“L-lady Castellane, is this necessary? I-I’m sure we can lure in the Blood-Vulture in a different fashion.”

“Don’t be a spoilsport, just take the meat and wait.”

“You don’t trust Lady Castellane’s plan?”

“N-no, perish the thought. It’s just t-that…”

A hushed conversation unfolded among a group of people gathered around a floating orb of light. Among them was a young girl, appearing to be around fourteen or fifteen. Clad in dark robes, they all wore uniforms bearing a distinct emblem, reminiscent of the late Archmage Xandar.

“My dear little Lucienne, if you paid attention in class, then you’d know that Blood-Vulturs are a skittish bunch, just like you~”

Six individuals were present, with four standing behind a particular blond girl. Four of them shared a similar emblem, featuring the legendary phoenix with wings outstretched in fiery brilliance, adorned with hues of gold and crimson. However, the emblem differed for the two other girls standing behind Lady Castellane, their phoenix motif appearing more silvery, while Lucienne's had a somewhat paler steel coloring.

“B-but…”

“We need those feathers for the next assignment, you wouldn’t want me to fail my next assignment, now would you?”

“N-no…”

“Well then, let me explain again as you might have already forgotten. The Blood-Vulture will only appear when it smells blood but will quickly withdraw if the prey isn’t alive …”

The blond girl turned to the side, nodding at one of the men who had accompanied the four girls. Unlike them, he did not bear the phoenix emblem of Xandar’s Institute, and his attire differed - silvery half-plate armor adorned with a distinct insignia. Responding to the nod, he stepped forward, clutching a jar containing some red liquid.

“The meat might not be enough, so as a precaution…”

“What are you…”

The contents of the jar were poured onto the girls robes and some of it had even spilled through it and onto her body. It had a distinct smell along with a fragrance that the people here knew, it was monster blood.

“Stop squirming, It’ll be fine before the vulture strikes we’ll save you, so do your job and wait.”

Lucienne bit her lip, her eyes darting nervously between Lady Castellane and the chuckling ensemble behind her. The plan seemed to be unfolding in a manner that made her increasingly uncomfortable. The air around her grew tense as the scent of the monster blood permeated the surroundings as she was left to fend for herself in this darkened forest.

The group fell silent, anticipation hanging in the air. The only sound was the occasional rustle of the surrounding trees and the subdued whispers of the group members. Lucienne couldn’t shake off the feeling of unease that clung to her like a shadow. After a few moments, the atmosphere shifted. The air seemed charged with magical energy, and the floating orb of light dimmed. Lady Castellane's eyes narrowed, and she raised her hand in a signal for silence.

Lucienne's breath quickened, her heartbeat echoing in the dark forest as she found herself alone and vulnerable. The night sky was clear, the moon casting its ethereal glow across the surroundings. The rustling of trees intensified, and she anxiously scanned the area for the source of the eerie sounds. A fleeting silence gripped the place, but safety remained elusive as mysterious glowing eyes soon materialized from the shadows.

Something felt amiss; the eye structure didn't align with that of a Blood-Volture. Moreover, it wasn't an isolated pair of eyes inching closer; there were multiple sets. A ferocious growl pierced the air, and a creature resembling a black wolf emerged from the shadows of the forest. Instantly, Lucienne sensed that this creature posed a far greater threat than a Blood-Volture, a challenge beyond her own capabilities.

“A Wolf-Fiend?”

As Lucienne opened her mouth, many loud howls resonated through the entire area. The monster was not alone, and the haunting sounds echoed from various angles, including where her supposed friends were stationed. The men's voices soon joined the dissonance as they shouted, urging a retreat.

“Lady Castellane, we must withdraw! The meat has attracted lesser Wolf-Fiends, and there might be a higher form in the pack that we won’t be able to handle!”

“Everyone, retreat!”

Lady Castellane, the leader of the group, issued the command, prompting everyone to sprint away. However, Lucienne, who had been used as bait, found herself abandoned and left to fend for herself. Despite her attempts to catch up with the fleeing group, she wasn't a swift runner. The wolf-like creatures quickly discerned her as their target and began a relentless pursuit.

Panicking, Lucienne weaved through the trees, her robes getting caught on branches as she desperately tried to put distance between herself and the approaching Wolf-Fiends. The magical blood scent clung to her, acting as a magnet for the creatures.

As the beasts closed in, Lucienne stumbled over a protruding tree root, falling to the forest floor. One of the lesser wolves, a dark creature with crimson eyes, leaped forward, its jaws snapping dangerously close to her. Lucienne who had been frantically chanting a spell pointed towards the wolf. Before it could bite her a shield of mana surrounded her body to protect her.

