Chapter 417: Joining The Faculty.

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Chapter 417: Joining The Faculty.

“Students, please behave... There is no running in the main mage hall. I understand that you haven't been here for long, but you are mages now. You are held to a different standard, so you must behave!”

“Sorry, Miss Elsa...”

A group of twelve children, aged between ten and twelve, huddled around an elderly-looking woman. It was evident they were unfamiliar with the place, constantly looking around, captivated by the magical occurrences - flying book pages, magical animals strutting about, and some even able to talk when approached.

“Remember, don't touch anything without asking for my permission. Do I make myself clear?”

“Yes, Miss Elsa...”

The children responded in a monotone voice, as if accustomed to replying to their instructor. The tour continued as Elsa resumed the lecture.

“Now, where was I? Ah, yes! We find ourselves in the main Mage Hall of the institute. Don't confuse it with the main Arcane Hall, which serves as the main travel hub of our grand Institute. Remember, never lose your emblems, or you will be punished and unable to freely move through the various magical corridors. Here in the Mage Hall you will receive your first emblem, cherish it as if it was a part of your family as it has various uses such as...”

The children continued to nod at the woman, but their young minds couldn't help but tune out the long and boring speech that continued. They yearned to sprint around and explore the shiny, magical artifacts scattered throughout the hall. One of the children, a young girl not yet eleven, spaced out and failed to move out of the way as a certain individual approached.

“...Could you move out of the way?”

A deep, authoritative voice emanated from behind her, startling the young gir.

“Um... Huh?”

The child looked up at the strange-looking individual - a person much larger than her, wearing some type of armor under a loosely fitting dark robe. Her gaze fixated on the helmet emitting a strange, eerie glow.

“Ack!”

Frightened by the armored figure's presence, the girl tried to move but fumbled, stumbling forward. Anticipating a painful fall, she closed her eyes, but instead of impact, a magical weightlessness enveloped her. Opening her eyes, she found herself floating, surrounded by a mysterious force.

“Ohhh! Teacher, look! Anne is floating around! Some strange iron monster is assaulting her!”

“Calm down... no one is assaulting anyone... That man is a part of the Institute... ”

The woman adjusted her glasses while squinting. Noticing the absence of emblems on the man, she sensed a significant magical force emanating from him or the suit he wore. Uncertain about the spell's nature, she concluded that the man was either a skilled mage or the suit itself was a quick-cast artifact.

“Hm... or is he? Who might you be, good sir? You seem to lack an academy emblem."

The woman observed the man, noting the absence of any identifiers of his rank - an unusual situation. Her tone carried respect, recognizing him as a senior, likely a tier 3 class holder, while she herself remained a tier 2 mage.

“Yes, I'm new here; I was told to receive my emblem here."

The man shifted his gaze to the older woman as the child floated back to her feet. Laughter erupted from the kids, but the woman noticed the man’s adept mana control. Even while conversing, he effortlessly manipulated a high-tier levitation spell which was not something easily done. The children identified the man as someone friendly and instantly moved closer.

‘There it goes... quite the simple locking mechanism...’

Throughout his tedious journey, Roland engaged in some investigation. His emblem, a creation of runecraft, had been readily dissected before his arrival. Although not entirely identical to the devices he crafted personally, the underlying logic was similar. The key factor was his distinctive mana fingerprint, recorded the moment he interacted with the emblem. It seemed likely that the entire school operated within a comprehensive system, wherein his unique mana signature was now logged.

With each attempt to access a door, the system performed a scan for his mana fingerprint to ascertain his entry permissions. Yet, the process extended beyond this; there was a kind of handshake involving the emblem he wore. It wasn't sufficient to exert his mana on the door; activation required using the emblem provided to him. Should he seek entry into restricted areas, he would need to both upgrade the emblem to a higher rank and gain access to the mainframe storing his mana pattern. A task that wouldn’t be easily achieved.

