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Lunch and a Summoning This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Demon? ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª- The frosty blue moon shone in the deep of the night reflected across the clouds, forming what looked to be the waves of the ocean, the crimson stars twinkling through the cascade of gentle light as if the eyes of many nocturnal creatures peering down from the depths of the cosmos. Beneath the skies sat many a vast plane covered in orange grass that appeared a sea of endless fire. On several large floating isles that hovered miles above the planes were vast cities made of dark stone which shone with the light of many torches and candles in the houses. On the largest of these floating islands stood a vast and towering castle with nine spires that reached as if wishing to reach the moon itself. In one of these nine spires sat a woman of over seven feet in height. Her build was well proportioned, her skin a deep grey in color, her hair a deep crimson as if made of strands of the purest blood cascading down her sharp features. Her hair was left to lie flat all but for a few small braids tied off with intricate golden rings. Her eyes were a mix of golds, oranges and reds as if they were made of living flames. To the side of her head rested a set of large rams'' horns that were black as obsidian but smooth as silk and on the bridge of her nose sat a pair of small, circular, gold rimmed glasses connected by a gold chain. She sat in a vast chamber at the top of one of the nine spires, vast piles of books stacked around her as she reclined in her seat, using the light of a single lantern hanging at her side to read the complicated symbols scrawled across the page. Her demeanor was lax, almost as if about to drift off to sleep, eyelids drooping and feet resting on the table before her. Around her were what appeared to be a vast labyrinth of bookcases, each packed to the point that one would not be able to fit a single piece of paper into it. It was just as she was drifting off to sleep that Aqa''krghrift heard chiming similar to that of a crystal bell being rung from the cosmos themselves raining down from the sky. It was a beautiful cascade of sounds but what started as a faint noise soon grew to a cacophony in a matter of seconds waking her from her almost sleep. This was a known phenomenon, but she was startled awake by it. Why was it targeting her of all people, this was not usual in the least, and she really didn''t want to listen to it. Who would take care of her books if she were to be summoned? What would happen to her precious collection? She hated the idea of leaving it behind. As the chiming grew louder by the moment however, she was about to be driven mad by the noise. She eventually let out a scream that sounded more like the roar of a wounded beast before she raised her hand and an illusory purple door formed, spewing forth an earthy scented fog as it creaked open slowly. She hated the person who had chosen to summon her, how was she supposed to keep her collection safe, how would she attend the parties she had been invited to, but she had to answer at least shortly to force the summoner to give up or this racket would never end. She stepped forward through the opening illusory door, her black dress cascading down her form like a waterfall of shadows as her legs stretched through the threshold of the portal that was calling her. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª- A few long moments after the formation lit up a purple door that looked as if it were made of the ripples on the surface of a calm pond was formed. From the opening door stretched a graceful grey leg shrouded in cloth as dark as the moonless night, followed by a tall humanoid figure shrouded in the fog of incense. Nobody knew what to make of this, all demons they had seen had been far from human in shape. Had Jien messed up the ritual? Was this even a demon? Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Three Stages Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. Crushed Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Submission and Contract The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. What Now? If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Awoken Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. Conversation With a Demon Stolen story; please report. 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Alchemy Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. Everhart This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. Dangers of Alchemy The fox with its smooth grey fur looked each of the students over with it''s pure black eyes as if trying to bore into the depths of their souls before focusing back on the professor of the course. There was a silent communication happening, Jien could tell by the interaction between their eyes. After a few long moments where the emerald eyed teacher remained absolutely silent in ''discussion'' with the oddly colored fox she sighed lightly with what could only be described as annoyance before facing her students and in a much flatter tone adding "And this is Mo-Zyla, my companion and second set of eyes in teaching this class. She will be ensuring that no accidents occur once we get into live experiments." Though the fox seemed mildly upset with the unenthusiastic introduction she still raised her chin proudly and practically pranced back between the tables before taking a seat there so that she could have a better eye on Jien and his unit. Professor Everhart ignored this entirely as she moved around her table and pointed to the several cauldrons that laid on it''s surface. All of them were simple looking and most were iron but there were two that were silver and bronze colored respectively. Each of them had a lid over their top and the professor carefully removed each, unleashing a number of differently colored and scented clouds of steam into the space. "Today we will be covering some of the very most basic topics of alchemy and potioneering. I don''t expect you to know everything there is to know or be proficient in the art that is alchemy, but here you will at least learn to be proficient in its base principles." Her words were clear this time and didn''t require whatever influence had spread her softer tone earlier. Jien removed a small pad of paper and pen from his bag in preparation for what was to come. "First off let me preface with the fact that there are two ideologies regarding alchemy. One is that it is a science and finding the correct formula to follow will allow you to brew any and every potion. The other is that alchemy is an art and one must be willing to act as an artist just as a cook may, to be able to make their potion and make it shine." She paused here and scanned over her students with a serious expression. "There is truth to both of these ideologies, just as both are not entirely accurate." "The basis of any potion, salve or concoction is a blend of ingredients. The science is in finding the best ingredients for the mixture you want, the art is in how you best isolate the properties you want the concoction to contain and then how you mix them." She pointed to the small silver cauldron that sat on a tall wire stand, a small flame burning from the table keeping it only lightly warmed. From its top came a light orange steam that carried a scent similar to citrus but not quite. "In this cauldron is a potion that is known for inducing euphoria. One small dose in the size of a drop or two can make the recipient feel giddy, four to five make them impressionable due to severe excitement, six or more can lead to the heart giving out from overexertion." Her words were calm, if perhaps a little cool but the implications of what she had said were a wake up call to those that knew little about alchemy.Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. The cauldron was smaller than the others on the table, perhaps holding at most two cups of the liquid in question. With that too cups they could all die and it wasn''t even mentioned yet whether the potion could be put in food or drink. The fact that someone could use it to make them so happy as to be impressionable was concerning as well. Imagine being trusted with secrets regarding missions or other important information and then being made so happy that you are willing to tell your enemy everything. As the implications burned in their minds Professor Everhart smiled at their furrowed brows and nodded with satisfaction. "Excellent, you seem to understand one of the main principles that I am tasked to drill into your minds. No potion is harmless and understanding how to use it correctly is paramount. Not only will it save you from harming others unless you need to, it will also save you from being tricked or put into predicaments that you won''t be able to escape. Every potion you brew during this course you will be learning from the ground up and in multiple forms. Each mixture can generally be made with different ingredients to get a similar effect and I want you to at the very least understand two variations of every concoction I teach. This will allow you to use what is at hand in the field if needed." The professor put a lid on the cauldron once again to ensure the vapors didn''t spread too much in the surroundings. She didn''t want a repeat of a prior lesson, watching all her students end up in a giggling fit before needing to leave the space and get some fresh air. "This on the other hand" she stated while pointing to the even smaller bronze cauldron "is a healing potion that with a single drop ingested will truly heal any wound to near perfection, well, as long as the recipient lives long enough for the process to occur." "The downside of the potion is that it is only enhancing your bodies processes. In other words it will heal the wound almost like your body would if it was left to heal naturally with no outside influence such as illness from exposure etc. However, the fuel for healing your body is also taken from your body, meaning it will eat away at you to allow your body to heal." She took a small dropper from her desk and used it to pull a small amount of the liquid and dump it into a small clear vial, revealing its bright green color to the class. "The person that with my guidance is able to brew a simple bloodstop salve the best by the end of this course will get this vial." Start of the Lesson The statement brought Jien''s attention to a much finer focus. He could and had created a number of alchemical droughts in the past but what Professor Everhart was offering as a prize was not so easy to create. Not to mention that