A few days later, Marchioness Distar summoned Lith once again, this time in a proper and polite way. She gave him time to prepare and an explained Lith the reason for their meeting.
They met in a neutral territory, in Count Lark's lounge. Contrary to etiquette, the noblewoman stood up when he entered the room, giving Lith a curtsy even before he had greeted or bowed to her.
"Welcome, young mage. Thanks for saving my daughter's life. No one knows how long she would have survived under such a condition."
'I actually do.' Lith thought with a cruel inner smile. 'When I first visited her, the Marchioness' daughter had barely two weeks left before her organs started failing one after the other. Luckily, she has a tough skin, so I wasn't forced to use the sink or swim method of healing her.
'I wouldn't have cured her before at least five days, my safety comes first. I can waste time and lose opportunities, but I will not gamble my whole life for a stranger, no matter who they are!'
"Also, I have several reasons to apologize to you. First, for how I treated you. I was rude and condescending. I shouldn't have tried forcing your hand, but I was desperate at the time. Your sister was ill too, I hope you can understand me."
Lith inwardly sneered.
'You only say this now, because I succeeded and you are afraid that you might need my help again in the future. I feel no compassion for the likes of you.'
"No need to apologize, your Ladyship. Life sometimes burdens us with a weight we are unable to carry, and desperation can make even the best of us lose his morals." Was what he actually said. He needed a new and more powerful backer.
Being friends was of secondary importance, their relationship was strictly business-related. It was important to lay solid foundations for it, putting aside pointless grudges. But he wouldn't forgive nor forget.
If she failed or betrayed his trust, it was a good thing that revenge is a dish best served cold.
The Marchioness shook her head.
"I think that your forgiveness is still undeserved. I lied to you that day. I have no authority outside my Marquisate, so I cannot guarantee your successful enrolment in any academy outside the Lightning and White Griffon."
Her gown had many small pockets, hidden by the complex embroideries. From one of those, she took out a ring bearing the King's crest.
"It's a long and boring story…" She said looking furtively at Count Lark, suppressing her ironic laughter.
"...but what matters is that, at the moment, in my Marquisate, I hold power on par with the King, so both academies can only accept my orders."
Lith wasn't yet completely convinced that going away, even for just two years, was the best course of action. He decided to test the waters first.
"Would it be possible to be home-schooled? If you hold such authority, it should not be a problem to give me the same benefits I would get from an academy from private tutors instead. After all, the location isn't that important."
"It actually is. The forests surrounding the academies play a big part in both the points and grades system. Also, yes, if you insist, I could achieve what you asked, but bear in mind that my situation is merely temporary.
"Once the Court finishes deliberating the current matter, everything would go back to normal and I'm not sure that I would have all the resources you'll need. On the other hand, if you enroll in an academy now, it would be as if the King himself decreed it.
"Once inside, even if I lose my almighty status, you would be protected by the rules of the Kingdom and of the Mage Association. No one would be fool enough to make an enemy out of the King. Archmages and Royalty are deeply intertwined."
'It sadly makes sense.' Lith inwardly sighed. 'It's best to exploit the situation to its fullest. Between her desire to make up to me, no matter her reasons, and her temporary King status, I should be able to get some extra safety measure.
'If only half of what Nana told me is true, I'll need every advantage I can get to avoid useless drama and pointless face-slapping.'
"I understand. I think that going to the Lightning Griffon is out of the question, the Headmistress will probably want my head on a stick either way."
"I wouldn't be so sure." The Marchioness replied. "Anyhow, with your talent as a healer, I had guessed you wanted to go to the White Griffon. You do know it's the school with the biggest light magic department, right?"
"But of course." Lith lied through his teeth. "But I'm also quite interested in the art of forgemastering. Which academy would be the best choice for such a specialization?"
"Any of them." Marchioness Distar shrugged. "They all have good Forgemasters, but the great ones avoid the academies like the plague. Artists like to be free, while in an institution they have to take care of paperwork, teaching, and craft the student's items.
"All things that would keep them away from their research. Not to mention that for an academy Forgemaster, keeping the nature of their research secret is much harder. To get funds from the academy, you have to share. All great mages hate sharing."
That piece of news reassured Lith.
