《Mechanomicon》


 Chapter One: Profound Proclamations

    Head sage Bailin walked into the roundtable hall.


    His arms bore what the sages had eagerly awaited for the last eight years; the written wisdom and studies of the genius. He was summoned in an experiment with the exotic magics, a type of ritual that can only be performed once one of the realms align with their own. All of them knew that they would never get an opportunity like this again in their lifetime.


    The four sages took their seats. A tense mood began to form around them. Bailin set the book down as if it were a newborn.


    [Bailin]: ¡°Fellow sages, it is finally time. The genius has presented his complete work to me, and has given me the permission to read it at long last. Any remarks or reservations before we begin?¡±


    The other three all nodded. Bailin knew them well enough that judging a tome by its cover would be far beneath them.


    But never a tome quite like this.


    It was a hefty book, and perfectly clean. Not even dust could stick to it. Clearly, the book was enhanced by some form of alchemy. That man somehow learned the practice, reaching their level, in secret.


    To his right sat Sage Selend. He acts as the House of Scholars''s top teacher, spending most of his time teaching lower ranked scholars and students. He carries a whimsical, kind air to him, one that relaxes and uplifts those in the same room. That Selend, the teaching Selend, wasn''t with them tonight. He was tense and eager, like a true academic, passionate for knowledge.


    [Selend]: ¡°So, shall we begin? I am optimistic about its contents.¡±


    [Bailin]: ¡°Exercise caution, Selend. I have overheard certain concepts that will be in this scripture. Concepts that are sure to change civilization. We must not act rashly if these ideas are true.¡±


    [????]: ¡°Hasn''t every use of the Exotic Ritual done this? I think you are being hyperbolic, master.¡±


    The remark came from across Bailin. It was Alistir, probably the most jarring of the sages.


    Alistir was well-built and large, being able to casually lift two-hundred pounds without strength enhancement magic. He was bald, with a short beard, and looked more like a trained soldier than a mage.


    He rose through the ranks with surprising speed, becoming the Kingdom of Iracia''s most talented magic users at the age of 23. His ability to visualize and ¡®feel¡¯ how magic works was second to none, and was granted the position of sage by the king. Still, being in such a position is a great honor, and he is still adjusting to his title.


    His comment on the Exotic Ritual was true; each time it was attempted, either a disaster was born, or a relic of unknown origin would be summoned. Instantly coming to Bailin''s mind was the creation of the Null Lands by a kingdom that used to exist far south. Within its 4-mile wide area, one would mysteriously get cancer and die.


    Good thing that the realm used in the ritual was not the same one used to create the Null Lands.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    [Bailin]: ¡°I believe that this will be unlike those other rituals. Those deal with tangible artifacts and events. This is information and revelation.¡±


    [Alistir]: ¡°I understand now, carry on, master.¡±


    Finally, Bailin opened the book.


    ¡®To all who shall read this, steel your resolve and humility. It takes great courage to both comprehend this tome''s contents and admit to yourself that you were ignorant¡¯ - The Mechanomicon states.


    Bailin proceeded to read the rest of the book to his constituents.


    It was¡­ captivating. It described a world far more advanced than their own. Where information could spread across the world lightning fast, where people could travel in mechanical vehicles, and where the secrets of the world they lived in were uncovered using highly developed science.


    Such a world was far beyond anything they could imagine. Not to mention, it was all done without magic. It hinted at that world''s shortcomings as well. The book could easily be seen as a guide to avoid those previous mistakes.


    The sages struggled to hold in their opinions until the last page.


    Until they couldn''t hold it in anymore.


    [Selend]: ¡°WHAT IN THE WORLDS IS THIS!¡±


    [Alistir]: ¡°I knew it would be profound, but not like this!¡±


    [Bailin]: ¡°Calm down Selend-¡±


    [Selend]: ¡°WHY SHALL I, BAILIN?! THIS IS WHAT I HAVE WORKED MY WHOLE LIFE TOWARD! IT IS RIGHT HERE BEFORE ME!¡±


    Selend began to hyperventilate.


