Chapter 45: The Professors of St. Byron's |
Using Silver Moon Slash does not require spellcasting materials; one only needs to draw a trace of light in the air with their limbs. This silver trace can slash forward, manifesting in an offensive form.
Before midnight, Shad repeatedly practiced indoors with the curtains drawn. He managed to create one trace of light after another and directed them to slash forward. His excitement was evident. Although he had previously attempted abilities like Telekinesis, Blood Echo, and Radiance, the Silver Moon Slash was the one that most aligned with his vision of "power" and "mystery."
Unfortunately, as a novice, Shad's understanding of the Silver Moon rune was shallow, and his spiritual energy was minimal. As a result, the traces of light he created failed even to leave noticeable marks on the walls. However, for inflicting harm on fragile human bodies, the ability should suffice at close range.
Though this arcane art currently had limited power, the light traces it left in the air were stunningly beautiful—far more elegant and noble than the descriptions found in books. This even caught the attention of the curious orange tabby, Mimia.
Of course, these four abilities from the courses were provided free of charge by the academy. If Shad wished to obtain more, he could visit the library to search for them and pay for access to the knowledge. The professors also possessed collections of arcane and mystic arts. Achieving high scores in their courses was another way to obtain such abilities for free.
Regarding the academy's arcane and mystic arts, Dr. Schneider believed the library's pricing to be unreasonable and considered it exploitation of correspondence students. He suggested that instead of purchasing from the academy, Shad could buy them from fellow group members or local Ring Warlocks. The academy should only be used as a last resort for acquiring rare arts.
Regardless, the enigmatic steam era's mysteries and the door to the extraordinary had fully opened for the foreigner.
Assessing his current situation, Shad realized his biggest shortage wasn’t time or experience but gold pounds. This reinforced his determination to run his detective agency, the most accessible way for him to earn money.
"Earn gold pounds through commissions, gain knowledge from St. Byrons, acquire the Four Element Runes, and continuously advance. Even if I can’t return, I’ll witness the beauty and mystery of this world."
As for copying books from his previous world or using its knowledge to profit in the Steam Era, those plans would have to wait until he had gained a firm foothold and more power.
The day was spent reading and playing with the cat. Even without earning any money that day, Shad was content after mastering his first arcane art.
As night approached, Shad saw the clock nearing eleven. He locked the nocturnal orange tabby, Mimia, in the bedroom, then rearranged the coffee table and sofa to clear some space in the living room.
Placing four chairs around the dining table, he used a compass to precisely align their directions. Finally, he filled a basin with water and set it in the center of the four chairs.
Dressed in the only formal suit he owned, Shad closed the curtains and dimmed the gaslights in the living room to a warm, faint glow. He then sat on the north-facing chair, matchbox and course list scroll in hand, and watched the clock hands tick toward midnight. Striking a match against the chair’s armrest, he broke it with excessive force. Slightly startled, he quickly took another match from the box on his lap.
Matches in this era were not safety matches, and the box lacked a rough surface for striking. It was common to ignite them against surfaces like the floor, shoe soles, or walls. The second match ignited successfully.
At the first chime of midnight, Shad lit the scroll. The parchment caught fire almost instantly, and he tossed it into the basin of water.
Though he had prepared himself, Shad was still amazed to see the burning scroll dissolve into sparkling blue light that dispersed into the water.
"What is this?" he wondered aloud. To his surprise, the voice of the woman in his mind spoke:
[It’s neither arcane nor mystic arts. It’s an even older mystical power—an ancient ritual.]
"A ritual?"
Before he could get more information, the entire basin of water began to glow. Despite the closed windows, a breeze filled the room. From the basin, three beams of light projected toward the east, west, and south.
Three translucent blue human figures gradually materialized in the chairs Shad had arranged. Their bodies, initially vague, became more defined. Shad could even see characters floating inside their transparent forms. However, trying to decipher even one of these caused his head to ache, reminding him of the lesson he learned from the Box of Darkness. This time, he refrained from indulging his curiosity.
Their presence turned the room chillingly cold.
Sitting opposite Shad to the south was an elderly man with round glasses. His formal black suit gave him an imposing height, even seated. A pocket watch chain extended from his chest pocket to a button on his coat.
“Professor Hams Sanchez, Vice Dean of St. Byrons Comprehensive College, Director of Student Administration, and Dean of the Library Management School,” he introduced himself in flawless Drarian, nodding slightly at Shad.
This was the name signed on the message that had guided Shad to this meeting.
To the east sat a middle-aged man in his forties. Though thin, his expression was resolute. His black suit and white shirt bore the St. Byrons emblem on the cufflinks—a chain-bound book. His slightly pointed ears marked him as unusual:
“Professor Hessinger Garcia, Vice Dean of the History School,” he said. His Drarian was less polished than Sanchez’s, hinting that he might originally be from the southern Carsonrick region where another language was dominant.
Lastly, in the west sat a beautiful woman in her thirties with curly hair. Wearing a single-lens monocle, she donned a standard blue office uniform and held a clipboard and pen. She smiled warmly and introduced herself less formally than the professors:
“I’m Lux Jones, a secretary of the academy. As per protocol, all non-teaching interactions between professors and correspondence Ring Warlocks must be recorded by the Secretariat and archived. This protects both you and the academy's secrets.”
“I understand. Professor Sanchez, Professor Garcia, Miss Jones, good evening… Would you like some tea? I have excellent red tea,” Shad offered politely after a moment of surprise, speaking to the three translucent figures.
Inwardly, he pondered whether this ritual was akin to a projector’s function. However, the eerie atmosphere suggested the ritual might have originally served a more sinister purpose than a remote meeting.