He left as the clock read 13:01.
Several dishes were presented before him in his enclosed room: meats, vegetables, breads, and sweets. He stared long and hard at their vibrant colors. He had never been placed in front of such foodstuffs before, and he was repulsed.
He finished a meat dish and grabbed a piece of bread before leaving.
It was 13:17.
He roamed the nearly empty campus, searching for the root of non-existence. Along the border of his sector and the third-year sector, he felt a trembling of the ground, followed by the sound of a muffled explosion.
He stared at the ground between his feet, then at a sector checkpoint just fifty meters in front of him.
He weighed the potential reward and risk, as well as the convenience and curiosity, and made his judgment.
His fingers gently pinched a card—five times the thickness of standard Mage Association paper. It was given to Arthur by Vigo after the first day of class, once he learned of the troubles Arthur faced getting to the night sessions.
The card was thick, yes. However, after five months of use, five days a week, it had not a single crease, discoloration, or break in symmetry. It possessed no magic protections or properties, yet it maintained its pristine condition.
The gatekeeper allowed passage without trouble.
The first building in Sector Three looked like a residential lodging. It had six rooms, two floors, and a chimney. The white color and flat texture of the walls did not suit it; the mossy rock-brick that made up the chimney seemed to be the only thing untouched by renovation.
This place was the closest thing to a holy site, if the Academy were a religion; it was where the first Headmaster lived, and where he taught his class.
Upon entering, there was a low platform of wooden planks leading to a cellar. No student was allowed to take the step up to the rest of the house, but there was no physical barrier preventing it—not even a door.
Recall Vigo's directive: Anchor to the primary objective. Succumbing to peripheral stimuli guarantees operational failure.
An optimally structured philosophy. His utility as a mentor is immense.
One second, one step; he quietly strolled through the dimly lit corridor. He peeked through the nearest door, one of two in total. It was where his class on Magic Engineering was held every night.
It was empty.
It was somewhat large, of greater area than the house itself should allow, but the style of the room was no different from the rocky, centuries-old chimney and corridor. It was unfit for the modern Academy, yet it held a charm that Arthur resonated with most strongly.
Even now, little more than an hour after high noon, no sunlight ever reached this place; only old-generation Magic Lanterns, hardly an improvement from burning charcoal on a stick.
Suddenly, the crashing and breaking of something fragile—a glass or vase—shook him awake. His eyes crept toward the direction of the noise and fell eerily on a door.
Vigo's secured workspace. Access has never been visually confirmed.
A short reminiscence on the joyful memories he had of the class compelled him to move, and he went.
He knocked. He tapped with the middle knuckle of his index and middle finger; softly, but just enough to be audible.
"I explicitly requested no interruptions, Clive. Leave me be."
The voice sounded weary, tired, and full of sorrow.
Arthur stood without moving for several seconds.
Desire to initiate contact is high. However, he issued a direct dismissal. My access parameters are restricted to nocturnal hours. My presence is technically unauthorized. Yet, the tactical benefit of interaction...
After three or four steps, he heard a voice within a heartfelt sigh.
"Arthur…"
He imagined the voice saying it, empathizing profoundly with all the pain, melancholy, and somnolence in the tone.
He found deep closure and confidence in this. And with it, he made his first of many moments of capitulation.
He drove the door open with his palm. The doorknob struck the wall hard, causing the plaster to crack. The sound that came from it would be the last sound heard for the next thought.
His eyes widened all at once, as if he were seeing a ghost.
"Arthur?"
Calculate optimal verbal response. Parameters are failing.
The hardening of Vigo's eyes, the absence of hope a second after, was the last thing Arthur saw before turning away.
He looked around the room: shattered glass, cracked tables, and shelves filled the space.
Data confirmed. Subject Vigo experiences profound psychological distress due to my registered termination!
A tsunami hit him with billions of gallons of joy.
The compulsion to leave a psychological imprint is an inefficient, juvenile construct. Permitting this dopamine spike compromises logic; nevertheless...
"For what purpose have you come to my office, Cedric?" Vigo asked with a lack of emotion, while wiping his lens with a thin white cloth.
"Oh, I—"
"Please, sit." He brushed the broken matter off a wooden chair before presenting it to him.
Vigo took his seat after Arthur.
"I must apologize for the current disarray. I remain somewhat unsettled following the unfortunate passing of your brother. He possessed a truly brilliant intellect, and my expectations for him were substantial."
