"You have remarkable talent. I'll arrange for a teacher to mentor you one-on-one. Here's the list. Choose whoever you think suits you."
"Is Sellen on it?"
Nolan blurted it out without a second thought. Since he was being given a choice, of course he wanted someone he was familiar with and genuinely admired.
Miriam had been about to make a recommendation, but Nolan's question made her look up in mild surprise. After a moment's thought, though, it didn't seem strange at all.
The Witch Sellen had studied under Masters Azur and Lusat.
Those two were household names within the academy, the founders of the Karolos Conspectus and the Olivinus Conspectus, respectively.
Though they had long since been expelled, they were still universally acknowledged as the greatest magic masters the academy had ever produced. Even now, no one within the academy had surpassed them.
Sellen herself was also a celebrated prodigy.
With talent of her own and such illustrious teachers behind her, her reputation was only natural. Countless people regarded her as an idol. It was hardly surprising that a young man who loved magic would know of her.
"Are you sure?" Miriam cautioned. "I won't deny Sellen's ability, but there are rumors that she may be following the same path as her two teachers."
Research into Primeval Sorcery was forbidden within the academy.
Even for a gifted apprentice like Sellen, if it were proven that she had truly touched the forbidden…
The Preceptors would never overlook it. Expulsion would be the lightest possible outcome.
"I'm sure," Nolan replied without hesitation.
He didn't care whether this teacher, who had always stood firmly on the side of her students, might be researching Primeval Sorcery or not.
All he knew was that if he let this opportunity slip by, he would regret it for the rest of his life.
Time slipped past quietly, and amid his excitement and anticipation of meeting his teacher, the day came to an end before he even realized it.
...
The next morning, sunlight spilled through the window into the room.
Nolan deliberately put on the long robe that marked him as an apprentice, carefully straightening the hem and collar, as if granting the garment a special significance.
He took a deep breath, pushed the door open, and strode outside.
From a distance, he spotted a slender female sorceress wearing a Witch's hood, quietly leaning against the wall.
Her head was tilted slightly to one side, fingers resting at the chin of the hood. The eyes hidden beneath it must have been focused and profound, as though she were closely examining this newly arrived student.
Nolan watched her in silence, a tangle of emotions welling up inside him. Now that the moment had truly arrived, he found himself unsure of what to say.
The two regarded each other through the barrier of the hood for a brief moment.
At last, a voice with a faintly mature tone sounded from within the Witch's Glintstone Crown.
"You're Nolan?"
"Hm. You do seem to have decent aptitude."
"Still, choosing a mentor is no trivial matter. It's something that requires careful consideration."
"This is also my first time teaching a student. Are you certain you still want to choose me?"
"Yes. You are my only choice, Teacher Sellen."
Nolan answered without the slightest hesitation. He then put on the Lazuli hood and performed a solemn student's bow toward Sellen.
Sellen slowly straightened, tilting her head slightly. A trace of interest seemed to flash through her eyes.
"Haha. I didn't expect you to place such high hopes on a complete stranger you've never even met. You really are a strange one."
"Very well. I'll take you as my apprentice and teach you Glintstone Sorcery. But I'm strict, and I don't believe in gentle instruction. Don't regret it later."
With that, she turned decisively and walked away.
After only a few steps, however, she turned her head and looked back at Nolan, who was still standing there in a daze.
"Don't just stand there like an idiot. Hurry up and follow me. Lessons start today."
Nolan snapped back to his senses, nodded quickly, and hurried after her at a jog.
The moment he stepped into the towering buildings of Raya Lucaria Academy, Nolan felt a sense of isolation from the outside world, as though he had entered an ivory tower far removed from mundane clamor.
Sorcerers wearing all kinds of bizarre headgear moved through the halls, forming a scene unlike anything else.
But to think of this place as an ordinary campus would be a serious mistake.
Weren't the Haima apprentices essentially magic-wielding soldiers?
Nolan walked along the wide corridor, sunlight streaming through the windows and scattering patches of light across the floor.
From time to time, he could see apprentices patrolling the halls.
With tall, pointed hats on their heads and staves in their hands, once their magical sigils lit up, a blue magical projectile would likely come flying straight at you.
As Nolan sank into thought, Sellen's voice suddenly rang out.
"What's there to stare at with those rude brutes? Over here."
He turned to see that Sellen had opened a small door and was beckoning to him. He quickly changed direction and walked over.
"This is my classroom. You'll be studying here from now on. No need to go to the large lecture halls."
"It's a bit messy, but that's fine. Just find somewhere to sit."
Sellen spoke casually as she entered the room.
Nolan followed her inside and immediately froze in astonishment.
He looked around and couldn't help wanting to ask his teacher,
"Where exactly do you want me to sit?"
The small room, barely thirty square meters, was crammed with books and experimental equipment.
Unpolished Glintstones were casually strewn across the floor, while stacks of books taller than a person filled the desk and corners of the room.
The entire space was oppressively dim. There wasn't even a single Glintstone lamp, only a few candles giving off faint light.
In that hazy glow, he could almost make out cobwebs clinging to the ceiling.
For a moment, Nolan felt dizzy, even wondering if he had somehow been transported again, straight into the period after Sellen's expulsion from the academy.
Now it seemed that the style of that small underground room on Post Street hadn't been due to his teacher lacking the means to improve her living conditions, but rather her own peculiar tastes.
Nolan made a full circle around the room and still couldn't find anywhere to sit.
In the end, he had no choice but to move the books piled on a chair in the corner onto another stack, barely clearing enough space to sit down.
Looking at the chaotic surroundings, Nolan asked with curiosity,
"Teacher Sellen, do you actually like this kind of environment?"
"I don't," she replied. "But my time is precious. I won't waste it on things like this."
The Witch waved her hand dismissively. Clearly, matters unrelated to magical research weren't worth her attention.
"Still, you'll be coming here often. If you don't like it, you can clean it up yourself."
How shameless. They had barely just met, and she was already ordering him around.
Nolan wanted to scratch his head, only to be stopped by the hood. He raised an eyebrow slightly, grumbling to himself in silence.