A while back, Kenna offered his help, but he never brought up the matter of compensation.
Ian had his suspicions. After weighing his options, he decided to make a tentative approach; he knew Kenna was, first and foremost, a man of good character.
His main concern was observing Kenna's teammates, whom he had never dealt with before.
Ian could vaguely sense that Kenna was no longer as casual around him as before. In both word and deed, Kenna now seemed to be considerate of his feelings.
After chatting for a while, the two agreed on a time to formally meet with the rest of Kenna's team in a few days.
It was late by the time Ian returned home. He leaned back in his chair and fell silent.
The drastic change in attitude from Kenna, a Knight of resolute character, in such a short amount of time, filled Ian with emotion as a series of images flashed through his mind:
His neighbors, going all out to find resources just to earn the Magic Stones needed for a lecture…
The exhausted figures of Low Level Apprentices on the streets of Nightfall Town…
The pitifully low commissions on the notice board…
The expensive Potions behind the counter at the Magic Pharmacy…
…
'It seems I don't understand the true situation of Low Tier Apprentices at all.'
Even after spending nearly two years at the High Tower, he was, in essence, still just a sheltered child!
His aptitude wasn't bad, he'd never truly suffered, he'd never been short on Magic Stones, and he'd never gone to the Wilderness Forest to hunt Demonized Fierce Beasts…
The original body's memories had given Ian a completely skewed perception of this world!
That evening, he Refined a Potion as usual and began his Meditation.
[Star Moon Low Level Meditation Method Skill Level +1]
[Star Moon Low Level Meditation Method Skill Level +1]
Less than two hours later, he opened his eyes to find the bedroom pitch-black.
He wasn't surprised that his Skill Level gain was one point lower.
The difficulty of Meditation had now reached a new level, so naturally, the same Potion had a weaker effect on his Concentration.
It was like a small horse trying to pull a large cart; how could it possibly run properly?
As he continued to improve and his tolerance for the Potion increased, his Skill Level gains would continue to diminish.
Although his maximum Meditation time had increased by an hour since his breakthrough, he didn't dare continue his Cultivation for too long until he solved the problem of Magic Power Erosion.
To be promoted to High Level Apprentice, one needed to sketch 27 Will Runes.
His aptitude wasn't the best; to advance quickly, he couldn't just rely on Potions—he also had to increase the Skill Level of his Meditation Method.
Otherwise, breaking through within ten years would be extremely difficult.
'Looks like it's time to start working on the next formula.'
Additionally, he needed to buy a Witchcraft Constant Temperature Box to store the large quantity of Potions he planned on Refining in exchange for Magic Stones.
The only problem was that the box was very expensive, costing a full 80 Magic Stones, and he now had a much clearer idea of the purchasing power of a single Magic Stone.
After his breakthrough today, he planned to rest early. Tomorrow, the Magic Stones from his family would arrive at the post station on schedule.
From a corner near his bed, Ian pulled out a thick stack of letters from home.
Leaning against the headboard, he began to read them carefully and found they had all been personally penned by his father, Latour.
"To my dearest Ian, all is well at home, so please do not worry. The Magic Stones have been sent as scheduled. As for your studies…"
Ian read through them all, from the first to the last. When he finished, he sat on his bed in silence for a long time.
…
Ian rose early the next morning.
After getting ready, he headed straight for Nightfall Town.
With his current Power, he was no longer afraid of Simon coming to look for trouble.
To Ian's surprise, the journey was uneventful.
'Did Simon really give up after Kenna drove him off last time?'
But he immediately dismissed the thought. 'Looks like he's planning to play dirty this time!'
Outside Nightfall Town, Ian arrived at the post station, where he saw four or five red carriages parked nearby.
This was the "public bus" to the Central Tower. It ran several times a day, and a one-way trip cost 50 Magic Stone Fragments.
The carriage was massive, roughly the size of a medium-sized bus from his past life, and could hold more than twenty passengers.
The frame was made of high-grade steel, while the rest was thick oak coated in a layer of glossy red paint.
Nearby, a dozen or so docile Camel Beasts were eating fodder.
Their bodies were covered in cyan scales, and they resembled rhinoceroses, only far larger and more formidable.
Next to the carriage, a burly man sat on a chair, resting.
Ian recognized him as the driver; the man had an incredibly powerful aura.
Ian wasn't just here to pick up his package; he was also heading to the academy's High Tower to report his promotion.
Every time an Apprentice was promoted, they could learn one Witchcraft spell of the corresponding tier for free—something he had been looking forward to for a long time.
After collecting the package, he first took out the letter and began to read.
The contents were much the same as before; they had sent 20 Magic Stones this time as well.
His hometown was practically a magic-free region; there was no telling what price his family had paid to obtain these Magic Stones.
Standing by the post station, Ian began to write a reply in the original body's voice.
"To my dearest Father, I have received the Magic Stones. Your son is now seeing the first fruits of his academic labor… I hope this letter carries my thoughts and blessings to you from afar. May you and Mother both be in good health. P.S., you no longer need to collect Magic Stones. Everything here is fine, so please do not worry!"
He handed the letter to the messenger and turned to walk into the post station.
"Hello, I'm going to the High Tower. Here is the fare." Ian handed over 50 fragments as he spoke.
"Wait over there. We don't have a full carriage yet." The burly man took the Magic Stones, replied coldly, and went back to feigning sleep.
Ian didn't mind. The man was a direct subordinate of the High Tower, so it was normal for him to look down on Low Level Apprentices.
Half an hour passed, and with only seven or eight passengers having arrived, the burly man stood up, harnessed two Camel Beasts, and sat at the front of the carriage.
With a loud CRACK of his whip, he signaled for everyone to board.
Ian followed the others into the carriage and chose a window seat.
The seats inside were separated by wooden partitions, so you couldn't see the person to your left or right.
Ian was quite pleased with this design, as it would reduce friction among the passengers.
Once the carriage started moving, Ian watched the roadside trees recede. The pace wasn't fast.
Nightfall Town was a few miles from the High Tower. Since the road conditions were poor, he knew from previous trips that the journey would take about half an hour.
The carriage passed through another town, and a few more people trickled on, but it was still not full.
Most Wizard Apprentices chose to walk to the High Tower.
They weren't wealthy in Magic Stones to begin with and found the fare rather expensive.
Within a fifteen-mile radius of the High Tower academy, dozens of settlements were scattered like stars in the sky.
The number of Mid-Low Level Apprentices probably exceeded ten thousand, but their rate of elimination was also the highest.
The closer they got to the High Tower, the more pedestrians appeared on the road, and from time to time, one could spot figures in red Long Robes.
Ian had no idea how many High Level Wizard Apprentices the Shadow Moon Tower had.
Upon breaking through to High Level Wizard Apprentice, one's lifespan could reach 150 years.
Some of the Apprentices in the High Tower today had been here for decades.
These High Level Apprentices were the High Tower's strongest tendrils for controlling the outside world.
Whether launching wars or fighting for resources, the High Level Apprentices served as the vanguard.
Mid-Low Level Apprentices didn't even qualify to be on the battlefield.
As for the Official Wizards, or those existences even more powerful than Wizards…
They simply had to hold down the fort, deterring enemy powers of equivalent strength, all while enjoying the lion's share of the resources.