Chương 52: Chapter 49: Being Greedy

His nearly 13% Alignment with Light was pulling its weight as Nolotl has fewer issues trying to get Healing Word right than he did with Vacuous Filtration, but that didn't mean that it was an easy task either. Far easier to handle, but still an involved endeavor. After all, with that latter spell all his bonuses to divination had carried him.

"I mean, technically I do have four-ish times as much Alignment with Light as I do with Void, but that's my primitive mind working with multiples instead of seeing the hard values," he lazily balanced on the hind legs of his desk chair.

"Both 12% and 3% are still pathetic when compared to 75%. It doesn't matter that one is the quadruple of the other at the moment of truth. But I can't deny being above that 11% Alignment mark is appreciated." Next to him on the desk, he had a honeyed infusion to ease the discomfort of his throat as both Ode to Silence and Healing Word required his voice to work. And a lot of it with all the practice he was doing.

He hoped that getting Healing Word right would make him have a better time with the akyromancy, but he wasn't banking on the idea. Nor it was his plan as this whole side quest was just to get some healing in his spellbook.

"Hmm, I must admit that side quests do wonders fpr my psyche," Nolotl hummed relaxedly, his eyes— Simulacrum's eyes—going through a ritual meant to boost Alignment.

"This looks too weak to capitalize on the total celestial alignment. Maybe I should ask for one to Xanax. Oh, and also repeat the meeting with Enala in the Archives so she doesn't stupidly die." Truth be told, he didn't know how stupid the enchantress' death was as he hadn't asked for details on the zeroth nor second loop, but he was more than happy on never having the chance to learn about it. Having nothing better to do beyond practice even more, Nolotl headed towards Xanax's office.

He could have sent his Simulacrum there, but it felt like a mortifying insult to send his copy to meet with a Tower Master and Archmagi. Now, Xanax himself constantly did that, but those Titles certainly justified such a slight more than enough. If anything, lots of people would be grateful to even meet with his True Simulacrum. As for Nolotl's Simulacrum, he kept it on the Archives and arranged Enala's meeting by using a librarian as a proxy.

Perhaps the enchantress wouldn't enjoy having to deal with a projection of her Empyrean instead of the real deal, but he wanted to think Enala was pragmatic enough to understand it. Between the fact that his was moving his real body slowly as this doubled as a field test to control both instances at the same time and that everyone except him used elevators, Enala actually made it to the Archives before Nolotl made it to the archmagi's office.

"Uhm, did you call for me?" Enala asked his Simulacrum with some hesitation. Because of the early stage of the loop, she looked healthier than usual.

"Sure I did," Nolotl's projection nodded, not bothering to follow any prior script even if the enchantress had opened with the same line.

"For starters, I apologize for my current form as I'm about to meet with the Tower Master." A silent yet certainly audible high-pitched yelped escaped Enala's lips.

"T-there's no problem, Empyrean," she instantly portrayed deference.

"Is there something I can do for you?"

"Rumors about the… overzealousness of the printing press workshop have reached my ears." Last time Nolotl had called her out on her madness, which had prompted an outburst from the enchantress' part, so this time around he did his best to avoid that wording.

"And whilst being passionate is good and all, I view safety as part of my policy as an Empyrean. I would like that a maximum of… 16 hours per day may be enforced on the workshop. Every worker, staff, and student should have time to sleep, eat, and take care of themselves. You included." It was still honestly an insane and unhealthy amount of time to work in a row, but something told him that if he set it any lower, someone would riot. Perhaps Enala herself.

Considering that his first time on the printing press workshop at the first loop he had spent two whole days inside and then on the previous loop he had gained the infamy—or perhaps fame—of spending on days on end at the Archives, he also had it internalized that 16 hours weren't that many for a passionate gnosiamancer. But unlike everyone else, he could afford to torture his body and brain. They would get rebuilt in eight weeks after all.

"S-sure. It will be done, Empyrean," Enala obediently replied with a nondescript bow, one that still didn't quite pinpoint her nationality. A mystery that had remained a mystery because Nolotl was too stubborn to ask himself.

"That's it? No protest?" Her reaction greatly surprised him as the conversation had lasted way longer on the previous loop and she had been rather confrontational.

"Uhm, is that going to be mentioned in your conversation with the Tower Master?" She asked sheepishly, her lack of scruples reigning supreme. Ah, Nolotl mouthed mentally and physically as his real body ascended the stairs, already reaching Xanax's floor, but the Simulacrum remained impassive. I see what has happened there. Well, note to self. Enala can be easily intimidated. … Why do I keep terrorizing this poor woman?

I mean, it's way better than what I did in the first place and infinitely more than letting her die, but there should be an even better way to resolve this situation? The terian sighed physically and focused back on Enala whilst still keeping enough presence of mind to not trip on the stairs and accidentally kill himself. He didn't enjoy scaring her, but minimal intimidation really wasn't that bad compared to the other outcomes.

"No, it won't," he answered with his usual diplomatic smile.

