"Thops the Bluntstone" had never received this much attention before.
The last time so many eyes had been fixed on him was when he returned to the Academy and publicly demonstrated his self-created forcefield sorcery in the Debate Parlor. Back then, however, the other sorcerers had reacted with utter indifference.
Thops knew they looked down on him.
Even after realizing that his magic represented an entirely new path of sorcery, they had remained dismissive.
When his demonstration ended, no one had even bothered to ask a question.
But now everyone was crowding around him, eagerly asking about his experience inside the instanced plane.
Thops hurriedly explained, "I can't possibly describe everything in just a few words, but it was absolutely incredible. That was only my first time, yet I'm already willing to guarantee that the Silver Tree's Grace can change someone's life. Completely change it."
He paused, scratched his bald head, then couldn't resist asking, "From your perspective, how long was I gone?"
"Gone? You were here the entire time. Your body just flickered for a moment."
Thops nodded.
Truthfully, his head was full of questions as well, and he hoped Skyl could answer them.
"Mage Skyl, what exactly are Candle Coins used for?"
The full name of Candle Coins was Wisdom Candle Coins. They were the basic unit used to measure Candle Flames, with one Candle Flame equivalent to one hundred Candle Coins.
"Candle Coins are somewhat similar to Runes in the Lands Between. They're also a form of concentrated essence. Besides being used for trade, they can be consumed to help someone rapidly learn skills. Different fields of knowledge and different abilities require different amounts of Candle Coins. Candle Coins are also naturally generated through everyday learning and productive work, although the rate at which each person produces them depends on their talents and level of knowledge."
Skyl's explanation only left Thops even more confused.
Watching the bald sorcerer scratch his scalp hard enough to nearly break the skin, Skyl burst out laughing.
"All right, all right. There'll be plenty of time to study this stuff later. For now, let's roast the sheep you brought back. Mage Thops, what do you intend to do with your spoils? We have quite a few starving students and teachers here waiting to be fed."
Thops understood immediately that Skyl was helping him earn goodwill with the others, and warmth spread through his chest.
He had never really had friends at the Academy.
When Raya Lucaria sealed itself off, no one had even thought to inform him. They had simply shut the gates and left him stranded outside.
Even so, Thops had never hated them for it.
He understood perfectly well what kind of world the Lands Between was. Strength commanded respect. A supposedly incompetent sorcerer like him was destined to be pushed aside.
But now he wanted recognition.
His forcefield sorcery had the potential to establish an entirely new conspectus, a theoretical tradition capable of standing alongside the ancient legacies of Karolos, Olivinus, Twinsage, and Haima.
And because Thops would be the founder of that new school, he needed to become powerful.
He needed to become respected.
And apparently, that road began with one whole roasted sheep.
The sheep of the Altus Plateau had undergone unusual changes due to the region's unique environment and diet, developing the ability to generate electrical charges.
Their meat was equally unusual.
There was almost none of the gamey smell normally associated with lamb. The meat was firm yet tender, carrying a faint milky richness and a peculiar tingling sensation on the tongue.
It barely needed seasoning.
Sometimes the best ingredients simply needed you to stay out of their way.
The natural flavor alone was enough to rescue the Academy sorcerers' abused taste buds from years of culinary trauma.
One sorcerer was so overwhelmed that he tore off his Glintstone Crown, raised his face toward the ceiling, and began to cry.
"Had I not tasted this lamb, I could have borne the crab."
Another clutched a piece of meat like a priceless treasure.
"Delicious lamb, how am I supposed to live without you now?"
Someone hesitantly suggested, "Maybe... we should try accepting the Silver Tree's Grace too?"
Skyl knew his scheme had worked.
Still, only a small minority of sorcerers would join the Silver Tree system merely because they had been tempted by good food.
As long as the Academy remained cold, conservative, and resistant to change, and as long as Skyl had yet to establish his own prestige here, there was no possibility of rapidly expanding the Silver Network on a large scale.
His plan remained the same.
He needed to pass the graduation examinations of the various conspectuses as quickly as possible and demonstrate what he was capable of.
There was also the minor spellcasting assessment two days from now, another excellent opportunity to make a name for himself.
Skyl wasn't worried about it.
Millicent, however, was.
Melina had already taken several of these assessments and was fairly familiar with their contents. Together with Skyl, she began figuring out how to ensure Millicent passed and gave that obnoxious Professor Botari a taste of his own medicine.
That night, the three gathered to discuss their strategy.
They used the same familiar empty classroom.
