The Alliance City is located on the world-renowned Harvest Plain, a region with a pleasant climate and abundant rainfall, making it the largest grain-producing area on the continent. The vast Harvest Plain spans across many territories, including most of the Rhysia Duchy, the Luria Duchy, the Lya Duchy, the Dam Duchy, the Golden Source Duchy, most of the Dasi Duchy, and the Zesi Duchy. In fact, it occupies half of the Alliance Empire's territory. While Rhysia Duchy had been on high alert in the smaller towns where Ryan and his group passed, in the Alliance's directly governed province, although it is a province, it covers an area more than double that of Rhysia. The Alliance Empire only has one directly governed province. As Ryan's group flew high above this region, he could clearly see pedestrians doffing their hats in salute as they approached the Alliance City.
From a distance, Ryan spotted a dark shadow, which he initially thought was a mountain range. But as they flew closer, he realized it was an enormous city. From above, the city walls were lined with swords and daggers, resembling a large military camp. The wide moat required two drawbridges to cross in order to enter the city. The walls stood more than 50 meters high, and at intervals along the wall, large towers loomed higher than the walls themselves. From the top of the wall, Ryan could occasionally spot carriages moving back and forth. Further into the city, Ryan noticed an inner city with even taller and more robust walls, and wide streets with towering buildings. Ryan even saw several 7- to 8-story buildings. The Mage Guild, located at the edge of the inner city, was a nine-story structure, its area equivalent to several football fields. Behind it, several famous Mage Towers stood, inhabited by magic masters at or above level 7—meaning these were the peak masters, capable of founding their own schools. The Wind Lark perched atop the nine-story building, an area as large as half a football field, surrounded by numerous metallic pillars. Ryan could clearly sense the terrifying magical fluctuations inside, indicating the presence of a magical weapon. To his astonishment, the building was constructed using a special alchemical material—obsidian, a stone both exceptionally hard and highly receptive to magic, mined from the Beast Forest.
"Take Ryan's companions to rest first, and Ryan, come with me," Toyris said, leading Ryan and his group through the legendary magic teleportation circle. Ryan felt as though the scenery around him changed in the blink of an eye, and soon, they arrived in a room. Inside, four knights were standing guard, but they didn't seem to react much to their arrival. Ryan kept his gaze low and moved along quickly. After a short walk, Toyris instructed two others, who saluted and led Alice and Delis away. As Delis left, she exchanged a look with Ryan, who gave her a reassuring nod.
Toyris led Ryan to a grand, ancient-looking door adorned with silver runes—a magic array. Toyris easily pushed open the door, and they entered together. Inside was a round hall, surrounded by tables and chairs, where about a dozen people were seated, with many more empty seats. All eyes turned to Ryan, some filled with curiosity, some indifferent, and others glancing at him briefly before whispering to one another.
"Where's Askarla?" Toyris called out loudly as he scanned the room. Ryan noticed that Toyris had removed his magic badge before entering. The people here were all dressed in robes without badges, indicating that everyone in this room was at least a 9th-level Golden Mage. Ryan was astonished. If there were only a limited number of seats, this meant the Mage Guild had dozens of 9th-level mages. Ryan now understood how the Mage Guild could hold such immense power across the continent. He also began to doubt what Niu Niu had said—there were supposedly only 1,500 mages across the entire continent, which seemed unlikely if so many mages were present in this one place.
"Toyris, don't tell me you won?" A middle-aged man asked in surprise upon hearing Toyris' question.
Toyris tilted his head back and loudly declared, "Not only did I win, but I won thoroughly! Today, those who didn't come will regret it for the rest of their lives!"
"Toyris, enough with the boasting. Let's get on with the test. Everyone's busy," an elder, standing up, said impatiently.
"Alright, Ryan, show everyone your magic, just as you showed me, and perform for them. Just use three seconds—three seconds is all you need," Toyris said, clearly feeling underestimated.
"Understood, my lord." With those words, Ryan extended his hand. He didn't perform his magic directly in front of the prominent individuals but instead aimed at a stone wall in the hall. In an instant, fireballs began to shoot toward the wall in quick succession, as though strung together by some invisible force. After firing around 15 fireballs, he then unleashed a flurry of wind blades at the same wall. Ryan kept the total number of spells he cast to around 30, as he had certain trump cards that he couldn't reveal.
