"Leave them be — at most they have the potential of third-rank apprentices!"
Lannuo said dismissively.
"Mm! Indeed, when it comes to studying as a Wizard, aptitude matters more!" Leilin Farell agreed.
Though he found it somewhat ridiculous that these teenagers were already forming cliques, he naturally chose to act in his own best interest. Among the apprentices, Jiamen had independent capital to fall back on, but Leilin didn't have such outstanding talent — he could only join a group, and comparatively, the circle loosely led by Kreweir seemed like the more promising option.
"Haha… Welcome! Welcome! With your addition, our group becomes even stronger. One day, I'll make that person regret everything!"
Kreweir said through gritted teeth. After that, the few of them agreed to meet again that evening, then each returned to their wooden cabins.
"Beilu, what did you mean earlier about not being on the same continent?" Leilin approached Beilu, who seemed the most easygoing and friendly of the bunch. He had been quietly bothered by what Beilu had said.
"Uh… well, you know, right? The continent we're on is actually quite small. Out in the wider world, it's called the Keli Archipelago!"
"Island??" Leilin's jaw dropped. Based on his travels over the past half year, he was nearly certain this landmass was at least as large as the Eurasian continent of his previous life — and it was supposedly just an island?
"Oh! Sorry! Geography is my weak point — I used to drive my tutor half mad!" Leilin explained.
In truth, the Farell Family was merely a baronial house, relatively young, without the deep foundations of true nobility. It was entirely normal not to know these things.
"Hehe!" Hearing Leilin say that, Beilu laughed happily. "Me too! My family's etiquette tutor quit on me five times! In the end, Father offered ten gold coins a month and still nobody would teach me. This stuff — my father told me all of it right before we left!"
"Anyway, let's get back to what we were saying. We're in the Keli Archipelago, and outside there's another place called the 'Desert Archipelago'!"
"Desert?" Leilin frowned. "The population here is still fairly large, and there are plenty of duchies. Does it mean certain resources are scarce?"
"Exactly! For the Keli Archipelago, because of the climate and environment here — or perhaps other factors as well — this land can no longer produce the resources that Wizards need. Aside from apprentices who have no hope of advancing and Wizards who have chosen to retire, you can barely find any trace of Wizards on this entire continent!"
"So that's how it is!" Leilin nodded. Legends of Wizards circulated in their hometown, but in the entire Farell Family, only that old ancestor had ever actually seen one — which said a lot about how rare Wizards truly were.
"And the real continent lies across the sea to the other side! I hear it not only has all kinds of Wizard resource sites, but also countless hidden ruins, laboratories, and other remnants. In every region, there are academies and schools formed through the exchange of knowledge!"
"On that continent, Wizards aren't just legends! Though still relatively rare, even ordinary people might encounter one! Only there can we truly study to become Wizards!" Beilu's eyes clearly gleamed with longing.
"I see! What's that continent called?" Leilin asked.
"No idea!" Beilu shook his head. "That continent is too massive! It's never had a single unified name. What we're heading for is the southern edge of the continent — a narrow strip called the South Coast! The South Coast alone is several times larger than our entire Keli Archipelago!"
"Hsssk!!!" Leilin sucked in a sharp breath.
"That big???"
"This world is vast. The higher you stand, the farther you can see — that's something a bard I really like once said," Beilin concluded.
"Thanks for the explanation! I think I need some time to digest all of this!" Leilin took his leave of Beilu and headed to his own cabin.
A rusted iron plate was nailed to the yellow wooden door, bearing the symbol "9." Pushing the door open, a wave of musty, foul-smelling air and dust rushed to meet him. Leilin couldn't help but sneeze twice.
"Looks like this is just a temporary base — pretty bare-bones." Inside the cabin, aside from a wooden bed and a chair, there was nothing else.
Leilin found a rag, wiped down the chair, and sat on it.
Creak!! Creak!! The yellow wooden chair groaned under the strain, making Leilin worry it might splinter apart the next second.
"Good thing I'm only staying one night! I should at least clean up a bit first."
Leilin patted the dust off himself and walked out of the cabin. He had also made plans with George and his other close friends — now that his academy choice was settled, he ought to go tell them so they could write to each other in the future.
Leilin's batch of apprentices was already among the last. Once the apprentices who had arrived on the same carriage as Leilin had all chosen their academies, the recruitment tents of the various academies were nearly deserted — the place had gone conspicuously quiet.
"The Nine-Ring White Tower — it should be here!" Leilin made his way to the apprentice residential area behind and stopped a familiar-looking girl who had traveled on the same carriage.
"Leisi, hello — do you happen to know where George is?" Leisi was a red-haired girl who had developed early, and her graceful curves were already quite visible.
"L-Leilin!" Leisi flushed slightly. On the carriage ride over, Leilin had intervened several times to save quite a few apprentices, which had left this girl with a favorable impression of him.
"George is in Room 13 — I'll go get him for you!" Leisi gathered her skirt hem and hurried off at a brisk pace.
The scent of perfume lingering in the air sent a slight flutter through Leilin's mind.
"Leilin!" That little reverie was promptly broken by an excited voice.