"Sign your name here after you finish filling it out," Larry pointed to a blank space at the bottom of the form.
Helag double-checked to ensure all necessary information was filled out, then signed his name at the bottom.
"Helag Merlin."
The form instantly ignited with blue flames. Helag instinctively pulled his hand back, but the flames had no heat.
The fire quickly consumed the entire form, leaving no ash behind.
"Welcome to Moonlight Woodland," Larry said flatly.
Jennifer pulled out a small slip of paper and stamped it heavily with a seal, making Helag wonder if the paper would be damaged.
"Go to the supplies office to collect your items," Jennifer said, handing the slip through the window.
Helag looked at the slip, which listed his basic information and a supply list.
– Wizard Apprentice Robe: One
– Magic Net Rune Stone: One
– Course Selection Vouchers: Three
– Northern Forest Dormitory: One room
– Library First Floor Access Card: One
– Magic Stone: One
The list was quite long, with many items.
The supplies office had a long queue.
"Mr. Larry!"
"Good evening, Mr. Larry!"
"Looks like we have a newcomer, and a handsome one at that!"
"Mr. Larry, when will your herbology class resume, or can we pay for private lessons?"
The queue was full of wizard apprentices. When someone noticed Larry, others turned to greet him.
Larry remained expressionless. "I'm busy with experiments lately, no time for classes or tutoring."
"Mr. Larry, do you teach herbology?" Helag asked.
"I usually teach herbology and potion-making, but I haven't had time for classes recently," Larry replied.
After waiting in line for a while, Helag signed a form and received his supplies.
The wizard apprentice robe was gray-brown, soft to the touch. It had some magical defense capabilities, reducing spell damage.
The Magic Net Rune Stone was a rectangular transparent crystal. When Helag input magic, it projected a virtual screen with options like friends, course schedule, tasks, and tavern chatter.
Larry took out a similar rune stone and explained, "The Magic Net is a wide-area spell developed by our Karag wizard organizations, mainly for information transmission. It's been around for two thousand years."
"The rune stone is important. You need to learn how to use it. Through the stone, you can contact other wizards, check and register for courses, and browse tasks posted by others. The top right corner shows your ID, which others can use to add you as a friend and contact you. It has many functions, so take your time to learn."
"This is basically a communicator," Helag said, quickly getting the hang of it and adding Larry as a friend.
The course selection vouchers were three green cards with the Moonlight Woodland emblem on the front and usage instructions on the back.
Larry explained, "Many official wizards in the organization offer various courses. You need to register at least a week in advance. You can check the course schedule for this month's courses, including time and location."
"Most courses require a fee in gold coins or magic stones. Some have specific requirements, like providing certain materials. These three vouchers allow you to register for any regular course."
"Use these vouchers wisely. I suggest starting with basic courses. Advanced courses might be too difficult for you now, wasting the opportunity."
"Mr. Larry, do you have any recommended courses?" Helag asked.
Larry thought for a moment. "Mr. Oleg Zotyev's 'Fundamentals of Spell Model Construction' and Ms. Lori Evan's 'Basics of Meditation Techniques' are suitable for you. These two are safe bets. Other courses depend on your personal interests and needs."
"Thank you, Mr. Larry. I'll definitely sign up for your herbology and potion-making classes when they resume," Helag said with a smile.
"Those two courses require significant funding. You can't do many experiments without money, as the materials are expensive," Larry said seriously.
Helag took out the black magic stone and asked, "How much is a magic stone worth in gold coins?"
"The market price is a hundred gold coins, but no one sells magic stones for gold coins, or people will think you're a fool. Wizards often trade using magic stones instead of gold coins."
Larry led Helag out of the administration hall to the Northern Forest dormitory.
Helag took out a brass key with a small wooden tag reading "Northern Forest Room 443."
Moonlight Woodland was even larger inside than it appeared from the outside. It took half an hour of walking through streets and alleys to reach the Northern Forest dormitory.
The Northern Forest was a wooded area with dense trees and scattered three-story cottages.
These cottages were the wizard apprentices' dormitories, one per person.
On the way to Room 443, Helag noticed that each cottage was unique, with various colors and some even having well-tended gardens.
Larry explained, "Once assigned, these cottages belong to you, so you can modify them as you like."
"Mr. Larry, where do you live?" Helag asked curiously.
"I live in the town," Larry replied.
"The town?"
Larry stopped and looked back at the buildings they had passed. "The area we just walked through is called the town. Only official wizards can live there. The Northern Forest is usually for wizard apprentices, but some stay here even after becoming official wizards. It's all about personal preference."
"The town's houses have spatial magic, making the interiors much larger."
"I see," Helag said, preferring the quiet cottages in the forest.
"Here we are. My task is done. If you have any questions, you can consult the administration hall. Someone there will help you," Larry said, then turned into a puff of smoke and disappeared.
"Mr. Larry leaves quickly," Helag said, not having had a chance to thank him.
He looked at his new home, a three-story cottage surrounded by dense forest, with a stream flowing nearby.
The environment, though lacking some human touch, was perfect for a wizard's life, needing a quiet place for meditation and research.