Chapter 257: My Name is Ariel
The tower of the Continental Magic Association was like a grey-white sword thrusting straight into the sky of the Royal Capital of Ersten. It had already become the city's most dazzling new landmark.
A faint magical brilliance flowed across the tower's surface. Even at night, it emitted a soft blue light, clearly indicating that special ores had been mixed into the construction materials to give it a lighthouse-like effect.
With the initial rush of busy affairs finally behind him, Rhodes found himself with a rare moment of leisure. He strolled through the streets of the capital, intending to buy some desserts for his elf.
Ever since the tower was built, Serie had moved her room to the very top floor. She had even taken the time to use teleportation magic to return to her old home in the forest, bringing all her magical tomes with her.
Adding those to the ones she had requested from Fidel, she had essentially created a small library at the summit of the tower.
Now, Serie sat amidst these grimoires, looking for all the world like a wise sage, waiting for the first lucky soul to pass the First-Class Mage Exam, appear before her, and request the spell they desired.
As Rhodes passed through an alley filled with stalls selling magical materials, a gentle female voice called out to him from the side.
"Excuse me, sir. May I trouble you for a moment?"
Rhodes stopped and looked in the direction of the voice.
A woman standing next to a stall selling basic mana recovery potions was smiling at him.
She wore a simple traveler's robe, and her rare blue-green hair was tied simply behind her head.
Her face was very ordinary, but it possessed a soft, scholarly gentleness, carrying a perfectly measured smile.
Rhodes paused slightly.
The hair color looked a bit familiar, but upon closer inspection, the face was entirely strange to him. He couldn't find any clear corresponding image in his memory.
Yet, a sense of déjà vu began to surface.
"May I ask, are you a local?" the woman inquired, her voice as gentle and pleasant as her smile. "I am new here and not very familiar with this city. I wanted to ask... to enter that magnificent tower," she raised her hand to point at the distant Magic Association tower, "are there any special procedures required?"
Her phrasing was polite, her tone soft. It made it difficult for anyone to refuse answering her.
Rhodes withdrew his gaze from examining her, smiled, and replied, "The procedures aren't complicated. As long as you are a mage with sufficient talent and can pass the basic entrance exam, you can freely enter and exit the first-floor public area of the tower."
"If you want to gain higher authority and use the deeper facilities, you will need to participate in higher-level magic exams."
Rhodes thought for a moment, then threw out a condition that would be extremely tempting to most mages. "Furthermore, if you perform exceptionally well in the exams and become a First-Class Mage, not only can you receive personal guidance from the Saint, Serie, but she will also grant you any one spell you desire."
This was an offer no mage could refuse.
Serie the Saint. The strongest mage on the continent today, and a legendary figure who had lived since the Mythical Era.
More critically, she was a close comrade of the God-slayer Rhodes, the founder of human magic.
Rhodes had created countless spells for humanity. As his close comrade, it wouldn't be strange for Serie to possess not only those spells but also lost magics that had never been passed down.
Thus, this condition attracted many mages to take the exam.
However, the bar Serie set was incredibly high. Let alone First-Class Mages, there were very few who even passed the Second-Class Mage exam.
Rhodes estimated that Serie would likely have to wait several years before encountering the first lucky person to pass the First-Class exam.
Therefore, Rhodes subconsciously assumed the blue-green haired woman before him was a mage looking to take the test.
However, contrary to his expectations, when the woman heard the name "Serie," there was not a ripple of emotion in her eyes. It was as if she had absolutely no interest in that offer.
Clearly, her attention lay elsewhere.
"I see. Thank you for informing me," she nodded gently, then followed up with a slightly eager question. "Then, may I ask what level is required to enter the library inside the tower? I heard it houses most of the magical collection from the Ersten Royal Museum. I am very interested in such ancient knowledge."
A flash of imperceptible surprise crossed Rhodes's eyes.
To show his support, Fidel had indeed moved nearly a thousand years of the Royal Family's magical collection into the Association.
Part of it had been moved to the top of the tower by Serie, where she researched it day and night.
The remaining part was placed in the middle section of the tower as a magical library for mages to study.
Not many people knew about this arrangement, yet this seemingly ordinary woman was surprisingly well-informed.
Moreover, her complete lack of interest in Serie contrasted sharply with her intense focus on the library.
But Rhodes didn't think too much of it. After all, there were mages who preferred researching ancient magical knowledge over gaining power. He had seen the type before.
Like a certain someone who treated his discarded manuscripts as research subjects.
"The clearance required for the library is higher," Rhodes mused. "You need to pass at least the Second-Class Mage exam to gain the right to freely enter and read the books."
"Furthermore, some of the more precious or dangerous spells aren't in the library, but at the top of the tower. You can only view and research those after passing the First-Class Mage exam and obtaining Serie's permission."
"The baseline is Second-Class Mage... I understand," the woman repeated softly, as if memorizing a goal.
A grateful smile appeared on her face. "Thank you very much. You have been a great help."
"It was nothing." Rhodes looked at her, that strange feeling surfacing in his heart again.
Driven by an inexplicable intuition, he asked, "If I may ask, what should I call you?"
The woman seemed to hesitate for a moment before smiling and answering, "My name is Ariel. It is a pleasure to meet you, sir."
Ariel...
The name rang no bells. Rhodes suppressed the suspicion in his heart and kept his expression impassive.
As if to ease the slight awkwardness of the sudden name inquiry—or perhaps to integrate more naturally into the conversation—Ariel returned the question with just the right amount of curiosity. "And you, sir? How may I address you?"
"Rhodes." Rhodes stated his name calmly, his eyes carefully observing her reaction.
Immediately, a perfectly measured look of surprise appeared on Ariel's face. Her eyes widened slightly, and she spoke in a tone mixed with gentle wonder. "Rhodes? You share the same name as the legendary God-slayer! What a wonderful coincidence."
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