Things are Getting Complicated 1

The guards at the drawbridge quickly lowered it. Although they weren't sure of the identity of the visitors, facing a mage was something even the lord of the city would struggle with. Therefore, the captain of the gate guard immediately ordered the drawbridge to be opened and the area to be fully fortified for defense.

Ryan had only intended to test things, but he was shocked by how much power the title "mage" held—it was even more intimidating than "do you know who my father is?" Tori, having seen war, wasn't fazed by the situation, and so a group of people and horses entered Harry City. Of course, the Windwolf, Qing, couldn't enter, and Ryan was still puzzled about how Niu Niu could command the Level 5 Windwolf. The creature didn't show any overt power, but comparing it to the illustration in the "Monster Encyclopedia," Ryan couldn't make sense of it. Given its size, fur, and the way the elements gathered around it, he couldn't figure out Niu Niu's lineage. If Ryan had known that Niu Niu was already at Level 7, and if he realized that while he was still struggling to become a mage, his pet had already reached that level, he might have been more than just confused.

The captain looked at the strange sleds being pulled by horses and noticed that they were all women. His mind raced, and he quickly ordered a gag order. The mages seemed strange—they didn't enter the city by day but came in at night. Clearly, something was off. The captain didn't want to risk his life while sleeping, but his suspicion led to a huge loss in the lord's wealth.

Tori led the group to Alice's residence in Harry City, a large house with only two maids guarding the entrance. As they entered, there was a flurry of activity. Ryan, Chuck, Tori, Alice, and Darlis gathered together to discuss their next steps. Tori, being experienced, spoke up.

"Ryan, I think we can't just go to the Mage Guild like this. Also, Niu Niu is not fit to be seen right now. We need to think of a different approach."

Ryan nodded and then turned to Alice, asking suddenly, "Alice, do you know who your mentor's mentor is?"

Alice frowned and responded, "I don't know."

Ryan, feeling frustrated, realized that Alice had no clue about the powerful connections behind the Mage Guild. He was just trying to gather information, as Ryan knew that relationships often mattered more than anything in this world. But, of course, Ryan kept his thoughts to himself.

After some brainstorming, Ryan suddenly came up with a plan. They discussed the details and prepared to present a new story.

Meanwhile, Toya had just finished meditating and was preparing for bed when he heard commotion outside. He quickly went to see what was happening, his face dark with annoyance. When he entered the Mage Guild hall, he immediately sensed a magical fluctuation—fire magic. This puzzled him. Why was there a mage here?

"Alice, who is this?" Toya asked as he entered the hall and saw two magic apprentices standing near Alice. Alice had good potential and was expected to become a first-level mage soon, but what caught Toya's attention was the young man standing behind her. The magical fluctuation from him was close to a second-level mage—clearly a genius. Toya thought he must be from a prominent family, but the young man wore a strange outfit: half-body leather armor, making him look out of place.

"Esteemed mentor Toya, may we speak privately inside?" Alice, with a talent for acting, quickly stepped forward and respectfully asked.

Toya glanced at Ryan, nodded, and led Alice and Ryan into his study. The study was warm and cozy, a perfect place for a serious discussion. Toya gestured for them to sit down and said, "Please, tell me everything."

"Thank you, mentor," Alice said as she and Ryan sat down. Alice began recounting Ryan's story.

The more Toya listened, the more his heart raced. Alice explained how Ryan had always been able to sense fire magic elements since he was young but had no idea how to use them until six months ago, when he accidentally discovered his magical ability. While cleaning his study, Ryan found an ancient wisdom scroll that had belonged to Alice's mentor. He inadvertently tore it open, which triggered his ability to read, and then, after the circus arrived in town, Ryan used a silver coin to buy several books, one of which was a low-level spellbook. He practiced the spells and realized he could cast magic. At that point, Ryan didn't know the importance of being a mage and had been assigned to the back mountain to tend the horses. Alice then described how they had been attacked by bandits, and when they realized Ryan's true identity, they attempted to kill him to silence him. Such behavior was a blatant disrespect toward mages and a challenge to the power of the Mage Guild.

"Ryan, show me a spell," Toya said, trying to calm his racing heart. He smiled kindly at Ryan, waiting for him to demonstrate.

"U-uh, sir, where should I cast it?" Ryan stammered, acting nervous.

"Heh, anywhere is fine," Toya said, unconcerned. He was confident his Earth Shield could block any spell Ryan cast.

Ryan couldn't help but grin to himself. He decided to surprise them. With a quick motion, he cast a fireball aimed directly at the large crystal window. "Boom!" The window shattered, leaving a large hole.

Toya stood frozen, his face pale. The wine glasses he had been holding dropped to the floor. This was a momentary cast—a rare and highly sought-after skill among mages. The fact that it appeared on a naturally awakened individual was astonishing. Toya realized that Ryan's fireball spell was something only a Level 5 mage should be able to perform.

"Actually, I can do another spell, sir. Would you like to see?" Ryan asked, still stammering but with a mischievous glint in his eyes. Seeing Toya nod in dazed agreement, Ryan couldn't help but laugh inside. He raised his hand and cast three wind blades in quick succession.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!" The already damaged crystal window was completely destroyed. Ryan looked innocently at Toya and Alice, lowering his head and weakly explaining, "I got a little too nervous and couldn't stop. I fired a few extra wind blades. Earlier, when the bandits attacked the town, I got so nervous that I kept casting them for three seconds. By the time I tried to stop, it was too late."

"Yes, yes, of course..." Toya's heart ached. The momentary fireball and wind blades were overwhelming, and Toya pitied the bandits. However, he quickly realized the severity of the situation. He rushed to the nearby magic communication array, took a large parchment covered in magical ink, and activated the magic array. He threw the parchment into the array, and it instantly vanished.

Toya didn't realize that his message would set off a chain reaction, reaching the entire Mage Guild in Ruya City. Shortly after, the Mage Guild's branch in the Rishi Duchy was alerted, and just half an hour later, the Alliance Empire's Mage Guild's Grand Headquarters was also notified.

Meanwhile, Ryan, blissfully unaware of the magnitude of the situation, was enjoying a delicious roasted lamb, flavored with special spices from the Beast Forest and wild honey. As he ate, sipping red wine that tasted even better than what he had back on Earth, Ryan glared at Alice. She had been very harsh with him when Toya was sending the message, and to his dismay, there were still two nail marks on his side from where she had pinched him. Ryan found himself thinking that Alice's behavior could lead to some... interesting scenarios. For now, he had to turn his frustration into energy and fill up on lamb.