The developments followed almost exactly what Noah had expected.
When the reorganized Master Mages of the High Council announced the changes to the rest of Kamar-Taj, the entire place was shaken.
This reform was massive.
It could be called a restructuring from the very top.
What reassured everyone was one thing.
There was no bloodshed.
Everything had clearly been settled in advance. Efficient. Clean.
Only the more ordinary mages were confused for a short while.
But that didn't last long.
They were quickly assigned into different Sanctum districts, formally incorporated as organized sorcerers.
Once that was done, Noah personally explained several key matters.
That finally put everyone at ease.
Anyone would panic if, just days after a change in Sorcerer Supreme, Kamar-Taj descended into chaos.
Noah stepping forward himself made all the difference.
Arcane knowledge.
Deeper secrets.
The High Council itself.
Each of these carried overwhelming appeal.
The higher a Councilor's rank, the more access they gained to advanced magic.
That alone was motivation enough.
Of course, Kamar-Taj mages already had solid foundations.
The only exception was Domain magic.
That wasn't something you could casually browse or practice.
It required both strength and comprehension.
But even that served as motivation.
Who wouldn't want more power?
More knowledge?
More recognition?
With the core mages settled, only the students of Kamar-Taj University remained.
They were... less calm.
The sudden zoning left many of them dazed.
House systems weren't unfamiliar, but this division felt abrupt.
New students adapted easily.
Everything was new to them anyway.
But those who had studied for two, three, even four years struggled.
They didn't dare protest.
But dissatisfaction lingered.
Noah had anticipated this.
So he brought out Arcane knowledge.
Just like the official mages, students could now study and research it.
The condition was the same as meditation manuals.
Contracts.
Absolute non-disclosure.
Mage culture gave Noah plenty of leverage.
Especially since Kamar-Taj University was filled with straight-A types.
Faced with new knowledge, resistance evaporated.
Housing?
Who cares.
Divide us however you want.
Just give us time, space, and access to the library.
Worst case?
Repeat a year.
Tuition wasn't a problem.
Families could pay.
The Ministry would subsidize it.
Trivial.
Fortunately, Noah didn't know their thoughts.
If he did, he might've strangled someone.
First year as Sorcerer Supreme.
First year as university president.
If the entire senior class repeated a year, his reputation would be destroyed.
The reform continued smoothly.
It took about two months to fully transform Kamar-Taj internally.
Interestingly, the London Sanctum barely changed.
Aside from Dennis leaving for Kamar-Taj with his mentor, everything stayed the same.
And Noah got what he wanted.
He stayed.
More importantly, Mordo remained at the London Sanctum to assist him.
Victor followed his mentor to New York-and looked pleased about it.
The Eastern Sanctum was filled with Wong's people.
Lin Xi returned east as well.
Everything remained under Noah's control.
Dennis served as a liaison at Kamar-Taj.
Victor watched New York, which was ideal-especially with his ties to Tony.
Wong held the East.
Lin Xi knew Noah, but not like Wong did.
As for Hamir, Noah barely knew him.
"I'll need you to keep an eye on the East," Noah said, seated in his familiar office, smiling at Wong.
"Do a good job, Dean of Themis House."
"Damn it," Wong rolled his eyes.
"Every time you say that, it feels like you're about to ditch us."
"And explain that whole arts-and-sciences division properly!"
Wong wasn't wrong.
Noah was about to leave.
After wrapping up Kamar-Taj's affairs, Noah had received word from his teacher.
Thor's coronation was approaching.
The Ancient One was currently a guest in Asgard.
She'd heard the news before Noah did.
Naturally, Noah began preparing to leave Earth.
As for Themis House-that was the name Noah gave the London school.
Mages never respected gods.
Especially those Greek ones with... questionable family trees.
The Titans were ancient Greek gods.
Noah borrowed their names without hesitation.
Kamar-Taj became Oceanus House.
The East became Crius House.
New York became Hyperion House.
London became Themis House.
Naming things wasn't Noah's strength.
Borrowing names was.
The proposal passed without resistance.
The Master Mages wanted to name Houses after themselves.
But if the Sorcerer Supreme didn't do that, who dared?
The arts-and-sciences division was another experiment.
Mages differed fundamentally.
Some loved research.
Some didn't.
Noah was theoretical.
Books over experiments.
Wong was worse.
He didn't experiment at all.
Separating them wasn't necessary-but it helped.
Personalized instruction mattered.
"Discuss it with the other Councilors," Noah said flatly.
"That's why I set it up."
"When I'm here, you can advise me. Whether I listen is up to me."
"When I'm gone, decide among yourselves."
"You're High Councilors. Act like it."
"You really are something," Wong sighed.
"What about the outside world? They're watching us. Your reforms got attention."
"I know," Noah tapped the table.
"That's why the next step is publicizing Arcane knowledge."
"Filtering done yet?"
"Core content. Key material."
"Is that really hard, or are you reading while sorting?"
"Not my problem," Wong shrugged.
"I finished my part."
"Want me to send Mordo to check the others?"
Noah rolled his eyes.
Mordo was probably reading too.
As expected.
Sighing, Noah stood.
He didn't want to think about it.
If they failed, he'd strip titles without hesitation.
Authority had to be enforced.
Even if he disliked doing it.
The sunset light poured through the window.
Golden.
Calm.
Pleasant.
"Keep pushing them," Noah said evenly.
"This matters."
"They know," Wong nodded.
"You leaving? How long?"
"No idea," Noah shrugged.
"Shouldn't be long."
"Teacher's in Asgard. Thor's coronation."
"Just hope those Asgardians don't drink for four straight days."
"You coming?"
"Go to hell," Wong snapped.
"I'm drowning in work. All because of you."
"If I leave for four days, Mordo might kill me."
"I regret following you here."
Noah laughed and punched him lightly.
With power came responsibility.
Checking the time, Noah prepared to depart.
But before Asgard, he had another stop.
Old friends from Hogwarts.
He missed them.
And one more thing.
He was taking Hermione off-world again.
Which meant making sure her work was properly handed over.
Some things couldn't be skipped.