章 29: Reforged Chapter 29: The Old Man's Bet
The scene was peculiar.
Surrounded by a crowd of well-dressed individuals, a young man wearing coarse linen clothes received an arcane badge, a symbol of honor and status, from the kingdom's most powerful mage, Medivh.
The stark contrast was unbearable for the noble-born magic apprentices. They wished they could avert their eyes, but etiquette demanded they not lower their heads, as it would not only be disrespectful to Duke, but also to Medivh, who was presenting the badge.
Applause erupted around them. Whether it was genuine congratulations or envy and resentment, the clapping was enthusiastic.
"Congratulations, Lord Marcus!"
"Congratulations, congratulations!"
Flattering words filled the air. As a newly recognized mage, Duke's treatment had improved significantly. Almost everyone put on a smile, acting as if the previous questioning and insults were merely Duke's hallucinations.
"Duke, you're still young. The adult world can be terrible sometimes. You'll get used to it," Medivh said with a gentle smile. A clever attendant promptly brought over a wine glass filled with exquisite wine. Originally intended to celebrate the birth of the Royal Academy of Magic's top apprentice, the glass was now offered with perfect timing, despite the reduced significance of the occasion.
As Duke mechanically picked up the glass, Medivh took the initiative to clink glasses with him, then drained his own in one gulp.
With Medivh's appreciation for Duke apparent to all those around, the court archmage's respect was an honor few could hope to attain.
"Gentlemen and ladies, I have much to attend to, so I must take my leave." With that, Medivh departed gracefully.
As a court archmage held in high regard by the king, Medivh continued to fulfill his duties of supporting the monarch. In Duke's known timeline, this was Medivh's busiest and most active period.
However, it was unclear whether it was Sargeras or Medivh's own will that had just been present, or even if it was Medivh's will under Sargeras's mental suggestion. After all, a dual-soul existence was the most complicated.
But did this count as 'showing off and then running away, so exciting!'?
Or was it, 'the boss was forced to show off in front of me and then run away, even more exciting!'?
Thinking of this, Duke's blood began to boil unconsciously.
He hadn't expected that one day he would use a super-villain boss as a human shield... Duke suddenly realized he seemed to have awakened some kind of thrill-seeking evil attribute.
What followed had little to do with Duke.
A man who appeared to be a host announced, "Now it's time for the apprentices and mentors to choose each other. This year, according to academy regulations, the mentors who must recruit magic apprentices are..."
The host babbled on about a lot of things unrelated to Duke. In fact, this mutual selection process reminded Duke of a job fair. However, since Duke had even rejected Medivh, no mage would shamelessly approach him.
It seemed that in previous years there was a ceremony for the top magic apprentice, but now that Duke had become an archmage of earth, that step was skipped.
With Duke stealing the show, the other apprentices and mages wouldn't embarrass themselves. They dispersed quickly.
It wasn't until then that Daniel and Itana, who had arrived with Duke, approached.
"Congratulations, Duke... uh, Lord Marcus," said Daniel, who seemed a bit hesitant to meet Duke's gaze, along with Itana.
"Just call me Duke."
Daniel hesitated for a moment before continuing, "Duke... We've talked to Master Norton, and we've decided to become his apprentices."
Suddenly, Itana looked up. The freckled young girl seemed to muster great courage as she spoke, "Duke, why don't we all ask Master Norton to take us on? After all, he's the one who discovered you. We could..."
Duke raised a finger, silencing Itana before she could continue.
Duke thought to himself: If old Norton was willing to take me on, he would have come by now. Perhaps he's grown timid with age.
Duke didn't blame Master Norton; after all, not everyone has the potential and luck to become a hero. However, it was the struggles of countless ordinary people against fate that composed one epic event after another.
"Everyone has their own position, and besides, the path I walk is quite different from yours. You two should study well under Master Norton, and if there are any opportunities, I'll look out for you."
The two youngsters nodded, not quite understanding.
After everyone had dispersed, Duke asked a servant for directions, and under their guidance, he walked through a long marble corridor, past numerous paintings of people watching him, and finally knocked on Master Norton's door.
Opening the door was an ordinary second-year female apprentice named Sasha, who had linen-colored hair and light brown eyes. Upon seeing Duke, she gave a kind smile.
In a soft voice, she said, "I knew you'd come. Master Norton has always hoped you would visit. He's not a bad person, just overly cautious."
After quickly finishing her statement, Sasha raised her voice, "Welcome, Duke Marcus! Master has some free time. Please come in."
Duke nodded with a smile, and confidently entered the room.
Perhaps it was just a temporary room for recruiting apprentices, but the room was quite different from what Duke had imagined. It wasn't a mage's room but rather resembled a noble's parlor.
There was a white, rectangular oak table with nothing on it except for ornate, gold curved borders along the edges. A red velvet cushioned chair was placed in front of the table, where apprentices could comfortably converse with the master.
The master's chair was a bit flashy, with two arcane energy-infused crystal spheres emitting a soft glow atop the high-backed seat. This was probably meant to showcase Master Norton's area of expertise – the arcane.
However, Master Norton wasn't seated; instead, he stood with his back to the door, gazing out the room's large window at the verdant scenery of the academy. The old man seemed to be sighing.
"I'm sorry for causing you trouble," Duke said first.
"Sigh," the old man let out a long breath, "Although you've been nothing but trouble since I first laid eyes on you, I never imagined you'd be this much of a handful."
"Do you regret it?" Duke asked with a smile.
"If I truly regretted it, I wouldn't even have let you into this room."
"Then you..."
"I've decided to take a gamble!"
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