Coming out of the temple where the association was held, Leylin met Aminel head-on.
Today, Aminel was standing outside the fountain outside the temple and greeted Leylin. Is she actually waiting for me? Deliberately? Leylin thought so.
After all, she was his overseer and enchantment teacher, and Leylin maintained enough respect for Aminel.
"Good afternoon, teacher." Leylin deliberately greeted Aminel in such a formal tone. Aminel was very restrained by Leylin's call of teacher.
She hurriedly shook her hand and said, "No need to be so formal, I have something to tell you." Aminel lowered her voice, looked around for a moment, pulled Leylin's long sleeve and walked under a huge tree canopy.
"Is it something important?" Leylin raised his eyebrows and asked curiously.
Leaning against a tree, Aminel said, "Although I think it's uncharacteristic for a magister to tip off others, this matter concerns you. As your friend and mentor, I must tell you."
As expected, it was the traditional elves' way of doing things. They always had to find a reason before anything else.
That way, the act or execution seemed justified. Leylin nodded, indicating he was listening intently.
"Today, I heard Dar'Khan and Elrodan discussing you and Grand Magister Belo'vir in the square. They seem to have prepared some special tactics for this conference. You should be wary of them." Aminel said.
Upon hearing this news, Leylin showed no surprise. He said matter-of-factly, "If he's capable, that's all. I look forward to his brilliant performance."
Seeing Leylin's nonchalant expression, Aminel felt her reminder was unnecessary. She said awkwardly, "In that case, forget about today's conversation. Just pretend nothing happened."
Knowing what Aminel was thinking, Leylin shook his head and said, "Of course not, Teacher. I can understand your concern by telling me about what happened today."
This guy was a real smooth talker. Leylin's words completely dispelled the awkward atmosphere.
Aminel continued, "I'll be back to watch tomorrow's competition. You better do your best. The first-place prize this time will not only be 3,000 gold coins, but also a staff. I hear this staff has a long history, belonging to some old magister of the Silvermoon Council. If you win this competition, could you lend it to me?"
Leylin had indeed noticed a staff as a reward before, but he simply ignored it. For Leylin, gold coins were much more valuable than a staff.
"No problem, I'll definitely do it." Leylin said confidently.
Aminel, observing Leylin's confident expression, chuckled. "What? You've already secured first place before the competition even started?"
"If I hadn't been first, you wouldn't have asked to borrow my staff. That wouldn't have let me down." Leylin looked at Aminel with a half-smile.
"Just kidding." Aminel, hands behind her back, turned, humming an elven song, and trotted off.
Aminel, this dual specialization magister, had a completely different personality when she was on duty and when she wasn't.
In the afternoon, Leylin arrived at Magister Nallorath's Mage Tower. After the usual magic training period, Leylin and his teacher sat on the top floor, chatting.
"You've made some progress today. I can sense the arcane energy flowing around you more potent than usual. How does it feel?" Nallorath asked.
Leylin frowned and said, "It's a strange feeling, sometimes something would be disturbing my mind."
He showed no surprise; this was a common physical condition from studying and harnessing arcane energy, even more when arcane energy is being absorbed.
"The path to mastering arcane energy is painful, but mastering powerful arcane energy is a deeply pleasurable experience. This is why some mages are so obsessed with powerful arcane energy." Nallorath looked at Leylin solemnly.
Leylin was well aware of the consequences of this mad obsession with arcane energy.
"I understand, Teacher. I know exactly who is in control," Leylin said seriously.
Magister Nallorath had no choice but to trust Leylin. This was a matter of a mage's self-will. Even though Nallorath was Leylin's mentor, he couldn't influence Leylin's will.
"Don't assume that the process of channeling arcane energy is simple. It tests a mage's character. The magical proficiency a mage requires lies not only in understanding magical knowledge, but also in resisting powerful temptations. As you, my student, have said, we mages are always on the side of controlling magic, not passively being controlled by it. A mage can indulge, but he must not lose his way!" Nallorath instructed his student.
The mentor's words were deeply engraved in Leylin's mind. Leylin was no fool; he knew what to do.
"The temptations you face now are just the tip of the iceberg. When you truly assimilate your body completely into arcane energy, you'll understand the true power of the arcane energy we wield." the teacher said.
For this reason, Leylin deeply understood the importance of a steady, gradual approach to mastery. As a mentor, he had to ensure his student fully adapted to this change, preventing them from being overwhelmed by sudden pleasures.
After discussing these matters, Nallorath shifted the topic to tomorrow's Construct Conference.
"Are you confident you can win first place in the Construct Conference? After all, this construct is the product of the theories and concepts you and Grand Magister Belo'vir have combined."
It was hard to understand how two mages who had never met could communicate. Could they have a magically concocted instant messaging tool?
There wasn't a tool, but a high-level magic that connected the Grand Magister's spiritual world, allowing for easy communication.
"Yes, I'm confident. Although there are potential dangers, I believe Frank will succeed."
"I'm different from Belo'vir. What I care about is not the gold coins, but that staff. This staff has a very high arcane affinity, and it will help you learn the next arcane training. You must get it." Nallorath looked at Leylin meaningfully.
If this staff can help his magic training, then he must get it. But he prefers on either making his own artifact or looking for an artifact to wield.
"I will carefully study the combat techniques of the opponent's construct, and then improve the information written in the magic runes. In the next three days, I will do my best to win the first place." After the competition began, Leylin's construct could not accept the modification of the Grand Magister.
It would be completely cheating to the other contestants, and all changes could only be made through Leylin.
Although Nallorath didn't want to mention this matter, he thought about it for a moment, and finally said it: "Student, you are a student of two great magisters, Belo'vir and me. Your failure does not represent yourself."