"This is only a safety guideline as I don't desire any workplace accidents. If it's followed, I will have no issue whatsoever with the workshop." Nolotl pondered for a minute as he still had the lingering feeling that Enala might not comply. The previous loop's conversation had been more heated, but also deeper on an understanding sense, and this short one might not have reached her.

"If I see that the guidelines are properly incorporated, the printing press might receive better funding." A beautiful shine of greed glinted in Enala's eyes and her prior intimidated attitude changed into willing subservience.

"I will see the guidelines followed." The enchantress parted with a bow, leaving the Simulacrum alone in the Archives sighing wotj relief.

"Not the smoothest quite yet, but certainly an improvement." He smiled in satisfaction before disappearing from existence.

"Is the Tower Master present?" The real Nolotl asked Luminol. I should do something to deal with him. Regardless of the ambush or not, I hate how he talks about Cillin. People like him shouldn't be allowed to live, or at the very least, flourish.

"When is he not present?" The astromancer replied with his usual distaste. Hmm… The diviner pondered in the spoiled sanctity of his mind. This is stupid but… I mean I'm bound to get the awful ambush this loop and he won't be there already, so I could do some testing. Limit testing.

"True," he added calmly before thinking it for one last time before going through with his idea.

"Anyhow, I wanted to talk to him about my resignation from my position."

"Your resignation?" Luminol blinked several times in confusion. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

"Yes," the diviner nodded.

"I've gotten some news from my homeland so I will have to go back for an unspecified amount of time. I don't want to let the prestigious Title of Empyrean go to waste, so I'll resign so someone else can take the mantle."

"How unfortunate," the astromancer said in the most humane and diplomatic way possible with that usual tinge of affliction that everyone used when they heard of something bad happened to a person they weren't quite acquainted with. And Nolotl might have bought such condolences if it weren't because the stalker's eyes were glinting in white and cyan.

"Truly, truly," Nolotl nodded.

"Can I pass then?"

"Y-yes! The Tower Master is eager to meet you," Luminol responded hurriedly, any hostility gone from his tone. Perhaps Nolotl couldn't parse his mind with Lesser Read Thoughts, but it was still pretty obvious what was going on through Luminol's mind. Not only the man who was 'receiving' affection from Cillin would be gone, but she also would likely get the Title of Empyrean. It truly just was an absolute win for the astromancer. Without further delay, the Empyrean of Information made his way inside into the office.

"Is it true what you've said out there?" Xanax promptly said the moment the doors closed. This time around he was sitting in his desk instead of the armchair in front of the fireplace.

"Eh, a bit of a lie," Nolotl folded under no pressure whatsoever.

"I do intend to leave for Tezlan after the total celestial alignment, so from then on it feels too abusive to hog the Title when I might not even return." The old gnosiamancer sighed at those words.

"If that's the case, I guess there's nothing I can do. For a moment, I thought you wanted to resign on that spot."

"I can be at least a bit greedy, can't I?" The young mage said with a smile.

"You could even more so." As always, Xanax demonstrated to be a mage from a prior age as he didn't doubt or have any qualms with abusing power.

"It's a shame that we will no longer have you with us, but in the one year you held the mantle of Empyrean you proved to be more competent than your predecessors."

"Have I? As far as I'm aware, I'm the weakest Empyrean of Information of the last decades."

"There's something you forget about, Nolotl Xocoyotzin," Xanax stood up from his desk, slowly walking around it.

"Empyreans are the strongest of students in a tower at any given time, so every time one graduates, it's expected that older students will take the new mantle and only wear it for a couple of years at most. Yet you aren't even halfway through your studies. You have—or at least had—half a decade remaining on the academy. So perhaps you're technically weaker than the graduated Empyreans of Information we've seen lately, but you're also way younger than they had been and you can match them in some aspects.

So yes, you might be weaker, but that doesn't mean you should forget one thing," the archmagi finally reached him and stood in front of him.

"You can walk with your head up high."

"I…" The monologue had left Nolotl speechless. He wasn't used to complimtents but rather curses, and especially of this magnitude, so he didn't know what to say.

"T-thank you for your kind words. They mean a lot to me."

"Glad to hear that," Xanax put a hand on his shoulder and patted it.

"But now that you will be leaving in a handful of weeks, is there something I can do for you?"

"What? In some sort of parting gift?" He questioned.

"Yeah, we can think about it in that sense," the bearded man nodded.

"And I wasn't overexaggerating on your competency in comparison to your predecessors. It shows that we have a scribe Empyrean, especially in the paperwork," Xanax chuckled.

"I believe you deserve some reward just for that."

"Would I have even received such a reward if I had graduated in a usual manner?"

"Probably not," Xanax chuckle intensified as he patted Nolotl's shoulder repeatedly.

"Good work doesn't get rewarded, but extraordinary situations merit extraordinary rewards." The Archmagi with riches that could eclipse a nation said without so much of a kernel of shame.

