The boy called out Salin's name, retracting his hand. Salin hadn't intended to harm him; otherwise, the zero-level spell Flame would have been sufficient to burn the flesh at close range.
"Salin?"
Salin recognized the boy across from him, feeling somewhat puzzled. Salin had met Dekar when he was begging, both of them destitute and equally thin, dirty. Meeting him here today, Salin's demeanor had changed completely, and so had Dekar's; there was no trace of the ragged orphan they once were.
Dekar awkwardly smiled, aware of Salin's situation but not having recognized him earlier. The other had become a student of a magician, and Dekar wondered if he would still acknowledge his friend from their impoverished days.
"Wait for me at the door," Salin patted Dekar's shoulder, having grown taller than him over the year.
Feeling a warmth in his heart, Dekar stepped aside and waited in the shadows across the street.
Without a professional guild in Sylan City, the equipment shop seemed deserted. Adventurers were concentrated in the southern outskirts of the Empire, and there were few pirates along the northern coast. Salin approached the counter, calling for the shopkeeper.
The counter was over a foot high, and the shopkeeper was dozing, leaning on it. Stirred by the call, he opened his eyes but didn't see anyone until he straightened up and saw Salin, shorter than the counter.
"Ah! Young Master Metatlin!" The shopkeeper instantly perked up upon seeing Salin.
Salin waved his hand, gesturing for the shopkeeper to quiet down. He handed over the item list Jason had given him and asked, "How much deposit is required for these?"
The shopkeeper's eyes scanned the list, his expression brightening. This was no small deal; it was worth at least a hundred gold coins. While such business might not be significant in a big city, in Sylan City, it was rare.
"Young Master Metatlin, please wait a moment." The shopkeeper took out an abacus and began calculating.
While the shopkeeper calculated the prices, Salin decided to look around the shop. It was spacious, with all the goods displayed on cabinets against the walls. The most eye-catching items were the two suits of armor at the entrance.
They were two fully enclosed suits of knight's armor, even the eye areas were embedded with polished crystals. Such armor style was rare, as the knightly class had disappeared during the Fourth Dynasty. Only the Holy See still maintained a knightly order of a thousand men; all four empires had abolished knighthood.
These two suits of armor had an ancient style, with the metal plates polished anew, making them look like antiques, their historical value exceeding their utility. Salin admired the armor and touched it.
To his surprise, his mental power couldn't penetrate! It seemed to be genuine, and it was practically impossible to break through the armor's defense with a zero-level spell. The defensive power of this kind of metal armor was better than ordinary leather armor but inferior to magical armor. Salin understood; his combat effectiveness against armored swordsmen would be somewhat compromised.
If one person were to face two soldiers, he would have virtually no chance.
Feeling somewhat disheartened yet excited, Salin briefly touched the armor and calculated its approximate defensive capability and the level of magic needed to break it. Unfortunately, he couldn't see any hope for becoming a formal magician anytime soon.
"Young Master Metatlin!" The shopkeeper had finished calculating, smiling broadly. "It comes to a total of 180 gold coins. Could you pay a deposit of 100 gold coins? I run a small business here and need quick turnover."
"Sure." Salin turned around, tossing two bags of gold coins onto the counter, asking, "When can I pick up the goods?"
"Next week at this time. Do you need delivery?"
"No, my teacher doesn't like to be disturbed."
"In that case, please wait. I'll prepare a receipt for you." As the shopkeeper collected the coins, Salin casually asked, "Can you order anything here?"
"Young Master Metatlin, I source my goods from Yao Yang City. If they have it there, I can order it for you. If you need something special, you'll have to order from Holy Rock City, but it will take much longer, probably a month."
"Understood." Salin took the receipt from the shopkeeper and left the store.
"Dekar." Stepping out of the door, Salin waved across the street. Dekar emerged from the shadows, and the two faced each other, unsure of what to say.
"Let's find a place to eat," Salin felt hungry. This time, he wouldn't go to the Whale of Sylan; instead, they headed north along the dock and found a small shop. It was late morning, and few people were eating. They sat by the window, and Salin ordered two bowls of fish noodles.
Rolling the noodles with a fork, the two ate in silence. When they had almost finished, Salin put down his fork and asked, "Dekar, how..."
"Stealing, right?" Dekar also put down his fork, pondering for a moment before speaking softly, "Around this time last year, a thief gang came to town. They picked up a bunch of kids, and I was one of them. Nobody forced me, you know, kids like us could starve on the streets at any time."
"A thief gang?" Salin frowned; the reputation of thief gangs wasn't good. Once caught, most nobles would have thieves executed without trial.
