A mage? A spell engineer!

Chapter 641 History of Magic

Newcomers, especially those who had no spellcasting ability, clearly felt the existence of magic for the first time. At this moment, the metal artifacts the size and shape of pocket watches in their hands became their second organ.

Senior students went into the freshmen's groups and taught them how to use it in small groups.

At this moment, the "ruby" at the center of the instrument was flashing, and its frequency was perfectly synchronized with Alek's heart. This meant that he had completed the binding, and under normal circumstances, no one could take away his magical artifact.

"You must take good care of yourselves, for this is a unique existence. If the core is damaged, your souls will also be harmed. If the damage is severe, you may even be unable to sense magic or cast spells again."

"At the same time, you can also see the stage of your magical learning. Observe the edge of the gem. Right now, you are colorless and transparent radiance. As your strength improves, a blue halo will gradually appear, followed by purple, and finally merge with the ruby. Um, there are no such examples yet."

It is said that the first user of the "external magical organ" possessed extraordinary talent, successfully ascending from a magic-less individual to a special archmage, but so far, he is the only known example. Furthermore, his "external organ" was in the form of a "contracted beast," not the latest generation of "drive mechanisms." There is a theory that this master cultivated a familiar at the level of a ninth-tier spellcaster.

The senior student's warning made everyone's expressions tense. Seeing that the audience had successfully become nervous, the senior student continued to explain: "See the small button on the side? Press it gently."

They pressed the crown, and with a click, the case popped open, revealing three small dials.

「看这些指针，从左到右分别是1-3环、4-6环、7-9环法术的施法次数，会依据核心也就是你本人实力的强弱自动计数和恢复。实力越强，使用次数越多、恢复越快。

"And the outermost scale shows the load of the 'drive gauge.' The blue needle indicates the limit of magic power you can currently draw upon, which is determined by your soul strength and spellcasting ability. The red needle indicates your current magic power level."

Alec looked closely and saw that his blue needle was two marks away, while the red needle was slightly bobbing at zero. He glanced furtively at Jonas's hand and noticed that the blue needle wasn't even two marks away yet, which secretly pleased him.

The senior student snapped the watch shut and gave it a thumbs-up. Only then did the others notice that she had inlaid many small crystal fragments into the watch case, forming a fancy pattern: "For students who already have magical talent, don't think this thing is dispensable. It can materialize your current state and abilities, and at the same time, it can help you complete complex magic and reduce the difficulty of learning."

Alek then realized that everyone now had a "magic watch," so the Tower of Magic obviously wouldn't only recruit "Muggles."

"As long as the person and the watch are not more than half a meter apart, it will work. Remember to press the groove with your finger at least once every three days to contribute some of your blood and deepen the connection. That's all for now. The specific usage method or spell casting will be taught to you by your teacher."

Once the senior student finished speaking, the entrance ceremony was officially over. The other freshmen groups, mainly composed of senior students, also finished their presentations and were then led to the cafeteria.

These senior apprentices would also take the opportunity to recruit new students into the workshops—a tradition dating back to the Byrne era. The largest workshops also functioned as student councils, while smaller workshops could elect representatives based on the number of attendees to express their opinions on student affairs.

In a sense, it's like the difference between being in power and being out of power.

While showing the new students around the area, the senior student promoted the club: "Our Griffin Knights' Study has a long history, dating back to the apprentice society of the Arcane Tower. It's second only to the largest study in size. This year, in the student representative election, we'll join forces with the Third Congress to crush the First Congress. Then, we'll have the final say on bonus points and student activities—lots of benefits! Join now if you want!"

Alec, who was following behind, was hearing about these things for the first time. Afraid of the trouble and the potential loss, he was tempted but too embarrassed to speak up. He quietly asked Jonas, "Do you want to join?"

"My dad said I should just join a small research conference, or even not. Big conferences are full of trivial matters, and the people there like to be senior and call each other brothers and sisters, which is a real hassle. The easiest way to get credits is to get on good terms with the professors." The rich kid, who knew the truth before even enrolling, was very dismissive.

Alek still wanted to quickly integrate into the group; some new students had already expressed their willingness to join, and he was also eager to express his opinion. But after walking a few steps, the young man suddenly had a flash of inspiration:

Jonas is the only son of Count Dahlberg, and Master Dahlberg has a close relationship with Rorschach, the founder of Bentayga. Shouldn't the teachers here be trying to get on Jonas's good side? Why should I go to such lengths?

As his thoughts raced, Alek grasped the small "pocket watch" in his right hand and placed his left hand on Jonas's shoulder. Although Jonas seemed a little puzzled, he did not push him away.

The Magic Tower's schedule was very tight; the ceremony was held in the morning, and classes started in the afternoon. After receiving the "Drive Chart," everyone was naturally most looking forward to learning magic, but unfortunately, things didn't go as planned, and the schedule was for a history of magic class.

"My dad says this kind of class is easy, it's a class you have to skip, you only skip important classes. But this is the first class, so we have to give the teacher face." Before class, Jonas started to instill secondhand fallacies in the "pure" Alek again. He thought of something: "But it's best to find someone who takes serious notes to protect you for homework and exams."

"I'll do it. I'll listen carefully in class." Alex knew that he had no one to rely on and couldn't be as willful as Jonas.

Unexpectedly, a third person joined their conversation: a chubby boy with a baby face that had been around for over ten years. He said, "What era are we living in? Still taking traditional notes? My alchemical automatic stenographer is all you need."

"This isn't cheap, you're rich! My name is Jonas, and this is Alec."

"Small change, small change. I am Bill Baldo."

Before the fat man could finish speaking, his precious automatic recording pen flew to the podium. The magic history teacher, who confiscated it, said sternly, "Classmates, I must remind you before class that class notes should not only record key points, but also your process of thinking about what the key points are and deepening your understanding. My class does not allow this kind of thing, nor does it allow absences without a valid reason."

Both of them groaned inwardly in despair, but Alek didn't feel anything; he had planned to focus on his studies anyway.

The first lesson in the history of magic was an overview. "At first, I didn't pay much attention to history either. What does that have to do with the art of spellcasting?" Later, I met a teacher who said this:

"You haven't thought about the role of monks in this world, nor have you thought about the situations monks have faced in the past and present."

If you think about it, you won't think this course is unimportant.

Many spellcasters take everything the world gives us for granted. Just because we're bastards who manipulate ether? Why?

The new students were all teenagers, so they wouldn't be unable to understand what was being said, and after listening, they mostly got into the flow of the lesson. As the first lesson, the teacher briefly reviewed the history related to monks.

As get out of class was nearing its end, he finally began discussing the contemporary era, and Alec felt an overwhelming sense of unease. The empire had endured famine, the unexpected collapse of its eastern defenses, a massive exodus, the fall and reconstruction of the capital, and ultimately, it existed in name only, with only the border lordships and the new capital remaining.

Although Alek hadn't personally experienced all the changes, just a few days ago he was an orphan of the Empire and a resident of a count's territory. Recalling everything since he could remember, he felt like a witness to history, a feeling that was particularly poignant. The boy couldn't help but wonder if his own parents were among the many victims his teacher had briefly recounted.

"That's all for today. Remember to bring your textbooks for the next class." The teacher finished the first lesson, and the classroom suddenly became noisy.

Alek doesn't remember how he got out of the classroom.

(End of this chapter)