You sneaked into my simulation world and started spamming the panel

The branch president of the Mage Association, a first-class nobleman named Litt, glanced at Lott's file, snorted coldly, and threw it on the ground.

"Branch President..."

"Why is information about such lowly people on my desk?"

Litt stepped on Lot's file, stood up and straightened his tailcoat. "A townsman dares to become a mage? If word gets out, it will be a disgrace to all of us mages."

"But what if this Mr. Lotte is a fallen nobleman from another empire?"

Leeteuk, who was about to leave, stopped in his tracks. He gripped the jeweled scepter in his hand and glanced down at the documents on the ground.

“Send someone to ask. If he is a fallen nobleman, we can give him the Mage Association badge. If not… give him a nominal position and let him serve as an attendant to a ninth-rank nobleman. Without an introduction, a townsman dares to become a mage on his own. If this precedent is set, the world will truly descend into chaos.”

"Yes. I'll send someone there right away."

Chapter 20 The Fragrance of Jasmine and the Girl in White Socks

Time slips away quietly, taking the past with it.

During this time, Lotte rested and recovered, and did not choose to immediately venture into the forest.

Only today did he leave the inn and arrive at the Adventurers' Guild Hall.

Yar waved to Lott: "Mr. Lott, I have three pieces of good news today."

"Has the reward for defeating the Mist Bear Spirit been received?"

Yar smiled faintly and pushed a red velvet box to Lotte.

A shiny gold coin sits right in the center, looking incredibly tempting in the sunlight.

These are genuine gold coins!

Lotte reached out and gently touched the gold coins, then carefully picked up the box, but Yar grabbed his wrist. "Wait, this box belongs to our guild, it's not a gift for you."

"They even use special boxes to store gold coins?"

"There always needs to be a sense of ritual!"

Lott picked up the gold coin and clenched it in his hand. "So, what other good news is there?"

"In light of your performance, the Adventurers' Guild has decided to grant you a chance to use the teleportation magic circle. You can use it to go to Attenborough and buy some items that mages need."

Attenborough is the only lord city in the vicinity, and it's a 15-day journey from Fengen Town. If a teleportation magic circle could be used, it would save a whole month's journey.

“There’s even better news.” Yar opened the front desk door and gestured for Lott to follow her inside. “The Mage Association of Attenborough has sent someone; she wants to see you.”

"See me? Why?"

“Of course they think you’re a genius.” As Yar led the way, he turned back to Lotte and grinned. “You can cast more than ten spells in one go, they must have taken a liking to your talent.”

Lotte followed Yar to the back lounge, and as soon as he opened the door, he smelled a scent that didn't belong in the town.

The faint floral fragrance transformed the entire lounge into a blooming summer garden.

A woman wearing a mage's hat stood up and extended her hand to Lott as he entered, saying, "You must be Mr. Lott?"

Her long, wavy brown hair, coated with essential oil, cascaded down her back, becoming almost her most dazzling adornment.

“I am Ashburn, the vice president of the Mage Guild of Attenborough.” She gestured for Lott to sit beside her. “I heard that Mr. Lott performed exceptionally well in the campaign against the Mist Bear Spirits, so I have come to pay him a visit.”

Yar poured black tea for the two of them, then stood quietly at the door.

Ashburn glanced at the teacup without touching it and said, "I didn't expect Mr. Lott to be so young. May I ask what your surname is? I didn't see it in the information."

“I don’t have a surname yet, my name is Lott.”

Ashburn said "Oh," and nodded. "Lotte, you should be an adult this year, right? Which college did you graduate from?"

"I've never been to school either."

“Speaking of this, I originally thought that mages who didn’t study at top-tier academies weren’t very capable,” Ashburn smiled slightly. “But recently I’ve changed my mind and tried to find a few fourth-rank nobles from second-tier academies.”

She subconsciously picked up the black tea, frowned slightly as she brought it to her lips, took a small sip, and then put it down. "They really work hard, they're quite useful. Even when they're injured, they're always there when I call. When I tell them to rest, they feel like they're wasting an opportunity, which surprises me so much. So now I think that even mages from ordinary backgrounds are worth training."

Lott didn't know what to say, he just hummed in response.

Ashburn still had a smile on her face. She said softly, "Lotte, you should work hard in the future. Although your abilities are a bit lacking, you will be able to come into contact with high society after joining the Mage Association, and your horizons will be broadened a lot."

"Join the Mage Association?"

Ashburn took a letter from his pocket and handed it to Lot. "The Mage Guild has hired you as an apprentice and will assign you a ninth-rank nobleman to mentor you. Listen to him carefully afterward. Young people need to be trained. I believe you will have a bright future."

Lott opened the letter and scanned it three times from top to bottom.

"Lord Ashburn, why haven't I seen any payment?"

“Compensation?” Ashburn paused for a moment. “Oh, you mean the stipend? You’re an apprentice, so the association won’t pay you. Instead, the nobleman you serve will pay you. As for how much, that’s entirely up to him. Oh, and you’ll also have to pay one gold coin a month as an association management fee.”

