Chapter 66: Chapter 66: Black and White Wizards
"Before I explain the concept of black and white wizards, I want to ask you something, Richard. How much do you know about wizard society?" Jolord inquired.
Richard was momentarily stunned by the question.
If the question were about the wizarding world's geography or culture, he could at least mention a few things from the Wizard World Almanac. But Jolord asked about wizard society, a topic he, as an apprentice yet to graduate from the wizard academy, knew little about.
Seeing Richard's silent response, Jolord realized his student was clueless about these societal intricacies.
"It seems you know nothing, which is perfect. I'll take this opportunity to introduce you to the structure of wizard society," Jolord said, leading Richard to the desk. He grabbed a sheet of paper, using it as a makeshift chalkboard to illustrate his points.
"Our wizard society is structured like a pyramid."
Jolord drew a triangle on the paper, adding two lines to divide it into sections.
He pointed to the top of the pyramid. "At the very top are the five Truth Wizards who form the Council of Truth. The rules of our wizard academy, the ethical guidelines of the wizarding world, and even the natural protection laws are all issued by the Council of Truth. They are the most powerful among wizards and the leaders of the wizarding world."
Then, Jolord directed his pen to the bottom.
"At the base are billions of commoners. Though they are weak, they are the origin of wizards. Every wizard academy is obligated to protect all commoners within its sphere of influence. No wizard is allowed to use commoners for human experimentation, not even a Grand Wizard."
Jolord moved the pen to the middle of the pyramid, drawing a vertical line to divide it.
"In between are the wizards organized by wizard academies.
Wizards are categorized into Grand Wizards and ordinary wizards. Rings one to three mark ordinary wizards, while wizards above the third ring are Grand Wizards.
Wizard academies are generally of two kinds: those like our Black Tower Wizard Academy, which conduct blood exams, known as black wizard academies, and those that do not, known as white wizard academies. Besides not conducting blood exams, the primary difference is that white wizards focus on group combat, while black wizards emphasize individual prowess and prefer solo battles."
Richard nodded, finding these distinctions easy to grasp.
"But in fact, during the Enlightenment Era, there was no distinction between black and white wizards," Jolord continued after a pause. "If you had to categorize the wizards of that era, they were all black wizards. They were more ruthless than today's black wizards; our so-called blood exams would seem like child's play to them.
Thus, the differentiation between black and white wizards is a product of the Expansion Era.
And you can probably guess who established this distinction."
Richard hesitated before guessing, "The five Truth Wizards?"
Jolord nodded approvingly. "Exactly, the great Truth Wizards.
The Plane Wars brought many changes to the wizarding world. Traditional wizards weren't suited for planar battlefields. Thus, the Truth Wizards, considering the battlefield and other factors, created white wizards and imposed restrictions on traditional wizard training, converting the extreme survival of the fittest into a more tempered blood exam.
Before this, there were no rules against duels within academies. Back then, every moment for an apprentice was about survival and scheming to kill others."
Jolord spoke with a sense of nostalgia, reflecting on how a single decree from the Truth Wizards altered countless destinies.
"From then on, white wizard legions dominated the frontlines, while black wizards lurked in the shadows, handling assassinations, reconnaissance, intelligence gathering, and other covert operations.
There is no hierarchy between the two, just different functions. A successful plane war often requires their cooperation.
This was a transformative change!"
Jolord's voice carried pride. "Since the division of black and white wizards, the pace of planar conquests by the wizarding world accelerated. Worlds that once took centuries to conquer now fell in mere decades. The wizarding world thrived, and Grand Wizards emerged in droves.
Before the division, there were only a few hundred wizard academies. After, the number of Grand Wizards surged to over a thousand within a few eras."
Jolord's excitement grew, his words filled with a fervor for grand narratives.
"Um... Teacher," Richard gently interrupted Jolord, "I'm not sure what you're trying to tell me by explaining all this."
"Ah, nothing much," Jolord said, regaining his composure, a slight embarrassment showing on his face.
Despite his age, Jolord, like many middle-aged men, was captivated by grand narratives—a tendency not even wizards were immune to.
"I wanted to convey that the violence you've experienced isn't just the principal's whim. Don't harbor resentment towards the academy. Frankly, both we and even the Grand Wizards like the principal are merely parts of the wizarding world's machinery.
Only the great Truth Wizards steer the direction."
Hearing this, Richard scratched his head.
He hadn't developed any aversion to the Black Tower Wizard Academy because of the blood exams.
Having lived in this world for over a decade, Richard's mindset had significantly shifted.
Killing had become a routine task.
He was someone who adapted well.
Survival of the fittest, after all.
"I understand, Teacher. If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave," Richard said, excusing himself.
Jolord opened his mouth, but said nothing in the end.
"Alright, you may go."
Back in his room, Richard immediately began studying the secret realm fragment.
Upon probing the crystal ball with his mental power, Richard learned how to use the fragment.
Firstly, the crystal ball given by the Grand Wizard was merely a key, not a sealed fragment.
To enter the fragment, Richard needed to channel magic into the crystal ball, which would open a spatial rift. Passing through this rift would allow him to access the secret realm fragment.
"The principal sure is thorough, even preparing a magic array for charging."
Following the instructions in the crystal ball, Richard used chalk to draw a magic array on the floor. After completing the array, he poured a pile of magic stones from his pouch.
Opening the spatial rift required considerable energy, increasing with the user's strength.
Currently, as a mid-level apprentice, Richard needed fifty magic stones to open the rift once. As a senior apprentice, the cost would rise to a hundred stones, and as a wizard, it would be a thousand.
The Grand Wizard explained that as one's strength increased, their influence on space grew. Without additional energy to stabilize the rift, users might fall into the spatial void and be torn apart by spatial storms.
As the magic drained, a rift appeared before Richard, its edges glowing with a ghostly purple light, the interior pitch-black.
Richard cautiously extended his finger through the rift.
Nothing happened.
"It seems stable."
Holding the crystal ball, Richard carefully stepped through the rift.
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