The people who had previously paid no attention to Ryan were now utterly stunned. Normally, no one here would be surprised by the magic of any random person, but the magic fluctuations clearly indicated that a first-level mage could instantly cast two types of magic, and the transition between magic powers was incredibly smooth without any pause. The final fireball and wind blade were almost exactly the same distance apart as the previous fireball was from the one before it.
"Now, Ryan, channel your mental power into this crystal ball." Toyris then took out a transparent crystal ball, which had a magic array on it.
Ryan closed his eyes and slowly channeled his mental power into the crystal ball. He could feel that inside the crystal ball were multiple magic arrays, and his mental energy flowed like water, easily filling up half of one of the arrays before he stopped.
"That's five times the amount of an average person of your age. Not bad," Toyris said, glancing at the old men around him, before adding casually. Ryan thought Toyris was being serious. After all, on Earth, Ryan could go for two or three nights without sleep, so his mental power was quite strong. Coupled with the internal energy training he had received over the past six months, his mental power had grown considerably. Ryan couldn't help but feel pleased with his modesty—until he heard someone else speak.
"Toyris, you old bastard, five times is only 'not bad'? I've heard that some people at this age only have 1.6 times the average power! And you still have the nerve to criticize others," someone retorted, exposing Toyris' own history.
"Hmph! Tariston, you're not qualified to lecture this kid. His talent isn't limited to this," Toyris snapped, "Look at this leather armor. He killed a soil-elemental magic ape by himself, taught himself alchemy, and even made the armor himself. I was there when he crafted it. You old fools, which of you could make anything as good at his age? You should all be ashamed. With this alchemical creation alone, this kid is destined to be the wealthiest person on the continent. He's improved the alchemy process—these three alchemical patents alone will make him a fortune. Ryan, later on, go over your crafting process again and explain the differences. These will be your patents, and anyone who wants to use them will have to pay you in gold. Of course, the Mage Guild will also take a cut as the supervisory body." After criticizing the old men, Toyris tossed Ryan's crafted leather armor at him, clearly using a space item.
"Yes, my lord," Ryan replied, ecstatic. He had been wondering how to make money, and now it seemed like an opportunity had presented itself. Pens were one of the best-selling items on Earth, and surely this world would also have a demand for them. The thought of gold flooding toward him made him feel almost overwhelmed.
Ryan made a list of the things he needed, and soon they were delivered. As he crafted, he explained his process to the old men. With their assistance, his alchemical pens turned out much more refined than before. The filters were also much more polished. Ryan then etched a soil-elemental magic array onto his leather armor. This time, he used a second-level solution, and although it consumed quite a bit of magical energy, it was a success.
"Wow, this time, I'll never have to rush when crafting things again," one of the old men exclaimed.
"Mm, I didn't expect there to still be impurities in what seemed like a clear solution. Look at how much smoother the magic array etches on the filtered solution. The unfiltered solution clogs up the alchemical pen after just a few strokes," another one commented.
"Indeed, never would have guessed," another said.
"Everyone, this actually has a bigger use. If we change the solution to ink, then seal it with tree resin, and replace the pen tip with a metal one—preferably fine steel—it could be an incredible tool. Can I borrow a set of tools?" Ryan said as he saw the confused looks on the old men's faces. He realized he hadn't explained it clearly.
He then asked for some tools and personally crafted the steel pen. The pen tips were pulled directly from the magic furnace using their mental energy and formed in a single motion. The rest of the process was easy: crafting the barrel, attaching the nib, and finishing the casing. After completing the pen, Ryan tested it himself. As he touched it, the old men quickly snatched it from him, and each took a turn to test it out.
"Mm, I'll take this one for myself. It's perfect for taking magic notes—clear, compact, and it absorbs ink so well. It'll last a long time, unlike those troublesome goose-feather pens," the last old man who tested it said, putting the pen in his pocket. He then patted Ryan on the shoulder and added, "This will be very useful." Ryan could tell that the old man had intentionally skipped testing the pen first. Realizing his thoughts, he could only smile.
Ryan's two inventions were officially recorded, and from now on, all he had to do was collect his payment. Of course, the Mage Guild would take 30% as the overseeing body. Afterward, Ryan was ushered out by a group of old men. It was said that his exact location would be discussed later, but Ryan could tell from the tense atmosphere that many of them were eager to claim him as their own.
