Greatest Legacy of the Magus Universe

As Adam stepped in through the towering wooden gates of the castle, he was immediately enveloped by an environment of dense mana.

He couldn’t help but loudly exclaim, ”The mana in here is overwhelming!”

Daneli nodded with a chuckle, ”Well, what else do you expect from one of the Four Pillars of the Empire? A grand runic formation covers this great castle, resulting in the abundance of natural energy here.”

”A mana gatheric runic formation, huh?” Adam spoke with a thoughtful expression, ”The amount of work and resources required to cover the entire castle must be astronomical.”

”Good for us, the Saratoga Castle is extremely wealthy,” Daneli smirked.

As the two Magi made their way through the entrance hall, Adam noticed that the tall stone walls around him were adorned with countless paintings.

Some depicted legendary battles between Magi, while others depicted the grandeur of mythical beasts such as dragons and phoenixes.

Any one of these paintings could fetch a mind-boggling price in the market. Seeing these paintings, Adam had a brilliant idea.

Other than selling potions, perhaps I can sell my artwork as well. Although, I do need to practice quite a lot to produce a decent painting.

Beautiful crystal chandeliers hung from the high ceiling at fixed intervals, their soft and gentle light illuminating the entrance hall in a warm and welcoming glow.

Adam glanced at young Magi carrying tomes and walking around in groups, speaking to one another in excited tones. Their eyes shone with childlike curiosity and wonder as they eagerly spoke about arcane studies.

”Aren’t there quite a lot of undergraduate students here?” The youth asked in puzzlement. ”I was under the impression that the castle was strictly for graduate students like us. Or was I wrong?”

Daneli shook his head and patiently explained, ”Here, Rank 1 Magi greatly outnumber us Rank 2 Magi. Not only are specialized arcane studies taught here, but also introductory ones.

”The undergraduate students here have five years to finish their studies. Then, they can choose to pursue higher education within the castle, or move out elsewhere.”

”Ah, I see.” Adam nodded in understanding. ”I doubt these kids would want to leave the castle after graduating, though.”

Daneli chuckled, ”That goes without saying. The Saratoga Castle is a highly prestigious institution in the Empire. It also helps that the undergraduate students who have studied here are given preference when enrolling for higher studies.”

”Speaking of enrollment,” Adam stated as he glanced at the elf. ”Lord Elrod didn’t mention anything about it. Do I have to take a test? Or prove myself any other way? Perhaps, a combat assessment?”

Daneli patted his shoulder and assured him, ”Don’t worry, it’s all been taken care of.”

Adam was initially puzzled, but then his eyes lit up and he couldn’t help but wonder, The Brotherhood’s influence is truly deep!

The pair’s footsteps echoed as they made their way toward the administration hall. Along the corridor, Adam noticed that it was indeed as Daneli had mentioned.

There were quite a lot of Rank 1 Magi present here. Meanwhile, Rank 2 Magi were sparse. However, the number was still far more than anything he had witnessed before.

Adam looked around curiously at the arched windows that lined the walls. They offered glimpses of mystical gardens, fountains, lawns, and Marian Lake that lay beyond the castle grounds.

After about a fifteen-minute walk through winding corridors, under Daneli’s guidance, Adam had finally arrived before the entrance to the administration hall.

Inwardly, he was greatly surprised at the scale of the castle.

Daneli then pushed open the heavy wooden doors whose surfaces were carved with intricate runes and geometrical patterns.

Adam glanced at the runes and thought to himself, This entire place seems to be carved in runes. I have to study this art no matter what. It will greatly help me in the long run.

The youth didn’t know what set of memories the next soul would contain. He didn’t even know if it would contain any memories in the first place.

However, he couldn’t just sit around passively, hoping for good things to happen to him.

During the war with the orcs back in the Southern Federation, he had been on death’s doorstep on numerous occasions. Especially, his last battle with Oswald Gracie and Professor Hemingway.

If he were stronger, he wouldn’t have been in those situations.

If he were stronger, he wouldn’t have lost his dear friends.

Adam’s palms involuntarily clenched into fists, thinking back to those dire moments.

He didn’t know when the next battle would present itself. All he knew was that he had to be ready for it.

For that, he had to give in his everything, his one hundred percent, into mastering anything that would strengthen him.

He had decided to wholeheartedly pursue higher arcane studies.

As the pair stepped through the doors, they were greeted by a vast room bustling with activity.

Long wooden tables, stacked with books and parchment papers, stretched out across the room. Meanwhile, feathered quills magically hovered on their own, filling out records and documents.

A few humans and elves could be seen going about their jobs. While the majority of the work here was guided by the Rank 1 Spell: Magus Hand.

Adam glanced at the ceiling that had the map of the Acadian Empire painted across its surface. The painting was extremely detailed and life-like, causing the youth to be amazed.

Daneli didn’t stop his footsteps, however. Instead, he guided Adam to an office all the way across the hall. He knocked on the door twice before receiving permission to enter.

As they entered the room, they saw that behind a large mahogany desk sat a stern-looking middle-aged elf.

He had a head full of blond hair, albeit with a slightly receding hairline. His round glasses perched on the edge of his nose as he diligently reviewed the documents in front of him.

Daneli respectfully stood before the administrator, not disturbing him in the least. A few minutes passed by before the middle-aged elf finally finished what he was doing.

He then glanced at the young elf in front of him with his hazel eyes, his lips curling up into a warm smile, ”It’s you, Daneli.” Then, he looked over at the black-robed youth wearing the pointy hat and asked with a raised eyebrow, ”Is this the boy?”

”That’s right, Magus Elkien,” Daneli replied with a polite smile.

Elkien observed the raven-haired youth and asked, ”Adam Constantine, is it?”

”Yes, sir,” Adam replied respectfully.

”Hmm,” Elkien nodded his head in approval. ”You’re quite young, yet you’ve already advanced to the Mana Liquefaction Rank. Very Impressive, young man.”

Adam couldn’t help but smirk a little. He placed his hand on his shoulder and slightly bowed, ”Thank you, Magus Elkien.”

”Very well,” Elkien grabbed a few documents and stacked them together. Then he grabbed a black leather pouch and placed it atop the parchment papers.

”All the formalities have mostly been taken care of,” said the middle-aged elf as he handed the documents and the pouch to the youth. ”Fill out these forms and return them to me at your convenience.”

”Uhh…” Adam grabbed the items in a daze. He looked at Elkien and asked hesitantly, ”Is that all?”

”As I said, everything’s mostly been taken care of,” Elkien chuckled.

Then, under Adam’s dumbfounded expression, he added with a smile.

”Welcome to Saratoga Castle.”