discovered, whether it's the kingdom's army or adventurers, they will unhesitatingly move to surround and annihilate them."

Having heard all that, Robin gained a clearer understanding of the difference between white and black wizards, and he thanked Lao Ba De Er again.

Wizards weren't nearly as mysterious as he'd imagined, and the status of white wizards was extremely high.

Lao Ba De Er smiled and asked: "The ranking system of wizards differs from ours—do you know how?"

This time, Robin was very perceptive, immediately offering a gold coin; even the previously absentminded Men Luo perked up his ears to listen.

Lao Ba De Er took the gold coin, smiled satisfactorily, cleared his throat, and began: "The wizard ranking system is indeed quite different from that of knights. Knights' promotion path is relatively simple and clear: from attendant to knight apprentice, then to formal knight, and finally to great knight. But the wizards' world is far more complex; their apprentices are divided into three classes—don't underestimate these three classes, for their third-class apprentices correspond to our great knights."

"Third-class apprentices correspond to great knights?!" Men Luo beside him gasped, eyes wide: "This… this is too exaggerated!"

Lao Ba De Er glanced at Men Luo, the corner of his mouth turning up slightly, seemingly pleased with his reaction. He paused, then continued: "After the third-class apprentices come formal wizards. Formal wizards use 'rings' as their rank—for example, first-ring wizards, second-ring wizards, and so on. As for how many rings there are, I don't know."

Men Luo listened intently, unable to help asking eagerly: "Lao Ba De Er, what's the highest ring you've ever seen a wizard achieve?"

Lao Ba De Er didn't answer right away; instead he slowly lifted his hand and rubbed his fingers together in front of Men Luo, a sly smile appearing on his face.

Men Luo stared for a moment, then realized, giving a wry laugh as he produced a gold coin from his pocket and handed it to Lao Ba De Er: "You old miser, you're all about the money!"

Lao Ba De Er accepted the gold coin, nodded satisfactorily, and then went on: "The strongest wizard I've ever seen was a second-ring wizard. That was twenty years ago, when I accompanied the lord to the capital for an important meeting. That wizard wore a deep-purple robe, had a second-ring badge pinned to his chest, and every movement exuded a power that made one's heart pound. It's said that with a casual swipe he wiped out a small assassin squad—a squad led by a legendary knight and comprising over twenty great knights."

(End of chapter)