Chapter 135 - 136
"I’ve read about that," said Alistar, perking up at a topic that he very much enjoyed. "Aglain’s companions were some of the most renowned warriors in history. It’s a bit embarrassing, but it’s pretty exciting to think that two of my ancestors were such people."
"Which means that you have a high chance of becoming a magus in the future. There are less than a hundred magi in the kingdom, and most are only at the first tier. So long as you can reach the third tier, then you’ll have a good chance at becoming a court mage for a high-ranking noble within most kingdoms."
"What tier are you at, Teacher?"
"I’m a fourth-tier magus, one tier above Alder and three above your uncle."
"You’re a fourth-tier? That’s amazing!"
And Alder was a third-tier? A thought passed through Alistar’s mind, that he knew quite a few impressive people.
"That’s nothing special when compared to elsewhere within the empire. Take the Land of One Hundred Counties, for instance. Almost all of the rulers there have high arcanites in their service. You should know that while magi and high arcanites are technically on the same level in their respective ranking systems, the latter are far rarer and much more capable. They’re more comparable to an arch magus in the value that they represent to the state."
Alistar had read that Providence Region was the most prosperous part of the empire, which still seemed to be the case despite the fact that his source was a dated old book that he’d found in the library here at home.
"I’ll work hard, then."
After talking with his teacher for a short while longer, Alistar bade him farewell and then sprinted back to the manor house, stopping by at the kitchens to fix himself a hefty snack before retreating to his room to eat it. He was quite exhausted after staving off the cold with his swordsman’s aura for so long, and he would likely have to rely on it for the rest of the afternoon once he left the estate to go meet up with his friends. As soon as he finished eating, Alistar swapped outfits and retrieved his mother’s locket, slipping it around his neck and tucking it beneath the thick fabric of the heavy tunic that he’d just changed into. Next, he snatched up his practice sword and hurried upstairs.
A short while later, he was following the tree-lined pathway that connected Caedmon’s estate to Mayhaven, breath visible in the cold air as he left the last of the bare-branched oaks at his back. He’d brought a small sack with him, within which was a large amount of dried meat and salted fish, along with a jar of raisins and a couple loaves of bread. Zech had formed a habit of bringing food from his family’s tavern for them to snack on after training sessions, something that Alistar felt a bit guilty over. Lately, he’d taken it upon himself to bring something along each time, though the triplets had said that they would drop by at some point today so he had made sure to pack more than enough food to feed a handful of people.