This wizard only wishes to be a teacher

Chapter 39: Chapter 39 Risk, Decision

Chapter 39 -39 Risk, Decision

Therefore, taking on a long-term mission away from home was, for Lucien, a stroke of good fortune; it was only away from the attention of other Formal Wizards that he could truly spread his wings.

If he could advance to a Formal Wizard in one fell swoop, then upon returning to the academy, he would not only rise directly to the top echelons, but his actions and style would no longer need to be concealed.

Although the difference between a Third-level Wizard Apprentice and a Formal Wizard seemed to be a thin line, the reality of their statuses was like night and day.

One is a Wizard! The other, an apprentice!

Moreover, at least within Greybone Academy, no one dared, nor would anyone seek to pry into the secrets of a Formal Wizard. Even the high and mighty Dean favored a policy of engagement when dealing with Formal Wizards.

This point was particularly enticing to Lucien.

After all, he really wasn’t the sort with grand ambitions; perhaps being a king in his own right within the confines of Greybone Academy, casually teasing students or idling away in the lab until the end of time, was not unacceptable to him.

From this perspective, as long as he could avoid the dangers of this mission, on the whole, this task seemed to be more beneficial than detrimental to Lucien.

Thinking this, Lucien looked at Carly, who still appeared somewhat anxious, and smiled gently, “Alright, don’t overthink it, just relax…”

“Lucien, I… I want to go with you!” Carly had held back for a long time, and eventually, all she managed to squeeze out was this rather dry statement.

Lucien laughed.

“I’m… I’m very strong now too!” Carly puffed out her small chest, waving her bow a couple of times, though her tone was somewhat lacking in confidence.

“If there are enemies, I… I’ll just shoot an arrow their way!” Carly, seeing the smile on Lucien’s face, gradually lowered her head, her little face growing flustered.

Only then did Carly belatedly realize that all her abilities had been taught by Mentor Lucien.

How much she weighed, Mentor Lucien knew all too well.

“Alright, we’ll halt the potion experiments later today; don’t forget your daily practice and meditation after you go back!” Lucien instructed Carly.

He too needed to prepare for this mission.

“I…” Carly opened her mouth, wanting to say something else.

“Also, pack up your things. It might be a long time before we can return from this trip,” Lucien added, looking at Carly.

Carly blinked.

Once it sank in, Carly suddenly lifted her head, the whole of her seeming somewhat buoyant. It was as if she had won a chance to go on an outing, rather than about to follow Lucien on a perilous, mandatory mission.

“Yes! Thank you, Mentor Lucien!” Carly responded heartily.

[Your student Carly admires you greatly, respect +20]

Lucien: ???

Looking at Carly, who had already run off like a streak of smoke without a trace, Lucien couldn’t help but shake his head.

He gently closed the door and activated the alarm wizard formation before sitting back down at his desk. Tapping his fingers on the tabletop, he pondered the details of this task, frowning slightly before he sighed softly.

“If only this task had come half a year later, no, just three months later.”

Right now, Lucien truly felt like he had met the right person at the wrong time, mainly because his current strength made accepting this task somewhat awkward. But with three or four more months of training, he would be fully capable of dealing with any dangers the task might entail. 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

After all, the potential dangers on Kosai Island weren’t particularly formidable.

The intelligence gathered thus far indicated that when Greybone Academy dispatched a Formal Wizard to investigate, the other party had been very cautious, going into hiding and actively eliminating their tracks.

This suggested that the opponent’s strength was probably not too powerful. They might be at the level of a Formal Wizard, but they seemed to be mere gatekeepers among Formal Wizards—far less capable than a true Formal Wizard.

If the opponent really possessed the combat strength of a true Formal Wizard, they would have confidently revealed themselves instead of skulking around as they currently were. In that case, Greybone Academy would have enthusiastically invited them to join their ranks, and wouldn’t hesitate to offer them the whole of Kosai Island as their domain, not just a few lowly apprentices.

The opponent’s cautious behavior, seemingly afraid of being caught by a Formal Wizard sent by the academy, clearly indicated a lack of confidence in their own strength.

However, their lack of confidence was directed at Formal Wizards, not at someone of Lucien’s level—a Third-level Wizard Apprentice.

“All fear stems from a lack of firepower,” Lucien couldn’t help but mock himself as he shook his head.

He had only solidified 94 spiritual runes so far and, judging by the progress of the Greybone Meditation Method II, he was still considered a Second-level Wizard Apprentice.

If he could increase his spiritual power to 180 spiritual runes or more, according to the Meditation Method’s timetable, he would reach the realm of a Third-level Wizard Apprentice as described in the improved Meditation Method. At that point, his Spirit Sea would further expand and his spiritual power would significantly improve in terms of quality.

By Lucien’s estimation, if he solidified 180 spiritual runes, his strength would likely reach the level of a gatekeeper among Formal Wizards, and he would be fully capable of handling any hidden dangers behind this task.

Even if he only solidified between 140 and 160 spiritual runes, his strength would greatly improve from its current state, and he would have a better chance of protecting himself.

But the current problem was that Lucien didn’t have much time left.

According to the academy’s rules, an apprentice had at most one month to prepare after receiving a mandatory task.

“With conventional methods of increasing spiritual power, I could at most solidify between 100 and 105 spiritual runes before departure, but that would still be too much of a stretch to handle the potential risks on Kosai Island.”

“As for the two fellow Third-level Wizard Apprentices carrying out the task with me? It would be quite an achievement if they don’t drag me down during the mission.”

Lucien narrowed his eyes; he was well aware of the wizards’ flexible bottom line. Without a strong contract to bind them, wizards wouldn’t sacrifice their lives for the so-called comradeship; it’s more likely they’d make a quick getaway in the face of danger, or even hope for a scapegoat to buy them enough time to escape.

“I can’t worry about so much now!” After just a moment’s hesitation, Lucien’s eyes hardened with determination.

He had considered slowing down his pace and gradually improving to avoid drawing unnecessary attention. But now, Lucien had no other choice; he must use potions en masse to aid his meditation so he could rapidly increase his strength in a short period.