"What?" Freyr was stunned. "What do you mean?"
"I... I'm just a magic apprentice. My true magical ability is only at the level of an apprentice. I obtained my qualification as a low-level Wizard through deceit."
"Deceit?" Freyr was intrigued. To deceive one's way to a Wizard's qualification?
Freyr knew that passing the Magic Association's assessment was no easy feat. If Wizard qualifications could be so easily faked, it would be a joke!
"I started learning magic at a young age. My master was a low-level Wizard who believed I had magical talent and took me as his apprentice. At thirteen, I gained the qualification of a magic apprentice. That was not difficult." The Wizard's tone was bitter. "There are only a few hundred true Wizards on the continent, but there are thousands of magic apprentices. Unfortunately, the path to becoming a true Wizard is so arduous that most apprentices can never pass even the basic assessments, remaining apprentices for life. I am one of those unfortunate ones."
"Every Wizard takes on several apprentices, but they know that not all of them will become Wizards. Many might never succeed in their lifetime. Still, every Wizard continues to take on apprentices. Being a Wizard is a prestigious and revered status, and they always need followers. Each Wizard has several apprentices who dream of mastering magic, but very few realize that dream. The cruel truth is that many Wizards know these apprentices will never become true Wizards but don't tell them. They need obedient students to help with experiments, assist them, and even act as servants—servants they don't have to pay a single coin for!
"I experienced this myself. At thirteen, my master told me I had talent and took me from my home, promising to teach me to become an outstanding Wizard. I followed him with great hope, only to realize later that it was an impossible dream. My master had more than a dozen apprentices, each passing the magic apprentice assessments. He used us as free servants and assistants.
He continued to deceive us with false hopes, knowing that many of us would never become true Wizards. He knew but never said a word!"
I spent ten years as a magic apprentice before finally realizing that I had no talent in this field. Indeed, my mental strength was slightly stronger than that of an ordinary person, and I could sense a bit of natural force… but that was my limit. My talent was limited.
Later, in desperation, I turned to Potioncraft."
Potioncraft?
Freyr's eyes lit up!
This guy's experience was quite similar to his own!
However, he himself couldn't even pass the lowest-level magic apprentice exam… Freyr smiled bitterly.
In fact, even Freyr didn't know that the situation was not as he thought.
Wizards are a peculiar group. Most of them are solitary and proud, viewing themselves as beings above the common folk, capable of controlling the elements and drawing on the power of the gods. To most Wizards, ordinary people are merely ants to be used as they please.
Many Wizards recruit magic apprentices, but some of these apprentices have even less magical talent than Freyr! Yet Wizards need followers, and though they are wealthy, they cannot recruit servants like ordinary nobles—how undignified that would be!
As sacred and mysterious Wizards, their servants must naturally hold the status of magic apprentices! Using ordinary people would be beneath them, wouldn't it?
However, people with magical talent are few. So, most Wizards, to have some magic apprentices around them, lower their standards significantly! Those with even a slight edge over ordinary people are lured in with the promise of being taught to become Wizards.
Then… these apprentices, whose talents are insufficient to become true Wizards, spend their lives as cheap labor for their masters!
This situation causes the magical apprentice assessments across the continent to be chaotic and inconsistent.
However, the assessment Freyr experienced in the capital was conducted by strict standards! Because… Wizard Jalen dared not deceive the number two figure of the imperial military, the family leader of the Russell family's eldest son!
Due to Freyr's status, Wizard Jalen dared not recruit him as cheap labor.
Otherwise, if Freyr were an ordinary person… seeing his extraordinary mental strength, Jalen would have taken him in immediately!
Even if he knew Freyr lacked magical talent, Jalen would have still taken him as an apprentice! Having a magic apprentice with strong magical power would be convenient for future experiments.
In fact, many Wizards on the continent operate this way. If Freyr weren't an earl's eldest son, he would have been deceived, living in the dream of becoming a Wizard, serving as cheap labor, wasting his life, and ruining his future.
"It was by a chance occurrence that I learned a truth: my master knew from the beginning that I could never become a Wizard." The captive's voice carried a hint of bitterness. "Even when he took me from my home, he was fully aware! He saw my magical potential and thought having a free servant would be handy for his magical experiments. Many of his disciples were like me—some with strong magical power, some with good sensitivity. But they all had major flaws and were kept by a woven dream, wasting their lives."
"And then?" Freyr sighed.
"As I said… after discovering the truth, I was initially furious, but then… I decided to change my fate. Since I couldn't learn real magic, I decided to study Potioncraft." The Wizard captive sighed. "Because, as a Potioner, I am still recognized as a type of Wizard by the magical society. Though… most people find this notion laughable and don't consider Potioners true Wizards."
"And then?" Freyr felt his heartbeat quicken!
Could it be… this guy…
He was like him, without magical talent! Yet he had become a Wizard! And in the tavern, he had indeed used magic!