"Hrm, three of those sculptures in the main hall which were sold for 1500 gold pieces each?" Aruto, a manager at the Yamazaki Gallery, peered astounded at the sales records. After flipping through the section with the biographical details of the sculptor, Renji, he was even more impressed. "These three are all made by Renji, and he's only fifteen?"
Sculpture was indeed a rarefied world-a pyramid. The entire Light Alliance counted only five or six master-level sculptors who stood at the peak of this field and perhaps a hundred or so expert sculptors. From that, one could imagine how rare the experts were. Usually, someone who could be called an 'expert sculptor' would be one person with a realization of life, whose talent in that art was so great that he could bring this realization into his sculptures. Only then would their sculptures have special auras. A fifteen-year-old expert sculptor? All but unheard of!
And is this Renji going to a student in Keito Institute?" Aruto began to grow more and more shocked. The Keitu Institute was the number one magus academy in the whole Aerthos continent. "And a student of the fifth class? A student of the fifth class, aged fifteen?" Aruto sighed in a cold breath. Genius!
"Even if these three sculptures are worth only a thousand gold apiece, based on the age of the sculptor alone, the true value of these sculptures would surely be several times greater." Aruto completely convinced himself of it. If a fifteen-year-old man can produce sculpture of this level, then the worth of his artwork would exponentially be higher. If someone who was fifteen could sculpt like this, they must also be a student of the Keito Institute. That means a genius among geniuses. The value of his sculptures would be multiplied again.
"I am leaving this afternoon for the Keito Institute. You see, the Yamazaki Gallery has not seen a new expert sculptor added to our midst in quite a long time." Aruto came to his decision. Inasmuch as the three sculptures had all commanded a high price, then Renji had evidently proven himself. He was certainly accomplished enough to be asked to place his sculptures in a private booth in the hall of experts.
That very afternoon, a horse carriage drew up outside the main gates of the Keito Institute. It was Aruto and two guards. Arriving at the main gate, Aruto took out his identification showing himself to be a manager at the Yamazaki Gallery. The Keito Institute actually deployed one of their own guards to escort him.
At the instructional areas for the Keito Institute's fifth-grade students. "Mr. Aruto, this is where place gathered most of the instructors for the magi of the fifth rank." Smiling, the escort pushed the door open. Currently, about ten or so magi were here, chatting and laughing. To qualify to instruct magi of the fifth rank, one would himself be a magi of the seventh or perhaps even the eighth rank. With the opening door, all these magi of exalted rank turned toward it.
"Milords, this is Mr. Aruto of the Yamazaki Gallery. He has some business which he would like to beseech your aid for." The escort said respectfully. The magi all nodded calmly. The Yamazaki Gallery had multiple branches in all of the kingdoms and empires in the Aerthos continent, and it possessed astonishing power and influence. Thus, even proud, arrogant magi would be fairly cordial when dealing with the Yamazaki Gallery.
"Milords magi." Aruto said with a smile. "I'm here in search of a student named Renji?"
"Renji?" All of the magi laughed. Amongst them, a purple-robed magi said with a smile, "Renji? That's one of the two utmost geniuses of the Keito Institute. He is a dual-element magus, wielding earth and wind. Go speak with his wind-element instructor. He might know."
"You don't even need to ask about the teacher for the earth element. This Renji guy, during the previous three months, has only come to our class twice," a whiskered old man said, having a very disappointed look. "But Renji comes to virtually every one of our wind-element classes." The other bearded elder said, smiling, "I am Renji's wind-element teacher. Relatively speaking, I know him quite clearly. If there's anything you need to learn, feel free to ask me."
Aruto nodded. "A month ago, Renji brought three sculptures over to the Yamazaki Gallery. His sculptures already possess the grandeur of an expert. Based on the price they fetched this month, we have determined that Renji is qualified to have his sculptures displayed in a private booth in the hall of the experts. Thus, I have come to gift him with a silver magicard."
A private booth?" Those magi were all amazed. These proud, lofty magi were all rather knowledgeable regarding sculptures. They all knew it was extremely difficult to even carve a physically perfect sculpture, not to mention one with a special aura or essence. Countless sculptors dreamed of having a private booth at the Yamazaki Gallery.
"That Renji guy? Are you really sure it was Renji? This fellow Renji is normally so diligent and hardworking in his studies. And he is only fifteen," Renji's wind-element instructor— that silver-haired, white-robed grandpa—said disbelievingly.
Aruto smiled at him. "This isn't to be questioned at all. We have all the biographical details of Renji here at Yamazaki Gallery. Besides our records show that he came into Yamazaki Gallery in grounds of the accompaniment of young master Yori from your data."
All those magi nodded. And then, they all began to talk merrily among themselves. One of the two utmost geniuses of the Keito Institute was actually an expert sculptor as well. For a genius magus to be able to secure a private booth at the Yamazaki Gallery was something which would rarely occur even a single time over the course of a thousand years. Naturally, these magi were all shocked.
"Milords magi, can any of you tell me where Renji is living?" Aruto asked.
That silver-haired, white-robed elder said, "Renji lives in dorm 1875."
"Dorm 1875?" Hearing that, Aruto was just about to rush towards there at the moment. "But please wait. Although Renji lives in dorm 1875, I happen to know that three weeks ago, he set out for the school to engage in the training. Thus, unfortunately, I'm afraid you came here for nothing," supplemented the silver-haired white-robed elder.
"Training." Aruto slow-wittedly began to react. Aruto was pretty aware of the fact even the magi of the fifth and the sixth ranks were qualified to engage in real-world field training. And the Keito Institute also strongly encouraged this practice. Aruto couldn't help but sigh. He didn't expect it would result in this after running so eagerly to the Keito Institute.
"Then, milords magi, I will take my leave." Aruto bowed deeply. Those magi all nodded nonchalantly in his direction, practically dismissing him verbally, and ceased to give any more attention to him. Everyone began chatting animatedly among themselves.
Renji is potent… I hadn't imagined that this magus Renji is so formidable… All of these magic instructors were unable to stop admiring Renji, who, without anybody knowing, qualified to have his own private booth at Yamazaki Gallery.