"Sir, may I switch seats with you?" The noble young man asked, his expression a mix of politeness and insincerity.
As soon as he spoke, all the apprentice wizards in the carriage turned their attention to this "brave" man.
Well, who would dare to ask a powerful wizard to give up their seat?
Cyril, with a twitch of his eyelid, reached up to rub his face.
The noble young man, on the other hand, seemed to relish the attention he was getting from the surrounding gazes.
Indeed, he wanted to be the center of attention.
"No, you may not," Brian casually replied, raising an eyebrow.
His beautiful peach-colored eyes exuded a cold and chilling aura.
The noble young man hesitated for a moment upon hearing this rejection, his eyes showing a hint of annoyance.
He snorted and turned to his companions.
Cyril had a hunch that this noble young man wasn't done causing trouble.
Sure enough, after sitting down, the noble young man started to chat endlessly, his voice grating like a duck quacking, "My father has been lamenting lately about the increasing number of uncouth country folks coming to the capital and polluting the air."
"Noisy," Brian uttered softly, his tone neither urgent nor slow.
Although his voice was soft and gentle, it reached the ears of everyone in the carriage with precision.
The noble young man, as if he had been exposed, changed his expression and looked towards the source of the voice.
Brian tapped his fingers lightly on the table, his scrutinizing gaze as sharp as a cold blade, piercing through his single eyeglass towards the noble young man.
"In public places, one should maintain quiet, sir," Brian said languidly, with a touch of aristocratic intonation.
His deep and elegant voice carried a hint of warning.
"Damn it!" The noble young man's face turned red with anger. He raised his chin and said, "You should know that my father is a member of the parliament. When I tell him..."
Before he could finish his sentence, his moving lips suddenly produced no sound, and he could only shake his head strangely.
His face turned purple as if the surrounding air had been sucked out, making it hard for him to breathe.
His companions by his side were equally shocked and looked at him with a mix of fear and panic. Then, they turned their frightened gaze towards the handsome man with a detached smile on his face.
"A well-behaved child knows to keep quiet," Brian said, a sly smile curling on his lips, his eyes filled with chilling indifference.
Paris Grell suddenly sat up straight, as if he were attending the most severe etiquette class by a strict family tutor.
He thought about his behavior on the carriage last night, shivered, and took a deep breath.
He had actually been chattering on and on under the watchful eyes of the wizards, and he was unscathed... It was quite a memorable experience.
Was this a warning for others, perhaps?
Paris Grell dared not meet the gaze of the wizard. He lowered his head and stared at the newspaper on the table, as if he were completely absorbed in its intriguing contents.
In the next moment, the noble young man, clutching his throat, knelt down on the floor, emitting a thunderous cough.
He had intended to unleash a tirade, but the memory of his recent painful experience made him hesitate.
Instead, he silently moved his lips, presumably cursing Brian and his entire family under his breath.
Cyril had been cautiously observing the unfolding situation. When he saw the noble young man return to his seat, a thin wisp of black smoke slithered into his back and disappeared in a flash.
Cyril instinctively looked at Mr. Scott and met those beautiful, teasing eyes, which held a hint of mockery.
He suddenly remembered his dream from last night and forced a stiff, innocent smile.
Cyril blinked, as if he knew nothing.
As soon as the train reached the next station and the doors opened, the noble young man hastily exited the carriage.
Everyone couldn't help but gaze through the window at his retreating figure, when suddenly, they heard a low chuckle, "Do you all think it's over now?"
"What do you think, Cyril?"
Brian nonchalantly turned his ring on his finger.
Cyril was suddenly called out, and he quickly considered Mr. Scott's intentions. He thought it best to tell the truth.
After a pause, he voiced his guess, "I suspect he's in for a tough time in the near future."
Brian raised an eyebrow and nodded slightly in agreement.
Jenny leaned in close to her brother, Loz, and whispered softly, "I just foresaw that the man will be accidentally kidnapped while riding in a carriage... and later, he'll break a leg when he's rescued. Because of this, he'll also face a broken engagement..."
Loz's body shivered, his mind reeling.
He absolutely must not offend Mr. Wizard in the future!
The central train station of the capital city was grand, with dozens of tracks extending in different directions. The tall dome was made up of glass panels, and the magnificent sunset cast a fiery reflection on the clean and polished floor.
As they stepped out of the station, they saw a young man in a gray robe approaching them. He looked as if he hadn't slept for days, appearing exhausted. His brown hair was disheveled, his eyes bloodshot with heavy dark circles, and his lips were slightly cracked.
The most striking feature was his left arm. When he raised his hand to greet Cyril's group, the entire arm that was revealed had been replaced by brass mechanical components.
He looked at Brian and said, "You must be the wizard Mr. Abraham mentioned, Wizard Scott, correct? I'm Johnson Hart, a B-level wizard apprentice at the Tower of Truth." His voice carried a subtle tone of respect.
Brian lazily nodded. He had indeed heard that some wizard apprentices who felt hopeless about advancing to become full-fledged wizards chose to leave the wizard continent and engage in various research at the Tower of Truth. He hadn't expected that they would also be involved in reception duties.
Looking at Johnson Hart's appearance, it seemed as though he had just been summoned from a laboratory.
Sensing the gaze of the wizard opposite him, Johnson scratched his head and explained, "You know, it's enrollment season." He shrugged helplessly. "Recently, there have been too many wizards coming to the capital, and Miss Lilith, who is responsible for reception, had to deal with some urgent matters, so I was called in temporarily."
In truth, Johnson couldn't quite fathom why the diplomats of the capital insisted on having apprentice wizards from the Tower of Truth receive visiting wizards. After all, in the eyes of true wizards, apprentice wizards with no prospects of advancement were not much different from ordinary people with insufficient psychic powers.
But of course, Johnson had no intention of going against the diplomats' wishes. After all, it was their generous funding that supported the Tower of Truth's extensive experiments.
Leading the group to a steam carriage waiting on the side, Johnson signaled for them to board. As he explained, "As usual, wizards and newcomers will stay at Rose Manor, and the cruise to Whalefall Island will depart in five days."
Cyril discreetly observed this Tower of Truth wizard apprentice. He listened attentively to the conversation, his curiosity piqued.
Could the Tower of Truth also be a career path for wizards? In his impression, the Tower of Truth was more like a specialized research institution.
And what did this "B-level" wizard apprentice designation mean? Did wizard apprentices have different levels? Based on what criteria were they classified? Psychic power or magical ability?
Cyril felt like he had a hundred questions swirling in his mind, making him feel like he was in the middle of a passionate dance of thoughts.
As he contemplated silently, he gazed out the window at the passing scenery.