    [Selend]: ¡°This is¡­ insane.¡±


    [????]: ¡°Quiet!¡±


    To Bailin''s left was Clergy Sage Dencer, basically the Church''s hand in the House of Scholars, and a man who is stern and confident in his worldview and purpose. He makes sure findings in the House don''t contradict Church doctrine or can cause heresy. Doctrine can still be reinterpreted at the request of the Clergy Sage if he so chooses.


    [Dencer]: ¡°This is some profound Heresy, Selend. You could be put on trial for embracing such falsehood. Be more skeptical of this temptation.¡±


    [Selend]: ¡°Well, Dencer, I guess there is but one way to know for sure! If this is the truth, then it should be harmless in testing it, correct? Same for the Church!¡±


    [Dencer]: ¡°I''ll look past that remark this one time. While yes, I agree with you that truth should be scrutinized, it is beyond dangerous to apply that logic to the holy texts. In short, more than half of this book is irreconcilable with the Book of Angels, and as such shall be discarded promptly.¡±


    [Selend]: ¡°Dencer!¡±


    [Dencer]: ¡°But there is a way to salvage some of this work. I am not talking of the parts that don''t contradict, but of its application in sorcery. By describing the non-contradictory mechanisms and energies of nature, one can will their magic to more closely copy the real thing. Magic imitates matter, as they say.¡±


    [Selend]: ¡°But Dencer, the Mechanomicon promises flying to the moon, cure to all disease, the power to move mountains! Have at least some curiosity!¡±


    [Dencer]: ¡°It is simply too dangerous. Don''t lead other souls to darkness, only your own, Selend.¡±


    [Bailin]: ¡°Sages, that''s enough. I believe the best course of action is to lock it up in the forbidden library. Study the non-heretical portions, watch over all who decide to read this text, and do not let information on this book''s existence be found out. If our enemies discover that we have such a book, they will surely invade the kingdom.¡±


    Bailin thought that this would satisfy all parties in this meeting. The Church would be satisfied, Selend would be free to study, and Iracia would have a sure-fire way of growing into a world power. The risk was also equally heavy. The misuse of the book for personal gain, holy wars over reading the heretical portions, and invasion by other powers for the book.


    The four of them regularly held these roundtable discussions. It was mostly about more mundane topics than the future of all mankind though. Where to allocate funds, promoting certain scholars, or planning magic experiments.


    Their meeting concluded. The four sages went to their House dorms for the night. Selend and Dencer would depart in the morning to go to the school and the Capitol Cathedral respectively.


    Many questions lingered in Bailin''s mind. The author was in a perfect position to take advantage of their own ignorance. Does he intend to shape the world the way he wants it? Was he trying to manipulate them in some way with that book? Perhaps they should have broken the law and let him join them for the meeting.


    Now, it''s time to return to the author''s quarters. For the past eight years, he and his daughter had stayed isolated in the House of Scholars, occasionally leaving for the rare supervised vacation. He had no aptitude for magic, perhaps because magic was not present in his realm. This caused this world to slowly poison him, as magic would slowly build up inside his body with no way out. It got so bad that he is now bedridden, supplied with leeches to hopefully suck out some of the magic.


    The author himself was a curious individual, both literally and figuratively. Physically, he was similar to most other people, albeit weaker than most. His ability to fixate on his hobbies was almost concerning. It was like he was addicted to science and knowledge.


    His interests, mannerisms, and behavior were completely alien to everything Bailin knew. He would behave almost like a child, cheerfully going through book after book on the magic arts. The man lit up whatever room he was in, making time seem to fly by as his positivity and excitement made those around him forget their worries. He remembers Alistir describing him as a ¡®Walking Tavern¡¯.


    Bailin entered his dorm, and immediately knew something was off.


    Then, he saw.


    The author was dead in his bed.

 Chapter Two: Whiplash of Fate

    Molly sat on her dorm floor, playing with dolls.


