nouns - What is a word for a person who has been initiated into secret knowledge (apprentice, ___, master)?


I'm looking for a noun that can fit well in a 3-level scale: apprentice, ____, master.


The scale describes the progress of a person from a layman/uninitiated (apprentice), through being accomplished and versed in the secret knowledge he acquired, and finally arriving at the ability to teach and mentor apprentices into the same knowledge (master).


The noun initiate has connotations of being a beginner and thus isn't good for my need.




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