Wizards begin with Occlumency.

Chapter 3 The Long Journey

Link felt down.

For more than a year, Link played the role of the original character in every aspect.

But people are different, especially since Link was a young man nearing thirty in his previous life, so how could he play the role of an ignorant teenager?

Mrs. Grand naturally noticed the change in her youngest son.

But how many mothers would doubt their own sons?

Mrs. Grand loved her son deeply and did her best to make sure he had a good life, at least enough to eat and wear.

She was uneducated and didn't know how to express her feelings in words; she could only do things in a simple way.

Non-vegetation, ruthless Practice makes perfect?

Link also saw the shadow of his mother from his previous life in Mrs. Grand: the same unreserved love and care, the same inarticulateness, and the same advice to him not to worry about home and to study hard.

The joy of obtaining a precious ticket to the main continent and the delight of having the opportunity to become a wizard with great power at his own disposal had faded considerably at this moment.

A faint yet enduring longing welled up in my heart.

There wasn't even time to say goodbye properly.

Link sniffed, took a deep breath, and actively activated "Brain Lockdown" to suppress his thoughts and emotions.

The carriage then returned to the Viscount's castle, where the butler was waiting.

Link returned to his original appearance, revealing a slight, irrepressible joy, and stepped down from the carriage.

Guided by the butler, Link arrived at the banquet hall.

The wizard Paro, his four companions, and Viscount Holloway were already seated, but the meal had not yet begun.

"sit."

Seeing Link enter carrying a package, the wizard Paro turned his head slightly to indicate the empty seat next to the blonde, blue-eyed girl.

"Yes, Wizard Paro."

Link continues to play the role of a cute young boy, responding obediently.

The butler helped Link pull out a chair and then set out the plates, dishes, knives, forks, and other cutlery for him.

"Let's eat."

The wizard Paro spoke first, picking up his knife and fork, revealing his unwillingness to talk and his focus solely on eating.

Viscount Holloway, who had originally intended to offer a toast and strike up a conversation, immediately abandoned his plans upon seeing this.

The four companions had all been invited to banquets by other lords along with the wizard Paro, so they were naturally familiar with his manners. They silently waved their knives and forks, enjoying the food.

The banquet was very lavish.

Aromatic wines filled an exquisite glass decanter, while silver platters held delicacies Link hadn't seen in over a year, including foie gras, caviar, veal chops, lamb chops, and deep-sea fish fillets.

Link couldn't help but feel a strong urge to eat.

For more than a year, his staple food was black bread, and his side dishes were either fish or scraps of beef and mutton. He rarely ate vegetables, which made Link complain bitterly.

Now that I see a huge pile of delicious food in front of me, how can I resist?

Fortunately, Link wasn't really from a poor family; he had some exposure to Western dining etiquette in his previous life, which prevented him from looking awkward while indulging in his meal.

A sumptuous lunch ended in silence.

While the table wasn't exactly a mess, since there were maids constantly serving and changing dishes, it did seem like the food was almost gone.

The wizard Paro put down his knife and fork, tilted his head back and finished his glass of red wine. He then picked up a napkin to wipe his lower lip and said, "Thank you for your hospitality, Viscount Holiday. I will put in a good word for you with the guard wizard."

"Thank you, Wizard. Thank you, Wizard."

Viscount Holiday was overjoyed and thanked him repeatedly. He had gone to such lengths to serve Wizard Paro, all for those few kind words.

"Alright, we should get going."

The wizard Paro put down his napkin, got up, and walked outside.

Link and his four companions quickly followed.

In the castle square, a horseless carriage drove up automatically.

The vehicle is rectangular, much like the bus Link used in his previous life.

The wizard Paro walked to the middle right side of the vehicle, and the door opened automatically.

Link and his four companions, including the wizard Paro, boarded the vehicle.

The wizard Paro went straight into the front of the vehicle, leaving five new wizarding apprentices in the back.

Once the five people were seated in the reclining seats, the car doors closed automatically.

After a roar, the vehicle rose slightly, about five or six centimeters off the ground, and drove out of the castle.

"magnetic levitation?"

Link felt the vehicle rising, and a hint of doubt flashed through his mind.

Let me introduce myself.

The brown-haired boy with uneven eyes shifted his body to find a comfortable position and said, "My name is Jimi Hendrix. I am the first wizarding apprentice chosen by the wizard Paro on the Quetzal Islands. I come from Baron Moren and have a wizarding aptitude of the lower fourth rank."

The older of the twins continued, "My name is Chris Smith, and my sister's name is Christina. We come from Viscount Boro, and we are both of the highest rank in wizardry."

The blonde, blue-eyed girl spoke: "Jasmine Kidman, from Baron Kidman's Domain, with a wizarding aptitude of the upper third rank."

Link replied, "My name is Link Grand, son of a blacksmith. You all know about my wizarding aptitude, so I won't go into details."

After a pause, Link tentatively asked, "Why are you in such a hurry to leave Viscount Holiday's territory? Are you going to another territory for testing?"

"no."

Jimmy, who had followed the wizard Paro the longest, obviously knew the most. He explained, "Viscount Holiday is the last stop on the wizard Paro's journey. We should be heading to Captopril Harbor now, and then transfer to a sea ship to go to the main continent."

"Capople Harbor?"

Link had specifically collected relevant geographical information and knew that Captopelli Harbor was one of the two major harbors in the Quete Islands, located about sixty miles east of Viscount Holledy's territory.

Looking out the window at the rapidly receding mountains and rivers, Link estimated that he would arrive in about an hour.

Why is the wizard Paro in such a hurry?

A question arose in Link's mind, but he didn't ask it.

As a subordinate, one should try to avoid inquiring about those in positions of authority, especially when those in positions of authority are nearby.

After a moment's hesitation, Link asked, "Jimny, Chris, Christina, and Jasmine, what do you know about wizards and the main continent? As you know, I'm just a blacksmith's son. Apart from hearing some legends about wizards, I don't know anything else."

As soon as he finished speaking, Jimmy and Chris turned to look at the blonde, blue-eyed girl, Jasmine.

Judging from their surnames, only Jasmine among the five comes from a noble family.

On this isolated island, knowledge and information were extremely scarce, and only nobles had regular access to them.

Although Jimny had the advantage of being chosen by the wizard Paro the first to know a few more things, in terms of knowledge and experience, he couldn't compare to Molly Kidman.

The blonde girl carefully considered her words before cautiously saying, "I don't know much about these things either. I only know that our destination is the west coast of the main continent. After we disembark, there will be various wizarding organizations and academies recruiting students. We will then choose a suitable place to go."

After a pause, Jasmine added, "The currency used among wizards is magic stones, so once we get to the main continent, we must find a way to earn magic stones."

(End of this chapter)