"Come! This is a special black tea I had someone bring all the way from the Eastern Sea Archipelago!"
An antique wooden root-carved teacup steamed with heat, wisps of white vapor drifting above the table and filling the air with a rich, fragrant tea aroma.
The red-haired old man named Cleo pushed a cup of black tea toward Leilin, his weathered face beaming with hospitality.
After Leilin had used up the energy crystal and made the decision to stay in the Sleepless City for a while, he had brought a gift along to visit Wizard Cleo.
"Here, this is a cake made with honey from the honey pomelo bees! Tastes absolutely wonderful!"
Seeing Leilin take a sip of the tea, old Cleo gestured to his serving girl, who promptly set down a plate of incredibly fragrant and sweet little cakes in front of Leilin.
The serving girl wore extremely revealing clothing that barely covered a few key areas of her body, leaving most of her smooth skin exposed—quite the tempting sight.
"If you like, I could send a few your way as well!"
Cleo laughed without a hint of embarrassment.
"Please, don't tease me!" Leilin shook his head with a rueful smile. "As for the reason I've come, didn't I already mention that to you before?"
Once the conversation turned to serious matters, Cleo's expression gradually grew solemn.
He waved his hand, and the serving girls around them bowed deeply before retreating swiftly and silently. They had clearly been specially trained—not a single sound accompanied their withdrawal.
"You want to join one of the wizard organizations in the Sleepless City?"
Cleo's tone was measured.
"Yes. In order to obtain higher-level knowledge, and some rare experimental materials..."
Leilin was telling the truth. He could certainly brew his own potions and earn Magic Stones, which meant he could apparently live quite comfortably in the Sleepless City.
But even though the Sleepless City was heralded as a center of trade, truly valuable things were still subject to restrictions.
For instance, advanced disciplinary knowledge that only formal Wizards could access, and exclusive materials that aided in breaking through wizard bottlenecks—things like that.
Even the major powers backing the Sleepless City kept tight control over such items. Wizards within the organizations had their fixed quotas, and for a rogue wizard like Leilin, there was simply no channel through which to purchase them.
One might find a few on the black market, but quantities would be scarce and prices would be driven sky-high.
Given that, it was far better to directly join one of the Sleepless City's organizations and enjoy the benefits.
"Well... the wizard organizations in the Sleepless City are all quite strict, and moreover..."
Cleo left some words unspoken, but Leilin understood his meaning perfectly well.
Some wizard organizations and families did have traditions of recruiting fugitive or wandering wizards, but there was one condition: the wizard could not carry too much trouble, nor could that trouble implicate the organization behind them.
For a wizard like Leilin, whose entire background was shrouded in mystery, every organization would first conduct a thorough investigation before deciding whether to allow membership.
"Leilin Farell is my real name. As for my background, I haven't made any effort to conceal it. A casual investigation will confirm everything..."
Leilin had absolutely no intention of hiding his origins.
He had been born in the Keli Archipelago, the son of a noble—his background was squeaky clean, with a complete record from childhood to the present. There was nothing to fear from an investigation.
Furthermore, the only party that held a grudge against him was the Lilisite family, a large wizard clan. Unfortunately for them, the Lilisite family was a典型的 dark wizard family.
They were natural-born enemies of the White Wizard Domain to which the Sleepless City belonged. The number of dark wizards who had perished at the hands of the White Wizard Domain was beyond counting.
As for Leilin himself, he had behaved properly all along as an apprentice, never committing any atrocities such as mass-slaughtering mortals. He could more than withstand scrutiny.
Therefore, his identity should pose no obstacle to joining the Sleepless City.
"Previously, due to some entanglement of interests, I killed a scion of their family, which is why I was placed on a wanted list..."
Leilin then gave a brief account of his background.
After hearing Leilin's self-introduction, Cleo's expression softened even further.
"Rest assured, I personally have never harbored any particular hostility toward dark wizards. Besides, you've already abandoned that camp, haven't you?"
As if worried Leilin might still be anxious, Cleo added an explanation.
"Our Sleepless City is welcoming toward wizards of your type—you can put your mind at ease about that!"
Cleo raised the antique wooden teacup from the table, took a sip of black tea, and then asked slowly: "Now then, there are many wizard organizations in the Sleepless City. Which one would you like to join?"
"That's exactly why I've come to consult you—because my knowledge is so limited!"
A perfectly calibrated smile of modesty appeared on Leilin's face.
"Let me think... where should I start?"