The Patient Wizard Chapter 14

Chapter 14 – Calculation (4)

Alex and Catherine, who had risen in status from apprentices to shinsas after sensing magic, frequently stayed out overnight. Even when they stayed at the Lion Hall, they would return late at night and leave right after breakfast, so the others could only see them briefly in the morning.

When asked where they slept, Alex would put on his characteristic haughty expression and say that he couldn’t tell losers, displaying his arrogance. Catherine would provide an answer. She said they had slept at the shinsas’ quarters because they were too tired after learning the basics of magic.

On a day when the next class was approaching, Chris asked Catherine:

“Do high-level wizards like William treat shinsas intimidating too?”

“Those people are difficult to meet.”

“Then who teaches you?”

“Jenyeomsas like David.”

“I see that wizards at the jenyeom level are called jenyeomsas.”

Alex interrupted the conversation.

“Catherine, I understand your kind heart, but try not to converse with ordinary people as much as possible.”

If he had said not to interact with slaves, Tony would have nodded and remained silent. But Alex used the term ‘ordinary people.’ Since the nobles seemed to be included in what he called ordinary people, Tony felt hurt.

“Why not?”

In response to Tony’s question, Alex looked at Tony as if he were looking at Chris.

“Information about the great Magic Tower could leak out. We need to be careful.”

“We are also members of the Magic Tower, so how would information leak out?”

“We’ll have to see.”

Alex’s words carried a meaningful sentiment.

Tony flared up.

“Are you saying we will fail?”

“It’s been about three months since you learned the spell? The more time passes, the lower the probability of sensing magic.”

Mark joined the conversation.

“I understand that they usually select about three to four hundred apprentices once every two or three years. Out of those, how many succeed?”

This was precisely the question Chris had been most curious about recently. He wanted to ask the question but knew Alex would ignore him, so he had been holding back. Fortunately, the prince had scratched the itchy spot for him.

The prince’s question won’t be ignored, surely.

Chris opened his ears wide and waited for the answer.

Alex threw away the bread he had been eating, stood up, and patted Mark’s shoulder.

“I told you it’s a secret, Your Highness.”

Then he left without looking back. Surprisingly, Alex ignored the prince’s question.

Chris exhaled in disappointment. Mark’s emotion was beyond mere disappointment. He looked very upset. Veins were visible on his forehead.

Section 3 The Follower

Two months had passed since the second class (though they hadn’t learned anything). The residents of the Lion Hall were heading to the lecture hall for their third class. Since no one sensed magic, the overall atmosphere was gloomy.

Smith said,

“I wonder how the other groups are doing.”

Chris answered:

“Probably a few people made it, like before.”

“You think so?”

“Yes.”

“On what basis?”

“They keep successful apprentices in the same dormitory instead of separating them. Why would they do that? They deliberately keep them in the dormitory to teach success strategies to their colleagues. The successful apprentices from other groups, unlike our Alex, who is arrogant and ill-mannered, will share their success tips. With their help, some people will succeed.”

Alice said,

“Catherine said there’s no special secret to sensing magic.”

It seems the women have been having related conversations among themselves.

Chris scratched his head.

“Is that so?”

“I think they keep us together to motivate us to work harder.”

“Motivation…”

Chris looked at Mark and Tony walking ahead.

“Alex has been showing off too much, which has had the opposite effect on our group.”

“It looks different to me. The nobles have been working incredibly hard lately.”

Mark, in particular, was especially diligent. Recently, he would wake up earlier than Chris and go to bed later.

While they were talking, they arrived at the lecture hall. The group members dispersed into their original six groups according to their status. Shinsas, including Alex, did not attend the lecture. They received separate education, and there was no reason for them to attend a lecture that only checked whether apprentices had sensed magic.

Soon after, William appeared. Discipline had been strictly enforced since Henry Jefferson’s death by suffocation. The apprentices stood at attention, and the lecture hall was so quiet that not even breathing could be heard.

William seemed satisfied and nodded.

“Those who have sensed magic, come forward.”

People began moving toward the platform one by one. Among them was Frank from the Lion Hall. This normally quiet person, whose presence was hardly noticeable in daily life, now radiated an intense presence.

The residents of the Lion Hall were surprised, and their mouths gaped open. They were too afraid of William to make noise, so their mouths just moved without sound. Their pupils were dilated with shock.

He sensed magic but kept it a secret.

Chris felt a strange sense of betrayal.

If it were me, I would have been bragging about it all over the place.

He had thought Frank was simply a quiet person, but now he seemed devious. Chris, with slight hope, looked around at his colleagues.

Could any other colleague have sensed magic and kept it a secret?

Judging by their reactions, there were no such colleagues.

William said,

“You people follow me, and the failures should work even harder. The next class is in three months.”

On the way back to the Lion Hall, Tony cursed.

“Devious bastard, there was no need to keep it a secret. It’s not like he was toying with people.”

Faye said,

“I know, right.”

She seemed to feel more betrayed since she was a commoner like Frank. And she looked depressed. There were three commoners in the Lion Hall, and two of them, except for her, had sensed magic. She couldn’t help but feel bitter.

Alice said,

“Among the Lion Hall apprentices, only the slave group has no successful people.”

Chris said,

“You’re right. We need to work harder.”

Then he let out a fighting spirit.

