Fortunately, excuses were easy to find.
Carl had won, clearly relying on the Demonized Item he had activated at the start.
"Senior Arthur." Carl bowed, ignoring the commotion in the room. "I request to divide the inheritance left by our tutor."
"No problem." Arthur nodded. He glanced at Hibell, who had fainted earlier from severe emotional distress, then said, "Adolf's inheritance is on his island, and the Grey Robed Wizard holds the key to enter the island."
An island? A key? Carl's gaze flickered.
It was aptly named. All sorts of bizarre, ferocious trees stretched their branches towards the sky, blocking the sunlight and causing complete darkness below. The omnipresent swamp was a natural trap; once one fell into it, the more they struggled, the deeper they sank. Even a Knight could easily lose their life if not careful. Not to mention the invisible miasma and dangerous Magic Creatures, which made the Black Swamp a forbidden zone for humans.
Only Wizards pursuing mysterious knowledge and exploring the unknown would choose to settle in such a place. To facilitate passage here, the Wizards had developed a kind of wooden boat that allowed them to traverse the swamp without fear.
The wind element propelled the wooden boat, swiftly navigating through the swamp.
"There is a deadly miasma deep within the Black Swamp," Arthur began to explain. "Even Wizards find it hard to resist, and it severely hinders our exploration progress. It was Adolf who analyzed this miasma, specifically developed an antidote, and also helped the Grey Robed Wizard perfect a witchcraft art. This greatly accelerated our exploration of the Black Swamp."
He waved his arm gently, and the boat sharply turned ahead and sped forward. He continued, "He earned great merit, securing an island for himself, and spent six years contributing to the exploration of the Black Swamp. He even obtained a dose of Grimm's Potion!"
As he spoke, Arthur shook his head slightly, his voice tinged with emotion. "Sometimes it's hard to tell whether something is a blessing or a curse. If it weren't for that dose of Grimm's Potion, Adolf wouldn't have died."
"Yes!" Carl sighed. "I had thought our tutor would become an Official Wizard."
"An Official Wizard?" Arthur shook his head. "That's tough! The Gando Kingdom doesn't lack Advanced Wizard Apprentices, but how many Official Wizards are there in total? You know, an Official Wizard could live for two or three hundred years!"
This meant that in a country like the Gando Kingdom, it might take decades to produce a single Official Wizard. The odds were miserably small.
Arthur spoke, and the wooden boat docked at the 'shore'.
Carl followed him off the boat, coming to a flat area, and looked forward as directed.
"That is the Grey Robed Wizard!"
In the distance, a thick, poisonous miasma obscured their vision, allowing only a glimpse of a towering giant tree within it.
The Grey Robed Wizard? Where? Carl's eyes showed confusion.
The poisonous miasma for a li around suddenly began to stir, rapidly moving towards the giant tree at its center. In just a few breaths, the air cleared.
Immediately afterward, the towering tree swayed its branches, releasing mist. The entire process resembled a massive filter clearing the poisonous miasma.
"Second Circle Magic—Giant Tree Incarnation!" Arthur said. "The Grey Robed Wizard advanced to the Second Circle because of this magic. It is said that years ago, he obtained the seed of some legendary plant. This smoothed his path significantly and, because of this magic, also greatly prolonged his lifespan."
"..." Carl opened his mouth, his voice hoarse, "Do you mean to say that giant tree is the Grey Robed Wizard?"
"Yes." Arthur nodded.
"RUMBLE, RUMBLE, RUMBLE..."
The giant tree, at least a hundred meters tall and requiring over a dozen people to encircle it, shook its body. Under Carl's astonished gaze, it gradually shrank. Eventually, in a manner that defied the laws of physics, it transformed into a gaunt old man clad in a grey robe. He hovered in the air and stepped forward, appearing right in front of them.
The old man had an unimposing appearance, but the terrifying pressure of having manifested as a giant tree still lingered.
Vast life breath! Immeasurably deep spiritual fluctuations!
The oppressive force of a superior being, originating from deep within their bloodline, caused Carl and Arthur to subconsciously bow their heads.
A Legendary Knight? In the presence of such a being, even the most powerful Legendary Knight would likely be unable to muster any will to resist.
The Grey Robed Wizard, Adison.
A Second Circle Wizard!
Founder of the Swamp Alliance.
"Respected and great Grey Robed Wizard." Arthur's voice was solemn. "I have brought Adolf's disciple. He requests to inherit his tutor's legacy. Please grant your permission."
"Adolf." Unlike his colossal form from moments before, the Grey Robed Wizard Adison's voice was unexpectedly gentle and personable. "He was a genius in potion-making. To think..."
Gently flicking his sleeve, a palm-sized golden key slowly floated towards Carl.
"Young man, your life breath holds great potential. Perhaps the Knight Path is truly suitable for you."
"What a pity!" Adison looked up toward the sky. "The Divine's radiance here is too dazzling. It's been many years since a Demigod was born."
A Demigod? The ultimate goal of the Knight Path is a Demigod? Carl was filled with questions as he reached out to take the key.
It was only natural that this powerful being had seen through his attempts to conceal his aura.
The Black Swamp covered a vast area, dotted with a few islands habitable for humans. To own an island was, in a way, a symbol of status. Apart from Official Wizards, currently only six Advanced Wizard Apprentices possessed islands; Adolf was among them. Each of them had made substantial contributions to the alliance.
By now, the poisonous miasma in the outer regions of the Black Swamp had been mostly cleared, though remnants still lingered near each island.