Wizard: The exploration panel keeps me pure.

Ron Seraphim

[Attributes: Constitution 1.57, Spirit 2.50]

[Pollution Level: Physical 17.3%, Mental 1.42/2.50]

Looking at the attributes and pollution level on the panel, Ron couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction.

He was finally able to resume his normal cultivation. If he were still in the academy, he wouldn't be able to meditate so peacefully.

It seems I made the right move.

Just as he was thinking about these things, Mas's voice came from outside: "Junior Ron, are you ready? Today is the day of the assembly, don't forget."

"Just a moment, I'll be right there."

He got out of bed, straightened his wizard robes, and then opened the door and went out.

"Junior Ron, I'll be leaving after today. How have you been adjusting these past few days?"

"It feels similar to when I was in college."

"That's good. I was worried you were too young to adapt. Now that you say that, I'm relieved. Come on, let me introduce you to some of the old folks in the city."

Nodding, I followed the other person and walked outside.

At that moment, a carriage was parked outside the courtyard. As soon as the driver saw them, he immediately took out a small step from the carriage and placed it on the ground to make it easier for them to get on.

After the two men were on the carriage, the driver flicked his whip, and with a sharp "crack," the carriage started moving.

There weren't many pedestrians on the streets in the early morning, but the vendors had already set up their stalls.

Perhaps because there were still few people around, their calls were not loud, but just loud enough for the people in the carriage to hear:

"Oh, fresh sausages! Take a look! Only five copper coins apiece."

"Freshly baked hot wheat bread, mixed with rye, is really substantial. It's so filling, you don't have to pay for it!"

......

The carriage passed through the hawkers' cries and gradually slowed down before finally coming to a stop outside a tall mansion in the city center.

"Master, we've arrived."

The driver's voice drifted through the curtain into the carriage, waking the two who had been in a meditative state.

Mas was the first to lift the curtain and get out of the carriage, followed closely by Ron.

He was stunned for a moment as soon as he came down.

Looking at the tall city wall in front of me, with corner towers and watchtowers on both sides, I suddenly remembered that I had passed through here a few days ago when Lillian and I went to that house.

She also introduced herself, saying that this was the city lord's mansion, which was also the city hall of the city.

"The city lord is also a wizard, and since this place is located in the city center, we decided to hold our meeting here for convenience."

Knowing what he wanted to ask, Mas immediately smiled and explained the reason to him.

"I see."

After learning the reason, he was no longer surprised. After all, it was just a gathering place; it didn't matter where it was held.

After following Mas inside, Ron's interest in the gathering diminished even further, as he felt it was inferior to the academy's outpost.

At least, there are plenty of good things there, all kinds of cultivation notes and experiences, and a cultivation environment with ample magical energy particles. How is it not better than the "ordinary" city hall in front of us?

After walking through the long corridor, we arrived at the entrance of a large hall.

Immediately, someone with sharp eyes spotted the two of them, and a bright smile immediately spread across an old face as he quickly stepped forward to greet them.

"Mr. Mars, Mr. Ron, it's nice to see you again."

The person who came was none other than Lyon, whom I had just met two days ago. He was the head of the family, the old Earl.

"Yes, it's really nice to see you again, Mr. Lyon."

This meeting was a private gathering, so Mas didn't address the other party as Earl, but called them by their names directly, which is the normal way for wizards to interact.

Good day, Mr. Lyon.

Ron chimed in from the side, then said nothing more and followed the two to their seats.

"Mr. Ron, have you received the magic stones?"

It's a pity he didn't want much contact with this family, but he couldn't resist their attitude. As the saying goes, you can't hit a smiling face; since they'd gone this far, he couldn't just ignore them.

"Received it. Your keeping your promise is truly touching."

While spouting flattery, they were secretly plotting how to shut the other person up.

Now that he has finally settled down, he doesn't want to be "set up" again.

"You're so good with words. By the way, Lillian has been meaning to thank you properly these past few days, but I haven't had the chance..."

Before the old count could finish speaking, Ron rudely interrupted him: "Mr. Lyon, no need. Miss Lillian and I only had a transaction. Talking about gratitude is too much."

Forget about manners; the priority now was to shut the old man up, lest he continue talking and that damned "fate" would begin to stir.

"This can't go on. I need to get rid of this thing on me quickly, or it will kill me sooner or later."

There's something else he didn't say: even if this thing doesn't kill you, the person who puts this "rope" on themselves will probably kill themselves.

"Ahem, Mr. Lyon, we're here for a gathering today, so let's not talk about those things."

Mas noticed the tension between the two and quickly stepped in to smooth things over.

Ron, seizing the opportunity, offered the other party a way out: "I'm sorry, Mr. Lyon, I've been in a bad mood these past few days because of the academy's affairs. Please forgive me."

Lyon, being an experienced man, could easily see that he didn't want to get involved with his family.

She smiled, said nothing, and walked straight ahead of the two, her face no longer showing the enthusiasm she had before.

Seeing this, Ron and Mas exchanged a glance, not caring at all. So what if the other party was stronger than them? It wasn't like they had offended them to death. Their backers were there, so why would they dare to make a move?

The two people sat down and drank the hot tea on the table without saying anything more.

People came in one after another, most of them were old men and women with gray hair and withered faces, and there were very few people who looked middle-aged.

Ron, standing out from the crowd, naturally became the focus of everyone present.

But after glancing at Mas sitting next to him, they all looked away.

More and more people arrived, but the room remained unusually quiet.

The eerie silence wasn't broken until the gathering began and a middle-aged man appeared at the front.

"Welcome everyone to today's gathering. I believe you are all familiar with me, but since we have a newcomer here today, I'd like to introduce myself. I am the host of this transaction, and also the lord of Nurs City, Tuva."

Silence fell. There was no applause or speaking. Everyone just looked at Mr. Tuva, waiting for him to speak next.

"Alright, since no one is interested in me, let's get to know the newcomers."

Upon hearing this, everyone turned their attention back to Ron, this time with a mixture of curiosity and...fervor?

He didn't know how to describe the feeling, but it was just very uncomfortable.

"Good day, everyone. My name is Ron Seferam, and I am the new garrison sent by the Tower of the Red Moon this year."

He introduced himself casually, then sat down without saying anything more.

But these words were clearly quite intimidating. Most people turned their attention back to him and stopped paying attention to him. A small number of people also changed their scrutinizing gaze from overt to covert, losing their previous unbridled attitude.

"Alright, alright everyone, now that we've finished the introductions, let's get started to save time."

"Let me start for everyone."

"First of all, my first item in the trade is this."

As he spoke, the city lord took out a seal from the things he had prepared beforehand, on which was engraved a red bird-shaped creature.

"Alright, Mr. Tuva, how many times have we done this? You're still bringing this out. Let's move on to the next item."

"Haha, what if that gentleman or lady suddenly wants it?"

While he was talking to another participant, the others were no longer surprised.

This city lord always starts his trades with this seal; it's practically become a regular feature of the gatherings. But nobody's willing to spend magic stones on something so ordinary, so it's remained untouched to this day.

Today seemed different, as one person in the room had an extremely solemn expression.

This person was Ron, who was attending the gathering for the first time today.