Chapter 389: Four Brothers
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Grimm and Myna arrived at the second small town called Dagamo.
Its size was roughly the same as Mudulu City. Similarly, the nobles of this small town had prepared a feast to welcome the arrival of Grimm and his little friend.
While Grimm was uninterested by the feast, Myna on the other hand was dining like a true king. He stuffed himself with drinks and local delicacies while talking to the nobility of Dagamo.
With Grimm’s order began the second apprentice recruitment in yet another small town.
The long line was made up of more than two hundred people, which was slightly better than the turnout rate back in Mudulu City. This could possibly be due to the residents of this small town being wealthier than the previous ones.
“Mental strength, seven points. You are disqualified. Next one please.”
Grimm’s voice was painfully cold. His expression was equally unforgiving, like that of a battle-hardened Dark Sorcerer.
Myna perched on the main hall door’s edge, eagerly inspecting the individual gold coins as well as the bags of silver coins before tossing them without hesitation into the Dimensional Gap.
“Please place your hand… Hm?”
Grimm raised his head as the pair of eyes underneath the Mask of Truth glanced at the person standing before him.
He had a tall, burly physique and wore a scrupulous look on his face. The scars on his forehead as well as the thousand-yard stare from his eyes indicated that he was a man that had gone through many hardships in life. Another thing that set him apart from the crowd was that he wore a metal suit of armor.
This man was a knight and he seemed to be nearing his forties now.
“Master, I was raised in a poor family. My father could not pay up the entry fees of a gold coin so I have never been tested for my eligibility to be recruited as a sorcerer-apprentice. Over the years, I have always felt a deep sense of regret for not accomplishing my dream of becoming a sorcerer. I would like to take one more shot at this dream of mine. Do you think it’s possible?”
The knight said stiffly as he kneeled with one knee on the ground, a knights way of showing respect.
“Of course.”
Grimm replied with a slight tinge of admiration in his eyes. Pausing for a moment, he continued, “To be honest, the way you are now, perhaps you could try going down the path of the knights. If you could activate the Blood Force from within and become a Legendary Knight, you too can forge your own path like us sorcerers.”
The knight shook his head in disappointment.
“Setting aside the difficulty of becoming an actual Legendary Knight. Even if I was a Legendary Knight now, to forge my own path would require me to walk the long and arduous path of being the servant of great sorcerers in exchange for Bloodline Modification before…”
The knight’s expression dullened before he could even finish his statement.
The road to being ordained as a Knight in the Sorcerer World was filled with obstacles and uncertainties.
The chances of becoming a Legendary Knight were as slim as it ever gets and yet one still needs to draw up a contract with a sorcerer in order to grab hold of the elusive Bloodline Modification. After that, one would still need to cross the Sorcerer World into the Underground Abyss to reach Umbra Sorcerer Academy which was multitudes harsher than what sorcerers typically face.
No wonder despite there being a countless number of knights in the Sorcerer World, there was only a single knights’ academy, the Umbra Sorcerer Academy that was comparable to the sorcerers’ Holy Towers.
As a large palm rested upon the crystal ball, Grimm couldn’t help but notice the rough calluses on the knight’s hands. Then, he looked back at his own crystal ball.
Constitution: 9
Stamina: 8~12
Strength: 7~19
Vitality: 5~10
Mental Strength: 7
Magic Power: 0
“Not bad, ten points on your mental strength. You are deemed eligible for recruitment as part of this new batch of sorcerer-apprentices at the Black Isotta Sorcery Academy. What is your name?”
Grimm said plainly.
This knight has pushed his own body’s constitution right up to the limits.
“What? This guy Sauron really…”
“I thought this guy had nothing to do and was just here to blow some cash for fun. I didn’t expect that he really…”
Outside the hall, a few of Sauron’s close friends were like ants on a hot stove, stunned by what they had just witnessed.”
“Sauron, my name is Sauron!”
The knight’s expression was extremely excited, his eyes started turning slightly red. The pair of hands that rested upon his greatsword trembled uncontrollably. ‘Finally, finally I have…’
“So you are Sauron? Very well, now stand behind me then.”
Grimm then announced emotionlessly, “Next please…”
Two hourglasses later.
On the black flying carpet, Grimm said to the stunned and nervous Sauron, “You have successfully earned my sympathy with your wisdom and that is why I chose you.”
Sauron, that stood trembling behind Grimm had just been informed that his Mental Strength was only a mere seven points.
“But I would like to tell you this, Black Isotta Sorcery Academy isn’t exactly the heavenly type of place many fantasy novels describe it as. Sorcerers have to strictly abide by sorcerers’ laws. Do you really think that you could surpass a knight’s power after becoming a sorcerer’s apprentice? I advise you to think again, hehe…”
Grimm laughed cruelly.
“Caw caw caw caw, little guy, let me tell you this! From here on out on this journey, my homie Grimm will be your number one boss. Me, Myna will be your second boss. Your lord, Myna represents the will of my young master Grimm. As such, you must heed my orders unconditionally and you must do it well! Should you fail to do so, Lord Myna will strike you down and show you the true face of the Sorcerer World’s laws. Do you hear me?!”