    It was far past her bedtime, but with no one to get onto her, she saw it as a sneaky opportunity to finish her little romance storyline.


    How devious of her.


    It was strange for a five-year-old to be present in the sage dormitories, since, well, she wasn''t a sage. She was there due to the fact that she was the daughter of the author. She was being kept there ¡®just in case anything is strange about her¡¯. The sages worried that, like her father, she would have some strange quality to her. A child born by parents from different dimensions could harbor unknown powers or strange attributes.


    She was an Exotic Relic herself.


    Unlike her dad, she was born with the same magic capabilities as any other person in this world. Perhaps too much, as those with powerful magical capability tend to have a discolored forehead, as the magic organ that all people have is enlarged.


    Her forehead housed a deep blue pearl, embedded halfway in her cranium. She has the potential to become a powerful magic user.


    Alistir ran into her room.


    [Alistir]: ¡°Miss Molly, you must come with me! It is urgent!¡±


    [Molly]: ¡°Ali, what is it? Don''t you know how to knock? I''m busy!¡±


    Molly began to notice the mood on Alistir. He went from an urgent panic to a look of sorrow and pity.


    [Molly]: ¡°What''s wrong, Ali?¡±


    She walked fast with Alistir, with him holding her hand tight.


    Was she in trouble? Then, she saw her dad.


    Molly was speechless.


    Her father, the light of her life, her inspiration, had died. One night, he was there, cracking jokes and taking naps with her. And now, he''s gone?


    [Molly]: ¡°Mr. Bailin, Dad''s cold. We need to warm him up!¡±


    [Bailin]: ¡°Molly, it''s ok. He won''t ever catch a cold again.¡±


    The reality began to set in for her. A pit began to form in her stomach, a strange fear and sadness she had never felt before, one that felt almost external and out of her control. It felt foreign, it hurt to still be there.


    What happened? How did this happen? What caused this?


    The pit began to grow, and hurt inside of her gut. The inner pain ate through her train of thought, the mental noise making it hard to think.


    Fleeting coherent questions turned to incoherent emotions and grief.


    And so she collapsed to her knees, held her stomach, and began bawling.


    While Molly sat beside her father¡¯s body, the two sages discussed in the hall outside.


    [Alistir]: ¡°Well, what do we do now?¡±


    [Bailin]: ¡°He took his answers to the grave. We¡¯ll have to work with what he left behind.¡±


    [Alistir]: ¡°I know that much, but¡­ doesn¡¯t this make him a sort of martyr? Don¡¯t we kind of have to respect his legacy now?¡±


    [Bailin]: ¡°It would be disrespectful not to. Yet, this act could be a manipulation to coerce us into making use of his work.¡±


    [Alistir]: ¡°Wha¡­¡±


    [Alistir]: ¡°Bailin, do you have any idea how mad it is to do this?! He died to do that to us?!¡±


    [Bailin]: ¡°Yes. I do.¡±


    [Alistir]: ¡°You truly think it¡¯s likely?¡±Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    [Bailin]: ¡°Knowing him, it¡¯s something he would probably do.¡±


    He was thrown out into a ditch and buried later that night, without her knowing.


    ¡ª--------------------------------------


    It had all happened far too fast. She had even begun to doubt herself, thinking that she was taking her father''s death far too lightly.


    Maybe the true shock would come later.


    As the days pass, and the initial shock and grief dies down, Molly¡¯s mind gradually began to clear. She was an intelligent five-year-old, and could adapt quickly to this situation. The cause of death was still unknown, but self-inflicted wounds were ruled out, and the likely culprit was the accumulation of magic in his body.


    The timing seemed off though. Had he been fighting through the pain, giving up once his work was completed? Or did he poison himself when he finished?


    Perhaps the book was so important, he gave up on life once he completed it? What was so important about that book?


    So, she decided to ask to see it for herself.


