The Medelan Royal Academy was a large, vaguely Victorian building located at the foot of the hill on which the Royal Palace was. The building itself was five stories tall and made of white stone decorated with axes motifs and statues of scholarly looking people, with a large arched gate that led into an internal courtyard.

  All in all, it was quite impressive, Marcus thought as he walked out of the coach that had brought him there. It was clear that a lot of money and effort had gone into building this school, and as someone who had also pursued higher education in his previous life he wholeheartedly approved it. Moreover, on a more practical note, if the building was this big then the museum would probably be equally large and contain a lot of samples. The thought alone was enough to make him salivate.

  He wasn't alone in his excitement either.

  “So this is the Academy!” Felix said, staring at the building with wide eyes, like a child about to enter a candy shop. “It's even bigger than I thought!”

  The apprentice sorcerer had jumped at the chance to visit the Academy, immediately accepting Marcus's invitation.

  “Yeah, it's rather big even compared to the universities of my world.” Marcus agreed. “But I've never seen another academy in this world, so I don't know if it's large by the standards of the Empire.”

  “It's pretty large.” Klara confirmed. While not as excited as her friends, she had accompanied them nonetheless. Apparently she had already visited the Academy with her grandpa, who used to work together with the researchers there. “Its department of Magical Studies is the third biggest in the Empire, after those of the Imperial University and the Castillar Royal School of Magic.”

  “That does sound impressive.” The Vex Queen commented

  “It is.” The girl said. “But it's to be expected since Medelan is one of the main exporters of magical goods in the Empire. A lot of these materials need to be studied, catalogued and preserved here before being shipped off to other nations.”

  “That's because of the Caligare forest, isn't it?” Marcus asked, remembering some talks they had in the past. “You get raw magic materials from the creatures that live there.”

  “Exactly.” The girl replied. “Lots of magical creatures live in the forest. I also made a living selling their body parts to merchants.”

  “And that's why Medelan is renowned for its sorcerers.” Felix said proudly. “A good fifth of all the best Imperial sorcerers graduate from this Academy. I always dreamed of attending it.” The young man's expression became wistful. “Unfortunately, tuition was far too expensive for me.”

  Marcus could very much sympathize with him, since he also had suffered under the weight of student debt in his previous life.

  “Well, if you want I could pay for it.” He promptly offered. “I mean, money's not a problem for me right now.”

  “Thank you, but... no.” Felix shook his head. “I can't accept it.”

  “Listen Felix, it's not a problem for me.” The Vex Queen insisted. “I have so much money I don’t even know how to spend it, and I'd really be happy to use some of it to help a friend.”

  “Again, thank you Marcus, but that's not the problem. Not the only one at least.” Felix's expression became bitter. “When I awakened my Djinni powers I lost the ability to use most focus instruments. Which means that even if I went to the Academy I still wouldn't be able to become a real sorcerer.” He made a forced smile. “But even so, I'm still very interested in seeing the Academy and its museum. So let's not waste any more time on this matter and let's get going, shall we?”

  And he marched right through the gate and into the courtyard. Marcus exchanged a puzzled look with Klara, who shrugged and made a sad smile, subtly showing that this was a touchy subject for her boyfriend and it was better to drop it for the time being. The Vex Queen nodded, and they both hurried after the apprentice sorcerer.

  The trio entered the courtyard, which was pretty much a large cobblestone square with the statue of an old man, probably the founder of the academy, in the middle. There were also three separate entrances into the building, one for each face except for the one with the gate. There weren't many people around though, and many of them looked like servants or janitors rather than students. Which struck Marcus as odd until he remembered that it was still technically Toathal, this world’s equivalent to christmas.

  “So, does anyone know where the museum entrance is?” He asked.

  “It should be there.” Klara pointed at a door to their right.

  She was right. When they approached the door, they could see a brass plaque with “Royal Academy Museum” written right beside it.

  They entered and found themselves in a large, mostly empty corridor, with windows on one side and doors on the other. Besides one of the doors there was a desk, with a man sitting on it currently busy reading a book. Not seeing anything else of note, Marcus decided to approach the guy.

  “Good day.” He greeted him. “Sorry to bother you, but is this the museum? I had an appointment to take some samples.”

  The man looked up from his book, and his eyes widened in surprise as he saw the Vex Queen’s appearance. However, he recovered remarkably quickly.