The monster sank its teeth into the glowing mana shield, but it proved resistant. Undeterred, it recognized that the person behind the shield wasn't retaliating. The creature's teeth began to emit a darkish hue as it activated one of its own skills. The shield created by the young mage wasn't exceptionally robust, it became evident that, given enough time, it would eventually give way.

“No, stay away! Someone? Is there anyone there?”

She called out to the group that she arrived with but the sound of their steps was not there. It became clear to her that she was abandoned and left to fend for herself in this forbidden part of the forest. Soon two more Fiend-Wolves appeared, their growling and howling intensified as they plunged themselves in her direction…

…

“There, is that better my young friend?”

In mere moments, the small cat had become a humanoid figure with fur as dark as midnight, retaining the same feline features. A humanoid black puma now stood before Roland, wearing a pair of spectacles perched on its feline-like nose. The transformation was seamless, a testament to Arion's mastery of transfiguration magic. Roland couldn't help but be surprised at the spectacle that had taken place before him.

"Quite the sight, but next time, warn me when you will do that…”

“Ah yes, is this the first time you witnessed transfiguration magic? Perhaps, it piqued your interests? It’s quite the varied field of study but also very volatile if you make any mistakes.”

“Volatile?”

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“Ah yes, if you aren’t careful you might blow yourself up! Or even worse, turn yourself into a chicken and lose all memories!”

“A chicken?”

Roland took a moment to observe Arion's new appearance. The man belonged to a beast race, resembling a puma. Unlike lesser beast races such as Sister Kassia or Dyana, Arion had fewer human features. His height was slightly below Roland's, and the sight of a humanoid cat wearing a luxurious mage robe was quite novel. It was evident that Arion cared a lot about presenting himself to others.

“Yes, a chicken… poor Zachary, he will be missed, such a tragedy… but this is not the time for old tales, come let us discuss your stay here!”

“Yes, let us do that…”

Arion gestured towards a comfortable-looking chair across his cluttered desk. Roland took a seat, his eyes still adjusting to the eccentric surroundings of Arion's office. The floating magical artifacts, the peculiar telescope, and the shelves of ancient tomes all hinted at a life dedicated to the pursuit of magical knowledge. As Roland settled into the chair, Arion joined him on the other side of the desk. The feline professor leaned back in his chair, his tail swaying casually.

“Now, my dear Wayland, just as you’ve wanted, I’ve managed to secure your access to the Academy library…”

There was a slight pause at the end of the sentence and Roland caught onto it easily. Even though Arion was a feline, he was not good at hiding his emotions.

“... Is there a problem?”

“Well… as you might know, the Institute's library is a restricted area…”

“Yes.”

He nodded in response, unsure of what Arion was getting at. He knew that his feline friend was a Professor at the academy and a tier 3 mage, just like him. Arion specialized in Runic enchantments and was responsible for many of the mage towers inside the Institute. Roland assumed that such a person would have some sort of free library pass for his acquaintances or could at least pull some strings to make it happen. In the letters, he was presented with and during their talks, it seemed that there wouldn’t be a problem concerning this issue.

“How do I say this... you will be granted access to the Library to do your research but… you’ll have to go through a trial period first…”

“A trial period? You didn't say anything about such a thing?”

“I know… I wasn’t aware of it until a few days ago. Let me explain.”

“Please do.”

After giving off a little sigh, Arion started explaining the structures of the Institute and how it was divided into many different departments. There was an Alchemy department, one for Summoning Magic, one for traditional core magic, and various others. He was the leading teacher for the Runic department, which, compared to the others, was somewhat smaller and lacked funds. It seemed that after creating the mage towers, there was not much use for further rune study. He made it seem that he was mostly there for conservation purposes and for times when the runes failed, which didn’t happen all too often.

“So it’s like that, so when you meant that you were short-handed, you meant that…”

“Yes, besides a few student volunteers… I’m the only runic mage in this department. I still had Lucille with me a month or two ago but she has been having issues with her family.”

“Lucille did?”

He knew this woman's name because she was involved with his older brother, Robert. The two hadn't contacted him in a while, so he was wondering what the issue might have been. Considering that Lucille was getting up in age and family issues were involved, the problem could be related to marriage. It was not something that he wished to pry into as he expected such a problem to arise. Robert was a simple knight in the army, while she was a count's daughter. Their backgrounds were too different for it to work out without her family’s involvement.

“Ah yes, I hope she comes back soon… but now you are here…”

“You don’t mean…”

“Yes, the position that you will be taking is of an assistant Professor!”

Roland’s eyes widened in surprise. He had anticipated that he might be involved in some capacity due to his proficiency in runic enchantments, but becoming an assistant professor was a significant responsibility. It wasn't just about gaining access to the library; he was being offered a role that carried weight within the Institute, one that might force him to teach students.

