The delicate cup was filled with fragrant wine, and before Green, there were nearly seventy or eighty different condiments like foie gras and Ellie juice on the table. Not to mention the main courses of roasted meat that Green had never even seen before.
This was Green's first visit to the Lord's residence, and he was fortunate to dine with the Lord himself, though it was all thanks to the great wizard sitting beside him.
"Green." The mysterious wizard suddenly called out.
Putting down his utensils, Green hastily responded, "My lord?"
"Mm. What I wanted to say is that an apprentice wizard with mental power naturally growing to 10 usually senses their talent during the crystal ball test. This is crucial for your future development as a wizard. Do not forget everything that happens during the test. If you can advance to a wizard, you must make use of your talent," the wizard said, his voice neutral but hoarse, as if he had a throat issue, yet it almost sounded like a parrot mimicking words in the wizard's robe.
"Yes, my lord," Green respectfully replied.
His talent? Those bizarre and strange phenomena? Green didn't believe those oddities would be of any help to him. Given how strange they were, they might even pose a threat.
The wizard then turned his attention to the Lord's daughter, Lafi, and Wade, the son of the owner of the Moon Bay Hotel. "Neither of you has reached a mental power of 10, and under normal circumstances, you wouldn't qualify as apprentice wizards. But the gifts you gave me were quite decent, so I'll allow it this time. With my help, you may grow into apprentices with mental power of 10, though you will lack magical talent. However, for wizards, knowledge is far more important than so-called talent."
"Yes, my lord," they both answered in unison.
"Ha ha, it's been a long journey for the wizard, so let me properly entertain you. Come, come, my lord, taste these rare delicacies from the South Endless Sea," the Lord beamed, now dressed in a formal noble outfit. He waved his hand, and eight beautiful maids appeared, each carrying a plate, which they set before the Lord, the wizard, and the six apprentice wizards.
Green looked at the plate before him, which contained a seemingly ordinary shell. Frowning, he wondered, was this the rare delicacy? How was he supposed to eat it?
"Beauty Shell? Ha ha, ever since I first tasted this delicacy 120 years ago during a mission in the South Endless Sea, I haven't encountered it again. To think I'd be able to taste it once more here on the East Coral Islands. My Lord, you have gone to great lengths," the wizard remarked, sounding genuinely pleased.
"Ha ha, please," the Lord encouraged. Apart from the Lord, Lafi, and the wizard, the five apprentice wizards looked on, utterly confused, not knowing how to eat the so-called Beauty Shell.
Green carefully observed the Lord's every move. The Lord's pudgy hands were adorned with seven glittering rings. He gently picked up the shell from the plate, cracked it open, and what happened next made Green's eyes widen in shock.
Inside the shell, there was indeed a living, miniature beauty—though this beauty wasn't wearing any clothes, and her body seemed boneless, resembling a soft-bodied creature curled up and sleeping. As soon as the shell was opened, the sleeping beauty began to slowly awaken, looking around in confusion.
"Heh heh." The Lord's chubby face broke into a smile as he brought the shell to his lips. With a puff of his thick lips, he seemed about to suck the still-dazed beauty into his mouth.
At that moment, the beauty seemed to realize her predicament, and her soft body desperately tried to crawl away, emitting a shrill scream—reminiscent of a newborn mouse. However, with the Lord's powerful inhalation, the scream was quickly sucked into his mouth, and it seemed to reverberate in his belly.
"Ah… truly wonderful," the Lord sighed, casually tossing the shell aside and closing his eyes in bliss.
The wizard and Lafi also consumed the Beauty Shell. Lafi looked intoxicated, while the wizard turned his gaze to the five hesitant apprentices, shaking his head. "For wizards, flavor is secondary. The true value of the Beauty Shell lies in its ability to purify fire elements. If any of you are interested in studying fire element magic, this Beauty Shell can be quite helpful. Of course, you will also bear the curse of the sea. It is said that after consuming the Beauty Shell, your flesh will emit a certain scent that attracts some sea demons."
To everyone's surprise, Green was the first to act. He closed his eyes, tilted his head back, and without a glance at the beauty in the shell, swallowed it whole. He could even hear its desperate scream echoing in his stomach.