  “Oh... are you the Vex Queen? Maar Kus, right?” He asked.

  This time, it was Marcus who remained speechless for a second, as he hadn't expected to hear his name mispronounced as it had been in that ridiculous newspaper article.

  “Ehm... it's Marcus, actually.” He said, ignoring Felix snickering behind him. “But yeah, I am the Vex Queen. I've been told by the king that there would be someone who would guide me through the museum and get me some samples.”

  “Oh yes, we got the memo.” The man nodded. “I'll go get your guide. Wait here a moment, please.”

  And he got up from the chair and walked away, entering one of the doors and closing it behind him.

  “Soooo... does that mean that we have to start calling you Maar Kus as well?” Felix asked teasingly.

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  “Try it and I'll get the king to legally change your name to Captain Poopypants.” The Vex Queen shot back.

  Their friendly bickering was cut short when the man at the desk came back, accompanied by a familiar face.

  “Good day, countess” Magister Orr greeted Marcus.

  “Oh... good day to you, Magister.” The monster girl replied. “What are you doing here?”

  “Well, king Leopold asked for someone to guide you through the museum warehouse and I volunteered.” The old man replied. “Since I'm retired I have all the free time in the world, and as the previous headmaster I know how to move around here, so I’m probably the most qualified. Besides, I must admit that as a scholar, I'm curious to see your trait absorption at work, if it doesn’t bother you of course.”

  “No, of course not.” The Vex Queen said. “You're more than welcome to watch me. Though there isn't really much to see, I just eat samples and that's it. The information just comes to my mind after that.” He paused for a moment, and then pointed towards his friends: “Oh, by the way, these are my friends Klara and Felix. Klara, Felix, this is Magister Orr. He's the one that brought me the Crown of Silence.”

  “Glad to make your acquaintance.” Klara said politely.

  “Me too.” Felix added.

  “Likewise.” Orr nodded, and for a moment that seemed to be all for the introductions, as Orr turned back to Marcus. However, a moment later he paused and turned towards Felix.

  “Uhm... I'm sorry young man, but I couldn't help but notice that you seem to possess quite an impressive aura. Might I ask who you are exactly?”

  “Oh, I'm just an apprentice sorcerer. Or used to be, at least.” Felix replied.

  “Just an apprentice? With an aura like yours?” The old man raised an eyebrow in surprise.

  “That's actually because I'm part Djinni.”

  “Have you awakened the powers of your heritage then?” Orr inquired.

  “Yeah, during the battle of Brettholz.” The young man replied, but then he sighed and added: “Unfortunately, I've been unable to use any focus instrument ever since, so I had to give up on being a sorcerer.”

  “And why would you do that?” The Magister asked. “You can use your Djinni powers, right?”

  “Well, yes. Though rather than using them directly, I find it easier to summon them in the form of a pseudo-spirit. Kind of like what a shaman does.”

  “Hm. That is peculiar, but not unheard of.” Orr commented. “So, what can you do exactly?”

  “As I said, I can summon my aura in the form of a pseudo-spirit.” Felix held his hand out and summoned a small ball of fire, who started flickering playfully in his palm. “I call him Fyrus, by the way. He can take pretty much any shape I want him to, though I usually stick to animals because they are easier to control.”

  “Have you ever used this power in actual combat?”

  “Oh yes. I don't mean to brag, but I even managed to wipe out an entire squad of orcs by myself last year. And I even fought against an ogre… though she managed to get the better of me in the end.” The young man declared proudly, but then he sighed and let the Fyrus disappear. “However, despite all this I still can't use focus instruments, so I can't be a sorcerer.”

  “Hogwash.” Orr said. “Sorcery isn't limited to just using focus instruments. There are plenty of magical practices that do not rely on them, and besides technically speaking Djinni use their own bodies as focus instruments.”

  Felix blinked, surprised by the Magister's words.

  “I never thought of it that way.” He admitted. “But even so, I would be limited to just casting fire spells, while a true sorcerer would be able to use a lot of different focus instruments.”

  “Eh.” The Magister sneered. “That might be true in theory, but in practice you will find that most sorcerers tend to specialize in one type of magic. And besides, Djinni elemental powers are much more versatile than you might think. Conjuring and controlling their respective elements is just their basest application. There are countless alternative ways in which they can be used.”

  Felix didn't reply for a few seconds as he processed this information, but a hopeful light gradually appeared in his eyes.

