章 142: Q&A
Translator: Cinder Translations
...
Ladia asked, "So, how do you plan to deal with me now?"
Paul, stroking his chin, looked at the female advisor. "Deal with you? Why use such a cold term?"
The female advisor smiled bitterly. "Isn't it the practice advocated by the church to tie up witches and burn them?"
Paul stood up suddenly. "You saved the lives of many of us. I'm not an ungrateful person. I won't burn you, no matter what."
Ladia's suspended heart eased a little, relieved that her initial choice was not wrong.
"Thank you, Earl Grayman."
"It's what I should do. Do you remember our conversation under the moonlight when you first came to Alden Town? What did I say at the time?—An animal, as long as it looks like a donkey, walks like a donkey, and even sounds like a donkey, then it's a donkey—Oh, sorry, I was just making an analogy."
He suddenly realized that the analogy might not be appropriate for the beautiful woman sitting in front of him, who was, in fact, a witch.
The female advisor burst into laughter. "This analogy is really refreshing."
Paul and Austin exchanged a glance, feeling a sense of closeness between them and the female advisor.
"Anyway, I hope we live in an enlightened era. Your identity will be kept confidential for the time being. I also hope you can continue to live and work here as a consultant to the Council, just like before."
"Aren't you afraid of the consequences if the Church finds out?"
"From my investigation, there is no explicit law requiring witches or wizards to be handed over to the Church or burned once discovered. Previous incidents have almost always relied on the 'self-awareness' of the people and those in power, although this 'self-awareness' is born out of their own ignorance and the manipulation and coercion of the Church."
Paul remembered when he first created the rifle, Dean Leonard and Father Anderson came to investigate him for suspicion of witchcraft, and he was frightened by their mention of the religious tribunal.
Ladia was surprised by Earl Grayman's disdain for the Church in his tone.
Paul continued, "However, given what happened this time, I must have a comprehensive understanding of mysterious groups like witches or wizards. I hope you can answer some of my questions truthfully."
"Of course, Lord Grayman, I will tell you everything I know, but I don't want to reveal information about other witches."
"I won't let you betray your comrades. So let's start."
Paul gave her a reassuring look and then began to ask questions.
"Ordinary people call you witches, but you said you prefer to call yourselves wizards. These two terms sound very similar. What's the difference?"
"There's no difference. Both terms refer to the same group of people. It's just that the church likes to use the term 'witch' when demonizing us, and over time, this term has acquired negative connotations. After it became widely circulated among the people, it inevitably affected us as well, especially since most wizards come from the common people. So we prefer to call ourselves 'wizards' to distinguish ourselves from the evil and corrupt image in the minds of the masses."
"How do you obtain or inherit these strange abilities, uh...magic?"
"Once a person becomes a true wizard, they have the qualification to take on apprentices. If they are willing, they will seek out qualified children in the common folk and impart knowledge of magic to them. Those who have just started learning magic are called apprentices. Only after their abilities are recognized by their mentors can they qualify as wizards."
"How did you become a wizard?"
"I met my mentor when I was six years old, and she taught me the knowledge of arcane magic. I'm sorry, but I can't say more about my mentor."
"Well, when you seek out apprentices, do they or their parents not mind your identity? After all, the image of wizards among the common people..."
"Given the unfavorable image of wizards in folklore, we first establish long-term contact with our targets and get to know each other. We only reveal our identity at the appropriate time. If the other party is interested, then we may take them as apprentices. Some wizards spend their whole lives searching for successors. However, there are also a few evil wizards who may resort to unsavory means to coerce or manipulate others into becoming their apprentices. Additionally, there are ordinary people who actively seek out, engage with, and learn magic for various special purposes."
"Special purposes?"
"Wealth, power, revenge, and so on."
"What kind of magic do you possess?"
"We have spells for direct attacks, like the 'fireball' that people often associate with wizards. There are also spells to manipulate minds, inducing illusions or subconscious obedience to the wizard's commands, although the conditions for casting such spells are extremely stringent. Furthermore, there are spells to enhance physical abilities, such as the one used by the wizard in this incident, granting immense strength and invulnerability."
"Enhanced physical abilities? Immense strength?"
Suddenly, Austin thought of something and asked, "Can you create magical potions with effects?"
Ladia nodded, confirming, "Some wizards who are also proficient in alchemy can create magical potions. The strength of the effects depends on the wizard's skill level."
Paul and Austin had previously mentioned that the wizard who intercepted them claimed that Jaden was his underling. This made things clear—the mysterious drugs taken by the pirates were provided by this wizard. The rapid rise of the Jaden Pirate Crew was inseparable from the support of this wizard.
"How powerful are you? How many ordinary people can a wizard deal with?"
"Sir, it's hard to say. Magic is not just for combat. Many wizards are even considered to have no combat capability. If you're talking about wizards specializing in combat, a novice wizard who has just started may be taken down by an ordinary person if they don't know certain targeted spells or are not proficient in magic. However, as their spellcasting proficiency and combat experience increase, they may gradually be able to handle multiple opponents alone. However, knights trained from childhood and experienced veterans can easily deal with large groups of ordinary people. Ultimately, besides being able to cast mysterious magic, we're not much different from ordinary people."
"The guy we encountered doesn't seem to think so, his words were full of superiority."
Ladia fell silent for a moment before saying, "Indeed, some wizards consider themselves superior to ordinary people. However, sir, such people exist in every group. Please forgive my presumption, but don't most nobles also believe that their bloodline is nobler than that of commoners?"
"Hmm!" Austin cleared his throat, reminding her that her words were too harsh.
Paul wasn't angry, just a bit embarrassed. "Uh... not all nobles think that way. What's the level of this guy we encountered among combat-specialized wizards?"
Ladia frowned slightly. "Very strong. He should be the most proficient in close combat among the wizards I know. However, if it weren't for my inconvenience these past few days... it wouldn't have been so embarrassing!"
Paul didn't quite catch what she said later. "Hmm? What inconvenience?"
The female advisor's face blushed slightly. "It's nothing, sir. Do you have any other questions?"
"Ah, not for now. I'll ask if I think of any later."
Paul approached her with a smile. "Miss Ladia, it seems you have another identity now—my mysterious studies advisor. How do you feel about that?"
Ladia looked up and stared into his eyes as if probing his heart.
After a long while, the female advisor responded softly, "I'm very willing, my lord."
(End of the Chapter)
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