As Roland entered the library, he marveled at the vast collection of books, scrolls, and magical tomes that lined the shelves. The air carried a faint scent of old parchment and the subtle hum of magical energies. The library seemed to stretch on endlessly, with various sections dedicated to different branches of magic.

‘I have to admit, this place is impressive.’

Roland strolled through the aisles, occasionally stopping to glance at the titles of books or inspect particularly intriguing artifacts displayed on pedestals. He noticed students and mages engrossed in their studies, each absorbed in their own magical pursuits. As he walked deeper into the library, the atmosphere became more serene, and the ambient noise of rustling pages and magical incantations filled the air.

‘Now, where is that section on advanced runic theory?’

Roland's primary objective was to deepen his understanding of runic magic, but this wasn't his sole focus. The mana phantom phenomenon he had encountered remained inadequately studied. While Professor Arion provided some initial guidance on where to commence his investigation, he admitted his limitations, unable to offer substantial assistance due to the phenomenon being outside his area of expertise.

Initially, Roland found it somewhat peculiar that no one intervened as he examined the bookcases. However, the denizens of this academy held immense faith in their magic. In their view, even an individual with a somewhat suspicious appearance like Roland had to possess proper identification for entry. There was an unwavering confidence in the impregnability of their magical defenses, a potential flaw that someone with Roland's skills could likely exploit given ample research time.As he progressed, Roland noticed students and mages deeply engrossed in their studies, each absorbed in their individual magical pursuits. In this world, magic had a peculiar aspect, intertwined with a game-like system. People could fully utilize and enhance it by delving into the intricacies of mana control for each specific spell. While somewhat akin to his runes, achieving perfection was more challenging.

The process involved studying correct chant intonations, leveling up skills in various fields, and executing them in stressful situations - it was no easy feat. In contrast, Roland could prepare most of his magical arsenal beforehand, and even if something malfunctioned, he could easily restore it as long as he had enough mana.

Yet, Roland wasn't entirely versed in the intricacies of regular spell casting, having focused on an entirely different field. The spells he created were often assisted by the world system, akin to a pair of training wheels. This reliance led some mages to become complacent, and Roland found that the library dedicated to delving into the intricacies wasn't being used by as many students or teachers as he anticipated.

‘I guess they probably train out in the field more than surround themselves with literature, to level up skills one has to use spells and not read about them. Though if you want to master the craft, you have to do both...’

As he walked deeper into the library, the atmosphere became more serene, and the ambient noise of rustling pages filled the air. Finally, Roland reached the section on advanced runic theory. The shelves were filled with ancient manuscripts, thick tomes, and delicate scrolls that held the accumulated knowledge of generations of runemasters. He carefully selected a few volumes that caught his eye, finding texts on rune combinations, advanced enchantments, and experimental runic applications. To no surprise this section of the library was quite empty and the shelves were even filled with some dust.

‘This should keep me busy for a while.’

With a satisfied nod, Roland settled into a quiet corner of the library. He immersed himself in the study of advanced runic theory, eager to expand his knowledge and discover new possibilities for his craft. A magic glow illuminated his reading session as time ticked by and minutes turned to hours. Before he knew it, a loud booming noise echoed through the library to indicate that it was time to close.

Startled by the abrupt

Announcement

, Roland reluctantly closed the tome he was engrossed in. Before he could pose a question about the sound an owl with glasses appeared before him.

“Closing time, sir. You'll have to continue your studies tomorrow.”

“Ah sure, my apologies but could I take some of them with me?”

“If you wish to borrow books from the library, you must inquire with the main librarian before closing times.”

“I see... then I’ll come tomorrow.”

The magical owl emitted a hoot before taking flight. Roland remained uncertain whether the creature shared similarities with Arion or belonged to a different category, perhaps serving as an animal familiar or an intelligent monster. Regardless, he needed to leave the library and make preparations for his upcoming first day at the academy. Arion had assured him of a tour around the runic department, where the creation of various artifacts took place. Roland's temporary life at the Institute had officially commenced, and he could only hope that within a month or two, he would amass enough knowledge to return home and pursue the creation of runic prosthetics.