even though he took the time to scan through the alchemy knowledge he had recorded in his Personal Library he had no record of such a concoction. The idea of winning it for himself so that he could try and understand it, or perhaps use it as a chance to talk to the person he considered almost akin to an idol was exhilarating. He also knew that of those in his unit there were only a few that may win it besides himself. The others were Olivia, having come from a family whose business was growing medicinal herbs for alchemy, Barret, who was taught many skills to a more than basic level by his family and lastly Andrew. He wasn''t positive that Andrew was good at alchemy but he had his suspicions given that the boy was first and foremost a healer. If a healer couldn''t craft their own solutions on the fly then they would only be able to rely on their spells and first aid. There were many along that line of course, but something told him that the meek healer of their unit was more grounded in his work than just that. His thoughts were proven true as the lesson continued under the guidance of Professor Everhart and the watchful eye of the grey fox, who seemed to have an intelligence for more than an average or even magical beast. Jien was almost positive the animal was a demon, but there was no way to be sure unless it either showed it''s truest form or showed some other outward sign. The creation of a salve was one of the easier feats of alchemy but a bloodstop salve was not a simple home remedy. Usually a salve would be created by mixing an infused oils created over a span of time by gently blending an herb, or mix of herbs in an oil base over the span of perhaps a month. After this it would be mixed with a thickening base such as beeswax in accurate proportions for thickening and one could add a little something extra to it once it was put into a container. Salves in general were used as a spread over skin or at times simply as lotions for dry skin. The difference between these simple salves and the salve they were tasked to create today was in simple terms, the ingredients. Rather than simple herbs they were using magical herbs, which in essence were the same as the plants Jien had used in the creation of the Serpent Guard that was connected to his rapier at his waist. They were harder to handle and often had potent properties that if used incorrectly, whether it was the initial handling or incorrect mixing, could lead to disastrous results. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Sitting before them were selection of about ten different herbs of different colors, shapes and sizes. Next to their cauldrons were simple wooden book stands left empty and Professor Everhart''s next words made it clear why. "You will find the recipe on page 225 of The Guide to Beginners Alchemy Volume Two." Jien reached into his pack and withdrew the book he had come prepared with and set it on the book stand. However, he was the only one to do so while the others looked over at him blankly. It became very obvious that they didn''t have their own books, or at least this seemed the case before Barret dug out his own copy of the book and placed it appropriately. The rest looked between the two and realized that though they had spent their time during the past week training and reading different texts from the library they had not found out where to pick up their text books. They couldn''t decide whether to blame Jien for not telling them or themselves for not thinking about it, but given that Professor Everhart was now eyeing them with a raised brow they resolved to wring the answer out of him after class. The professor for her part, other than eyeing them shortly let out a slightly disappointed sigh before she flipped over her large blackboard revealing the recipe and steps as if she had expected this to happen. "Next class please ensure you have your materials in full prior to stepping into the classroom." She then lifted a sample of one of the herbs in front of them that looked like a blood red tulip with a stem so deep crimson it almost appeared black. "This is our main ingredient, blutgem. depending on how it is used and what part of it is used it can create a number of highly potent mixtures." She pointed to the stem of the plant. "We will be using the stem as it is a powerful coagulant. If used correctly and in the right dosage it will stop bleeding for minor cuts and scrapes, though it used on its own it risks damaging the internal and external tissues where it stops the bleeding. If used in too large a dose or used incorrectly it can cause mass clotting of blood vessels leading to larger medical concerns and potential death." After stating this she set down the tulip like plant and picked up the next that looked like a simple ginger plant, though it''s color was a deep purple beginning to describe it''s properties and what part they would be using. Her words were always concise but held all the knowledge they would need for the particular salve they were brewing this class. Her voice was always calm and clear, easily understood by each of the students as they took notes. Jien for his part was taking detailed notes, ensuring that he caught everything the professor said, at times raising a hand and asking a simple clarifying question and adding simple hypotheses in the margins of his page for later. He would rewrite his notes, record the text book and then his notes to start building up a more extensive library in the coming days. Bloodstop Salve After the explanation of the different ingredients it was discovered that out of the ten provided to each of them only three were necessary. Much like the traditional method to make a salve there was the oil, the herb to infuse into the oil and the thickening agent. In this case the ''oil'' was a liquid strained by pulping the stem of the blutgem flower. The herb that would be infused was the ginger like root known as ganush and the thickening agent was the sat of a tree that produced fruit not unlike a pomegranate but royal blue in color simply known as the bloodbead tree. The process as described by Professor Everhart was simple in design but precise in execution. She demonstrated the proper way to remove the stem from the blutgem flower without risking the poisonous nature of the petals. She worked the stems with a mortar and pestle with a confident finesse before turning to her students and watching them as they attempted to follow her lead. Jien was rather successful with this piece, having spent his time concocting under the heavy stresses of the Warping Forest he was steady of hand and calm in execution. The others who had gone through those trials with him likewise had little trouble, though perhaps were a small amount slower. Of the new members, as Jien had suspected, Andrew was able to handle his efforts with no difficulty even going so far as to help guide Robyn and Alys. Julie struggled at a much slower pace but paid extra attention to each of her actions to ensure her accuracy of completion. While the unit members were working the professor and her ''pet'' fox were having a silent conversation as they observed. The woman seemed to frown every now and again for reasons that Jien could not understand when he raised his head to meet her gaze every now and again. After some minutes of pulping the stems to a fine poultice she walked them through the method to strain out the oil they would need before setting it to the side and once again standing vigil over her students efforts. This time however Jien raised his hands and asked a number of clarifying questions. This was mostly for the purposes of his notes but the other students found the information useful in helping them understand how to use the various glassware tools. Though one would think that straining the poulice would be simple the method of straining actually had required a number of steps to draw the oil from the plant rather than simply putting the mixture under pressure. The end result actually took more than an hour to complete but soon enough they had all drawn out the oil for their salves. This however, was where everyone began to see slight differences. The oil in the professors beaker looked almost akin to clear blood. When each of the unit members looked at their own beakers they found varying degrees of cloudiness in the liquid. The clearest of the groups was Andrew''s, with only a slight mistiness to the liquid while Julies was by for the worst, looking akin to someone having mixed blood with milk. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. Professor Everhart made her way over and examined each sample carefully. She did not make any obvious comments at first, her calm demeanor remaining until she was finished looking at each sample. "All of these samples are within acceptable range" she said in her warm voice. "However, it should be known that the milkier the oil looks the less potent the end result. This however can be a boon if the salve is only meant for small cuts and scrapes instead of serious wounds." With that statement she made her way back to her own table and showed that rather than a long infusion process they would use a shortcut method by boiling the oil with chunks of the ganush root. This was only acceptable for this type of recipe where all ingredients would compound upon each other and she urged them to use the usual method is time allowed as the boiling method would lead to a loss of some potency. She showed the best method to peel the root and then put the oil and cut up bits of the root into her cauldron before working with the heating formation beneath it, describing each of her movements with a controlled tone. The others followed along as she worked this time around. The steps were simple and nobody had issue as they lidded their cauldrons to let the mixture stew appropriately. Meanwhile Professor Everhart gracefully should hem how to draw sap from the tree on her desk. This was only for demonstration as she pointed to the vial of golden sap in front of everyone''s stations. "The sap extraction can take a long time. To ensure that we are able to complete our salves in an orderly fashion I have already supplied you with an appropriate amount of sap." She discussed the use of the other seventh ingredients as they waited for the stewing mixture to complete. The explanation was simple, much like her lesson had felt from the beginning, though highly informative. Each of the seven other ingredients could either be used to enhance the salve in a number of ways or in some cases, could be used to completely replace one of the main ingredients. By the end of the discussion on the other ingredients it was time to extract the