Ryan completed a series of formalities and received two badges: one on a white staff with a hexagram, though Ryan's staff was half black and half white. He also received a beaker with a single character inscribed on it. In addition, he was given a full set of mage robes—ones that could even cover his head. The robes were exquisite, practical, and made of materials far superior to the leather armor Ryan had crafted himself.
"My lord, would it be possible to get two more sets of mage robes?" Ryan asked, thinking of Alice and Delis. With these robes, they would certainly face fewer difficulties in public.
"Little brother, this is nothing. My name is Quillin. If you don't mind, you can call me Brother Quillin. How about it?" The other person casually handed him two robes and said warmly.
Ryan put his robes on and took the other two from him, replying, "Sure, if Brother Quillin doesn't mind, I would be honored. I'm new to Alliance City and not familiar with the place. I was wondering if Brother Quillin has some time to show me around?" Ryan smoothly took the opportunity to make conversation. After all, someone who could help the old guys must not be an ordinary person. Even though Quillin was young, his badge showed he was a second-level mage—this was about connections. Without connections, no matter how capable you were, you might never meet the important people inside the guild.
"You're straightforward, little brother. I like people like you. Come, I'll show you around. I've heard you brought along a companion. Let's go pick them up. I'm very familiar with this place," Quillin said, leading Ryan forward.
"Thank you, big brother," Ryan said, noticing that Quillin was taller, fairer, and had better manners and looks than him. Ryan felt a bit frustrated but quickly realized that Quillin wasn't as strong. Looking at his slender body, Ryan couldn't help but imagine inappropriate scenarios.
As they walked along, they encountered many mages, some of them at level 4 or 5, some at level 2 or 3, but no one above level 6. Several people were surprised when they saw Ryan's badge. Many even looked at him carefully, as if trying to memorize his face.
"Hey, little brother, you should take off these two badges when we go outside. If you keep wearing them, we'll definitely be surrounded. You see, the tavern just outside the guild is full of spies for the nobles. Every day, the mages who come and go are watched closely. Those who haven't been taken under someone's wing are often surrounded by these people. Your badge shows that you're proficient in two types of magic, both at level one, and the other one is even more impressive—an alchemist badge at level one. You should know that alchemists are rare in the Mage Guild. Out of the hundreds of mages who enter the guild each year, only five or so become alchemists, and half of them reach higher levels. Only high-ranking mages have the qualifications to join the Mage Guild. Of course, there are exceptions—those with exceptional talent can join even if they are only level 2…," Quillin explained in detail about the Mage Guild and some other tidbits.
"Delis, Alice," Ryan called out when he saw Delis and Alice surrounded by a group of people. He quickly rushed over and saw a greasy, well-groomed man with a level 3 mage badge, who was getting too close to Delis.
"You bastard!" Ryan quickly scanned the area and realized it was a reception hall. There was nothing nearby that could be used as a weapon, but Ryan didn't care. He dashed forward and landed a solid punch. For Ryan, fighting was something he'd done frequently in high school. The key to a good fight was a quick eye strike followed by a punch to the nose. That usually left the opponent incapacitated. Ryan moved with lightning speed—first, an eye strike, then a punch right to the man's prominent nose. Luckily, Ryan was aware of his own strength, so he deliberately aimed slightly off-center. The man fell to the ground, clutching his face.
"You little pretty boy! How dare you try to make a move on my woman!" Ryan kicked the man several times, swearing as he did. The man was kicked in the ribs so hard that he couldn't breathe, unable to utter a word.
"Darling..." Just then, the sound of a magic incantation was heard from nearby. Ryan immediately punched the closest person in the face and then delivered a knee strike to his chest, sending him crumpling to the ground.
Smack!" How dare you touch my sister-in-law!" Ryan shouted at the rest of the group, who were about to release their own spells. Before he could do anything else, Quillin stepped forward and slapped a level 4 mage across the face, pointing at his nose and berating him. Then Quillin kicked the mage as well. The others looked at Quillin with fear in their eyes, realizing that Quillin had some authority here.
"Delis, are you alright?" Ryan asked gently, pulling Delis, who was in shock, close to him.
Delis, now coming to her senses, looked at the mages lying on the ground and became worried about Ryan. But hearing Ryan's soft words, Delis felt warm inside and leaned against his shoulder. "I'm fine. This is the Mage Guild. They won't dare to cause trouble."
"Who's making a scene here?" Just then, a loud voice boomed through the hall, sharply reprimanding them.