Guern Year 1862, February 18th - Snow.
The snowfall had begun in the night and only eased somewhat by dawn.
The ashen-gray city of Emeraldwood was now dusted in a thin veil of white.
Lynn sat on the warm balcony, eating breakfast while admiring the snowy view.
"Master, Lord Lucas has arrived."
Adeline's voice came from outside the study.
"Alright." Lynn swallowed his last spoonful of porridge, rose, and returned inside. He pulled a fur-lined coat from the rack by the door, draped it over his shoulders, and stepped into the front courtyard.
The taciturn coachman had already readied the carriage. Before boarding, Lynn walked up to greet Lucas at the gate.
"Good morning, Lord Lucas."
"Good morning, Lord Lynn." Out of courtesy, Lucas also stepped down from his carriage.
"Did you remember your Academy badge and lunch?" Lynn reminded him. "We'll be in class the entire day today. If you forgot, my maid has prepared extra."
"I've brought everything." Lucas nodded, though his face showed faint tension. He hesitated, then asked, "Other than that, is there anything else I should be mindful of?"
"No. Just relax, Lord Lucas." Lynn smiled faintly. "Though today's lecturer is a First-Rank wizard, I've heard Tutor Chris has a gentle nature and a fine reputation. As long as you follow the class rules, there's nothing to worry about."
"I know, it's just…" Lucas gave an awkward smile, then quickly changed the subject.
"Let's head off, before we're late."
A First-Rank wizard was hardly a trivial figure. Being so close to one naturally made Lucas nervous.
Yet, what troubled him even more came from another source.
He had been away from the Academy for eighteen years. Eighteen years since he had last sat in a classroom…
Now, wrinkles lined his face, and the vigor of youth was gone. He was no longer that bright-eyed boy of years past.
Time had left him behind.
Lucas felt old, so old that he was ashamed to sit among a group of teenagers, taking the same lessons they did.
He sighed as he climbed into the carriage, though slowly he managed to steady his heart.
After all, he was already a thick-skinned middle-aged man.
The anxiety faded, replaced gradually by expectation.
Today's lesson was one of the Academy's free compulsory courses, aimed at apprentices who had just advanced to Second Rank.
The class would cover prospects for their future path, spell and cultivation advice, and guidance for building their foundation.
Ten years ago, Lucas had already been a Second Rank apprentice. And ten years later, he was still stuck there.
It wasn't just due to mediocre talent; it was the lack of guidance, the plight most hedge-wizards shared.
Now, back in the Academy, he longed for this chance more than ever.
...
This time, the class was held in the Academy's temporary headquarters
A green fortress of towering vines and trees, built at the foot of the mountain slope where the Academy once stood.
It was unmistakably the work of Master Hossens, who had erected the fortress in just a few days after the war, ensuring the Academy could resume its daily functions.
The fortress had three main halls. Lynn and Lucas's class was in the left wing, second floor, third classroom.
When the two arrived, several students were already seated.
There were both boys and girls, all unfamiliar faces, but strikingly young. The eldest looked barely in their twenties, while one girl seemed only eleven or twelve.
Lynn chose a seat in the middle, not too forward, not too far back. Lucas sat beside him, stiff with nerves.
Soon, Tutor Chris arrived. He had golden hair, a youthful and unremarkable face, were it not for the First-Rank badge pinned to his chest, Lynn would have thought he was just another student.
"Let's see… sixteen people. Good, everyone's here. Then let's begin."
Chris stepped onto the podium. With a flick of his hand, the warding array around the classroom activated.
The wizarding society placed utmost importance on the secrecy of knowledge, and teaching followed strict protocols. These barrier arrays blocking sound and outside intrusion were the most basic precaution.
For more sensitive lessons, every student would even be inspected beforehand to ensure they weren't carrying anything that could be used to spy. Sometimes, not even written notes were allowed.
"First, congratulations on advancing to Second Rank apprentices.
"At this stage, your magic reserves increase significantly, allowing you to learn more spells. You must also begin preparing for the next threshold: becoming a First Rank apprentice.
"This is also when your personal combat system starts to take shape… I'm sure many of you have questions.
"Today's lesson is meant to clear up those doubts.
"There are two parts: the first, and most important, is about building a battle system suited to yourselves.
"The second will be a general outline of what preparations you must make at the Second Rank to be ready for First Rank advancement.
"So, let us begin with the first: how to build a battle system that suits you."
Chris spoke with clarity and brevity, his tone steady and patient.
Just from the opening segment alone, Lynn had already gained a great deal.
Beside him, Lucas couldn't help but think back to the cryptic and costly "guidance" he'd once begged for during his days as a hedge-wizard. Compared to this, his heart was filled with a storm of mixed feelings.
"First of all," Chris continued, "during your time as Third-Rank apprentices, you should already have learned that spells are divided into general-use and non-general-use categories.
