Chapter 120: A Conversation

"It is truly quite different here!" Hughes observed the commoners passing by, realizing that this place was exactly as Hissai had described—a harmonious coexistence between wizards and ordinary people.

"But are they not affected by the energy radiation?" Hughes wondered. He knew from personal experience that even with a knight’s physique, his body would be corroded by the energy in the Shadow Ring.

"Chip! Run a scan!" Hughes steered his horse closer to a few commoners.

"Beep! No corrosion detected!"

"I see. This Holy Circle City is getting more and more interesting." The result matched his expectations; otherwise, so many commoners would not be able to live here. Hughes curiously surveyed his surroundings, witnessing sights he had never seen elsewhere.

"Hey! Buddy, this is your first time in Holy Circle City, isn't it?"

A white horse with wings flew up beside him, carrying a young man who looked to be about Hughes's age. The youth was dressed similarly to Hughes in a simple white robe, though he wore a large, gaudy gold chain around his neck that looked incredibly strange. Despite his loud greeting, his face was full of genuine smiles.

Hughes was slightly taken aback. Unlike the smiles of others, he could feel that this person's expression came from the heart, giving off a sense of warmth and approachability. Still, Hughes discreetly ran a scan with his chip. The youth was a Level 1 wizard, but his overall data was far inferior to his own, posing no real threat.

"Yes, sir. I am a wandering wizard. You can call me Hughes. It is indeed my first time in Holy Circle City, though I am curious—how did you know?" Hughes replied with a bright, sunny smile.

"Nice to meet you! I'm Jaelin, a wizard of Holy Circle City. As for how I knew, it's quite obvious. The wizards who live here don't go charging through the streets like you were!" Jaelin responded with a grin.

Hughes realized the other man was teasing him and laughed. Recalling how he had been staring at everything in wonder, he admitted that his behavior had indeed been a bit impolite.

"You're right, that was a bit rude of me," Hughes said. He began chatting with Jaelin, finding his presence pleasant and realizing that having a guide in this new city would be helpful.

"Don't worry about it. When I first came here, I was even worse—shouting and making a scene. My grandfather thought it was so embarrassing he nearly whipped me right there on the street!" Jaelin roared with laughter at the memory, and Hughes joined in. The lighthearted exchange bridged the distance between them.

Hughes could tell that Jaelin didn't have the devious mind of a typical aristocratic scion; he was simply eager to make friends. Hughes trusted his judgment—either that, or Jaelin was an incredibly good actor.

They chatted and laughed all the way until the city finally came into full view. A wall over a hundred meters high stood before them, constructed from red square stones unknown to Hughes. The architecture was simple and imposing, looking both majestic and grand from a distance.

"This is truly..."

"Breathtaking, right?" Jaelin looked at Hughes's expression, clearly satisfied. "This is just the outer perimeter; we haven't officially entered the city yet."

"But I’m amazed that your wizards can live with commoners in such a..." Hughes trailed off, leaving the implication clear.

"Of course. To us wizards, these commoners are a resource. They serve us well and help bring in fresh blood, increasing the number of wizard apprentices. Some wizards here even help them cultivate crops. All in all, the wizards and commoners of Holy Circle City get along quite well," Jaelin explained.

"Oh... that is truly astonishing. You know, I've been to many places, and the wizards there usually treat commoners like..." Hughes looked at Jaelin with a mask of shock and disbelief.

"Haha, I understand, Hughes. But as you can see, the commoners here live very well!" Jaelin said, his eyes filled with kindness. "Hughes, you aren't a Dark Wizard, are you? Or perhaps you're from the Western Territories?" He quickly added, "Oh, I didn't mean anything by it! I just wanted to warn you that you need to learn and adapt to the new rules here, or you'll be at a disadvantage."

"I understand. I will try to adapt to life here. I am not a Dark Wizard; I came from another continent. I heard this was a gathering place for wizards, so I came. Besides, I am an alchemist!" Hughes’s expression remained calm; he had already changed his clothes, and if he was going to play the part, he would do it to the end.

"Really? Another continent? I've never left the Lost Domain. And you're around my age and already an alchemist!" Jaelin’s eyes lit up, his earlier suspicions forgotten.

"Yes. But the Lost Domain is dangerous. On my journey here, I ran into many Dark Wizards who stole my magic stones and all the potions I had crafted. Now I only have my clothes and a few gold coins left," Hughes lamented, pouring out his grievances with great emotion.

"Oh! Those damn Dark Wizards! How could they treat you like that?" After glancing at Hughes’s empty pack and simple clothes, Jaelin was convinced and expressed his own deep disgust for Dark Wizards.

*This Jaelin is a bit too enthusiastic!* Hughes thought, feeling a little awkward as he watched Jaelin get angrier than he was himself. He didn't know how to make him stop.

"By the way, Hughes, what kind of potions can you make?" Jaelin asked after his anger subsided, hoping to build a good relationship with an alchemist.

"Common potions, mostly, along with some nature potions, invisibility potions, and focus-enhancing potions," Hughes said, knowing he needed to demonstrate his value. The chip had already reconstructed the formula for invisibility potions, though he hadn't had the time or materials to make them. As for the focus-enhancing potion, it only worked on apprentices, so there was no harm in mentioning it.

"Focus-enhancing potion? What is that?" Jaelin asked curiously.

"Oh, it's a potion that increases mental power, but it only works on apprentice-level wizards," Hughes explained.

"Increases mental power? How effective is it?" Jaelin's eyes brightened. Even in a wizard hub like Holy Circle City, potions that directly increased mental power were rare.

"It's hard to say; it varies from person to person. Plus, the effectiveness diminishes with each subsequent use," Hughes replied. He realized that Holy Circle City probably didn't have such a thing.

"So, it's not a one-time-use item?" Jaelin felt he had found the key point.

"Exactly," Hughes confirmed.

"Then you must be a very talented alchemist." Jaelin’s remaining doubts about Hughes vanished. "How about this, Hughes? Since you have no magic stones, why don't you stay with me? You're an alchemist, so earning magic stones shouldn't be difficult for you. What do you think?"