17: Chapter 17: A Pistol?!

Therefore, Byron changed the subject and asked, "Colin, what is that you are holding in your hand?"

Upon hearing this, Colin held up the list in his hand and explained, "Oh, you mean this? This is the list of Materials we need to purchase today."

"You have now officially entered the Laboratory, so starting tomorrow, you must also begin working. The Mentor should have told you something about it, right?"

Byron nodded and repeated to Colin what Isolde had told him.

Colin nodded, "The Mentor only gave a rough overview. I will now explain the daily schedule to you in detail."

"Every morning, you and I must come to the Laboratory to clean up and dispose of the experimental waste."

"In the afternoon, which is when I just arrived, we need to ask the Mentor about the experiments to be conducted tomorrow and what Materials are needed. After making a list, we will go and purchase them one by one."

"After the Materials are purchased, we must head to the Laboratory and process them all so they are ready for the Mentor to use in the next day's experiments."

"These are the tasks we need to do throughout the day, and they cannot be missed on any day."

Byron first nodded to indicate he had remembered, then immediately asked the question he was most concerned about.

"But what about the magic stones for purchasing the Materials?"

He really hoped he wouldn't have to pay out of his own pocket; that would be terrible.

Colin said in a relaxed tone, "That is not our concern. It is all billed to a unified account, and the Mentor will pay for it herself."

Byron also breathed a sigh of relief and smiled.

Afterwards, the two chatted while walking into the Market within the academy.

It was not as solemn and oppressive as the experimental area, nor as relaxed and lively as the living area, but rather filled with a sense of raw vitality.

There were students setting up stalls on both sides of the road, various strange creatures kept in cages waiting to be sold, and a dazzling array of goods in the shops.

Colin skillfully navigated between the various shops, continuously purchasing the items they needed.

While purchasing, Colin also provided explanations.

Byron followed closely behind, recording the location of each shop and the items sold there, so it would be convenient for future needs.

Before long, the two arrived at the center of the Market.

"Byron, this area of shops is where wizard artifact and experimental apparatus are sold. If you want to set up your own Laboratory in the future, you can come here to buy experimental equipment."

Standing in front of those luxuriously decorated buildings, Colin reminded him.

"But the prerequisite is that you must have sufficient magic stones."

Byron sighed, "Sigh, I don't know when I'll be able to set up my own Laboratory, but thank you nonetheless, Colin."

Colin smiled and said, "Your Aptitude is much better than mine. I'm sure it won't be long before you become a First-Rank Wizard Apprentice like me, and by then, you should start preparing."

"There's nothing wrong with learning about it in advance; it's good to prepare early."

Just as the two were talking, Byron's footsteps stopped without warning.

At this moment, his eyes were fixed intently on an item displayed in the window of a shop by the street.

The object was slender and compact, with cold, iron-like lines, and an overall regular geometric shape.

Pale silver runes were engraved on its surface, with a faint light shimmering across them, revealing an inexplicable aura.

When his gaze swept over this object just now, Byron thought he had misread it.

Now that he had stopped and looked closely, he confirmed that he had not misread it.

That object was none other than a pistol, the kind of pistol from his previous life.

Although its appearance was somewhat different from what he remembered, he was certain in his heart that he had not mistaken it.

Seeing Byron stop, Colin felt a bit strange and followed his gaze to look over.

When he saw the item displayed on the counter, he understood instantly, patted Byron on the shoulder, and teased him.

"Byron, I didn't expect you to be so well-informed. You just arrived at the academy and already know about this thing. Tell me, do you have some kind of backing? Let your senior share in your good fortune."

Upon hearing this, Byron came back to his senses.

Regarding Colin's words, he neither admitted nor denied them, but instead gave Colin a smile, letting him guess for himself.

Seeing this, Colin's eyes lit up, and he chuckled at Byron, wearing an expression that said, "I understand, I know."

Byron pointed at the pistol and asked, "Colin, I've only heard a word or two about this thing and don't really understand the specifics. Could you tell me about it?"

Colin said generously, "No problem."

"This thing, let alone for an Official Wizard, doesn't have much use even for a Limit Wizard."

"But for us Wizard Apprentices, it is a powerful weapon, even a trump card for saving one's life. It is far more useful than those cantrip spells."

As Colin spoke, he reached his hand behind his waist.

With a crisp "click" sound.

Colin skillfully drew a pistol from his lower back and weighed it in his hand.

"So, basically, any Wizard Apprentice with some funds will keep one on hand, just in case."

As Colin spoke, he handed the pistol in his hand to Byron.

Byron did not stand on ceremony and took it directly.

The moment it was in his hand, his palm sank slightly, and a cold sensation spread from his palm.

Byron toyed with the pistol in his hand while listening to Colin's narration.

After Colin finished speaking, Byron roughly understood where this thing came from, and the worry in his heart dissipated slightly.

This thing was originally discovered when wizards were conquering a technological civilization.

Those wizards who participated in the conquest saw that this thing was quite unique, so they brought some back for research.

Eventually, it evolved into its current form and was popularized.

However, according to Colin, he had heard some news of unknown veracity.

It is said that the firearms they see now are already obsolete.

In the Three-Ring Holy Tower that manages their area, the firearms there are even more powerful and versatile, and that place is where wizards truly pursue the truth.

When mentioning the Three-Ring Holy Tower, Byron could see the longing in Colin's eyes.

But when he asked him for some information about the Three-Ring Holy Tower, Colin could not say anything.

Regarding this, although Byron did not say much, he firmly kept the name Three-Ring Holy Tower in his heart.

After returning the pistol to Colin, the two continued to purchase the necessary Materials.

After finishing the purchases and returning to Mentor Isolde's Laboratory, the two began processing those Materials without stopping.

However, since Byron had not yet learned how to process Materials, Colin did not let Byron handle them, only letting him watch.

According to what he said, they had only bought a few extra of these items; if they were ruined during processing, they would have to be purchased again.

Regarding this, Byron did not insist on trying it himself, but followed Colin's suggestion.

While watching Colin process the Materials, he listened to his explanations on how to process them.

Regarding this, Byron also asked Colin if he didn't need him to pay anything for teaching him the knowledge of processing Materials.

Who would have thought, as soon as these words were spoken, Byron didn't expect Colin to burst into laughter and provide an explanation.

He was eager for Byron to learn quickly because once Byron learned, there would be someone to work with him.

That way, he would have more time to study knowledge and engage in Meditation.

In this way, it could be considered a form of equivalent exchange.