Arthur tensed at his every word, suppressing the reaction with all the willpower he had, imagining a prideful smile behind Vigo's beard.
"I apologize for diverging from our primary focus." Vigo straightened himself, and Arthur followed suit. "I do not believe we have been formally introduced. I am Head Instructor Sivan Ruarc Vigo. You may address me as Vigo."
Cross-referencing memory data: This introduction is structurally identical to his initial greeting to my original persona.
"What can I do for you?"
"I came to inquire about the possibility of enrolling in your Magic Engineering Supplementary Class, sir."
Silence. There was no hint to anything other than the second of silence. Arthur did not notice that this was not what the ambitious man was expecting to hear.
"While I value your interest in a discipline I hold dear, the juncture for enrollment has passed. Even utilizing supplementary instruction, achieving a passing metric is mathematically impossible for you at this stage."
He grabbed his armrests and leaned out of his chair.
"I respectfully ask that you reconsider, Head Instructor! Even if passing the course outright proves elusive, the knowledge and credits acquired during the second semester would be invaluable to me!"
"Cedric, despite your theoretical foundations from Instructor Clive, your deficit in the core principles of Semester One Magic Engineering ensures you will not even comprehend the vernacular of the lectures. Success is an impossibility."
"I would gladly welcome you in your third year. I would even leverage my influence with the Board to secure your placement in the second year. However, authorizing entry this late into the current curriculum is simply not viable."
"Please, sir, I am absolute in my resolve!" Arthur exclaimed; it was then that he realized he was not acting anymore.
Though it was restrained by a realistic mind, Vigo held an empathetic heart.
"Very well. I shall extend you an opportunity."
He pulled out a file cabinet and took out a twenty-page thick, softcover booklet. A small green orb appeared in the middle of the desk and sent a gust of wind out in all directions, sweeping away the trash before disappearing.
He set the book flat on the table and flipped to the first page. It was lined paper that was mostly blank, except for a word or two that occasionally appeared on the left margins of the page.
"This volume contains the majority of the terminology covered in the preceding semester."
He pushed it forward, closer in front of Arthur, before standing up.
"Provide the precise definition for each term. Submit the completed document to me prior to month's end, and I will permit your commencement in the Second Semester at a base grade of seventy-five percent."
He said this while walking to a pile of broken wood that resembled a shelf. Setting his cane on the red rug as he crouched down, he picked up a book here, and a book there, without so much as a glance at the cover.
Five seconds passed, and he had six 300-page thick textbooks in a neat stack hovering beside him, propelled by a continuous geyser of wind.
As he reached for his cane, he suddenly stopped and held his head still. He stared at one other book for three or four seconds before picking it up and placing it on his other side, with its own wind geyser.
Turning around, with a movement of his pupils, the larger geyser flew to the table in a curved motion, and carefully dropped the stack of six.
"Utilize those texts as your primary references for this assignment," he said, returning with his cane.
The other wind geyser continued after he sat down. The spell was only released after he placed some ten sheets of paper on the table that he took out from the cabinet.
"Synthesize and interconnect all terminology within the booklet into a highly coherent and factually accurate essay. This submission will constitute your initial examination grade."
As he finished speaking, his eyes pointed toward the table, watching as a book was slowly being pushed towards him. Vigo picked up the book and flipped through one page at a time.
"These definitions are not comprehensive enough; they don't demonstrate true understanding," He said after reaching the last page.
"I apologize for the informality;" Arthur rose. "But I am ready now. Please, test me."
Vigo squinted his judgmental eyes, but then closed the book and set it aside.
"Alright, how are humans able to use Magic?"
"Magic is the manipulation of mana by humans who have awakened the capacity; however, I am aware that is not the comprehensive definition you seek," Arthur began.
"All magic relies upon a conduit—the Magic Language—and is executed primarily through two methodologies: verbal incantation, or the inscription of Magic Circles. Both are inextricably linked to the Language."
"Define Mana," Vigo abruptly said.
"Mana is a primordial form of energy utilized predominantly by humans for spellcasting. It is the absolute purest state of energy, permeating all matter. However, it can only be harnessed when solidified as a Mana Crystal or synthesized within the human biology. Its forms and attributes are theoretically infinite."
"That's good, but by that definition, anyone can use magic, and cast spells of any scale; however I'm certain you know that is false. Articulate the restrictions."
