Knights and Magic Wand
Chapter 752: 352 Magic Apprentice and Alliance City

Chapter 752: Chapter 352 Magic Apprentice and Alliance City

In the open space at the town center, the crowd gathered like ants, buzzing with curiosity and fear as they sized up the knights in black robes standing neatly in the middle of the square.

The knights from Avalon Castle mostly wore ornate winged helmets, wielding long-handled weapons as they stood silently and solemnly beside the legendary Baron Leon.

Although the mayor diligently brought a stylish high-backed chair for the unexpectedly visiting lord, the people noted that the lord did not sit but rather had a handsome knight in a gray-white battle robe with a red eagle emblem hang a strange “iron ball frame” and “helmet” on the back of the chair.

Soon, at the mayor’s call, the town militia gathered every child, between roughly ten to sixteen years old, from both inside and outside the town, regardless of whether they were boys or girls.

Many even noticed that the mayor’s third son, who seemed to be already eighteen or nineteen years old, had somehow shaved his short beard and was slipped into the lineup by the mayor.

No one spoke up to point this out, but it proved that whether the lord’s sudden visit was to select attendants or recruit servants, gathering everyone clearly meant something desirable even the mayor coveted.

However, in this frontier town with a population of less than a thousand, there were at most only eighty children of that age.

Nevertheless, the hundred-person quota seemed to prioritize children of that age group, with replacements being unrestricted; even the town’s old witch doctor, with incomplete teeth, had the chance to stand behind the children, and apart from this, almost all the empty spots were taken by youth from rich households.

If not for the lord prioritizing children of limited age, ordinary tenants would probably never have the chance to get in line.

Tekatu, dressed in coarse linen, stood amidst the dust at the square, with bright eyes that could not hide his excitement.

His gaze fell on the winged helmet knights clad in plate armor, knights forged like steel, too majestic for him to look directly in the eye.

Upon seeing the heroic figures sung by minstrels, Tekatu felt full of envy and excitement.

The boy’s mind started fantasizing about the day he might wear this armor and ride a tall majestic horse.

“The lord has ordered, proceed forward one by one, in sequence!” The mayor commanded loudly to the queue.

At his shout, the rich children at the front, upon seeing the gesture, immediately gulped and kept their heads lowered as they timidly walked towards the chair.

The crowd watched as the knight with the red eagle emblem had magical light glimmering on his fingertips, drawing bright floating patterns in the air while softly calming the boy: “Sit down, don’t be nervous, relax.”

It sparked wondrous discussions among the crowd, amazed by the magical sight.

The round helmet lowered, pressing onto the boy’s head, and soon an indistinct hazy glow shimmered along the grooves of the metallic surface.

The handsome golden-haired knight then shook his head, lifted the round helmet, and looked towards the line.

“…Next one.”

The deliberately groomed rich boy was dejectedly pulled back by the mayor to his disappointed family within the crowd.

The line moved forward slowly as the second child went through the same motions.

The boys and girls behind tightened their faces with curiosity, side glancing, uncertain what the shining knight was actually doing to those who sat.

Tekatu similarly tilted his head, observing the scene ahead momentarily glaring at the glow from the blond knight, suddenly remembering the stories about magic, making his heart beat faster.

The boy then glanced at the emblem patterns on the handsome knight’s attire, his mind flashing the titles of Magic Knight and Avalon Eagle.

Tekatu inhaled deeply, his subtly wandering imagination seemed to grasp something… he tried hard to calm himself, but his wildly racing heart betrayed his inexplicable excitement.

The process upfront, like some sort of ritual, proceeded quickly, with each child stepping forth in turn, only to leave, heads held low.

Dozens of peers sat on that chair consecutively, but none seemed to catch the knight’s eye; finally, it was his turn, Tekatu’s palms sweated.

On pins and needles, he walked over to the chair, cautiously sneaking glances at the beautiful Eagle Knight beside him as the round helmet lowered, Tekatu quickly withdrew his gaze and looked at the other side, at the nearly close Lord towering next to him.

The handsome Baron was indeed as the legends suggested, with hair and eyes, black as night.

His appearance was unique, but his smile was remarkably warm, invoking goodwill… In this moment of reflection, Tekatu relaxed almost involuntarily, closing his eyes to pray to the gods. However, seeing so many rejected ones, he hardly dared to harbor wild hopes.

The sunlight on the square remained radiant, marking a moment of seeming timelessness for Tekatu.

Until a soft sound made him open his eyes.

The boy saw the towering lord bent down, seemingly delighted to say something.

But Tekatu didn’t understand Felu.

“After a month of fussing, we finally found a promising candidate right before departing; I almost lost hope.” Leon sighed towards Acro, who also smiled.

He spoke while aiding the trembling local boy to his feet, thrilled upon glancing at the glowing readings on the detector that met the standard.

Activity level: met, excellent.

Spiritual intensity fluctuation range: met, average.

Magic Element Density: met, poor.

Magic Power Adaptability: met, good…

Plus, roughly three parts purple light with seven parts white light, marking this boy as a standard natural magic qualified.

Earlier, not only were thousands screened around Avalon Castle.

But after a nearly month-long tour of the domain, visiting three or four towns and villages a day, Leon, Kovis, and even Little Brandon as back-up magic power, rotated to drive the detector, likely scanning about ten thousand people, feeling numbed by disappointment toward the end.

Imagining making tens of thousands of draws without seeing even a hint of blue was exhausting, which is what Leon experienced closely.

It’s no wonder that the Warlock Society only had a handful of apprentices and very few qualified magicians over the centuries.

Yet now, equipped with a portable detector that can be used anywhere.

If relying on the fixed large equipment like in the Northern Fortress, the efficiency would be many times lower.

Without externally noticeable awakened talent that can be detected by others, blindly sampling from the crowd just to test would be harder than finding a needle in a haystack.

Like the inconspicuous skinny lad before him, if not for bumping into the selection process, he likely would spend a lifetime tilling the soil without ever knowing he could potentially master magic and lead an entirely different life.

“What is your name?” Leon looked at the dazed boy, asking in Urian.

“Replying to the Lord, my name is… Tekatu.” The boy reverently bowed, wanting to kneel, but Leon’s strong hand held him firmly, unable to bend his knees.

The boy’s body trembled in endurance, already aware from the Baron’s smile that his situation differed from those disqualified peers before him.

“Then, Tekatu, you now have the qualification to proceed to Avalon Castle to study magic. You may not understand the implications yet, but it assures you and your family will definitely have a better life ahead. Would you accept this opportunity?” Leon patiently invited.

“Of course! Sir, I-I-I’m deeply honored!” Tekatu almost cried out in excitement, nearly fainting.

Leon wasn’t surprised by the boy’s answer, as the books mentioned that those with the magic aptitude, rarely exhibited dull thinking; because consciousness lacking mental acuity generally struggled to drive magic power to form magic techniques.