The capital of Loren.
A place said in legend to possess the most advanced and refined magic in the entire world.
It was Kanzaki Rei's first time visiting this city.
The very first thing he needed to decide after arriving in Kronoria was his place of residence.
It seemed that Iz and the others already owned property here.
After a brief moment of thought, Rei decided he would also purchase a residence of his own.
It looked like he would be staying here for quite a long time. Even the finest hotel would eventually become inconvenient if he lived there permanently.
However—
Since this was his first day in Kronoria, Rei still chose to stay at the best hotel in the city.
The person who decided to stay in the hotel alongside him was Luluvi.
"Luluvi, you don't have a house in Kronoria either?" Rei asked.
"I've always lived in the City of the Circle. Why would I have property in Kronoria?"
During their journey to Kronoria, Luluvi had earned a considerable fortune.
Much of it was thanks to Rei's dungeon sacrifices, which allowed Luluvi to profit enormously.
"Oh. Then tomorrow we should go look at houses together."
There wasn't much need to be overly selective.
They had more than enough money—if they saw something they liked, they could simply buy several properties outright.
Thinking about it carefully…
There were indeed many things waiting for him in Kronoria.
Today alone he needed to visit the Special Occupation Registration Office to obtain a Death Priest amnesty permit.
Only then would he legally be allowed to possess the Death Priest class.
After that, he would also need to visit the Mage Association.
During the journey, Rei had carefully weighed the pros and cons and concluded that joining the Mage Association was necessary.
It would allow him to:
Borrow the Mage Association's spellbooks
Access their libraries
Share in their research results
Iz had also joined the Mage Association, which proved it wasn't some exploitative organization.
Of course, enjoying those conveniences came with certain obligations.
Members had to make contributions to the association.
Rei had already done the calculations and found the requirements quite manageable.
Within a certain time limit, he could:
Publish a completely new self-created spell, or
Submit a valuable research paper concerning the Source, or
Turn in valuable magical artifacts, or
Simply donate money
None of these were particularly difficult.
"Are you going to the Cavern of Despairing Wails?" Luluvi asked.
The dungeon lay not far from Kronoria.
After resting for a while, Iz and the others planned to depart and explore it.
Rei nodded.
"I'm thinking about it."
The two chatted casually in the hallway.
"I'd like to see what a Tier-6 dungeon looks like," Rei continued. "And I've never seen Iz and the others fight at full strength."
Luluvi raised an eyebrow.
"You're only Level 3 right now."
Rei tilted his head slightly.
"Is that not enough?"
Luluvi couldn't refute that.
Rei's current strength allowed him to kill Tier-5 nation-destroying monsters with relative ease.
In terms of true combat capability, he was probably already at the peak of Level 5, hovering at the blurry boundary separating him from Level 6 adventurers.
At Tier 6, there were no ordinary monsters anymore.
At minimum, every creature was Lord-class.
After discussing their plans for a while, they returned to their rooms to rest briefly.
Not long afterward, Rei left the hotel.
Special Occupation Registration Office
Holding a map of Kronoria in his hand, Rei looked up at the building before him.
This was the Special Occupation Registration Office.
Once he registered the Death Priest class here, he would legally be allowed to possess it.
Standing beside him was Iz.
"Let's go," Iz said calmly.
"With me here, they shouldn't give you any trouble."
Rei nodded and walked toward the entrance.
The office building looked old and somewhat dilapidated.
On both sides of the hallway stood several people who appeared distinctly unpleasant, glaring directly at him.
At their waists hung large metal badges displaying their occupations.
[Class: Level 1 Thief]
[Class: Level 1 Assassin]
[Class: Level 1 Instigator]
[Class: Level 1 Thief]
…
These were all special occupations that were not normally permitted.
What were they doing gathered here?
If registering allowed them to act freely and legally, there shouldn't be so many of them congregated here.
And besides—
Did they really have to wear those badges openly?
They were far too conspicuous.
Rei silently recorded these details in his mind.
He had a faint feeling that something about this place wasn't quite right.
They passed through two massive iron doors.
The material looked unusual—extremely sturdy—and Rei could sense anti-magic properties emanating from it.
Tier-5 anti-magic reinforcement.
