While Apolo continued staring into nothingness, Finz and Marcos kept arguing about the matter until they both noticed the abnormal state of the young wizard.
—Something wrong, Apolo?—Marcos asked, giving the young man's shoulder a slight push.
—Huh?... No, it's nothing—Apolo replied, wiping the sweat from his face with the sleeve of his shirt—I'm just a bit anxious about receiving my sponsorship.
—I see. Well, look on the bright side: at least they'll grant it to you today—Finz chimed in, trying to ease Apolo's tension. Meanwhile, he continued debating with the other two wizards. In reality, the rest of the employees in the room were verifying and checking documents to ensure everything was in order. Their main duty was to buy time and address queries.
—I guess some new wizards might run out of funds if they don't approve a budget expansion—Marcos said with a sad expression—Do you think they'll approve it?
—No, they won't. If they put Hefesto in the exams, it's because the higher-ups don't want new wizards—Finz replied with concern, slightly nervous about the big task looming ahead—The council will probably investigate what happened in the exam and why there are so many passers. They'll find some excuse to invalidate the exam.
—Most likely. We'll see what happens. Hefesto has many friends in the council—Marcos responded, adjusting his glasses up and down—I'd say it's fortunate that the elections are far off; otherwise, I'd tell you it's impossible for Hefesto to get away with it.
—Elections?—Apolo asked, not understanding what Marcos meant. After his "discoveries," he was quite interested in this conversation.
—Council seats are filled once a decade: they replace those who've passed away—Finz explained slowly—All registered magicians in the empire get to choose the replacements, and that's called "elections". Anyway, there are 8 years left, so you shouldn't worry about it now.
—And who's in charge of checking if anything strange happened in the exam?—Apolo asked, not as discreetly as he'd like.
—The highest authority managing magic in the empire: Dorien, the Minister of Magic—Finz replied, glancing at an employee at the desks who signaled for him to come over—Excuse me, I need to handle something. Your sponsorship will be ready in a few more minutes, Apolo. And as for your matter, Marcos, your presentation before the council has been scheduled for next week.
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Upon hearing that the Minister of Magic was responsible for verifying the situation, Apolo's expression improved slightly. It was likely that they would annul some exams for trivial reasons and avoid mentioning that everyone had cheated in the exam because of him. Or at least, Apolo thought the Minister wouldn't immediately try to expose him, and if he did, Apolo had already planned a good way to keep his head intact.
—Great, then I'll leave now—Marcos commented upon learning his issue had been resolved—Good luck, Apolo. Remember not to squander all your crystals. After all, the only way for a novice magician to increase their personal budget is by discovering something interesting, and believe me, that's super costly. The other option is to work, but as a noble magician, I'd recommend you steer clear of that option. The pay will be too meager. Try to specialize in something that can lead you to a truly profitable job, assuming your initial research consumes a lot of crystals.
—Well, thanks for the advice—Apolo responded automatically. Truthfully, in his mind, he was debating whether or not to approach the Minister of Magic after receiving the money to "fix" the problem with the enrollment exam. He didn't know Hefesto personally, and now that he knew he had been used, it was best to throw the old man under the bus if necessary.
As Marcos left the room and Apolo pondered his next move, Finz finished resolving the issue and returned with a not-so-large chest to the desk where Apolo was waiting.
—Alright, here's your initial sponsorship—Finz commented, sitting at the desk and opening the chest. Inside the chest was a black card, two scrolls, a red book, and a silver badge. Finz began taking the items from the chest and placing them on the desk, indicating each item to Apolo:
—Since you're a member of one of the major families, and specifically a member of the Black Forest family, the empire will grant you property. In this scroll, you have an imperial decree to purchase any house for sale in the capital. The second document is a copy indicating that you're a magician of this empire. It's mostly useless, but keep it just in case. Next is this silver badge; it's your identification as a magician for internal matters at the ministry. Keep it safe and don't lose it. The last item that requires explanation is this red book; it's a simple directory of merchants and where to find them. It's essentially advertising, but it will be useful. As for your funds, they're deposited on the card: 2,500 crystals for being a magician, plus 5,000 crystals for your noble blood. So, you have a total of 7,500 annual crystals. Don't squander them, and remember that everything is more expensive for magicians.
After finishing the explanation, Finz put the items back in the chest and handed it to Apolo. The young magician quickly snatched the chest from Finz's hand, almost as if he feared he would put it away again. And without saying goodbye, Apolo rose from his seat and hurried to the exit. Meanwhile, Finz watched the scene with a rather forced smile, showing how accustomed he was to working with eccentric individuals.