Great! Let's dive into Chapter 9.
💬 Title style: light or funny
💰 Continuing to include profession details, costs, and earnings
🧠 Elena will continue learning—today: scrolls, glyphs, and unexpected magical
Elena had never seen a classroom with more moths.
The Scroll Literacy Hall was wedged behind the Glasmint Adventurer's Guild, and it smelled faintly of wax, dusty parchment, and something that might've once been cabbage stew. The classroom was really just a refurbished storage room, with twelve mismatched chairs, one cracked chalkboard, and a single instructor named Master Finnick, who looked like a scarecrow that had been cursed with sarcasm.
"Welcome, illiterate hopefuls," he said, tossing a thick scroll onto the front desk. "By the end of the week, you'll be able to read, identify, and hopefully not explode from basic glyph structures. If you explode, please exit the room first."
A few students chuckled nervously.
Elena sat toward the back, holding her loaner slate and chalk. On her lap sat a borrowed "Scroll Primer, Volume I," which she'd rented from the guild archives for 2 copper crowns. The class itself was free for tagged adventurers—including "Provisional Guild Assistants," which Liora had sneakily registered her as that morning.
"This," said Master Finnick, unrolling the first scroll, "is a Tier-0 glyph loop. It does nothing. It teaches you how to not get cursed."
He pointed to a swirl etched in shimmering ink.
"Who here can tell me what this symbol is?"
Elena's system pinged softly:
Glyph Detected: Mana Anchor (Basic)
Usage: Stabilizes scroll casting flow
Classification: Passive – Binding
She raised her hand slowly.
"...Mana anchor?"
Master Finnick's eyes lit up. "Correct! And how do you know that?"
"Um," she said, tapping her temple. "I... studied ahead?"
He stared at her for a long beat. Then smiled in a way that said, you are now my target.
---
Over the next two hours, Elena learned how to:
Identify "containment runes" vs "activation runes"
Recognize Tier-0 from Tier-1 scrolls
Spot warning signs for cursed or unstable glyphs
Use a "scribe's dampener" (a soft crystal chalk that interrupts mana flow)
Read beginner scroll symbols using a three-line method: base, intent, function
Elena was thrilled. Her old world had never taught her anything remotely this cool.
She also learned that Tier-1 scrolls could be sold by licensed scribes for 30–80 copper crowns, depending on the effect—like "Warm Hands," "Float Stone," or "Water Purify." But to even attempt writing one required a rare ink base, at least one mana thread, and a certification.
Elena asked the student beside her, a red-haired boy named Roff, "Do you think someone like me could learn to scribe one day?"
He blinked. "Are you literate?"
"Now? Kind of!"
He grinned. "Then sure. If you don't burn your fingers off first."
---
After class, Elena stayed behind to ask Finnick a question.
"Are there different schools of magic in Astraea?"
He looked pleased by the question. "Indeed. Magic branches into many disciplines: elemental, sigilic, summoning, structural, even alchemical overlays. The Guild recognizes five major academies. But here in Glasmint, you'll mostly see practical casters—those who learn from scrolls, artifacts, or field experience."
He tapped her scroll primer.
"Start here. Learn the runes. Learn the systems. If your mana develops, you'll find your path."
Elena's eyes sparkled. "Thank you."
---
Back at the inn that evening, Elena excitedly began copying glyph patterns onto blank parchment she'd bought for 1 copper per sheet from a street vendor.
Mira brought her a bowl of thick stew, and while she ate, she practiced the mana anchor and containment shell glyphs with charcoal.
She only realized her mistake when her system pinged.
Warning: Minor Glyph Activation Detected
Location: Table Surface – Left Side
Effect: Warm Surface – Active for 2 hours
Temperature: 40°C
The wooden table glowed faintly. Her bowl of stew began to bubble.
"Oh no."
---
Mira appeared thirty seconds later with a spoon in hand.
"Elena?"
"Yes?"
"Is my table... cooking?"
"No?"
Mira raised the spoon threateningly.
"I'll clean it!" Elena yelped. "I'll pay! I—I'll even heat the other tables if you want!"
"Five copper," Mira said flatly.
"For damage?"
"For dinner and free table heating. I'm opening late-night seating."
Elena blinked. "...Wait, really?"
Mira winked. "You're weird, but you're useful. Clean it up, and no more unsupervised scroll scribbling."
---
That night, Elena wrote in her notebook:
Learned: Basic scroll glyphs
Mistake: Accidentally turned Mira's table into a stove
Goal: Become certified scribe (eventually)
Currentfunds: 7 copper
Today's costs:
Scroll primer rental: 2 copper
Parchment: 3 copper
Dinner: 5 copper (includes "table rental")
Total left: -3 copper.
She sighed and muttered, "Tomorrow I have to make money."
But deep down, she was thrilled.
---
[End of Chapter 9]
Next Chapter Preview:
To earn extra copper, Elena signs up for a courier run—and ends up chased by something that hates loud footsteps.