"In general, at the Second Rank, we recommend you don't learn more than ten spells.
"And among those, you should ensure that at least one offensive and one defensive spell are general-use, that is, spells you can still rely on as First-Rank apprentices."
General-use… non-general-use…
Lucas's face paled slightly. He had never heard these terms before.
Though his reaction was subtle, Chris caught it from the lectern.
The tutor paused briefly, then smiled:
"Ah, I forgot some of you are returning apprentices who've been away from the Academy for some time.
"Welcome back. But you've missed a great deal of instruction. You'll have to work hard in private to catch up.
"Allow me to give a simple explanation of what general-use and non-general-use spells mean."
Lucas's face flushed, his eyes full of gratitude.
Chris was a First-Rank wizard. The fact that he didn't openly call them "expelled apprentices," and instead chose his words carefully to spare their pride, then even paused his lecture to explain, was already more consideration than Lucas had expected.
After years of hardship outside, Lucas felt his nose sting. He nearly wept.
At Lynn's side, he too felt a surge of emotion, though tinged with strangeness.
These past days had made one truth stand out more and more clearly: an Academy was entirely unlike those outside societies built purely on interest.
Here, there was inheritance. There was human warmth.
After all, many of the First-Rank wizards teaching today had once sat in these same classrooms, lived in these same dorms. The sense of closeness was far stronger.
On the podium, Chris went on:
"The distinction is simple. It depends on whether a spell's power scales with a wizard's advancement.
"If it does, it's a general-use spell. If it doesn't, it isn't.
"Note that 'general-use' is a relative concept. No spell can serve you forever.
"At least half of the general-use spells you learn at Second Rank will eventually become obsolete by the time you reach full wizard status, whether because their power becomes insufficient or because they're inefficient in their use of mana.
"Still, you are a long way from becoming First-Rank wizards. For now, just ensure that you have at least one offensive and one defensive general-use spell that can carry over into the First Rank. That will suffice.
"As for some non-general spells like Hawk-Eye, its effects don't scale with rank, true. But because it's only used for support, it will remain practical until you reach the threshold of becoming a full wizard. In that sense, it can also be treated as 'general-use.'"
Chris explained patiently. At once, both Lucas and Lynn understood the distinction.
Only Academy-trained wizards could afford to think with such precision. Ordinary hedge-wizards are lucky to scrape together a handful of spells at all. They can't afford to be picky.
Lynn mused silently, ever more convinced that returning to Hossens' domain had been the right choice.
"Keep in mind," Chris added, "while I've suggested numbers, your actual study should be adjusted to your own circumstances. Don't copy these guidelines blindly.
"The core principle of spell selection during apprenticeship is this: while ensuring your combat readiness, minimize the time you spend learning spells.
"I'm sure another tutor mentioned this when you advanced to Third Rank apprentices. I'll repeat it: remember, as apprentices, you are weak, and your lifespan is barely a hundred years.
"Only by becoming true wizards, First Rank, do you truly set foot upon the path of wizardry, and only then will your lifespans greatly increase.
"Now, let us continue with the details of spell combinations…"
Time passed swiftly as they studied. Apart from two brief breaks of three or four minutes, Chris lectured without pause the entire morning.
Unlike the weary apprentices, the First-Rank wizard showed no sign of fatigue.
Yet among the students, especially Lynn and Lucas, both of whom had missed much instruction during their years as outcasts, the flood of knowledge left them drained.
Still, exhaustion could not dampen Lynn's excitement.
"This is priceless… truly priceless!"
At lunch, Lucas munched on his bread, barely able to contain his enthusiasm. But then, swallowing, he sighed:
"I should've waited to redeem my spells. Most of the ones I picked weren't general-use at all."
"My luck was better." Lynn smiled. "The three mid-tier zero-rank spells I chose can all carry over into the First Rank."
He felt quietly grateful. That day, he hadn't thought too deeply, just trusted his instincts and the "modern" eye from his past life. But it turned out he'd chosen quite wisely.
...
In the afternoon, Chris resumed, covering what he hadn't finished:
How to judge which type of spells one had the most talent for.
This wasn't about simple elemental affinity: water, wind, fire.
It came down to differences in mental force and mana nature.
A wizard's mental force and mana weren't only shaped by their meditation method, but also by their very selves.
In mental force, some excelled at delicate control, giving them a gift for complex spells. Others could weave spell circuits faster, making them suited to large, unwieldy structures.
In mana nature: some wizards had unstable mana, which made them better suited to spells like Explosive Fireball, which demanded violent surges of magical energy…
In class, Lynn followed Chris's method to test his own spiritual force and mana alignment.
The result was that both leaned toward the middle.
In other words, he had no particularly strong affinity for any one type of spell, but neither did he have any incompatibilities.
Around three o'clock, Chris finally wrapped up the first part of the lecture.
He moved on to the next section: what apprentices at the Second Rank needed to do in preparation for advancing to the First Rank.
