Chapter 1418: Preparing the Principles Book, Interviewing Three Candidates

"I more or less understand what you mean. You are saying that we, having reached the end of the Magic Net, should focus more of our attention on all things in reality, and thereby continue to explore the essence of the world."

"Yes."

Xia Duo nodded helplessly; it was not something that could be accomplished in a day to make Iolum change his perception of magic, but a brand-new way of thinking about magic research would not be casually ignored by him either.

The end of the Magic Net refers more to the spell circle and the upper limit of energy levels, rather than the upper limit of the types and quantities of spells.

Even if one were to expand the types and quantities of spells, starting from existing spell elements to conduct integrated research, there is ultimately a limit.

And conventional exploratory research is more about taking chances; it would be better to start from a certain thing or phenomenon in reality and dig deep into the principles behind it. One might not necessarily obtain a new spell in the end, but one will certainly gain an understanding of the essence of the world.

This is Xia Duo's concept: spells are a very efficient tool, but only the methods to understand the world and transform the world are what he—and what the future magic civilization—truly needs.

Many current Netherese Mages do indeed study certain special phenomena in reality, attempting to find the new spell they want from within them.

But this research driven by utilitarian goals is always prone to being scattered and unfocused, valuing spells more than theory; under such circumstances, it is even harder to form a relatively complete magic system.

Xia Duo once wrote a book called "Principles," but although it was named Principles, it did not actually involve much content related to principles; it was more of an introduction, organization, and a small amount of integration of the current Netheril Magic System.

Now that he has reached the end of the Magic Net, it has given him the idea of writing a true Principles Book, but such a grand topic is far from something he can complete alone; it requires the joint efforts of countless people.

But some frameworks can be built first.

"Perhaps this could also become a small gift for my debut at the Seventon Council!"

After leaving Iolum, Xia Duo did not return to the Laboratory, but instead went to Weilan Manor on the edge of the Old City District.

Yesterday, Aiwa sent a Sending to him, saying that the few Advanced Rank mages who had previously clearly expressed their willingness to accept recruitment by the Tower of Time were ready and waiting for his formal Interview.

On the way to Weilan Manor, Xia Duo was actually still somewhat dissatisfied, not with Aiwa, but with the current environment for Spellcasters in Netheril.

Before the Midsummer Festival, he had already had Aiwa spread the news; the conditions for the Interview were not harsh, and could even be said to be relatively loose, with only two—

One was to be under forty years of age, and the other was to have learned the 5th-circle mind spell involved in the Demon-Slaying Amulet.

For the former, as long as they did not look too old, Xia Duo was not prepared to be too pedantic; and for the latter, Xia Duo had thoughtfully provided a Learning Scroll to lower the difficulty of their learning.

Half a month had passed, and only three interviewees had come.

The Midsummer Festival is considered the grandest celebration in all of Netheril for the year; there were definitely no lack of people in Seventon that day, yet even so, there were only three.

This made Xia Duo feel very disappointed, and he felt increasingly dissatisfied with the current environment for Spellcasters in Netheril.

Arriving at Weilan Manor, Xia Duo adjusted his mood and walked into the interior of the manor with a hint of a smile.

When he came, he had already contacted Aiwa to set up the recruitment site in the Reception Room on the first floor of the villa and notified those three Advanced Rank mages to come for the interview.

When he arrived at the Reception Room, he saw that the three middle-aged mages were already waiting inside.

"Good afternoon, the three of you."

"Good afternoon, Lord Xia Duo!" *3

Xia Duo gave a casual greeting, sat down in the main seat in the Reception Room, and then began to carefully size up these three middle-aged mages.

The first one on his left was dressed in flashy clothes, and the Magic Aura on his Mage Robe was rippling, clearly superior to the other two, and his demeanor and posture seemed to have the confidence of someone superior.

The second one looked a bit down-and-out; the Mage Robe was clearly just for show, and there were oil stains on the sleeves that had not been cleaned for who knows how many days. For an Advanced Rank mage to be reduced to this state, it was truly something.

The third one also looked slightly down-and-out, but compared to the second, the Mage Robe was a genuine Magic Item; apart from the Mage Robe, Xia Duo did not see any other Magic Aura on him.

There should be a Dimensional Bag with hidden aura, but Xia Duo did not delve into it, only taking a shallow glance.

"Before the formal Interview, I need to confirm first: are you sure you understand the situation regarding the job of Magic Technician?"

"We understand. It's similar to a full-time alchemist, but easier than that, and there are many benefits. That Envoy Aiwa has already told us about it."

The other two also gave affirmative answers.

"Very well, now please, the three of you, start by introducing yourselves: whether you have joined any Mage Tower organization before, whether you have violated any Sacred Contract, what spells you are good at, and so on."

Xia Duo mentioned a few points briefly, then pointed directly at the first person on his left, "Let's start with you!"

That person was pointed at first, but he was not flustered at all; he even feigned reserve and straightened his Mage Robe before he began to answer:

"Lord Xia Duo, my name is Feishe'er, from Niujinte Territory. I have not joined any Mage Tower organization before; I only studied for a few years in the Mage Tower of the Lord of Niujinte. I am best at Fireball, and I have not violated any Sacred Contract."

"Mm."

Xia Duo nodded, signaling for the second person to introduce himself.

"My name is Andongni, from Aierweisi Territory. I have not joined any Mage Tower organization before either. I learned magic from a wandering mage; I know relatively few spells, and I am best at Flight. I have not violated any Sacred Contract."

Then it was the third person—

"My name is Keke, from Kangtusi Territory. I have not joined any Mage Tower organization before. Magic is a family tradition; my father was once an Apprentice at Morien Tower. I am good at Transmutation spells, and I have not violated any Sacred Contract."

After the three finished their introductions, Xia Duo continued to ask: "Before today, what were your sources of income?"

Perhaps because they had never been asked such a question, all three were a bit at a loss, not knowing if this was the normal process for recruitment by the Tower of Time, or if it was Lord Xia Duo's peculiar hobby.

In the end, it was Andongni who spoke first, "I have been an Adventurer before, and I have also been a caravan guard. Although the income was not much, it was enough for me to use.

"It's just that on the path of magic, it is hard for me to have the energy to progress on my own, which is why I wanted to find a Mage Tower organization.

"Although the Tower of Time was not well-known in its early years, Lord Xia Duo is a rare genius Arcanist in these years. I believe my choice is correct."

After Andongni finished speaking, he was clearly stunned for a moment, as if wondering why he had suddenly said so much, and at this time, the other two also spoke up one after another—