Dekar sensed Salin's concern and reassured him, "Don't worry, this gang doesn't commit murder. We only take things, no killings. If things go wrong, we just leave, rarely anyone investigates."
"It's not a long-term solution," Salin couldn't help but comment. Being a thief was rarely a path to a good end. Even if one became a high-level thief and made money, it was difficult to retire peacefully.
"Can't help it. It's too late for me to quit now," Dekar said softly, eyes scanning the entrance.
"How will I find you in the future?"
"It's easy to find me. Why don't you come back with me to our hideout and meet my leader?"
"Hmph." Salin's face suddenly turned cold, his two sharply arched eyebrows simultaneously rising as he stared at Dekar, pressing, "Is this what your leader wants? Don't bother; if he wants to live longer, he shouldn't have any designs on me."
Dekar felt a chill running through his body; Salin's gaze was like a sharp sword, and he even subconsciously wanted to reach for the dagger in his boot. But as soon as he moved his wrist, his hand throbbed in pain. Remembering the burn Salin had inflicted on him, he realized his opponent's identity.
"Salin, I'm also powerless. In fact, during the winter, the leader asked me to find you."
"I'm not interested in joining a thief gang. If my teacher finds out about this, I won't be able to protect you either. Dekar, you're on your own," Salin said, placing a gold coin on the table before leaving without looking back.
Dekar sat there, feeling somewhat dazed. Salin wasn't the simple child he once knew; just a vague suggestion from Dekar was enough for him to see through it. Could this be the power of magic?
As Salin stepped outside, the wind blew against him, and the knot of tension in his heart eased considerably. A thief trying to climb the ranks by associating with a magician! Even the Lord of the city would be too lazy to bother with such a person.
If this person didn't know what was good for him, it would be best to find a way to get rid of him, lest he bring trouble to Dekar. In Sylan City, Salin only had this one friend left.
Unconsciously, Salin had become more decisive and unusually sensitive to danger after the events six months ago. Jason hadn't given him any extra guidance; he had simply read books, cooked for Jason, and eaten together. Nevertheless, subtly, Salin's demeanor had completely changed.
Having placed his order at the grain shop and paid with gold coins, Salin left Sylan City with a sense of indifference.
He had fantasized more than once about living grandly in the city with money, adorned in fine clothes, riding spirited horses, reveling in fine wine and song. But now that he had money, he realized how naive such thoughts were. Dark clouds were gathering on the horizon, and Salin hastened his steps; in Sylan City's summer, rain always came unexpectedly.
Returning to the ancestral home, Salin went to see Jason, informing him of the delivery date.
Suddenly, Jason asked, "Salin, how long have I been here?"
"A year and six days."
"Well, next week, when you go to pick up the goods, take this." Jason handed Salin a huge leather bag. Then he said, "Starting from next week, every Monday, you'll accompany me for magic experiments."
"Teacher!"
"From today onwards, you are officially my student."
Excited, Salin had never expected to receive personal guidance from his teacher; Jason had never allowed him to observe experiments before. He didn't know that this day would come so soon. Unbeknownst to him, during this trip to the city, Jason had been following him from a distance. He even overheard Salin's conversation with Dekar.
Salin had passed the test this time. If he had faltered in his conversation with Dekar, Jason would have had to give up on him. To cultivate a student, one needed to invest not only energy but also emotions. As for Salin's elemental affinity problem, they would have to figure it out later.
Smiling, Jason looked at his student and took out a bottle, handing it to Salin, saying, "This potion, take one pill every day; it will improve your physique. When you run out, ask me for more."
Salin held the palm-sized porcelain bottle, unsure how to express his feelings.
"Go on, I hope you'll continue to work hard in the future."
"Yes, teacher!" Salin cheered inwardly. He returned to his room, took off his boots, changed out of his robe, and tossed the remaining gold coins on the table, finally catching his breath.
After gaining Jason's approval, Salin worked even harder. Every Monday, he accompanied Jason to the magic laboratory, where Jason explained the principles of magic experiments to him. Every Friday, he went into the city to place orders and collect the experimental materials ordered the previous week. The rest of the time, he continued reading books. When encountering content he couldn't understand, he would ask Jason for explanations on Mondays.
Dekar's matter was pushed to the back of his mind. The appearance of a hidden thief gang in Sylan City was something the Lord of the city should worry about. Salin had accepted the teachings in the books: a magician was separate from mundane affairs and should never interfere with the lives of ordinary people unless hired to do so.
After another half year of time, Salin learned his sixth zero-level magic, Magic Alarm. This was a barrier magic; each casting lasted for two hours. Depending on the casting method, the resulting magic alarm could be audible or silent.
With each new spell learned, Salin's confidence and skills grew, shaping him into a promising magician under Jason's tutelage.