Myna threatened Sauron.
Sauron, despite sitting down on the flying carpet, still trembled slightly. This was his first time flying through the sky. It was also the first time experiencing traveling at such speeds. In his mind, he was so nervous he could die on the spot. But knowing how much scarier sorcerers were, he couldn’t yield to such minuscule fears.
“Understood.”
From now on, he would be a noble sorcerer-apprentice. Should he feel more pragmatic in the future, he would return for a visit to his small town…
***
Seven days later.
After visiting a dozen small towns with Sauron tagging along, he gradually grew accustomed to the process of flying on a carpet. His gaze stretched into the endless horizon as he fell in love with the lifestyle of a sorcerer.
At the same time, a new character appeared beside Sauron. This time, it was a little girl whose mental strength of eleven points made her more than qualified for recruitment as a sorcerer-apprentice.
“We will be arriving at Ukudali City soon, prepare for landing guys.”
Grimm controlled the carpet’s descent onto the ground’s surface. The originally vague outline of the city had now begun growing clearer and closer.
“Yes, Master.”
“Understood.”
Sauron and the little girl replied in unison but it seems that they were more focused on matters elsewhere.
Hearing this, Myna barked, “Did you guys not eat? My young master is talking to you two. How dare you give such a nonchalant answer? You two, answer me, Lord Myna for a hundred times or there will be no lunch for you two!”
Sauron was starting to get pretty pissed at this evil bird. His initial excitement for becoming a sorcerer-apprentice had now been watered down by the constant psychological war waged by Myna.
His goal was to become a great sorcerer, not to become Myna’s punching bag!
Even so, Sauron understood the powers of a sorcerer and dared not make any rebuttals. He gritted his teeth before yelling out, “Yes, Master! Yes, Master!…”
The little girl instantly burst into tears, but all forms of resistance seemed futile. The only rational course of action was to follow Sauron’s lead and yell out the answers.
Grimm flashed Myna a look of distaste but remained silent after thinking for a moment.
It was not a bad idea to get these apprentices accustomed to the laws of Dark Sorcerers, just like how he was back on the cruise ship where he was scared of dying due to his own ignorance.
Myna nodded arrogantly as he perched on Grimm’s shoulder. A satisfied smirk broke across his face as he listened to the two apprentices yelling.
Ukudali City.
In the string of locations provided by Peranos, there were two major cities, one of which was this one, Ukudali City.
The mayor of this city is an Arcane Sorcerer that graduated from the Black Isotta Sorcery Academy. For many years, he lived in secrecy in this place. This sorcerer was a Level-2 sorcerer.
“Master Ukudali.”
On the sorcerers’ dining table filled with delectable treats, the mysterious and powerful Grimm in Sauron’s mind had now become a sorcerer of lower standing, who bowed down to the sorcerer, Ukudali.
Sitting beside Grimm, the little girl looked at the exotic, almost bizarre selection of dishes on the table. Her face turned pale as she did not recognize a single dish on the table. For half the time, she dared not even touch her fork and knife.
“Uhuhu…”
The old sorcerer laughed mischievously before saying to Grimm, “Today’s your lucky day.”
“Hm?”
Grimm looked back at him suspiciously. ‘Lucky day?’
“Ah, you’ll understand soon enough. They are on their way here as we speak.”
After saying so, Ukudali smiled at Myna. “Slow down. If you’d like, you can spend a few more days here. There is still a lot more delicious food I have yet to offer to you.”
Myna ignored Ukudali’s suggestion. Instead, he hopped around the table, shoving large portions of food into his beak.
Grimm looked over at Sauron and the little girl. “Do you think this table of delicacies is just for show by Master Ukudali? Hmph, If you’re walking the path of sorcery, you have to possess a vision that transcends reality to unlock your inner wisdom. This table of food costs more than a hundred years’ worth of salary as a sorcerer-apprentice. As for the effects it would bring… Let’s just say that it is enough for you to regret eternally that you are not eating like Myna right now.”
“Caw?”
Myna, who was busy indulging looked over curiously at Grimm. ‘Why are you talking about me?’
One hourglass later.
Ukudali brought Grimm to a large hall outside of which there was already a long line of people waiting.
The old sorcerer sat on one side of the hall and motioned to Grimm to wait patiently for a while longer.
Another half hourglass passed by before the silence was broken by the thundering sound of hooves galloping. Four similar-looking handsome boys ran into the hall with big strides, excitedly shouting, “Father!”
Ukudali revealed a slight smile before tucking away his magic staff. He observed the four young men that stood before him. They all seemed to be around the ages of eighteen to nineteen.
These four men, were the fruits of his efforts over the course of a dozen years. They were the next generation that continued his own bloodline.
They were Ukudali’s quadruplets!
“Uhuhu…these here are my sons. I will pass them on to Black Isotta Sorcery Academy. Please tell Nilmar to look for a good mentor for these boys.”
The old sorcerer peered at Grimm. It seems he was an old friend of the Fake Faceless Nilmar.