After discussing with the two Mayors, Butler Edward did not reject anyone's chance to sign up.
However, he set up several assessments to test courage, willpower, and loyalty, in order to select the final candidates.
Butler Edward, having the highest level of magic, set up a fire wall in the squares of both cities.
It was stipulated that only those who passed through the fire wall could proceed to the next stage of candidacy.
Feeling the scorching heat of the flames, some even tried to pass a wooden stick through the fire wall, only to see that section of the stick instantly reduced to ashes, which immediately caused everyone present to gasp in cold air.
They were certain this was real fire, not an illusion.
Immediately, nearly half the people were scared away.
They were originally just ordinary humans with no great ambitions, feeling that the Wizard was too far removed from them, and were now just joining in the excitement with a tiny glimmer of "what if" hope in their hearts.
But faced with this fire wall, they immediately got cold feet.
Where there were those who retreated, there were naturally those who dared to try.
In Bree City, the Militia Captain, who had originally guarded the city gates against the Corpse Demons, was the first to enter the fire wall, causing a stir among the crowd.
However, the fire was fierce, and behind the fire wall was another room, so others couldn't see what was happening behind the fire wall, nor did they know how the Militia Captain, engulfed by the flames, was faring.
But with that, other brave individuals also began to try; several militiamen who had also faced Corpse Demons before, gritted their teeth, closed their eyes, and rushed directly into the fire wall, disappearing from sight.
Some quick-witted people, after not hearing any screams, immediately had a thought; they decided the flames must be an illusion, so they walked slowly towards the fire wall with an expression that conveyed they had seen through it, under the gaze of everyone.
But as he walked to the fire wall and felt his skin getting progressively hotter, he became hesitant again.
Could this fire be real?
No, that's not right, it must be fake, this feeling must also be fake, it's just meant to scare people.
So, the clever person, as if self-hypnotizing, rushed towards the flames with a forced bravery.
But the next second, a flame shot out, directly singeing a lock of his hair.
Feeling the stinging pain on his scalp and the smell of burnt hair, he slammed on the brakes, falling backward in terror, scrambling desperately on the ground as if seeing a fierce beast.
This scene directly amused the onlookers, but it also deterred many more people.
After all, this could be a life-threatening matter if one was not careful, since even the Mayor had not guaranteed that the fire wall would not burn people to death.
Behind the fire wall, Mayor Graeme stood with Butler Edward, and beside them were several people who had successfully passed through the fire wall, but whose faces still showed lingering fear.
Mayor Graeme, seeing this scene, curiously asked Edward, "Mr. Edward, is there a specific purpose for this fire wall you've set up? Why are those who pass through unharmed, but that fellow's hair was directly burnt off?"
The few people nearby also perked up their ears, listening intently for an explanation.
Edward's lips curved into a smile, and he said with a slightly smug tone:
"This is an improved version of the Flame Charm, taught to me by Lord Sylas, and it can be used to test courage. If one has enough courage and rushes quickly into the fire wall, although they will feel the heat of the flames, it will not cause them harm.
But if one lacks courage, hesitates, they will be like that person just now, and it will be no different from real flames, feeling the intense pain of burning."
Graeme heard this and immediately expressed some concern, "Will this cause harm?"
Edward shook his head, confidently saying, "No need to worry, this is only temporary; once they leave the fire wall, the pain will quickly disappear, and it will not cause serious burns, at most it will just burn off their body hair."
Graeme immediately felt relieved, and at the same time, he became even more curious and envious of this magic.
He truly was worthy of being the Lord's personal Butler.
Although they were Mayors, holding power over a city, compared to them, Butler Edward had a closer relationship with the Lord.
While they had to visit the Castle periodically, he had always stayed by the Lord's side, able to consult him about magic at any time, and was even taught such advanced magic by the Lord.
Sensing the Mayor's envy beside him, Edward said, "Mayor Graeme, if you are curious about this magic, I will teach it to you after this assessment is over."
Mayor Graeme's eyes immediately lit up, "This, is this possible?"
"Of course it is," Edward said generously, "This is originally magic taught by Lord Sylas, everyone has the right to learn, and besides, the Lord said that magic can only progress through mutual exchange and discussion, so let's consider this mutual learning and discussion."
Upon hearing this, Graeme immediately felt a sense of shame and admiration for Edward.
He truly was worthy of being someone trusted by the Lord; his ideological awareness was indeed high.
It should be known that when he first heard that the Lord wanted to cultivate five hundred Wizards, his first reaction was that his status as a Wizard seemed to become less valuable.
After all, with so many Wizards, he, the only Wizard Lord of Bree City, would not seem so dazzling.
However, this command came from the Lord, so even if he was somewhat unwilling deep down, he still carried it out diligently and tried to secure more Wizard slots.
After all, since the advantage of his Wizard status was about to disappear, he might as well strive for more Wizard slots for Bree City, so that his side would have a numerical advantage and successfully beat his old rival, Luke, in a round.
Thinking this, Mayor Graeme looked at the citizens on the other side of the fire wall with anticipation.
He hoped that more people would pass the assessment, which would allow them to occupy more Wizard slots.
By then, he might even be able to transform Bree City into a City of Wizards.
Outside the fire wall, among the tens of thousands of citizens, there would always be no shortage of courageous people.
Most of them were militiamen, along with some young people and a few women, all gritting their teeth and rushing into the fire wall.
Some people successfully passed through the fire wall, completing the first stage of the assessment.
But there were also some who, after entering the flames, developed fear, and the intense burning pain instantly surged over them, causing them to scream in agony, scrambling out in a desperate and pathetic manner, failing to succeed.
Although there were no burn marks on their bodies after they came out, the pain of being burned still lingered in their memory, making them lose the courage to try again.
And this situation also scared off many people.
Most of those who bravely rushed into the fire wall were young people; older people had lost their enthusiasm and were content with the status quo.
After all, not everyone could be like Mayor Graeme, who still possessed a vitality no less than that of young people.
Of course, not every elderly person was like this.
For example, Buttercup, the owner of the Inn, directly showed the courage of an old warhorse with a thousand-mile ambition, walking fearlessly into the fire wall and smoothly passing through to the other side, even happily greeting Mayor Graeme.
The fire wall test lasted for a day.
By the time it ended, over a thousand people had successfully passed through the fire wall, with an elimination rate of over ninety percent.
On the second day, these more than a thousand people underwent the second assessment once again.