The Month of Blaze—July—had barely passed its midpoint when waves of scorching heat swept through Luntat and Allendia, leaving many people tossing and turning, unable to sleep. Only in the slight coolness of early morning could they find some peace.
Yet on this refreshing morning, with a gentle breeze blowing, more than thirty people had strangely given up on catching extra sleep, waiting outside the Allendia Magic Tower bright and early.
There were men and women, old and young. Some wore black double-breasted long coats, some donned the most common hooded mage's robes, some were dressed in well-tailored long gowns, and others wore nothing more than a white shirt paired with an ordinary waistcoat. The only thing they all shared was the nervous excitement and anticipation written on every face.
Without his apprentice's robe—capable of warding off heat and cold within a certain range—Lowey had suffered terribly over the past few days. Staying up late to study had left his complexion pale and greenish, his face gaunt and haggard.
He sized up the "competitors" around him, feeling the weight of pressure in his heart. Of the nearly forty people present, he estimated only a dozen or so were at the apprentice level. The rest were either full-fledged mages or had already reached Arcane Level One, and some were even mid-rank mages participating in the selection.
"I made it through the written test and the preliminary interview, which means I have my own strengths. I can't lose confidence." Lowey kept encouraging himself, then, as if trying to ease his nerves, turned to a few mages and magic apprentices beside him. "What kind of questions do you think Mr. Evans will ask in the final interview? Do you think it'll cover content from the New Alchemy?"
A male magic apprentice, his face taut with anxiety, continued muttering to himself without paying any attention, absorbed in his own last-minute preparation. Two mages glanced at Lowey, noticed the apprentice badge on his chest and the fact that he didn't even own a proper mage's robe, then turned away and continued their own conversation.
A female mage with a round, apple-like face paused in surprise, then smiled. "I don't know either. Mr. Evans didn't participate in any of the previous written tests or preliminary interviews, and the questions given happened to fall right within my area of research. So now I'm a bit nervous too—I'm not confident at all. There are many things in the New Alchemy that I still don't quite understand. What kinds of questions did they ask you in your interview?"
She wasn't particularly pretty, but her warm, easygoing smile gave off a sense of familiarity the moment you saw her.
Lowey thought for a moment, then recounted several questions Jerome had raised on the topics of elements and electromagnetism. At the end, he asked, "And you?"
"Oh, I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Erika." The round-faced woman then described her own interview questions one by one, and they exchanged experiences, speculating about which areas Mr. Evans might focus on today.
When a few other mages and apprentices saw this, they joined in the exchange as well.
Nearby, Black smiled at Ophelia, who bore distinctly Holm features. "Want to go over and listen? Knowing their experience might come in handy later."
Ophelia smiled faintly. "Sure, but I find it strange that the final interview Mr. Evans is conducting is scheduled for nine in the morning. The Allendia Magic Tower only opens at that time, which means interviewees have to wait outside beforehand just to make it in."
"Perhaps it's testing our punctuality and obedience through this unusual requirement. After all, we're applying as apprentice-level assistants, not arcanists with independent research projects." Black actually thought it over and offered a serious analysis.
Ophelia looked up at the magic tower soaring into the clouds and nodded gently. "I think so too. Mr. Evans is definitely not the kind of person who enjoys tormenting interviewees. His requirements must have a deeper meaning behind them."
On the eighteenth floor of the Allendia Magic Tower, Lucian stood by the window alongside Rock, Jerome, and his own students, watching the interviewees below.
Hearing Prosper's relayed words and description of the scene, Rock turned to Lucian with a grin. "Somehow I get the feeling you actually enjoy tormenting interviewees?"
As he spoke, his gaze shifted to Anik and the other poor students. Under the "torture" of Lucian's Arcane tutoring sessions, their Arcane and magical abilities had advanced by leaps and bounds, but they frequently wore expressions of gritted teeth.
Heidi nodded vigorously like a chick pecking at rice. Their teacher was a genuine "devil," fond of tormenting them with voluminous exercises and advanced knowledge.
Lucian cleared his throat. "This is to observe their true character and their everyday communication skills. They're here to serve as apprentice-level assistants. Only if both qualities are good will they be able to integrate into the research institute quickly and take some of the menial work off your shoulders."
"That makes sense. Those who are arrogant and unwilling to interact with anyone below their level wouldn't be suitable for the research institute." Jerome strongly agreed with Lucian's thinking, then asked curiously, "Will the assistants we recruit end up becoming your students as well?"
Sprint and the others immediately fixed their gaze on Lucian, equally curious about their teacher's answer.
Lucian shook his head. "Six students is already quite a lot. I have my own magical studies, Arcane research, and daily life to manage—it would be difficult to teach more students. If any of you see someone with potential, you can mentor them yourselves."
This attitude was common among arcanists of high rank and above. They preferred to concentrate their efforts on mentoring just a handful of students, unless a student was lost or died, or an extraordinarily rare genius came along. Moreover, students of such distinguished arcanists already benefited from the halo of their teacher's reputation, and their actions represented their master—the more students there were, the more trivial matters accumulated.
Katrina and the other students quietly breathed a sigh of relief. Even though they were all good-natured people, the thought that more classmates would mean less time for their teacher's personal guidance made them less enthusiastic about new companions.
Nine o'clock arrived before long. Lowey and the others entered the magic tower with nervous apprehension, riding the elevator to reach the Atomic Research Institute.
"Let's all go in together. Before the final interview, there will be a magic contract to sign." Rock stood outside the Atomic Research Institute, waiting for them, his smile utterly sincere—because after this, this troublesome matter would finally be over, and he would never take on such a task again!
"A magic contract? What's that?" a middle-aged mage asked doubtfully. He showed signs of gaining weight.
Lowey recognized him as Isaac, the man who had been part of their earlier exchange.
Rock flashed what he considered his most handsome smile. "Our Atomic Research Institute operates at the very frontier of elemental research and harbors many secrets. Therefore, we require everyone to sign a confidentiality agreement. Furthermore, Mr. Evans is a candidate for Grand Arcanist, and the Church and other forces are eager to eliminate him—which means the other arcanists at the Atomic Research Institute have also become secondary targets. To guard against assassins, all new personnel must be bound by a rather strict magic contract."
"Strict..." Ophelia and the others' expressions grew grave. Though they could understand the Atomic Research Institute's reasoning, the word "strict" inevitably stirred concern.