It would have little effect on Tier-6 magic, but it was still formidable.
Rei arrived at the registration desk.
"I'm here to register a special occupation."
"You're Lu—"
The clerk stopped himself.
"You're Rei, correct?" said the old man behind the desk. His sharp eyes scanned him carefully.
"The king has already informed us about you."
"Fill out this form and answer a few questions. After that, you'll legally possess the Death Priest class."
Rei accepted the form.
Glancing over it, he noticed a large number of deeply personal questions.
"Do I have to fill out everything?" he asked calmly.
The old man opened his mouth as if preparing to reprimand him.
But then his gaze shifted toward the mage standing beside Rei.
"…Ahem."
"Just fill in whatever you think is appropriate."
Rei clearly saw the change in attitude.
Heh.
If Iz weren't standing here, they would probably have tried to bully him outright.
Not that Rei intended to tolerate that anyway.
But being challenged and not being challenged were fundamentally different experiences.
Without hesitation, Rei filled in only the information he deemed appropriate.
All the questions involving personal privacy—
He ignored completely.
When the old man received the nearly blank sheet of paper, his expression stiffened.
He looked as if he wanted to explode in anger.
But seeing Iz standing nearby, he swallowed the frustration.
It was obvious—
He very much wanted to show off his authority.
But he was also clearly wary of Iz Parult.
So he fears Iz… but not me?
"Fine," the old man muttered.
He accepted the form and pulled out a black-gold token engraved with the character:
Death.
"Possessing this token means your Death Priest identity has been officially recognized."
Rei accepted the token.
He handed it to Iz for inspection.
After confirming there were no hidden enchantments or restrictions, Iz returned it.
"Mm. No problems."
"The holder of this token must keep it worn at all times—"
Crackle.
A faint spark of electricity flickered across the surface of the desk.
Iz smiled gently.
"There shouldn't be anything else we need to pay attention to… right?"
The old man froze.
"N… no. Nothing else."
It seemed that Iz wasn't entirely someone who followed rules either.
Rei and Iz left the registration office together.
"Well," Rei said, "they didn't make things difficult for us."
"They were testing my attitude toward you," Iz replied.
"If you were merely my ordinary student, their behavior might have been completely different."
Rei nodded.
He could clearly see that.
"Let's go," Iz continued.
"We'll visit the royal palace."
"It's been quite a while since I've seen that old man."
Iz stepped forward—
And space itself folded.
Whoosh!
In less than a second, they appeared inside a magnificent golden hall.
Every pillar in the chamber was embedded with brilliant magical gemstones.
"Ivan!"
"I've come to see you!"
Iz Parult's voice echoed through the palace like thunder.
Every person in the hall turned instantly.
Swish!
The surrounding royal mage guards raised their staffs in unison, pointing them toward Iz.
But Iz paid them no attention whatsoever.
His gaze focused solely on the muscular man reclining on the throne while a maid fed him peeled grapes.
"Iz… it's been a long time."
"I already heard you entered the city. I was wondering when you'd come."
"Or if you wouldn't come at all."
The man on the throne waved his hand.
At that signal, the mage guards lowered their staffs and returned to their posts.
"As you can see, Loren continues to prosper under my rule."
"So?"
"Have you finally decided to join Loren Kingdom?"
"You only need to say the word. If you join us, you'll become my equal—a co-ruling king, sharing my authority and wealth."
Iz shook his head calmly.
"Ivan, you know I'm not interested in that."
"You're not interested?"
The king smiled faintly.
"But what about your little disciple?"
"I've already heard about his achievements."
"He defeated Luluvi, a Level-3 Source Mage."
"He cleared 100 floors of the War God Tower, achieved 500 consecutive wins in the combat arena, and apparently even holds a warrior class."
"And his mastery of that warrior class… seems rather impressive."
The king's gaze shifted from Iz to Rei.
Rei met his eyes calmly.
Ivan felt a hint of surprise.
He's not intimidated?
Interesting.
"Boy," the king said with a grin, "how is the Void Spirit Starwood working for you?"
Rei replied openly.
"It's very useful. Thank you, Your Majesty."
"Haha. You're using one of Loren's national treasures, yet you have no other thoughts about it?"