The windows were open, allowing moonlight and starlight to spill inside. The damp, chilly air above Liurnia drifted through the room on a cool breeze, sharpening the mind.
Only the three of them were there.
Glintstone lamps and candelabras illuminated the classroom, their warm flames driving away some of the nighttime chill. Gathered around a single desk, laughing and talking freely, they finally looked like ordinary students enjoying themselves.
"The assessment has two sections, theory and practical spellcasting," Melina explained. "The question pool for the basic sorcery theory exam hardly ever changes. So all you really need to do is memorize the answers. I'll organize the questions and solutions from previous tests."
Millicent nodded gratefully.
Her fingers were tightly interlocked atop the desk, almost as though her two hands were wrestling each other.
Beneath her robes, her heart beat restlessly.
Despite the cool temperature, a thin layer of sweat had formed on her skin.
Skyl was sitting downwind.
Whenever the red-haired girl's ponytail swayed, he could catch a trace of her cool, distinctive scent. It was unusually memorable, unlike any flower or berry found in nature.
"There's no need to be so nervous, and definitely no reason to feel embarrassed. You aren't even a professional spellcaster in the first place. You only came along because you wanted to keep me company and have some fun."
Skyl smiled.
"So when the theory exam comes around, just cheat with confidence. As for the practical section... the Silver Tree's root system can function as a Weave. Once you connect with the Silver Weave, you'll be able to obtain spell slots. That'll be more than enough to handle the test."
The three put their heads together and worked through the details.
A minor assessment like this couldn't possibly stop Millicent.
For the theory portion, she had the ultimate cheat sheet.
For the practical portion, she had outside support from the Weave.
The plan was practically foolproof.
"Then that's settled. No problems at all." Skyl happily clapped his hands together. "Meeting adjourned. Let's head back to the dorms and get some sleep."
"Wait."
Melina stopped him.
"Even with outside assistance, Millicent still needs to learn some basic magical theory so no one realizes what we're doing."
"That's easy too. Run a few more instanced planes, save enough Candle Coins, and she can learn whatever she needs in no time."
Skyl noticed both girls' expressions dim almost simultaneously.
He couldn't help laughing.
"Don't look at me like that. I'm not exactly eager to leave yet either."
He settled back into his seat.
"How about this? Since we're already here, I'll teach today's material again from the beginning."
He turned toward Millicent with a grin.
"Millicent, you're getting private tutoring."
Millicent pressed her lips together in a smile, then thanked him with exaggerated seriousness.
"Thank you for your guidance, Professor... Skyl."
"Hey, don't make it sound so formal. I don't want to be a teacher. That life sounds exhausting."
Skyl sighed dramatically.
"Let's start with the fundamental properties of glintstone..."
He turned toward Melina.
"And you don't get to sit around doing nothing. You're a witch too, so you're helping me."
"All right."
Skyl and Melina worked like a well-practiced comedy duo, breaking the magical concepts down into smaller and smaller pieces until even the driest theory became easy to digest.
At the very least, Millicent, who was practically illiterate when it came to sorcery, found herself learning quickly and actually enjoying it.
Time passed almost without notice.
By the middle of the night, Melina's head had begun bobbing like she was fighting to stay awake.
Only then did Skyl realize how late it had become.
He escorted the two women back to their dormitory before heading toward his own.
Before they parted, he reminded Millicent to try meditating and sensing the presence of the Silver Weave.
When Skyl returned to his dorm and opened the door, he found his roommate standing directly in front of him like a ghost.
"Jesus! Why are you standing there? Why aren't you asleep yet? Take that crown off, would you? You look terrifying in the middle of the night."
"I solved it."
His roommate's voice was hoarse, but his excitement was unmistakable.
"I solved it! What you left behind actually helped a little. Unfortunately for you, the final result was still derived by me. I suppose I can put you down as second author on the paper. Prepare to become famous!"
Skyl glanced toward the blackboard.
"Nope. You got it wrong."
He walked over, erased one line of the equation, and casually wrote down an answer.
"What? Impossible! You're making that up. You're jealous of my genius..."
His roommate stared at the number.
Then froze.
"Wait. How did you get this?"
Skyl laughed.
"Come on, genius. Surely something this simple can't stump you."
He turned away.
"I'm going to wash up and sleep. You should get some rest too."
His roommate remained rooted in front of the blackboard like a man possessed, muttering endlessly to himself.
"Of course it can't stump me..."
He stared harder.
"Damn it. How the hell did he get that answer?"
A few seconds passed.
"This is driving me crazy."
Another pause.
"...Now I can't sleep."
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