Chapter 41 - 40 : Noah turn

Chapter 41: Chapter 40 : Noah turn

Chapter 40 : Noah turn

As soon as the old man’s voice went off, a trembling youth came up to meet him with worry on his face. The moment he came near the old man stopped and looked at him with interest. He was the same one who’d mocked the mage at the Academy gate. He looked better than before but the exhaustion still showed on him.

The old man raised his eyebrows.

"An illusion spell? Another idiot who offended someone above his standing. Heehaha."

The student swallowed.

"How long will it last?"

"A month, maybe."

His face changed.

"Can you remove it?"

"Of course."

Something close to a smile appeared on the old man’s face.

"A hundred magic crystals, cash."

The student went quiet. He remembered what the mage had done to him earlier and bit down on the urge to curse the old man, then turned to the side.

"I’ll choose my instructor myself."

"It’s a wise choice.. Less bad than betting on your luck."

The old man took the crystal and the guide. He set the clock beside it. A small owl sat on the clock.

The old man put his finger on the clock.

At once the owl moved and opened its eyes and the minute hand started to turn.

"Cuckoo, idiot. Cuckoo."

"I forgot to mention something. One crystal buys you a single round of time. When the clock stops, your right to read is over. Want more, pay another crystal."

The student’s head came up fast, glaring at the owl.

"What?"

But the hand had already started.

He opened the guide and flipped through the pages quickly, no time left to object. His eyes went over the names and specialties and terms one after another, while the owl sat on top of the clock watching him, eyes open.

There wasn’t much time.

When the hand reached its final position the owl let out a sharp sound.

"Cuckoo, idiot. Cuckoo!"

And the guide shut itself in the student’s hands.

The old man said:

It’s time. Have you made a choice or do you want another round?

The student looked at the clock and his crystals, then named one of the instructors.

"Good."

The old man recorded the name, gave him his pouch, and summoned a blue arrow of mana to guide him to his instructor.

The choosing continued, some students using the bottle because they had no crystal or didn’t want to spend what they had. Others paid and used the guide until their time ran out.

When Gil’s turn came, he set a crystal and ignored the bottle. He took the guide and, when his time was up, laid down another crystal, then a third. He kept turning the pages until he found the desired name.

The old man didn’t comment on it. He took the crystals and recorded his choice the way he had with the others.

As for the student who had talked to Noah a moment before, he was still holding his crystal when his name was called. He stood in front of the board for a while, then put the crystal back in his pocket.

"I’ll use the bottle."

He spun it and followed it until it stopped in front of one of the names. There was no telling from his face whether he was happy with the result or not, but he took his things and followed the blue arrow out of the room without a word of protest.

Noah watched the whole thing in silence. The value of magic crystals was nothing new to him, but he was now beginning to see the Academy in a much more comprehensive way. The crystals didn’t only buy knowledge and materials; they also paid for the ability to make some of your own decisions.

The old man went on calling names until the number of students in the room slowly dropped. Then his finger moved to the next line of the list and he stopped, eyes wide with surprise.

"Noah Lupton Charlemagne."

Noah raised his eyes and came forward toward the desk.

Noah came forward quietly, then stood lost in thought and looked at the old man.

"Noah Lupton Charlemagne. High-quality blood, a high affinity for ice and frost, with a weak trace of fire... A very good result. You could call it the second greatest talent this year, if not for Courfeyrac showing up. You’d have been the best of the last decade otherwise."

Then he gestured at the bottle and the guide in front of him. "All right. Which is your choice?"

Noah didn’t reach for either one.

"Is having an instructor mandatory?"

The old man stopped, his eyes lifted from the paper.

"Hmm?"

"Does not taking an instructor cancel my eligibility?"

Some whispers came from behind. The students waiting for their turn looked over at him, and the old man watched him for a few seconds before leaning back in his seat.

"It’s happened before, but it’s rare." He tapped his finger on the desk and said: "Choosing an instructor isn’t mandatory, of course. But think it through. Without one you won’t have anyone to guide you on the path of magic. You’re not in House Charlemagne anymore, and self-study could set your progress back years, even with your talent. Without guidance you’ll remain a low-grade mage for the rest of your life unless you have a miracle."

Noah sank into thought before he asked:

"Does refusing now cancel any chance of joining under a different instructor in the future?"

The old man sighed before he replied. "It’s possible, of course. But most mages are occupied with their own research and in the development of their own power and spells, and unless the Academy asks them to take disciples, most won’t do it on their own. I understand what is going through your head. You’re not the first to think of it. To come into the Academy to look things over, to check the instructors’ level and skills before taking the next one seems like a good idea at the time. But short of a miracle with nothing behind it, your plan is a waste of time."

The old man pointed at the platinum badge on Noah. "Think it through. You know your family better than anyone. What idiot would risk taking on a noble from House Charlemagne? If it weren’t for your talent, I wouldn’t waste my time on all this talk."