Passerby Villain In A Wizard World

"So, what are your thoughts? Do you want to join Starhaven?"

Malrick asked with a smile after seeing them turn towards him. As for their earlier refusal, he didn't take it to heart. But he was still impressed by this guy who could enamor two beautiful girls like this.

After all, in his more than two hundred years of life, he had never seen anyone who wouldn't get excited after receiving an offer from a Sixth-ring Organization.

This was a first.

"Before that, can I ask you a question, Sir Wizard..."

Ian asked with a serious expression.

"You can call me Malrick or an old man, I don't mind."

Malrick smiled and signaled with his hand.

"Ask what you want. I can answer a few of them."

"Umm... I just want to know what their status will be after joining Starhaven. Do they have to start from the bottom?"

Although Starhaven was a Sixth-ring Organization, it was also hierarchical. After all, every apprentice had to start from the bottom no matter where they were.

But Ian still wanted to know if Lyra and Aurora could get some preferential treatment.

"Haha... you don't have to worry. They are related to the Archive, after all. There are some old guys who are interested in that field. They should receive some preferential treatment after arriving."

Malrick said while caressing his beard.

"Oh? Then that's good. They are happy to join Starhaven, Wizard Malrick."

Ian breathed a sigh of relief after getting the guarantee and immediately agreed on behalf of both girls.

After all, those who were called old even by him must be those giants in a higher realm than the Fourth Ring. If that was the case, he didn't have to worry about Aurora and Lyra anymore.

Moreover, he had an intuition that maybe it was their luck playing a role, as they were both still female leads with high luck at that.

Keeping them with him all the time might even cause them to miss their opportunity instead.

"Good decision. So, do you have anything else to ask? Otherwise, it is time to leave. I have already wasted too much time here."

Malrick smiled after Ian's affirmation and asked while looking at Lyra and Aurora.

"Ian, isn't this too fast?"

Although she had decided, Lyra still felt unreal about the sudden separation.

Even Aurora, who had steeled her heart, had second thoughts after hearing Malrick's words. She even forgot about the third girl Lyra had just mentioned inadvertently.

"Hey, Lyra. You cannot have a weak heart on the path of the wizard."

Ian replied, trying to teach her when he saw the watery eyes of Lyra and Aurora, filled with palpable sadness. From their looks, they almost seemed heartbroken, making him feel depressed.

"Sigh... two years. I will come to meet you in Starhaven two years from now, okay? But you two better become Wizards by then. Otherwise..."

Ian was soft-hearted after all, so he gave them a fixed time when he would come to meet them. And it was also better for them, as they would probably practice harder that way.

"Really?"

"You can't lie."

And sure enough, after hearing his words, both Aurora and Lyra became visibly brighter, forgetting the sadness of separation.

If the reunion was in sight, any separation could become less heartbreaking.

"Yeah, really. Why would I lie? Now go and don't make this look like we're parting forever."

Ian rolled his eyes but hugged both girls with a smile one last time before letting them go.

And he wasn't just giving them the time for the sake of it. Instead, he felt that he should be strong enough in these two years.

Moreover, he still hadn't consummated with Aurora, completely halting her Quest, and there were also Demon Heart fragments he had to find for Lyra to condense her Abyssal Seeds. In hindsight, he also had to return home so that he could fulfill his promise to Morgrave to increase his lifespan.

There were so many things to do that Ian felt he had to rush. So, having these girls safely practicing would allow him to freely decide his next plan.

"It seems it is time to leave."

Seeing both Lyra and Aurora walk towards him after saying goodbye to Ian, Malrick said with a smile.

"Yes, Sir Wizard. We are in your care."

"Hmm, you don't have to worry too much. Starhaven is a good place to practice."

Malrick nodded amiably and waved his hand after Lyra and Aurora were near him.

Suddenly, the closed tome once again opened, and the sound of rapid fluttering pages echoed around until they stopped in the middle.

Then, as if some suction mechanism had been triggered, all the mana around the entire area began to rapidly gather toward the book.

It was so fast and strong that Ian could already see the vortex of mana around the book, resembling the shimmering cloud he had just seen above those peaks.

"Just relax and let the array do its thing. I am using a teleportation spell. You will feel a little dizzy, just like in that Ignisia Tower."