"White Griffon it is, then. How long will the trip take?" Lith recalled that Nana once stated that the academy was more than five hundred kilometers (311 miles) away from Lustria. Even if it was just for an audience, he would need to pack some clothes.
"From my house? Considering that we first have to speak with the Headmaster, and then you have to take your admission exam, I'd say three, four hours tops. You'll get home in time for dinner, that's for sure."
Lith found it difficult to do the math. Even flying at his top speed, he would need at least two hours to get there and back, not to mention that the Marchioness didn't seem the type to fly that long, messing her hair and dress right before meeting the Headmaster.
Since they were already off to a rocky start, Lith preferred to pretend to have understood everything, instead of flaunting his ignorance once again, destroying what little respect he had gained so far.
Seeing his conflicted expression, the Marchioness completely misunderstood the situation.
"Don't worry, young mage. It's just the admission exam. You will get the opportunity to say goodbye to your family and friends. The academy will not start before another two months. You have plenty of time to settle all your business."
Lith thanked her with a deep bow.
"Please, don't thank me yet. I hope you'll accept this as part of my apologies."
She handed him a communication amulet, very similar to all those he had seen up to that point, except for the fact that it had only one rune on it, right on its center.
"To mark it as your own, just send some mana into the stone." Lith did as instructed, both the gemstone and the lone rune lit up, as if they had become scorching hot.
"To exchange your contact rune, you just need to make two amulets touch while they are activated." Both the Count and the Marchioness held their amulets out, every time they touched, their rune got impressed on Lith's amulet and vice versa.
The Marchioness amulet was completely covered in runes already, to accommodate the new one, all the other runes shrank in size, just enough to leave enough space for another of the same dimension.
"There's no limit to the number of contact runes an amulet can hold." She explained.
"This will help you get in touch with me or Lark if anything happens. It will also make staying in touch with your family easier." She gave him a little box, holding a second amulet.
"Only one person can activate it. So, your family has to choose wisely."
Lith bowed profusely, that gesture had taken a big burden off his heart. She had explicitly offered them as his backer, and thanks to the amulets he could always help his family through the two nobles, if necessity arose.
The appointment was set at the Marchioness' house at noon. Lith always had trouble with time, so he arrived early, to stay on the safe side. Servants treated him with the utmost respect, but were unable to hide their surprise
Clearly the rumors in the house had spread fast, and he probably didn't fit the image of the great healer who saved the young mistress that they had pictured in their heads.
Marchioness Distar made him wait but a few minutes. She wore a simple day dress with her long hair down. It was impossible to suspect that she was actually the Lord of the entire region.
"You are already here. Good. Let's move."
"On foot?" Lith couldn't avoid asking.
"We could take a stagecoach, but it's a waste of time. The Mage Association's branch is right there.�� She pointed at another luxurious building, not even a hundred meters (110 yards) away.
Lith bit his lower lip, thanking fate for still being short enough to make it impossible for her to notice his shocked expression when he wasn't looking up.
The door was closed and with no guards, yet all she had to do was to press her family ring where the keyhole was supposed to be to open the way.
The inside of the house very much resembled an embassy. The clerk at front desk stopped them in their tracks, asking for their proof of identity and the reason of the visit.
The Marchioness handed the clerk a piece of paper that appeared out of thin air.
'She probably has a dimensional something on her too.'
The clerk passed the paper over a blue gemstone set into the desk. When both glowed a pale blue, he said:
"Everything seems all right. Your destination is right beyond the door."
He waved at the wall at his right, appearing incredibly stupid in Lith's eyes. But then several rune markings appeared from the wall, forming a small ring of energy that quickly expanded, becoming big enough for both of them to pass through.
'A real dimensional door! If I have to choose between healing and forgemastering, I'll take the second without any regret.'
It took but a step to travel all the distance between the capital of the Marquisate and the Headmaster's office of the White Griffon. Lith recognized it because it was almost identical to the Lightning Griffon one.
The only differences were how the furniture was positioned, and the Headmaster's personal effects on display. Books he had written, certificates of merit from both the Kingdom and the Association. They covered the whole wall behind his desk
'No frigging antechamber?' Lith thought.
The Headmaster was waiting for them, he stood up as soon as the door appeared, approaching Marchioness Distar and welcoming her with great warmth.