infused oil and following their professors guided steps they were each able to complete it. The end result was a reddish orange oil with varying milkiness. The followed the steps given to complete the process, mixing the oil and sap in a measured mix while adding to small, wooden, widemouthed containers. Once each of them was done they set their containers out at the front of their desk while Professor Everhart walked around with her own for comparison. When she came close enough they were able to see her finished product, a red-orange gel that looked crystal clear without the slightest hint of murkiness. She compared the others to her own side by side before finding the closest match. The winner to the surprise of most was Andrew. His salve was mostly clear, only slightly more so than Jien''s own. Though Jien was slightly saddened to miss out on the opportunity to have a potion brewed by The Perse Everhart, he knew that there would be other chances, after all she was their alchemy professor for the entire term. Discussion With an Idol After the reward was delivered to the bashful blonde healer Professor Everhart returned to her class and began a modest lecture regarding some of the basics of alchemy from a general perspective. Most of the knowledge was already covered in her own book on alchemy or the textbook used for the course, however there were tidbits that she expounded on that were of her own personal experience. She even went as far as to bring up some of her personal experiments in different areas including advanced healing elixirs for specific illnesses. Jien was furiously scrawling notes as the professor spoke of her own personal work in the field. The others at a certain point all looked over in his direction when they saw the near fanatic look in his eyes as he wrote down everything the woman up front said. Jien wouldn''t define himself as purely an alchemist like some would, but he was fascinated by the topic and the professor before him was something of an idol to him given that her book had been the beginning of his studies on the subject. Of the other members of the unit Julie was doing her best to take notes as well, raising her hand periodically to ask clarifying questions. She wasn''t very familiar with alchemy at all other than having been treated with some different solutions while fighting in the arenas to help with healing minor injuries. Meanwhile Rosalind and Robyn both appeared to be on the verge of falling asleep in their sleep. They had done great during the time that the class was hands on, though the end result of their salves were not the greatest. However, when the professor began talking in her melodic tone of voice it was akin to a lullaby. Luckily for the two of them the class went by relatively quickly and ended with Professor Everhart clapping her hands firmly with a smile on her face. Rosalind and Robyn were snapped from their stupor by the ''deafening'' noise in an otherwise relatively silent space. "That is all for today''s class. Since it is the first day I will not assign any homework but please do make sure to gather your required textbooks from Central Administration before next class." Everyone gathered their personal supplies and tidied up their respective stations before they started to file off the the platform. The only exception was Jien himself. Having gathered his supplies properly and straightened up his station he moved around the table in the direction of Professor Everhart who was tidying her own notes and supplies. The others only noticed that he wasn''t with them as they started around the first bend in the path, but chose to wait for him outside the greenhouse. This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. Professor Everhart only noticed Jien approach once he was just across the table from him. Her emerald eyes met his light green one with a look of curiosity. "Is there something that I can help you with?" she asked with a warm smile. Jien''s eyes lit up with an uncommon type of joy as he dug around in his bag for a few moments before pulling out a fresh copy of her book. He would have been far to embarrassed to show her the original book that had grown so worn over his time training with the mentors. He had instead gone out of his way to acquire a fresh copy simply because he could hardly read the text of the original in his possession. Not in his wildest dreams did he consider the fact that he would be taught by one of those that wrote the books that his knowledge base was founded on. He was glad that he had gone to get a new copy and he opened the cover to present the title page to the professor. "I happened to realize that you were the same person as the author of this book that has helped me build what foundation I have in the art of alchemy." Jien stated in what he hoped was a calm voice despite his heart that felt it was beating out of his chest. "I was hoping you would do me the honor of signing this copy of your book." Perse gave a short, bell like laugh as she accepted the book. "I think you may be the first person to ever ask me for such a thing, but sure, I would be happy to." She took up her pen but then turned to Jien with a thoughtful expression. "And what is your name? Unfortunately I am not provided a register of names, only unit designations for courses." "My name is Jien Losler professor. Thank you for teaching me alchemy, not just here but when I was younger through your book." Professor Everhart after hearing his name took her time to sign his book in her best penmanship with the words ''To Jien, from one aspiring alchemist to another. ¨C Perse Everhart''. "Here you are Jien!" the professor said as she passed the book back to him. "Thank you for attending my course and if you ever have any questions or want to discuss topics regarding alchemy my office is open in the afternoons at Central Administration." With that Perse motioned to the path where the other members of Jien''s unit had left. "I am sure they are all waiting for you. You should''t keep them waiting." With those final words she made her way off the platform along a more hidden path where Jien noticed someone he hadn''t before standing while leaning against a tree, waiting for her to arrive. The man himself was a striking figure with dark tousled hair and deep onyx eyes. He wore the same military uniform of any of the senior members of the staff with a single black chain across his chest. On his shoulder was a brown capybara that seemed to be dozing off gently. When Perse arrived at his side he stood up straight and took her hand, walking through the foliage of the obscured path. Jien only paid partial attention to the happenings as he made his way out of the clearing to meet with the others. The Basics A few short minutes of walking along the same path they had used to enter the vast greenhouse, enjoying the greenery and scent of herbs and flowers alike led him out into the much dryer air of the building that encircled the large glass enclosure. Standing near the entrance was Jien''s unit, casually chatting next to the wall to ensure they were out of the way. The dry, somewhat cooler air seemed to bring some life back to Jien''s lungs, relieving him of the heaviness of the humidity just passed the door. The first to notice him was Roslind who bounded over to him and would have likely tackled him if Julie didn''t take the opportunity to grab the back her collar to hold her in place. Jien eyed the events with a raised brow not sure what to make of the interaction given that it was truly a first. Julie after letting go of the boisterous red head coughed lightly before saying in a voice that could be heard by only those around her. "We are in one of the public buildings." Though she was not the best at controlling herself she had clearly decided to take her role as secondary leader of the unit to heart now that courses had began. Rosalind for her part gave a slight blush before laughing a bit at the situation. "True! Sorry, I let it go a bit too far." Her words were just as cheery as she looked at Jien with an almost giddy smile. "So, where are we off to now?" The question brought all of the attention from the others to bear on Jien though Rosalind''s attempt at a tackle had started to pull them from their chats. Jien finished walking over and calmly looked over the members of his team before replying calmly. "I was thinking lunch and then we can go and get you your text books. I had thought you would have gotten them during one of the trips to Central Administration." The others seemed to have a somewhat accusatory look in their eyes as they looked at them, all but for Barret who remained seemingly unfazed and Robyn who was smiling. It was Julie who spoke up again in an accusatory tone, doing her best to keep her volume lower so that she wouldn''t grab the attention of passersby. "How were we supposed to know to know to grab them and when did you even go and get yours? I don''t remember you leaving the group when we were at Central Administration." Her tone was more scathing than questioning. This was her first time in an actual classroom environment with a proper teacher. What little she had learned during her youth was the bare minimum in between fights and was mostly in the form of one of the ''guards'' walking her through a variety of worksheets and answering simple questions. To be embarrassed by her first real teacher seemed to aggravate her to no end. Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. Jien looked into her brown eyes calmly before replying matter-of-factly. "If you had read any of the rule books for the academy that they have lying around just about everywhere there is a section near the the center that would have informed you." He sighed with what the others could only think of as resignation. "As for when I went and got my own books it was during the third afternoon on the way back from the library. None of you were interested in coming at the time." He continued before anyone could argue with him about it. "Anyway, we will go and have lunch, get you your books for the term and then I would strongly suggest you read the rule book and guide. You''ll find a lot of useful information there that I''m sure you will find valuable." With that said Jien gestured to the door leading out into the heat of the afternoon with his hand. "Shall we?" They quickly made their way from the greenhouse to the closest mess hall. The Academy itself was vast enough to be a major city unto itself so there were several mess halls, clinics, stores and training grounds spread throughout. Their meal was eaten in relative silence compared to their usual chattiness. They seemed to truly take it to heart that they had somehow hindered themselves by not paying enough attention to the resources given to them. It wasn''t like their parents or caretakers could tell them much of anything about the academy. The oaths taken were binding to the point that if broken they would lead to the death of the oath taker with a guaranteed certainty. They had gotten caught up in the new sights, people and happenings that they had all forgotten that they didn''t really know much of anything about the Academy and what it could offer them. After eating their fill they left toward Central Administration to get the books that they had failed to obtain when they first arrived. The walk wasn''t long with Jien in the lead, only a short half hour while they avoided the largest of main thoroughfares to avoid the crowds that would appear between the morning and afternoon courses. The first and second years would have their courses in the mornings, the third and fourth years in the afternoon. This was to allow the rotation of personnel for teaching and allowing adequate time to train and study. The Academy was first and foremost a training ground for the military to recruit for its operations. It was mandatory to attend but it was not mandatory to join the military after you completed your education. Still, the founders of the Academy wished to give their students ample time to not only be drilled in a number of subjects but to truly incorporate them into how they approached life. Whether they served in the military or returned home to work in whatever city, town or village they lived in, the knowledge they gained here would assist them in improving the Empire. This was the how they had remained standing despite the power of the other races. Workings of the Academy The first stop that the group made once arriving at Central Administration was a seemingly small office at the far end of the main floor. The room itself could almost be considered a closet if not for the small wooden desk and chair. There was a stern looking woman that one could easily mistake for a mix between a librarian and a drill sergeant. She had sharp blue eyes and her graying blond hair was pulled back into a tight and tidy bun. Her desk was perfectly clean with only a cup of pens, an inkwell and a small large ledger. Her posture was so straight and tense one could wonder if she was a statue, perhaps a golem. Yet when they entered through the door with Jien in the lead her eyes scanned over them piercingly. Jien didn''t seem bothered by the woman''s gaze and slight frown, walking to the desk calmly and giving a salute with his fist over his chest. "Unit B114, coming to gather the remainder of their required study materials." His voice was unusually firm and clear, seemingly gaining the appreciation of the woman behind the desk as her frown lightened slightly. "I recall that you have already collected your materials, you may stand outside while I assist the others. Dismissed." Her tone was clear, her voice calm and pleasant despite her overly tidy appearance. In response Jien was quick to give a slight bow with his hand still held to his chest as he walked out the doorway where the others were waiting. As Jien passed the others on his way he made eye contact, trying his best to convey that they should follow his lead in how to act without actually saying anything. He could have told them what to expect but he wanted to see if they would be able to pick up on the message without him having to be explicit. The Academy was first and foremost a military institution. The military had its own etiquette and those that couldn''t learn it quickly were bound to find themselves in a world of pain. If they couldn''t figure it out after he presented them with the solution then he would have to work with those who didn''t understand. Luckily he didn''t find himself or any of his teammates in trouble. They all understood based on his prior performance, and even Julie, who had no knowledge of the Academy prior to being brought here was able to imitate his actions well enough to not be picked on. By the time each of them registered and received their stack of study materials from the woman they were all breathing a sigh of relief. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. Now that they had gotten what they came for Jien led the way back to their quarters. By the time they arrived and walked up the stairs to their flat everyone but him, Julie and Barret appeared to be winded. Though perhaps Barret himself was winded, as sweat was accumulating on his brow. However he remained as stoic and calm as ever despite this fact. Once in their flat everyone dropped their books on the table before collapsing into their chairs. To Jien''s surprise it looked like Rosalind may have been the most winded and when she saw him looking at her with a questioning gaze she simply asked "Did you even carry your books or did you immediately throw them in your bag? They are heavier than you think." Jien''s response to her statement was to point to Andrew, who though winded seemed to be doing a fair amount better. "Then why does Andrew appear to be doing better?" To this the effeminate boy let out a short laugh. "You have no idea the type of training that the temple put me through. I may not be the best fighter but I have long been able to pull my weight." After thinking about it for a bit Jien felt that Andrew''s point made sense, though that still didn''t help him understand how Rosalind, the daughter of a family that was built on mining and smithing would be worn out be carrying books, especially given that her weapon of choice was a large pole hammer. In the end he turned his attention to actually pertinent problems. It seemed that his unit members had not used any of their time to study the guide that they each were provided. He needed to ensure that each of them were familiar with the workings of the Academy lest they end up wasting their efforts or worse, causing trouble for not just themselves or the unit as a whole. Jien pulled a copy of the Academy Guide, its simple brown cover bearing the words in gold lettering. "I need you all to take the time to read this, learn from it and memorize it." His words were cool and the look in his eyes more serious than any other time they had seen in the past week. The others seemed to become more serious as well, looking in his direction to show that he had their attention. Even Julie looked at him in an attempt to understand why he was being so pushy on the matter. Jien''s next words however, brought a certain level of clarity to their mind regarding the matter. "If you read this guide and truly understand it you will understand not just the rules of the Academy, but also the differing options available to you. Take myself for instance. I have an interest in alchemy, formations and to a lesser degree smithing but how would I know where to go to practice outside class?" He continued after a short pause to let it sink in. "On top of that, the luxuries that go above the bare minimum within the Academy grounds are paid in merits. After reading the guide I understand how to acquire them even as a first year but I can''t truly work out a plan for us as a unit until you all understand what makes this place tick." Classes may have just started but Jien had every intention of making the most of this four years of education. He intended to make sure that his unit members would as well, even if he had to carry them through it himself. How to Earn Merits Jien''s statements struck the group like a battering ram. They had certainly thought about the luxuries and training facilities available here in the academy, drooling over the nicer meals and potential of things like a simple dessert after a meal or nicer cup of tea. However, they had not truly considered how to get these things. Then came the thoughts on training spaces. If one wanted to practice alchemy safely you generally would do so in a lab as to avoid damaging your personal spaces. Taking a step back even further, where did the supplies come from? Perhaps the cauldron and glassware may be available with the lab space but what about the herbs and consumable supplies. Surely the academy didn''t expect them to have a full year''s worth on their person upon entry into the academy. If a simple miner''s daughter like Robyn found herself fascinated by formations, how would she even know to bring the materials when she didn''t know that such a thing existed beforehand. The answer to all of these conundrums, as the members of his unit found out after pouring over the for what felt like hours, was simply Merits. As to what they were and how they were going to earn them, the group turned back to Jien who was currently reading something about metallurgy. Julie was the one to break him out of his concentration by clearing her throat loudly and before Jien even looked up at them, asking "So what plan do you have for us to earn Merits and how exactly do they work?" Her tone was a bit sharp though her expression was fairly neutral compared to how hot headed the group had noticed she could become at times. Jien set his book down calmly after marking his place with a simple cloth bookmark. "Merits are at its simplest a currency much like copper, silver and gold. The only difference is that it only has one demonimation." This statement was simple enough but hadn''t gotten to the core of the issue at hand, leading Julie to scoff and press him with a dismissive "And?" "And just like any type of currency you can earn it in all the usual ways. We can trade resources, work jobs, and sell what we are able to make using resources both brought by us and supplied by the Academy itself." The statement was once again logical and simple but it was as if everyone had had a slight epiphany at the same time. Out of all those present maybe only Andrew had had what could qualify as a job in the past, having worked as a healer''s apprentice at the temple where he was raised. This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. The larger question then was how they were going to go about earning the credits from an individual basis. Not all of them knew of professions that they were interested in like Jien did. Not to mention that there was a certain start up fee to start using some of the facilities and purchase supplies. Alys crossed her arms over her chest and leaned back in her chair before asking in a serious tone, "And how are we going to start out the process of gathering merits? Most of the different locations such as alchemy labs, smithies and formation rooms likely all cost Merits, not to mention the supplies to actually practice." They all turned to Jien, knowing that he was bound to have