Sibins couldn't use Necromancy, nor could he bring down a city wall with a single Explosive Bomb, but to the apprentices, the academy's Discipline Head was synonymous with terror.
Today, that terror had come knocking.
Rorschach concluded the rumor that the Discipline Head was a retired soldier was true. At this moment, Sibins was sitting before Rorschach's desk, his posture perfectly upright and his back ramrod straight, his body held taut. He held a stack of documents in his hands.
"Sir, I didn't expect to see you here."
"Rorschach, correct? Please close the door." After Rorschach had done so, Sibins immediately continued, "Please, sit." It was as if this wasn't Rorschach's dormitory, but the Discipline Head's office.
"You must be wondering why I've come to see you alone. I am here to carry out the Principal's will." The Discipline Head pulled at his facial muscles to form a smile, but it only made him look more terrifying.
'The Principal's will.'
Rorschach took note of that phrasing. The academy's highest-ranking leader was generally referred to as the Dean, because the school's nominal Principal was its benefactor, His Majesty the Emperor himself.
"There are no fools in this school, so I'll be direct—as per His Majesty's wishes, we have been scouting and recruiting reliable, magically talented youths." Sibins stood up. He was truly sturdy and powerfully built; his clothes were stretched taut over his muscles, blocking half the light from the window.
"The average teachers and apprentices know me as the Discipline Head, but I have another identity: the Mechanical Director of the Empire Military Department's Special Forces Defense Agency. Only the academy's Dean and a handful of professors know about the latter. Oh, and now, so do you."
"You're recruiting me, and I can't refuse, can I?"
"There's no need to be confrontational, Rorschach. I've looked into you. You're clean. Your parents are farmers in a mountain village, and you were able to take the magic test thanks to your village chief's sponsorship. Since arriving here, your studies have been supported by His Majesty the Emperor and the Empire. This is very good. 'Clean' means reliable. We need you. The Empire needs you. His Majesty the Emperor needs youths like you."
"Please, just tell me what you need me to do."
"We need you to continue your studies, to continue delving into magic. You can draw a salary from the Defense Agency, and we can send twelve Empire Golden Eagle Coins to your parents in your name each month." Twelve Empire Gold Coins a month was enough to live a decent life, even in the Imperial Capital.
'???'
This was beyond Rorschach's expectations. 'Is the (suspected) boss of a secret intelligence agency sneaking into my room to offer me a student grant?'
"However, the Magic Tower where you pursue your advanced studies will be designated by our agency—the Tower of Stars, located in the capital of the Holy Kingdom."
The Thirteen Magic Towers were the most prominent and powerful entities in the Magic Realm. The Mages put forward by each tower formed the Elder Council of the Magic Guild.
The Tower of Primordial Fire, the Tower of Source Water, the Tower of Atmosphere, and the Tower of Primordial Earth.
These were the Four Symbols Element Towers, the four most ancient ones. The other nine towers each had their own unique characteristics.
The towers that studied nature to inspire magic: the Tower of Storms, the Tower of Thunderstorm, and the Tower of Forest.
The towers that were masters of astronomy and explored space and time: the Tower of Void, the Tower of Time, and the Tower of Stars.
And the more mysterious towers whose research was largely unknown: the Tower of Light, the Tower of Darkness, and the Tower of Secret Techniques.
In theory, graduates who became Low Tier Mages could freely submit applications to any of these Magic Towers in hopes of joining them. But studying at the Empire Royal Magic Academy meant carrying a certain mark.
Among the major powers of this world, the Empire, which dominated the continent's central region, was currently on good terms with the island nation of the Istar Kingdom. However, it shared a border with the Holy Kingdom to the south and was hostile toward it.
Therefore, graduates from this academy generally chose to pursue advanced studies at Magic Towers within the Empire or the Istar Kingdom. Every year, only a few—if any—went to the Magic Towers in the Holy Kingdom.
Rorschach suspected that these exceptions, like himself, were handpicked and assigned by the Empire. He could also make a good guess as to what he would be expected to do once he got to the Holy Kingdom.
"I can't refuse, but for now, I at least have no reason to."
"Excellent. The Dean will personally write your letter of recommendation. You love your parents very much, so after you arrive in the Holy Kingdom, it would be perfectly normal for your letters home to describe the local culture and customs."
"My parents can't read much. They'll need someone to read the letters to them."
"Good, you understand. But don't go into detail about the Tower of Stars or touch on other magical matters too much. You'll have a vacation of about ten days every year for the Saints' Day Festival. When you return to the Empire, you will need to write a detailed report."
The Holy Kingdom, in full the Saint Vallova Kingdom, was a deeply religious kingdom. In fact, most of the regions south of the Empire were the same. Gods existed in this world, but divine miracles had long since vanished from the land. Only Priests and Holy Knights remained active as the gods' mortal agents.
The Empire and the federations to its north were lax in their faith. Humans were either non-believers or polytheistic, and they had a high tolerance for other intelligent races; one could find Dwarves and various Sub-humans within their borders. The maritime nation of Istar was home to a mixed population of humans and Elves who worshiped the Sea and Storm God Is. He was also the Water God and the god of the open seas and exploration.
The Holy Kingdom and the other Southern Countries, on the other hand, were shrouded in the radiance of the Supreme God. He was the God of Light and Order, worshiped by his followers as the creator of the world and its laws, the Father of the Gods, and a being of Supreme Power, All-Knowing and All-Powerful.
It must be solemnly declared that the above was not acknowledged by the Empire, Istar, or the other intelligent races. The Holy Kingdom was also a kingdom of human purists, which under normal circumstances did not permit other intelligent races to take up permanent residence. As for the "Father of the Gods" title, the doctrine never specified *which* gods, so the other deities just felt they'd gotten the short end of the stick but knew they couldn't win a fight against Him.
"Your file will be transferred from the academy to the Military Department's confidential archives. For now, just wait at the academy for the notice. You'll depart immediately once the Tower of Stars approves your admission."
"Is there a chance they'll reject me?"
The Discipline Head offered a smile that was far more natural than his previous one. "Have faith in the agency." With that, he finally left the dorm room.
Rorschach lay on his bed. The bedding was the standard-issue coarse linen provided by the academy—the kind that apprentices from merchant families or the Nobility would toss out the moment they enrolled. It was no match for the cotton and silk bedding of his previous life. He recalled that the sheets and duvet covers at his family's home were also made of linen, but the academy's was much softer and warmer.
This world had Magic, and it was a world of wonders, but for most people, it was not a world of plenty.
After letting his thoughts drift for a while, Rorschach summoned his panel. He finally had a moment to test a very important idea.
[Basic Level Decomposition Skill (Blue)]
Dissociation (Blue)
'This is a magic spell composed of a single component. In that case, can components from other spells be extracted and still function?'
[Fireball Skill (Purple)]
Magic Concentration (Purple) / Elemental Transformation (Purple) / Projectile (Purple)
Here were two components with distinct effects and high proficiency—perfect for an experiment.
He dragged [Magic Concentration] into the frame by itself.
He once again experienced the throbbing pain in his temples. But there was more; Rorschach was also forced to recall all his knowledge regarding Magic Power, as if the panel were force-feeding him a highlight reel.
Finally, it appeared—Rorschach's second self-created magic spell.