Chapter 622 – A Proposal.

“Ah, Deputy Professor Wayland, you’re here!”

“Good to see you, Master Anzeneus. I hope you didn’t have to wait long.”

“Nonsense, my good fellow. I have quite enjoyed my time here. Oh, and just call me Professor Anzeneus. We are among our own.”

The old white-bearded mage replied warmly to Roland’s greeting. His robe was different from before, yet it remained blue and bore the insignia of the magical academy where he taught. To Roland’s knowledge, this wizard served on the academy’s council of mages, which followed a power structure unlike the one here. The academy had no archmagus at tier four. Instead, it was governed by a council of high tier-three mages, and Anzeneus was one of them.

“I see. Is everything going well at the Sapphire Flame Academy?”

“It’s going quite well. The new batch of young fire mages has shown great promise. The future looks bright.”

Roland nodded. The Sapphire Flame Academy was the institution that both Anzeneus and the fourth Valerian brother had attended. From what Roland knew, Anzeneus was not a true Knight Commander but rather someone whose position had been bought, which made his loyalty less reliable than that of other knights. There was some flexibility in dealing with him and a chance to recruit him in the future if Arthur gained enough prestige.

‘I should get this over with…’

Although his new acquaintance could prove useful later, at the moment, the old mage was causing him some unease. The two were at Xandar’s Institute of Wizardry, where Roland sought access to several flame-related tomes. He had promised to put in a good word for Anzeneus with the Headmistress, but he was uncertain how she would respond. He had already invoked her name a few times, and while things had not gone badly, he doubted she would continue offering favors without expecting something in return.

“How peculiar. Is there something hidden from sight?”

Asked Anzeneus as Roland arrived with him near the base of the mage tower. To ordinary people it appeared to be nothing more than a tree, and the rest looked like a garden for the students. The fact that this old man could even sense the faint presence of high-level concealment magic said much about his knowledge of the arcane arts.

“Something like that. How about you wait here? I need to speak with the Headmistress first.”

“The Archmagus herself! How wonderful. Would there be a possibility of me coming along?”

The old man looked like an eager child asking for a favor, but Roland only shook his head.

“My apologies, but only the Deputy Professor is permitted inside the Archmagus Tower. Anyone else must be personally invited by the Headmistress.”

“I see. In that case, I’ll take a stroll through the garden.”

With those words, he took the usual path while the old man stared in astonishment as the hidden passage revealed itself. This was the home of the Headmistress, Yavenna Arvandus, known to some as the Lady of Thorns, though to him she only looked like an average elf with greenish skin and mossy hair. When he climbed the stairs again, she was already there at her desk, clearly expecting him and probably aware of the reason for his visit.

“Deputy Professor Wayland, you’re late.”

Roland stood before Yavenna Arvandus’s vast wooden desk. Her office, as always, was made of living plant matter. Bark covered the walls, and vines formed the drapes over the windows. The wooden floor creaked faintly under his armored boots as he replied in a quieter tone than usual.

“Yes, my apologies. There was an incident that delayed me.”

The Lady of Thorns sat motionless, her long moss-green hair flowing around her shoulders like branches. Her violet eyes scanned a few notes before turning to him with quiet intensity.

“Ah yes, Dragnis Island. I’ve heard about it.”

He was unsure how much she knew or how much she cared for his excuse, but it was true that he had missed a few lectures. According to their previous agreement, he would need to make up for his absence somehow.

“You’ve also brought a guest. Azure Flame Anzeneus was quite well-known a decade ago, and it seems he seeks something from me. Would you care to explain?”

Roland exhaled slowly. Her voice was calm, yet the sharpness in her tone made it clear she already knew more than she let on. He straightened his posture before speaking.

“Yes. I met him recently and promised to share some of our knowledge. He is researching flame synthesis for flame magic amplification. During the incident, I sought his assistance and, in return, made that promise without consulting you, Headmistress. For that, I apologize.”

He lowered his head in genuine remorse. It was never wise to lie to a tier-four class holder, especially one capable of using magic. If she wished to extract the truth from him, she certainly could.

“By ‘our knowledge’ do you mean from my private library?”

“Yes…”

In reality, Roland had several options for how to handle the situation. According to their previous arrangement, he was permitted to study the books in the library, though he was not allowed to remove them. He could, however, read them freely and apply what he learned in his own research. Thanks to his excellent memory, he could easily reproduce the contents later, which would allow him to keep his promise to the old mage.

The main problem with this approach was the lack of consent from the owner of that knowledge. It was one thing to use what he had learned for his own benefit or for the Institute, but quite another to share it with a mage from a rival school. The magical academies often viewed each other as competitors, and assisting an outsider without permission from the intimidating archmage could cause serious trouble. Roland did not know what kind of relationships she maintained with other mages, so he decided it was best to proceed with caution.

“At least you are honest, but this was not part of our agreement, and you have failed to uphold your end of the contract. There is no real reason for me to accept this.”

Roland’s heart sank as he listened, but he did not interrupt. He knew he was in no position to argue. Only after she finished speaking would he present his case, as he had prepared a few things in advance that might calm her anger. One of them was additional information about the incident.

“Did I misjudge you? You do not seem like the type who would flaunt your position before others, but considering what happened…perhaps you did not have any choice, Deputy Professor.”

Her violet eyes glowed faintly as she leaned back in her chair, deep in thought. Initially, it appeared he would face punishment, possibly required to stay and deliver extra lectures or accompany students on road trips. However, the Headmistress suddenly nodded, as if reaching a decision, and spoke again in a more relaxed tone.

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“How about this? I will forget that this ever happened, and you may even give your new colleague a book on the highest flame arts from my collection. I will overlook all those missed lectures, and you will be free to come and go as you please.”

Roland’s eyes narrowed behind his visor. The offer seemed too good to be true. The lectures were not unbearable, yet they demanded time, and teleporting from one place to another consumed considerable magical resources. He could not understand why she would allow him to alter the contract after he had already failed to meet its terms. This was unlikely to be a reward and more likely a punishment disguised as generosity.

“What do you mean by that, Headmistress?”

At this point, Yavenna smiled slightly, which made Roland even more nervous. He hadn’t known her for long, but he could already tell she was about to say something he wouldn’t completely agree with.

“What I mean, dear Deputy Professor, is that every boon carries its burden. You will receive permission to copy one of the restricted texts from my private library: “Flames of the young star’ but in exchange, I will require something of you.”

Roland did not move, though his instincts told him that this was the moment to be cautious. The wooden floor beneath him shifted slightly as he leaned on his right leg.

“I am listening…”

Yavenna folded her hands together, resting her chin atop them.

“The Quinquennial Arcane Institute Convocation is not far off. I would like you to participate in it.”