Chapter 17: The Draft (Part VII)

"Oiomure!"

Edward chanted the spell activation incantation aloud. Violent magical fluctuations instantly erupted around him, and a thick fog surged out of thin air, rapidly expanding outward from where he stood. In the blink of an eye, it filled the open space in the center of the training ground.

Seeing the rolling fog spreading toward him, Joan took a couple of steps back while recalling the incantation Edward had just chanted.

The word "oiomure" meant "fog" in the Elven language. This clearly indicated that the spell Edward cast was most likely the 1st-level "Obscuring Mist," the lowest-ranked spell among all those that altered the weather and environment, as well as the foundation for such meteorological and mist-summoning sorceries.

Spells that altered the weather were notoriously difficult. The fact that Edward could cast it skillfully was worthy of applause. However, what puzzled Joan even more was how Edward, having already exhausted his four spell slots for the day, was still able to cast "Obscuring Mist."

"That guy Edward used a 'Pearl of Power,'" Thomas explained in a timely manner to clear up Joan's confusion. "A Pearl of Power is a very special type of magitech device, divided into nine grades corresponding to 1st- through 9th-level spells. Once per day, it allows the user to recover a corresponding spell slot. Edward has a 1st-grade Pearl of Power. He just drew the magic from the pearl to recover a 1st-level spell slot, which is why he had the spare capacity to cast 'Obscuring Mist.'"

"No wonder," Joan suddenly understood.

"Actually, I still have two very rare spells I haven't demonstrated yet, and I also have a 'Pearl of Power,' but there's no need to compete with Edward. That guy is extremely petty. If you beat him once, he'll treat you as a rival and target you everywhere, refusing to stop until he wins back. Anyway, our scores are both in the top three, which is enough to ensure we don't get chosen by the 'Old Owl.' There's no point in fighting Edward for first place."

With his right hand shoved into his pants pocket, Thomas tilted his head and unconsciously shook his left leg, trying hard to put on an air of nonchalance and disdain for superficial fame. Yet, it wasn't hard for Joan to see his true mindset: regarding the limelight-hogging Edward Gates, Thomas was still holding at least a bit of resentment.

Edward Gates's efforts were not in vain. By perfectly demonstrating the rather difficult "Obscuring Mist," he won the unanimous praise of all twelve mentors, who all gave him full scores.

Consequently, Edward's average score surpassed Joan's, reclaiming the top ranking. Thomas ranked third behind Joan, while the rest of the students fell far short of the top three, not even remotely in the same league.

During the ten-minute intermission that followed, the mentors gathered in a circle and conversed in low voices. Behind-the-scenes deals that were inconvenient to air in public were finalized within those brief ten minutes.

Sometimes, such private dealings led to unpleasant outcomes. For instance, at this very moment, Walter Lee, known as the "Old Owl," and Robert Rowles, the "Father of Scarecrows," were engaged in an exceptionally fierce dispute, drawing sideways glances from colleagues and students alike.

Both masters realized they could not openly burn their bridges on such an occasion, so they ceased their conversation and pretended that everything was normal.

The tense atmosphere persisted until the final segment of the draft assembly.

Master Rowles, ranked first, stepped forward first and called out three names in a loud voice. The result was not surprising: the three talented youths with the highest scores in this examination—Edward Gates, Joan Vider, and Thomas Chap—were all taken under the wing of the "Father of Scarecrows."

When Joan heard Master Rowles call his name, the boulder that had been weighing heavily on his heart finally dropped. Judging solely by his scores, he had reason to believe that becoming Master Rowles's disciple was the most normal outcome possible, yet he soon realized things were not so simple.

When Master Rowles made his choice, the other mentors offered polite applause to congratulate him on recruiting three exceptionally talented apprentices. Only Walter Lee wore a dark expression, clearly harboring deep resentment.

Joan vaguely felt that the "Old Owl's" poor mood had something to do with him, but he couldn't understand what this matter had to do with Master Rowles.

Even if Master Rowles hadn't chosen him, there were still three mentors whose draft picks preceded Walter Lee. Surely they wouldn't all skip over him, a top-tier student ranked second, just to leave him for Walter Lee?

Even if the "Old Owl" possessed that much prestige, it seemed unnecessary to owe four mentors massive favors just for the sake of a single student.

The more Joan thought about it, the more perplexed he became, so he pulled Thomas into a secluded corner and whispered to ask him what was really going on.

"Actually, this matter isn't as complicated as you think. Walter Lee didn't need to approach the four mentors ranked ahead of him one by one; he could easily settle it just by making a deal with Master Rowles alone."

"What kind of deal?" Joan asked curiously.

"Master Rowles chooses you first, and then transfers you over to Walter Lee's tutelage in exchange for a student with slightly lower scores. Furthermore, Walter Lee has to offer Master Rowles some compensation. As to whether that compensation is monetary or involves other benefits, that's not something outsiders can know," Thomas shrugged.

Joan felt a chill run through his heart: "Trading students like commodities... Is something like that even allowed?"

"Why wouldn't it be? What do you think we are? To put it bluntly, we are 'apprentices.' Look at the apprentices recruited by the senior masters in the major guilds in the city—they have to sign a seven-year indentured servitude contract the moment they walk through the door. Honestly, does any craft really require a full seven years to learn? Even if an apprentice takes only a year to master the trade, they still have to work bitterly and obediently for the master for the next six years, without earning a single copper coin in wages during that time. If the master is kind enough to provide food and lodging, they're considered generous. An apprentice's status is comparable to a servant's; not only do they have to help the master out for free, but they also have to obediently handle miscellaneous chores around the master's house like washing clothes, cooking, chopping firewood, stoking fires, and emptying chamber pots. When a master packs an apprentice off to work under a colleague, nominally calling it sending the disciple for advanced study to absorb the strengths of various masters, can an apprentice possibly refuse?"

Thomas's string of sharp rhetorical questions left Joan speechless. The heart that had just settled down leapt back into his throat: being chosen by Master Rowles did not mean he could rest easy; there was still the possibility of being "sold" on to Walter Lee. The feeling of being unable to control his own destiny made him feel indescribably bitter.

"Don't worry, Master Rowles probably won't give you to the 'Old Owl,' otherwise there would have been no need for him to argue with that old man," Thomas comforted him with a smile. "Master Rowles is not only one of the most outstanding mentors at Leyden Academy, but his character is also beyond reproach. Unlike someone like Walter Lee, he never engages in dirty deals involving students."