It was not hard to find the shop Zac had recommended, and after half an hour of browsing through magic books and items, Silver bought a book called "magic for beginners" for one Silver coin and returned to his room in the inn, which was located on the second floor.

It was a relatively big room compromised of a bedroom and an en-suite bathroom. The bedroom had a massive bed with a golden frame, which was far too large for one person, yet it did not seem out of place. Silver put away some of his luggage in the large wardrobe opposite the bed. He then sat at the desk next to his bed and began reading the book he had just purchased.

Silver learned a lot from the book, including the fact that everyone was born with an affinity to a kind of magic and that it was different for most people. The most common type of magic people had an affinity with was elemental magic. However, most people could only control one element.

The known elements were: fire, water, air, earth, and lightning. The second most common magic was enhancement, which allowed casters to enhance their bodies or other objects, making them stronger and faster. There were also rarer types of magic, such as light magic, which allowed healing and regeneration, and dark magic, which allowed the caster to summon the undead.

The book also stated that parents had a high chance of passing their magic affinities to their children. If a child had a fire caster mother and a water caster father, then there was a high chance that the child would have an affinity with fire, water, or even both types of magic.

The book then went on to describe how magic was learned. Most magic spells could be learned from a magic spell book. Common spell books could be found easily. However, the rarer ones would be obtained through dangerous endeavors or bought at sky-high prices.

The magic books would only give the person a general overview of the spell and were usually for one-time use. Magic books would only provide the users initial enlightenment, and it would then be up to the individuals' comprehension levels and ability whether or not they can learn the spell.

The book also mentioned how mages and magic spells were ranked. The ranking of magicians from lowest to highest was: beginner mage, apprentice mage, intermediate mage, arch-mage, master magician, and finally magic lord.

The ranking of magic spells from lowest to highest went from 1st to 6th tier, although the book hinted at a time when magicians could use legendary spells up to 8th tier. It was also detailed that some spells had restrictions, in which one could not learn that spell unless they were at a particular stage.

For example, beginner mages could only learn 1st tier spells such as water blast and ice blast. However, magic lords could use 6th tier magic such as meteor strike, a massive area of effect spell.

Lastly, the book detailed how to begin learning magic. The foundations of magic started with meditation and drawing in mana from the world. The mana gathered would be absorbed into an individual's mana pool, located in the navel.

Meditation would increase the amount and quality of an individual's mana pool. The higher quality one's mana pool was, the higher the level of magic they could use.

This was how people identified the level of a magician, as every magician had an aura of magic that other magicians could feel. Mana was also necessary for casting magic spells. Without a sufficient amount of mana, a magician would not be able to cast a spell.

With all this information Silver gathered from the book, he was almost ready to start learning magic. However, he could not find anywhere that mentioned how he could find out what type of magic he had an affinity with.

Silver decided to return to the shop he bought the book from and asked the Merchant. The Merchant laughed and tossed him a spherical-shaped clear ball.

"That there is an affinity stone. Just drop a bit of your blood on it, and it should tell you what your magic affinity is," exclaimed the Merchant.

Silver did as he was told quite reluctantly, as he was anxious to see what his affinity would be. One drop of his blood seeped into the sphere and dissipated inside. After a few seconds, the globe became cold in Silver's hands, and condensation started to form around it, making it no longer clear.

"Ohh, Ice magic, pretty rare. The rarest of all the elemental magic." boasted the Merchant.

Silver was somewhat surprised, but it all felt right to him.

"Thanks for your help," he said to the shopkeeper before tossing him a gold coin and leaving without noticing the shock on the man's face. Now that Silver knew his affinity, he wanted to begin learning magic, so he hurried back to the inn he was staying at.

Blue city was becoming much more busy than usual as adolescents from the nearby cities had started gathering around to partake in the trials for the Academy. It was estimated that there were approximately ten thousand participants in each major city.

However, many of those participating had no aptitude for magic or any talent and were simply trying their luck. This was because the affair had become a coming-of-age ritual of sorts for eighteen-year-olds in the Blue-sky continent.

Silver observed a group of youngsters around his age trying to book a room as he entered the Bear and Geese. From the expensive garments they wore, embroidered with colorful designs, Silver was confident that they were young nobles from the neighboring cities.

[ I wonder if they've come to partake in the trials ]

Looking closely, he could see that the group was composed of two young women and a young man. One of the women conversed with the innkeeper while the other two waited behind her as though they were her attendants.

She was wearing a veil which made it challenging to observe her facial features, but from her shapely figure, which had curves all in the right places, it was certain that she was a world-class beauty. Silver started making his way to the second floor, as he did not want to stare at strangers for too long and come across as rude.

As he walked up the stairs, he paused momentarily with a frown.

[ Well, that's interesting. ] A familiar scent entered his nose [ It seems someone is trying to commit murder. Hmm, I wonder who the intended victim is. ]

He continued up the stairs, following the scent up to the third floor, and was surprised to find the trail ending in front of his newly acquainted friend's room.

Bees blossom was a colorless poison that was hard to trace unless one was well versed in the poison arts. The only indicating factor was that it smelt like honey but was ever so slightly staler. The poison would act by seeping into the individuals' skin and joining the bloodstream.

The victim would then be dead within a matter of a few hours. This meant that the typical application was to put the poison on an object the target would come in contact with. in this case, that object happened to be the door handle to Zac's room.

Silver couldn't help but be impressed, as the use of Bees Blossom in an Inn like this was ingenious. With various guests on each floor ordering all types of cuisine from the kitchen, the smell of honey would blend right in with all the other aromas and wouldn't seem unusual.

[ If this attempted murder was fuelled by Zac standing up for me earlier, then how could I just sit back and let him die? ] Silver thought.

[ I've waited eighteen years to learn magic. What're a few more hours. ]

Silver listened at the door carefully and was able to make out some noises inside. Unfortunately, it seems like he's already been exposed to the poison. I guess I will have to make the antidote if I'm to save him. Silver recalled seeing some stalls selling spirit herbs in the commercial district earlier. It was a race against time, so with a general plan in mind, he quickly made his way to the stalls.

Pasty Cardamom, Charred Tarragon, Seasoned Sorrel, and Plain Pandan. These were all low-level spirit herbs commonly found across the Blue-Sky continent, which meant that Silver had an easy time acquiring them.

He paid 90 silver coins for the herbs, some empty vials, and a small metal cage. On his way back to the Inn, Silver captured two mice scurrying around the streets and placed them in the cage. They would not be necessary for making the antidote, but he had other plans for them.

The craft of alchemy was a difficult one that required a lot of extensive studying and remembering. However, due to his eidetic memory, Silver was able to recall several hundred recipes and the methods involved in making the associated potions. The concoction of some elixirs would require much more sophisticated techniques and equipment.

However, the antidote for Bees Blossom could be made by simply grinding Seasoned Sorrel and Charred Tarragon using a pestle and mortar. Silver performed the task quickly, added some water to form a solution, and placed it in one of the vials.

Using a similar method, he made a different potion by grinding the Pasty Cardamom and the Plain Pandan. Once everything was completed, he grabbed the potions and the cage housing the two mice and made his way to Zac's room.