Chapter 67: Traveling Together

Ace smiled and returned Daina’s salute, saying, “Hello, Lesser Wizard Apprentice Daina. I am the Torch-Bearer, Ace.”

Daina, in her Monster Hunter attire, was all smiles. She hung her shield on her back and slid her short sword into the leather sheath. Her leather boots clicked as she entered Ace’s house.

Inside the living room, Daina hung her sword and shield on the wall. Ace waved the servants away.

Daina lowered her voice, speaking with both excitement and respect: “Mr. Ace, I never imagined that you were the one who pioneered the path of Magic! I actually had my suspicions. The Introduction to Wizardry is so logically rigorous; it perfectly matches your style!”

“And, and, who was the Iron Face Man I saw during the covenant? He terrified me!”

Ace looked kindly at the chattering Daina, touched the button that “Emberlight” had been transformed into, and changed into “Iron Face Fire Fist.”

“Congratulations, Daina. You have passed my assessment. We will walk the future path of Magic together.”

“Mr. Ace, you were the Iron Face Man?” Daina’s face fell slightly, but she quickly adjusted her expression and said, “You are too modest. With your wisdom, I hardly qualify to travel alongside you. I would be honored just to follow you!”

“Don’t be overly modest. You are the one I chose. If you are so modest, are you implying that my judgment is flawed?”

Ace spoke with intentional seriousness. He extended his right hand, and Mana surged. He continued speaking to Daina: “Daina, you have studied with me for a while. Now, are you willing to become my disciple?”

Daina listened, then solemnly extended both hands and knelt before Ace. “I am willing, Your Excellency the Great Torch-Bearer!”

“There is no need to be so restrained,” Ace gently helped Daina up. As Peter’s student, Ace was satisfied with Daina’s etiquette.

“The day we forged the covenant at the estate, I hope it didn’t frighten you too much?”

“No, no, not at all! I feel so lucky to have been chosen by you!” Daina smiled on the surface, but inwardly, she roared, I was terrified when we forged the covenant! Why did you have to make it so scary!

Ace waved his hand. A picture appeared in the air, aided by the Spirit of the Book’s trembling cowlick: it was Daina bravely entering the Monster Hunter camp.

“Daina, your courage to venture into the Monster Hunter camp was commendable, but your actions lacked strategy. If I hadn’t been following you, you might have met your end there.”

Ace showed Daina the things she hadn’t perceived at the time while speaking.

Daina’s face flushed with shame and fear. She said gratefully to Ace, “Teacher, you are right. My preparation was indeed insufficient. I was almost captured by a group of wicked people. I am so glad you were there to help me from the shadows.”

“However, your performance did have its highlights. The logical application of the Lesser Magic Missile and the parabola shows that you possess the necessary talent.”

Ace offered Daina a carrot after the stick, praising her abilities.

Daina chatted with Ace with some restraint for a while, then couldn’t help but say with expectation: “Esteemed Teacher Ace, can you teach me more powerful Magic?”

Ace said nothing, merely smiling and looking at Daina. Her expression changed from excitement to frustration, and she finally frowned and asked Ace, “Can’t you?”

“Daina, this is the first lesson I must teach you. We Wizards must respect knowledge, and we must adhere to equivalent exchange. I have already taught you the foundational Magic knowledge. More knowledge has value.

You need to exchange for it through the Grimoire. Of course, once a spell has been exchanged for, I will teach you how to use it without further cost.”

Ace looked at Daina and spoke seriously.

Daina once again deeply understood the strict concepts of knowledge having value and equivalent exchange, which would also become a tradition of Wizardry.

“Teacher Ace, does this mean I can call myself a disciple of the Ace School?” Daina thought for a moment and asked with renewed excitement.

“Of course you can.”

Ace replied with a smile. And every Wizard Apprentice should claim to be my disciple, he added mentally.

Since the conception of the Grimoire, Ace had never intended to create a system plagued by internal strife and “survival of the fittest” selection. That would be utterly foolish. Such a fragile magical power could not afford infighting for survival; it would be destroyed immediately.

Furthermore, how could you trust the “talents” produced by such a selection process? They would be cold, malicious, and wicked, ready to betray you at the first opportunity.

Ace’s purpose was to use the Grimoire to discover new geography, humanities, Monsters, and runes, thereby developing its academic research function. He would cultivate academic talent in a continuous stream, forming an organization, and use the organization and its talent to develop the magical knowledge he desired.

This knowledge-based, academic, and mutual-aid organization, connected by the Grimoire.

Its motto was the pact between Ace and his contractors: “Keep Secrets, Stand Guard Together, Equivalent Exchange, Respect Knowledge, Seek True Knowledge.”

Therefore, he established detailed rules, imposing severe punishment on violating contractors. The Grimoire would use the covenant to strip the violator of their power and wisdom, turning them into an idiot.

Ace’s true goal was to guide the contractors toward the path of fellow travelers, becoming mutually supportive individuals on the path of Magic and sources of clashing ideas.

A few days later, Ace bid farewell to his friends. He drove a carriage, loaded with daily necessities, ordinary medicinal materials, and Daina, heading north.

“Teacher Ace, I just noticed the words ‘Fellow Traveler’ appeared on the sixth page of the Grimoire. What is that?”

Daina poked her head out from the carriage curtain and asked Ace with a smile.

“That is the ability for remote communication. As long as you are within the magical signal coverage area, Fellow Travelers can communicate through text on the Grimoire.”

This was a new ability Ace had updated to Daina’s Grimoire via his own Grimoire. Simple text communication would play a significant role in the future.

Ace himself could communicate with all Grimoire holders through the sixth page. This new ability was primarily designed for Grimoire holders to communicate with each other. Due to the limits of the magical signal, each person could have a maximum of three Fellow Travelers.

Daina successfully became a Fellow Traveler with Ace, which made her very happy.

Along the way, Ace had Daina hunt several Monsters. The Monsters and runes she discovered were duplicates of those already found, but as her self-discovered runes and rune structures, they could be directly recorded in her Grimoire. Ace was training her bit by bit, hoping she could become self-reliant in the future.

As it approached afternoon, they stopped near a small village.

“Good day, old man. I am a city-state scholar. I am heading north and am passing by your esteemed village. Could we possibly lodge at your home?”

Ace, wearing his scholar’s badge on his chest, subtly slipped a Silver Thales into the old village chief’s dry hand beneath his large hooded robe.

The old village chief’s face was sallow. He irritably pushed Ace’s Silver Thales away.

He stared closely at Ace’s badge, then looked at Ace’s face. He waved his hand and said, “I visited the Royal City when I was young. I saw the great scholar Peter from a distance. He wore a similar badge on his chest, but you are too young. I cannot believe you, I cannot believe you!”