Suppressing the bizarre sensation and the urge to vomit, Green calmly picked up some fresh beef and began dipping it into foie gras to eat.
Yorcris, Wade, and Kiram, the one who collected coins for identifying wizard qualifications, all had grim expressions but also swallowed the Beauty Shell with a gulp. Soon, faint screams seemed to emanate from their bellies. Only Yorcris's sister, Yocriana, hesitated before eventually pushing the shell aside, shaking her head.
Overall, the banquet proceeded smoothly, and Green witnessed true noble luxury.
Green estimated that the cost of the main course alone wouldn't be less than 200 gold coins, and the Beauty Shell, this "rare delicacy," was likely priceless.
The next day, Green hurried to the Viscount's residence to find his old carriage. In the distance, Lafi and Wade, following the wizard, rolled their eyes. Did this guy really waste their time for such a shabby carriage? What could it be worth?
"Bastard, didn't you hear yesterday? If you come again, I'll break your legs!" The old butler saw Green rushing in and roared. However, deep down, he hoped that Green would give in today and offer something valuable, as the butler had forgotten to find the right subcontractor after working all day yesterday. If tonight's banquet wasn't properly prepared, it would be a big problem.
"Uh…" Green glanced around the yard and saw his carriage, clearly left outside yesterday, but now it had been pulled in by the Viscount's men.
"Master Butler, I'm taking the carriage. I'll leave right away." Becoming an apprentice wizard was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Green was willing to give up the remaining gold coins in his possession, but he couldn't bring himself to part with this old horse, as it had been left by Old Ham.
"Uh…" The butler seemed stunned, not expecting Green to say this. His fury flared, and he shouted, "You lowly peasant! Get out of here! There's no carriage! Skarda, throw him out!"
The burly Skarda, like an ox, began to approach Green. Green swallowed hard, but just as the situation seemed tense, a cold grunt came from afar: "A wizard's dignity shall not be violated!"
A streak of black light shot toward the approaching Skarda. The knight, quick on his feet, dodged the black light, but it struck the Viscount's doorframe, transforming into a swarm of black, insect-like creatures.
Each insect was no larger than a fingernail but had transparent wings and strong jaws. There were about seven or eight thousand of them.
The knight, realizing the danger, turned pale and shouted, "Lord Wizard, spare me!"
"Humph!" The wizard didn't even acknowledge the knight. To a wizard, a knight was no more than a larger insect that would flee. Unless the knight could somehow become a legendary knight, he might pose a threat. The wizard muttered a spell, then pointed with one hand. The terrified knight, still begging for mercy, began to slowly transform into a small pig!
Green's jaw nearly hit the floor in astonishment. He really turned into a pig?
The swarm of black insects rushed forward, and in a chorus of howls, they devoured the pig.
Nearby, the old butler, who had never seen such a spectacle, froze in fear, watching the pig's anguished screams. Just then, an incredibly fast tongue shot out toward the butler, and in the blink of an eye, the butler vanished without a trace.
"Goo goo goo…" A pair of bright red eyes emerged from a large frog, which shrank down to the size of a palm before hopping into the wizard's hand.
The onlookers, stunned by these impossible feats of power, watched in terror. Green, too, was speechless, never having witnessed such an eerie and deadly act. Yet, the surroundings were strangely calm.
Is this what a wizard is? The dignity of a wizard must not be violated. For ordinary people, wizards with magic were simply terrifying!
One day, Green vowed, he would become a wizard. If anyone dared to offend him then, he would erase them from existence.
Regaining his composure, Green swallowed nervously and tried to calm himself. He hurriedly took the old carriage to the blacksmith's shop and bade his dumbfounded brother, Six, farewell.
"Hey, hey, Xiaoba, is it true? You really want to become a wizard?" Six asked in disbelief for the seventh time.
Green forced a smile. "Only an apprentice wizard…"
"Alright, alright, an apprentice wizard… You really, really want to become a wizard?" Six asked again, this time for the eighth time.
Green could only laugh bitterly.