    The library was a large, ornate room full of wood carvings and isles of bookshelves. It wasn''t even the main library, but a higher-level one for scholars with higher ranks. The very special books, like the Mechanomicon, were in display cases at the very back. Alistir was in the library reading¡­ something. Molly didn¡¯t care what he was doing.


    [Molly]: ¡°Ali, can I go see Daddy¡¯s book? Pleeeaaassuhhh?¡±


    He struggled to say no, and not because she intentionally droned out the ¡®please¡¯ to be adorable. She had just lost her father, and wanted to see what he spent all his time working on. The last connection she had to him was locked away from her, forbidden from sight. Yet, the text was extremely confidential. As one of the four sages, he had the authority to open it, but reading the forbidden portions would result in losing his title, and likely, prison time.


    Only if he was found out.


    Besides, much of that text is likely going to end up being disproved by future sages and scholars. Just a strange footnote in history. Surely, it wouldn¡¯t hurt for a child, who can barely read, to see a few pages of it.


    [Alistir]: ¡°Uh-sure, Miss Molly. But only if I watch over you. That book could be very dangerous, and I¡¯ll only let you read the approved pages.¡±


    [Molly]: ¡°My Dad would never hurt anyone.¡±


    [Alistir]: ¡°I can¡¯t be so sure.¡±


    Sitting down on the reading bench in the library, Alistir deliberated on which page to turn to. He wanted to help Molly in any way he could, both to grow as a person and to overcome her sadness.


    [Alistir]: ¡°...Alrighty, let¡¯s see. Doo-do-doo-do-dooo¡­ Ok, how about page eleven of chapter seven, the ¡®Chapter of Applications¡¯?


    Surely, this will take her attention off of her grief. This chapter seems to deal with applying the (likely false) knowledge of the past chapters to make machines and inventions. Like using lightning and metal to make thinking machines called ¡®computers¡¯ and odd golemancy and advanced clockwork to make ¡®robots and automobiles¡¯. Even he was fascinated by the concepts presented here. He chose this because of the diagram of a flying machine called a ¡®helicopter¡¯ that would most definitely fascinate her.


    [Molly]: ¡°What is this supposed to be, some kind of carriage?¡±


    [Alistir]: ¡°It¡¯s called a helicopter, your dad wrote. Apparently, if you attach a windmill to the top and spin it fast enough, the air will be forced down and the helicopter up, allowing one to fly without magic.¡±


    [Molly]: ¡°...My Dad died for this?¡±


    [Alistir]: ¡°Uhh-umm I-that isn¡¯t all, he has a lot more-¡±


    [Molly]: ¡°You¡¯re telling me he died for drawing and writing down his imagination?! That was more important?¡±


    [Alistir]: ¡°Calm down-¡±


    [Molly]: ¡°...He left me for this?¡±


    Molly began to cry.


    [Alistir]: ¡°...I can explain.¡±


    [Molly]: ¡°What?¡±


    [Alistir]: ¡°I think it wasn¡¯t his imagination. Some strange materials were also brought along when he got here.¡±


    [Molly]: ¡°So, he wasn¡¯t lying?¡±


    [Alistir]: ¡°Perhaps he wrote down information from his world in a book, in hopes that it could be used to help other people.¡±


    As he said that, a realization came over him. Suddenly, he didn¡¯t seem that crazy at all. He thought about it from that man¡¯s point of view. Imagine you are living your life, and suddenly you are transported to a new world, one with strange new forces, people and cultures. To be able to see where this society can advance and write down what they can improve on, and such changes would bring about total revolution in daily life for the better, who wouldn¡¯t be excited? Other than that knowledge, he had nothing going for him, and he was chronically ill, so writing down all of that knowledge was his best option.


    You could say it is the greatest act of heroism he could possibly do in his current circumstance.


    Still rude to die on your loved ones like that though.


