The Slane Theocracy?
The black-robed youth, Albert, and the blue-robed Magician exchanged startled glances, their expressions shifting as they looked at Adam.
As the strongest of the human nations, deeply tied to the legendary Six Great Gods, the Slane Theocracy held a unique and influential status among other kingdoms.
"I'm not." Adam said, mildly surprised that the old man would mistake him for someone from the Theocracy.
The old man's stern, wrinkled face remained unchanged. His coarse, grayish fingernail tapped the sheet of paper on the counter.
"I've been informed of the situation." He said, his turbid yet piercing eyes, devoid of emotion, locking onto Adam. "Young magician, since you made this paper, can you produce more?"
Adam sensed the weighty aura emanating from the old man, a glint flashing in his eyes as he nodded. "I can."
The turn of events was unexpected but piqued his curiosity.
The deference shown by Albert and the blue-robed Magician suggested this old man held significant status in the Magician's Guild.
His presence reminded Adam of Lizzie Bareare, hinting he might be a third-tier magic caster.
"Papermaking!" Adam chanted softly.
The second-tier Papermaking spell activated, conjuring 700 glossy, durable white sheets that materialized in the air.
Rustle~
The papers cascaded onto the counter, piling high.
"It's… actually true?" Albert muttered, staring at Adam in disbelief.
The old man leaned forward, his eyes flickering as he plucked two sheets at random, comparing them. He repeated the process several times.
"Excellent." He said, a rare smile breaking his rigid demeanor. "The magic distribution in each sheet is remarkably even, no defects. These are ready-to-use alchemical materials."
"This level of skill would rank among the best of my disciples."
His weathered eyes softened slightly. "To refine second-tier Papermaking to this degree at your age is truly remarkable."
Adam blinked, caught off guard by the praise.
Could second-tier paper have uneven magic distribution or defects?
For him, spending a skill point upgraded lifestyle magic like Papermaking to a higher tier, and casting it felt no different from standard spells.
But that was trivial.
The real issue was the trio's attitude, revealing that second-tier Papermaking was far more valuable than he'd imagined.
"Master, he bought a Papermaking scroll just a month ago. There's no way he learned it and reached second-tier mastery so quickly. He must have some ulterior motive-"
Albert's voice trembled as he spoke urgently.
"Albert." The old man cut him off coldly, disappointment flashing in his eyes. "You still don't understand. The method doesn't matter."
"I've told you: for a magic caster, talent outweighs effort."
"And you've yet to show that talent."
His words were harsh and unyielding. From the blue-robed Magician, he'd learned the full story.
He didn't believe Adam had mastered Papermaking to the second tier through a single scroll, especially not in this timeframe.
Motives or schemes were irrelevant. What mattered was the talent Adam displayed at his age.
Albert's face paled, his lips quivering, but he couldn't muster a response under the old man's blunt judgment.
"Young magician, are you interested in becoming my disciple?" The old man asked, turning to Adam.
Albert's knees buckled, despair clouding his eyes.
The blue-robed Magician behind the old man widened his eyes, a mix of shock and concern flickering across his face.
"You are…?" Adam's lip twitched, his expression unreadable.
The blue-robed Magician's emotions flared. "Do you realize who you're speaking to? This is the Vice President of E-Rantel's Magician's Guild!"
"One of only three in the Re-Estize Kingdom capable of crafting third-tier magic scrolls, Berolay Wannov Grigori Bertkin!"
The long, imposing name hit Adam like a jolt, recalling the Adventurer's Guild appraiser's mention.
"Haaa." Berolay chuckled, studying Adam's genuine ignorance. His stiff smile softened. "The 'Master' title is too much. I know my limits."
"Are you interested in coming with me?" He asked, a glimmer of anticipation in his eyes.
A third-tier magic caster was among the elite of human spellcasters.
If Adam recalled correctly, even Theo Rakheshir, the Magician's Guild President, was only third-tier.
This was the Magician's Guild, low risk. Unless facing a fourth-tier caster, Adam faced no real threat.
And a scroll-crafting master?
Completely unexpected!
Gaining alchemist and apothecary skills from Nfirea had been his biggest windfall recently. Adam had assumed such auxiliary skills would only come later.
With an opportunity like this, refusal was unthinkable.
He instructed the Invisible Hound cub to wait outside and followed Berolay upstairs.
Unlike the guild's quiet first floor, the second floor buzzed with activity. Magicians in varied robes or casual attire moved about.
Their numbers paled compared to the Adventurer's Guild, but it was lively.
Spotting Berolay, they paused to bow respectfully, their curious gazes lingering on the unfamiliar figure trailing him.
Berolay led Adam through a long corridor to another staircase, descending to the guild's other first-floor wing.
A faint, fishy scent mingled with odd, not-quite-unpleasant aromas filled the air.
Adam's eyes landed on over a dozen casters, each engrossed in their tasks.
At that moment,
Hum!
[Detected first-tier spell 'Meld,' requires caster level 1–7. Conditions met. Spend 1 skill point to learn?]
[Detected first-tier spell 'Direction Sense,' requires caster level 1–7. Conditions met. Spend 1 skill point to learn?]
…
[Detected first-tier spell 'Odorless,' requires caster level 1–7. Conditions met. Spend 1 skill point to learn?]
A cascade of prompts flashed across Adam's status panel.
***
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