"It seems that Benson King's new disciple doesn't know how to recognize the symbol of the glorious master Landon Fraser." A voice said after a long laugh.
Hearing this, Eli looked back and saw one of the new disciples of Zane Smith, his master Landon's greatest rival.
Vicente looked back and saw a young man with a Magic Gem the same color as his own.
"Nate, I didn't expect to see you here today," Eli said, looking at the man he had met a few days ago after a meeting with the local blacksmiths who had accompanied their masters.
As younger disciples of their masters, the two had met and exchanged a few barbs, following the tradition of disciples taking part in their masters' intrigues.
Masters were like parents to young magicians. And when someone so important to them was challenged or insulted, many naturally became defensive, sometimes aggressive.
Zane and Landon were rivals, so of course they saw each other that way.
Nate laughed and said. "I didn't expect you here. Even though your master isn't bad, I didn't expect him to free you to come here today... Are you nervous, Eli? You won't humiliate your master by failing, are you?"
"Nate!"
Seeing this, Vicente didn't bother with these two and stopped paying attention to them.
He didn't care who their masters were and if either of them had any problems with Benson. Their past affairs were none of his business.
But in doing so, Vicente caught the attention of the two young men looking at each other strangely.
"Hey, did you really say you didn't know my master?" Eli asked with a serious look on his face.
"I heard about him from a friend. But I don't know him personally, and I definitely wouldn't know how to recognize one of his disciples."
"Haha, people can't even recognize their master's disciples nowadays, haha." Nate laughed, imagining that Vice was trying to diminish Landon's figure.
Eli fell for Nate's teasing and gave Vice a dirty look.
Landon was a student of Henry Woodward, Millfall's greatest blacksmith. In addition, Landon was the most talented 2nd stage blacksmith in the area. As a student of Benson's rival, Landon naturally had a rivalry with Vicente's master and such a man's disciples.
The young man felt insulted that Benson's disciple didn't recognize him, which, in a way, was like saying that he and his master were nothing.
"You..." Eli clenched his fists and felt like punching Vicente. But inside the Association's evaluation and registration area, he held back and challenged. "I want to see if you're good enough to act so arrogantly! Let's see who does better in this evaluation, Benson's student!"
Nate liked what he heard and looked at the black-haired young man's expression as Vice looked at Eli.
Vicente looked at the idiot picking a fight with someone who was just solving his own problems and remembered his time on Earth.
'Oh, that's right, there are people like that.' He sighed.
In his early years as a criminal, he once saw a man killed for something that had nothing to do with him, just because he got involved in something that wasn't his problem.
In other situations, Vicente had met people who were looking for trouble for no reason. He had dealt with half a dozen such people himself and had some experience with arrogant and foolish individuals.
Noticing the type of person near him, he simply said. "What would I gain by competing with you? Is there any advantage in beating you?"
Nate almost couldn't stand it when he heard this, as Eli looked into Vice's eyes with hatred.
"You bastard! I'll bet you a kilo of Perpetual Tear! If I don't beat you, I'll give it to you. But if I do beat you, you'll have to kneel before me in front of everyone and call me your father!" He said, confident that he would defeat this young man who seemed to have just awakened his powers.
After one's magical powers awaken, determining one's exact age would be very difficult. But considering that Vice hadn't been a student of Benson's for long and was there to get his license, he must have been between 14 and 15 years old, a little younger than most of the people who had come to this place once or twice before.
Not every master invested as much in their disciples as Benson did in Vice, so this Association test also functioned as a way for some youths to assess their progress. That's why it was common for young people like him to come to this place once or twice before getting their licenses.
But Vicente was there for the first time. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been tutored by the Association official earlier, as these two had seen while watching him.
'This bastard must be an Intermediate Apprentice at best. With a yellow talent and less than 15 years old, there's no way he can beat me.' Eli thought, inwardly smiling as he imagined such a young man on his knees, humiliated.
"Perpetual Tear?" Vicente frowned, recognizing the name of a valuable crystal for 1st and 2nd-stage blacksmiths.
Such a resource could be used to increase the success rate of forging an artifact. At the same time, because it was found only in the depths of the sea, this crystal was very rare and cost several dozen gold coins per kilo.
Vicente imagined that such a young man had won this item from his master, and even though this bet might get him into trouble later, he accepted it. "Very well. We'll do as you say. You'll give me 1 kilo of Perpetual Tear if I beat you. If I lose, I'll do as you say."
Seeing Benson and Landon's disciples arguing made Nate very happy, and he said. "Haha, I'm a witness to your words. If either side backs down later, I'll spread the word in the city."
"Humph!" Eli left their side and went to his test, noticing that his number was being called in room 2.
Meanwhile, Nate advised. "Vicente Fuller, you should use everything you have. That guy is already a Senior Apprentice. And he spent the last 6 months preparing for today's test."
"Why do you say that?"
"Wouldn't it be better to see the guy lose his Perpetual Tears?" Nate laughed before leaving Vice's side and heading to his own test.
Vicente's number was soon called, and he made his way to room number 3, where he found a 2nd-stage blacksmith waiting for him.
