"The place we are going to or where you will be studying sorcery, is called Lilith Sorcerer Academy, and it will take two months to reach the academy by sea. My name is Apollo, and you are allowed to ask me one question for free before our journey ends," the Sorcerer said to the students.
The team had left the governor's residence for the Seer Port of Bi Seer City. The governor, the master of the viscount's residence, as well as many other noblemen had accompanied them for a mile or two, before they turned back at the urging of Apollo.
One of the students, Solumn, stayed close to the sorcerer. He constantly flattered the sorcerer along the way and did all the dirty work for him, such as carrying his frog, his crystal ball and the like, in his desire to ask more questions. Contrary to his submissiveness to Apollo, Solumn looked at the rest of the group scornfully as if he was the better one.
"Master, there are points about the Meditation methods that I still can't comprehend. They are really elusive. Will you please illuminate me?" Solumn bowed and asked the sorcerer.
Catching Solumn asking yet another question, Wade, who was marching behind Apollo and Solumn, mumbled in jealousy: "You'd stoop so low as that?"
"I will work hard at sorceries. I will be the greatest sorcerer ever!" Chris whispered to his sister Nina, who made no comments about her brother's ambition. She was a quiet girl.
Grimm didn't come to ask questions because he heard it clearly: one question was free of charge; but he didn't have the money for a second question and was worried about the tuition fees he would have to pay at the sorcerer's academy.
"Lefay! She must know something. She had been forced by her father to attend Lilith Sorcerer Academy. Why not ask her?" Grimm turned back and walked over to Lefay, who was moping about the prospect of learning sorcery.
There were two questions Grimm had in his mind: "What is the world of sorcerers really like?" and "Why were sorcerers blessed with these powers?"
"The world of sorcery?" Lefay threw a surprised look at Grimm. Lefay had thought that Grimm had come to cotton up to her, something she had grown used to as the daughter of the most powerful man in Bi Seer City. Fawning over the rich and the powerful was a common occurrence no matter where you were.
"The world of sorcery might not be as terrific as you may have imagined. For one thing, everything you owned in the real world would be lost on the Sorcerer Continent," said Lefay, biting her lips morosely.
Lefay hated talking to the overbearing noblemen in her house, but she hated it even more to speak to people of low birth. But she was unfortunately alone at the time, far away from the aegis of her father, so she hid away her usual callousness towards others' struggle when she was queried by Grimm. She thought that he might be someone she could talk with.
"The Sorcerer Continent? What is it?" Grimm broke in.
"It is the world where sorcerers live. It's extremely vast. Far bigger than you could possibly imagine," answered Lefay. "And you may never be able to come back to the human world."
"Never come back? Like in a prison?"
"Yep, and you have to stay low-key. If you have neither power nor connections there, your pride is gonna cost your life."
…
After hearing Lefay's introduction on the Sorcerer Continent, Grimm balked. He contemplated that there would not be any noblemen on the Sorcerer Continent to keep order like they did in the real world. Lefay caught the terrified and indecisive look on Grimm's face and then said in a soothing tone:
"But sorcerers act by rules, too, and there is the Holy Tower to enforce the rules."
Grimm didn't reply.
He followed the other team members silently and was lost in thought. He remembered Old Ham who had toiled for a lifetime in search of a better life, while he had been bullied by the butler and the knights of the viscount's residence, until death had ended all his sufferings. Grimm respected Old Ham, but he didn't want to repeat his life. He wanted to change his life for the better, at least not to have to starve or grovel.
"Lilith Academy, here I come!"
Seeing Grimm's determined look, Lefay knew that he had overcome his fears of coming to the Sorcerer Continent.
"You've made the right decision. If you had quit, Sorcerer Apollo would have killed you for sure," Lefay said with a grim laugh.
The group was suddenly halted at the time.
"Leave all your money, or you will die!" a threatening voice howled.
"Robbery?!" Grimm was taken aback. He knew that Bi Seer City had been in a good order under the current governor and lootings had almost gone extinct. However, there was one exception – the Hood. The gang was savage. They would rob any passers clean, rape the women and slit people's throat if they had no money to offer.
For a second, Grimm was almost scared to death, but the next second, he realized that he was totally safe since he was with Sorcerer Apollo.
The gang had seven members, and each of them held a sharp machete in their hands. They were throwing vicious glances at the Sorcerer and the students.
"Hand us your money or—" He didn't have the luxury of finishing the menace. The frog, which had been crouching on Solumn's palm, jumped high into the air, swelled into a human-sized one and swooped upon the man who was talking.
The series of actions were taken so fast that the talking man had not been able to respond.
As a result of the huge impact caused by the frog's heavy blow, the man melted into a puddle of blood. The rest of the gang dissipated and scampered off in a panic.
"A sorcerer is not to be humiliated!" The Sorcerer pointed his finger at the running men and flashes of black lights were seen shooting at them, causing them to stumble. The 'fight' had only taken a few seconds and the street was now strewn with dead bodies.
The frog returned to its original size and landed on Solumn's hand. Solumn shuddered as he held the formidable frog again. The other students were quivering, too. Sorcerer Apollo, however, continued on the journey as if nothing had occurred.
Having kept himself from asking Apollo a question for more than an hour, Grimm decided to ask him one - a question which Lefay had failed to answer.
He then sped up and came over to the Sorcerer.
"Master. I have a question. Why do sorcerers have these powers? I saw you kill the butler, the knights, and the robbers. It was amazing! I have been wondering how you could do that?" Grimm calmed his trembling heart and asked.
"Hm, that's a good question." Sorcerer Apollo looked at Grimm, who was eager for the answer.
"It is the knowledge that gives me all the powers. As a great sorcerer once said, 'Grant me infinite knowledge, and I shall be as a fulcrum, set to move the endless world!'" Sorcerer Apollo explained.
"Power comes from knowledge and magical force, but knowledge is what matters the most." The sorcerer pulled a book out from his cloak and handed it to Grimm.
"A Guide to Meditation," Grimm wondered loudly.
"Yeah, I wrote it. You may find something useful in it."
Grimm held the book firmly as if it was going to be taken away.
"With enough knowledge, I, too, can move this world one day!" Grimm mused.
