Chapter 26

Gret held the letter of recommendation and rushed straight to the Mage Tower.

The temple search team came with great fanfare but left in disgrace. They hadn't even reached their destination when they provoked a necromancer, and their strongest fighter was severely injured. Seeing that they wouldn't fare well if they continued, they had to retreat to the temple for repairs and treatment.

As for whether they would explore, seek revenge, or do something else, that was a matter for the future.

Even Priest Donald, who had wanted to chat with Gret a bit more, could only give him a regretful look, turn around, and climb into the carriage, driving away.

With the temple guard withdrawing, they naturally wouldn't care about the city guard anymore. Gret discussed with his teammates and decided to return to Uncle Edmund's farm to meet up with Captain Karen. They borrowed a few horses from Uncle Edmund, took a shortcut, and headed straight back to the city.

The temple guard had suffered such a great loss that they might vent their anger on someone else. If they blamed their failure on the city guard, a few low-level warriors definitely wouldn't be able to handle it. The best course of action was to return to the camp quickly and report to their superiors.

Even the small priest John from the Temple of War canceled his trip home and turned back to the temple.

Gret parted ways with them as he was about to enter the city, heading towards the Mage Tower. Hartland City had only one Mage Tower, which was not in the city but stood on a hill outside. The hill was covered with dense forests, and only the tip of the tower could be seen from a distance.

"Is this the meaning of an ancient temple hidden in the mountains... It does have a certain charm..."

Gret muttered and flicked the reins. The chestnut mare under him snorted and obediently turned, walking up the mountain path.

A branch road leading to the top of the hill branched off from the main road out of the city. This mountain path was wide and flat, with deep wheel tracks, clearly indicating frequent carriage traffic. Gret didn't find it difficult to walk, and in less than a quarter of an hour, he reached the top of the hill and arrived in front of the Mage Tower.

The Mage Tower, despite its name, was more like a castle, surrounded by a large wall. Gret dismounted, took a few steps back outside the wall, and looked up.

"This tower is quite tall... three floors, four floors..."

Boom!!

A loud explosion. Birds flew up in alarm, horses neighed, and the sturdy Mage Tower shook. A thick smoke billowed from the fourth-floor window, and at the same time, a person was thrown out in a parabolic trajectory...

Gret: !!!!

This height! This speed! If he hit the ground, a lucky one might just break a bone, but an unlucky one could break his neck and be done for!

He sprinted towards the landing point. If it was just a broken leg, he wouldn't need to rush; if the neck was broken, rushing wouldn't help; but if there was a sudden cardiac arrest, airway obstruction, or major bleeding from a fracture, running faster might save a life!

Run faster!

Run even faster!

Gret panted, running as fast as he could, almost as fast as rushing a critically ill patient to the operating room. As he ran, his steps gradually slowed, and finally, he stood still, staring up in amazement.

It wasn't that he couldn't run anymore. Gret, after all, was a new recruit in the city guard, barely qualifying as a 1st-level warrior. The problem was that the person thrown out of the window made his running seem unnecessary...

The person flailed and screamed, flying in a parabolic trajectory. At the highest point, he suddenly pulled something out of his pocket and threw it out. Immediately, the high-speed trajectory stopped, and the person slowly descended like a parachute, drifting down leisurely.

Gret, holding the reins, stood there with his mouth wide open. The person drifted down, from three zhang to two zhang, from two zhang to one zhang, and then looked down and smiled at Gret.

"Elliot!!!"

A roar came from above the smoking window. The person in the air shuddered and suddenly stopped drifting, plummeting straight down—

"AAAAAAAAAA!"

"…Uh, can you still walk?"

This man, covered in soot, the one who caused the explosion in the Mage Tower, and the one who twisted his ankle when he landed, finally returned to the Mage Tower on Gret's chestnut mare.

With his recommendation, Gret easily met the owner of the Mage Tower, 5th-level Mage Gerhard Claus, and presented the letter from the necromancer.

"Gret Nordmark?" Gerhard, who was the complete opposite of the necromancer, was a massive fat man. His deep red robe was tightly wrapped around his belly, which bulged out significantly. His dark brown hair was neatly combed back, and a large beard extended from his ears to his chin, hanging loosely and covering his Adam's apple.

Gret almost thought he had traveled through time again, seeing someone from a political textbook.

He stood with his hands hanging by his sides. Gerhard read the letter quickly, then looked down at Gret.

"Andrew said you want to learn elemental magic?"

"Yes."

"What's your foundation like? Can you cast any spells? 1st-level spells? 0th-level spells?"

"Uh... none..."

"How much have you read about spell principles? 'Basics of Incantations'? 'Structure of Magic Runes'? 'Introduction to Elements'? 'Alchemy'?—You don't even recognize magic script, do you?"

"I really don't..."

Gret's head drooped lower. He knew a few Latin words from his medical studies and had studied German as a minor, but magic script was something he had no way of recognizing.

Not recognizing magic script meant he couldn't understand most, if not all, magic books. No way, after studying so hard for so many years, I end up being illiterate in this world?

Seeing that he didn't know this and that, Gerhard's thick eyebrows furrowed. Even with a friend's recommendation, he was becoming impatient.

"…You don't even recognize common script, do you?!"

"I do!" Gret breathed a sigh of relief and quickly answered. Thanks to the original owner's father, who, though deceased, had taught the original owner to read. The family had left behind a small box of books, which the original owner used to complete the most basic reading education—

"Besides, I know healing magic!"

"Hmm..."

Gerhard's expression eased. Knowing healing magic indicated that he had the basic qualifications of a spellcaster, with adequate mental and sensory abilities. As for the rest, well, for the sake of his friend Lynn...

"Since Andrew wrote the letter recommending you, you can audit classes at the Mage Tower. The tuition is 10 gold coins per month, but for Andrew's sake, I'll waive it for you—"

Thank goodness!

Gret breathed a sigh of relief and nodded quickly. 10 gold coins per month, and he couldn't even find a silver coin on his entire body. The city guard's salary was about 5 silver coins per month, right?

Fortunately, it was waived, or he would have had to borrow money from the necromancer...

"Alright, you can come to the Mage Tower every day and freely read the books on the first floor, but you are not allowed to copy or take them away. You can attend my classes, and if my disciples, like Elliot, are willing, you can ask them for help. You must provide your own materials for copying spells, and you cannot use the alchemy lab without my permission. Other matters will be discussed when you become a mage apprentice!"