"I will keep that in mind," especially for latter loops. If this ambush worked, then Nolotl intended to get as much rewards from Xanax's offers every following loop.

"But as for my reward… I think a good Alignment-boosting ritual will do."

"That's it?" The Tower Master frowned at him.

"Humility is not the charming trait people make it out to do."

"Well, I'm not trying to charm you," Nolotl chuckled and that elicited a snort from Xanax.

"No, but really. I've heard the rumors about you going through the Archives with something that eerily sounds like the Simulacrum spell, so you're more than capable of doing something far greater than an Alignment-boosting ritual." So even those rumors have reached your ears, huh? Nolotl wasn't sure how such trivial information had reached such an important mage or why Xanax had even bothered to listen to the hearsay. It made sense that Peni heard them, she's young after all, but it feels weird coming from Xanax.

And also, why are these rumors about my activities so prominent? Simulacrum is far from the weirdest spell out there.

"I'd rather not say much about it, but it's related to the reason I'm going back home," Nolotl continued spinning his lie. Something that should have been more expected from a spider than a bird.

"Let's say that I must have a value on my Information Alignment as high as possible." Xanax squinted at him, but he didn't press on the issue.

"I do have special rituals to increase Alignment that I can give you, but they are very special in their behavior." Twice as special? The diviner thought to himself as his mentor used the same adjective twice in a sentence. Certainly an oddity.

"How come?"

"They are almost enchantments in nature—in the sense of enchantment slots—as they interact very closely to the Alignment, which means you can only execute every one of them a single time." Nolotl raised a brow at that.

"That's certainly unique in nature."

"They're military in nature and mostly thought to create hybrid mages for special occasions with some haste," Xanax explained.

"You can't even use them again for other Alignments, only once for any of them."

"And how many of these non-repeatable rituals are there?"

"Nine." The answer failed to surprise Nolotl. When in doubt, more often than not, the answer was nine.

"One for each tier of casting difficulty. Though you won't even be able to understand, let alone cast, the higher-tiered ones as they demand a minimum of Alignment towards any given element."

"I do possess a current 75% Alignment towards Information," the Empyrean of Information mentioned.

"Alright, you might be able to comprehend some of them. But considering you're able to cast Simulacrum instead of True Simulacrum, your limit will be at the sixth-tier."

"Whilst that might be true, I doubt I will be able to manage a sixth-tier ritual in the measly handful of weeks at my disposal," Nolotl admitted. The Second Mind enchantment had been sixth-tier ritual too and he had been confident enough to try, but now things had changed. He was two levels higher than his starting self, and even after getting to level 6 he had still failed the Second Mind ritual, no matter if the fault partially lay on the ambush.

He wasn't confident in his skills nor he wanted to repeat such a mistake. Playing it safe was mandatory.

"Hmm, I personally believe in you as the boost in power of the total celestial alignment will be colossal. Four minutes of accelerated practice and then nine seconds of nearly unlimited power." More like four minutes of constant fighting and four seconds of trying to perform magic well-above my level. The terian snickered mentally. Wait, but maybe…

"Is there any chance to get your assistance during the arrangement? Perhaps as one last gift?" Whilst Nolotl was hesitant to bring assistants to the end of the loop, a Tower Master and Archmagi would be such a force to reckon with that there couldn't even occur an ambush. That's probably what happened last loop as no one interrupted us at the Void Tower.

"None," Xanax answered resolutely. His tone left no space to talk.

"I will performing a ninth-tier ritual myself and not only I will be occupied all day, but I will prohibit the entrance to the upper levels of the tower so no one might interrupt nor tax the local Cognition."

"I guessed as much," Nolotl hadn't personally experienced that event as he always gone before the Tower Master got into motion, but he was aware of the event as he had to discuss it during the gathering of empyreans several times now.

"Then the safest bet will be the fourth-tier ritual."

"Fourth? Not fifth?" The old mage squinted at him, almost derisively at that.

"I wouldn't dare to risk it."

"Nolotl, the total celestial alignment is a one-in-a-civilization event. You need to take risks. Myths will be born from that day onwards and you're going to play it safe?" Xanax was actually mad at his choice.

"I apologize for my cowardice, but my hands are tied and I cannot risk risks, as moronic as it sounds. I'm the first one that hates my current situation," he gritted his teeth, just thinking about the ambush making him angry. You have resisted Rage.

"I can feel your displeasure in the Cognition, so I won't push, but your decision is far from optimal." In that sense, the Archmagi was truly a grandfatherly figure. He knew when to laugh and get angry at the correct times.

"I know, I know," the diviner sighed in exhaustion. Perhaps once I deal with the ambush once and for all. I will content myself in knowing that I have something to do at the end of the loops with the lower-tiered rituals for now.

"Do you happen to have the ritual in question here with you?"

"I do, but why?"

"Well, I wasn't lying in being greedy and playing it safe," the Empyrean of Information chuckled.

"Why not be greedy enough to ask the strongest gnosiamancer in the world for a private class?"