  “So do you think that I could still become a sorcerer, even if I can't use focus instruments?” He then asked, almost timidly.

  “Certainly, if you apply yourself with due diligence.” Orr replied without hesitation. “With your aura, I'd be surprised if you didn't become a sorcerer of great renown.” He paused, and then added with an encouraging smile: “Several Imperial Archmages were also people with Djinni blood who had awakened their powers. The legendary Gray Archmage Alfund Stormweaver, for example, was half Wind Djinni. And the current Blue Archmage, Lazelia Seafarer, also possesses Water Djinni heritage.”

  “The Archmages were part Djinni? Really?” Felix asked, his eyes going wide with surprise. “I never knew that.”

  “Well, they try not to publicize this fact, at least here in the east, due to the tensions between the Dominate and the Federation.” The Magister explained. “But in any case, my point is that they couldn't use focus instruments either, but their mastery over their own powers allowed them to rise to the highest position a sorcerer could reach anyway.”

  Felix looked like he had just got a revelation. He looked lost in thought, but also incredibly relieved. Marcus could clearly understand why. It was like a dream he had thought impossible to achieve had suddenly become possible. So, in order to not let this chance slip for his friend, he decided to give the situation a little nudge.

  “So, do you think that Felix should enroll at the Academy then?” The Vex Queen asked.

  “Well, attending the Academy's regular courses wouldn't hurt, but I think that a more specialized education would be better fitting for him.” The Magister replied. “Luckily, I know a few experts of Djinni magic here in Rennhafen who could provide the appropriate tutelage. If the young man wishes, I could arrange for him to attend both regular courses for his general education and special lessons to develop his innate powers.” He winked at Felix. “It would be a lot of hard work, but if you can push through I'm sure that you'd become a great sorcerer.”

  “Good.” Marcus nodded. “Then I will pay for his tuition.”

  Felix immediately turned towards him, instinctively opening his mouth to protest, but then stopped and instead nodded gratefully towards the Vex Queen. However, Orr's next words made Marcus's offer redundant.

  “Oh, I don't think that will be necessary.” The old man said. “I'm sure that the current headmaster would be more than willing to give a scholarship to such a talented young man.”

  “Damn!” The Vex Queen thought. “It's almost annoying that now that I have money, no one wants to let me spend it.”

  “Thank you very much, Magister.” Felix said. “This means a lot to me.”

  “Oh, don't worry.” Orr replied. “As a Magister, it's my duty and pleasure to help promising young men reach their dreams. And I have great expectations from you. Defeating an orc by yourself is a feat beyond most sorcerers, and wiping out an entire squad of them... well, let's say that it would be a hard task even for a seasoned Battlecaster.” He smiled. “If you're capable of this right now, then I can’t begin to imagine what you're going to achieve in the future.”

  “Thank you again Magister.” The young man bowed slightly. “I assure you that I will try my best to not let you down!”

  “I'm sure you will not.” The old man replied. “Now, let's deal with the paperwork, shall we? We need to get you signed right now in order to enroll you for the next semester.”

  “Wait, right now?” Felix asked.

  “Of course.” Orr nodded. “Don't put off until tomorrow what you can do today, that's my motto. And besides, it is more convenient for you to enroll now, since the courses are paused for Toathal and you’d be able to start attending classes at the same time as the other students.”

  “But I need to accompany Marcus to the museum...” Felix tried to protest.

  “I can go by myself, don't worry Felix.” The Vex Queen cut him off immediately.

  “And she won’t be by herself in any case.” Klara chimed in. “I’ll go with her. We can meet here after we are both done.”

  “Well, in that case, let's do this!” The apprentice sorcerer said.

  “Very well.” Orr nodded, and then turned to the man who had been sitting at the desk. “Gerald, please accompany this young man to the administrative office and get him signed for the next courses under a special scholarship. Tell them that I personally picked him.”

  “Yes, Magister.” The man said, and then turned to Felix. “Please, follow me.”

  “Alright.” The young man replied, and then turned towards Marcus and Klara. “I'll see you later then!”

  “Alright! No problem!” The Vex Queen replied.

  “Don't forget to read everything before you sign.” Klara warned him. “I don't want you to end up in trouble because you signed something you didn’t mean to.”

  “Don't worry, I can take care of myself!” Felix replied with a boyish smile, and then followed the attendant down the corridor, before disappearing behind a corner.