Chương 117: Chapter 073 The Academy Of Advanced Magic And Innovation (Part 1)

After an early breakfast with his mother and father, Jack had spent a few hours preparing for his move to the Academy of Advanced Magic and Innovation. Earlier—in the privacy of his room—he'd registered more mage skills from his past life memories. [Summon Orb] Creates a small floating orb of light. Duration: 15 minutes. [Eye Sparkle] Eyes sparkle like they're reflecting sunlight. Duration: 15 minutes. [Signature Glow] Your signature glows when written. One signature per use.

[Echo Voice] Your next words repeat three times, each quieter than the last. Duration: one phrase. They were, for the most part, useless, but Jack had also inscribed another improve skill, [Improve Hearing], which improved his hearing by ten per cent for one hour. Each time an improve or similar skill ran out, he'd recast it. This would mean he'd not only have the benefits of the improvements, but he'd level those skills faster.

Having registered a total of twenty-two Novice Mage Secondary Skills, he'd still need another eight to reach level 3.

The air smelled of the spicy marinated meat they'd prepared the previous evening; the first batch was already in the oven. His suitcase leaned against the wall by the door, packed tight with his new magic books and notebooks, each one a reminder that this was real now. Morning light spilled across the kitchen as Jack hugged his mother and Zia. His father had already left for the Royal Library a couple of hours earlier. Polly ducked behind a chair when he tried to hug her. Jack chuckled and shook his head.

Just you wait until I've learnt [Share Memories]. His new Academy uniform felt stiff against his skin, the dark grey coat edged with silver thread, and the crest of the Academy stitched over his heart; a stylised ouroboros of a dragon eating its own tail. The cloth smelled of new dye and protective-rune enchantments, a reminder that he was no longer just a scribe's son. At his side hung his dagger and new mage's wand, the latter gleaming with promise.

His bow and quiver waited in his room for when he returned that evening for dinner. At a quarter past nine, they stood outside by the waiting carriage. The horse snorted and pawed the cobblestones while the driver watched with quiet patience.

"I'll be fine, Mom." Jack climbed aboard with his suitcase and other supplies.

"It's not far." Anna wiped her eyes on her sleeve.

"Be sure to visit often, Jack." He smiled, placing his belongings on the seat before climbing back down.

"I plan to come home for dinner tonight. I'm only a twenty-minute walk away, Mom." The driver chuckled under his breath. Anna turned, pretending not to notice.

"Remember to eat the sandwiches and the cakes…"

"And the biscuits." Zia's voice caught. Jack grinned and held up a tin he'd tucked under his arm.

"Got them right here; they are my most prized possessions. So, don't worry, I'll survive… until tonight at least." Polly crossed her arms.

"Can I have his room now? I could turn it into a tailoring studio."

"No!" Anna and Jack answered together. Jack pointed at her.

"Keep your mitts off my room." Then he looked at Zia.

"You can use it whenever you like, Zia. In fact, I recommend it; spend less time with Miss Bad Influence over there." Polly laughed.

"Your words wound me, brother." Jack shook his head.

"You've been spending too much time with your actor friends." Zia giggled and hugged him around the waist. The driver cleared his throat. Jack let out a slow breath.

"I have to go. Appointment at ten, and I have to find my room first. I'll see you all later." He gave his mom a quick hug and a kiss on the cheek before climbing back into the carriage.

"Love you." The driver flicked the reins, and the carriage began to roll. Polly muttered something that sounded like 'mommy's boy'. Jack didn't care. Anna and Zia stood together, waving, their faces shining with pride and tears. The carriage turned at the corner, and Jack kept waving until he couldn't see them anymore. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. He leaned back, blinking hard. I love them so much.

The city rolled past in flashes of sunlight and motion; market stalls opening, carts clattering over the stones, the aether lamps fading one by one as the day strengthened. Less than ten minutes later, the carriage slowed before a pair of high iron gates protected by a half dozen guards. Beyond them, towers of glass and rune-carved stone rose from manicured lawns, their reflections shimmering in narrow ornamental canals. The air here seemed quieter, heavier, as if weighed down by centuries of accumulated knowledge.

Jack stepped down onto the path, suitcase in hand, heart drumming with a mix of excitement and dread. The Academy of Advanced Magic and Innovation lay before him. At the gates, two guards in the Academy's grey and silver livery stepped forward as Jack climbed from the carriage. Their eyes swept over his uniform and suitcase before one held out a gloved hand.

"How can I be of service, sir?" The man tipped his head. Jack pulled the letter from his inner pocket and handed it over. The guard read the parchment, nodded, and pressed a wax seal to the corner.

"Welcome to the Academy of Advanced Magic and Innovation. You'll find your guide waiting just beyond the courtyard." Jack thanked him, reclaimed his letter, and stepped through the towering gates. The noise of the city fell away behind him, replaced by the hum of enchantments woven into the walkways. Runes shimmered beneath the stone paths, guiding visitors towards the heart of the Academy. He hadn't gone far before a cheerful voice called out.

