Just a few hours apart, the chamber opened from the inside.
The key token that monitored the activity of the chamber responded, and the female apprentice responsible for the watch rushed over when she sensed the movement. Seeing Ivan standing at the doorway, a clear shock flashed in her eyes.
“Senior brother—Ivan, have you succeeded?” She could sense an aura as solid as a mountain emitting from the person before her and she asked with a restrained demeanor.
“Of course,” Ivan nodded slightly. He had chosen to complete the task in one go after entering the chamber, and the time it took was far less than one day. “The chamber is yours again, farewell, miss.”
“Sir, my name is Alice, Alice Duono,” Alice called out crisply.
“Then, Miss Alice, remember to keep this a secret for a while, ten days should suffice.”
“Rest assured, Sorcerer Marichadon.”
Hearing the voice behind him, Ivan casually waved his hand without turning his head and left.
As he departed, he took a side path. His becoming a sorcerer should not be revealed yet; in a few days, there was another matter to resolve, and he could not afford to let news slip.
Of course, such things could not be kept secret for long. If one really wanted to find out, clues were always there, such as having to register a name when renting the chamber—Alice was undoubtedly aware of this.
The three-story tower.
Ivan returned to his quarters to tidy up, then went to report the good news to his mentor.
“Come in.” The person inside seemed to have expected his arrival, sending out a voice as he approached.
“Mentor, everything went smoothly,” Ivan reported upon entering the tower, with Randall seated inside.
“Good, good, very good,” Randall stood up and looked him over, repeatedly expressing his approval, “You certainly didn’t disappoint, it seems your body hasn’t been too badly affected, has it?”
“Not much, I should recover in two to three days.”
“Haha, you are a Great Knight after all, with the support of the rapid wood silkworm, and the Rose Chain, so I didn’t think there would be any serious problems.” Randall nodded with satisfaction, motioning for him to sit and talk.
“How is the Blackbeard Crown?”
After a few seconds, Randall continued his inquiry, seemingly unaware of the trace of apprehension in his demeanor.
Ivan noticed this. He knew his mentor valued the Blackbeard Crown greatly because it was tied to the legacy of the Insect Control Master, and the mentor had hopes of advancing the craft of Insect Control.
“You were right, the Blackbeard Crown has been of great help to me, I thank you for making it possible.”
“Look at you, there’s no need for so much formality.” Randall waved his hand casually, “Well, not bad, it seems my effort to research it was not wasted, it’s somewhat useful, good enough.”
Ivan found it amusing to see his mentor genuinely concerned yet pretending to be unaffected.
“With you here, who would dare to speak ill? I’d twist their head off,” Randall said indignantly, as if something had come to mind.
“Mentor, do people really dare to gossip about you?” Ivan was taken aback, prompting a question.
“Plenty. When I merely hinted at wanting to vie for the position of steward, those people started making a fuss with all sorts of nasty talk, showing no regard for our collegiality.”
Randall didn’t hide anything, sharing the details with him and also enlightening the newly promoted sorcerer about the organizational structure of the academy, giving him a preliminary understanding of where he stood.
In the entirety of Mongna Ant Land Cottage, there are a total of 95 registered sorcerers including Ivan, making 96; with many sorcerers having left the academy, typically around 80 sorcerers are in constant residence at the academy and its vicinity.
The academy’s structure from the top down consists of one Dean, two Vice-Deans, three chief stewards, and two stewards per department—meaning that there are a total of 18 positions available to sorcerers.
“What is the role of these positions?” Ivan understood that most sorcerers were not keen on vying for power and profit.
“They represent the access you have to the academy’s resources. Compared to apprentices, sorcerers require much scarcer resources. Otherwise, why would our predecessors continue to open up new territories? Essentially, it all boils down to competing for resources,” Randall explained.
“——“
“Mentor, why is there only one Level 2 Sorcerer at the academy?”
“Perhaps there are more, but without the corresponding resources, who would bother with the trivial matters of Mongna Ant Land Cottage? Even Dean Watkin isn’t often at the academy; it’s been a long time since I last saw him.”
After listening to Randall’s explanation, Ivan realized the number of Level 2 Sorcerers was fewer than he had expected; Mongna Ant Land Cottage openly had only one Level 2 Sorcerer, the Dean, while even the two Vice-Deans were only Level 1 Sorcerers.
Other academies on the Moon Pincer Peninsula were about the same; Level 2 Sorcerers were already very powerful and rarely made public appearances. The most likely scenario is that they had left the Moon Pincer Peninsula to seek the resources they needed elsewhere.
If not for the contractual restrictions, even Level 1 Sorcerers within the academy could have left in sizable numbers.
It is worth mentioning that Sorcerer Bernardson is a steward of the Policing Team, newly appointed and still in his probationary period, so he’s quite active in his duties, typically being the one to handle any arising issues.
“Ivan, those positions are merely an ornament for a sorcerer; true power is what really represents everything,” Randall said with emphasis.
“I understand.”
Ivan nodded, still unclear about the extent of resources accessible through these positions but feeling that holding one could be cumbersome, often requiring participation in various matters.
