Wizard: This mushroom is too fierce.

After finishing the exam, Roland handed the paper to the elven servant who collected them, and then prepared to leave to find Olivia so they could leave together.

Just then, a woman's voice rang out: "Roland, what are you doing here?"

"You are...Irina?" Roland turned his head in surprise and found a girl in a blue dress staring at him curiously.

"You've also become a third-class wizard apprentice?" Irina's pupils contracted slightly, her expression somewhat complicated. She was clearly extremely shocked that Roland, a fellow countryman with first-class wizard aptitude, had passed the test.

"Yes...Irina." Roland nodded calmly.

Irina gave an awkward laugh, and the two walked out of the Magic Plant House's booth together. Suddenly, a man dressed in a black wizard's robe approached: "Irina, are you done with your exam?"

"And who is this?" The man's face was somewhat stiff, and his tone carried a hint of interrogation.

Upon seeing the man, Irina quickly distanced herself from Roland and pointed at him, saying, "He is from my hometown. We are both wizard seeds from the Bauhinia Blossom Cult. He was originally a knight squire under my family."

"I was lucky enough to be detected as having first-class talent by the wizards at the academy, and then I managed to pass the assessment and become a third-class wizard apprentice."

"Oh..." The man's lips curled slightly, a frivolous expression on his face. He pulled Irina into his arms with a show of smugness and said with a smile, "Junior Brother Roland... I am Coleman Gray, a third-class wizard apprentice with a mental strength of 30 points, and also Irina's fiancé."

"You don't seem to be in a very good situation," Coleman said with a mocking look as he scrutinized Roland from head to toe. Then, he smiled and suggested, "With your talent, you must have taken out quite a bit of borrowing to break through to the third-level wizard apprentice level within the allotted time."

"My family has considerable influence in this area. If you need it," Coriman said softly, holding Irina tightly, "I can offer you a job, since you're from the same hometown as Irina."

"How about being my groom?" Coleman seemed to have thought of something. He suddenly opened his eyes wide and pointed at Roland with great interest, saying, "You did this job when you were a knight's squire, anyway."

"I have a few buddies whose grooms are third-rate wizarding apprentices like you with no potential."

"I think you're good-looking; it would be quite impressive to take you out."

Irina's lips twitched, but after glancing at Roland, she gave up. There was no need to refute Coleman for Roland's sake; it would lower her standing in his eyes.

Roland watched the performance of this descendant of the family wizards quietly, sneering inwardly. Sure enough, there are always spoiled brats in any world.

Even a wizarding society that reveres knowledge and pursues truth cannot avoid this.

Roland's expression remained calm. He extended his palm and said softly to Irina, "I live at 32 Cromwell Street in Northwind City. Please feel free to contact me if needed, Irina."

After exchanging simple pleasantries, Roland left on his own, without ever glancing at the two of them.

Coleman's expression was somewhat stiff; Roland's disregard clearly displeased him, and he was about to lash out, but Irina stopped him this time.

"Never mind, Coriman," Irina said softly, dressed in an exquisite gown. "He's just a wizarding apprentice with no potential."

"Irina, don't..." Coleman was getting a little carried away; he wanted to teach Roland a lesson.

"Roland..." Olivia gritted her teeth, stomping over from a distance, then glared fiercely at Roland and raised her fist, the size of a sandbag: "Do you know how long I've been looking for you?!"

"I told you to come find me..." Olivia looked up and pointed at Roland, "But you, you went shopping here and there, and... you didn't even tell me you were participating in the competition."

Olivia's amber eyes scrutinized her, and she said in a suspicious tone, "Roland...you're not thinking of backing out, are you?"

"That's absolutely impossible!" Olivia stared intently at Roland and said loudly, "You signed a contract with me, which stipulates that from now until the next three years, you are mine."

"Your people?" Roland blinked.

"That's right!" Olivia said, hands on her chest.

"Roland, and who is this?" Irina approached at an inopportune moment, followed by Coleman, who gave a gentlemanly bow. "Are you Miss Olivia Grant?"

"My name is Coriman Gray, and I am a wizarding apprentice of the local Gray family."