“Assistant Professor? Do you actually expect me to…”

“Well, my dear friend, considering your knowledge and skills, you are more than qualified for the position. Plus, the Academy is in need of someone with your expertise. With Lucille gone, the Runic Department has been struggling to keep up with the demand for maintenance and improvements in the mage towers. You won’t have to do much, after the initial interview you’ll just have to assist me with a few classes and do a few odd jobs with the students…”

Arion turned his face to the side as if he was afraid to face Roland who had a somewhat irritated look on his face. Roland's mind raced with thoughts. While the idea of being an assistant professor was intriguing, he couldn't help but wonder about the workload and responsibilities that came with the position. His primary goal was still to delve into the Academy's library and gather information about mana phantoms. However, he did not really want to interact with other mages or even worse, teenage students.

Before attaining his first mage class, he had researched this highly regarded magical institute. From the outside, it appeared to be a dream come true, but there were a few nightmares hidden within. First of all, the place was segregated into groups. One of these groups comprised commoner mages, whose status was the lowest among everyone. Then there were individuals with wealth and lower nobility, with higher nobility being considered the best of the best. A clear divide existed among the students, and when he was younger, he had been preparing himself for potential bullying by the higher-standing nobles.

“Fine, if it gets me into the library, then I’ll do it... but what will my duties be? You don’t really expect me to teach the students?”

“Mm... I’m not sure. Your primary duty would be to the Runic Department, assisting and maintaining the mage towers, but you first need to go through the evaluation…”

“There is an evaluation?”

“Yes, this is the most I could do... but the council of mages didn't want to allow an outsider into the institute without evaluating them first. I’ll have to apologize for misleading you, my friend. If you don't wish to proceed, I’ll understand. I will still be able to procure a temporary pass so you can remain here, but you won’t be able to do your research…”

Roland contemplated the situation for a moment. Becoming an assistant professor wasn't what he had envisioned, but the lure of the vast library and the chance to delve into the mysteries of mana was too tempting to resist. He had already gotten here in less than a week, so leaving now would also be just pointless. After a brief silence, he spoke.

“Alright, let's proceed with the evaluation. I'll do what it takes to gain access to the library and conduct my research. Can you explain what this ‘evaluation’ will be about? Will I have to take a written test?”

Arion’s eyes sparkled with gratitude and relief. Roland wasn’t sure if his friend intended to burden him with how things turned out, but if he went through with it, there were many things to gain. The library was one part; then, there were the mage towers that, after being part of this Runic department, he would apparently have free access to. His aim was to go through all of them and copy all the runic structures that he could get his hands on.

Mage towers were marvels of magical technology and powerful tools. If he could recreate one for himself inside Albrook, then even a tier 4 monster could be dealt with. These structures could magnify a person’s magical power to the extreme. The compound that he created himself with the turrets was an attempt to imitate these structures; if he could research them, then creating an impenetrable stronghold wouldn’t be a pipe dream.

“Usually, your status as a tier 3 mage should be sufficient enough but due to your lack of a proper education and any certificates from other magical academies, the evaluation might be more extensive. I wouldn’t be surprised if the evaluation will involve practical applications of magic, maybe even problem solving skills…”

“Practical applications, you make it sound like I will have to fight monsters?”

“Well... I might have mentioned that you are a platinum adventurer with extensive knowledge of magical combat. The academy is always looking for battlemages to guarantee the safety of our students; they can be quite the rascals.”

“I see…”

He couldn’t really hold it against Arion, as Roland’s identity could only be confirmed by his adventurer card. He could only blame himself for being a mysterious rune-slinging craftsman-mage that people were suspicious of. If he were in their place, he would probably do the same. However, after hearing about the battle test, he had the sinking suspicion that after passing it, his tasks would increase in scope.

“Yes, indeed. You’ll need to showcase your magical prowess, demonstrate your understanding of runic enchantments, and perhaps prove your ability to work in a collaborative and educational setting.”

Roland nodded, absorbing the information. He was confident in his magical abilities, but the prospect of interacting with students and faculty posed a different set of challenges. As someone who had spent most of his life researching and practicing magic alone, teaching others was a novel and somewhat intimidating prospect.

“When will this evaluation take place? How long do I have to prepare for it.”

“The Council of Mages has arranged for the evaluation to take place in two days. I’m not quite sure about the assessment but I’m sure it won’t be anything too difficult for someone like you.”

“Two days? That doesn't leave much time to prepare…”

While Roland tried not to sigh too loudly, Arion started chuckling. It seemed that the situation was a little bit amusing to him, but he also was hopeful that Roland would get through the trials. With an assistant professor in the department, he would be getting the help that he craved for, and perhaps with some new blood on board, his funding could finally increase.