The ordinary people living in the White
In fact, the noble Wizards even allowed them, through tireless effort, to obtain residence rights on the second level and below of the Sleepless City.
However, in Leilin's view, this was merely a difference in management philosophy.
The Wizards of the Black Wizard Domain treated commoners as weeds by the roadside, rarely bothering to manage them, only harvesting from them when the need arose.
The White Wizards, on the other hand, considered the common people to be their own assets, and thus were willing to invest enormous time and energy into managing them to extract greater profits.
Even in the most enlightened White Wizard Domain, the Wizards' status was still far above that of ordinary people—in fact, the gap was even wider than the distance between commoners and nobles.
Leilin had seen many commoners who looked like great nobles, yet even upon meeting a mere Wizard Apprentice, they would respectfully step aside and bow deeply.
None of this particularly bothered Leilin. Today's examination had been rather draining, so he planned to enjoy a lavish meal and then visit Cleo's house once more to ask some additional questions.
After all, that old man was quite easy to talk to, and Leilin didn't plan to ask about any deep secrets, so Cleo would naturally be happy to host him.
*Thump!* *"Ah!"* At that moment, a little girl in a white dress, chasing after something resembling a leather ball, crashed directly into Leilin's leg.
Leilin naturally didn't budge an inch. Instead, it was the little girl who stumbled backward and fell.
The girl widened her eyes, looked up at Leilin in his leather armor, and let out a terrified cry.
The crowded street immediately fell silent. The commoners retreated to the sides, and even several Wizard Apprentices, after exclaiming things like "a formal Wizard," stepped back and bowed.
"My Lord! Please forgive my daughter's unintentional offense!"
At that moment, a slightly plump nobleman threw himself at Leilin's feet and knelt, cold sweat pouring down his forehead, his body trembling violently.
Within the Sleepless City, formal Wizards wielded tremendous authority. Even killing a few commoners at random would only result in a fine of Magic Stones from the City Affairs Office.
If Leilin had been in a bad mood and simply killed them both on the spot, they would have died for nothing.
The plump nobleman kowtowed while pulling the little girl down to her knees. "Quick! Bow to the Lord and apologize!"
The atmosphere of impending doom instantly affected the little girl. She stopped crying and stood there in a daze.
"It's fine."
Leilin picked up the leather ball from the roadside and placed it in the little girl's hand, gently patting her hair with his right hand.
"It's nothing to worry about! Don't be afraid!"
"Thank you, My Lord!" "Thank you, My Lord!"
A wave of blissful relief washed over the fat man's chest, and even the little girl seemed to let out a breath.
"Be more careful in the future!"
Leilin casually admonished the man a few more times. Under the reverent gazes of the bystanders, he strode away from the scene.
"Be more obedient next time! This time you were lucky—you met a kind Wizard. Otherwise..."
The fat man wiped the sweat from his forehead, scolding his daughter as he went.
The little girl in the white dress watched Leilin's retreating figure, her face filled with envy and longing.
...
Nine days later, in a spacious room.
An elderly Wizard with pure white hair and gold-rimmed glasses was carefully studying several documents in his hand.
Within a perfectly transparent crystal ball, numerous lines of text were displayed.
"Leilin Farell! Native of the Keli Archipelago. Joined the Black Bone Forest Academy in Sacred Era 20,987!" Behind the text was an image of a boy of only thirteen or fourteen, who bore some resemblance to the current Leilin.
On another crystal ball nearby, a detailed record of all of Leilin's experiences within the Black Bone Forest Academy was documented—everything publicly known was written there, and there was even a rough speculation about how Leilin had come to antagonize the Lilisite Family.
"Mm! For some sort of inheritance ruin? That fits the situation well enough!"
The elderly Wizard nodded.
"Shall we require him to hand over whatever disciplines or materials he obtained in the ruins?" a Wizard beside him with a third eye on his forehead asked.
"That's unnecessary. Every formal Wizard has their own secrets. We must learn tolerance and patience; otherwise, every Wizard in the organization will feel threatened, eventually leading to a split!"
There were quite a few Wizards along the South Coast who had advanced on their own through exploration. If the
"But according to
The Three-Eyed Wizard was somewhat reluctant to let it go.
"The branching paths found within certain inheritance legacies are not as wonderful as you might imagine..."
The elderly Wizard glanced at the Three-Eyed Wizard beside him and offered a gentle reminder.
