"If it's not too much trouble, could you demonstrate your abilities...?"
When Leon nodded, assuming it was natural, the bearded Maxius led him to the backyard of the building.
'For a third-rank...'
Leon flipped his palm and began to speak, pretending to recite a spell incantation that he had morized.
"Pluvia."
Water droplets began to gather in Leon's palm. The droplets grew larger, eventually becoming twice the size of a human face.
This was the lowest-level water magic that Peter had taught him when he beca a regular student. Since Arpina's summons were too specific, demonstrating this level of magic was enough to prove his abilities as a third-rank magician.
"A water-elent magician, I see."
"Ah, I can also use wind and fire."
"A three-elent magician..."
Maxius scrutinized Leon. Although he was trying to cover his face as much as possible with his robe, Leon's small fra made it clear he was far from being an adult. His youthful face peeked out from beneath the robe.
Maxius had seen many magicians before. He knew that to reach the third rank at such a young age required a certain level of "talent." He also understood that this talent was often related to elental affinities.
Although he didn’t know everything, Maxius’s long experience told him that Leon had a different air about him.
‘He seems like a young master from a prestigious faction, out for so field experience.’
Maxius recalled the adventurer magicians he had encountered before. Most were at the first or second apprentice level, and even that was considered a rare talent in this area. Given ti, these magicians could hunt down a large number of monsters in an instant, so parties were eager to recruit them.
As a result, their quirks and arrogance grew more pronounced over ti. It was as if they were venting frustrations they had kept bottled up elsewhere, acting completely as they pleased. Despite this, parties seeking to recruit them never dwindled.
There were, however, magicians above their level.
Third, fourth, and fifth ranks were rare, but they existed. These magicians were often even more difficult to deal with; their higher rank didn’t necessarily co with a better attitude.
And those magicians of even higher ranks were almost never seen. Even if one appeared every few years, they all had an aura that made them seem untouchable. These magicians weren’t particularly interested in adventuring; they obtained a badge for convenience, completed a mission or two, and then left the city again. Such individuals had no reason to stain themselves with the blood of monsters for a living.
Leon gave off a similar vibe.
Of course, Maxius wasn’t about to speak recklessly just because he had a hunch. ssing with soone favored by the Magic Tower could have unpredictable consequences, even with the kingdom’s protection.
"Your skills are more than sufficient, so I’ll issue you a bronze adventurer badge."
"Thank you."
"May I ask what brought you to adventuring?"
Leon, uncomfortable with Maxius's polite deanor, responded.
"I'm planning to visit the Forest of Beasts in the west."
"Ah... you’re not selling monster corpses, so it must be for 'experience'...?"
"Well, sothing like that."
Leon gave a vague answer, and Maxius nodded in understanding.
"Just as I thought."
They had re-entered the building by now, and Maxius handed Leon a bronze badge.
"What is your na?"
"...Theo."
To register as an adventurer, Leon needed to provide so personal information, so he decided to use an alias.
Maxius found nothing suspicious and completed the bronze adventurer registration under the na Theo.
"You’re not planning to go alone, are you?"
"Is it difficult to go alone, even just to the entrance?"
"Since magicians need ti for incantations... it’s better to have a party with you. Otherwise, I can introduce you to a vetted party."
"Hmm..."
Leon pondered for a mont.
Claiming to be an apprentice magician had its drawbacks.
‘But if I had said I was a Mystic magician...’
The reaction would have been even more intense, so saying he was an apprentice was the right choice.
"We’ve got a vetted party right here!"
At that mont, soone interrupted the conversation between Leon and Maxius.
A large man, whose leather armor seed ready to burst from his bulging muscles, stepped forward. A greatsword was strapped to his back.
"Daif."
"I assure you, I can help the magician gain valuable experience!"
"They’re indeed a fairly well-known party among the bronze adventurers."
Maxius didn’t seem too opposed to Daif’s loud voice and even added a comnt in support.
Leon observed the brown-haired man and then glanced at the party mbers standing behind him.
One was a woman with short red hair, holding a dagger. When she t Leon's gaze, she smiled brightly and waved.
The other was a woman with long, yellow hair, carrying a bow. Though she had a stern expression, she nodded respectfully to Leon.
Leon, caught off guard, returned the nod.
It seed to be a mixed-gender party of three mbers.
"We specialize in the first zone, so if you’re planning to explore the entrance area, it might be good to go with us."
"Let’s be honest. You want to take the magician to the second zone, don’t you?"
Daif scratched his head as if he had made a mistake.
"Ah... I didn’t an to deceive you. I was just thinking we could check out the first zone together and then discuss it if you felt comfortable."
"The first zone is near the entrance... and the second zone is deeper inside?"
Leon asked, and Daif nodded.
"Yes, that’s right. The monsters there are mostly gnolls and lizardn, but..."
Gnolls and lizardn.