some ideas. In an unusual showing he smirked a little before providing his thoughts. "Professor Everhart gave us our first step. We each brewed a vial of bloodstop salve, and if Andrew were willing to part with it the prize she brewed for the prize is bound to be worth something. Even without it the salves should give us a little starting capital." It took but a moment to realize he was right. Their professor had supplied the ingredients and even allowed them to mix the salves using equipment for free before letting them keep the end product. This was likely as a way to let units gather supplies for later courses and missions as they go, but if used smartly could also allow them to gain the capital they needed to accelerate into more supplies. "And how are we going to make the best use of those starting merits? After all it likely won''t be enough for all of us to start doing our own work in different fields." The question had come from Olivia, who was resting her chin atop her interlaced hands. Jien leaned back in his chair and rubbed his chin in thought. To be honest he hadn''t thought that far ahead given that he wasn''t sure what the prices of the different work stations would be, nor what the sale of their first alchemy projects would net them. On top of all that he knew that not everyone would want to work in those three areas, and to be honest it was better if they didn''t. After a few long minutes of silent thought with all eyes on him, Jien leaned forward again. "I think that we should look at everyone''s strengths first, but we can also use Rebecca''s assistance with purchasing and sales. We will just need to keep helping her unit think through their strategies as promised." He turned to Andrew first, drawing the attention of the slightly timid healer. "You have a few options Andrew, but I think our best bet would be if you started by working at any of the clinics as either a healer or assistant depending upon how the feel you measure up to the position." Andrew pondered the statement for a while before nodding firmly. He had been the prize winner during their first class but he was first and foremost a healer by trade and enjoyed it more than he did concocting different remedies anyway. After Andrew agreed to Jien''s idea Julie spoke up again. "And what about me? I have no experience in anything but fighting." The Plan Jien had to think a good long while and discuss a variety of potential options with the others to come up with a solid idea for how they would go about earning the needed Merits. It wasn''t as easy as Jien had thought it would be at first. Of course there were plenty of ways to go about it if one were smart about it but not all of them were great at things that would allow them to build merits, not at this time anyway. Julie was a great example. After her question it took them some time and research in the guide to find a few options. One option was charging to be a sparring partner. This would require her to make a name of herself but it wasn''t impossible if she took her time and issued challenges to some of the tougher opponents of their current year. If she was able to defeat some of the low to mid tier second year students she could potentially charge a premium. This would be a tough road but Julie actually smiled at the very idea, her eyes practically glowing at the prospect of facing off against other strong opponents. It was decided that Alys would be best suited to work as an assistant to those that maintained the various arms and armor the Academy had on hand. Being the daughter of a pair of bandits, who led a fairly profitable group be had learned the workings of cleaning and maintaining supplies to allow for resale. After all nobody wanted to buy battered and bloodied armor. Many could turn a blind eye regarding where an item came from as long as it was pristine. In doing this she would also be able to get closer to those that not only maintained but supplied these materials, allowing her to learn more of the ins and outs. Perhaps by the time they had need of those types of supplies she would know how to help them through the process without any troubles. It was not uncommon to hear muttering among the older students about having difficulty requisitioning supplies for a variety of reasons. They would need to check with Central Administration regarding the current pricing of different work stations like alchemy labs, smithies and formation rooms. Their plan was, that if the price of one room was less than enough to rent an alchemy lab they would rent one and use some of the herbs that Jien had brought along with him to concoct a number of supplies. They would then sell them to the Academy for more credits to buy some more materials. Jien and Olivia would share this responsibility. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. According the the guide the supplies to create something would always be cheaper than the finished product if sold to the Academy. After all they were paying you for your work in reducing the work of their own professionals. That being said, the quality of the concoctions would reflect in what was earned, much like with any other type of sale. Rosalind wanted to show off her family''s skill in forging by purchasing material and one of the rentable smithies. While Jien agreed that this was to be the end result he stated that the salves would likely only be enough to rent the alchemy lab for a day or two at most. They could have sold the healing potion that was given to Andrew but after serious discussion decided to keep it in case of emergency. After all it wasn''t every day such a well known alchemist gave away their concoction for free. This left Bernard, Barret, Lesley and Robyn, none of which necessarily had strengths in any specific professions, at least not ones that were considered in the realm of creation. This however, did not mean that there weren''t options available, they just were often less liked due to being more labor intensive. Despite this fact Robyn seemed fine with this result with a large smile on her face as she flexed her muscular arm as proof she was up for the challenge. The same could be said for Lesley and Bernard, though they were less cheerful regarding the turn of events. They realized now that they had missed the best opportunity when they had turned down training in some of the more academic professions when they were younger, or even when they were training in the Warping Forest. Being a good hunter was great but here in the dessert there wasn''t much to be hunted and there was not much in the way of agriculture either. Most of the supplies for the academy were received through Alruesta and its port. Barret was the only one who was truly unfazed regarding the entirety of the discussion. After everyone else understood what they were planning to do they turned to the silent boy who took his time to speak, as if thinking his words over carefully. "According to the guide book you can apprentice with the Black Chain for Merits." These were his only words, refusing to speak on the topic further. Jien''s eyes seemed to fill with specks of gold as he once again delved into his collected knowledge. He had read the entire guide and recorded it but he did not recall a group known as Black Chain. Despite the oddity, when he focused on finding reference to them there was indeed such an organization in the guide book. The odd thing was that there was nothing other than a short footnote referencing the ability to apprentice with them for Merits and to speak with Central Administration for more details. The topic was odd and nobody knew what to make of it but it was only later that night when he had finally settled in for the night that Jien recalled. The man who had brought Julie into the academy had a black chain across his chest. This thought led to one other instance, though he had only caught a short glimpse of it. The man that had been waiting for Professor Everhart also had such a chain. The Bazaar Jien and his unit members worked out their next course of action over the evening before retiring. This was only the beginning of their week of lessons. Classes were held on Monday through Friday at different timings depending on the year and unit number. In this case their next class would be in the afternoon the coming day and was likely one of the few that Rosalind was actually excited for. She was actually the first to wake up in preparation for the day, going about her morning routine with even more of a pep in her step. This morning was a time when they were beginning to put their plan into action. They woke up, prepared and then split off into separate groups depending on where they were needing to head to find their resource to start earning Merits. The bulk headed directly toward the Central Administration to talk with the various administrative teams to see what the steps were to start working in their respective areas. The intent was, that though they would lose some of their training and study time, that they would gather what they could in Merits in a short time and invest them forward into those who chose crafting professions. This would allow them to continuously gather Merits by reinvesting what was earned into more supplies while withholding an undetermined percentage for their unit to use on a rainy day. Jien and Olivia were the only two that did not head toward the Central Administration, opting to meet up with Rebecca and start their cooperation in earnest. Jien had thought for the past week that they were able to train together and had thought up a few basic strategies for the group of merchants. He had taken his time the past weekend to transcribe his ideas into a small notebook. It wasn''t much but it should be worth enough to help build the connections to sell their salves. They of course could sell the salves to the Academy. This would earn them some Merits, just as they were planning to do in the future. The trouble was it likely wouldn''t be enough to get access to an alchemy lab. While some may risk it, the academy was very strict on building labs or other work areas in living spaces due to the risks involved. It was likely that in the beginning a number of students had done just that causing large amounts of damage and leading to strict rulings to be put in place. In fact, doing so and being found out could earn Demerits, creating a debt that if not paid by graduation could lead to a forced conscription until the debt was paid. