The bitter winter had passed, and the weather was gradually warming up.
Standing on the upper floor of the building, Leilin could already see specks of green in the distance. On the farmland not far away, farmers were still hard at work.
"Another year has gone by without me even noticing. I'm already fifteen!" Leilin leaned against the windowsill with both hands, his gaze distant and unfocused.
The Hofu Purple Leaf in Polar Night City had been almost entirely bought up by Leilin. Through continuous refinement, he had ultimately produced five bottles of the new Azure Potion, pushing his Spiritual Power up to around 5.8.
Unfortunately, any potion would eventually build up resistance the more it was used, its effects gradually weakening. He had originally estimated he could reach 5.9, but now he had lost 0.1 out of nowhere.
"Now, all I can do is pin my hopes on Fuleisa and the others who went to the surrounding cities to purchase more!"
Leilin leaned against the windowsill and reached over to grab a string of red berries from the table, snacking on them casually.
"Still, compared to the other apprentices, this kind of progress is practically flying. After all, even the direct heirs of the great families can't use potion quotas without limit—especially for something as precious as a Spiritual Power potion!"
In less than a month, Leilin had caught up to a gap that would normally take a First-rank Apprentice over a year to create.
"It's a good thing I'm outside the Academy. That's the only reason I can conduct experiments and use potions so freely!" Leilin felt a sudden wave of gratitude for the war's arrival.
"Even so, even if the war stopped right now, I wouldn't dare go back. At the very least, I need to wait until the three-year mission period is up before I have even a sliver of an excuse!"
By then, Leilin estimated he would already be a Third-rank Apprentice—considerably powerful within the Academy aside from the instructors. He would surely receive more attention, and after such a long period of cover, he'd have enough time to come up with other reasons to explain himself.
"Master! There's a messenger from the City Lord's manor. He's brought an invitation!" Anna knocked on the door and, after receiving Leilin's permission, entered.
Because a Wizard had already tampered with her appearance long ago, she looked exactly the same as before—not a single thing had changed.
"An invitation?" Leilin felt a bit puzzled. He had never had any particular contact with Viscount Jackson.
He took it and looked it over. "A gathering? The invitation specifically notes that only people from the Meierfeile circle are invited—meaning Wizard Apprentices!"
Leilin had a guess: "Could it be? Has something strange happened that requires a Wizard's help?"
"Anna! Prepare the carriage and a formal suit for me. I'm heading out!"
Leilin said this offhandedly. For someone like Jackson, a Great Knight and the City Lord of Polar Night City, a Wizard Apprentice still wasn't enough to shake his authority. Leilin had no desire to make an enemy of the man.
Besides, with the recent shortage of Hofu Purple Leaf, Leilin didn't have anything else particularly important to attend to. He could spare the time.
"Let's go take a look. It's been a while since I last saw Meierfeile anyway!"
At the center of Polar Night City, a castle-like structure built from grey stone loomed grand and imposing. Guards stood sentry on all sides, radiating the dignity of the nobility.
Clop clop! A black carriage suddenly pulled up in front of the City Lord's manor. The door opened, and a young noble with brown hair stepped out. He looked rather thin, but his bright eyes were full of energy.
At that very moment, another carriage—this one made of reddish-brown wood—pulled up alongside. An old man with a white beard climbed out, clutching a book, his entire being exuding the air of a scholar.
When the old man caught sight of Leilin, every wrinkle on his face blossomed into a smile. He stepped forward and opened his arms wide: "It's been too long! My friend!"
"A pleasure to see you again, Scholar Meierfeile!" Leilin smiled and gave the old man a light hug.
His relationship with Meierfeile was quite good. Though the old man had his flaws, there was no denying that some of his insights had been of great inspiration to Leilin. When Leilin had first arrived in Polar Night City, Meierfeile had also given him a great deal of help.
The two chatted casually as they displayed their invitations and passed through the guards at the gate.
A butler-like figure led Leilin and Meierfeile through a garden and into what looked like a small reception hall.
Inside, several other Wizard Apprentices who had settled in Polar Night City had already arrived. Leilin went up and exchanged brief greetings with them.
In the center of the small reception hall was a ring of sofas arranged around a redwood table, giving off a sense of equality.
"Welcome, my friends!"
Viscount Jackson—the tough, hardened figure—walked in. He looked exactly the same as when Leilin had seen him last year; time had left almost no mark on him, save for a few additional strands of white hair behind his ears.
"Lord City Lord!" The Wizard Apprentices offered slight nods.
"Come, don't be so formal. Sit!" Jackson casually settled into one of the sofas. Maids in low-cut gowns brought everyone drinks resembling black tea, along with matcha cakes, cookies, and other refreshments.
"The whole atmosphere feels more like a discussion panel and afternoon tea..." Leilin wondered inwardly, though he showed nothing on his face.