The shadow ant servants that appeared in the hall were not singular, but one after another, making everyone inevitably nervous. This was a decisive moment for their futures, and no one knew what would happen if a mentor did not choose them.
“Conley Raglan, Sorcerer Yosef wants to see you,” someone said.
“Kent Budomir, Sorcerer Rowler wants to see you,” another voice followed.
Talent was the primary criterion, and the two rookies with 4th Class talents were chosen immediately.
Conley gestured to the others from the Aromatic Wheat Dukedom and followed the shadow ant servant out of the hall.
Ivan glanced at Carmel beside him, expecting he would be next.
“I’m not in a hurry,” Carmel waved his hand and added in a low voice, “Sorcerer Yosef is from the potion group, and Sorcerer Rowler is from the Policing Team.”
The third person chosen was indeed not him, but someone from the Fluttering Wind Kingdom.
“Ed Cassia, Sorcerer Sanga wants to see you,” called out the announcer.
“He’s from the Hunting Team.”
While Carmel spoke, Ed looked over here with a hint of pride before catching up with the pace of the shadow ant servant.
Ivan frowned slightly, not upset by Ed, but rather worried about his own situation. Compared to others, his situation was unusually complex. If the potion group did not choose him, it was very likely he would end up in the Hunting Team.
The Hunting Team had suffered great losses because of Toyennes, making it unlikely they would view his apprenticeship favorably.
“Ivan Marichardon, Sorcerer Randall wants to see you,” came the announcement.
A shadow ant servant approached them, and Ivan had thought it was for Carmel, but it turned out to be for him.
Carmel’s eyes sparkled, “I know Sorcerer Randall, he belongs to the Enchantment Group and is the most skilled Insect Control Master in the academy; his temper is genuinely nice.”
“Carmel, thank you for clearing that up,” Ivan expressed.
So it was the Insect Control Master; although Ivan still had doubts, it was better than ending up in the Hunting Team.
After saying goodbye, he followed the shadow ant servant out.
Not far ahead, Ed had not yet left the hall, which made Ivan unconsciously quicken his pace without looking back.
Within the academy’s boundaries, the lights shining down were neither too bright nor too dark, giving a just-right feeling. The shadow ant servant remained silent, gliding ahead at a speed comparable to a squire, with Ivan easily following behind.
The two arrived in front of a tall, three-story round tower.
Before they could even knock, someone was already pushing the door open from inside—a young apprentice with somewhat messy hair.
Seeing Ivan outside, he displayed a friendly smile, “Are you Apprentice Ivan?”
“That’s me,” Ivan replied.
“I’m Mieyan, also a disciple of Instructor Randall. Go on in, the Instructor is expecting you,” he encouraged.
Ivan nodded, quickly stepping into the three-story round tower.
This place appeared to be a living room, yet it was filled with various insect products. There were lively-looking insect decorations preserved in water, colorful beetle specimens pinned to the walls, and what seemed like fried white worms as snacks on the table.
In the corner, a particularly robust figure was bending over, searching for something.
“Ivan, is it?” he asked.
“Yes, are you Instructor Randall?” Ivan responded.
Randall stood and turned around, his bear-like posture completely caught Ivan’s eye.
Ivan had never seen such a tall and robust middle-aged man before. He had grown a bit in the past few months and now stood 175 centimeters tall, while the man before him towered over him, seemingly about 2.7 or 2.8 meters tall.
Randall, accustomed to such gazes, warned, “I should tell you in advance, my apprentices must become Insect Control Masters. Maintaining insects consumes a lot of resources. Do you still wish to become my apprentice?”
Ivan hurriedly replied, “I would be honored to be your apprentice.”
Randall smiled and said, “I have looked into your background, so I don’t need to enlighten you, but the enrollment ceremony cannot be omitted.”
He waved his hand, and the lights around the living room flickered momentarily; a different halo appeared, enveloping them both and transforming into a complicated runes sorcery array. The surrounding light became dazzling, as if they had entered another world.
