"Rexi."
"Shut up!"
The head, as if grievously wronged, snapped wildly at the air all around it before chewing furiously on nothing.
"That's more like it. Stick with me from now on, and I guarantee you'll live the good life."
Wei'en was now very satisfied with its attitude.
It was worth interrupting his Meditation and wasting a 0.01 Spirit level.
DONG, DONG DONG...
Just then, the bells of Krimms Cathedral rang out.
"Tsk, six o'clock."
This night had been far too long.
Fortunately, he hadn't come away empty-handed.
Not only had he learned Meditation and officially become a Wizard Apprentice of the Ghost Soul School, but he had also acquired a head that could automatically perform Meditation.
"A beautiful day starts with... hmm, an empty stomach."
Wei'en rubbed his belly. He had grown stronger, but he also got hungry more easily.
Worst of all, he was now completely broke...
He could only hope he'd pass his interview today and get an advance on his salary...
'With that in mind,' he pulled a gold pocket watch from around his neck, pressed the button on top, and placed it on the table.
POOF!
After a puff of smoke, the pocket watch had transformed into a large, golden chest.
Then, he began packing the items on his desk into the chest, one by one.
The trophy-shaped "telephone," the oak-based "typewriter," the blue-and-white "automatic exchange machine," the Crystal Ball... as well as the two letters and three scrolls of parchment, and so on.
It was worth mentioning that the Crystal Ball could indeed be used to test his Spirit level.
It just wasn't as comprehensive as the panel system.
It was basically the kind of thing you'd just leave at the bottom of a chest to gather dust...
After packing everything away, Wei'en turned the chest back into a pocket watch, hung it around his neck again, and then picked up his washbasin and towel to clean up.
This pocket watch was the standard-issue toolbox for a Ghost Soul School Intelligence Officer, which his predecessor had received after passing his own interview.
The house he was currently living in also belonged to the Ghost Soul School. Along with the pocket watch, it was considered one of the perks of being an Intelligence Officer.
However, he had to cover all his own living expenses here.
Just as the training officer from the school's Intelligence Department had said during the pre-assignment training his predecessor attended before coming to Caster City State: "The Ghost Soul School is willing to provide a platform for you to grow and succeed. In return, you must put in sufficient effort."
Sounds very humane, doesn't it?
But in reality, Wizard Apprentices were not highly regarded within the Ghost Soul School.
With the exception of a few monstrously talented prodigies, the vast majority of apprentices, and the even greater number of prospective apprentices, were considered nothing more than peripheral members of the School.
The true core was at the Ghost Soul School headquarters—on the distant Northern Continent, in a glacial wasteland called Kovic.
As for Intelligence Officers like Wei'en, there were at least fifteen to twenty thousand of them scattered across the various city-states, responsible for relaying intelligence.
In the training officer's words, "A Wizard's fear stems from the unknown. As long as we know enough, our chances of resolving disasters increase."
It was because of this "cast a wide net" system that every Intelligence Officer had to become a lone wolf, figuring out how to survive in their respective city-states.
Clearly, his predecessor's survival skills were close to absolute zero!
In the several months since arriving in Caster City State, the farthest his predecessor had ever traveled was to the slums three blocks away, and the people he knew best were the father and daughter from the clinic next door.
And all the intelligence he submitted was just gossip he'd overheard at the Red Moon Tavern at the other end of Golden Street.
He only went once every three days, and the reason... was simply that he couldn't bear to part with the 8 pence for a mug of beer.
Sigh. His predecessor's frugal life had left the current Wei'en completely destitute.
But hey, everything was just beginning. It wasn't too late to start now!
After washing up, Wei'en gingerly took out a yew wood box from his wardrobe and removed the meticulously cared-for clothes inside.
This was one of his predecessor's few valuable possessions: a formal suit worth one gold pound, also one of the perks of being an Intelligence Officer.
Its main purpose... uh, was to ensure one looked presentable when being buried.
According to the Ghost Intelligence Department's statistics, fifty percent of Intelligence Officers didn't make it through their first year, so this suit was considered compensation given in advance.
'Good thing I'm not as naive as my predecessor. Clothes are meant to be worn while you're alive. It'd be stupid to wait until you're dead to wear them.'
Like right now—it was perfect for Wei'en to wear to make an impression.
What Wei'en told the Liaison Officer last night about joining the Caster Trade Union Newspaper wasn't a complete lie.
In fact, he had started looking for a job on his second day in this world.
After all, in his current situation, he needed a lot of money to exchange for Wizard knowledge from the Ghost Soul School.
Relying on the daily stipend of 6 pence, he'd likely die of old age before he could save up enough gold pounds to advance to an Official Mage.
Therefore, Wei'en had already found a job that was respectable enough and would alleviate his financial pressure.
And today was the day of his interview!
After getting dressed, Wei'en neatened his hair in the mirror, looking completely refreshed.
'Still pretty handsome.'
He had the typical features of the Salute people.
Black hair, soft facial features, and a well-proportioned figure gave him a unique charm when wearing this Eastern Continent-style gentleman's suit.
Fortunately, Wei'en's skin was swarthy, a shade deeper than bronze, which kept him from looking too delicate.
The head floating above him watched Wei'en's primping, especially his neat and tidy hairstyle... and its eyes couldn't help but reveal a trace of envy.
Unfortunately, it was only a head. It had no hands.
The head shook in frustration for a long while, its bird's nest of a hairstyle remaining stubbornly unchanged. It couldn't help but glare viciously at Wei'en—it was all this two-legged monster's fault for messing up its hair while beating it up!
"Ba... ba..."
"Hmm?"
Wei'en looked up. Seeing the "head" bobbing up and down, its eyes rolling upwards from time to time, he asked puzzledly, "Are you having a seizure?"
"Ba, ba!" The head glared at him, then glanced at the mirror, and finally, its eyes darted upward.
"Me, mirror, up..." Wei'en pondered for a moment. "Are you saying you can possess the mirror?"
"Wuu..."
The head stared at him in surprise for a long moment before closing its eyes in dejection.
"Just kidding. Look at you getting all worked up."
Wei'en gathered Spiritual Power in his hands, styled the head's hair, and then dispersed the power, nodding in satisfaction. "It's my face, handsome as ever."
The head opened its eyes, stole a glance at the mirror, and a wide grin spread across its face as if it had just experienced something wonderful. "A-xi-ba!" (Happy!)
"Why are you cursing at me?"
Wei'en knew it wasn't actually speaking Korean, but the sound definitely brought back some memories.
"Hmm... How about I just call you, Xiaoxi?"
"A-xi-ba."
"Yeah, yeah, I get it, Xiaoxi."
"A-xi-ba!!"