"Instructor, the situation went like this."
Colin fought back dizziness to recount the incident to the gray-robed Instructor standing by his side.
Charlie, who was beside him, seemed to have given up struggling, sitting in the same spot with a defeated look on his face.
The gray-robed Instructor nodded expressionlessly and beckoned with his left hand, summoning the arrow that had injured Colin from afar into his hand.
He then summoned the arrow that had penetrated Charlie's knee and the crossbow hidden on him, carefully examining and inspecting both.
A moment later, he made a judgment.
He looked up at Colin and asked, "You've advanced to a Second Class Apprentice?"
"Yes," Colin hurriedly responded.
"Good."
The Instructor was still expressionless, but his tone seemed somewhat kinder.
With a wave of his right hand, a white light flashed over Colin's body.
Colin instantly felt the dizziness in his mind vanish.
"Thank you, Instructor."
The Instructor gave an indisputable nod, then cast a cold glance at Charlie.
Although the Lap School took a lenient approach to punishing brawls between apprentices,
this leniency only applied to those of equal standing. Now that Colin was an Intermediate Apprentice, the School had always been strict with punishment in cases of insubordination.
Charlie obviously understood this, but his current worry wasn't the punishment, but rather his exposed plan.
"Go wait for me at the entrance of the main tower of Black Castle. I need to handle this matter first."
The gray-robed Instructor continued speaking to Colin, pausing before adding,
"The First Class Apprentice on duty today is me. After we return, I'll record your promotion."
"Alright," Colin replied respectfully.
He had not only described the process of Charlie's attack to the gray-robed Wizard but also the backstory behind it.
Clearly, the Mutual Assistance Association and the enslavement of School outcasts that Charlie had mentioned had captured the gray-robed Wizard's attention.
From his reaction, it seemed he had never heard of such occurrences before.
This made Colin even more suspicious of Charlie's story.
Before long, he arrived at Black Castle.
Black Castle was a massive castle at the center of the Wizard Territory, consisting of a central main tower and two connected side towers, forming an inverted U-shape with walls made entirely of Blackstone.
A meticulously maintained lawn stretched before the castle, and Colin walked across a neatly paved stone path to reach the entrance of the main tower.
Apart from him, there was a brown-haired boy standing at the entrance, roughly a bit over ten years old, probably one of the apprentices who came after them.
The boy was indifferent, glancing at the black badge on Colin's chest but choosing not to greet him.
Colin, of course, had no intention of being warmly affable to someone so aloof.
He didn't have to wait long before the gray-robed Wizard descended from the sky and approached them.
Watching the gray-robed Wizard's flying figure, Colin couldn't help but yearn.
If he wasn't mistaken, the gray-robed Wizard specialized in witchcraft revolving around force fields.
"Good day, Instructor."
Colin and the brown-haired boy greeted in unison.
"Come with me," said the gray-robed Instructor with a nod.
The two followed the Instructor to the outside of a heavily guarded room at the top of the main tower.
"Give me your identity badges."
Colin and the other respectfully handed over their badges.
The gray-robed Instructor indicated for them to wait outside, then took the two black identity badges and entered the room.
He was likely communicating with the Great Witch Array of the Wizard Territory to upgrade their identity badges.
Each badge of the School was personally crafted by a Lap Wizard, bound one-to-one with each member, and the sole credential for entering the Wizard Territory.
Even the commoners responsible for transporting living supplies each month had their own special identity badges.
This vast and precise Witch Array was the foundation for the Lap School to root itself on the island, and it was of utmost importance.
After a full half-hour, the gray-robed wizard came out with two silver identity badges.
He then led them to a Quiet Room on the first floor.
The gray-robed wizard pushed the door open.
Inside sat two other wizards, who, judging from the badges on their chests, were also First Class Apprentices.
The gray-robed wizard gestured for Colin and the other to sit on the chairs by the door and wait, then he walked over to the other two wizards.
"Milne, has another Third Class Apprentice advanced?" the wizard sitting on the left asked with a smile.
Milne nodded and said, "Yes, one for five years, thirteen years old, Second Class aptitude; one for ten years, seventeen years old, Fourth Class aptitude."
The room was spacious, and the conversation between the two was not loud, as if deliberately kept low.
The boy with brown hair sat quietly in his wooden chair, expressionless, clearly not having heard anything.
But Colin, a Great Knight, relied on his sharp hearing to make everything out perfectly clear.
"Let's stick to the old rules... The one who's been here for ten years is usually assigned to the Guard Team. Take him to receive his witchcraft later. As for the one who's been here for five years..."
"It's our turn this time!" the wizard sitting on the right interjected, "The last and the one before the last promoted apprentices both joined you. This time, it should be our turn."
"...That's not necessarily the case. The previous apprentice who had a First Class aptitude and was only ten years old was assigned to you! I don't need to point out the difference between First Class and Second Class..."
The three wizards began to argue.
Colin glanced at the quietly sitting boy next to him, silently reflecting.
He had anticipated such a situation.
A wizard's aptitude was divided into five levels.
Fifth Class being the lowest, First Class the highest.
Here, aptitude simply referred to the affinity for Magic Power.
It had an impact on a wizard's growth, but it wasn't absolute.
In theory, even a Fifth Class aptitude could become an Official Wizard.
And the ten years, five years mentioned by the gray-robed wizard likely represented the years they had been studying wizard knowledge.
This was another aspect of a wizard's aptitude.
And he, Colin, clearly didn't belong to the ranks of good aptitude.
After a while, the three wizards finally came to an agreement.
The gray-robed wizard and the one sitting on his left came towards Colin.
"Come with me. I'll take you to receive your witchcraft for the advancement," the gray-robed wizard gestured to Colin.
The boy with brown hair was taken away by the other wizard.
Colin followed behind the gray-robed wizard, his expression calm.
The two made their way deeper into the castle.
On the way, the gray-robed wizard pulled back his hood and came up beside Colin, saying to him:
"Different from when you were a Basic Level Apprentice, after the advancement to Intermediate Apprentice, you'll need to take on different tasks... You've been assigned to the Guard Team."
Colin gave a noncommittal look towards the gray-robed wizard's shining bald head and silently nodded.
He had known this outcome all along.
"...Instructor, what exactly does the Guard Team do?" After a long silence, he finally asked.
"The Guard Team is responsible for protecting the city's internal security, in collaboration with the wizards from Blackstone City below the mountain. Things like Fierce Beasts that run out from the Dark Forest, and the city's internal security, all fall under the Guard Team," the gray-robed wizard answered, pausing before adding:
"In the Lap School, the main jobs are divided into three parts: logistics, mining, and escort duties."
"The duties of escorts are mainly taken care of by the Guard Team stationed in the city and the Patrol Teams within the Wizard Territory."
"Stationed?" Colin involuntarily asked.
"Yes, stationed. The Guard Team usually stays within Blackstone City."
Upon hearing this, Colin's heart couldn't help but sink.