"Marchioness Distar! It's always such a pleasure to meet an alumnus of our academy, even if she graduated before my time." Without waiting for her reply, he gave her a deep bow, that she reciprocated.
"Headmaster Linjos, it's an honor to have the chance to finally meet you. I heard a lot about the incredible feats you managed to accomplish at your young age. It's no surprise at all that you have become the youngest Headmaster ever."
"You are too kind. Excuse me for my bluntness, but I was really surprised by your sudden request for an urgent meeting. Has anything else happened to your family? Is there anything else that White Griffon can do for you?"
Linjos was deeply embarrassed. The academy was about to resume its activities and Manohar was still unreachable. The Headmaster had written multiple notes to reprimand him sharply.
Taking a short personal leave was okay, disappearing for almost six months straight, not so much.
"Thanks for your interest, but my family managed to survive, one way or another. The reason for this audience is that I wanted to introduce you to this brilliant young mage. He is pretty famous, you should have heard of Lith of Lutia."
"Ah!" Finally recognizing the youth behind her, Linjos stepped back. A hornet's nest had just walked unannounced into his office.
Not much to say, except I made some small corrections to the prev chapter. Proofreading it's as boring as important.
Linjos was a man in his late twenties, about 1,77 meters (5'9") tall. His ample mage robe made his build a mystery, he might have been a mountain of muscles or as thin as a stick. He had a perfectly shaven long face, a cleft chin, and an aquiline nose.
His hair was chestnut brown, with shades of silver. His brown eyes were brimming with intelligence and worry. Lith could almost hear his panicking thoughts.
'Judging from the difference in treatment Lark and Distar received, he must be aware of how powerful she is at the moment. I am really curious to see how this will play out.'
The Headmaster's bushy eyebrows were wriggling like furry worms, while he was deciding how he should face the unexpected development.
'He too has a light blue mana core.' Solus observed. 'He is weaker than Ainz, but stronger than anyone else we met, except for that b*tch Linnea. Blue must be the minimum requirement for the position.'
"Well, this is really embarrassing to say, dear Marchioness, but I don't know if I can help you." Linjos considered Linnea's political stand bulls*it. He was fiercely opposed to her motions and policy suggestions during the last Headmasters Council.
But he had lost, even if by a small margin. The rules were clear, he could only follow the regulations approved by the majority of the Council.
"Well, I believe it will be easier than you think." The Marchioness sat down on an armchair, inviting Linjos to do the same. Watching the Headmaster getting ordered around in his own office, filled Lith with joy.
'I wish it was me with so much power that I could make them all bend the knee! No more hiding, no more lies. Just unbridled power!'
"What do you mean?" Linjos asked after sitting behind his desk.
"You see, I am partially at fault for this whole situation. If I had just told the truth from the beginning, nothing would have happened. Unfortunately, I had my own reasons, so I hope you do understand how confidential what I am about to share with you is."
The Headmaster's interest was piqued, and while Lith had no idea what she was talking about, he was a liar skilled enough to know when to shut up and let her work.
"Of course, everything you say will never leave this room. You have my word."
"You see, I met Lith a few years ago, and I was so amazed by his skill and talent that I took him as my apprentice." She closed in to the desk, almost whispering.
Both men were taken aback by that revelation.
"So Nerea actually taught him only the basics, it was actually I who imparted the ways of magic to him. The problem was, and still is, that my family is under the scrutiny of too many eyes. I have too many enemies.
"So, to prevent one of them from snuffing him out before he could achieve his true potential, we decided to keep everything a secret and let the world think that Count Lark and Nerea were the ones actually taking care of him."
"That would explain a lot!" Linjos exclaimed in shock. "His achievements are too outstanding for someone without a proper background. It also explains why the Court has taken the matter so seriously, despite the fact that it came from a lower noble's appeal."
'Well, f*ck you too, mate.' Lith thought. 'Diss Lark one more time, and you and I will have a problem.'
"Exactly." The Marchioness nodded, passing him several papers that she pulled out from one of the rings she wore.
"I still can't afford the truth to see the light, you know what happened to my daughter. So, I would really like to avoid officially forcing you to accept him with the authority entrusted to me by the King. It would raise a fuss on multiple levels.
"I hope that you can understand my position and that those documents will give you leverage enough to defend your standing, if the Council tries to reprimand you."
Linjos read the papers, and at some point, almost jumped up from his chair.