Seeing Aurora and Lyra being defensive, Malrick suggested and placed one hand on the open page of the tome.

Suddenly, Ian saw the silent tome vibrate, and the page that was in the middle dissolved rapidly, just like before, and turned into a circular array pattern surrounding Malrick, Lyra, and Aurora.

Although Ian wasn't proficient in arrays, he could see the close resemblance to those he had seen on the teleportation platform at the Ignisia Tower.

'So, each page of the book corresponds to a spell?'

Ian thought while looking at the tome floating in front of him.

He noticed that Malrick was using his Grimoire as a medium to cast spells. And he never chanted anything.

"Did you also notice?"

While Ian was intently analyzing the tome, Yela asked from the side with a smile. Apparently, she also saw his curious look.

"What? That tome?"

Ian asked with interest while slightly turning to her.

"I am talking about chantless spells. Don't you realize how Sir Malrick could use a spell without invocation?"

Yela questioned Ian as if she felt he was quite dense.

"But... isn't Sir Malrick a Fourth Ring Wizard? What is so special about that?"

Ian asked, confused.

After all, the Fourth Ring Wizard realm was a watershed between the weak and the strong. And from Ignysyl, he already knew Wizards in this world could use chantless spells within the rules.

"Of course, it is special. Do you think any Fourth Ring Wizard is like Sir Malrick? Not everyone can use a spell without invocation just because their realm is at the Fourth Ring and above."

Yela rolled her eyes speechlessly at Ian's ignorance. Then she suddenly remembered that Ian was actually from that barren place and was only an apprentice.

It seemed normal for him not to know.

"Anyway, do you see that tome floating around? That is what is called a Grimoire—a special symbol, artifact, and treasure of Starhaven. Anyone from Starhaven has one, and it is related to their Wizard path."

"I heard they have so many Grimoire collections that it's like stars in the sky. That's why they were called Starhaven, although I don't think that is true."

Yela explained.

"And the main reason why Sir Malrick can use complex spells so fast and chantless is also because of it. Think of it as an extension of your body that does the chanting for you instead."

"In fact, I suspect that this Grimoire must also be related to that Archive your girls are connected to. No wonder they were invited to join Starhaven. They are so lucky."

Yela said with thick jealousy. She also wanted to have such luck. Although her life was good in Mystic Circle, who didn't want to climb higher?

Unfortunately, she had no chance.

"That makes sense."

Ian nodded at Yela's words, as they were basically what he had guessed. But still, when she mentioned stars, his attention inevitably shifted to the Starwell token.

'Starhaven and Starwell. Do these two have any relation?'

Ian thought, finding their names quite similar. He still had the Iron-rank Starwell token on him, which he hadn't used yet.

But before he could think more, the rapid influx of mana around suddenly stopped, marking the completion of the spell.

"Well, the spell is ready. It is time to leave."

Malrick said with a smile after seeing the shimmering array of patterns slowly revolving around them.

The spell looked so awesome and otherworldly that the crowd around them was basically stunned in place with surprise. After all, unlike in Ignisia Tower, where the arrays were engraved on the platform, this was the first time they saw someone use a teleportation spell in front of them.

"Ian, you must come in time."

"Don't forget us."

Lyra and Aurora hurriedly shouted to Ian after realizing they were about to be teleported, their eyes filled with reluctance.

"Umm... definitely, don't worry."

To their words, Ian just nodded, as he wasn't going to break his promise anyway although he also felt quite sad and lonely.

"Swish!"

Just after they exchanged their words, the shimmering array expanded rapidly and engulfed everyone inside in a shield much like the one Ian had seen at Ignisia Tower.

Then, with a swish, the array was activated and ready for teleportation.

However, before they were teleported to an unknown destination though, Ian suddenly heard a crisp old voice inside his mind, followed by a token that suddenly appeared in his hand.

"Young man, keep this token. It might help you in the Celestial Council. And don't worry about these girls; they are in safe hands. By the way, a piece of advice—hurry up and reach the Fourth Ring Wizard level in these two years if you don't want to miss an opportunity. You are an interesting guy, I want to see how far you can go."

After that, the voice disappeared along with the figures of Malrick, Lyra, and Aurora.