The farewell with the villagers of Benig had been a little… awkward. There were a lot of complicated feelings that had built up in the past four years, so no one was really sure how to feel about Cadmus suddenly leaving.

Still, that was over and done with now, and Professor Mackenzie, Alice, and he were now on the road, making their way to the capital of Laurucium, Anguis, by carriage. They’d only been traveling for a few hours, but Cadmus’ mind had already started devolving into a state of mush.

“You look angsty,” Professor Mackenzie noticed.

Cadmus tried to smile, “It’s been years since I’ve gone this long without working on some aspect of my research, so… it just feels a bit weird.”

“A workaholic, huh?” Professor Mackenzie said, “Never would have guessed judging by how messy your house was.”

Alice, who was lounging comfortably on the seat beside Cadmus, sighed deeply, “You have no idea, professor. The villagers saw how badly he took care of his house, so they came by every few weeks to help out, but I was always the one who cleaned that room you found us in.”

“You?” Professor Mackenzie looked surprised, “How? I mean…”

She gestured vaguely at Alice.

“With great difficulty,” Alice said, “But I lived in that house for a year, so I figured out how to navigate it despite my size. Cleaning took ages though. On the plus side, I got a lot of practice with mobility spells and water-based spells.”

Cadmus smiled, putting a gentle finger on Alice’s head. Alice leaned into it with a warm smile, “I’m very grateful to Alice. She’s been a huge help as soon as she was created.”

“That reminds me, she’s only a year old, isn’t she?” Professor Mackenzie asked, “She seems far too mature for her age—biologically and psychologically.”

“Well, I didn’t want to emulate every aspect of a human when creating Alice; I didn’t want a child to take care of,” Cadmus explained, “I drew on the energy of the world to serve as her knowledge, and I made sure to create an adult’s body for her. It seems that the amount of laurite at my disposal was only enough to create a small soul that could inhabit this tiny version of an adult’s body though.”

Professor Mackenzie looked surprised, “The energy of the world… There are very few kids who know of that concept.”

Cadmus wasn’t surprised. The energy of the world wasn’t a concept that many would find useful anyway. The energy of the world was the mana that surrounded them and was seeped into the land. Collective living memory tended to make imprints into this energy.

For example, if a warrior did something significant and ended up becoming a famous hero, their very existence would leave imprints within the energy of the world. At most, this was only useful for historians, and so most mages tended not to care much about this concept.

Cadmus, however, saw opportunity in this. Normal humans couldn’t convert these imprints into pure knowledge and then transpose it into their heads, but such was not the case for a homunculus. From the very beginning, Cadmus had designed his spell to not give Alice just a normal human brain. Instead, he created an amalgamation of the imprints in the energy of the world and a normal female’s brain so that common knowledge—which was undoubtedly possessed by a majority of humans, and would therefore also leave an imprint in the energy of the world—would be present inside her mind as soon as she was born.

“Wait, if you used the energy of the world to help supplement Alice’s knowledge, then that must mean you could have transposed other imprints as well!” Professor Mackenzie realized, “You could have given her tremendous amounts of knowledge that has been buried in magic!”

“I did,” Cadmus said, grinning, “However, Alice’s mind is also partly composed of a normal human’s brain, so there was a finite limit to the imprints I could transpose into her mind. Which means I had to pick and choose what to give her.”

“And? What did you choose?” Professor Mackenzie asked curiously.

“I gave her the language of beasts and monsters, notable necromancy attempts, and notable magic involving the human body,” Cadmus answered, “And that was all her mind could handle, so I left it at that.”

Professor Mackenzie chuckled, “I see, other than the language of beasts and monsters, the rest you chose to advance your research, huh?”

“Precisely. My research jumped ahead by leaps and bounds with Alice’s help.”

“Not to mention that there’s probably no one in the world that can understand beasts and monsters better than Alice,” Professor Mackenzie noted, turning to Alice, “While experts learned through the study and trial and error, you received that information straight from the imprint of the source.”

Of course, collective living memory didn’t mean just humans. All living creatures were a part of the imprinting process.

Alice blushed a bit at the admiration of her ability, “Thank you.”

Professor Mackenzie turned to Cadmus, “Since you created Alice, that means you named her too, correct?”

Cadmus nodded.

“Why ‘Alice’ then? Was it just some random name that popped into your mind at the time?”

Alice looked at Cadmus, curious as well. Evidently, she had never given this some thought.

Cadmus smiled in nostalgia, “There’s an old story about a girl that gets sent to another, almost-incomprehensible world. The girl’s name in that story is Alice.” Cadmus turned to Alice and gave her a fond smile, “That’s why I named you Alice. You represent my entry into another, almost-incomprehensible world of magic that other mages have never been able to enter.”

