Early the next morning, the Thornheart manor slowly awakened.
The sun had just begun to rise above the horizon when servants started moving around the courtyard, preparing the carriage.
Ivan had already finished his morning knight training.
His breathing was steady, his posture calm.
After wiping the sweat from his forehead, he changed his clothes and walked outside.
Baron Joseph Thornheart was already standing beside the carriage.
Seeing Ivan approach, Joseph nodded slightly.
"Ready?"
Ivan replied calmly.
"Yes, Father."
The two entered the carriage, and soon the wheels began rolling across the stone road.
Their destination—
The Port District of Blackwater City.
Blackwater Port was the most important area in the entire city.
Nearly one-third of Blackwater City was occupied by the vast port and the surrounding commercial district.
It was the largest port in the Blackwater Kingdom and one of the busiest ports in the northern part of the continent.
Every day, countless ships arrived here.
Merchant ships loaded with cargo.
Fishing vessels returning from the sea.
Warships belonging to noble families.
And occasionally, mysterious ships from distant kingdoms.
Trade flowed endlessly like a vast ocean.
After traveling for nearly an hour, the Thornheart carriage finally entered the port district.
Ivan lifted the curtain slightly and looked outside.
The streets were filled with people.
Merchants loudly advertising their goods.
Sailors carrying heavy ropes and barrels.
Dock workers pushing carts filled with cargo.
Street vendors shouting as they sold grilled seafood and cheap ale.
Travelers from different kingdoms walked through the streets, speaking unfamiliar languages.
Even nobles could occasionally be seen passing through the crowd with their guards.
The entire district was extremely lively.
Ivan silently observed everything.
Although he had lived in the modern 21st century on Earth, scenes like this were actually rare in modern cities.
Cities in his previous world were orderly and quiet.
But they lacked the raw vitality of this place.
Blackwater Port felt chaotic.
Yet beneath the chaos was a strange sense of energy.
It was the energy of trade, ambition, and opportunity.
Ivan's eyes calmly swept across the buildings lining the streets.
Taverns filled with noisy sailors.
Hotels welcoming travelers.
Ship repair workshops.
Massive shipbuilding yards.
Warehouses stacked with cargo.
Merchant guild offices.
And deeper within certain streets—
Rows of lantern-lit buildings with painted doors.
Even without asking, Ivan understood what kind of district that was.
He calmly withdrew his gaze.
The carriage continued moving deeper into the port district.
Soon, the surrounding environment gradually changed.
The noisy crowds became fewer.
The streets became cleaner and wider.
Armed guards began appearing along the road.
They soon arrived at the eastern edge of the port district.
A checkpoint stood ahead.
The carriage slowed.
A guard stepped forward and raised his hand.
"Identification."
Baron Joseph calmly took out a small metal token and showed it.
The guard's eyes flickered when he saw it.
His expression immediately became respectful.
"Welcome, Baron."
The gates were opened.
The carriage entered without further questioning.
This area was known as Blackwater Harbor.
Unlike the bustling port outside, this harbor was reserved specifically for nobles, diplomats and special guests.
The sea here was calm.
Many elegant ships were anchored nearby.
Compared to the merchant vessels outside, these ships were far more luxurious.
Some carried the banners of distant kingdoms.
Others displayed the crests of powerful noble families.
Ivan quietly observed everything.
Soon he noticed something.
Many nobles were walking around the harbor.
Beside them were children around Ivan's age.
Ivan already knew the reason.
Every five years, ships from the Wizard Continent arrived here.
Their purpose was to recruit wizard seeds.
Many noble families brought their children here in hopes that one of them possessed wizard talent.
For nobles, becoming a wizard meant stepping beyond the limits of ordinary people and changing their destiny entirely.
The Thornheart carriage soon stopped before a large manor near the harbor.
The place was already crowded.
Hundreds… no, thousands of people had gathered there.
Nobles.
Merchants.
Servants.
And children from many different backgrounds.
Ivan stepped out of the carriage and followed his father into the manor courtyard.
Baron Joseph quickly encountered several acquaintances.
"Joseph! I didn't expect you to come this year!"
A middle-aged noble walked over with a laugh.
Joseph smiled.
"Jeremy. Long time no see."
He turned slightly toward Ivan.
