Lynn was slightly taken aback.
"You're sure you're not mistaken, Giggs?"
Giggs shook his head, his voice weary.
"I'd never mistake him. Even now, I sometimes dream of his body covered in those blood-red markings."
Lynn frowned deeply.
"A second-rank apprentice wizard…"
This trouble was bigger than he had thought.
He recalled the man's final words.
'The Autumn Hunt…'
It was a fixed event organized by the faction, a compulsory duty that every hedge wizard living in the Hossens wizard domain had to perform each year.
Strictly speaking, any hedge wizard residing in Hossens' territory was obligated to take part in this labor.
It sounded domineering because it was domineering.
In truth, the factions and academies in any region held authority comparable to a mortal kingdom's royal court. Almost all of them imposed some form of compulsory service.
In practice, however, larger powers like the Golden Shadow Society of Greenwood City enjoyed certain privileges.
Not all of their members were required to perform these duties.
But Lynn knew full well that as a third-tier member who had only just joined, he had no chance of being exempt.
"Troublesome…"
He thought for a long time but found no way to avoid the Autumn Hunt.
At last, Lynn sighed inwardly, though his expression remained calm.
"Looks like I'll have to find a way to deal with Somlai instead."
He suddenly remembered the man who had visited him shortly after Russo's death.
His name was something like Maldo… back then, he had warned Lynn that Somlai might come looking for trouble.
After that, Lynn had lost all mood for leisure. Comparing options carefully, he ended up buying a bracer-shaped magical item from the Golden Forest.
It was called the Lightstep Bracer, priced at twenty-five primary magic stones. Its effect was to lighten the wearer's body weight over long periods and strengthen leg power, essentially, a practical tool for escaping or traveling quickly.
Its overall power was roughly on par with a lower-tier zero-ring spell of higher quality.
During his inquiries, Lynn also checked the market prices for magical tools similar to the Durand Defense Ring. Most were priced at fifty primary stones or more.
And many of those around fifty lacked instant-casting capabilities. If one wanted both instant activation and compact size, the cost usually rose by another twenty stones.
Lynn couldn't help sighing at how thin his purse was, even as he realized just how lucrative producing the Durand Defense Ring could be.
After purchasing the bracer, he immediately headed to the Golden Shadow Society's library.
The society's examinations were not difficult; with just his mastery of the first part of basic array knowledge, he was able to pass smoothly.
As expected, Lynn cleared the test with ease.
But when he applied for access to the second part of the array knowledge, the attendant second-tier member asked him to wait.
He ended up waiting for several hours before a first-tier member of the society arrived at Moria.
"Apologies for keeping you waiting, Lynn.
"I'm pressed for time, so I'll be direct.
"The society is willing to provide you with more knowledge of arrays, but on one condition: you must not be selfish like Faruga. You must train a batch of new talents in arrays without holding anything back."
"This is the society's official stance?" Lynn asked, surprised.
Moria shook his head slightly.
"It's the will of some of the elders.
"Not all of them approve of Faruga's behavior. They believe he has hindered society's growth.
"That's why, in recent years, society has allowed array maintenance staff to study basic array knowledge to address exactly this problem."
Lynn nodded, not particularly surprised.
In the remote Hossens wizard domain, apprentice wizards with knowledge of magical arrays were in painfully short supply.
Many official wizards did learn some array knowledge, but it was hardly practical to ask an official wizard to fix restaurant wards or troubleshoot small problems every time they arose.
After some thought, Lynn asked:
"How much array knowledge will society grant me?
"And how far am I expected to train newcomers? After all, not everyone is capable of learning arrays, even with instruction."
"As long as you agree, all of the foundational knowledge can be given to you immediately.
"You will also be allowed to select any two apprentice-level arrays from the society's library.
"As for teaching…" Moria paused, then said,
"As long as you don't hoard knowledge like Faruga did, the society won't demand specific results."
"And if I refuse? Does that mean I'll lose access to all further array knowledge?"
"That's right."
Lynn fell into silent thought. As he had expected, the society would never be that generous without a price.
Frankly speaking, the society's conditions weren't harsh at all.
On the contrary, the reward they offered was highly tempting.
All the remaining foundational array knowledge, given in one go, plus the chance to select any two apprentice-level arrays from the library…
After a moment's thought, Lynn suddenly asked:
"If I agree, would I be able to fully take Faruga's place?"
"What do you mean?"
"To become a second-tier member."
Moria studied him for a moment, the corner of his lips lifting into a smile.
"It seems you're very confident."
Lynn neither confirmed nor denied it.
If he remembered correctly, becoming a second-tier member meant far better benefits in every regard
And more importantly, it came with the right to be excused from compulsory faction labor once per year.
If he could rise to the second tier, he could conveniently avoid the upcoming Autumn Hunt.
And if he avoided that, he'd have ample time to prepare for Somlai.
"Whether you replace Faruga depends on your ability.
"If you can prove to society that you have what it takes, then naturally, yes."
Moria's tone was calm.
Lynn nodded, then asked: "And how do I prove it?"
"You intend to prove it now?" Moria raised a brow.
Lynn glanced at the energy reserves shown on his light screen, then gave a small nod.
"I only need a little time to prepare."
This time, even Moria was taken aback. His voice grew serious:
"You're sure you want to prove yourself now?"
"If the society requires it… I don't mind waiting, as long as it's before the Autumn Hunt."
"You're aiming for a promotion just to dodge the Hunt?" Realization flickered across Moria's face. After considering recent reports he'd heard, he asked cautiously:
"Is this about the Bloodmark Society?
"You needn't worry too much. We've always been at odds with them, yes, but restraint has been kept on both sides…"
Lynn remained silent. Somlai had personally sought him out to deliver threats; would that have been idle talk?
If there was a way to avoid that risk, of course, he'd take it.
Seeing Lynn's determination, Moria didn't try to dissuade him further. He simply said:
"If you're truly ready, then there happens to be something that can serve as your test.
"Earlier today, Faruga reported to the society that you abused the maid Adeline's clearance to tamper with the Green Vine Restaurant's array, which supposedly caused malfunctions.
"According to him, it would take at least half a month for him to repair the damage."
As Lynn listened, his expression grew darker and darker.
Moria gave a light chuckle. "Don't worry, the society isn't stupid. We've already confirmed it was nothing but a farce staged by him alone.
"The original plan was to punish him severely according to regulations… but if you truly have the ability, this might be the perfect chance to expel Faruga from society altogether."
In truth, if Lynn hadn't demonstrated his skill in arrays today, the society had planned to strike both sides equally: punish Faruga harshly, but also dismiss Adeline and reassign Lynn elsewhere.
Lynn knew that very well, which was why his anger burned so sharply now.
Slowly, he reined in his cold gaze, nodded to Moria, and smiled faintly.
"Then it seems today is the perfect day to prove myself to society, Lord Moria."
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