"Pay my wages from the nobleman I serve? Doesn't that make me his servant?"

Ashburn shook his head and sighed, "It seems you still don't understand how rare this opportunity is."

Arle, who was standing nearby, couldn't stand it any longer and interrupted, "Um... Lord Ashburn. Mr. Lott can cast more than ten spells in one go. He has a lot of potential, but as an apprentice..."

“Perhaps,” Ashburn shrugged. “But he’s not a nobleman, nor has he studied magic at an academy. Based on those two points alone, the Mage Guild wouldn’t accept him. As for the Mist Bear Spirit, to be honest, any apprentice I have could take it on one-on-one. It’s only a nuisance in your town.”

Yar wanted to say something more, but Lotte stopped her.

"Lord Ashburn, if I don't accept this, can I still register with the Mage Guild?"

“No, you can’t.” Ashburn adjusted his position to make her more comfortable and said softly, “Becoming a mage and being able to use magic doesn’t mean you’ll be accepted by the Mage Association. Good spells need to be exchanged using association points; they can’t be bought on the market. If you refuse, you can say goodbye to being a mage.”

"I need to think about it."

“Okay, fine.” Ashburn stood up and ran his hand through his hair. “I suggest you learn some aristocratic etiquette and butler skills. You’ll need them later. You can’t keep being so lax. Even as a servant, we have very high standards for you.”

Ashburn left, leaving behind a half-sipped cup of red tea, the room filled with the fragrance of flowers, and a dazed Lotte.

After seeing Ashburn off, Yar returned to the lounge and found Lott still sitting in his chair, silently looking at the letter in his hand.

“Lotte…” Yar walked to Lotte’s side, “I didn’t know it would turn out like this…”

Yar wanted to say something to comfort Lott, but she couldn't bring herself to speak.

Because she knew perfectly well that no matter how outstanding Lotte was as a commoner, the lords of the Mage Guild would never consider him one of their own.

Lotte put the letter away, Ashburn's words echoing in his mind over and over again.

She didn't say anything harsh, nor did she show any disgust; perhaps deep down she thought that Lott was only fit to be a servant.

Lotte stood up and, under Yar's watchful gaze, walked out of the Adventurers' Guild's gates.

He sat on the steps by the door, his hands supporting his face, basking in the afternoon sun.

The laughter of children drifted over from afar, and Lotte couldn't help but look at them, at their dirty but incredibly innocent faces.

A gentle breeze caressed Lotte's bangs, carrying a faint scent of jasmine that soothed Lotte's furrowed brow.

“I’ve heard Miss Yar mention it.”

Lotte looked up and saw Miss Chloris standing behind him.

Chloris was wearing a very simple gray dress with an apron around her waist and carrying a vegetable basket.

“Mr. Lotte, you’re not going to agree, are you? Nobles treat their servants very badly, and you’ll have to wash their feet.”

Chloris sat down next to Lotte, her faint fragrance mingling with the warmth of the sun and the fresh scent of vegetables, so refreshing and delightful.

“Mr. Lott, you have talent and it should not be buried.”

"They don't care about talent or ability. They care about status and background."

“What I mean is, you don’t need to join the Mage Guild.”

Lotte turned his head; this was the first time he had seen Chloris's face so closely.

The sunlight blended seamlessly with her amber eyes, creating the most captivating sight in the world.

"What path would I take if I didn't join the Mage Association?"

Chloris's eyes curved beautifully into slits as she tilted her head and smiled gently, letting her light golden hair slip down her shoulders.

"Go on adventures around the world. Collect the magic scattered throughout the world, and you can become a powerful mage. Magic was created by the primordial elves, not by the Mage Guild; they just monopolize it. You have the potential to become someone they all look up to."

Looking at Chloris's smile, Lott had a vague feeling that something was wrong. "Miss Chloris, becoming a mage is very expensive. Without the help of the Mage Association, it will be very difficult."

"Then you should become a nobleman's servant, and your only concern every day will be whether your master is in a good mood."

Chloris stood with her feet together, a butterfly perched on her two white printed socks. "But if you join the Mage Guild, you won't encounter elves, sirens, titans, or dragons, nor will you see castles in the sky or temples in the sea."

"Miss Chloris seems to love adventure?"

“I really like it.” Chloris rested her cheek on her right hand. “You can earn gold by taking on commissions from the Adventurers’ Guild. Once you’ve accumulated enough strength and money, you can leave Maple’s Town and go to a bigger city to continue your development. That way, you won’t need to rely on the Mage’s Association at all. In the future, they might even come to you asking to join the association.”

"The commissions that can earn gold coins are all dangerous missions like defeating the Mist Bear Spirit."

“So, Chloris straightened up and turned to look at Lotte, “You need a reliable teammate, a strong teammate who can protect you while you cast spells. Don’t underestimate me just because I’m a girl; I’m just as good as Seger.”

Lott also looked at Chloris, their eyes meeting: "You wouldn't be thinking of saying..."

Chloris narrowed her eyes and revealed a smile that Lotte had never seen before.

"Let's team up, Mr. Lott!"