“As long as you are aware, that’s enough. This is my gift to you in celebration of your promotion,” Randall said, no longer saying much else, as he handed him a book of magic before adding, “I’ve asked Gina and Mieyan to come and get reacquainted with the new you; they should be arriving soon.”
Ivan glanced at the spell and saw that it was the Level 1 Blackbeard Crown, the mentor was really considerate.
Outside the round tower, Gina and Mieyan had actually arrived a while ago and were hesitantly lingering not far from the round tower, fretting over the forthcoming meeting.
“Mieyan, once we go in, should we call him ‘Sorcerer Marichadon’, ‘Your Excellency’, or maybe ‘senior brother’?” Gina said tentatively.
“How about ‘Sorcerer Ivan Your Excellency’?” Mieyan murmured softly.
“What kind of messed-up title is that? Believe it or not, the mentor might just slap you for it. Think about it, just a few days ago, Ivan was still our junior brother, and now all of a sudden, he’s become an official sorcerer, it’s hard to believe.”
In the sorcerer world, it’s actually acceptable to add ‘Sorcerer’ after a surname or given name when addressing a wizard; there’s no specific rule. For some famous sorcerers, you wouldn’t have a problem even if you called them by their code name; it shows the wizard’s influence and prestige.
“Yes.” Mieyan nodded deeply, feeling the sentiment.
“Junior brother Mieyan, shall I try slapping you to see if it hurts? If it does, that means it’s real,” Gina suggested.
Hearing her words, Mieyan rolled his eyes, why not let himself slap her instead?
After hesitating for a while, the two finally approached the door of the round tower haltingly and reluctantly.
As usual, the door opened automatically before they could knock.
“What are you dawdling for? Come and greet your senior brother, Sorcerer Ivan Marichadon.”
Upon hearing the mentor’s voice, the two walked in nervously and greeted Ivan, sitting there, with proper decorum: “We’ve come to see you, senior brother Ivan.”
“We’re all fellow apprentices, no need for such formalities. What was before will still be the same in the future.”
It was rare to see Gina like this, and while Ivan felt the change, he was also more acutely aware of the difference in being a sorcerer.
Although he said this, Gina and Mieyan still didn’t dare to be disrespectful, and Gina even spoke less than usual.
The two definitely didn’t dare treat him like they treated Randall. Sorcerers and apprentices are on two completely different levels, with significant differences in both strength and status.
Some apprentices become completely different people as soon as they become wizards, or rather, they no longer hide their true nature. There were plenty of such examples, and without exercising caution, offending a sorcerer could have serious consequences.
Ivan took their behavior as a lack of adjustment but could see a hint of envy in their eyes.
The next day.
Ivan once again visited the deputy dean’s office.
“Dean Lidia, I’ve come to report to you.” As soon as Ivan arrived, he was led into the office.
“Sorcerer Marichadon, I am happy to see you again. It seems that our Enchantment Group has gained another elite,” Teresa said, her attitude more enthusiastic than before, revealing a sense of closeness and attempts at courting.
After exchanging pleasantries, they got down to business.
This time, Ivan was there to collect the resources for an official sorcerer, including subsequent Meditation Methods, Enchantment knowledge, sorcerer robe, Crystal Ball, and more—all stipulated in the contract he had signed earlier.
To be honest, besides the somewhat harsh requirement that prevented him from leaving the academy for extended periods for a hundred years, the other demands were reasonable.
“Sorcerer Marichadon, allow me to add one more thing. Regarding the Meditation Methods, since our rise as sorcerers has not been long, many originate from complex sources and must be approached with caution,” Teresa emphasized before handing over the methods.
Three or four thousand years and that’s not long?
Ivan reconsidered. When compared to other races and the lifespan of powerful sorcerers, the history of sorcerers indeed wasn’t very long.
If the deputy dean mentioned it herself, it was likely that the sources of the Black Beard Chapter were suspicious.
“Thank you for the warning; I’ll bear it in mind,” Ivan said.
“The Meditation Method you have been practicing is the Black Beard Chapter; you will not be changing it, will you?” Teresa asked solemnly.
“No change.” Naturally, Ivan had no intention of changing his Meditation Method, as making a change rashly was unwise, and other Meditation Methods could potentially have their own problems as well.
“You know the rules. Without the academy’s permission, you absolutely cannot teach it to anyone else; otherwise, it will be considered a betrayal,” Teresa reminded sternly.
Conventions among sorcerers were usually enforced through contracts, obliging Ivan to sign yet another confidentiality agreement regarding the Meditation Method.
The academy was quite generous, directly giving him the second and third levels of the Meditation Method; as for the fourth level, Dean Lidia explicitly stated that the academy had no further parts.
Apart from the Meditation Method, he also acquired knowledge of Intermediate Enchantment Skill, a unique benefit of the Enchantment Group.
He also received three Level 1 spells: Mage’s Hand, Thorny Strangulation, and Energy Fireball.
And other essentials, including a new residence. Like Randall, he chose a tower-shaped building for his abode. A two-story Twin Tower was vacant, and he selected it as his new home.
That day, Ivan moved into his new home. He didn’t have many belongings, only the apothecary lab equipment, and the mulberry wood cabinet needed moving. With the assistance of the Shadow Ant servants, the move was effortless.