Rapping smartly on the door, Rowan stepped back, awaiting instructions.

“Door’s open,” a woman’s voice called from within. As she did, the door opened to reveal a small office, wherein Kanna Soreth was seated at a large, wooden desk, her back to the window.

Entering, Rowan stood straight. “Rowan, here to see you as requested, ma’am.”

“Don’t call me that,” Kanna told him severely, not looking up from the book she was reading. “I’m not that old, at least not yet.”

“Understood,” Rowan replied stiffly. “What should I call you?”

“Professor is fine,” Kanna said absentmindedly. “Give me a second to finish this.”

Mulling over the book, her expression brightened. “Oh!” Snapping the book shut, she raised her gaze, taking in Rowan’s stiff form, still standing awkwardly in the doorway. With a wave of her hand, a wall of force slammed into him from behind, sending him stumbling into the room as the door shut behind him.

As Rowan regained his footing, Kanna stashed the book she had been reading beneath her desk, but not before Rowan could catch a glance at the cover. Emblazoned on the front was a knight wearing stylized armour, his arm around a scantily clad, swooning woman as he wielded a sword against something Rowan couldn’t quite see.

Deciding that it was best to pretend that he had not seen what he just did, Rowan instead cast his gaze towards the floor, taking another step as if still off balance before coming to a halt a few feet from the desk.

“Rowan, reporting as you requested, Professor Soreth.”

“Rowan,” Kanna said warmly. “Take a seat.”

As she said this, a nearby chair flew out from its place along the wall, coming to a stop next to the desk. Taking this as a hint, Rowan took a seat, sinking into the springy fabric of the chair. Made from a material he didn’t recognize, the chair was surprisingly comfortable, its armrests carved in the form of a pair of dragon’s heads.

Now that he was inside, the office seemed even smaller than it had from outside. Bookshelves covered every available wall, packed full of books on all sorts of subjects. Primarily magic and history, but also economics, geography, and magical zoology. Apart from the books, the rest of the room was filled with an abundance of cat figurines, from small porcelain kitties to an enormous cat with dragon wings that was curled up around itself.

Following his gaze, Kanna smiled. “Do you like cats?”

“A little,” Rowan replied. “They’re warm, and they keep the rats away when you sleep.”

“Very pragmatic reasons,” said Kanna with a slight laugh. “Do you know why I called you here?”

“Something to do with my courses?” Rowan asked, doing his best to remember the conversation he’d had with her the week prior.

“Correct. However, before we do, I have a few questions, if you don’t mind.”

“Not at all,” Rowan replied, sitting up straight as he looked across the desk at Kanna. From the corner of his eye, some of the figurines seemed to move; however, he had no time to confirm this, as Kanna was staring straight at him.

“Good. I’ve looked into your background, and from what I can tell, you’re a ghost, Mr. Rowan.”

“A ghost?” Rowan asked, a troubled expression appearing on his face. I didn’t actually die that day in Taureen, did I? If Darm resurrected me, rather than healed me, and it turns out that I’m actually an undead and the church finds out… Rowan shuddered. Taking care of the undead was the purview of the local priesthood.

While he didn’t know how the Northern pantheon saw undead, the Valendian pantheon which governed Taureen had a very dim view of them. Priests of the Valendian gods were merciless towards the undead, and large rewards were posted for anyone who could bring information leading to the apprehension of undead around Taureen. If he really was a ghost, his new life, or unlife as it may be, could be over before it began.

“Not a literal ghost,” Kanna told him, dispelling Rowan’s growing panic. “But a figurative one. There is no information on you at all. Apart from the details you gave at the entrance exam, there is nothing else we know about you. Not your family, not your work history, nothing.”

As she said this, Kanna leaned forward, propping her chin on her hands as she flashed him a piercing gaze. “I’ll tell you now, I pride myself on my knowledge, and I am not the type to take a risk on something I know nothing about. So tell me: who are you, Rowan?”

Rowan paused for a moment. Although on the surface Kanna’s question seemed normal enough, it carried a hidden implication: tell me why I should help you. If he played his cards right here, it was likely that Kanna would extend her hand towards him, aiding him during his time at Faebrook in exchange for whatever it was that she wanted in return, most likely something to do with his mana reserves.

Although Rowan had not been able to discover much since the exam, having mostly just focused on recovering and practicing his swordplay, even to him it had been pretty clear that he had done something exceptional during the Test of Potential.

Collecting his thoughts, Rowan nodded. “There’s not much to tell, really. My name is Rowan, I’m an orphan and former street rat from Taureen. I never knew my parents, and I have no relatives to speak of. A little over a month ago I was stabbed and left for dead in an alleyway, but was fortunately saved by a pair of passing adventurers. They took me north with them, taught me how to use a sword, and left me here at Faebrook to take the entrance exam.”

Kanna raised an eyebrow at this. “A random pair of adventurers just happened upon you as you lay dying and took pity on you? An urchin they barely knew, healed you, fed you, and even gave you weapons? And then on top of all of that, they brought you to Faebrook, one of the most prestigious academies in the world, and paid the fee for your entrance exam? Quite a fortuitous set of events you’ve got there.”