    [Alistir]: ¡°Umm¡­ I think we should continue.¡±


    [Molly]: ¡°Ok.¡±


    [Alistir]: ¡°Let¡¯s go to a different page, page twenty of chapter six, the ¡®Chapter of Society¡¯.¡±


    This part caught Alistir¡¯s eye. It was discussing how food and resources could be effectively transported across and between cities. If true, this could solve many issues that the Kingdom of Iracia faces, which was the whole reason for doing the exotic ritual in the first place.


    [Alistir]: ¡° Ahem.. ¡®Using the methods of industrialization and standardization, one can build vehicles faster and more powerful than any horse-drawn carriage. Instead of one person building a whole product, lots of people build tiny portions of a whole, and specialize in making that part. This makes each end product the same, which streamlines repairs, employs more people, and makes construction more efficient¡¯.¡±


    [Alistir]: ¡°Interesting.¡±


    [Molly]: ¡°What is it?¡±


    [Alistir]: ¡°Um¡­ your father might have made something priceless.¡±


    They continued reading. Some of the ideas presented were common sense solutions. They would be important even if everything else was false. This is still a national treasure even without the possible revelations.


    It didn¡¯t hit like last time at the roundtable, probably because he was reading the book himself and comprehending the text.


    [Molly]: ¡°I¡¯m starting to see why my dad wrote this.¡±


    Molly came to the same conclusion that Alistir did earlier.


    Her dad may be the most important figure in history. Changing the world, making lives better, everyone would be their own noble and scholar. How could she live up to him?


    Well, she didn¡¯t have too. After all, those weren¡¯t his ideas. Still, to know all of that at the same time puts him at the level of Head Sage. To be able to put on a smile, even in impending death, was no easy feat.


    In his world, her father was also a legend.


    And she would follow in his footsteps.

 Chapter Three: Ambitious Plans

    Alistir still partially doubted last night''s judgment.


    Not only had he put the both of them at risk, but to completely change his mind in the span of a week could certainly concern those that thought the book had a hidden power to influence its readers.


    It¡¯s still entirely possible that the author hid some secret qualities to his work. After all, the book was absurdly durable, able to be thrown into a fire, submerged, and shrug off attacks from the strongest of the nation''s weapons. The gem in the middle of the cover was also suspicious, being made of a material able to hold large quantities of magic and keep it from leaking out. The nearly invisible designs around the gem, as well as the dozens of smaller gems, indicate an intricate, self-reinforcing ritual, done entirely without human intervention. This is likely what keeps the book durable, although hidden abilities were not off the table.


    Alistir also noticed that Molly had never come out of her room. Poor kid, seeing anything related to her father just after his death would still wreck her.


    Anyways, it was time for his meeting with Bailin. He had the idea to help use the Mechanomicon to get stronger as a Sage. It was a twist on Dencer''s proposal of using the book''s description of natural laws to not only test its contents, but also to enhance the abilities of magic users. Such a proposal was already considered by the rest of the Sages, but he wanted official permission and support to freely use the non-forbidden passages to increase his abilities, instead of simply reading it for a while without putting it to use.


    [Bailin]: ¡°So, it seems that you have changed your mind on the importance of the book.¡±


    [Alistir]: ¡°Yes, master. I have reconsidered my stance, and now believe the Mechanomicon could be Iracia''s most important asset.¡±


    [Bailin]: ¡°So, what do you want to use it for?¡±


    [Alistir]: ¡°Um¡­ due to my position as a gifted magic user, I would like to increase my power. As you already know, I am valuable to the Kingdom as a tool for defense and security. And because of our current weakness as a nation, defense is more important than ever.¡±


    [Bailin]: ¡°That is quite the request. So, you want to get stronger to defend our Kingdom? How diligent of you.¡±


    [Bailin]: ¡°However-¡±


    [Alistir]: ¡°?¡±


    [Bailin]: ¡°I can''t overlook my feeling that you have something else in mind.¡±


    Alistir held back a reaction to that. Yet another display of his master''s inscrutable nature. Yes, he does have a motive for this. By becoming stronger due to the tome, he could increase favor to it and make it more open for use. A small step to realize the world that it envisions. If he simply tried to force his way, the book would be entirely rejected as witchcraft by the Church, the common people, and other nations. He would have to play the long game.


