Chapter 255: My name is Ariel
The tower of the Continental Magic Association, like a gray-white sword, pierces the sky above the capital of El, becoming the city's most dazzling new landmark.
The tower emanated a faint magical glow, a pale blue light visible even at night. Clearly, the tower's building materials contained certain special minerals, allowing it to function like a lighthouse.
With the initial busyness coming to an end, Kurtz finally had a moment of leisure. He strolled through the streets of the capital, preparing to bring back some sweets for his elven mistress.
Since the tower was built, the elf lady has moved her room to the top of the tower, and even took the time to use teleportation magic to go back to her old home in the forest and bring all the magic books there with her. In addition, with the money they got from Fidel, they built a small library almost at the top of the tower.
Then Serie sat among these spellbooks, looking every bit the wise woman, waiting for the lucky one who had passed the Level 1 Mage exam for the first time to appear before her and ask for the spell they wanted.
Just as he was walking through an alley lined with stalls selling magical materials, a gentle female voice called out to him from the side.
"Excuse me, sir."
Kurtz stopped and looked toward the sound.
He saw a woman standing next to a stall selling basic mana restoration potions, smiling at him. The other person was dressed in a simple traveler's robe and had a rare head of long blue-green hair tied back. She had an ordinary face, but with a gentle, scholarly air, and a perfectly timed smile.
Kurtz was slightly taken aback. The hair color looks familiar, but upon closer inspection, the face is unfamiliar, and he couldn't recall any clear matching image in his memory. A sense of déjà vu began to emerge.
"Excuse me, are you a local?" the woman asked, her voice as gentle and pleasant as her smile. "I'm new here and not very familiar with this city. I'd like to ask...to enter that magnificent tower," she gestured toward the distant Magic Association tower, "is there any special procedure required?"
Her wording was polite, and her tone was gentle, making it difficult for anyone to refuse to answer.
Kurtz withdrew his gaze from her, smiled, and replied, "The procedures aren't complicated. As long as you're a mage and possess sufficient talent, you can freely enter and exit the first-floor public area of the tower after passing the basic entry assessment."
He paused before continuing. "To gain higher privileges and access to deeper facilities, one needs to participate in a higher-level magic assessment."
After a moment's thought, Kurtz offered a condition that was extremely tempting to most mages: "Moreover, if you perform exceptionally well in the assessment and become a first-level mage, you will not only receive personal guidance from the elven saint Serie, but she will also bestow upon you a spell you desire."
This is a condition that no magician can refuse.
Serie, the elven saint, is the most powerful magician on the continent today and a legendary figure who has lived from the age of mythology to the present. More importantly, she is a close ally of Kurtz, the progenitor of human magic and the god-slayer.
Kurtz the Godslayer created countless spells for humanity, and it's not surprising that Serie, his close ally, not only possesses these spells but also those that haven't been passed down.
Therefore, this condition attracted many magicians to participate in the assessment. However, Serie set extremely high requirements; not to mention first-level mages, very few people even passed the second-level mage exam.
Kurtz estimated that it would probably be several years before Serie met the first lucky person to pass the Level 1 Magician exam.
Therefore, Kurtz subconsciously regarded the woman with blue-green hair before him as a magician who wished to participate in the assessment.
However, to his surprise, the woman showed no change in her eyes when she heard the name "Serie," as if she had no interest in the offer whatsoever. Her attention lay elsewhere.
"I see, thank you for letting me know." She nodded gently, then asked with a hint of eagerness, "Then, what level is required to enter the library inside the tower? I've heard that it houses most of the magical books from the Royal Museum of El, and I'm very interested in this ancient knowledge."
A barely perceptible look of surprise flashed in Kurtz's eyes.
To show his support, Fidel actually moved almost the entire royal collection of magical books, which had been stored for nearly a thousand years, to the association.
Some of them were moved to the top of the tower by Serie, who then studied them day and night. The remaining portion was placed in the middle section of the tower as a magic library for the magicians to study.
Not many people know about this, but this seemingly ordinary woman is surprisingly well-informed.
Moreover, her complete lack of interest in Serie contrasted sharply with her intense interest in the library. Kurtz tilted his head slightly, studying her with renewed attention.
However, he didn't dwell on it. After all, there were always mages who preferred to study ancient magical knowledge. For example, there was a guy who treated his discarded manuscripts as research subjects.
"The access requirements for the library are higher," Kurtz pondered. "At least a Level 2 mage assessment is required to gain the right to enter and read the books freely."
He continued, his tone measured. "Furthermore, some of the most precious or dangerous magic is not in the library, but at the top of the tower. Only those who pass the Level One Mage exam and receive Serie's permission can view and study it."
"The most basic requirement is a level two mage... I understand." The woman repeated softly, as if silently memorizing this goal. A grateful smile appeared on her face. "Thank you so much, you've been a great help."
"It was nothing." Kurtz looked at her, and that strange feeling resurfaced in his heart.
Driven by some inexplicable intuition, he asked, "Excuse me, but how should I address you?"
The woman seemed to hesitate for a moment before smiling and replying, "My name is Ariel. It's a pleasure to meet you, sir."
Ariel...
He had no recollection of the name either. Kurtz suppressed his doubts and kept a straight face.
As if to ease the slight awkwardness of being suddenly asked for her name, or perhaps to join the conversation more naturally, Ariel tilted her head with just the right amount of curiosity and countered, "So, sir, may I ask your name?"
"Kurtz," Kurtz said calmly, his eyes carefully observing the other person's reaction.
Ariel's face immediately showed a perfectly timed look of surprise. She widened her eyes slightly and said in a gentle, amazement-laced tone.
"Kurtz? You share the same name as the legendary Godslayer! What a wonderful coincidence."
[End of Chapter]
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