Arcane Innovator

On a certain late spring morning, deep within the confines of the Labyrinth City, the spacious courtyard in front of the Grand Tower was bustling with activity as countless students hurried to and fro.

The sun had just begun to peek over the horizon, bathing the world in a soft golden glow. The air was fresh and crisp, promising exceptionally great weather for this time of year.

However, deep in my thoughts, I didn't pay any attention to the beautiful scenery. 'Here we go...'

Tightly clutching the straps of my brand-new leather satchel, I joined the commotion before me, battling my way through the crowds as I slowly made my way over to the Tower's majestic entrance.

About a week had passed since the conclusion of the Acceptance ceremony, and to say it was a hectic one would be quite an understatement.

I was feeling both excited and a bit apprehensive, not knowing what awaited me within the Tower's hallowed halls. 'Still, there's only one way to find out...'

With that, I took a deep breath as I stepped past the towering gates illuminated by the rising sun for one last time. This would be the day when my new life as a novice would officially begin.

Today was also the final day when the Tower would remain open as from tomorrow onward, the new teaching period would commence, and the gates shall be closed, remaining shut all the way until next year's Acceptance ceremony.

Furthermore, as part of another ancient tradition dating from the time of Eluvius, novices were forbidden from leaving the Tower until they passed the Trial of the Chosen and thus became true apprentices.

Apparently, it was so that we wouldn't get tempted by the distractions of the outside world and would, therefore, wholeheartedly focus on advancing our paths.

That's why, for the past week, I had to hurry to get all my affairs in order, as I won't get another chance to do so for a very long time.

For example, I had to buy all the things I'd need for my new student life, like a bunch of quills, a supply of ink, and a stack of empty scrolls, among other things, as well as several accessories so I would not look like I just came out of a cowshed.

I also had to painstakingly go through all my things one by one, deciding what to keep and what to sell.

I'd love to take everything, but sadly, we were allowed to bring only a few essentials as we would apparently be living in shared dormitories for the initial period.

There wasn't even an option to pay extra for a private room—I've learned that you'd have to sufficiently advance your rank first before earning the privilege to do so.

'So, finding a way to increase my rank has to be among the first things I need to do...' I resolved myself as the idea of sharing a room with a bunch of arrogant, overconfident teenagers for a prolonged period of time was nothing but terrifying to me.

Especially so since murdering your roommates in their sleep was forbidden for some strange reason.

Of course, there was no way in hell I would discard any of my precious possessions that easily. That's why I paid a visit to the local branch of the merchant's guild yesterday.

From my time spent in Ereneth, I knew that each branch had a hidden vault where they kept all their proceeds and clients' deposits. However, the less-known fact was that every client had the option to rent a small section of the said vault for their personal use—for a hefty fee, that is.

I never used this feature as I liked to keep all my valuables close in case I had to make a run for it, which proved to be the right decision before.

However, this time, it was either this or having to sell it all. So, I decided to deposit everything there except Dominic's dagger, which I decided to keep with me for self-defense as it served me well during the past few months in the Labyrinth.

We were told that each first year was allowed to bring only a single artifact with them so as not to garner an unfair advantage during the various Trials and competitions. However, this was mostly aimed at nobles, as not many commoners could afford an artifact in the first place.

Nevertheless, I would be stupid not to take advantage of this rule. Luckily, the rewards I received during the Trial didn't count toward this limit, so I felt I had pretty good starter gear overall.

Smiling, I stepped inside the dimly lit entrance hall. The interior of the Tower was just as impressive as I remembered, with vaulted ceilings and ornate stonework everywhere.

I carefully looked over my shoulder ensuring the air was clear before I briskly walked across the imposing lobby while trying to find the chamberlain's office.

'I've already roughed the feathers of one arrogant young master, so there's no reason to get into any stupid arguments just because I looked wrongly at some third-rate noble...' I reasoned.

There was also the situation with Margarette that needed to be considered. I was still a bit rattled by my last encounter with her and was a bit apprehensive to stumble upon her again. But she was apparently fine with ignoring my entire existence, and I was okay with that.

Finally spotting a worn-out wooden sign hanging above an arched doorway pointing toward the chamberlain's office, I began making my way over there, eager to get this last small administrative hurdle out of the way. 'I say small, but this is probably the most significant one...' I chuckled.

That was paying for my tuition, and despite my eagerness to get this over with, I wasn't looking forward to parting with my hard-earned coins. No, not at all—actually, just the idea of it was gut-wrenching.

I vividly remember all the sleepless nights and the countless sacrifices I had to make along the way to get to this point. But I knew this expense was necessary if I wanted to escape beyond my meager origins and make a real name for myself.

The chamberlain's office seemed very busy this morning, as everyone apparently got the same idea. So I had to wait in line for a bit before I could come in.

Stepping through the doorway, I quickly scanned the room, noticing that it looked surprisingly spartan, given its intended purpose.

The office itself was fairly large, with a row of desks lining the back wall. Each of them was occupied by what looked like mundane clerks, but upon closer inspection, I realized they were all mages.

Still, something about them didn't quite add up. They were too old to be regular students yet still wore the simple grey robes of a novice.

'Who are they?' I briefly wondered, but I had to abandon any further examination as one of the desks had just become free, and the bored-looking man sitting behind it signaled for me to approach him.