    [Bailin]: ¡°So, what is it?¡±


    Alistir decided to tell the truth.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    [Bailin]: ¡°I see. The path you have decided to take will be a long and tedious one. It will also be risky. Yet, I still trust your resolve.¡±


    [Alistir]: ¡°Thank you, master.¡±


    ----------------------------------


    Molly had managed to memorize much of what Alistir had read to her. She couldn''t write herself, but she could draw. Pictures of strange machines, microscopic lifeforms, and chemistry reaction formulas were scattered all across the floor.


    If she were to make her dad''s dream come true, she would have to learn about how to create the things within. Problem is, she lacked basically all the materials. And the knowledge. And the ability. And the time.


    She started school next week. Raised in the care of the Sages, she was guaranteed a place in school, since only those of higher classes can even enter.


    There was a way, though. Alistir is her lifeline in this endeavor, and her magical capability-


    That''s right, her magic!


    If she got strong enough, she could go get the materials herself!


    She had to ask Alistir to teach her magic. This will show those old guys how cool she is! She''ll change the world!


    She will do it all for her dad.


    She began sprinting toward Alistir¡¯s dorm, just down the hallway. When she got there, she knocked rhythmically on his door.


    [Molly]: ¡°Ali, can you teach me about magic?¡±


    Alistir opened the door.


    [Alistir]: ¡°Ha ha ha, I knew this day would come.¡±


    [Molly]: ¡°You did?¡±


    [Alistir]: ¡°Of course. Every child asks it at some point. But sadly, not everyone has the talent for it.¡±


    [Molly]: ¡°I already know I do.¡±


    [Alistir]: ¡°Not necessarily. You have massive potential, but without the visualization, training, or the proper diet and exercise, it¡¯s wasted. So Molly, do you have an imagination?¡±


    [Molly]: ¡°Yeah!¡±


    [Alistir]: ¡°Sadly, I can''t teach you as of now.¡±


    [Molly]: ¡°What! Why?¡±


    [Alistir]: ¡°To use magic, one must feel the magical energy inside you and become aware of it. To do this, stimulation of the energy inside you, either by another magic user or an item or material containing magic must be used.¡±


    [Molly]: ¡°Ok and?¡±


    [Alistir]: ¡°That requires paperwork to do, and laws to abide by. Without these laws, accidents and crimes involving magic misuse would be commonplace. You can only get this from a magic school or the military.¡±


    [Alistir]: ¡°Don''t worry though! You are already on the path to use magic. You will have the opportunity to go to magic school once you are fifteen.¡±


    [Molly]: ¡°F-fifteen?! That''s too long!¡±


    [Alistir]: ¡°I''m sorry, but that is how it is. By the way, attempting to get or use magic before that point is a crime, so don''t even try it.¡±


    [Molly]: ¡°No fair! That doesn''t make any sense! Doesn''t starting earlier make you way stronger?¡±


    [Alistir]: ¡°Well, yes, but-¡±


    [Alistir]: ¡°Well, think about it. What if everyone was a powerful mage? Society would barely be able to function! Nothing built would be able to stand for long. A lone criminal could level an entire town.¡±


    [Molly]: ¡°I-um¡­ understand.¡±


    Alistir partially lied to her. There was one way to learn magic at a young age; the Kingdom of Iracia''s Hero Program. Selecting talented children from school, the program would allow them to receive advanced training in not only magic but also weapons and battle tactics. In exchange, you become a tool of the Kingdom and are tightly regulated.


    Yes, Alistir was a result of this program.


    He didn''t want someone else to have to ever go through that torture.


    Despite that, not telling her about it would become his greatest mistake.


    ¡ª---------------------------------


    ¡®That was such a letdown¡¯, Molly thought.


