Chapter One Hundred Twenty-Six: Joining In

"Then what is the relationship between these sea monsters and the Sea Folk?" Hughes knew that Sea Wizards existed within the Holy Circle City, as each one was an expert at manipulating water elements.

"They aren't comparable. The Sea Folk are much like us humans; they possess intelligence. As for the sea monsters, you can think of them as orcs living in the sea. They attack purely based on instinct."

"Then how does Holy Circle City obtain resources from other places?" Hughes recalled the items he had seen on the street a few days prior.

"Aren't there the Sea Folk? Humans cannot travel to other continents, but the Sea Folk can! That is why Holy Circle City maintains ties with the Sea Folk," Jelin explained patiently, aware of the confusion in Hughes's mind.

"By the way, tell me more about the Alkeri you just mentioned. What is it like?" With that, Jelin curiously began asking about details regarding Alkeri.

Hughes held nothing back and shared his experiences in Alkeri with Jelin. Although there was nothing particularly novel, Jelin listened with great interest.

"The Ancient Tree of Life! Does such a thing really exist?!" Jelin almost jumped to his feet, especially after hearing Hughes's description and theories regarding the Eternal Ancient Tree.

"Calm down. It's just a theory of mine; whether it's true or not remains to be seen." Seeing Jelin’s reaction, Hughes knew that the Lost Domain likely had similar legends about trees of life.

"No, no, no, Hughes, think about it. Many records state that the Elven race was born from the Ancient Tree of Life. If, as you say, the Eternal Ancient Tree guarded by the Elves on the Alkeri continent is actually the legendary Ancient Tree of Life—or even if it isn't—there must be some connection between them. Don't you think?" Jelin stared at Hughes with a fanatical gaze.

Hughes felt as if the Jelin before him had suddenly changed; the gentle, refined noble had vanished, replaced by a zealous researcher.

"My apologies, I was rude," Jelin said, seemingly realizing his behavior was unseemly, and looked at Hughes apologetically.

*This Jelin is not simple,* Hughes thought to himself. He offered a polite smile and waved off the apology, but internally, he decided it would be best to keep his distance from Jelin in the future.

"If I ever have the chance, I would really like to see Alkeri. If you ever prepare to return, remember to let me know! Ha ha!" Jelin quickly adjusted his demeanor and continued chatting with Hughes.

*I wish I could,* Hughes thought, filled with helplessness. He didn't even know how he would return himself, let alone bring someone else along. That was a pipe dream.

However, Hughes was genuinely worried. If the situation in the Lost Domain was as Jelin described, he would need to become at least a Level 3 Wizard to leave. He didn't even know when he would promote to a Level 2 Wizard, let alone Level 3.

Thus, Hughes and Jelin spent the day in the villa, both learning quite a bit from each other.

However, what struck Hughes as strange was that Jelin kept intentionally or unintentionally bringing up information about the Eternal Ancient Tree. Although it seemed like casual questioning, Hughes could sense the underlying intent, so he did his best to avoid answering directly.

After dining at Jelin's villa, Hughes returned to his own castle, preparing for his daily meditation.

"Hughes Bruch, Alkeri continent... the Eternal Ancient Tree... Heh! How very interesting." Jelin sat alone on the sofa, lost in thought as he recalled the day's conversation. He didn't even notice that his tea had gone cold.

"Luer!!!" After a long while, Jelin snapped out of his trance, finished the cold tea, and summoned the maid who had been serving in the villa all day.

"Master!" Luer entered, bowed to Jelin, and then knelt on the floor, waiting for his instructions.

"Starting tomorrow, you are to investigate the Alkeri continent that Hughes spoke of. You may return to the clan if necessary. Just make sure you get me what I want," Jelin said slowly, reclining on the sofa with his eyes closed.

"Yes, Master!" Without hesitation, Luer retreated. As she left, her aura shifted from that of a Level 2 apprentice to that of an official wizard.

Back at his place, Hughes continued his meditation, the purple slit-pupil shining behind him. Ever since he learned that energy crystals could accelerate the progress of spiritual elementization, he decided to focus on enhancing his spiritual power. As long as he had enough energy crystals, he could rapidly advance the elementization process.

Moreover, Jelin had mentioned that wizard organizations allowed for the exchange of energy crystals. This meant he only needed to produce a large amount of potions—he had come full circle and was back to his old trade.

*This must be the place,* Hughes thought, looking at the signs in the public center.

He had woken up early, and after a meal, he decided to come to the public center to register for the Silver Rose examination, following the process Jelin had outlined the day before.

"Hello! Is there anything I can help you with?" A bunny-girl standing behind the window greeted him enthusiastically.

*So, these things really exist!* Hughes thought, observing the bunny-girl's appearance. It was truly a wizarding world; anything could be born here.

While it was his first time seeing such a creature, he realized that to others, it was likely mundane—no matter how peculiar, she was just a demi-human.

"I would like to register for the Silver Rose examination," Hughes said, stating his purpose.

"Very well, sir. Please present your proof of identity!" The demi-human responded quickly, pulling out a crystal ball and several sheets of parchment.

Hughes handed over his ring. Just as with the apartment check, the ring merged into the interior of the crystal ball, though it was returned to him shortly after.

"Your identity is in order, sir. Please keep your ring safe. Here is a form that you must fill out yourself." She respectfully handed him the parchment along with a quill.

"Name, potential, talent, elemental affinity, residential address..." Hughes found a seat and began filling in the blanks. Someone nearby thoughtfully brought him a cup of coffee.

"I'm finished," Hughes said, returning to the window shortly after to hand back the parchment and quill.

The clerk didn't examine it closely; she simply glanced over it and placed the parchment onto the crystal ball.

As the parchment touched the orb, it instantly turned bright red, and the text upon it slowly rose and drifted into the crystal ball.

*This parchment must be specially crafted,* Hughes noted, knowing ordinary paper lacked such properties.

"It is done, sir! Your information has been transmitted. The Silver Rose examination is scheduled for two o'clock in the afternoon three days from now. Please arrive on time; tardiness will result in the permanent forfeiture of your eligibility."

"Understood." With the result in hand, Hughes strode out of the public center.

*A collective examination?* Based on her words, Hughes realized the nature of the Silver Rose test. It wasn't an individual assessment, but a joint examination for all wizards seeking to join the organization within a certain timeframe.

*I just wonder what the content of the examination will be.* Hughes wasn't nervous. An organization centered on pharmacology wouldn't likely force them into a death match; it was highly probable the test would be related to alchemy.