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. Jien wasn''t about to risk his unit incurring a debt in the hope to earn what they could earn safely with a little back and forth with the various groups within the academy. It didn''t take them long to meet at one of the many crossroads on the academy roads, meeting the leader of the unit of merchants. Rebecca smiled at them happily knowing that this was to be the start of a very profitable cooperation. After they met in the large crossroads Rebecca led them to an area of the Academy that they hadn''t seen yet, not that they had seen much of the Academy at all. The area they entered looked more like a bazaar, multiple different stands and tables housing different wares of many types from the alchemical to weapons and armor. There were food items and though hidden away in spaces where they hoped not to be seen, small booths that offered brewed alcohol. The academy had many rules and one of the largest was that barring unusual circumstances students remain sober. Rebecca ignored the majority of the booths in this bazaar that wouldn''t look out of place in any large city. The only difference was that rather than fully grown adults selling wares it was always students, almost all of which were second and third years. First years hadn''t built enough of a reputation or network to get into business, especially against those who had more experience. On the other side, those that were in their fourth year didn''t have the availability. They were put through drills and real life training in the field for the entire year. The Academy had a few purposes but the main one was to prepare students for military service. To do this, the best way was always through live training. The fourth year units would work with a live military unit, filling in gaps and learning from those that had been hardened in the war against the other races. Rebecca dragged them into a certain corner of the bazaar that had a mix of booths selling alchemical concoctions and booths that seemed to be empty but for the person sitting behind it. Though Jien expected her to lead them to one of the clearly alchemy based booths he was surprised that she led him to one of the other type. Behind the booth was a man with strawberry blonde hair that was cut short and sharp, deep green eyes. He wasn''t particularly handsome, more on the average side, and seemed to be relaxed, leaning back in his chair until he saw Rebecca walk up with Jien and Olivia in tow. The man eyed Jien and Olivia critically before looking at Rebecca and smiling. "What can I help you with Rebecca?" he asked in a tone that sounded as smooth as silk felt. His tone, while perhaps fitting for the color of his hair did not match the piercing nature of his eyes or the fact that he looked average. Rebecca didn''t seem surprised by his voice or question, instead gesturing to Jien and Olivia. "Good morning Rodrick, I came to introduce you to a pair of my friends who would like you to look at their wares." The words were simple but upon hearing them Rodrick turned his eyes back to the pair with a more critical look, as if trying to look right through them. Merchant King Rodrick''s eyes were sharp as he stared at Jien in particular for several long seconds before giving Olivia a short glance. He could tell just by the fact that Olivia stood behind Jien, almost hiding in his shadow, that boy before him was likely to be the one he would actually be talking to. After his examination of the trio his eyes seemed to lighten up a bit as he adapted what Jien could easily identify as a ''business smile''. "Name''s Rodrick as you heard from Rebecca." he stated in a cheery but business tone. "I accept wares of all shapes and forms. If you are looking to sell in bulk I am willing to make appropriate deals but know that market prices within the academy are very competitive." With that said he gestured to his booth, which had been covered with a rather fine quality wine red cloth as compared to the uncovered wood of those around him. Jien, seeing that he was being gestured forward walked up to the table and removed the ten wooden containers of bloodstop salve, setting them side by side without opening the containers. After he was finished he took a single step back as was etiquette. This was to ensure that he wouldn''t do something malicious as the merchant looked at his products, but also close enough to step in if Rodrick did something funny himself. Rodrick for his part was very professional about the matter, quickly taking the first container, the one that had been brewed by Julie. After seeing the fairly opaque, almost deep pink salve in the container he picked up the container and gave its content a sniff before humming lightly. "Bloodstop salve, first assignment in alchemy. Low grade due to opacity showing that it hadn''t been fully refined before completion." His words still held a friendly business tone. It didn''t seem that he was looking down on the salve at all, but almost like he were reading the words of a book casually. "Are all ten of these the same?" He looked at the remaining nine containers. Unlike many merchants he wasn''t trying to close the deal on the spot, instead seemingly opting for a more honest assessment. To his question Jien seemed unfazed, nodding but clarifying that they were all the same salve but of different qualities. Rodrick had expected as such, after all this was pretty much the go to alchemy lesson to start first years on. It allowed the professor to quickly spot those that struggle or lack knowledge and work to assist them based on their work. Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. Rodrick''s smile remained calm and his expression cheery as he said. "Alright, then I will confirm the quality of the others and we will discuss payment. Is that alright with you?" Jien just gave another nod, his lack of actual discussion causing Rodrick''s smile to stiffen ever so slightly. Being the professional he was however he seemed to loosen it back up as he sealed the first container before moving to the others. He moved one by one, listing each of their ''grades'' based on the clarity of the salve. As a merchant who accepted all wares he had to have a certain level of understanding on topics. He seemed rather knowledgeable, as he went commenting about where things likely went wrong in the brewing process. By the time he reached Jien''s, Olivia''s and Andrew''s he actually gave a low whistle regarding the quality. They are all what he called ''superb'' quality, being a gel that almost looked entirely the color of blood if not for a few small blotches of slightly lighter red. After he was done and had resealed the containers he turned to Jien calmly. "Based on the quantity and quality I can give you seven Merits. For selling in bulk I can offer you an additional two." His words were as calm as before, his words and expression cordial. The trouble was that though Jien and the others had decided to take this route, they weren''t entirely sure of the value of a Merit. This was their first time ''earning'' any in the first place and prices weren''t listed in the open, at least as far as they could tell. Jien pondered the offer for a bit before deciding to test their luck a bit. The worst that happened here was that they lost out on some potential profits and would have to wait a short while before they enacted their plan regarding renting an alchemy lab. With that in mind he made eye contact with Rodrick to see if he would be able to spot an telltale signs they were being conned. "To be honest this is our first time dealing with the acquisition of merits. Our goal is to try and rent an alchemy lab for a short while." As he continued to examine the older student he didn''t see anything other than calm and confidence so he decided to continue. "If your offer is reasonable and can actually earn us enough to make that goal a reality I don''t mind bringing you more of the products from that venture." At hearing this Rodrick''s ears perked up. It seemed that he may be interested in more long term ventures. "If that is an acceptable arrangement we could even discuss taking on specific requests." Jien was hoping that this offer would be enticing enough to at least earn him a contact with the older students who preferred mercantile professions. Rodrick seemed to ponder the offer rather deeply as he stroked his chin. Jien could see it in the other''s eyes, the churning of his thoughts as he was likely thinking over the pros and cons as well as percentages, costs and revenue. It took him a couple of minutes to complete his thoughts before he gave his answer. "I can give you an extra two Merits if you sign a contract with me as your sole sales point. Those extra two Merits will be available for each new sale regardless of size or product but of course bulk sales will earn you a bonus as well. Ten Merits will get you enough to rent a lab for two day allotment." His smile was almost cheerfully casual now, as if they had moved from business to a friendly conversation despite still talking business. Black Chains As Jien and Olivia were discussing with Rodrick the others were making their way to Central Administration once again. Lesley held a map that was provided to all new students and they were following it along the larger paths, though they were also more crowded. The others realized just how handy Jien''s navigation was as their path forward was slow. Those that had trained with him in the Warping Forest knew of this skill before the others but this did not mean they missed it any less. By the time they had finally made it to the large spire Jien and Olivia were already on their way, having settled things with Rodrick. In the end Jien had settled for the contract with Rodrick for one year. After all, Rodrick was in his last year at the academy and Jien wouldn''t let himself be bound longer. With the Merits from the sale in hand, or more so recorded within the pocket watch that they had all been given, the two were on their way across the large campus to rent their alchemy lab. The hope was to rent it for the following two days to allow them time for their next course this afternoon and some planning in the evening. The goal was profit, and while their deal with Rodrick would bring them profit on it''s own Jien wanted to try and maximize it in a short term to allow them the ability to spend their time more wisely in the later years where it would matter more. Once the larger group entered the Central Administration hall once again it was oddly Barret who made the first move. He split off from the group without a word and headed off to the side of the large entrance hall. How he knew where to head, nobody else was sure, but none of them tried to stop the silent boy. They all trusted that he at least knew where he was going and what the goal of this trip was. After Barret had left down one of the side hallways