You sneaked into my simulation world and started spamming the panel?

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

"Sect Leader..."

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

Litt stepped on Lot's file, stood up and straightened his tuxedo. "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?"

Just as he was about to leave, Leeteuk stopped in his tracks, clutching the jeweled scepter in his hand, and glanced down at the documents on the ground.

“Send someone to inquire. If he is a fallen nobleman, he can be given a badge of the Mage Association. If not… give him a nominal position as a servant 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 go on an adventure in 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 Misty Bear Spirit come through yet?"

Ya'er smiled and handed Lotte a red velvet box.

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

These are genuine gold coins!

Lotte reached out and gently touched the gold coin, 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 used a box to store the gold coins?"

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

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

"In recognition of your performance, the Adventurers' Guild has decided to grant you one opportunity to use a 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 Maple Town. If a teleportation magic circle can be used, a whole month's journey can be saved.

“And there’s even better news.” Ya’er 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, she turned back and grinned at Lotte. “You can cast more than ten spells in one go, they must have taken a liking to your talent.”

Lott 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.

This very 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 hair 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 battle against the Misty Bear Spirit, so I have come to pay him a visit.”

Ya'er poured black tea for the two of them and then stood quietly at the door.

Ashburn glanced at the teacup but didn't touch it. He then 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 records."

“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 a top-tier academy weren’t very capable,” Ashburn smiled. “But recently I’ve changed my mind and tried to find a few fourth-class 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 and are quite effective. Even when they're injured, they're always available. When I tell them to rest, they feel like they're wasting their time, which surprises me greatly. So now I think that even ordinary monks are worth nurturing."

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

Ashburn still had a smile on her face. She said softly, "Lott, 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 Guild. Your horizons will be broadened a lot."

"Join the Dharma Masters Association?"

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

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

"Lord Ashburn, why don't I see any payment?"

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

"Is I being paid by 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."

Unable to bear it any longer, Ya'er interrupted, "Well... Lord Ashburn, Mr. Lott can cast more than ten spells in one go. He has quite a bit of potential, but as for an apprentice..."

“Perhaps,” Ashburn shrugged. “But he’s not noble, and he hasn’t studied magic at an academy. The Wizarding Guild wouldn’t accept him based on those two points alone. 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 Lott stopped her.

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

“No.” Ashburn adjusted her posture to make her more comfortable and said softly, “Becoming a mage and knowing how to use magic doesn’t mean you’ll be accepted by the Mage Guild. Good spells need to be exchanged for guild 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 brushed his hair aside. “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 black tea, the scent of flowers filling the room, 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…” Ya’er 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 old men of the Mage Guild would not 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 sharp, 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 Ya'er's 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 from time to time, 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 his brow.

“I’ve heard it from Miss Ya’er.”

Lott 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. Lott, you’re not going to agree, are you? Nobles treat their servants very poorly; you’ll have to wash their feet.”

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

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

"They don't look at talent or ability. They look at status and background."

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

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.

"If I don't join the Dharma Masters Association, what path will I take?"

Chloris's eyes curved beautifully into slits, her head tilted to the side, her long golden hair slipping down her shoulder.

"Go on adventures around the world. Collect magic scattered throughout the world, and you can become a powerful mage. Magic was created by the primal elves, not by the Wizarding Association; they just have a monopoly. 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's Guild, it will be very difficult."

"Then you should become a servant of the nobles, 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 floral socks. "But if you join the Mage Guild, you won't encounter elves, sirens, titans, or dragons, nor will you see the castles in the sky or the temples in the sea."

"Miss Chloris seems to love adventure?"

“I like it very much.” 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 Town and continue developing in a bigger city. That way, you won’t need to rely on the Mage’s Guild at all. In the future, they might even be begging you to join the guild.”

"The commissions that can earn gold coins are all dangerous missions similar to defeating the Misty 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 Sgar.”

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!"

Chapter 21 I Question the Professionalism of the Dharma Masters Association

Looking at the girl's serious expression, Lott politely declined, saying, "Miss Chloris, I'm glad you invited me, but even the five of them, including Sgor, couldn't stop the Misty Bear Spirit. Even with the two of us, it wouldn't be enough. We still need to find others to join us."

"One of me is enough. And the fewer people there are, the more gold coins you'll get."

"Really? Then I'll go back and think about it some more."

After seeing that Lott was just smiling and giving perfunctory replies, Chloris pouted slightly and patted Lott's shoulder lightly, "Come with me."

"Where?"

You'll know when you get here.

Chloris led Lotte out of the town gate, across a stone bridge, and into a golden wheat field bathed in sunlight.

She took out a slender wooden spear and a shield that she had hidden behind a tree, holding the shield in her left hand and the spear in her right. After equipping herself, she said to Lott, "Mr. Lott, if you don't defeat me within thirty minutes, you can't refuse me."

"So you brought me here for a fight? I'll go ask Baldr first."

"No need to ask my uncle."

Lott shook his head and said, "If you ask, he'll definitely blame me if something happens to you... Wait a minute!"

With a flushed face, Chloris raised her shield and charged at Lotte!

Her speed surprised Lott. Just as Lott drew his sword, she rushed in front of him, her spear glowing with a purple light, thrusting straight at Lott's shoulder from under his shield.

The spear was too fast, and Lot could only rely on the defensive power brought by [Oath] to withstand it, and then wait for an opportunity to counterattack.

But the moment the slender wooden spear struck Lott, his body was thrown backward, and the sword in his hand was knocked to the ground.

Chloris didn't let the opportunity pass. She raised her shield and continued to ram the unsteady Lotte, knocking him to the ground and pinning him down with the shield.

The spiky hair fell all over Lotte's face, making it impossible for him to see the outside world.

The girl was very light and had a slender waist; one only needed to reach out and hook her into one's arms.

But now is clearly not the time to let my mind wander.

"You ambushed me! That doesn't count!"

Lott struggled to get up, but Chloris held him firmly down.

"Hmph, it's all because Mr. Lott was so indecisive."

"Get up, let's do it again."

After Chloris stood up, she reached out her hand to Lott, and the joy of victory made a smile bloom on her lips.

Lott turned his face away, placed his hand in her palm, and was pulled up by her.

Chloris's hands were soft and slightly cool.

The two took their positions and started again. This time, Lott launched the first attack.

Even with the bonus from the [Oath], Chloris still managed to steadily block Lotte's attack with her shield.

Her shield also emitted a purple light, absorbing all of Lotte's power and then feeding it back to herself.