He raised an eyebrow as if prompting me to state my request, so I quickly cleared my throat. "I'm here to submit my tuition payment," I said, trying to keep my voice steady.

The clerk's beady eyes looked me over with thinly veiled disdain, no doubt taking note of my threadbare cloak and plain shirt, marking me as someone from a poor background.

I furrowed my brows, not liking his attitude one bit, but said nothing, aware it was mostly my thrifty nature that got me into this situation.

That cloak was actually brand new a few months ago when I bought it for my journey here. But after being pelted by the constant sand storms in the desolate Plains, it ended up in a pretty sorry state.

Still, knowing that I would soon be wearing the mage's robes, buying a new one felt like a waste.

"Name?" he asked in a bored tone.

"Darian of Ereneth."

The portly clerk then flipped open a large ledger and scanned through the pages, his sausage-like fingers running down the lists of names.

'Come on... what's taking you so long?' I stood there awkwardly, shifting my weight from one foot to the other. Finally, his fingertip seemed to have stopped at the end of one column, and his eyes flicked up, meeting mine.

"Ah, there you are... The total amount left to pay is 95 gold pieces."

'What?!' I blinked, momentarily stunned into silence. "Ehm, I was told the tuition would be 30 gold..."

"That's true. However, that's the annual tuition. But since you'll be confined here until you either succeed or fail your path's advance, you'll have to pay the entire sum in full, " the clerk said in a tone suggesting he had given this explanation countless times before.

He then gave me a sickeningly sweet smile that made a cold shiver run down my spine. "Of course, in the unlikely case such payment would be beyond your means, you don't have to worry; the academy will be happy to provide you with a loan to cover all your expenses for the duration of your studies."

"Oh, no need... I'll pay in full. I was just surprised a bit, that's all. By the way, you said the entire sum; does that mean it takes three years to become an apprentice?"

I could see the clerk's evident surprise. He was already taking out a particularly thick scroll from under the table, which was most likely the loan contract. "Eh?" He blinked, pausing in the middle of a motion, but quickly recovered his composure. "Is that so? Alright then... please provide the payment."

"As to the length of the study, yes, it takes, on average, three years. Of course, in the unlikely case there would be an extension, we would ask you to settle any outstanding debts then."

I nodded absentmindedly, and with slightly trembling fingers, I took a heavy coin purse out of my satchel and emptied its shiny contents onto the table. I then sighed before I began counting out the correct amount with a heavy heart.

This was supposed to be my hidden ace—a whopping 100 gold, which I decided to take with me after selling most of my belongings and converting the remaining coins I carried over from Ereneth.

It was the culmination of all my past exploits and schemes, including all the gold I looted from the priests' corpses after slaying the tainted creature back in Neufeld.

I hoped it would secure me an easy time during my stay here in the Tower, but it looked like I would be almost broke once again after paying for my tuition.

Of course, there was still the leftover silver I had left in the Merchant Guild's vault along with my most prized possessions, enough to pay their exorbitant fees for at least five years, give or take, but it couldn't compare to the value of the wealth I was currently parting with.

'For this kind of money, you can buy not just a mansion but an entire village...' I sighed again as I finished counting the money and passed the coins over to the portly clerk, who eagerly scooped them towards him, quickly counting and sorting them into neat stacks.

His expression remained impassive, but I thought I detected a hint of surprise in his eyes. I patiently waited for him to finish tallying the coins, and after what seemed like an eternity, he finally looked up and gave a curt nod.

"Your payment is sufficient. You may join the other first years in the dormitories."

I exhaled with relief, happy to have this ordeal over with. But then a certain discrepancy surfaced in my mind, and I tilted my head to the side in confusion. 'Hmm?'

"Excuse me, you've said the tuition is 30 gold per year, so what are the extra five gold for?"

"Oh, that's just an administrative fee to process your admission into the academy and cover the Acceptance ceremony's cost. But mostly, it's to pay for this..." He said as he presented me with a certain item.

It was a simple gold band with a tiny transparent essence gem embedded on top. It looked pretty but unremarkable. However, on closer inspection, I could see the barely visible lines of many neat inscriptions covering its surface.

"This is the Mage's Mark, and you'll need to carry it with you at all times. It mainly serves to prove your identity as a student of our academy as well as allowing you access to many of the Tower's facilities. It also has many other uses, which you'll discover in time..."

'Ah, so it's something like the adventurer's card... ' I nodded, ready to swipe it away, but the clerk's raised hand stopped me.

"However, in order to finish the process, you'll first need to establish a bond."

'A bond?' I blinked, unsure of what we wanted me to do. But as he presented me with a long, unnervingly sharp needle, it quickly became obvious.

I shuddered with unease as I've never particularly liked needles. However, not wanting to give the man the satisfaction of seeing me squirm, I quickly suppressed my wildly beating heart and, trying to act nonchalant, I swiftly brushed my finger past the needle, pricking my finger and producing a single drop of blood that I promptly smeared onto the ring.

The blood suddenly shinned, seeping into the enchanted metal, and the band briefly pulsed with energy before becoming still once again.

"The process is now complete. You're now officially a Novice of our academy."

I then quickly thanked him and hurriedly left the office in case he would change his mind and wanted to subject me to any more of his processes.