    That plan didn''t work. She would have to get creative if she were to realize her father''s dreams. If Alistir had knowledge of the country''s laws, perhaps there was a book on it. Maybe she could find a loophole somewhere without doing something illegal.


    Sure, there was no way to learn or perform magic, but smaller applications would work, right?


    She wandered through the empty library. Since this was the forbidden library, it was off limits to the public and lower-ranked scholars. Luckily, she was able to sneak in.


    How devious of her.


    Passing by the glass display cabinet containing the Mechanomicon, she thought to herself:


    ¡®Don''t worry, I''ll get you out one day¡¯.


    Calling this a ¡®forbidden library¡¯ is rather harsh. It is simply a collection of books that are either expensive, important, or unique. Some of these books simply catalog certain magic or rituals that are dangerous if done incorrectly. Most build off of previous knowledge.


    Since she couldn''t go into the public library, learning the basics was difficult. However, basic concepts and practices are mentioned and implied in some of the texts. She would have to deduce which is which.


    [Molly]: ¡°Got it! ¡®Advanced Applications of Public Alchemy¡¯!¡±


    Bullseye. Alchemy is the use of strange crystals to control and guide magic. The magic substance exists all around; by taking in magic from nature using special crystals, and using different crystals to guide and command the magic, one can make magical contraptions and automatic spells!


    Alchemy is common in the world, since it is low-power magic. It¡¯s perfectly legal to make, even if certain crystals aren''t available to use without proper permits.


    She would most definitely make use of this knowledge.

 Chapter Four: Impressions of Those That Succeed

    It was time to go to school orientation.


    School orientation is basically a legal and ceremonial beginning to a child''s educational journey, only available to the upper echelons of society. It involves uniform and supply acquisition, speeches from upperclassmen, and learning what classes and teachers the kids will have.


    Molly had never seen so many people her age.


    Accompanying her was Alistir, sitting across from her in the carriage.


    [Alistir]: ¡°Molly, wear this whenever you go to school. I apologize for waiting to tell you this.¡±


    Molly received a gray bandana. Apparently, having a blue gem embedded into your forehead isn''t common, and could lead to other kids getting distracted or even bullying.


    Strangely, she liked the bandana.


    The doors of the carriage were opened, and the two got out where all the others assembled. Gossip immediately began, mostly around the fact that Sage Alistir had brought a child to school.


    Around half an hour passed before the event started. Everyone funneled into the large doors of the theater and found seats.


    [Selend]: ¡°I am beyond joyful that we have a record number of first-years this year!¡±


    [Molly]: ¡°M-Mr. Selend?!¡±


    [Alistir]: ¡°You didn''t know? He''s the top teacher here, and also works at the House.¡±


    The program continued. Selend spoke of how proud he was of his job, gave encouragement to the youngsters, and explained what all there is to do on campus.


    [Selend]: ¡°Alright, would all of the Star Graduates please come up to the stage?¡±


    Molly noticed a few people getting up out of the crowd.


    Including Alistir.


    [Selend]: ¡°Here are our Star Graduates, people of outstanding commitment and talent who have graduated from here.¡±


    Molly saw Alistir and three other people come up on stage, all dressed in similar attire. Each of them must also be just as awesome as Mr. Ali, Molly thought.This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    One was a slender young woman with really long, braided hair. There should be no reason, Molly thought, that someone''s hair should be so long that you could risk stepping on it. Something seemed off with her hair, though. It seems almost too stiff, as if it isn''t even hair at all.


    The next was a young man, a little smaller than Alistir, but probably around his age. He seemed much more mundane, except for the yellow axe he was holding.


    Finally, there was a large man who towered over everyone else. He had short white hair, but seemed the same age as Alistir. He wore the same uniform as the others, except that he also had on gloves.


    [Selend]: ¡°These are graduates from past years, everyone! Not only did they succeed in primary education, but look at what they can do! Arne, would you step up?¡±


    [Arne]: ¡°Yessir.¡±


    It was the tan lady with the really long braided hair.