Alice looked stunned, and Cadmus wasn’t sure why. Hadn’t he made it clear from the very beginning just how important her very existence was? She was the greatest proof he had against the world that magic could indeed create life, which meant that it was theoretically possible for magic to bring back people from the dead as well.

Cadmus had never lost hope in reviving his sister from the dead, but Alice had been the first tangible reward for his efforts. Right now, no existence was more important to him than her’s.

The journey to Anguis took a mind-numbing three-days (including all the stops along the way), and when the well-preserved high walls surrounding the city finally came into view, Cadmus breathed a heavy sigh of relief.

There was a huge line of merchants, travelers, hunters, and all kinds of other people waiting outside the massive iron gates of the city as the guards checked their documents one by one to see whether they were allowed inside. Cadmus thought that there would be a fair bit more waiting before they too were allowed inside the gates, however their carriage drove up right to the gate guards, and Professor Mackenzie presented them with some of her own official-looking documents. The guards took a careful look at the documents before allowing them inside ahead of the others waiting in line.

As their carriage rode in, the city came into view. Busy paved streets filled with carriages and pedestrians, stone houses with tiled roofs, the scent of food and flowers carrying through the air, and the noisy, incessant hawking that followed them everywhere…

All of it was terribly nostalgic.

“You don’t look too impressed,” Professor Mackenzie noted, “Most people who see Anguis for the first time usually are.”

Cadmus smiled, “I imagine so. However, I used to live here until I was ten, so my surprise is dampened.”

Professor Mackenzie nodded in understanding, “Oh right, Ember was the one taking care of you, even while she was attending the academy.”

“I don’t know about now, but back then only students and staff were allowed in the academy,” Cadmus explained, “So, we lived in a small house close to the academy. We didn’t have money, and only academy students could eat in the canteen, so while Ember went to school, I would do some manual labour to earn money for my food and our house. And every weekend Ember would do these… ‘quests’ to earn more money—I don’t know what they exactly are though.”

“That’s still the case; we have too many important people in our school, so we can’t allow non-academy people onto school grounds,” Professor Mackenzie said, “And quests are something we’ll explain to you once classes get started. More importantly, even with quests and manual labour, getting a house near the academy should have been unaffordable. The rates are incredibly high in this city, especially in that area.”

“Ordinarily yes,” Cadmus said, “However, Ember was granted a scholarship for the academy, so her tuition and food costs didn’t drain any money, and our parents left a fair amount of money behind as well, which was mainly what we used to pay our rent.”

“Your parents, huh…?” Professor Mackenzie mused, “Do you remember them?”

Cadmus shook his head uncaringly, “Not really. Apparently they died in one of the smaller uprisings in the countryside, but I only know that because Ember told me. Since my earliest memory, it’s just been Ember taking care of me.”

Which was why, when she died…

Cadmus, rather than push the pain away, embraced it. It was his fuel to continue moving froward, to continue pursuing the goal that the world said was impossible.

The carriage came to a stop.

“We’re here,” Professor Mackenzie said, softly putting a hand on his shoulder.

Cadmus tucked Alice into his breast pocket, and exited the carriage after Professor Mackenzie.

The Laurucian Academy of Magic was gargantuan. In every sense of the word.

Made of well-polished marble, the campus building sprawled further than the eye could see, and loomed over the city, taller than any other building in Anguis. From what Cadmus could see, the campus had six storeys to it, not counting the towers that reached for the heavens on all four corners of the academy, nor the taller buildings that hid further in. To wrap it all up, the entire academy was surrounded by an imposing stone wall almost as tall as the one that protected the whole city.

As Cadmus stared at the grandiose gates in front of him, a fuzzy memory played out in his head.

“Woah… it’s so big!”

“Yeah, and your sister’s going to be studying here for the next four years! They even gave me a scholarship! What do you think? I’m awesome aren’t I?”

“Y-yeah, you’re awesome…”

“Hey now, that didn’t sound very convincing! What’s up?”

“It’s just… you’ll be spending most of the day here. Won’t I get lonely?”

“Come on now, you’re a big boy, aren’t you? You’ll be fine! Besides, don’t worry, after school, I’ll always spend time with you.”

Cadmus took a deep, shuddering breath. He had been right all those years ago. Even though he was older now, the world was still so lonely without his sister.

“Cadmus?” Alice’s worried voice broke him out of his thoughts, “Are you alright?”

Cadmus looked down at Alice and gave her a small smile, though he knew it was a little shaky.

“I’m fine,” his voice came out far hoarser than he wanted, and only seemed to make Alice more worried.

Professor Mackenzie put a comforting hand on his shoulder and gave him an understanding look,

“Let’s go.”

Cadmus stepped through the gates of the academy with Professor Mackenzie and entered through another set of doors that led into the main campus building. She led him forward, and soon they entered the main hall.

