Chapter Twenty-Five: Holding Back

After officially attaining the status of a mage, Vere followed Lis around the entire Mage Guild, finally arriving at his own office. The office and laboratory were separated by just a wooden door. The furnishings—tables, chairs, and the like—were all present, yet the magical materials available for Vere's experiments were pitifully scarce.

In Lis’s words, “Very few people in the guild have any use for these things, and no one is willing to risk their life gathering magical materials in forests teeming with magical beasts.”

In short, Vere now thoroughly understood: within this Mage Guild, from its wretched location to the so-called mages who had earned their titles in name only, lacking both skill and character, to the most basic magical apparatuses that were so outdated they ought to be replaced—everything was in dire need of renewal. As for what was missing entirely, well, he was on his own.

After Lis explained the various rules and regulations the guild members must abide by, their business was nearly concluded when the previously departed pretty boy, Semily, suddenly approached, exchanged a meaningful glance with Vere and Lis, and then turned to leave. Vere and Lis exchanged a look; it was clear they shared a hint of suspicion. Although they had no idea what Semily was up to, they followed discreetly.

Upon entering the guild hall, they found that the number of mages had increased somewhat. Many male mages, upon seeing Lis, wore lustful expressions, yet none dared to approach her. Instead, they squinted their eyes, greedily sizing up Lis’s alluring figure again and again.

“Disgraceful!” Vere muttered a curse under his breath. Lis, however, appeared completely unconcerned and said casually, “They’re all from outside the guild—useless trash, really. How much more disgrace could they possibly be?”

As she spoke, Lis’s beautiful eyes swept fiercely over the room. She raised her hand with a careless gesture, and clusters of flames appeared from thin air beside her. The crimson fire flickered, casting a glow on Lis’s enchanting features, making her seem both more captivating and somewhat terrifying. These so-called mages from outside the guild were a sorry lot—clad in ornate mage robes, yet utterly incapable of true magic. Upon seeing Lis’s display, their expressions changed dramatically. Hastily, they averted their lecherous gazes and lowered their heads, pretending to be busy.

“Hmph, let’s go.” Lis snorted coldly, not even bothering to spare them another glance, and strode with Vere straight across the hall toward the second floor.

When they arrived at the meeting room, they found it already full. Aside from a few familiar faces—like West and several others who had taken part in Vere’s examination—the rest were strangers to him.

When Semily saw Vere and Lis enter, he cast a soundproof barrier, then stepped to the center of the room, cleared his throat, and announced, “Everyone’s here, so let’s begin. All of you present are members of the inner Mage Guild, which means we are the real mages! The reason I’ve called you here is that Master Makro Jack, the royal court mage, has entrusted us with a mission. This assignment is highly confidential and important, and the powers of the royal family or the military cannot be employed—thus, Master Makro Jack has commissioned us alone.

“As for the mission itself—regardless of its difficulty—our task is to escort a very important personage. Once we deliver this person safely to the imperial capital, our job is done. That’s the general outline; does anyone have any questions?” Semily finished and turned to gauge the group’s reactions.

“Why is this escort duty falling to us?” a fifth-level mage suddenly stood and addressed Semily. “I don’t believe mages are suited for such work.”

“Neither do I,” Semily replied with a shrug, “but this commission comes directly from the royal family and Master Makro Jack. Our Mage Guild has no choice but to accept! Besides, it’s an opportunity to prove our strength as mages—we shouldn’t pass it up!”

Though Semily looked like nothing more than a pretty boy, he commanded considerable respect within the guild, especially given his prowess. As a second-tier mage, he held the highest rank in the vast Mage Guild, and he had only just passed twenty. In a few more years, with further advancement, it was only a matter of time before he would become a royal court mage himself.

“I have no objections,” West replied coolly. She already knew about the mission in advance, so her stance was unsurprising. Soon after, Lis and the other mages who had attended Vere’s test also voiced no objection, making up half of the room in agreement.

“There’s really no issue. However, Semily, nearly everyone here is fifth-level or higher, but what about that boy?” one of the remaining mages asked, clearly trying to find a way out of participating and turning the spotlight onto Vere.

“Third-level,” Vere replied calmly.

“Third-level?!” The mage laughed exaggeratedly, pointing at Vere’s nose. “Are you joking, Semily? What use is a third-level brat? Can you guarantee that letting such a kid join won’t just weigh us all down? If you insist on this, I want no part in it!”

“House!” Semily’s eye twitched. He knew exactly what kind of man House was—greedy, lecherous, a coward, and a gossip. If House left the meeting room now, he’d probably leak everything discussed before the day was done. Yet if he caused a scene, other mages eager to bow out would surely follow, since unity was far from universal, even among the inner guild.

While Semily hesitated, Vere suddenly stepped forward, fixing House with a cold stare and interrogating tone: “Then, Mr. House, may I ask—what is your level? Can you guarantee that your participation won’t be a burden to the rest of us?”

“O-of course not!” House was clearly startled by Vere’s icy gaze, blinking and hurriedly looking away. But then, realizing he had let a boy intimidate him, he felt his pride was wounded. Puffing out his somewhat rotund chest, he pointed at the fifth-tier mage badge on his chest and snorted, “Hmph, boy, do you see this? Fifth level! I am a fifth-tier mage!”