Katherine's smile grew proud, and with a confident gleam in her eyes, she responded, "Five to eight years, give or take."
Yuliresio raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised. "That fast? Aren't you being a bit too overconfident, young lady?"
He was talking about godhood—something that had taken him at least a century to achieve. Even among the most gifted, reaching that stage so quickly was unheard of. Yet here was Katherine, claiming she could do it in no more than five years. Achieving godhood at 50 was unprecedented, especially for a mage.
While some warriors had reached godhood in similar timeframes, mages were a different story. Warriors, with their sheer determination and physical prowess, often had the world itself bend to their will, allowing them to create their own rules.
But mages had to walk a much harder path—gathering vast amounts of knowledge, understanding the intricacies of the world, and then shaping that knowledge into something new. They had to weave the fabric of the world's laws with their intellect, becoming either one with the world or bending its power with trickery.
Katherine shook her head, her expression firm. "Not overconfident. I've found a way to reach the higher stage. It's a long path, but I can see it clearly now. I just need time—time to start, time to finish. That's why I'm here in the city, to focus on the research required."
The man looked genuinely pleased for her, nodding several times as he said, "Good for you, good for you." He continued, "Just don't rush any decisions, even if it takes longer than you anticipated."
Katherine nodded in response, though she was confident she wouldn't need the extra time. Still, it cost her nothing to agree. Seeing her nod, Yuliresio took another puff from his pipe and said, "Alright, enough about that. Come to the tower in the morning. I've prepared a lab for you, and there's a list of assistants to help with your research. Pick the ones you like.
I've also included one of my students—see if he's to your liking. He's still young, though."
Katherine nodded and smiled, saying, "I heard Razia is working on some research too. Is she doing it at the tower?"
The old mage chuckled and nodded. "Yes, she is. Your lab is right next to hers. And let me guess—was it that blue-haired monkey who told you? The one who's always after my precious daughter?" His tone carried a hint of a threat.
Katherine looked amused as she replied, "Yeah, he was on the same ship I traveled on. He mentioned she's preparing to cross the same line as I am."
The man smiled brightly at the mention of his daughter, Razia—Katherine's friend and another potential grand mage. "She is, but it'll take her much longer than you, if everything goes well..."
"It will..." Katherine said with a smile.
Yuliresio nodded as well, then added, "She'll be glad to see you. She's been quite off these past few months since she's been here." His expression darkened as he continued in a frustrated tone, "And all because of that arrogant boy... took her away from me. That little shithead! I'm going to have a long talk with him..."
Katherine couldn't help but feel a bit of sympathy for Julius. But alas, marrying the daughter of an overprotective father who's also a grand mage comes with its price. At least as a 7th-circle warrior, Julius could probably endure the inevitable scolding.
Putting aside her sympathy for Julius, Katherine had another matter she needed help with—one that was small, yet important to her. "I need another favor, Master."
"Oh? Is it something related to your research?" Yuliresio asked, tucking his smoking pipe back into his sleeve.
Katherine shook her head. "No, it's about the boy who came with me."
Her response piqued the grand mage's curiosity, and he looked at her with amusement. "Oh? Is he someone close to you? With that red hair, he seems like he could be from your family, but your mother didn't mention anything about him."
"He has some of our family's blood, but Mother wouldn't know—there are many distant relatives living in the castle. He's just one of them, and also my servant," Katherine explained.
Yuliresio looked even more amused, knowing full well that most masters wouldn't ask favors for their servants. However, he didn't comment on it and simply asked, "What do you need?"
"I need a job for him, preferably something where he can also train under a skilled sword master—someone around the 6th or 7th rank," Katherine replied. She had already thought it through and decided that Cassian would be her bodyguard and advisor. To do that, he needed experience in various fields.
She didn't make this decision on a whim; rather, she believed she could control him. Cassian seemed to be developing an obsession with her—at least that's how it appeared, given that he didn't mind massaging her for hours a day to fulfill his own desires. This was the main reason she felt confident in making him loyal to her.
Meanwhile, Yuliresio fell into thought upon hearing her request and said, "Well, what about that arrogant son-in-law of mine? I can't stand him, but there's no denying he's top talent with a sword. Cassian could do the same job he'll be doing."
This time, Katherine paused to consider his words. Cassian knew Julius and had developed a good impression of him from their initial encounters. As the grand mage mentioned, Julius was indeed quite talented in sword fighting. She nodded and asked, "What's the job?"
"It's a special law enforcement unit in the city, focused on investigating violent crimes, mainly murder," the old man explained. Katherine found the job to be excellent for Cassian's growth; it would help him understand cunning individuals, which was essential for a good advisor. After all, where could he find more cunning people than murderers trying to evade justice?
"That sounds good," Katherine said with a smile.
As the old man rose from his chair, it vanished again. "Well then, I'll inform Julius. He'll arrange for him to join the force," he said, walking toward the door. "For now, we won't be able to meet for a while since I have matters to attend to, so take care of yourself, or your mother will have my head." With that, he opened the door and stepped out, vanishing into thin air just as he had appeared.