“Repeat after me: ‘In accordance with the ancient heritage of the sorcerers——‘”
As for Ivan, he was familiar with such procedures. Compared to those in Toyennes, this oath included some clauses about the academy. As the surrounding halo dazzled to its peak, the runes sorcery array suddenly dispersed.
“Now, call me ‘Instructor’ and let’s hear it.”
Ivan, slightly taken aback, nonetheless promptly responded, “Good day, respected Instructor.”
Randall, with an air of great satisfaction, stated, “We sorcerers believe that knowledge has its price and advocate for equivalent exchange. Since you’ve called me ‘Instructor,’ I won’t be stingy and will impart to you some paid knowledge at no cost.
Listen carefully, I will teach you the elementary part of the ‘Black Beard Chapter’ meditation technique, a special Insect Control Magic of my own creation called ‘Blackbeard Crown’, along with basic Runes Skill and basic Enchantment Skill knowledge.”
Having said this, Randall asked for his crystal ball and transferred the knowledge from his own crystal ball, including his self-developed Insect Control Magic.
He continued, “You should have 10 credits, according to the academy’s rules. You can exchange them for one basic knowledge course from me. Do you want to choose basic Enchantment Skill or the elementary runes book, or would you prefer to save them for later?”
Everyone realized one thing: credits were very important. Ivan, not yet fully aware of their specific purposes, couldn’t help asking, “Instructor, what exactly are credits used for?”
Randall explained, “They have a wide range of uses: they can be exchanged for primary or more important knowledge, and can buy mental power potions, spells, important materials, and so on. Just remember, anything of significant value, including knowledge, requires credits, which is a rule of the academy that even us sorcerers must adhere to.”
Experience more tales on empire
“Understood. I actually have 30 credits, exchanged for a Physical Strength Potion,” Ivan admitted, not wanting to hide this from his instructor.
Surprised, Randall remarked, “Is that really true as written under the potion maker’s information?”
Not quite believing him, Ivan chose to speak with actions rather than words, pulling out a potion from his pocket.
Randall merely glanced at it and laughed, “Haha, my judgment is not bad. The potion group made a mistake. Then you can exchange for both.”
Ivan nodded in agreement and, driven by curiosity, asked, “Instructor, if I may be so bold, why did you choose me?”
Randall matter-of-factly responded, “Because you are interested in nurturing insects. I believe that’s key to becoming a good Insect Control Master, and there are too few people in our academy who pursue Insect Control.”
That was a strong reason. Ivan felt fortunate that he had written a bit more in his information.
Randall, excitedly inquiring, said, “What about the insects you’re raising?”
Ivan did not believe a sorcerer would care about his belongings, so he started to introduce them, “This is a variant of the rapid wood silkworm. They belong to a species with an insect queen and can switch between moth and wood silkworm forms. Their strength is quite good, and currently, I’m mainly cultivating them. Also, there’s the freezing water midge—”
After inspecting both types of insects, Randall complimented, “Your rapid wood silkworms have great potential and can be cultivated as a focal point. Unfortunately, I don’t have any mulberry wood. They would probably feed on Plant-type element stones.”
He pulled out a grayish-green element stone, and the Silkworm Queen wriggled toward it, nibbling it in small bites. Not one to eat alone, the queen called the other rapid wood silkworms over.
“See, it likes Plant-type element stones. Look how hungry you’ve kept them; don’t starve them again. They’re really a lively bunch.”
“I know now,” Ivan acknowledged.
Seeing a continuous ‘smitten smile’ on the instructor’s face, Ivan realized that his instructor was most likely an ‘insect slave’, unlike the ‘cat slaves’ from his previous life who favored potential insects. It was no wonder he didn’t even mention the freezing water midges.
However, as the instructor handed over one element stone after another, Ivan found it hard to keep smiling. Element stones seemed as valuable as magic stones. He hadn’t realized before how big an appetite the rapid wood silkworms had.
