Chapter 467 – Magic Test

Chapter 467 – Magic Test

“Look it up yourself! Volume eighty-nine of Mo Lan of Mo Lan 《Chronicles of the Continent of Valen》, chapter seven — the entire chapter is about mage badges in the Mage Empire.”

Lilith curled up the corners of her lips.

Only when she was the one saying those words did she realize how satisfying it felt.

“…” Vasida’s face was full of accusation. “How could you pick that up from Moira too!”

“It’s not good to just wait for others to hand you the answers! As a witch, you must never depend on anyone! Depending on others is nothing but a stumbling block on the road to power.”

Lilith now understood Mo Lan’s painstaking intentions.

Knowledge only truly belonged to you once you’d learned it yourself. Mo Lan was not their external brain.

Vasida had no choice but to look it up on her own.

Sylph knew full well that even though Vasida had just been accusing Lilith, she’d definitely copy the same behavior in a moment. She’d better just read it herself and be done with it.

By the time Vasida finished looking it up and glanced over at Sylph, she found that Sylph had long since been reading with her Grimoire in her arms. Vasida felt a twinge of regret.

“So a mage badge is essentially a mage’s proof of identity! Mage robes and staffs can be faked, but mage badges use a special craft that makes them impossible to counterfeit.”

“Moira, won’t your mage badge have any problems?”

“No problems at all.

Grandma Dayla has an Alchemy Witch friend who’s been hiding among humans, serving as the chief disciple under the dean of the Alchemy branch at the Imperial Magic Academy.

Her instructor’s instructor’s instructor was the primary designer and inventor of the mage badge.

She can also crack the mage badge system.

Grandma Dayla asked her to help inscribe my name into a blank mage badge, along with past magic test records.

Once my psychic power was registered, it became mine.

That Alchemy Witch has made mage badges for many Alchemy Witches hiding among humans. There’s never been a problem,” Mo Lan said.

The magic department at any Administrative Center in any country or town across the Mage Empire could administer magic tests and issue or update mage badges.

Each test would leave a record in the mage badge, which could be read using specialized magical instruments.

Many places that required mage identity verification used exactly this method.

An Advanced mage applying for a mage badge for the very first time — anyone would know something was off.

But a mage who had been Intermediate level and then, after many years, advanced to become an Advanced mage applying for a magic test to update their mage badge? That was perfectly normal.

Likewise, an Apprentice who had just learned two apprentice-level spells taking a magic test for the first time to obtain a mage badge was also very common.

After finishing breakfast, they discussed the day’s plans, then converted the tent back into a card, restored the inn room to its original arrangement, and added some signs of use.

Only then did they make a show of carrying their suitcases as they left.

The moment they stepped out the door, the four Sorceresses transformed back into one Instructor and three mage apprentices.

Today, they had no intention of playing the part of penny-pinching mages in the inn restaurant.

Eating there cost far too much.

Mo Lan strode directly toward the restaurant’s back door, with Vasida close behind.

Sylph held the door open for them.

After Lilith returned the key to the innkeeper behind the bar counter, she quickly caught up.

They retrieved their carriage from the parking shed and drove off to find Green Forest Town’s Administrative Center.

By the time Goebel received word from his guards and rushed out, all he saw was the dust kicked up by the carriage wheels.

He hurriedly ordered two guards to follow them.

In broad daylight, the streets were quite crowded, and Green Forest Town had no separate lanes for carriages and pedestrians.

Mo Lan’s carriage wasn’t moving fast at all.

The guards tailing them saw the carriage stop in front of the Administrative Center and rushed back to report.

By the time Goebel arrived at the Administrative Center and found them at the magic testing area, Mo Lan was already in the middle of her test.

She cast the only Advanced spell in her identity’s repertoire — Advanced Poison Thorn Vine.

A classic, time-honored Advanced spell of the wood element.

It was also the spell she personally considered to have the widest range of applications among the magic books Grandma Dayla had sent her.

It could bind and control enemies while also dealing considerable damage.

Enormous vines of wood elemental force, bristling with red thorns, thrashed wildly through the testing hall, nearly bursting through the ceiling. The examiner immediately said:

“Lady Moira, you’ve passed the assessment! Please withdraw your magic! If you damage the premises during testing, you’ll have to pay for repairs!”

Mo Lan, mindful of staying in character, immediately drained the psychic power from the spell structure the moment she heard this.

However, the wood elemental force seemed like it wasn’t done having fun. It stubbornly pushed the Poison Thorn Vine a little bigger, and a hairline crack appeared in the ceiling.

“That wasn’t me! I already withdrew my psychic power!” Mo Lan hastily said. “The wood elemental force did it — take it up with the elements!”

If there was any flaw in her disguise this time, this was the only one.

With her vast psychic power combined with her limitless magical affinity, when she cast spells using mage techniques, the elemental force practically fell over itself trying to show off.

Easy to summon but hard to dismiss — there was always a slight delay every time, and the power output was always a touch greater than what others would produce.

She was already controlling the spell by channeling only the barest minimum of psychic power into the spell structure. Any less and the casting intent wouldn’t transmit properly, which would only make the elemental force behave even more like a wild horse with broken reins.

Her psychic power seemed to be of a higher quality than ordinary humans’ — even a tiny amount exerted an enormous pull on elemental force.

Mo Lan had tried every method she could think of, but none had solved this problem. And so she could only play the role of a headstrong genius rogue mage who insisted on studying All-Element Magic like the mages of antiquity.

Lilith, Vasida, and Sylph all had equally high elemental affinity, but their psychic power showed no abnormalities and they had less active psychic power. When casting spells using mage techniques, they performed roughly the same as ordinary magic apprentices.

The examiner was seething inside but didn’t dare show it.

There was nothing he could do — she was a genuine Advanced mage! In the entire Duchy of Lance, only the Grand Duke could deal with her.

And she really had withdrawn her psychic power.

He could only smile apologetically and say, “This level of damage falls within the permissible range. It can be reported for repairs through the official budget — no problem at all.”

Inwardly, he was muttering to himself: “These days, even a mage this powerful ends up as a rogue mage? Is the competition that fierce among mages in other countries?”

Goebel had only caught the tail end of that spell, but that one glimpse was enough for him to make up his mind — he absolutely had to travel with this mage!

No matter the cost!

This person’s talent was definitely extraordinary. She would absolutely be able to secure a Marquis title in the Duchy of Lance, and might even have the potential to become a Duke or a Royal Duke in the future!

If not now, then when would he build this connection?

How many mages of mediocre talent had rocketed to prominence simply because they’d picked the right rising star to back?

In the world of magic, talent was important, but resources mattered even more. Many resources could compensate for a lack of talent — it was just that most people never got access to them.

At this thought, the modestly talented Goebel felt a fire burning inside him. He plastered on an eager smile and went forward to greet them.