Just because Martin “valued” those black mages and treated them with “leniency" did not necessarily mean he truly cherished friendships.0

Rather, this was because the Rank Three grand mage understood what was necessary to establish himself in Blackhaven.0

Only by leveraging his connections from the Black Magic Academy of Mystralora City could Martin hope to thrive in Blackhaven and continue his mentor's legacy.0

Otherwise, he would be merely an ordinary early-stage Rank Three black mage.0

In the periphery of Blackhaven, an early-stage Rank Three black mage was indeed a notable existence. However, in the heart or even the hinterlands of Blackhaven, he amounted to very little.0

Given Blackhaven's scarce resources, the relatively young Martin might only achieve mid or late-stage Rank Three status in his lifetime, barring...0