Not So Problematic  

After Rory's response, the two soldiers from the royal army looked at him for a moment, with the young man at their side also watching him, a surprised expression on his face after hearing Rory's unexpected refusal.

Who in their sane state would decline such an invitation?

The magical path was by no means easy. While having talent proved to be a great advantage, developing one's potential could become a strenuous and arduous journey, particularly in the absence of necessary resources and opportunities.

One couldn't tell about someone's fate for sure just based on their choice. However, it won't be wrong to say that Rory's path would be more challenging, at least for now.

That was something every person in the temple was sure of!

That was because the young man next to Rory would soon have resources and people to aid him, while this red-headed boy would have none of it and would have to face all the challenges by himself.

"Are you certain about your decision, young man?" The soldier inquired seriously, scrutinizing this young man's brown eyes. "This will be a very important decision for your life. You should think about it carefully before you decide."

The woman chimed in. "Perhaps you are considering joining a sect from outside the kingdom. However, don't be so hasty with your decision. In Millfall, there are no people from sects or clans, and to reach one of them, you would have to go through many risks.

Moreover, the royal family does not prevent its more talented members from coveting higher positions within other organizations.

We understand that certain talented people can receive better nurturing in sects or clans, so even if you join us, it wouldn't hinder your chances of exploring other paths."

Seidel's royal family would try to keep its members within the army. But the more talented ones had two possible destinations.

One was to become nobles, which could grant them access to far more resources than what a person alone could get.

This was a good option because, after becoming nobles, some could rise in the local hierarchy. Even if they don't possess great talents, they could have riches as much or more affluent than those cultivators who were several steps stronger than them!

The other alternative was to join an out-of-state sect or clan. Opting for this, the individuals would enjoy substantial freedom, but in exchange for giving up one of their members, the Seidel family would be given some guarantees from the sect or clan that had taken their member.

In a way, they could have earnings as good or even better than if these members decided to stay in the family.

Someone who might have joined the royal army wouldn't necessarily mean they have to be in Seidel forever or have their future restricted to that place.

Thinking Rory might not be aware of these aspects, the woman readily informed him about it.

Rory acknowledged their points and responded with a smile, "I am well aware of that, seniors. However, that's not my purpose. I simply want to live an uncompromising life. While Awakening my powers was an amazing experience, my greatest ambition is not tied to reaching a lofty status or position. I don't see myself becoming a warrior, so I prefer to remain free."

Hearing that, the woman closed her eyes and shook her head with a hint of regret, thinking, 'What a fool. I hope you won't regret your decision in the future, boy.'

Fortunately for Rory, Seidel's royal family did not force members into their army. They preferred to have willing and committed individuals, and giving up talented people was considered a lesser loss than having someone who didn't truly desire to be a part of their ranks.

In the distant past, the Seidel Kingdom gave way to another state. However, given the modus operandi of the former ruling family of the area, which allowed the forcible conscripting of talented youths to become members of their army, one day, this force experienced a great catastrophe because of this.

Afterward, those who took over the force's territory were the subordinates of the royal family themselves, who were traumatized by the bloodletting generated by the vendetta.

"So that's it..." the man in armor sighed to himself. 'Well, your talent is good, but there are many like you throughout the kingdom. Maybe you'll make it big in the province, but that's not enough for us to be humiliated by you, boy.'

Talent played a crucial role in determining how far one could go. Yet, one's magical form might air or hinder the development of their talents and their ability to surpass the average.

As unique as Rory's magical form was, it was not considered exceptional, unlike that of Lauren's.

Magical forms resembling basic geometric figures were at the first power level. In contrast, unique shapes that did not follow a pattern, like the shape of Lauren's Gem, belonged to the highest level of power.

In other words, the more distinct and intricate someone's magical form was, the more extreme their abilities would be.

Acknowledging that Rory's powers would not revolutionize the kingdom, those two royal soldiers released him after his persistent refusals.

Rory continued his way off the platform while those two were already leading the other young man along with them.

"Rory, what did they say?" Vicente inquired just after he found his friend outside the temple.

Rory understood the reason behind Vicente's concern and explained, "They were members of the royal family. Luckily, my magical form isn't as shocking, so they didn't insist on me too hard. I think we'll be fine."

"Really?" Vice sighed with relief upon hearing that.

Recruiting young people with Green talents was pretty common, and young people around the kingdom didn't always accept offers.

Usually, many of these talents came from people who already belonged to respected families and had grand ambitions. Yet, in other cases, like Rory's, many young talents didn't accept the invitations because they wanted to take their unusual talents outside the kingdom, where they could stride further by joining a sect.

Not everyone had the opportunity to be scouted by sect and clan envoys. However, many knew about the existence of the competitions inside and outside the kingdom that served as entry points for these organizations.

Many of those young talents who preferred not to join any organization when discovering their talents did so for their personal ambitions. As long as their powers were not extremely disruptive, hardly anyone would impose their will against them just for the sake of their abilities.

At the end of the day, while a promising talent might possess great potential and perhaps even pose some degree of danger, something like that would mostly remain unknown.

Would it be rational for a grown man to fear a child who might one day grow up and steal his wife?

The answer was an obvious no. But there were cases like this in the world, and in an analogous manner, talents could grow and potentially disrupt the prevailing power structures in society. But the path between one point and the other was long, one that was tortuous and full of dangers.

Unless a talent were deemed truly extreme, no people would persecute others, force them into joining their sects, or the like in these areas.

Vicente understood this and felt relieved upon reflecting on what Rory had said, realizing his worries had been for nothing.

"Well, congratulations on your talent and magical form, Rory. You'll have a bright future ahead if you persevere and have a little luck," he commended after a moment, walking back to their carriage with his group.

"We will!" Rory commented as he playfully tapped one of his friend's shoulders.

As the two smiled, closing to their carriage, suddenly, a stranger passed by them, making a discreet remark without making eye contact with them, "Aaron sent me. Meet me near the Rain Hotel at dusk. I will hand you what he promised."

Both of them looked at that person's back. However, he didn't stop and continued to walk and soon disappeared amidst the bustling crowd in the street.