A week in the future.
redith and Luke were now sleeping together, and every night, the two half-beasts practiced love. The half-wolf got up in the morning, trying not to wake redith, Luke left the room and went outside the dorm to do his morning workout, performing several push-ups. The half-wolf was already feeling much more energized and capable.
His strength was at its best and his fighting power had already returned to normal. After finishing his training, Luke went to the dormitory, took a shower, and realized that there was a letter.
It was a warning that Ezra had already finished the production of his weapon, so the young man decided to return to lki's forge, to check how the production of his weapons was progressing.
Luke opened his inventory inside the room and removed the greatsword, he then left the dormitory and flew to the forge.
With a long white beard and a shiny bald head, Mr. Zhanid looked at his wrist, which had four identical pointer watches.
"Hohohoho! So, you are the young n who caught Hazor's eye." Mr. Zhanid said.
redith was showing her typical surprised face, but in Luke's case, he already imagined that the professor could be soone eccentric. The half-wolf knew that every strong person carries at least a trace of strangeness. In the end, he was indeed right.
Professor Zhanid had the typical characteristics of an old wizard. On his back he carried a wooden staff with a bell at the top. His clothes were a classic suit and tie, and on top of it, a long cloak covered him. In the belt of his pants was a leather book with gold trim. On his left arm there were also four watches, and on his right arm four compasses.
All these features just showed how extravagant a man Zhanid was, sothing that already at first glance made redith worried.
"My na is Luke Lange, and this is my companion redith."
Zhanid nodded to them, turned his back, and as he walked out of the room they were in, he began to chatter:
"This here is the lki Academy of Magic's Teleportation Area. This place isn't used much, but it's really sothing quite useful, isn't it? Do you guys know why this magic circle is more special than the others?"
Luke and redith just denied with their heads.
"Well... The magic circle present in this magic circuit is different from those you might be used to seeing. This one has an activator and a microcontroller that can destroy it in case of a mana destabilization. If you think about it, this kind of technology is sothing crucial when we think about a hypothetical war scenario.
Zhanid continued talking non-stop for a few minutes. His voice echoed through the stone room the three of them were in.
The temperature in New Yukiat was not so cold, but you could still feel the humidity in the air of that empty and dusty room.
The old man then guided the two of them to a sofa in what appeared to be a lounge on the first floor of a large tower a few corridors after leaving the Teleportation Area. In the tower were bookshelves that stretched to the top of the circular ceiling. At the end of the tower a stained glass window with a book and a golden eagle could be seen.
"Regarding this library, this is the transition center for the archives collected for the Diamond Plateau region. To put it simply, here is like a secondary library where we stock so books that are to be added to the academy's book system in the future. This process is quite tireso, after all we have a reputation to look after.
I imagine Hazor has already ntioned the large collection of content about combat magic. Zhanid asked, looking the half-beads in the eye.
The old professor wouldn't stop talking at all, Luke was visibly annoyed, but since redith was holding his hand at all tis, he managed to keep himself quiet.
"Mr. Zhanid, I am looking for so way to mitigate the effects of curses without healing. You know, like a way to control the collateral damage of a curse." Luke just ignored everything the old man was saying and got right to the point.
At that mont, the old mage's eyes began to glow with excitent.
Zhanid made a gesture with his left index finger and a tray of tea flew at him out of nowhere. The old man then began to prepare so tea while answering the boy's question.
"There are millions of types of curses, countless to say the least. However, you are right, when it cos to curses with no cure, the side effects are even worse than normal. When it cos to curses of that kind, the best way is through a magical artifact."
This was not news to Luke, who had already talked about this issue with the Scales, but even the deity did not know how to do this. Besides most of her powers having been sucked away, the near omniscience knowledge she once had was no more than a spark these days.
"This would require a warlock and soone who specializes in the area of curses, I believe the Living Library can help you with that when we get to the Academy." Zhanid continued.
redith and Luke then exchanged confused looks. "A Living Library? What is that?" Luke asked.
"Hohohoho! Yes, you don't know then, forgive . Well, the Academy adopted an incredibly talented baby fifteen years ago. Since she practically grew up in the Living Library, she rembers all the books of our academy. This includes both those from this roaster, as well as those kept in our school.
She is probably the most versatile mage in our academy, and the right person to help you with your query."
This news shocked the two half-beasts, who again looked up to the top of the tower that was completely packed with books, but it wasn't even the entire collection known to the mysterious girl.
'Balance, are we really going to need a blacksmith?' Luke needed to confirm.
[What he said is correct. The use of an amulet is the best way to correct the side effects of a curse, and to forge sothing so delicate will require the talent that only a blacksmith has. Creating an active and constant magic, this can only be achieved with the support of more than one experienced person. A good blacksmith and a talented mage will be paramount].
Luke then scratched his head, apprehensive. "Mr Zhanid, can this woman help us?"
The old man then began to laugh. "Hohohoho! gan is not a woman yet my boy, she is just a girl. Though surely her strength is much greater than mine."
That news made Luke less worried, if she was just a girl, that ant she was probably soone with no ties to the lki Empire, because if the case was the opposite, it would probably be harder to add her to the group.
Now the only thing missing would be a blacksmith, however, Luke could look for that later. First, he needed to focus on recruiting this gan woman.
Zhanid continued chattering endlessly about the trip, while the old man finished packing so books. Soon he placed them in a cloth baggage, which began to levitate behind him, and after that the three of them left that long stone building. They walked out of the outer courtyards around the tower into an empty wood.
When Luke looked back, longing to see how large the tower was from the outside, the gigantic stone construction stood out in the forest, which never seed to have been touched by human hands.
Then Zhanid guided the two of them to a village in the center of the forest.
When the group arrived there, all the villagers began to applaud and thank the old wizard as soon as they saw him.
This reaction left redith with an expression of confusion on her face, but she didn't dare to speak, already wondering how he would talk on and on.
Little by little things began to make sense, Zhanid used his magic to help that village, both for harvesting in tis when there was not much rain, and even with healing magic when soone beca extrely ill, in the end, the lord was a necessary support for the village. After a few more minutes the group was facing a carriage.
Two black and seemingly strong horses were waiting stopped, beside it were two n in simple farr's attire.
"It is a pleasure to drive you again" Said one of the n, who was muscular, perhaps from working in the fields.
"I was already missing your stories" Said the second man, who was less muscular and thin.
Sothing that surprised Luke was how no one in that village cared about his race, he felt like he was covered. This made him wonder if it was because of being on Zhanid's side, or if simply that humble village didn't have that kind of prejudice. Luke borrowed one of the books from Zhanid's backpack, and redith began to try to sleep.
The thin driver also went back to the back of the wagon and started to sleep, while the stronger one stayed in the front talking to the old wizard. The stories of that gentleman were impressive to Luke, sothing that completely changed the boy's view of how Magic could be used. Even though Zhanid was a battle magic teacher at the academy.
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