"Iz Parult refuses to join my kingdom because of his personal principles."
"But you're different."
"You could join Loren."
"We won't restrict your freedom. On the contrary—we'll provide you with an excellent environment for growth."
"If you want adventure, go freely."
"If you're tired and wish to rest in Loren, you won't be bound by any duties."
"What do you think?"
The king clapped his hands lightly.
Two beautifully dressed women approached Rei from either side.
It was indeed a tremendous temptation.
Rei glanced at Iz.
Iz's voice sounded directly in his mind.
Don't worry about me.
I refuse Loren simply because I don't wish to join a human kingdom.
But if these things are useful to you, negotiate with him yourself.
Iz then interrupted the king.
"Ivan."
"How is An Zheng doing now?"
Ivan shrugged casually.
"How else?"
"Not much time left."
"If he doesn't break through, he dies."
"Judging from his current condition… he probably won't last much longer."
"If you want to see him…"
Ivan gestured behind him.
"The door behind my throne leads to him."
Rei was slightly startled.
The legendary Level-8 mage was actually inside this city right now.
"I'll go see An Zheng first," Iz said.
"You should be able to handle things here."
With that, Iz disappeared instantly.
Rei suddenly felt the weight of every gaze in the room shifting toward him.
Iz…
I'm really not fond of being stared at like this.
Still—
The conditions Ivan offered were undeniably tempting.
Safety first.
That was a principle Rei constantly reminded himself of.
Since he was operating within Loren's territory, possessing a high-ranking Loren identity would make everything much more convenient.
Besides, becoming a citizen of Loren wasn't shameful.
Kumironi was born and raised here, yet she never felt the need to leave.
For someone like Rei, a wandering outsider—
Having a country to settle in didn't seem so bad.
"So?" Ivan asked.
"What do you think of the offer I proposed?"
"If you have other requests, feel free to name them."
"Our Loren Kingdom is always in need of talents like you."
Rei asked seriously:
"Would I be required to participate in wars?"
"If you don't wish to, then no."
"But if Loren faces a crisis threatening its survival, I hope you would help if needed."
"Loren is a nation that reveres magic."
"Many magical tomes here cannot be found anywhere else."
"Even Iz Parult covets our royal archives."
"These texts are passed down only among Royal Chief Mages."
"And there are many secret magical mysteries never revealed to outsiders."
"You would only gain access after joining Loren."
Ivan continued painting an enticing picture.
Rei couldn't deny it—
The benefits were extremely generous.
He was especially interested in the royal secret collections.
After all, with such a vast royal family…
If they didn't possess some hidden treasures, it would almost be unbelievable.
"If you agree to join Loren," Ivan declared,
"the position of Royal Chief Mage will be yours immediately."
At those words—
A middle-aged man standing nearby froze.
He quickly stepped forward from the line of officials.
"Your Majesty," he said respectfully.
"I have served in this position for many years and am recognized as one of Loren's distinguished Source Mages."
"For Your Majesty to remove me so casually and replace me with an eight-year-old child…"
"I cannot accept this."
He turned toward Rei.
Uh…
What exactly are you trying to do?
I didn't provoke you.
"That man on the throne is the one who said it," Rei thought helplessly.
"I request a duel with this young man."
"If I win—"
Ivan burst into laughter.
"Haha! Jiezhu, you've given me quite a performance."
"If you win, everything I promised Rei will instead be granted to you."
"And you may continue serving as Royal Chief Mage."
Jiezhu bowed.
"Your Majesty… then what happens to the loser?"
Ivan's gaze sharpened coldly.
"The loser… leaves."
Simple and direct.
Rei looked at the Royal Chief Mage standing before him with clear hostility.
…Sigh.
I haven't even said anything yet.
Why are you so excited?
To be honest, Rei had briefly considered simply losing on purpose.
After all, he hadn't agreed to anything yet.
But—
Ivan's earlier words echoed in his mind:
"The loser leaves."
That statement left Rei feeling rather displeased.
And the man before him looked extremely confident, as though Rei posed no threat at all.
Am I being underestimated?
Mages really were proud creatures.
Even knowing Rei's accomplishments, he still believed he could win?
Maybe he really was a formidable opponent.
Rei's attitude grew slightly more serious.