Dark Wizard: Rise! My undead army!

Little did Lynn know that this was an investment that Roland had carefully considered.

A formal wizard who is so young yet possesses an absurdly high level of spiritual strength must either have a powerful mentor carefully cultivating him or have terrifyingly exceptional talent.

Either way, it's worth getting to know them in advance.

A thousand magic stones are nothing to Roland, who possesses the resources of a city, but if he can gain the favor of a future powerhouse, then it's a huge win.

Moreover... his own lifespan is already limited, and he doesn't have enough potential to advance to the third-circle wizard level, so he needs to pave the way for the next generation.

Lynn remained silent for a moment, then accepted the spatial bag without refusing.

"Thank you, Lord City Lord."

"Of course, of course!"

Roland's smile deepened as he saw Lynn accept the magic stone, but he did not end the meeting.

He clapped his hands lightly and transmitted his voice to the head guard standing outside the banquet hall, "Go and call Karl and Eileen here."

The head guard accepted the order and left.

Roland once again extended an olive branch to Lynn.

"If you need anything in the future, please don't hesitate to ask. In this northern border region, my words still carry some weight."

After saying that, a hint of helplessness appeared on his smile: "Lord Lynn, taking this opportunity, I would also like to introduce you to two people."

Before long, two young men, led by the head guard, strode into the banquet hall.

Leading the way was a young man of about twenty years old, with a tall and straight figure and a face that bore a five or six-point resemblance to Roland. He was wearing a well-tailored dark blue apprentice robe.

Embroidered on his chest was the emblem of a tower of withered bones and three bone rings—signifying that he was a third-class apprentice.

He walked with a steady gait, and his body exuded obvious death energy fluctuations, clearly indicating that he was a necromancy major.

Half a step behind was a girl who looked to be only sixteen or seventeen years old, wearing a simple dark green apprentice robe with two green leaves on her chest, indicating that she was a second-class apprentice.

She has delicate features, with a scholarly air about her, a calm demeanor, and an energy fluctuation that leans more towards a natural aura.

The two approached and first bowed respectfully to Roland, saying, "Father."

Then their gazes fell on young Lynn, and when they saw the black, magic-patterned wizard's robe, their pupils contracted simultaneously, and they quickly bowed:

"Greetings, Your Excellency!"

Roland smiled and introduced, "Your Excellency Lynn, these are my two good-for-nothing children—my eldest son Karl (third-class apprentice) and my second daughter Eileen (second-class apprentice)."

"They are also the only two among my dozens of children who possess wizarding talent. My eldest son was able to enter the Bone Spire to study, while my second daughter cultivates in the Ring of Nature."

He paused, his tone carrying a hint of complexity.

"The other children... are either not talented enough and switched to knights or mages, or they can't even get past the threshold of becoming professionals and can only manage some secular businesses."

"The path of a wizard is ultimately too demanding."

That's true; after all, even a city with tens of thousands of people can't find many children with wizarding potential.

If two wizards have children, their offspring have a high probability of possessing wizarding talent.

After all, the wizard's bloodline and body have undergone multiple energy cleansings, transcending the mortal realm.

Of course, the bodies of wizards at the Saint Mark level and above have gradually become regularized, and without a physical body, it is difficult for them to give birth to bloodline offspring.

Carl and Eileen remained bowed, their posture extremely respectful, but Lynn could keenly sense the subtle fluctuations in their souls.

Tension, curiosity, and a... veiled assessment.

Is this... using oneself as a bargaining chip?

Almost instantly, an image flashed through Lynn's mind:

The old city lord is old and nearing the end of his life, with two wizard offspring eligible to inherit his position...

In the future, they will inevitably engage in open and covert struggles for the position of city lord, for family resources, and even for the connections left by their father.

As a newly arrived, powerful, and young formal wizard, he is likely to become an "external aid" that both sides are vying to win over or even try to leverage.

Or perhaps after the city lord died, a large group of his enemies came to seek revenge and wipe out his family. In this moment of crisis, his two sons, followed by a large group of enemies, ran to his territory seeking refuge.

trouble.

Very troublesome.

He doesn't like trouble.

Lynn was most afraid of mundane matters involving power succession and family infighting.

His goal is the Path of All Things, the Pinnacle of the Holy Mark, and the Unraveling of the Traces of Endless Truth.

He neither wanted nor had the energy to get involved in such worldly disputes.

Tsk... I should have just gone straight to the base. Why did I have to pull this stunt? Wouldn't it be too embarrassing to refuse now?

This not only prevented them from befriending the local strongmen, but also worsened their relationship.

Hmm... If we wait until Roland's lifespan ends, even his two apprentices won't be able to do anything to him, and then he'll turn his back on us?

Wouldn't that be too unseemly to eat like that?

Driven by his aversion to trouble, almost instinctively, Lynn took out the spatial bag containing a thousand magic stones and handed it to Roland.

"I appreciate the Lord's kindness."

His voice was calm yet tinged with a hint of detachment.

"I am single-mindedly pursuing the truth and determined to devote myself to spiritual practice. I have no intention of, nor do I have time to, meddle in too many worldly matters."

"This generous gift... please take it back, City Lord."

His meaning was clear: I don't want the magic stone, I don't owe you any favors, and your family affairs are none of my business.

Roland was taken aback at first, then, seeing Lynn's expression of "avoiding him like the plague," he suddenly burst into laughter.

"Hahaha! Lord Lynn, what are you thinking? This is just a small gift, not any reward."

He waved his hand repeatedly, not taking the spatial bag.

"I'm letting you meet these two children not to cause you trouble, nor to ask you to take sides or express your opinion!"

He stopped laughing, his gaze becoming deep and honest as he looked at Lynn.

"Having lived for nearly three hundred years and witnessed too many wizarding careers, I understand that for a genius like you, time, energy, and focus are more precious than any other resource. Why would I burden you with such mundane matters?"

He pointed to Carl and Eileen, his tone turning serious:

"I just hope that one day in the future, if these two children happen to meet you, and happen to be in a difficult situation..."

"And if you happen to have the ability and it doesn't violate your principles, you can lend them a hand."

That's all.

Roland's gaze swept over his two children, a hint of paternal worry flashing in his eyes.

"The wizarding world is fraught with danger. They have some talent, but their character, experience, and strength are far from sufficient. I can still protect them for a few more years."

"But I'm running out of time."

He spoke these words softly, but the desolation and helplessness in them made Carl and Eileen tremble simultaneously. They looked up at their father, their eyes filled with complex emotions.

My father is getting old.

Ultimately, their future path will depend on themselves.