"You must be Jack, lad!" The speaker was a stocky young man of about seventeen with broad shoulders and a grin that could warm a forge. His ginger beard was little more than stubble, but the shape of his nose and the set of his jaw marked him as half-dwarf. His Academy coat matched Jack's, though it was singed in several places. A bronze pin gleamed on his chest, shaped like a drop of blood surrounded by twelve runes. Jack's stomach tightened. Another blood mage. He thought of his own pin on his Academy jacket.

They don't need [Sense Blood Mages] to find each other; they openly advertise. The half-dwarf stuck out a calloused hand.

"Name's Brogan Ironfell, son o' Garrick Ironfell, smith o' the South Wards. You'll be the new lad I'm meant t'guide, aye?" Jack hesitated a moment—he was concerned about being scanned by a blood mage—before shaking his hand.

"That's me. Jack. Erm… son of William, Expert Scribe at the Royal Library." He relaxed when [Assassin's Intuition] didn't trigger. He didn't scan me.

"Aye, I figured as much. Come on, best get ye settled in. I've been told t'show ye yer quarters before ye meet the Dean. Don't want t'be late, eh?" Brogan grinned, already turning towards one of the walkways. His words rolled together, rough and comfortable. Jack fell in beside him, taking in the sights. The Academy's buildings rose in tiers of red and white stone and glass, runes crawling across their surfaces like veins of light. Students hurried past in groups; most wore the proud posture of nobles.

Their gazes lingered on Jack and Brogan for longer than politeness allowed, resulting in [Assassin's Intuition] triggering multiple times. Brogan snorted.

"Ignore 'em. Nobles don't care for talkin' wi' folk like us, but they'll come beggin' when their trinkets break. I'm a runesmith by trade. My circle's short o' time mages, so they're pleased t'have ye around for imbuing [Chronos Sphere] spell scrolls. When you get older." Time mage … Tides must've told them I'm a mage. Jack frowned. They should've at least told me what their plans were. He schooled his features, but then recalled Baron Greaves saying they'd use his vision from the Gods as cover.

"Your circle?"

"Aye." Brogan lowered his voice.

"Blood circle o' House Feldarn. Don't fret, lad. We ain't enemies like some other circles. Ours serves Viscount Feldarn, decent feller by all accounts. Good friends with Viscount Tides." He winked.

"Told me t'look after ye, help ye settle in." Jack nodded as they walked. Another circle. He felt sweat form down his spine. I have to kill them all. He shook the intrusive thought away. Jack and the half-dwarf crossed a wide courtyard where a fountain carved like a dragon's head spat water that shimmered with light. Brogan led him through an archway and up a narrow staircase that smelled of oil and old parchment.

"This'll be yer room." Brogan pushed open a door.

"Three t'a room, standard for commoners like us." Inside was a spacious chamber. Sunlight fell through a tall window onto three beds and three desks. Two desks showed signs of life; one tidy with rune tools laid in neat rows, the other buried under books and notes. The third bed and desk stood bare.

"That one's yers." Brogan thumbed towards it.

"I took the middle. The messy one's Rellan's. He's out studyin'. Don't mind 'im; lad barely talks, but he's harmless." Jack set his suitcase on the empty bed and opened it.

"Nice room." He stacked his books and arranged his supplies. The small act of order steadied him.

"What's that noise?" Brogan leaned back on the wall, arms folded.

"Ye'll get used t'the racket. Alchemy lads blow up half their labs every few weeks; the rune halls hum through the night."

"Sounds lively." Jack smiled. I can learn some noise-dampening spells if it becomes a problem. He kept the thought to himself.

"That it is." Brogan checked a rune-dial strapped to his wrist.

"We'd best be movin'. Dean's expectin' ye at ten, and he don't take kindly t'students runnin' late." Jack took one last look around and followed Brogan into the corridor. As they walked, his eyes drifted to the bronze blood pin gleaming on Brogan's chest. Three circles. He forced himself to stay calm. And I've walked straight into a viper's nest full of them. The corridors of the Academy grew quieter as Jack and Brogan climbed to the upper floors of the largest building on campus.

The aether-lantern lit staircases curved past portraits of old Master Mages and scholars watching from gilded frames as marble steps led them upward. The scent of polished wood and spent aether-steam hung thick in the air. They paused before double doors carved with intricate sigils that pulsed like heartbeats. A small messenger drone zipped past and slipped into a slot beside the frame.

"Dean's office." Brogan gestured to a line of wooden chairs against the wall.

"I'll wait out 'ere, lad. Best ye keep yer head down and yer tongue careful." Jack nodded, knocked on the door and waited for over a minute. Is he messing with me? A minute later, a single command came.

"Enter."