"In the world of magic, there aren't just wizards. Wizards generally refer to those who use some form of magic to alter the world. However, there are also gods in this world. Some people acquire power due to a god's curse or favor. You can consider them as God-given."
"God-given individuals acquire power passively, but there are also people who actively pray to gods. They become agents of gods and demons. However, these agents have hardly any freedom to act on their own. They must carry out the will of the god or demon they have made a pact with."
"There are also people who possess the bloodline of gods or demons, usually referred to as demigods or half-demons. In the magical realm, there are few with powerful demigod or half-demon bloodlines. Most are merely tangentially related and are not necessarily stronger than wizards."
"So how are wizards categorized?" Bruce asked.
"There are no specific titles." Shiller shook his head and said, "It's generally just a matter of being strong or weak. Many believe that the nature of magic is exchange, meaning a price must be paid, but that's not always the case."
"In general, the power of magic comes from external sources, not from personal cultivation. Wizards guide magical power to this realm, allowing power to descend upon themselves or affix onto other things. Because the sources of power differ in nature, the ways they pay the price also varies."
"Most demons don't require the wizards they have a contract with to pay the price right away. Wizards can freely use magic throughout their life, with the only catch being that their soul belongs to the demon they have a pact with after they die, for them to do as they please."
"There are some entities that require immediate payment, often causing great pain to the wizard while they're still alive. Some kind-hearted gods don't demand much in return, but they also don't grant their agents much freedom."
"What type do you belong to?"
"Me?" Shiller slightly paused as he held his wand, Bruce noticed his slight hesitation and further asked, "What type does the source of your contracted power belong to?"
Bruce was genuinely curious, he could hardly imagine Shiller praying to a god for power. He observed Shiller stopping in front of a clothing store, he hesitated at the entrance then walked in while speaking.
"Although I would rather not associate myself with this name, I have to admit—I am of the Constantine type."
Bruce was taken aback for a moment, then smiled when he recalled a phrase Constantine had once said to him—Is the nature of magic debt? The nature of magic is unpaid debt!
It has to be said that if it weren't for Shiller breaking Constantine's cycle of debt, his model would have been close to successful. Nevertheless, he still ended up half-dead and half-alive because of it.
Why hasn't Bruce noticed Shiller suffering any backlash over the years that he's known him? Bruce began to ponder this question.
By this time, he had already followed Shiller into the clothing store. It was an old-fashioned clothing store filled with a variety of fabrics on the counters, tables, and inside boxes in the corners. Tailors' dummies were decorated with tape measures around their necks and sample clothes hung up on the high walls.
Shiller tapped the counter with his wand. A large-bearded man came out from behind the door, greeted them in English with a heavy French accent, then inspected the two guests with eagle-like eyes.
"Hello, I need a suit for the Grand Mage's banquet."
Shiller made space for the large-bearded tailor to stand in front of Bruce. The tailor examined Bruce's figure carefully, nodded, and asked: "His shape isn't unusual, so it shouldn't be too much of a problem to make the clothes. Any special attribute requirements?"
"No need for charm enhancement or mental manipulation features." Shiller, seemingly acquainted with such knowledge, added, "As natural as possible, retaining his own temperament, but use more expensive materials. A rare thread would be even better."
The big-bearded tailor arched an eyebrow and looked back at Shiller. He seemed to remember something, and then asked, "Aren't you Dr. Rodriguez who recently returned to the magic realm? I was informed about you from Zalf."
"Yes, that's me. This is my student, Bruce. He just graduated and I plan on introducing him at Master Andrew's birthday banquet. I believe you know what sort of clothes I'm looking for?"
The big-bearded tailor managed to squeeze a smile out of his serious demeanor: "A young man making his first appearance at the Grand Mage's banquet—it's best not to draw too much attention, but it should leave a deep impression. With his good looks, he definitely doesn't need any charm-enhancing magic..."
As he spoke, cloths glimmering with magical luster flew in from outside the door and instantly wrapped around Bruce. Bruce didn't feel a thing, and suddenly he was clad in a dark silver suit.
"I think the suit is quite nice, but if you prefer a more classical look, a robe would also be suitable. You can buy a Blue Magic Ball from Old Blon at the end of the street, which would match his blue eyes perfectly."
Shiller stepped back to better observe Bruce's current look, seemingly a bit unsatisfied.
Honestly speaking, Bruce Wayne's rigid image left a deep impression. Since he was so young, if he didn't wear a deep-colored, old-fashioned suit with strict tailoring, but instead wore a lighter colored one with a bit of sheen, it would always give people the impression that he's a frivolous, extravagant young man. This wouldn't be a good image for his debut at the banquet.
So Shiller nodded at the big-bearded tailor and said: "Try the robe instead."
The big-bearded tailor seemed satisfied with Shiller's choice, he immediately snapped his fingers, and the shape of the cloth around Bruce transformed. The traditional dark silver mage robe appeared on him.
The top half was a European traditional open-collar shirt with cuffs, the bottom half was a long robe with an outer skirt. The fabric texture was excellent, it looked restrained yet luxurious. Even without a wand, anyone could tell that he was an accomplished young wizard at a glance.
This was exactly the kind of effect Shiller desired, so he took out a bottle of energy shards to pay, and took Bruce out of the clothing store.
"Let's go, I'll take you to buy a magic ball."
"But I can't even perform magic."
"You can," Shiller turned to look at him and said, "What would you do when you run out of money?"
"I'd borrow money."
"Would you repay it?"
"No."
"Then you can perform magic, just like I can."