Rowan spread his hands helplessly. “If you wanted to ask me why they helped me, then I have no idea. If it was me, I’d have left me there to die, or called the guard. Not healed me, let alone everything else they did for me. Without them, I literally would not be alive today.”

“Indeed,” Kanna replied, a trace of skepticism audible in her voice. “Do these adventurers have a name? I might not look it, but I was quite the adventurer myself, back in the day. I may have heard of them.”

“They called themselves Tethis and Darm,” Rowan said truthfully, deciding against revealing the name Darm had given him before their parting. “They never gave a last name.”

Kanna shook her head. “I’ve never heard of them. I adventured fairly extensively until a few years back, so if they were well-known, we should have crossed paths, but perhaps they’re more active to the south or east. Regardless, that is quite the story you’ve got. It would explain why you know nothing about magic, as well as your lack of a past.”

“So you believe me?” Rowan asked hopefully. Although it would not be the end of the world if Kanna refused to help him, having a professor on his side would make life at the academy far easier.

“Tentatively,” Kanna responded. “If I were you though, I would do my best to avoid letting anyone else here know about your background. The students here don’t tend to look too kindly upon riff-raff, on account of the backgrounds many of them share. Some of them might be a little more mellow, but there’s no point inviting unneeded risk.”

“I didn’t plan to,” Rowan replied. “If anyone asks I was a merchant’s son who got lucky and scored a place on the entrance exam.”

“Change it from merchant to guardsman,” Kanna advised. “Merchants have connections, and people will ask who your family is and what they trade in. Best to avoid having to weave too many lies.”

Rowan considered it. “That works. Does anyone else know my origins?”

Kanna shook her head. “Apart from myself and the headmistress, no one else is aware of your background. Speaking of which, give me your hand.”

Obediently, Rowan placed his right arm on the desk. With practiced motions, Kanna grabbed his wrist, flipping it over so that his palm was facing up. Placing her hand on his wrist, Kanna closed her eyes. As she did, a sensation not dissimilar to that he had felt when touching the orb filled Rowan. However, unlike with the orb, there was no feeling of something being pulled from him. Instead, a gentle warmth, like a cool fog, seemed to fill him, starting in his arm and then moving up towards his chest.

After a minute of this, Kanna nodded, the warmth disappearing as she released his arm. “The veracity of your story notwithstanding, your mana pool is enormous, among the biggest I’ve ever seen in fifteen years of adventuring and five as a professor at this academy.”

Rowan remained silent. While what Kanna was saying sounded good, his complete lack of understanding when it came to magic meant that silence was the better part of virtue. As one of the merchants back in Taureen had been fond of saying: “It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool, then to open one’s mouth and remove all doubt.”

Finishing her spiel, Kanna stared at Rowan. For some reason he couldn’t quite place, her gaze unnerved him. With a slight shudder, Rowan suddenly realized what the look in her eyes reminded him of. It was reminiscent of the looks men had when the brothel workers went to the streets to advertise.

“So, you’re saying I would make a good mage?” Rowan asked, figuring it was better to be seen as a fool than a snack.

“Potentially,” Kanna replied. “It takes a lot more than just an abundance of mana to become a proficient mage. But a large mana pool certainly helps.” Leaning forward, Kanna stared directly into Rowan’s eyes. “I’m going to be frank. I am interested in taking you as my apprentice. I’ve been searching for an apprentice for several years now, but until now, have yet to have found someone with the potential required to utilize my magic. It requires a lot of mana, and also a moldable mind, not traits commonly found amongst the commonfolk. But I’ve done my best not to get involved with any of the heirs to noble houses so far, and that’s not going to change now.”

Holding up a hand, Kanna forestalled Rowan’s questions. “That isn’t to say I’m going to make you my apprentice right away; like I said, there’s a lot more to magic than simply having a large mana pool. However, I would like you to consider it, and work with me on a probationary basis. Does that sound acceptable to you?”

Rowan began to nod, but hesitated. Becoming a mage’s apprentice was no minor thing, even he knew that. Were he to say yes, his path would be decided here and now. Did he really want that? Rowan’s mouth quirked.

On the one hand, having Kanna as his backer, even if he did not manage to become her apprentice, would most likely make his life at the academy far easier. He would also be able to learn magic from an experienced mage in a one-on-one setting, which, from his experience with Tethis, was a far better way to learn than the alternatives.

On the other hand, there were downsides as well. Accepting Kanna’s offer would mean limiting his freedom during his time at Faebrook. Although he was powerless right now, he was also bound to no-one, owed no favours, and had no debts. Of course, he also had no talents, no friends, and no money, but being free had its perks, and saying yes would limit that freedom.

“Would it be alright if I asked you a few questions?” Rowan said hesitantly. If Kanna were anything like the mages he had encountered in Taureen, the simple act of questioning her might be enough to disqualify him, a sign of his unwillingness to accept the teachings of his betters. Mages were an arrogant sort, at least in his experience, and he had the burn scars to show for it.