“Hiyah!”

Mark felt like he had been hit in the back of the head by Frank. Naturally, he wasn’t in a good mood.

“Be quiet.”

Despite his reprimand, Chris smiled.

“I will be careful.”

Smith poked Chris in the side and whispered,

“You should be at the Courtier Tower, not the Magic Tower.”

Chris whispered back,

“He’s a valuable customer. I need to treat him well.”

After arriving at the Lion Hall, they immediately dispersed and went to their own rooms. They needed time to digest the shock Frank had given them.

*    *    *

Tony naturally took Frank’s place. Smith found this objectionable but did not protest.

Frank’s success gave enormous motivation to the Lion Hall apprentices. After that day, all members of Group 1, including Chris, worked fiercely. They meditated and recited spells while reducing their sleep. But no one sensed magic.

As time passed, Mark became increasingly emaciated. Disappointment in himself and anxiety about possibly never sensing magic were eating away at him. Because of this, he couldn’t eat properly.

Chris also felt disappointment, nervousness, and anxiety. It was no less severe than Mark’s, perhaps even more so. But despite these mental struggles, Chris gained weight and became plump. The experience of going hungry regularly as a child made him eat proper meals regardless of how difficult things were. Chris always ate until he was full, following his motto: ‘A missed meal can never be recovered.’

That’s why others thought Chris was at peace. Alice marveled at how strong his mentality was, and Smith offered criticism mixed with praise, saying ‘this guy has thick nerves.’

Three months had passed before they knew it. They entered the lecture hall, met Wizard William, saw off the successful ones with envious eyes, received instructions to return in six months, and then returned to the dormitory.

Alex, Catherine, and Frank were sitting in the reception room. Chris approached them cheerfully and said,

“Oh my, it’s been a while.”

Recently, the three spent more days lodging outside than at the Lion Hall. Chris was seeing their faces for the first time in eight days.

Although Chris was the one who spoke, Alex responded to Mark.

“Failed again?”

The reception room fell silent at his question. Only the sound of burning wood from the fireplace could be heard.

Not only was the content of the words problematic, seeming dismissive, but the form was also an issue. For the first time, Alex used informal speech to the prince.

Tony said,

“Are you crazy?”

Alex wore a bland expression.

“What did I do?”

“You can’t speak informally to the prince.”

Alex raised his index finger and waved it.

“Outside ranks don’t apply in the Magic Tower.”

He touched his yellow belt and continued,

“In the Magic Tower, only a magician’s rank has any effect.”

“Still, you shouldn’t do that.”

“You should stop playing status games.”

“Games?”

“Childish games that only children would play.”

“Alex, you’re acting like you’ve already become a wizard. You’re just a shinsa. Not a formal wizard.”

Tony delivered an effective attack. Alex’s expression distorted as if he had been hit in a sore spot. Alex spoke through gritted teeth.

“At least I’ve been initiated into magic. I’m qualitatively different from you losers.”

Mark’s fist trembled. The atmosphere became hostile, as if he might throw a punch at any moment.

Chris, not wanting a dispute between customers, intervened.

“I’m going to do laundry tomorrow, and it’s good that you came. Please give me your laundry.”

Catherine said,

“There’s no need to do laundry anymore.”

Chris’s eyes widened enormously.

“Why?”

“We received passage permits. There’s no need to give you a commission anymore.”

“Ah, you received passage permits.”

Chris was so sad that tears nearly came to his eyes.

“Will Lord Alex still entrust his laundry to me?”

“No, I’ll stop entrusting it to you too.”

“If a noble gentleman carries his own laundry, it would damage his dignity.”

“There are many who will do it for free, so don’t worry.”

“For free… Who…?”

“I’m talking about you people. Aren’t you curious where those who never sense magic end up?”

“Some return to their hometowns, some move to Stratton village…”

Alex cut him off.

“Some remain at the Magic Tower to do menial tasks. Like Juan, the servant of our Lion Hall. Some losers from the batch before us were assigned under shinsas.”

“I see.”

Alex looked at Mark with a peculiar gaze. Chris sensed a malice secretly hidden in that gaze.

Alex said,

“It would be fun to have the prince run errands for my laundry.”

Chris heard Prince Mark grinding his teeth.

Shortly after, all the group members left, and only Chris and Smith remained in the reception room. Smith said,

“Did you hear the prince grinding his teeth?”

Chris nodded.

“I heard it.”

“Alex used to stick close to the prince and flatter him, but now that the situation has changed, he’s openly disrespecting him.”

“That’s probably why he’s doing it.”

“What do you mean?”

“Alex probably disliked Mark from before. But Mark’s status was much higher. He must have accumulated a lot in his heart while bowing and scraping beside him.”

“Even so. I originally didn’t care much for the prince, but seeing Alex directly confronting him makes me feel sorry for him. The humiliation must be no joke.”

Chris seriously warned,

“You never say he’s pitiful in front of the prince. If you do, his pride will be hurt and he might try to kill you.”

“Really?”

“A prince pitied by a slave. Even I would be angry.”

“I see.”

Smith changed the subject.

“By the way, what are you going to do?”

“What do you mean?”

“Your customers have been cut in half.”

That was a painful matter. He had saved 21 silver coins from running laundry errands, but now his income would be halved.