"
Wisdom shone in the elderly Wizard's eyes.
"Some ancient branches may seem impressive upon advancement, but many of their subsequent paths are severed—far inferior to ours. As long as one cultivates steadily according to the Meditation Method, one can continuously progress!"
"And remember—the power of time and influence! Learn to be inclusive!"
The elderly Wizard smiled with confident ease.
"Let us not treat him as an enemy. Let us look at him with the eyes of a friend. Given time, he will naturally sense our goodwill. And we of the Four Seasons Garden possess such a vast collection that there is bound to be something he needs!"
The elderly Wizard's intention was simply to shift from forceful acquisition to a more accommodating approach—a gentler method. In the end, he had not given up.
"Apart from the Lilisite Family, are there truly no other bounties on this Wizard named Leilin?"
The elderly Wizard asked once more.
"We've conducted a thorough investigation, Master!" Wade bowed below. "After Leilin arrived on the South Coast, he stayed within the Black Bone Forest Academy studying almost exclusively. He rarely ventured outside and has no connections with other factions. Furthermore, nine days ago, on the road..."
Wade then briefly recounted how Leilin had spared the father and daughter on the road a few days prior.
"You see—he still yearns for the light!" the elderly Wizard said with a smile to the Three-Eyed Wizard beside him.
"Hmph! It's just an act!" The Three-Eyed Wizard let out a disdainful snort.
"We have always judged by actions, not by hearts!" the elderly Wizard uttered a proverb.
"Even if it is an act, he is expressing his willingness to join the White Wizard camp! That's still far better than those unrepentant Black Wizards!"
"Then... what is your intention?"
The Three-Eyed Wizard bowed slightly.
"Tell the Potionology Department that I've found them a promising candidate..."
...
Leilin naturally did not know about this scene, but he had guessed the general situation with fair accuracy.
With an organization like the Four Seasons Garden and their resources, his entire life's history—from childhood to the present—had probably been laid out on their desks for study.
They had likely even deduced that he had been forced to flee after killing Posain over an inheritance ruin or something of the sort.
But he was not worried in the slightest.
The Crimson Great Wizard's Dylan Garden Secret Realm had been completely destroyed, leaving no evidence whatsoever. At most, they would assume he had obtained some miscellaneous materials from an obscure branch lineage and, combined with good luck, had managed to advance to Wizard, with a very narrow path of future development.
Moreover, he was now a formal Wizard. Other factions certainly had Wizards who had advanced on their own as well. If every single one of them had to be investigated to the roots, the alliances would have fallen apart long ago. In the end, the Four Seasons Garden was a White Wizard faction—regardless of what they truly thought, they had to set an example on the surface.
As long as he kept the Crimson Great Wizard's Meditation Method and the Chip's bloodline purification strictly hidden, they could investigate everything else to their heart's content. There was nothing to fear.
Sure enough, as soon as he entered the reception area, he found Wade—whom he had met once before—already waiting there.
"Hello, Wizard Leilin!" Wade smiled and bowed to Leilin.
"Congratulations on passing the test! From this day forward, you are a member of our Four Seasons Garden!" Wade's face was full of warm smiles.
"I am also deeply honored to be able to join such a great organization as the Four Seasons Garden!"
Leilin put on a look of excitement.
"As for the formalities of joining, we'll need some contracts and such. Please follow me!"
Wade took the lead, guiding Leilin out of the Sleepless City.
Seeing the confusion on Leilin's face, Wade explained with a smile: "Although our Four Seasons Garden has set up some laboratories and reception areas on the fifth level of the Sleepless City, the true headquarters is actually outside the city..."
"I see!" Leilin nodded, following Wade to the area beside the city gate.
What lay before Leilin was a vast plaza-like area. In the center of the plaza were numerous cross-shaped wooden racks, to which various bizarre magical creatures were tethered.
"This is our Four Seasons Garden's liaison point, with dedicated mounts for us to choose from!"
Wade pointed at the enormous magical beasts taking off and landing in the sky.
"They can be rented, but I would recommend that you purchase one of your own for travel later!"
Wade approached a small wooden hut at the edge of the plaza and called out through the window inside with practiced familiarity.
"Mard, give me two Dragon-Crested Night Herons! I'm heading to headquarters!"
"Got it, got it—you were already notified!" The person inside the window replied impatiently, tossing out two green iron tokens.