they all split from one another, heading to different desks set up within the large space to talk to the tired looking personnel who sat drinking their coffee or working. They either were discussing with a present student or spending time on their own work. It was all the same organized chaos as all their other visits, except the number of students present was smaller. It wasn''t hard to find a desk that was open and Rosalind just so happened to be the first. In front of her was a woman with droopy brown eyes and black hair. She had bags under her eyes, showing her obvious lack of sleep. The woman was consistently sipping on a large cup of what Rosalind could only call the strongest coffee she had ever seen given the smell. When the administrative staff member saw her approach she asked in a calm but almost distant voice. "What can I help you with?" This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. Rosalind was quick to state her reason for coming before the woman pulled out a book that was slightly different from the one used for logging training grounds. This one was vastly smaller in nature, being no more than the size of a standard notebook. On its brown leather cover was a picture of an anvil in a cold iron grey color. The staff member wasted no time in flipping the book open and perusing it''s first few pages before taking a piece of paper and quickly writing out the details before sliding it across the desk while snapping the book closed. "Go to the location written and show the person present this slip. The sooner the better to make a good impression." The others in the group were having similar experiences. The only difference was that the books that were pulled out to direct them were all varying in color and what design was present on the cover. Nonetheless, they all received their slips and met up once again, ready to head off to meet their ''employers'' for lack of a better word. The only exception was Barret, who had yet to show up again since they walked away. The boy himself was in a small office, only twice the size of the broom closet where they received their books for their coursework. The room itself was far colder feeling, lit only by a single dim lantern against the back wall, hiding the man, or perhaps woman who was sitting behind the simple desk in front of him. They were completely covered by a dark cloak so Barret had no way of identifying anything about them. The only other detail he could make out was a simple black chain that hung across the person''s chest, outside of their cloak. The details would seem like something that could easily be overlooked if you didn''t know it''s meaning. That was of course the point. What shadow enforcement organization would wish to be identified so easily. Though they unfortunately had to wear the chains to at least provide some level of identification they made sure that the effect was relatively muted for the very purpose of remaining hidden in plain sight. The person behind the desk looked up as Barret entered the dim room, having knocked thrice before opening the door as instructed in the student guide. The hooded figure seemed to peer deeply at Barret with hidden piercing eyes, seemingly trying to probe all of his secrets and pry them from the depths of his very soul. Barret himself could only tell this from the cold feeling that ran over him and the goosebumps that spread across his body from the gaze alone. He wasn''t unaccustomed to cold, probing and at times harsh gazes. This one however, carried a weight that was matched only by that of his very own mother. It seemed more probing however, as if digging, where his mother''s gaze was only a presentation of pressure. After several long, silent minutes the figure finally spoke, a soft whisper of a voice but in the small, cold stone room it was heard clearly. "So you wish to join the Black Chain heir of the Romero house?" Smithing Employer The others did not have such a secretive introduction to their new work for Merits. They were asked to look over logs of potential work, stating who they would be working with or for, how many Merits they would earn per month of work, paid out every two weeks and what section of the city sized Academy they would have to go to to complete their assigned tasks. These factors were chosen specifically to allow students a chance to choose something that wouldn''t interfere with their training, study and coursework. In terms of Merits offered the earnings were based on several factors from experience required to the danger of the work. Not all alchemy was as safe as brewing Bloodstop Salve and the same could be said for advanced blacksmithing. Not all materials used were fully stable while being forged into their final form. The extra Merits were meant to assist in covering the cost of healing if an injury were to occur. It was during this perusal of different offerings that Rosalind happened to find an interesting one. It was a listing by someone named Hallbjorn Str?m and though the amount of Merits offered was large the work itself seemed pretty standard. She was rather surprised that nobody else had taken the offer before her. However, in her usual excitable manner she didn''t bother to ask, simply pointing it out as the one she wanted to take. The tired looking woman in front of her scanned the results, asked for her pocket watch and logged it. She then picked up what appeared to be an ornate hand mirror and wrote on its surface with ink the same way she had on the log book. This was not a standard process but a side note by the requester to ensure that they would be informed immediately. Soon the ink seemed to soak into the mirror before seemingly leaking back up onto the silver surface with different words. With that the woman turned to Rosalind and stated in a dull tone "Mr. Hallbjorn Str?m has requested that you go to his forge at the earliest convenience so that he can make his final decision." Her words were so dull that they would almost be considered monotone, only broken by a slightly stifled yawn in the middle of the phrase. "It is preferred that you seem him yet this morning as his afternoon is blocked." Rosalind didn''t hesitate to accept, asking for directions and in turn receiving a standard map with the location and best route marked by the staff member. Rosalind happily took the map, thanked the staff member and met up with Andrew who had already finished his own filing. She informed him of what was happening with hers and asked that he pass it along so the others wouldn''t worry. This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. With that done she rushed off at a great speed, making her way across the large campus to a section of the academy that constantly had a cloud of smoke rising from chimneys of the many small and squat buildings. Each was a forge, some being slightly larger than others but all similar in style. As she approached she could feel the heat in this area rising steadily, as if approaching a massive, barely hidden volcanic Crater. Even the stones of the street ran warm. It took her over twenty minutes at a light jog to make it to the specified forge, indicated by an iron nameplate beside the thick wooden door. The forge was a building like the rest around the area in terms of shape and build, but just standing in front of the door she knew it was different. The amount of heat flooding from the small cracks and the fact that the nob and knocker on the door were covered with thick cloth while the others were bare told her that whoever her new employer was, was using much higher temperatures than anyone she had seen, including her own family. She reached out and used the heavy knocker on the door, feeling it''s slightly excessive weight and the heat that radiated from it through the cloth covering. It took several long moments of silence before she heard the shuffling of locks and chains. The door opened wide and a wave of heat that seemed to even overshadow the warmth of the desert air rushed into her face. "Are you the assistant¡­" the man before her looked quickly at a piece of parchment in his sweaty, and soot covered hands. "Rosalind, right?" he added a moment later. The man reminded her slightly of her mentor, at least in terms of build. He was over six foot and covered in burly muscles that seemed to roll beneath his skin like steel cords, his short dark brown hair stuck to his head and his tanned skin along with his simple tunic was drenched with sweat. His eyes were covered by a pair of goggles that seemed to block her view, but he did not remove them. Rosalind nodded and put on a cheery smile despite the intense heat rushing at her. "I was asked to come here so you can see my work quality?" The man grunted in acknowledgement. "Come on in, though you likely won''t want to be wearing your uniform." He pointed to a set of stairs that lead underground. "Take the stairs and find something to change into and then come back up and while get started." He moved aside and let Rosalind into the blazing hot room, already beginning to sweat after having just been outside the door. She quickly headed down the stairs into what happened to be large and simple dressing room filled with a combination of uniforms and simple clothes like the tunic and light pants he had been wearing. Rosalind, not being the shy type quickly found something that would work from what was available. She immediately knew that this employer while thoughtful in one manner hadn''t actually considered how this would work given that all the outfits were his and for his rather powerful frame. Still she managed to make it work, nothing that she would need to acquire some simple clothes to use for this purpose in the future. She headed up the stairs again with a determination in her eye to land this position and make Jien proud of her decision. Surprise and New Class Rosalind was tested to an extent she had never expected. Everything from the basics of how one would stoke a forge and keep it active to advanced theory and then on her technique itself. She learned very quickly just how skilled her new employer was as he made remarks now and again that helped her gain insight on how to improve. She unfortunately didn''t have time to put that advice into practice, but she drank it in like someone dying of thirst, asking her own questions in return and getting a surprised and happy smile from Strom in return. The hours of her morning passed just like this, sweating and toiling in her employer''s forge until he was satisfied she met his standards. The very reason that such a high paying position had been open was due to Strom''s own struggle to find someone that matched the skill level he needed without