They might be common monsters here, but Leon had never encountered them in person.
‘It seems I really did spend all my ti in the training room...’
As Leon lost himself in thought, Daif, noticing Leon’s hesitation, cautiously spoke up.
"You can enter the second zone as a bronze adventurer, so it shouldn’t be a problem."
"Is there a contract to sign for the party?"
"No, there’s not!"
Sensing Leon’s willingness to join the party, Daif broke into a wide smile.
"When we accept a mission, we just write our nas in the log as a party, and that’s it!"
"What mission are you planning to take?"
"How about we first explore the first zone, as I ntioned earlier? It’ll help us synchronize as a party."
"And if we sync well, we’ll head to the second zone?"
"I’ll leave that entirely up to you, magician."
"Sounds good."
Pressed for ti, Leon decided to spend only a couple of days with them, scouting the entrance to the Forest of Beasts.
"What mission..."
Just as Leon was about to ask where to accept a mission, Daif quickly pulled out a crumpled piece of paper he had hidden behind him.
The crumpled paper detailed a mission to collect monster corpses from the first zone. Apparently, these corpses contained mana stones, which were sold at high prices among adventurers. They seed to have a system similar to mana stones. The corpses could also be used to craft armor.
"Is there anything else I need to prepare?"
"We were originally planning to go as a group of three, so just bring yourself. Unless, of course, you need so ti, in which case we’ll wait."
"No, I’m ready."
Leon wrote his na on the mission log and joined Daif's party.
"Nice to et you! I’m Karin!"
"I’m Linne."
"Theo."
After they finished introducing themselves, the four headed straight to the Forest of Beasts.
As they walked, the red-haired woman, who introduced herself as Karin, kept glancing at Leon.
Leon, who was preoccupied with Kito squirming inside his robe, suddenly felt her gaze and turned his head.
"Do you have sothing you want to say?"
"No! It’s just that this is my second ti seeing a magician, and I’ve never seen one so young..."
"Karin."
Daif warned her, and Karin dramatically covered her mouth.
"Oh! Did I make a mistake? Are you perhaps older than you look..."
"Hey, knock it off!"
Daif, who had been walking at the front, approached Karin and grabbed her by the back of the neck.
"Sorry about that. She’s quite the troublemaker..."
"...You all seem close."
"We’re from the sa village. By the way, is this your first ti in Crest, magician?"
"Yes."
There was no faking the awkwardness that ca with experiencing sothing for the first ti. Even though he wanted to keep his identity hidden, Leon decided not to lie about sothing that would be easily discovered.
"Would you like to show you around?"
Karin, still dangling from Daif’s hand, brightened up.
"We’ll finish the mission today, so we can tour the city afterward, and if you get tired, we could have a drink together... ow!"
Daif smacked the back of Karin’s head.
"What drink? Stop it. Be serious."
Daif didn’t want to offend the magician, who was joining their party for the first ti in a while.
When Daif first ca to Crest and beca an adventurer, he had once ford a party with a magician. Back then, he didn’t realize it was beginner’s luck, but he soon parted ways, fed up with the magician’s unreasonable attitude.
Now, three years later, he was finally bringing a magician into the party again, but this reckless Karin couldn’t contain her curiosity.
‘Save that stuff for after you’ve gotten to know them better...!’
Daif had beco seasoned enough to realize how rare it was to partner with a magician who was as calm and thoughtful as this one.
"...There’s no need to be so formal."
See that?
How considerate this magician was.
Soon after, as Karin chattered excitedly, they arrived at the Forest of Beasts.
"This is the first zone."
Daif put Karin down and took the lead again.
Leon turned his head from side to side, scanning the surroundings.
The na "Forest of Beasts" didn’t quite match the scene before him. The green forest didn’t seem much different from any other forest.
They had walked for about an hour after Daif tensed up.
"There aren’t many monsters."
"That’s probably because other adventurers have already dealt with them. But if we go a bit further..."
Before Daif could finish his sentence, seven green figures appeared before them.
"Goblins?"
"You know them."
They were goblins, holding crude weapons.
Like gnolls, they were monsters classified as F-rank in terms of essence.
‘So these goblins are considered F-rank?’
By that logic, they would be equivalent to first or second-rank apprentices.
Leon shook his head.
‘It doesn’t make sense to equate the skill of a single magician with that of a single monster.’
Even for an apprentice, Leon knew how much power a well-prepared magician could wield.
Could a warrior who could easily hunt F-rank monsters stand a chance against a first-rank apprentice magician?
Leon was confident that, assuming the magician had learned common spells, they would never lose. After all, with mana infusion techniques, they would far exceed the movents of a bronze adventurer.
‘Then again, considering it takes hundreds of F-rank potions to advance in rank, maybe it’s not so strange?’
It seed like a good opportunity to test it out.
Would these goblins really have the F-rank skills that matched their classification?
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