Do you know where there are any wizards?
This question was only answered when Arthur returned to his bed in his room. George replied, "It was Livlan teacher who mentioned it, right? She, being an elf, dares to openly speak about wizards on Etzikri Street. And since the Charity School consists mostly of Enforcers, she feels safe. In reality, the word 'wizard' is not allowed to be mentioned in Brighton City."
George closed the curtains and shut the door, speaking solemnly to Arthur.
Arthur was confused. Based on the history he had heard, wizards seemed to be on the side of justice. He curiously asked George, "What's wrong with wizards?"
"What do you think of wizards?"
Arthur thought for a moment and summarized it based on what Livlan had said, "Something like for the independence and strength of humanity." After hearing this, George slapped his forehead dramatically, lamenting Arthur's ignorance. "You really don't understand anything, do you? According to old histories in the books and the church records, before the wizards appeared, the divine power of the gods was able to help humanity very well. For instance, the followers of the Earth Goddess Gaia, who is widely worshiped in the Southern Continent, were blessed with abundant harvests! Not to mention those who worshipped gods of knowledge and strength. But when wizards appeared, these powerful beings began challenging the gods' strength. Now, look at today's world—without gods, just look at all the orphans in the Charity School. There are more than 300 of them, right? And the concept of the Charity School only emerged after the New Calendar era! What does that prove?"
"How do you know all this?" Arthur frowned, sensing something off about George's words. For example, the children at the Charity School couldn't have all lost their families because the gods disappeared. Although Arthur didn't fully understand the reason, he didn't want to argue further. He could understand George's zeal for the gods; after all, every child has their own heroes or revered figures. For George, the gods were clearly something to respect.
"I've never liked Livlan teacher and most of the other students at the Charity School. They always think that the first wizard to communicate with the elements was a good person, but actually, that wizard, called Rhine—" Hey! Arthur furrowed his brow more tightly and pushed George away, stopping him mid-sentence. George raised a finger, paused for a moment, and then changed his words, "That wizard Rhine is the one responsible for the suffering that people are enduring now!" George spoke more passionately, not noticing that Arthur had clenched his fists.
Arthur forced himself to calm down. He understood that he had no reason to beat up George. If George was merely a worshipper of Rhine Hebraya, how could that matter more than their newly formed family bond at the dinner table? But Arthur made a mental note that he would find an opportunity to punch George later.
"You still haven't answered me. Do you know where there are any wizards?" Arthur asked, comforting himself that he was asking George just because George had been attending school for two extra years.
"That's exactly what I'm about to explain. Livlan teacher must have told you this as well. After the Gods' Fall, the first batch of wizards taught a small group of people how to communicate with the elements, and then they disappeared, just like the gods. But for the next fifty years, wizards' names were hardly ever heard. Occasionally, there would be someone seen manipulating the elements, but the name 'wizard' only came from the Eastern Continent. They disappeared without a trace, just like the gods! They must have been cursed by the gods!" George said, using several words that didn't quite match his age, clearly harboring resentment toward wizards.
Arthur thought to himself, "I think you're the one cursed," and made a mental note to teach George a lesson for his disrespect toward Arthur's ancestors.
Not paying much attention to George's complaints, Arthur gave him a shove to send him back to his top bunk, and began to summarize the information he had gathered about wizards. From what he understood, if he wanted to quickly gain the power to avenge his parents and his village, joining the wizards seemed like the way to go. But as George had said, wizards had disappeared for a long time—about fifty years. The New Calendar year was 102, and George had said that wizards started appearing around the 50th year.
Wizards had disappeared about fifty years ago, and the last ones were seen in the Eastern Continent. Arthur didn't want to think about it anymore. It seemed that revenge couldn't be rushed, and he would have to take things step by step. Fortunately, in the afternoon's general knowledge class, Arthur learned that, aside from humans, merfolk and goblins have relatively short lifespans, while dwarves reach adulthood at 70 and live around 140 years. Elves live for 200 years before aging, and orcs have similar lifespans. Arthur still had plenty of time to grow stronger.
How to grow stronger, though, was now his biggest problem.
Maybe I should give it a try... Arthur's mind briefly conjured up a ridiculous image of a penguin in a uniform before sleepiness took over, and he fell asleep amidst his many thoughts of how to become stronger.
...
Late at night, Enforcer Hall.
Dodge sat in his office, holding a thick stack of translated documents, carefully studying each word. Livlan sat on the sofa beside him, idly playing with her glasses frame.
"Livlan, if this report is true, you may have to return to the Elf Forest," Dodge said, tapping the desk with his fingers. The event in the translation was merely a notification, but it concerned Enforcer Halls across Brighton City, of which the one on Etzikri Street was the largest.
Livlan didn't speak much. She stood up, took the report from Dodge's hands, and glanced at it. Her expression became serious.
"I will inform the Queen as soon as possible. When do I leave?"
"Now, go contact Josh and have him prepare the horses for you," Dodge said quickly, handing Livlan a stamped application form. In their official institution, there were specialized procedures for such requests.
Livlan bowed and left Enforcer Hall, leaving Dodge alone in the room.
"I wonder if I should contact that snake-faced orc and the former team leader," Dodge sighed, then stretched out his hand, muttering a few unfamiliar, complex words. A faint flame flickered in his palm. "They need to be notified." Dodge turned his hand over, and the flame extinguished. The Enforcer Hall fell into silence, as the night continued.