The main hall was incredibly grand. Large tinted windows with elaborate designs on them filtered sunlight into a rainbow of colours as it passed through, and gleaming chandeliers hung high on the ceiling to light up the hall at night. Rows upon rows of long tables set up in a horizontal fashion filled the main hall to seat students, and up at the very end of the hall was a beautiful, wooden podium.

What caught Cadmus’ attention though, was the numerous plaques that hung on the walls. Cadmus looked closer, realizing that there was one for each year.

Class of 121 C.E.

1st: Gideon Brown (103 C.E—131 C.E.)

Guild (Pandora’s Pithos)

Points Earned—1,376

2nd: Abner Cox (103 C.E.—162 C.E.)

Guild (Black Unicorn)

Points Earned—982

3rd: Muriel Price(103 C.E.—125 C.E.)

Guild (None)

Points Earned—875

Guild Victor: Beyond (Points Earned—3070)

“What are these points and guilds?” Cadmus asked curiously.

“Our academy fuctions on a point system,” Professor Mackenzie explained, “Very generally, there are numerous ways to earn points, and depending on how many points you have in relation to others, you will get access to more resources and research materials. For example, say you have the second-highest number of points in the school. As such, you will get access to ninety-nine percent of the books in the library, and about five-thousand units of laurite.”

Cadmus frowned, “five-thousand units is too little.”

Professor Mackenzie snorted, “Maybe for you. Some small nations don’t even have five-thousand units. And that’s why you’ll have to aim for the top. The student with the most amount of points can take as much laurite as they want from the national reserves, as long as they can justify it to the school. And they have the authority to request specific research materials straight from the government.”

Cadmus couldn’t deny that he felt more than a little surprised, “Really? I know that the academy is affiliated with the kingdom of Laurucium, but why would the government allow an academy to have that much power?”

Professor Mackenzie grinned proudly, “Fourty years ago, our headmaster tricked the government and king into signing a contract that allows us to utilize large amounts of governmental resources for the sake of education. Only the highest of ranking civil servants are allowed the amount of resources that our brightest students have access to.”

Cadmus felt a little excitement stir within him. Yes, this place could be it… If he made it to number one, then he could finally figure out the formula to resurrecting a soul!

“Could you tell me how to earn points in more detail?” Cadmus asked.

Professor Mackenzie opened her mouth to answer, but then she seemed to think better of it for some reason.

“No. Most students know how the point system works here, so why don’t you make some friends and ask them?”

Cadmus narrowed his eyes. Was she… trying to force him into a position where he would have to make friends? Did she think he would ignore his peers if he didn’t need to interact with them?

Actually, that did sound like something he would do…

“But—”

Cadmus’ protest died on his lips when Professor Mackenzie pushed him to another area of the wall.

“Never mind that for now, I wanted to show you this.” She said, pointing at a specific plaque.

Class of 219 C.E.

1st: Ember Guiles (200 C.E.—221 C.E.)

Guild (Prosperity)

Points Earned—9718

2nd: Oscar Crawford (200 C.E.—222 C.E.)

Guild (Virtuous Heart)

Points Earned—2565

3rd: Rey Tozer (200 C.E.—Current)

Guild (Three Heads)

Points Earned—750

Guild Victor: Prosperity (Points Earned—12,453)

Professor Mackenzie said, “I sent word ahead, so they updated the plaque. More importantly though, your sister was amazing! No student in the history of this academy has scored higher points than her!”

Cadmus felt a small smile play across his lips, “Yeah… I know just well how amazing she was.”

“Come on now, I’ll show you where the dorms are,” Professor Mackenzie said, “Many nobles enroll into our school and they choose to live on campus, so our dorms are top class.”

“What about our luggage?” Alice asked.

“The coachman has probably already finished moving your luggage into your room,” Professor Mackenzie said.

She led them through the campus halls and then out the building. They followed a small path that led them away from the main campus buildings. There, separated from the main campus, and yet still on campus grounds, stood the dorm buildings.

They entered one of the buildings, took the stairs up, and stopped in front of room 201.

“This one’s yours,” Professor Mackenzie said, turning the doorknob and pushing the door open.

“Woah…” Alice muttered. Cadmus was inclined to agree with the sentiment.

The room wasn’t particularly large, but it was definitely luxurious. The bed looked soft and fluffy, and the desk, wardrobe, and cabinet looked sturdy and completely new. Even the carpet that draped the floor looked as though it had never been stepped on.

“You’re on the second floor, which scholarship students are given for free,” Professor Mackenzie explained, “Most nobles tend to live on the third floor because the rooms there are larger. Consequently, they are also far more expensive.”

“And the first and ground floors are the cheapest and worst rooms?” Cadmus guessed.

