Adrian turned at the Instructor’s call, his brow furrowing as he crossed the hall to where the man stood near the podium.
The Forge Mastering hall was nearly empty now, the other students having fled the mont the bell rang.
He couldn’t help but wonder why he’d been singled out. ’What does he want now?.
"You said you’ve handled a Forge before," he Instructor began the mont Adrian arrived. "How much experience do you have?"
Adrian didn’t hesitate. "I’m experienced enough."
The Instructor nodded slowly, muttering under his breath, "Okay, okay." He crossed his arms, his expression softening just a fraction.
"I’ll give you so advice, then. Visit the library. Learn all the theory of enchantnt you can. Once you’re done, truly done; co find . I’ll give you a test. Pass it, and we’ll start enchanting tals for real."
Adrian’s respect for the man grew in that mont. He wasn’t wasting ti with pointless lessons, instead pushing Adrian to prove himself.
With [Lore Grasp] at his disposal, books were no obstacle.
’I could actually start enchanting earlier than expected,’ he thought, a spark of excitent igniting in his chest. No more wasting ti on useless basics.
He lowered his head slightly and said in a sincere tone. "Thank you. I appreciate that."
The Instructor waved him off, already turning to gather his things. "Go on, then. It’s ti for your next class."
Adrian didn’t need to be told twice. History awaited, and he followed the signs once outside, guiding himself to the History block.
The History hall, when he arrived, was exactly as he had expected — the largest class he’d seen yet.
Rows of desks stretched across the room, filled with students already scribbling notes. He paused at the entrance, activating [Analyze] as he stepped inside.
The System’s overlay flashed in his vision, providing him with the information that there were 55 Mages and 5 Knights, not counting himself.
The numbers weren’t surprising, but the faces caught his attention.
He could make out figures of Diana and Julian after his eyes swept the front, but he ignored them and walked forward to find a seat.
As he walked, a question ca up to his mind after he didn’t see soone. ’I wonder why I haven’t seen Serena? Or did I miss her in Alchemy?’
He shook his head, dismissing the thought. It had to be the latter. Serena’s magic talent was undeniable, so he couldn’t consider that she didn’t make it to the Academy.
The lesson was already in full swing and despite the fact that students were trickling in, the Instructor’s focus was barely broken.
Around Adrian, students clutched their parchnt and quills, their hands moving furiously to keep up. He, however, leaned back with his arms crossed. His boosted cognitive abilities ant he didn’t need to write anything, so he would rather listen.
***
~DING—DONG~
The bell’s ringing sound echoed through the hall, signaling the end of the class.
Students rose, their chairs scraping as they gathered their things. The Instructor’s voice carried over the noise.
"Don’t forget to study the Treaty of the Continents! It’ll make the next lesson easier."
Her words lingered as the students filed out, so muttering about the assignnt, others already lost in their own conversations.
Adrian stood, slinging his bag over his shoulder, his mind turning over the lesson. He had read of the three continents beyond Thanad, but the depth of their history had always eluded him.
Today’s lecture had shed so light but it still felt like the surface of a much larger story. The Instructor’s advice to read up made sense; he needed more if he was going to truly understand.
As he stepped outside the hall, the weight of his tasks settled on him.
"Theory of rune making, history, rule book," he muttered in a low voice. "Guess I’ll hit the library now."
***
Adrian navigated the library sections upon entering. The rule books were everywhere, scattered across nearly every shelf, their leather covers stamped with the Academy’s crest.
He grabbed one, its weight moderate compared to the monstrous books that lined the walls.
’Next the Forge Mastering section.’
On reaching the section, his eyes scanned through the titles of all the books scattered across the shelf before landing on one thick volu that had several copies.
"Theory of Enchantnt," he muttered its na as he picked it up.
He tucked it under his arm, deciding against picking up any history books. ’I’ll learn those ones on the spot.’
Finding a quiet corner, Adrian settled at a wooden table, the rule book in front of him. A notification flashed in his vision as he opened it:
[Assimilate ’Theory of Enchantnt’?]
[Yes/No]
He ignored it for a mont, flipping through the pages until he found what he needed — a detailed map of the Academy.
"Just what I needed," he muttered. After confirming that it was present, he ntally selected yes, and the familiar rush hit him, his mind flooding with new knowledge as [Lore Grasp] worked its magic.
The Zarion Academy was massive... far bigger than Adrian had ever imagined. The rule book painted a vivid picture: beyond the main gate, the Academy stretched into what could only be described as a mini-city.
’A city within a city,’ Adrian thought, picturing the sprawling grounds in his mind. There were distinct sections, each a world of its own— Year 1s had their own area, Year 2s another, and the staff occupied a separate domain altogether.
’The separation made sense, keeping the years apart to avoid conflicts or distractions.
A surprising detail caught his attention: attending lessons was completely optional.
’What?’ he thought, his brow furrowing. That was unexpected. Most students probably didn’t even know, assuming the Academy’s rigid structure demanded their presence.
But there was a catch, a big one. If you failed the final year examinations, you’d be expelled with imdiate effect.
’It’s a brutal system but it works perfectly.’
Students were not compelled to attend classes, but would face the consequences if they don’t learn enough. It also gave freedom to exceptional students who would still do well without so classes.
’Perfect, now I’ll be able to manage my ti whenever the deal arises.’
The rule book went on, detailing the Academy’s laws with a stark clarity. Fighting was allowed, but killing was forbidden.
’Good to know,’ Adrian thought, his mind flashing to Fabian for a mont. That noble brat would likely try sothing sooner or later, but at least Adrian could defend himself without fear of breaking the rules as long as it didn’t go too far.
Another rule that piqued his interest was that students were free to leave the Academy at any ti, but only if they had enough Contribution Points.
’Contribution Points?’ he thought, his fingers tracing the page even though the knowledge was already in his mind.
Those points were a currency, used to buy passes to leave, magic crystals, and so other essentials.
Outside the Academy’s walls, a larger market awaited, one that sold armor, weapons, and more, but it all ca down to gold, which he had surplus of but you still you couldn’t get there without those points.
The question of how to earn contribution points was also answered. Every staff mber had a weekly quota of Contribution Points to distribute at the end of the week at their discretion.
It was a clever way to encourage attendance, and with the way he was impressing at class; Adrian was confident to earn so.
So rules he already knew, but they hit harder now that he saw them in print. Knights could dress however they wanted, while Mages were bound by strict uniform codes for different occasions.
’Knights really are outcasts here,’ he thought. It was already clear the Academy favored Mages, and Adrian was sure he’ll see more of it.
Other rules were familiar but no less frustrating. The three bells for als — breakfast, lunch and dinner — ant you ate when the Academy said or not at all.
’Miss a bell, and you’re starving,’ he thought, his stomach twinging at the mory of skipping lunch yesterday. He’d learned that lesson the hard way, and he wasn’t about to repeat it.
There were other tidbits — curfews, restricted areas, penalties for damaging Academy property — but they felt secondary compared to the bigger picture.
Adrian sighed, closing the rule book with a soft thud. The knowledge settled in his mind along with its map.
’I’ve got a clearer path now,’ he thought. But there was more to learn, and ti wasn’t on his side.
He reached for the Theory of Enchantnt book and as he opened it, the notification flashed again in his vision:
[Assimilate ’Theory of Enchantnt’?]
[Yes/No]
’Let’s see what you’ve got for ,’ he thought, his finger hovering over the ntal ’Yes.’
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