being more than a second year. It seemed that he had hit the jackpot in Rosalind who was just finishing the make of a simple short sword blade, hammering at the red hot metal with muscles that one wouldn''t know existed when wearing her uniform. Before she knew it Rosalind was told to clean up in the shower in the basement and go get something to eat. Her next course would be coming up soon and she needed to meet up with the others. It appeared that her employer was satisfied with her work, going as far as to give her a bit of praise and asking her to return the following day when she didn''t have her course. They would be starting the actual work, apparently crafting a large bulk order of varying weapons for the Empire''s military force. Some were even very specialized weapons with very specific requirements, many of which had a request for specific enchantments. Rosalind did as she was told, taking a short but pleasant shower, removing the accumulated sweat and soot before dawning her uniform and walking quickly out the door after giving a proper goodbye to her employer. Stepping out into the desert air during what could actually be considered one of the hottest times of day felt like stepping into a lukewarm spring day in comparison to her employer''s forge. She was actually surprised the building was able to contain that heat as well as it did, not wasting more of it on the desert streets outside. Soon she met with Jien and the others outside their usual mess hall, having jogged the entire way without complaint or hassle to make it there on time. As she arrived, spotting the other she didn''t hesitate to jump at Jien, giddy about her success in finding such a well paid position to help support their unit. Jien, though caught partially by surprise caught her so that she wouldn''t cause a commotion before quickly turning and helping her stand upright, showing no difference in reaction from his calm eyes and a small smile. He was far too used to these moments by now and simply took them in stride while Rosalind never pushed them beyond these opportunities to steal a quick hug from him before rushing off to give Olivia a hug as well. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. They moved inside shortly after and discussed some of their different experiences as they had eaten. Olivia and Jien had discussed their trade transactions and dealings with Rodrick, who, according to Rebecca was known as the current "Merchant King" a position owned by the fourth year merchant that had the most profitable business. It was also discovered that the man was Rebecca''s mentor, grooming her to take the position by the time she was a fourth year. Rosalind was quick to jump into the discussion talking about her employer and how knowledgeable he was as well as the various tests he put her through. When she mentioned how many Merits per month she would be earning the others were rather shocked. It appeared that her earnings alone would match half of what the others would be earning together. Jien was quick to run some calculations and smiled upon seeing the number of merits they would accumulate during the first semester. They would be well on their way to a fully self-sustaining system by the end. When pressured Barret caved every so slightly on his own experience, saying that he was interviewed and field tested. He didn''t specify anything further stating that it was confidential. Though they wanted to know more about what he would be doing they knew better than to try and stick their noses where they weren''t supposed to. Jien however did make sure to inquire about his earnings so he could add them to his calculations, soon finding that Barret would be earning more than Rosalind herself. Like this they emptied their plates and finished discussing. The only other oddity of the group in terms of work was Andrew. He had originally signed up to try his hand at one of the many smaller clinics in the section of the academy near their residence. However, after he was tested on his healing and first aid they had actually told him that he was too skilled to waste on their clinic, instead writing him a recommendation letter and sending him back to Central Administration before he was sent to the far edge of the academy to a rather massive but simple looking building along the outer wall that sat closest to the Eternal Battlefield. When entering he discovered that it was the main hospital of the Academy. He had been recommended to learn and train under some of the best healers in the Academy and quickly found himself under the tutelage of an older woman who went by the name Tabitha. She never had discussed herself other than the name and had instead drilled him on every type of first aid and healing he knew and several he had no awareness of. By the time Andrew was finished with his explanation they were outside their next classroom in a familiar district of the Academy to Rosalind. It was the section that she had just come from and they were in front of a very familiar door with a cloth covered knocker and handle, a suffocating heat radiating from the cracks. Smithing Even before anyone had moved forward to use the knocker the door opened, exposing the sweaty and soot covered Hallbjorn. He waved his hand for them to enter the suffocating heat of his forge. "Come in, let''s not dilly dally. We have work to do." Without waiting for a response he reentered the forge, leaving the door open so that they could enter. At first everyone was surprised, having just heard of this smith from Rosalind. Even Rosalind herself was confused, not having suspected her employer to also be a teacher. This surprise only lasted a moment though before she quickly moved forward without hesitation. As she crossed the threshold she peered back to see the others following along. Soon they were all within the now slightly cramped smithy. It had seemed spacious when it was just Strom and Rosalind, but now with the ten of them they were standing in a tight semicircle around the the main forge of the room with Strom standing in front of it, looking over each of his new students with an eerie calm, at least until his eyes crossed over Rosalind. A small smile meeting his lips as he gave her a light nod. "I am Hallbjorn Str?m, you can refer to me as any combination of that. I don''t want to be called Professor or Teacher, or anything else of the sort. I am and always will be nothing but a smith, and perhaps I will be able to make a smith out of a few of you." Strom swept his gaze over the group once more, this time taking more time in doing so, as if trying to determine who would be able to properly take up the craft. The moment he had spoken Jien felt a familiar feeling at the back of his mind. He knew that name, but was not sure where from. This was one of the troubles with his Personal Library being the way it was in terms of construction. He was grouping knowledge by subject without keeping the knowledge separated into different books. Still, his eyes flashed momentarily with starry depths as he dug through everything in his repertoire of blacksmithing knowledge. He finally came up on his answer after several moments. This man before him had produced the book that had been given to him on his birthday for smithing. Of course he still had the original book, a lot less worn than his alchemy one had been but still fairly weathered after the years. This man had been the source of his knowledge on arcane smithing. This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Unfortunately, looking at the smithy they were now in, all starting to sweat through their uniforms due to the suffocating heat of the forge glowing in front of them. Noticing this fact rather quickly Strom walked over to the one of the benches of his workshop and placed what looked like a simple marble on a small indent on its corner. Moments later they all noticed the feeling akin to a bubble passing over them before the heat was all but snuffed out, leaving only a lukewarm temperature. Strom looked back at them after with a much broader smile than before. "Sorry about that. I forget that my personal forge tends to run rather hot compared to others. Not that it will matter after today. You are only here in my personal forge for today, starting next time you will be going to the communal forges at the center of the district." With that said he picked up a pair of long tongs, using them to grab a simple iron ingot and putting it within the forge to heat up. "So, who here besides Rosalind have actually tried their hand at smithing? Any kind is acceptable from the traditional to the arcane." To this everyone but Julie and Andrew raised their hands. Julie had been too busy struggling for her life to be bothered with trying to craft anything. Andrew on the other hand had been more focused on studies of healing and medicine, leading him into work with alchemy over other trades. Everyone was a little surprised to see Alys raise her hand. When so many eyes looked in her direction she directly scoffed. "How do you think a bunch of bandits continued to do what they did. They didn''t just swap weapons and armor every time something took a bit of damage." This in itself made sense but they still looked at the girl''s petite frame trying to envision her using a heavy smiths hammer to beat a heated ingot into shape. Strom seemed to have ignored Alys''s comment, knowing that not everyone that came to the Academy came from great backgrounds. He nodded at seeing that most of his class had at least attempted smithing in the past, though he wasn''t sure of what type given that there were many. He also didn''t ask. "Today is going to be a deep dive of the very basics for preparation of a forge and safety. You''ll have to forgive me for continuing to work but as your unit member would know, there is a lot of work yet to be done." With that he used his tongs to pull the glowing ingot from his forge, placing it on his anvil before picking up a rather plain looking hammer, if not for the fact that the head seemed disproportionate to its handle and the fact that they could see his arm strain under its weight as he lifted it despite the motion being smooth. As he brought the hammer down with a controlled but fierce momentum he began his description of the basics of preparing a forge. Everything from the coals and different layers to keep the heat of the forge even and continuous, to stoking the flame without snuffing your fire or causing it to flare in an uncontrolled manner. Jien and the others took out pen and paper, finding what surface they could to take notes. It was clear that this particular course would not be one for note taking, but one of action going forward.