"Alright, you've got some nerve, just wait."
In the end, the Nose-ringed Wizard didn't dare to confront Ronan head-on. Saying these harsh words, he left with an unpleasant expression.
After this disturbance, the result of the temporary gathering became unresolved.
The wizards scattered, but before leaving, they all gave Ronan strange looks.
Surprise, shock, confusion... with a hint of fear.
No one could have imagined that the young wizard, who had always been quiet and had no presence, was actually a hot-tempered Level 4 Apprentice.
Ronan estimated that after tonight, the discussions about him would likely become a hot topic in this Tree House District for a few days.
"Thank you, Ronan."
After the crowd dispersed, only Ronan and a few others, including Old Wells, remained by the bonfire.
Facing Old Wells's gratitude, Ronan shook his head, not saying much.
Old Wells's expression was quite complex, as if he had just met Ronan for the first time.
Old Wells knew some of Ronan's background, and Ronan didn't hide much as he said, "My rune engraving skills have reached entry-level, and I made some money, bought some mental potions..."
"You don't have to explain to me, everyone has their own secrets."
Old Wells smiled and solemnly reminded Ronan, "You've made an enemy of Eugene today. He's a sneaky and petty person and might not let this go. Be careful of his retaliation..."
"If he's not afraid of death, then let him come."
Ronan sneered, then suddenly felt it was inappropriate to say such things in front of Old Wells. So, he changed the subject, "I heard Eugene said something about being a pharmacist?"
"Yes."
Old Wells nodded, "Eugene has been studying Magic Potion for many years, and he's quite famous around here."
"A pharmacist would also live in the Tree House District?"
Ronan was a bit curious, just like Eugene's curiosity about him before.
"Maybe to save costs, living in the forest makes it easier to gather magic ingredients.
And..."
Old Wells glanced at Ronan, sighing, "His talent in Magic Potion is far inferior to your talent in Rune Studies."
Ronan didn't take the compliment but suddenly felt someone tugging at the hem of his robe.
Looking down, he saw a cute blond little girl mischievously winking at him.
It was Porter's daughter, Cheryl.
After being adopted, she had been following Old Wells and...
Ronan glanced to the side, the witch girl who lived by Tree Spring stood quietly like a ghost in the shadows, completely unnoticed.
This girl seemed a bit socially anxious; when Ronan looked at her, she instinctively shrank back a bit.
Ronan still vividly remembered the mental calming spell she cast at Porter's funeral and nodded kindly towards her.
Turning back, he began to discuss business with Old Wells.
"What are you going to do about the matters discussed at today's gathering?"
"Continue.
I'll privately go around persuading everyone one by one, convincing even one more person is good."
Old Wells paused, then continued, "I'll go to Eugene and resolve the conflict between you two; after all, it started because of me."
Ronan ignored the latter part of Old Wells's words and thoughtfully said, "Old Wells, is the invasion from Black Witch Land really that dangerous and terrifying?"
"This is a war between wizards..."
Old Wells's expression was complex as he slowly said, "It will only be more brutal than you can imagine."
"Why would the Black Witch Land stir up a dispute for no reason?"
Ronan still couldn't understand.
"Resources, ideology, legacy... or maybe they're simply tired of peace."
A sense of helplessness emanated from Old Wells's brows, "Any reason could become the cause for them to start a war. I remember the last invasion... seemed to be merely a game on a whim for some big figures."
"Just a game..."
Ronan gritted his teeth.
He felt the same helplessness as Old Wells, and the confidence and courage he had when facing the Nose-ringed Wizard Eugene vanished without a trace.
Once again, he saw the cruelty of the Wizard World, where the lower ranks were merely pawns on a gaming board in the eyes of the higher-ups.
As a Wizard Apprentice living at the lowest level, he didn't even have the qualifications to be a pawn.
"Is it possible to leave Hoddam before the invasion happens..."
Ronan lowered his head, gently patting Cheryl's little head, "I remember you booked a ship ticket for departure in the second half of the year; is it still possible to get one now?"
While Ronan didn't wish to leave this land of wizard heritage and didn't want to become a Wandering Wizard, he would rather choose wandering over losing his life in war.
"All the ships leaving Wizard Land are arranged by Hoddam Academy. Even my ship ticket for the second half of the year got returned..."
Old Wells sighed heavily, "Now trying to leave… it's difficult."
"Can't we leave by ourselves without taking a ship?"
Ronan didn't give up, but Old Wells just shook his head with a bitter smile.
"That's too risky. You'd have to pass through the Magic Beast Forest, and even Official Wizards might not survive."
Ronan fell silent.
For a long time after that, the two didn't speak.
Until the night deepened, the bonfire in front gradually died down, Cheryl yawned sleepily, and Old Wells finally said, "You should go back first, I'll arrange the patrol matters and inform you then..."
Ronan nodded, turned, and left.
.....
In the following days, Ronan trained feverishly as if possessed.
He reduced his natural sleep time to less than two hours and spent almost all the remaining time in rigorous practice.
In between, he made a trip to the town and found the situation was much worse than he had imagined.
The whole of Hoddam seemed to be enveloped in a tense and anxious atmosphere.
From potion ingredients and magic equipment to grains, bread, and food supplies, almost everything was undergoing a mad price hike.
The most outrageous increase was in rent.
Ronan found out that the rent in the worst living conditions of the town's neighborhoods had skyrocketed to nearly two low-level magic stones per month.
Previously, it required only ten Magic Stone Shards.
Almost a twentyfold increase!
In the forest, the tree house.
"Squeak, squeak, squeak—"
Ronan sat at the table, trying hard to slice a piece of charred meat on his plate with a knife.
The blade and the plate made an ear-piercing sound that could set teeth on edge.
After cutting for a long time, the meat on the plate didn't change much, so Ronan simply gave up, grabbed the meat with his hand, and started to tear and bite into it.
"This is Magic Beast Meat? Hmm... hmm... it does seem a bit more fragrant than ordinary beast meat, but... it's just too tough!"
Ronan finally managed to gnaw off a piece of meat, chewing it in his mouth for quite some time before swallowing it whole.
Once the meat made its way to his stomach, a feeling of fullness emerged and, after a while, seemed to transform into warm currents, slowly merging into Ronan's body.
"Phew—"
Ronan finished eating all the meat, as if completing a difficult project, and lay limp on the chair, unwilling to move for a long time.