Inside the Golden Goblet Tavern.
Lucian casually pulled up a wooden chair and sat down, nodding with a calm, amiable smile. "Hello there. Sorry to trouble you all with this mission. How should I address you?" He deliberately drew his right hand—the one wearing the Holm Crown ring "Elemental"—out of his pocket, making sure the two magicians across from him could see it, clearly signaling his identity and seizing command of the mission team. This would reduce the dangers he'd face, so every gesture he made carried the poise of a leader or superior.
"Battle Mage Charlotte, mid-rank."
"Mid-rank Magician Sandra."
Charlotte and Sandra maintained a respectful attitude, introducing themselves briefly. While they were quite confident in their own magical prowess, they were sober enough to recognize the gulf between themselves and Lucian Evans, who had joined forces with Felipe to kill a high-rank magician. Setting aside Lucian's hidden unique spells or magic items, the Holm Crown ring alone on the middle finger of his right hand could defeat and destroy the two of them without the slightest doubt.
More importantly, according to the Magic Council's conventions, when two magicians met and their magical ranks were roughly equivalent—belonging to the same tier—their Archanist rank would be used to determine relative standing. And as the recipient of the Holm Crown Award, the highest honor in elemental magic, and a fourth-tier Archanist, Lucian Evans had more than enough prestige and qualification to earn the respect of most mid-rank magicians.
Having been outmatched in both respects, Charlotte and Sandra naturally treated him as the mission's leader. However, both veterans of combat, they still harbored their own calculations—if Lucian failed to demonstrate leadership commensurate with his reputation and strength during the actual operation, they would simply treat him as an important fighting asset and nothing more, rather than blindly follow his lead.
Understanding that the tavern was a complicated environment with too many potential eavesdroppers, Lucian saw no need to reveal their respective magical ranks and specialty schools here. He turned toward the two magic apprentices, who had momentarily forgotten their fear in surprise: "I'm Lucian Evans. I need a guide. Which of you will come along?"
Before the two magic apprentices could answer, Lucian smiled at Charlotte and Sandra again. "You can fill me in on the details on the way to the castle. We can't afford to delay too long, or more demons will come through the summoning circle in the Binding Chamber."
Lucian's pragmatic approach—not insisting that Susan and Scott recount everything from the start once more—earned quiet nods of approval from both Sandra and Battle Mage Charlotte. This was exactly how they preferred to operate.
But once they heard Lucian's words, the two magic apprentices were immediately reminded of the hellish scene inside the castle—the blood-soaked ground, the viscera, the chunks of flesh, and the burning flames all seemed to be gnawing at their hearts and nerves. It was a nightmare they never wanted to relive!
"Mr. Evans, I—I can tell you all the details about the inside of the castle. Then—then there wouldn't be any need for a guide, right?" Susan answered, her wine-red hair disheveled and her face haggard, teeth chattering uncontrollably.
The timid, frail Scott was so frightened he couldn't even speak.
Lucian shook his head, speaking at an unhurried pace. "You should know this—before the Ninth Ring, no spell can completely read your memories. At best, they can selectively perform thought detection, hypnotic recall, lie detection, and the like. That makes it very easy to overlook important information about certain terrain features inside the castle, and it wastes time. So I need a guide—someone I can consult on the spot when we run into problems. Rest assured, we have more than enough strength to protect one apprentice."
As he spoke, Lucian employed certain techniques of hypnosis.
His calm, gentle tone gradually soothed the two magic apprentices' emotions. Susan suddenly recalled the respectful attitude the two mid-rank magicians had shown toward Lucian: Could he be a high-rank magician? Even if not, he must be at least Fifth Ring! Going to the castle together would be much less dangerous, and I could leave a good impression on him. Maybe later, when I—a magic apprentice without a master—am struggling to get by in the Council, that good impression might help me.
She harbored no delusions about being taken on as a disciple by a high-rank or near-high-rank magician. Not when she had already officially begun studying under Beltran.
As magic apprentices from a remote province, she and Scott had heard of the youngest-ever recipient of the Holm Crown Award, but since information traveled slowly to their corner of the world, they didn't know many details and hadn't discussed it much. For the moment, they hadn't connected the two.
Mustering her courage, Susan tossed her wine-red hair. "Mr. Evans, I'm willing to be your guide. But—but I'm very weak. I hope—I hope you can spare some attention to protect me."
Her words weren't entirely fluent, but she still tried her best to get her meaning across. At the same time, she stole a glance at Scott, who was still trembling beside her, too terrified to volunteer as a guide, and a flicker of satisfaction crossed her heart: Even if your mental strength is exceptional and your Archanist talent is outstanding—even if Teacher Beltran values you the most—timidity is your fatal flaw. Without the teacher's protection, you'll never measure up to me. The jealousy and envy she'd harbored toward Scott for over a year finally gave way to a faint sense of relief as she saw their positions compared.
"Very good. I appreciate your courage—it's a quality every successful magician must possess."
This isn't a peaceful era free of danger. A magician who doesn't know how to fight will find it very hard to survive. Even if one devotes oneself entirely to Archanist research, much exploration of the unknown still requires taking certain risks and demands sufficient courage."