“They are certainly smaller than the rooms on the second and third floor,” Professor Mackenzie admitted, “However, they are by no means bad. I told you didn’t I? All of our dorms are top class.”

“I see.”

Cadmus walked in, noting that his carrying bags were all deposited in the corner of the room.

“Orientation is in three days, at seven o’clock; make sure that you’re ready on time,” Professor Mackenzie said before leaving with a wave of goodbye.

Cadmus closed the door and took a seat on his bed. He deposited Alice beside him, who kept glancing around at her surroundings with a troubled look on her face.

“You alright?” Cadmus asked.

“I…” Alice seemed to have trouble putting her thoughts into words, “This is the first time I’ve ever left Benig—I barely even left the house before three days ago! It’s all just—moving so fast. It’s…”

She trailed off, looking unsure of what word to use.

“Disorienting?” Cadmus guessed, “Overwhelming?”

“Yeah, basically…” Alice said, “Are we… are we going to be alright?”

Cadmus took a moment to formulate his answer, “I… don’t know. There’s nothing in the world that people can be completely sure about. People thought magic couldn’t create life, and yet I created you. I thought my sister was healthy enough to enjoy life till old age took her, and yet she died when she was only twenty-one.”

Alice’s looked even more worried now, her head drooping closer to her knees.

“However,” Cadmus continued, patting her encouragingly on the head, “I would rather forge through uncertainty in order to achieve my goals rather than wallow in the illusion of sureness, dreaming of what could be.”

Alice stared at him pensively. Then, after a while, she said slowly,

“Even with all this knowledge you put in my head… I’m still just a child naïve to the ways of the world, aren’t I?”

Cadmus chuckled, “That’s why you’re in school.”

Night fell, and it took Alice an unusually long amount of time to go to sleep. Although, Cadmus could understand that her anxiety and feeling of being overwhelmed was still keeping her from resting peacefully. Thus, he comforted her, reassuring her with his presence until she finally drifted off late in the night.

Once Cadmus was sure that Alice was asleep, he slowly crept out of bed and exited his room. There was a fountain and a collection of benches around it right outside the dorms—an area for students to socialize in, Cadmus assumed. He took a seat on one of the benches and looked up at the night sky.

As there were no clouds, his view of the stars remained unobstructed. They shined, like millions of tiny little candles lighting up a great big ocean. It was autumn, so the air was a bit chilly at the moment, but definitely not enough to inconvenience Cadmus.

And, in solitude, for the first time today, Cadmus had a chance to clear his head. He had spent the past four years buried in his research, so the pain he had embraced had also become muted.

But today…

His sister’s ghost haunted too many corners here. For the first time in four years, the pain of her loss felt less like an ache, and more like a sharp stab to the heart.

He closed his eyes, and let the cool air wash over him. This was the place—he could feel it. If there was anywhere where he could find the answer he was seeking, then it was here. He would just have to defeat all his peers to do so.

To be honest, he wasn’t too worried. He had managed to develop a spell to break one of the oldest rules of magic a year ago. In comparison, defeating other kids would be a piece of cake—

“A student here, right now? You must be a scholarship student.”

The voice that had come from behind him sounded like a bell. A charming, yet powerful bell. It was almost like there was a spell woven into that voice, commanding all those who heard it to kneel.

Cadmus turned to look. It was a girl who looked to be his age. Her well-groomed red hair was tied up into a ponytail that reached the middle of her back, her clear red eyes seemed to be teeming with purpose, and her fair skin miraculously contained absolutely no marks or blemishes.

“You as well?” Cadmus asked.

“No.” The girl didn’t shake her head or anything, but the way she said that simple word erased every hypothesis down this vein of thought, “Though I was offered a scholarship, I rejected it.”

“Then why—?”

His question was interrupted when the girl cut him off,

“Your name.”

It was more of a command than a request, and Cadmus found himself answering before he could even realize what he was doing,

“Cadmus Guiles.”

“Ardea Regis.”

It took Cadmus a second to realize that the girl had responded with her own name.

“Pleasure to meet you,” he said, more out of politeness’ sake than anything else.

Something about his response seemed to strike Ardea as odd, and her eyes narrowed, as though she was searching for something specific from him.

Then, when she didn’t find it, she sighed,

“I had expected more from you, considering the fact you have received a scholarship. However, someone with no awareness like you will be of no help in facilitating my growth.”

And just as suddenly as she had called out to him, she left.

Cadmus blinked. What was with that girl? She had dominated the pace of the whole conversation.

If Cadmus had been a more prideful person, then he would have probably been a little insulted at her dismissal of him. However, he was not, and he certainly didn’t care about some random girl’s opinion of him.

He could attest to a little curiosity though. Such an authoritative presence… somehow he doubted many people possessed the same presence as she did.