"Precisely. I intend to become a magical farmer," Kenley nodded.

  "Surely you jest! You've ascended to the rank of a third-rank magician within merely half a month, and now you're telling me that you wish to become a magical farmer? This is preposterous!" Green promptly closed the distance between them, coming so close that her chest was almost touching Kenley.

  Tia offered a gentle smile and stepped in front of Green."Dear Lady Green, my master has his own plans. Please refrain from being overly agitated."

  "Teacher, please calm down! I assure you, I will apply myself diligently to the study of combat magic. However, I have my own objectives and necessities for learning life magic," Kenley said, beads of sweat forming on his forehead.

  "Very well." She suddenly spun around and addressed Puffman,"Puffman, I'm taking this student under my wing. Bring forth all your life magic tomes. I want him to have the freedom to choose at will. And don't try any tricks on me. I'm well aware of the value of these magical arts."

  Puffman seemed to have long been accustomed to Green's temperament. He remained unperturbed and instead regarded Kenley with a genial smile."Kenley, I have a modest request. I'd like to assess your magical aptitude. Once you've learned the Rain Summoning spell, would you be willing to demonstrate it on the spot?"

  Kenley nodded."Certainly, Mr. President."

  "On the second floor, you'll find the books you seek on the tenth and seventeenth bookshelves."

  Kenley expressed his gratitude and then led Tia away.

  After the pair had departed...

  "What, do you intend to test him?" Green inquired, intrigued.

  Puffman suddenly proposed,"Green, I'd like to make a wager with you."

  "A wager? On what?" Green's eyes betrayed a hint of wariness.

  "On this student's talent."

  "Talent? Elaborate."

  "I bet that his talent is such that he can attain the rank of a Saint Magician," Puffman said, narrowing his eyes.

  Green's mouth fell open in shock."Are you out of your mind, Puffman? Did that incident forty years ago drive you mad? Why can't you let it go?"

  "What, are you averse to making the bet?"

  Green cast a glance at Kenley and then continued,"Puffman, it's not that I doubt his talent, but becoming a Saint Magician is an arduous feat. Your own talent is undeniable, Puffman, yet what was the outcome? Excluding that monstrosity in the Ice Source Spire of the North, how many have achieved this exalted rank throughout history? I believe he has the potential to become a Silver-level magician, but the notion of him becoming a Saint Magician is beyond my comprehension."

  Furthermore, there was something Green refrained from mentioning. This fellow was likely a descendant of Wilk. How could the scion of a Sword Saint possibly become a Saint Magician? Not to mention that he was attempting to master magic concurrently. It was inconceivable that he could divide his energies in such a manner. She believed that Kenley possessed the potential to become a Sword Saint, but the prospect of him also becoming a Saint Magician—dual sainthood—was not merely difficult; it was insurmountable.

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  "You don't believe it?" Puffman persisted.

  "So, what are the terms of this wager?"

  "I bet that he can master the Rain Summoning spell on the very first day of learning it."

  "That's utterly impossible!" Green retorted immediately."While the Rain Summoning spell may not be an overly powerful incantation, it still demands time for accumulation and refinement. Recall that individual from the Northern Icefield. It took him an entire year to reach the master level of the Rain Summoning spell, and even attaining proficiency took him a month. I might believe that the lad could get a basic grasp on the first day, but mastering it? That's out of the question."

  "Green, you place too much trust in your intuition," Puffman shook his head.

  "Explain yourself," Green furrowed her brow, as if sensing something amiss. Puffman, as the president of the Magic Association and the most authoritative figure in Marlen Imperial City regarding the study of magic, carried considerable weight with his words.

  "Do you know what that young lad accomplished on his first day at the Magician Association?"

  "What did he do?" Green couldn't help but be curious, intrigued by Puffman's evasiveness.

  "On his first day, he mastered my inherited spell,[Imprisonment of the Ice King]," Puffman revealed.

  "What?!!!" Green exclaimed, her eyes wide with disbelief.

  "You're pulling my leg!"

  "When have I ever told a falsehood, Green?" Puffman reclined in his rattan chair, exuding an air of calm confidence.

  "Then you must be hallucinating, you old fool. You're spouting such nonsense out of an excess of fondness for his abilities," Green said, her face etched with incredulity.

  "Let's wait and see, Green."

  "While I too hold that young man in high regard, I won't coddle him like you. Just you wait, Puffman." With that, Green moved to another chair and seated herself.

  Time slipped by, and it was unclear how much had elapsed.

  "Master, these are the sixteen books," Tia said as she assisted Kenley in searching for the tomes and then placed them on the table where he was seated.

  Life magic was somewhat analogous to the swordplay of melee classes, divided into four distinct stages: novice, proficient, expert, and master.

  However, for players to acquire life magic, they were required to purchase magical books, studying all those corresponding to the four stages. With sufficient funds, Kenley could directly attain the highest level of proficiency.

  Ordinarily, mastering all four life magic disciplines would cost at least 32 gold coins, with each book priced at 2 gold coins. But now, with Green covering the expenses, he had saved a substantial sum.

  Nevertheless, Kenley was loath to arouse Tia's suspicion. Although he could rapidly absorb and activate the knowledge from these sixteen books within the system, he instead opted to sit down and peruse them in earnest.

  "Thank you for your efforts, Tia," Kenley smiled warmly as he began to leaf through the sixteen books one by one.

  Simultaneously, the system interface materialized.

  The life magic system was a distinct branch of the magician's skill tree, separate from combat magic.

  [Life Magic: Rain Summoning]

  [Effect: Elicit rainfall within a specified area (minimum magic rank requirement: third rank). Novice level: within a radius of 100 meters / Proficient level: within a radius of 1 kilometer / Expert level: within a radius of ten kilometers / Master level: within a radius of fifty kilometers.]

  A radius of fifty kilometers was an expansive area for rainfall, encompassing the entirety of Marlen Imperial City and even the surrounding towns. A small settlement like Deshalin would be well within its reach.

  However, in the real world of the Aud Continent, as the president had previously mentioned, the Rain Summoning spell was a magic that demanded significant time for practice. Many magic apprentices remained stagnant at the novice level for years, unable to grasp such a vast scope of application overnight.

  Even the most gifted Saint Magician from the Northern Icefield had spent an entire year honing the Rain Summoning spell to the master level.

  Kenley flipped through the books one after another. Then, a glimmer of excitement flashed in his eyes.

  He smiled subtly and closed the final book."I've finished reviewing them all, Tia. Let's be on our way."

  "Master, but I've barely finished half of them," Tia protested. She too was eager to learn and had been taken aback by Kenley's rapid progress.

  "We can obtain copies from the president and study them at our leisure later," Kenley reassured her.

  "All right, Master!" Tia beamed brightly.