Master Mercer straightened up. His mechanical arm emitted a faint whirring of gears, and the shadow cast by his towering figure completely enveloped Allen.
"Ideology is the foundation of the tower. But for the tower to stand, it also requires knowledge and resources."
Mercer's voice grew deeper than before, the resonance from his metal chest becoming more pronounced, as if every word were forged in the depths of a furnace:
"Listen well, apprentice. First, my advanced Meditation Method—'Myriad Machine Resonance'—costs one thousand five hundred Low-Level Magic Stones. This is the price of knowledge."
"Second, tuition for the Black Tower of the Forge's specialized courses, plus permission to use its public facilities and basic resources. Two thousand Low-Level Magic Stones per year."
"Third, when you advance to an Official Wizard in the future, you will need to purchase three Core Witchcraft models from me. Each one costs eight hundred Magic Stones."