As Chris had said at the beginning, this part was more of an overview.
He didn't go into detail, but the content could be summed up into three key points:
First, a continuation of the earlier discussion, balancing spell study with cultivation, to leave more time for strengthening one's spirit.
Second, meditation techniques. For example, meditating at consistent times so the mind forms a habit, which increases efficiency, or the proper use of common alchemical aids.
Third, a set of assorted reminders and precautions.
Though these tips seemed minor, when combined, they created a significant gap between Academy-trained apprentices and hedge-wizards outside.
By the time the class ended, it was seven in the evening.
Outside, night had fallen, and a fine snow was drifting down once more.
Most of the apprentices left the castle, but a few, especially the younger Second Ranks, walked together toward the right-hand building.
In a sense, they were Hossens Academy's "elite apprentices." They had advanced from mortals to Second Rank in under three years, with the most gifted achieving it in a single year.
Though the Academy had not given them an official title, the preferential treatment was obvious.
Being allowed to live inside the Academy compound was one such privilege.
Still, Hossens Academy was expanding rapidly, and Emeraldwood City was under reconstruction. The rules were still in flux, and changes were expected soon.
"They probably already have mana restored to their meditation rooms," Lucas said enviously, watching those apprentices depart.
Lynn felt a twinge of envy himself. His own meditation chamber wouldn't have mana flow restored for at least another half a month.
That meant another half-month of inefficient practice.
"By the way, Lynn," Lucas asked, as if remembering something, "has the Academy assigned you any tasks yet?"
"Not yet," Lynn shook his head.
Apprentices who enjoyed the Academy's resources were expected to contribute in return.
The exception was those elite apprentices.
In terms of resources, ordinary and elite apprentices didn't differ much.
But when it came to duties, the difference was stark.
The more talented you were, the fewer chores you were given, and vice versa.
After all, for gifted apprentices, advancing quickly was itself a contribution to the Academy.
Lynn wasn't in a bad spot; his progress to Second Rank hadn't been slow, putting him in the upper-middle range. He probably wouldn't be burdened with too much drudgery.
Lucas, by contrast, had spent half his time since returning to the Academy bogged down in chores.
"My assignment will probably come in a day or two," Lynn added. "I just hope it won't take up too much time."
"With the Academy so short on manpower right now, that hope may be a little too optimistic," Lucas said with a wry smile. After a pause, he added with determination:
"In fact, I'm planning to take on extra tasks."
"Why?"
"To earn more contribution points." Lucas's face was lit with resolve, his eyes burning with expectation.
"I've been stuck at Second Rank for ten years now. My spiritual strength is already close to the threshold for advancement. I can't afford to keep wasting time.
"I've heard that Mentor Chris offers a special course to guide Second Ranks in advancing to First Rank. The results are excellent, but the contribution cost is steep.
"I plan to work hard and gather enough points to exchange for it."
"Then let me wish you success in advance," Lynn said sincerely. "With the Academy issuing so many tasks for the reconstruction of Hossens' domain, I'm sure you'll earn the points soon."
As he spoke, a thought stirred in his mind.
For days, he had been struggling with the problem of choosing his first thrall.
The Emerald Shadow Imprint was too precious; he needed to be careful in choosing whom to brand.
But he couldn't delay forever either, or he'd be wasting precious time.
After much thought, Lynn had settled on two broad directions.
One was to choose a gifted wizard. The other was a creature with special abilities.
A wizard was attractive because a loyal human wizard could assist in countless ways, and since both were wizards, the imprint's spiritual amplification would be stronger.
But Lynn was not a man who killed indiscriminately. He couldn't bring himself to enslave ordinary wizards even if he allowed them to retain their consciousness.
In recent days, he'd deliberately sought out corrupt and vicious wizards, but had yet to find a suitable target.
As for special creatures, the appeal was that the Emerald Shadow Imprint not only amplified spirit but also carried over a thrall's innate gifts.
Thus, a creature with a unique ability could be just as valuable a choice.
"With the development of the Emerald Forest underway, there should be plenty of magical beasts on the market," Lynn mused. "Perhaps I should visit the beast markets."
...
Two days later, Lynn still hadn't found a suitable target.
But the Academy finally issued its task.
He was to escort a shipment of supplies from Emeraldwood City to Outpost Twelve, located deep within the Emerald Forest.
The outpost had been jointly built by the Silver Ring Academy and Hossens Academy to facilitate the construction of a direct road, the Emerald Highway linking Hossens' domain with the outside world.
The assignment would last two months, with multiple trips back and forth.
As expected, Lynn's hope for a light workload had proven futile, just as Lucas had warned.
Still, the contribution points were generous.
And since the mission led into the Emerald Forest, where magical beasts were abundant, Lynn couldn't help but feel a flicker of anticipation.
Perhaps, along the way, he might just find the perfect candidate for his first thrall.
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