    [Arne]: ¡°Alright, kids, here is what staying in school could get you.¡±


    She focused for a moment. Suddenly, the giant braid of hair began moving from the base. She moved the hair until it stood straight up over her.


    All of the kids were shocked, Molly included.


    The hair then suddenly doubled in length as the braid came undone. The hair decoration on her head went from the base, up her entire hair length and tied itself back at the very end.


    Wow! School seems so awesome!


    Next was Yellow Axe Guy, who introduced himself as Ginga.


    [Ginga]: ¡°Umm¡­. hi, little guys. I can basically control my axe and make it do stuff.¡±


    Molly immediately locked in. This axe is alchemy! She saw the gems in it!


    Ginga then put on a leather hat that dipped down in the front, making his face look like it had giant angry eyebrows. He seemed to need this for the axe for it to be able to work.


    The axe was thrown straight up into the air, spinning. Just when it seemed about to fall back down, it stopped mid-air, and began circling the room clockwise. It gradually worked its way down, until it finally returned to Ginga''s hand.


    The giant guy was named Kursteb, a general in the army who would demonstrate his superhuman strength.


    [Kursteb]: ¡°Pay attention, squirts! If you do well enough in school, you can even join the Army! Look at how strong I have become!¡±


    Kursteb then lifted up the other three on the stage and jumped twenty feet into the air.


    Those performances were cool, but Molly already knew the coolest show was about to begin.


    Alistir introduced himself, then began practicing magic. An ethereal aura enveloped his body, increasing density around his hands and palms. Suddenly, deep orange flames erupted from his hands, with the mystical aura following it. That substance started to guide and control the fire into a large fireball, five feet in diameter. Alistir held it above his head with both arms.


    The crowd went wild. Kids and adults alike were left in awe as shocked gasps and astonishment filled the room. Molly already knew Alistir was the coolest in the world, so she didn''t react nearly as intensely.


    ¡ª---------------------------------


    Alistir felt sick. Even though he had done this every year, this year in particular felt rather wrong. These people on stage never even went to this school, but were the products of the Hero Program.


    The government selected them simply to excite the kids and influence them at a young age, so that many of them would pursue a career in magic or the military. Selecting people who could, say, do math really well or art wasn''t nearly as exciting. These kids would be let down in the coming years, since they would never be able to reach the heights of those in the Hero Program.


    He also worried about Molly. He lied to her so that she wouldn''t naively try to join it. He can only hope that she isn''t selected by the Hero Program scouts that also came to this event.


    After the event, a meet and greet was set up for the four. Molly immediately went to get in line for Ginga.


    [Ginga]: ¡°Hey there, kiddo. What do you want to ask me?¡±


    [Molly]: ¡°Can you perhaps summarize how the alchemy in your hat and axe work?¡±


    [Ginga]: ¡°Uh.. Ok, wow. Missy, who told you to come and ask me about that?¡±


    [Molly]: ¡°I did. Duh.¡±


    Ginga was taken aback. Most kids asked questions like: ¡°That axe is awesome, how does it work?¡± He was dumbfounded to hear such a concise question from such a small kid. How does she already know about alchemy?


    [Molly]: ¡°I think that you have two telepathic crystals, which transmit information and magic from your magic organ to the axe.¡±


    [Ginga]: ¡°Y-you¡¯re on the right track, kid.¡±


    On the right track, my ass! She is completely correct! She knows about Tele-Crystal Alchemy?! That''s an adult subject!


    [Ginga]: ¡°Y-you got a strong future, missy.¡±


    [Molly]: ¡°Of course I do. Heh heh heh¡­¡±


    [Ginga]: ¡°What''s your name, miss?¡±


    [Molly]: ¡°Molly.¡±


    [Ginga]: ¡°I''ll remember you, Molly.¡±


    He wrote down her name on an odd list.


    Ginga returned to Hero Program HQ in the royal sector of the capital.


    [????]: ¡°Who all have you scouted?¡±