"Is this your friend?" Olivia frowned and turned to Roland to ask.

"I am Irina, and like Roland, I come from the same place."

Irina walked over at the opportune moment and emphasized her identity.

Coleman's face softened, a smile spreading across his face as he repeatedly asked, "Miss Olivia, is this Roland your servant?"

"I heard you signed a three-year master-servant contract with him..."

"Shut up!" Olivia's amber eyes flashed coldly as she grabbed Roland's wrist and said, "Roland is my friend...my dearest friend."

"If you slander him again..." Olivia said coldly, "I don't mind using some special means to take this matter to the ethics court."

"Never mind..." Roland's eyes were calm as he glanced at the two trembling figures and said, "Olivia, let's go... This gathering has taken too long."

"We have a potions class this afternoon."

Roland walked past the two, then said softly to Olivia, whose eyes were cold, "The Beardless Ones are nothing more than two insignificant people."

Upon hearing this, Olivia first glared fiercely at the two of them, then smiled and took Roland's hand, walking away.

She didn't care who these people were. As long as they hurt her friends and teammates, Olivia, as the founder of the team and Roland's good friend, believed she had a reason to help him.

As she watched the two leave, Irina's body trembled involuntarily. Was this really the Roland she knew?

Why such indifference? Where has Roland, the one I remember who wanted to be my own guardian knight, gone?

Who is that woman? Even Coriman, a family wizard who has been operating in the Deep Caverns for many years, needs to curry favor with her.

Irina's mind was a complete mess. She stared blankly in the direction Roland had left, a faint sadness on her face. She knew that from now on, she and Roland would probably be strangers.

"Irina..." Coleman's voice suddenly came anxiously. The family wizard, whose face had been full of confidence, now looked like a headless fly: "You..."

"What's wrong, Gray?" Irina composed herself, putting on a stiff smile that she had practiced for a long time.

"You have to help me!" Coleman said, clutching his head. "That woman is from the Grant family."

"Her father is Hubble Grant... Oh no... If word gets out that I've offended his daughter."

"I'm afraid I won't be able to keep my position in the family." Coriman held Irina's arm tightly and pleaded, "You and that Roland used to be good friends, right?"

Coleman never expected that Roland, who came from out of town, would have such great power. If Roland held a grudge against him... then he was finished.

"You must have a way..." Coriman looked at Irina hopefully. Irina had never felt this way before. For the first time, she felt extremely respected.

Irina gave a faint smile: "Of course...you're my fiancé, so of course I have to consider your feelings, Corleyman."

"However..." Irina pondered for a moment, then said softly, "Although Roland is my friend..."

"But getting someone to plead on your behalf will probably come at a considerable cost."

"Especially in this matter," Irina said pointedly, "You were far too reckless..."

"You dared to provoke Roland without my permission."

"Your rude behavior will probably make this very difficult."

After Irina finished speaking, fear appeared on Coleman's face. He said anxiously, "No problem... Irina, you have to help me."

"As long as I have it... you can use it from now on."

"I immediately told my father about the marriage, and from now on you will be my wife, Coreman Gray."

Seeing that she had achieved her goal, Irina stopped threatening her incompetent fiancé.

She gazed in the direction Roland had left, a faint sadness on her face. She hadn't expected Roland to grow up so quickly, even having such a prominent figure as Olivia in his network of connections.

She regretted it!

If I had known, I should have kept in touch more often; at least we could have remained friends.

"At this point, I'm afraid I'll have to sacrifice quite a bit to salvage this friendship."

"However..." Irina frowned and looked down at Coreman in front of her. She was very clear-headed. Coreman, this spoiled brat, was only able to be manipulated by her because of Roland's relationship. If this went on for too long and Coreman noticed the problem, her chance to use the Gray family to rise to a higher level would probably disappear.

Irina thought of Olivia again. That girl was simply too beautiful. From her fashion sense to her appearance, Irina couldn't compare to her in any way.

After a moment's thought, Irina thought to herself, "Roland probably has no feelings for me anymore."

"It seems we'll need to put in some real effort to win them back."

"I wonder what he actually likes?"

"A spellbook... or a magic stone...?"