Pushing open the wrought-iron gate, Lynn was greeted by a cobblestone path.
The path wound forward, flanked on both sides by neatly trimmed lawns, with a lush apple tree standing to the left.
At the end of the path stood a two-story house, covering just over a hundred square meters. Its exterior walls were built from finely polished stone, inlaid with several pointed arch windows carved with delicate patterns.
Lynn opened the door and saw sunlight streaming through the stained-glass windows, casting a patchwork of color across the cream-colored carpet.
Looking around the comfortable new home, he felt a surge of satisfaction.
He stepped back a few paces, tilting his head to take in the roof, densely layered with gray tiles. At least this one shouldn't leak when it rains.
"Easy now, don't scratch the floors…"
Mrs. Carter's strong voice carried faintly from the second floor, where she was directing workers as they arranged the bedroom.
Lynn climbed the spiral staircase to take a look, and, seeing everything proceeding in an orderly manner, felt very pleased with his decision to hire Mrs. Carter as head housekeeper.
Her previous employer had also lived in the Stone House District, though far less distinguished than Lynn's current position, but she had spent many years there and knew a great deal. She had been an enormous help during the move.
Without her, just furnishing the place would have been a headache.
Most importantly, Lynn trusted her. He could leave matters like food preparation entirely in her hands without worry.
After checking that nothing required his attention, he returned to the meditation room, the first space they had been told to set up.
He hadn't forgotten what had won him all of this in the first place.
The meditation room, located in a corner of the basement, was the most valuable part of the property, the only place with a high zero-tier mana concentration.
According to Lynn's tests, here his mana could recover fully in just ten minutes, nearly ten times faster than at the Red Tree Inn.
Of course, that speed was also due in part to his current mana reserves being relatively small.
If I recall, even the apprentice dorms at the school's branch had at least high zero-tier mana concentration, and dedicated meditation rooms could reach tier one… In that kind of environment, you probably wouldn't even have to worry about draining your mana during mental enhancement; the passive recovery alone could keep up with it.
Shaking his head in envy, Lynn began to meditate.
Time slipped by quietly.
With Carter and Giggs handling things, Lynn's schedule was completely freed. Every day was spent either meditating or studying Small Wind Shield.
Unfortunately, two days later, he had to put his practice on hold again.
It was time for the Golden Shadow Society's induction and welcome ceremony, which was prepared for him.
The Society was not like the schools, where members were trained from childhood. Most members here had joined later in life, so beyond shared interests, such ceremonies were needed to strengthen cohesion.
The induction ceremony was held in a small hall at the Golden Shadow Society headquarters.
When Lynn arrived, Blue was already waiting for him.
"There's no need to be nervous. A wizard's time is valuable, so the ceremony is brief, with only two purposes.
"First, to announce to all members that we have a new wizard joining us. Second, to confirm the duties you will take on within the Society."
Lynn nodded patiently.
Soon, another guest arrived, someone Lynn knew.
"So it is you." Garan lowered his hood, looking at Lynn with some surprise.
"When Lord Blue told me the new member's name was Lynn Kent, I wondered if it might be you. I didn't expect…"
Lynn smiled. "It's been a while, Lord Garan."
Seeing this former customer who had once done business with him, Lynn couldn't help but feel a twinge of emotion.
Back when he was still selling spell plates, if he saw this wizard apprentice, he would have to stand up respectfully at once.
But now, the two of them were on equal footing.
Garan, too, felt a surge of emotion. He handed over his congratulatory gift.
"Congratulations on joining the Society, my lord. I hope we'll have the chance to exchange knowledge in the future."
"Thank you. I'm sure we will," Lynn replied with a smile as he accepted the gift.
Interactions like this were precisely the main purpose of the induction ceremony.
Lynn had never been particularly adept at socializing, but neither did he shy away from it.
Time passed, and more members arrived, most of them third-rank apprentices, with a few other extraordinary individuals mixed in.
As for second-rank apprentices or higher-ranked wizards… well, a newly joined third-rank apprentice like him didn't have the clout to draw their attention.
Lynn exchanged pleasantries with each member in turn. In just half an hour, he met more people than he had in the past two months combined.
Thanks to his recently strengthened mental power, his memory had improved enough to let him barely keep track of all these names and faces.
Most of the members who arrived treated him warmly.
Except for one, a middle-aged wizard apprentice who strolled in just before the ceremony began.
He had a drooping mustache and small eyes and came empty-handed. As soon as he arrived, he spoke in a mockingly apologetic tone:
"Sorry, I rushed out so quickly I forgot to prepare a gift for you, my lord…"
His voice was loud enough to draw the attention of everyone in the hall.
Blue, standing nearby, made no move to intervene, keeping his eyes politely lowered.
Unsure of this man's standing, Lynn kept his expression calm.
"It's fine. A gift is just a token of goodwill if you've come with good intentions; the lack of one doesn't matter."
He didn't finish the sentence, but the meaning was clear enough.
The man narrowed his eyes slightly, apparently surprised that this young upstart could respond without leaving an opening.
Still, it seemed he was determined to pick a fight. He gave a cold snort and said,
"Good intentions? Not quite. I'm just curious what kind of wizard apprentice managed to snatch up the property at 74 Blue Bridge Street I had my eye on."
"Frankie, give it a rest. You're still a long way from having enough contribution points to rent that place. When did it become 'the one you had your eye on'?"
A wizard nearby, apparently unable to stand it, spoke up.
But that only played into Frankie's hands.
He let out a sharp laugh and raised his voice. "Exactly! You're right, I'm still short on contribution points.
"But I didn't expect that another third-rank apprentice could walk in and immediately qualify to rent a residence with high zero-tier mana concentration!"
His words sparked murmurs among the other third-rank apprentices in the room. Several glanced at Lynn with a hint of something different in their eyes.
Sitting in the corner, Garan felt something was off about Frankie's accusation, but couldn't think of how to counter it, only feeling a flash of indignation on Lynn's behalf.
Lynn finally understood what this was about.
Keeping his composure, he said evenly,
"Lord Frankie, are you perhaps questioning the Society's rules?"
Frankie's face stiffened, and he hastily denied it. "I'm not"
"So you don't dare question the Society, and instead you're venting your frustration on me?"
Before Frankie could respond, Garan's eyes lit up. He cleared his throat and said in a voice just loud enough to carry:
"I've always heard that the powerless don't dare face the strong; they only take it out on those weaker than themselves. Seems that's true after all."
The remark was sharp enough to draw a wave of laughter around the hall.
Frankie's face flushed red, but he quickly forced himself back to calm, brazenly pretending nothing had happened as he walked further inside.
Lynn narrowed his eyes slightly at the man's back, a faint frown forming in his heart.
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