“It would.” Fortunately, Kanna’s response was favourable. Sipping lightly from her tea cup, she stared at Rowan from over the rim, awaiting his next move.

“Like I said earlier,” Rowan began, doing his best not to trip over his words, “I don’t know much about mages. What would becoming your apprentice entail?”

“As your master I would be responsible for teaching you magic, beyond what the academy will teach,” Kanna responded. “I would also be responsible for providing you with the funds and accoutrements expected of a mage.”

“Accoutrements?” Rowan asked, the strange word feeling funny on his tongue. Although he was well spoken for someone who had grown up on the streets, he was still just an urchin.

“Clothing, artifacts, magical focii, and the like,” Kanna said dismissively. “Basically, the things that make someone look like a mage. As your master, it is my responsibility to ensure you have both the items and knowledge necessary to embark on the arcane path.”

Rowan nodded, acting as if he understood what focii were. If becoming her apprentice meant that Kanna would cover the things he had purchased in Northall yesterday then that was definitely a huge incentive, even if he did still have quite a bit of the money Tethis and Darm had left to him. Just thinking about how many apple pies the funds he had spent on the ring alone would have bought him made him hungry, let alone the rest of the items he had purchased.

“And what would be expected of me, were I to become your apprentice?”

Kanna smiled at this. “As an apprentice, you are expected to obey your master. Personally, I don’t care for complete obedience, as I believe it makes for a weaker mage. Mages who cannot think flexibly are not mages at all, but I digress. Other duties you would be expected to take on include carrying out errands for me, keeping my workshop clean, and tending to my garden. Full disclosure, the errands can be dangerous, and apprentices do sometimes die in the service of their masters. If that happens, I will do my best to take revenge for you, but no promises.”

“What type of errands?” Rowan asked, not too concerned with the prospect of death. From what Kanna had said, death was not common among apprentices, and anything worth doing carried risks. With his background, there was no way he would be able to become powerful without taking a few chances. He had risked his life every day back in Taureen for little more than a few scraps of bread; he could risk it now for a chance at true power.

“Fetching things from town, delivering messages, assisting with my research, and procuring low-level magical reagents from dungeons mostly,” Kanna said, ticking the errands off on her fingers. “The procurement of reagents is the dangerous part of the job. Mages go through a lot, and have neither the time nor money to continuously explore dungeons or buy them all the time. So we send our apprentices.”

“But it’s not too dangerous?” Rowan asked. “Most apprentices survive?”

“Most,” Kanna replied succinctly. “Though not always in one piece, mind you. There was an apprentice here last year who was brutally mauled procuring an elemental core for his master.“

Rowan winced in sympathy. “Did he survive?”

“Yes, and I’m told the healers have done a great job repairing what’s left of his limbs too.”

“Ah, well, that’s good?”

“Quite.”

Both went silent for a moment at this, Rowan fidgeting slightly as Kanna watched him intently. From what he could tell, becoming an apprentice was nearly all upside, and very little downside, at least for him.

Even the risky aspects had their positives, as gaining combat experience through dungeon diving was absolutely crucial for Rowan, as a life spent running away from conflict had given him precious little of it so far. And having seen just how much magical supplies cost the day before, having Kanna pay for them was a very attractive prospect indeed.

“So,” Rowan began. “How do I become a provisional apprentice?”

~

Becoming a provisional apprentice was a far less involved process than Rowan had thought it would be, and it made him seriously question the vaunted reputation mages had within his mind. There were no contracts signed in blood, no runes etched onto his very soul, nothing. A simple verbal agreement was all that Kanna had required to take him under her wing.

As a provisional apprentice, Rowan’s first order of business was to register for classes, something that Kanna made sure to assist him with.

“If you’re going to be my apprentice, then you need to start by learning the right things,” she had decreed, filling out a paper with all the courses he would be taking his first semester.

Of course, this did not actually change too much for Rowan. Three of the five courses for first-years were mandatory: Intro to Magic, Combat, and History of Medanas. From how Kanna had explained it, magic was essential for learning to harvest one’s full potential; regardless of their future path, combat was required because the academy wanted every student to be useful in battle with or without mana; and history for a more comprehensive view of the world.

With three out of five courses already decided for him, the remaining two had been picked by Kanna. Her first choice was Magical Theory, the class she taught personally, while the second was Etiquette. When Rowan had protested this choice, proclaiming that his manners were perfectly fine, she nearly laughed him out of the room. It was only after she managed to calm down that she deigned to explain how it would help.

“Diplomacy and etiquette are two of the most important tools in your arsenal. When a new dungeon is found in some stuffy noble’s holdings, you don’t want to be denied access simply because you did not bow low enough for their overinflated egos,” Kanna explained.

“Connections are everything in this world. A lack of etiquette will cost you more chances and close more doors than strength will open. Also, the etiquette course teaches more than just silly manners and customs. It also teaches important skills such as haggling, negotiation, and leadership, all of which you will need if you are to lead your own party one day.”

Thus convinced, Rowan had allowed Kanna to proceed with his course registration, scrawling his signature on the paper before leaving, with instructions to return a week into the new term.

And so, three more days passed…