With his duties as librarian finished, Asa reverted to his original appearance and headed straight toward Aretuza Academy.
To get from his residence to the academy, one had to cross a bridge. At this moment, female students were coming and going in an endless stream, and many young girls in plain attire were being led across the bridge by elders or instructors from the magic academy.
It turned out that the time had come again for Aretuza Academy's student graduation and new student enrollment.
If he just walked across the bridge like this and let the new students see his face, they probably wouldn't have any heart left for their studies, right?
For the sake of the quality of Aretuza Academy's students, and to avoid being lectured by teachers, Asa once again concealed his inhuman beauty, leaving only an appearance comparable to the viewers'.
Even so, quite a few students still looked back, but at least it wouldn't cause students with a higher concentration of elven blood in their bodies to go into heat on the spot.
"I am truly too kind."
Asa walked straight ahead, heading towards Aretuza Academy on the other side of the bridge. When he reached the center, the system suddenly sent a notification:
[Congratulations on discovering an important plot character, Triss Merigold. Establishing an intimate relationship with her will grant rewards.]
Asa was stunned, and an image of the red-haired Sorceress appeared in his mind.
Triss (Mature form)
Had the time already arrived for her enrollment?
He stopped and let his gaze scan the faces of the many new students who had come to report.
Based on her hair color, Asa quickly found the red-haired girl in the crowd.
At this moment, Triss appeared to be only about ten years old. Her chestnut-red hair was tied back, with two shorter strands left in front of her forehead. Her nose bridge and cheeks were dotted with scattered freckles. At first glance, no one would be able to connect her to the beautiful and sexy Sorceress she would become as an adult.
Among the new students with tattered clothing, this red-haired girl's clothes could be considered clean and tidy, and the material was also much better.
But for some reason, she was all alone, without anyone by her side. She clutched her luggage, looking around, her eyes filled with both excitement and confusion.
Just as Asa was standing there observing Triss, the red-haired girl, whether she felt Asa gaze or for some other reason, actually looked over.
Their eyes met. The red-haired girl was stunned for a moment, then quickly lowered her head.
"Shy? How cute."
Asa curled the corners of his mouth and moved his gaze away, to avoid looking like a creep.
He waited in place for a while, but Triss's guardian never appeared. Asa frowned and walked toward the girl:
"Hey, girl, you look like you've lost your way in life."
After Asa approached, young Triss became even shyer. Her head instantly drooped. Unfortunately, since she hadn't developed yet, she couldn't bury it, looking like a quail.
Feeling a tall figure standing in front of her, Triss realized he was talking to her, and she mumbled:
"I'm not lost. It's just too beautiful here, and I want to take a few more looks."
"Where is your family?"
"My aunt just left."
Triss's parents were not mentioned in the novels or games; it was her aunt who brought her.
"Since I have nothing better to do, I'll take you to report."
Asa reached out his hand.
After hesitating for a moment, the red-haired girl finally placed her small hand on Asa large hand.
This big brother looks very handsome; he shouldn't be a bad person, right? Triss thought to herself.
Asa was familiar with this kind of enrollment scene, as he witnessed it every year.
On the way, Triss held onto Asa large hand tightly. After walking for a while, she couldn't help but ask:
"Are you a teacher?"
"No."
"Then you must be a Wizard, right?"
"I suppose so."
"Oh."
The question she had mustered the courage to ask was ultimately swallowed back by Asa indifferent reply.
So cool! Ten-year-old Triss muttered in her heart:
Cold, powerful, and beautiful, with a hint of gentleness—this was Triss's entire fantasy of a Sorceress. Asa demeanor hit her fantasy perfectly, and his cold attitude actually made Triss look forward to her future life as an apprentice even more.
After bringing Triss to the registration desk, Asa turned and left.
Leaving an impression during her childhood was enough.
If Asa really wanted to pursue her, he wouldn't go so far as to make a move on a ten-year-old girl.
At the registration desk, Triss watched Asa departing back, her eyes full of anticipation:
"Can I also become someone like that?"
...
After the small interlude, Asa arrived at his teacher's office.
At this time, Tissaia had already been waiting for a long time.
"How is it? Have you decided where to go?"
Having a good teacher is great; they even handle placement after graduation.
Ordinary Sorceresses from Aretuza have to focus on studying magic for over a decade after graduation, and only after gaining a certain reputation will they receive invitations from royal families.
Wanting to serve as a court mage right after graduation?
It's just like a fresh graduate applying for a position that requires five years of work experience.
"Among the Northern Kingdoms, Temeria and Redania are the most powerful. You can choose one from these two kingdoms."
However, Asa had already made his decision:
"Teacher, I plan to go to Cintra."
Cintra is located at the southernmost part of the Northern Kingdoms, facing the sea to the west, separated from the Skellige Isles by the sea. To the south is the Nazair Empire, and further away is the Nilfgaardian Empire.
In the game's timeline, Cintra was established as a province by the Nilfgaardian Empire and ceased to exist, but at this time, it was still one of the Northern Kingdoms.
"You've decided?"
"I've decided."
Tissaia knew that her student always had his own ideas, so she nodded:
"Very well, I will write a letter. When you take this letter to the capital of Cintra, it will be useful."
It feels good to have connections at the top.
"Love you, Teacher."
Asa gave a thumbs up.
Cintra is a relatively small country among the Northern Kingdoms. It doesn't seem like a good place to go, but that was not Asa goal.
This is the land where Ciri was born, and the bloodline of the Elder Blood actually flows within the royal family of Cintra.
Because the royal bloodline needs to continue, even though the Elder Blood naturally brings a powerful source of magic, the side effect of infertility means that royals almost never choose to become a Sorceress.
Therefore, the Elder Blood has remained hidden among humans in this way.
The elves thought they had to search for the Elder Blood among Sorceresses; that was a mistake from the very beginning.
Asa was also curious about the power of the Elder Blood. This is an ability that allows one to travel between worlds without the system. Ciri relied on her bloodline to travel to the 2077 world. If used in the resident evil world, where would it go?
Asa was very curious.
"The Kingdom of Cintra is at war with the Kingdom of Nazair. If you go there, you must protect yourself. Also, beware of the Church of the Eternal Fire. In recent years, those guys have become increasingly hostile toward us, and they have been hoarding quite a bit of Dimeritium."
With departure imminent, Tissaia couldn't help but nag.
There is a metal in this world called Dimeritium, which can absorb all kinds of magic. Once in contact with this metal, even a legendary mage is no different from an ordinary person.
Although a Wizard is powerful, their bodies are exceptionally fragile. Once their magic is restricted by Dimeritium, even a farmer holding a pitchfork could kill a Wizard.
The Church of the Eternal Fire has been continuously collecting Dimeritium over the years and has even established the so-called Order of the Flaming Rose, capturing people who cannot yet control their own source of magic and sending them to the stake. The Northern Kingdoms have become increasingly hostile to non-human races in recent years, and the living space for Sorceresses has been constantly shrinking.
Regarding this trend, even Tissaia, one of the five elders of the Brotherhood of Sorcerers, was helpless.
They are just mages, not emperors, and cannot influence the thoughts of those kings.
"Hmm, I will remember that."
Asa nodded seriously. Not to mention how he, a mage, would be shackled by Dimeritium cuffs, even if it really happened, and he couldn't use magic, he would just let them see what the power of changing phases was.
Asa had never used the abilities of a BOW in the Wizarding World.
Not counting filling up the Sorceresses.