One month passed swiftly.
In the public Botanical Garden, Locke completed the handover with Hughes Kaufman, a First-Class Wizard Apprentice who had arrived earlier than expected. Originally, they weren't supposed to meet, but Hughes had come half a day early to the five-hundred-acre public Magical Field area under Locke's care.
Hughes glanced around the field, his eyes gleaming with surprise. He hadn't expected a newly promoted First-Class Wizard Apprentice to manage the Magical Field so well.
A Second-Class Wizard Apprentice from the public Botanical Garden looked at Hughes Kaufman in astonishment. "Master Kaufman, why are you here? The handover was scheduled for tomorrow..."
Hughes Kaufman waved his hand dismissively, sending the assistant away, then approached Locke with a smile. "Hello, I'm Hughes Kaufman. My Wizard Mentor is Harun Vera."
"Specialized in Transfiguration and Botanical Spells, a certified Breeder." Hughes Kaufman was a refined middle-aged man who appeared to be in his thirties, exuding shrewdness with a hint of warmth in his smiling eyes. He seemed like a rather traditional White Wizard, dressed in a pale Wizard robe adorned with blue stripes on the shoulders and a white Wizard Hat. To Locke's current perception, his Mana was indeed unfathomable—impossible to gauge his true level.
Unlike the Third-Class or Second-Class Wizard Apprentice stages, the disparity among First-Class Wizard Apprentices was immense.
A newly promoted First-Class Wizard Apprentice might have just over two hundred units of Mana, while those who had been at this stage for over a decade could possess five or six hundred.
And that was just in terms of Mana. The gap in knowledge, Spell experience, and the number of certifications between them could be even more significant.
This was also why Locke had enjoyed relative peace in the public Botanical Garden.
In the eyes of others, his foundation was insufficient—lacking years of accumulated experience and refinement. He hadn't yet reached the level where meaningful exchanges could take place.
After all, cases like Sophia, the Wood Element's [Child of Elements], who advanced rapidly, were exceedingly rare.
One could only say that Children of Elements were born prodigies.
Unable to discern Hughes Kaufman's true depth, Locke simply nodded slightly and gave a brief introduction of himself.
Hughes Kaufman's eyes brightened. "Augustine, you've taken great care of these Magical Fields. How about we partner up in the future?"
Locke was puzzled. "Partner?"
He quickly understood. "You mean we work together to maintain these five hundred acres of public Magical Fields, choosing the same plots for our mandatory academy labor from now on?"
Hughes Kaufman chuckled. "As expected of someone who became a First-Class Wizard Apprentice in just two years. You're sharp."
"There's indeed some deeper undercurrents within these public Magical Fields."
"You've seen it yourself—First Class Wizard Apprentices can't provide free labor for the academy indefinitely. They have their own affairs to attend to. So when it comes to tending the public Magical Fields for the academy, they can usually only spare a few months each year. As a result, the same section of a Magical Field is often cared for by several First Class Wizard Apprentices."
"Some First Class Wizard Apprentices tend the public Magical Fields as unpaid labor, while others are hired by the academy with Magic Stones specifically for this purpose. Of course, there are also rare cases where someone owes the academy money and has to repay it through labor."
Hughes Kaufman said, "This creates certain problems."
"For example, the previous First Class Wizard Apprentice responsible for this section of the Magical Field might not have taken the job seriously, allowing the soil to degrade in magical potency—barely enough to keep the Magic Plants alive."
"But the Magic Plants are in poor condition and could easily die off entirely by next month."
"When someone is only responsible for short-term tasks, they tend to overlook the long-term benefits of their work."
"However, this only increases the difficulty of our work next month," Hughes Kaufman chuckled. "That's why we usually form teams, inviting reliable First Class Wizard Apprentices to jointly tend specific Magical Fields."
"The area you're currently tending is one of the Magical Fields our group regularly cares for."
Hughes Kaufman praised, "Augustine, you've done an excellent job."
"It seems you've put in a lot of effort. I was a bit worried at first."
"How about joining our team? There are two other First Class Wizard Apprentices in our group, both certified Breeders."
Locke nodded. No wonder this senior First Class Wizard Apprentice had sought him out—it was for this reason.
This would indeed create a shared interest between them.
Wizards were pragmatic. Once such an interest was established, they would inevitably attempt to engage.
Locke pondered for a moment. "I can join temporarily."
"But I'll need some time to consider."
Hughes Kaufman immediately understood Locke's concern and smiled. "No problem. Our group consists of experienced Breeders—we won't add to your workload."
Hughes gave Locke a surprised glance. Newly promoted First Class Wizard Apprentices rarely expressed distrust toward senior ones.
It seemed this newcomer must have some unique strengths.
Hughes Kaufman continued, "Augustine, you haven't joined any societies yet, have you? First Class Wizard Apprentices in Lilith's Cottage often form their own societies, joining each other's groups to exchange information or, like in our case, create new societies for shared interests."
"Senior First Class Wizard Apprentices typically join over a dozen societies."
"Societies are where First Class Wizard Apprentices in Lilith's Cottage communicate and interact—they're the primary way we build relationships."
Hughes Kaufman smiled. "Once you become more familiar with everyone, you'll soon join more societies. For now, I'd like to invite you to the society I founded—the Kaufman Public Magical Field Breeding Society."
Hughes handed Locke a letter. "This has our club's address, though there's really no need to go there. None of us usually do."
"First Class Wizard Apprentices are all quite busy."
"But we do leave notes in that clubroom about when each of us will be fulfilling our mandatory service hours for the year. You can leave yours there too."
"This way we can better coordinate which months we'll each be performing our obligatory labor in the academy's public plantations."
Hughes Kaufman raised a finger and said, "The reason I formed this club was because when I first became a First Class Wizard Apprentice, I encountered a truly despicable situation..."
"He poured... Grass Spirit Essence Gel into the Magical Field."
Having studied Potionology for over two years, Locke immediately responded, "Grass Spirit Essence? That substance should have been banned long ago. While it can eliminate weeds and diseases in Magical Fields while enhancing the vitality of Magic Plants, it pollutes the soil, causing [Wood element caking], resulting in semi-permanent contamination of the Magical Field..."
Unlike ordinary Breeders, Locke had some knowledge of Potionology, and Grass Spirit Essence Gel was one of its creations. Yet despite its severe side effects, some Breeders still used it.
Hughes Kaufman looked at Locke in surprise. "You're quite knowledgeable about this—saves me the explanation. Exactly, the First Class Wizard Apprentice before me, to save himself trouble, actually poured Grass Spirit Essence into the Magical Field. The deterioration happened during my month of responsibility, causing entire patches of Magic Plants to die..."
Hughes Kaufman's expression darkened, as if recalling something unpleasant. "In the end, I became the scapegoat because his Wizard Mentor was more influential and powerful than mine."
"The compensation alone nearly ruined me. Fortunately, the academy didn't make me pay for all the damages, and I managed to salvage two-thirds of the Magic Plants."
"That's why I founded this club—to prevent such things from happening again. Joining would benefit both of us."
"Augustine, you're a trustworthy Breeder... Assistant."
Locke curled his lip. Breeder was Breeder—why bother adding "Assistant"?
Whatever.
Locke didn't feel like arguing with Hughes Kaufman over the title. These First Class Wizard Apprentices had been stuck at this stage for so long that they'd become nitpicky, obsessing over every little distinction in rank.
If it were Sophia the Witch, she probably wouldn't care whether someone was a Breeder Assistant or a Breeder—she'd just call them all Breeders.
After all, she believed these were all just transitional steps toward becoming a Senior Breeder.
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