"There are five essential prerequisites for spell execution. Yet, the foundational requirement granting access to Magic is singular, and universally applicable: the precise invocation of the Magic Language term EKTQZT, or 'Create'. As detailed in the comprehensive studies spearheaded by elite researchers—including yourself, Head Instructor Vigo—all entities possess the latent capacity to manipulate mana using this principle. This forms the bedrock of General Practice and Magic Engineering. The misconception that only Awakeners can utilize magic stems from the fact that without fully developed Mana Circuits, the efficiency is incredibly low, resulting in total mana depletion after manipulating mere particles."
Vigo continued eye contact but said nothing.
He has halted his inquiry. This silence is a calculated prompt for me to elaborate further.
"The subsequent requirement, following accurate linguistic execution, is an adequate mana reservoir. Every spell demands a specific energy quotient for both initiation and maintenance. Total depletion forces the caster into a severe comatose state."
"The third parameter dictates the precise syntax of the Magic Language. Incantations commence with EKTQZT, followed by IGSR—commands to 'Create' and 'Hold'. The practitioner then applies QRR, 'Add', to integrate elemental attributes. The sequence concludes with either ROLEIQKUT or KTSTQLT, denoting the desire to discharge or safely release the energy. In schematic form, a Magic Circle maps this physically, positioning the core attribute centrally, flanked by isolated nodes containing these written commands."
"The fourth necessity is Magic Control. Superior control exponentially increases mana efficiency. Conversely, attempting a high-cost spell with inferior control guarantees structural collapse of the magic."
"By what metric do we quantify Magic Control?" Vigo interposed.
"It is standard practice to quantify it by the number of single-ringed Magic Circles stabilized around a practitioner's Manaheart."
"Are Magic Circles solely a metric of control, or do they indicate raw power as well?"
"They are strictly a measurement of precise mana manipulation and control, sir."
"And in what application of Magic is this control paramount?"
"Magic Shields and structural Constructs rely upon control above all other variables, as it directly dictates their durability and threshold for failure."
"Fascinating. Detail the final requirement for spellcasting."
"Certainly. The final requirement is proficiency. As you rightly indicated, raw power is insufficient; possessing the fuel and the control does not guarantee execution. This is governed by the Law of Affinity Execution, dictated by the Human God: a mage's absolute proficiency ceiling is restricted by the tier of their granted blessing. A blessing merely provides the mathematical potential; rigorous training is mandatory to achieve that capacity, irrespective of one's innate power."
"Hm…" Vigo mused. "Define General Practice."
"General Practice of Magic refers to the common applications of Magic–closely related to spirits–that were created by the Human God. It contains Elemental Spells, Magic Shields, and Body-Sword Aura."
"Articulate a magical discipline existing entirely outside the parameters of General Practice."
Disciplines outside General Practice? The variables are vast. Alchemy, Celestial Arts, Beast Abilities... and the optimal answer to pique his analytical interest:
"Black Magic."
Vigo raised his brows.
"It is the classification of magic universally deemed malevolent, largely due to its reliance on biological sacrifice to acquire abilities contrary to the Celestial God's design. Society equates it with pure evil, yet objectively, I suspect it holds untapped operational potential. Historically, Alchemy suffered similar stigmatization a century ago, yet today it is an elite discipline. While social constraints currently render its practice illogical, I believe it warrants intense academic scrutiny devoid of moral bias."
"Hahaha."
Anomaly detected. I have no prior data on his audible laughter.
"I must excuse my sudden amusement; your final observation merely appealed to my personal sensibilities. You clearly possess the requisite knowledge to participate. We convene tomorrow at twenty-two hundred hours. Are there any further inquiries?"
"None. Thank you for your invaluable time, Head Instructor Vigo."
He began to get up.
"Halt. What is the source of this highly advanced knowledge?"
"My brother meticulously relayed his coursework to me every evening upon his return."
"I understand. The bond between you two must have been profound."
Disgust and pain pulsated throughout Arthur's body, and he began to feel hot—abnormally hot.
"Yes... we truly were," he said while fighting against this feeling, preparing to leave.
"One more thing," Vigo called out, now standing.
"Mm?" Arthur mumbled with his lips sealed, as he turned.
"... I erred in my prior phrasing. I merely wished to clarify: you are not entirely isolated in your analytical stance on Black Magic. We shall revisit the topic at a later date. Proceed to your next class."
He set his hands at ease behind him as he said this; but he had already left Arthur's field of view before then.