"Ivan, come here."
Ivan stepped forward.
Joseph began introducing the people around them.
"This is Viscount Jeremy, an old comrade from the battlefield."
"And this is Baron Eisenhack, a long-time trade partner of our family."
"And this gentleman is Viscount Jackson, a close friend of our Thornheart family."
Ivan bowed politely.
"Greetings, my lords."
The nobles examined him carefully.
Suddenly, Viscount Jeremy raised his eyebrows.
"Oh?"
"Joseph… your son's aura…"
Joseph smiled faintly.
"Yes."
"He recently stepped into the Lower Knight realm."
The surrounding nobles immediately showed surprised expressions.
"At fifteen?"
"That's quite rare."
"Joseph, your Thornheart family truly has a talented heir."
Joseph laughed modestly.
Nearby, several young boys and girls stood beside the nobles.
Many of them secretly glanced at Ivan.
However, Ivan paid little attention to them.
Instead, he calmly observed the crowd.
Not everyone here was a noble.
Some people were clearly wealthy merchants.
This did not surprise him.
His father had already explained the situation before coming here.
Sometimes merchants learned about the wizard aptitude test through their connections with nobles.
When that happened, they would bring their children here in hopes of changing their family's fate.
Ivan also noticed another group.
A dozen children stood together near the edge of the courtyard.
Their clothes were worn and simple.
Some looked nervous.
Others looked hopeful.
Ivan immediately understood.
These children were wizard seeds gathered from noble territories.
It was one of the duties assigned to nobles by the wizard organizations.
If talented children were discovered within their lands, they had to bring them here.
The more wizard seeds they brought, the more benefits their families could receive from the wizards.
Time slowly passed.
Nearly an hour later, the atmosphere in the courtyard suddenly changed.
Ivan's eyes narrowed slightly.
Someone had arrived.
He turned toward the manor entrance.
A figure wearing a white cloak had appeared there.
The person's face was hidden beneath the hood.
Strangely, whenever Ivan tried to focus on the man's face, it seemed slightly blurred.
The man slowly walked forward.
Although his voice was calm, every single person in the courtyard heard it clearly.
"I am Kael Veyron a wizard apprentice."
"I will conduct this year's wizard aptitude test."
The previously noisy courtyard instantly fell silent.
The man continued speaking.
"Form a line."
"Come one by one."
His voice became colder.
"If anyone causes trouble… fights… or disrupts the test…"
"They will be expelled immediately."
He paused slightly.
"For serious cases…"
"I will deal with them personally."
A faint chill spread through the crowd.
No one dared question his authority.
After saying this, the wizard apprentice turned around and walked toward a large tent that had already been set up in front of the manor courtyard.
Without another word, he lifted the curtain and entered the tent.
Clearly, the wizard aptitude test would be conducted inside.
For a moment, the crowd remained silent.
Then people quickly reacted.
Soon, the nobles, merchants, and children began forming a long line in front of the tent.
Everyone waited for their turn to enter.
Ivan quietly watched the wizard apprentice disappear behind the tent curtain.
For a moment, a thought appeared in his mind.
"Nova… should we scan him?"
But he quickly suppressed the idea.
Wizards were mysterious beings.
If Nova's scan was detected, it might create unnecessary trouble.
Ivan had no intention of exposing his secrets.
"Better wait until I understand the wizard world first," Ivan thought calmly.
The line slowly moved forward.
Children entered the testing tent one after another.
Some walked out smiling with excitement.
Others left with pale faces and trembling hands.
Hope and despair alternated continuously.
Nearly another hour passed.
Finally, Ivan reached the front of the line.
The boy before him entered the tent.
A few minutes later, he walked out.
His expression was filled with disappointment.
Then a calm voice sounded from inside the tent.
"Next."
Ivan stepped forward.
He lifted the curtain and entered.
Inside sat the white-robed wizard apprentice behind a wooden table.
On the table stood a metal stand.
Resting on it was a crystal sphere, faintly glowing with mysterious light.
The wizard apprentice glanced at Ivan.
His gaze paused slightly.
"Place your hand on the crystal."
Ivan walked forward calmly.
His eyes focused on the crystal.
After months of preparation…
The moment had finally arrived.
The path of a wizard was right before him.