"He is the one that cured your daughter and extracted the magical poison our labs are currently studying?" He simply could not believe his eyes.
The best healers among the Griffon academies staff had tried and failed, whereas a kid was supposed to have correctly diagnosed the nature of the illness and managed to cure it.
"I'm sorry for being rude once again, but all the testimonies come from your family members. The Council will surely object that this is just a ruse to force their hand. This story is simply unbelievable."
"Go to the next page, please." She didn't even care to hide her smirk.
The second page was also a statement. Ainz was one of the witnesses, and he had reported everything he had seen during that day. In his statement, Ainz gave a professional assessment on Lith's skills, pointed out and described the numerous personal spells he had witnessed him using.
Linjos went completely pale.
Ainz testimony was a sworn one, just like the others, but coming from a mage it had a completely different significance from that of a noble.
Doubting his word was the same as calling him a liar and an incompetent, the consequences of which would be terrible.
Despite being so young, his talent and power were beyond question. On top of that, the Black Griffon would become a sworn enemy of anyone who tried to taint their genius' reputation.
Such a heavy insult could even bring Ainz to personally challenge whoever dared to question his judgment, and there was no Headmaster that wanted to face him in direct confrontation, be it a magic duel or a contest of wits.
The two documents were more than enough to defy the will of the Council without repercussions, but Linjos wasn't the kind of man who acted on impulse.
'The fact that I can, doesn't mean that I must do it.' He pondered.
'Whatever I do, I will face a different backlash, either from the Marchioness or the Council. From a political standpoint, there is not much difference, and that makes my decision much easier.
'If this kid is really so talented, it would be a crime against magic to blindly follow the orders of those old fogeys. I remember well how they were opposed to me becoming Headmaster, claiming I was too young and too 'radical' for the position.
'It's time to teach them a lesson. Their wrinkly as*es have been rooted to their chairs for so long that they have forgotten about the passion that teaching magic requires.
'I accepted the position the Queen offered to me because I was disgusted when I saw how academies were being reduced to paper-pushers. They neglect their duty to nurture true talents and bootlick those who are already powerful in exchange for petty political gains.'
The Marchioness waited patiently. Being thoughtful was a plus on her book, only idiots and lapdogs would mindlessly charge toward danger.
"I will be glad to take your disciple in my academy, but only if he reaches the minimum requirements. Under my guidance, there is no favoritism in the White Griffon."
Both the Marchioness and Lith had no objections. Lith had been instructed about the admittance test by Nana well before his visit to the Lightning Griffon. Also, before going to the White Griffon, he had asked for confirmation from the Marchioness.
Nana's admittance had happened decades ago, something could have changed over time, but from Distar's experience, the structure of the exam was still the same.
Headmaster Linjos used his communication amulet to assemble the Heads of all the magical departments in the test room. Lith was curious to explore the academy, but the Headmaster opened another dimensional door, bringing them directly to their destination.
It was a big square room, with each side thirty meters (33 yards) long, that seemed carved out of a single huge piece of stone. The walls, floor, and ceiling were all smooth with no gaps except for a door.
The only pieces of furniture were several chairs lined up against a wall, were the Marchioness, the Headmaster, and the faculty heads sat as soon as they came out of several dimensional doors.
Lith felt a new respect for fake mages. Compressing space with such ease, allowing instant movements was something beyond his wildest dreams.
When all the seven Heads arrived, the Headmaster said:
"Show us your basics."
He was asking Lith to show his proficiency with chore magic, the foundation of all magics.
'If only you knew what you are missing…' Lith Inwardly smiled.
Lith took a deep breath, stimulating his mana core to its maximum output. He stood straight, extending his right hand upwards, right above his head, generating a sphere of dazzling white light the size of a chestnut.
His sharp hearing could already listen to some whispered comments.
"Perfect silent light magic. Trivial but effective." Said one of the Heads.
"Let's hope he can do something better, I have so much paperwork in my office…" Commented another.
Lith openly smiled, moving his arm clockwise, and when it reached two o'clock a bright red fireball appeared.
"Two kinds of perfect silent magic! Not bad, for a commoner."
"Double casting, finally something interesting."
Lith's arm kept moving in a fluid movement, not giving them the time to chat. At four o'clock a small thundercloud appeared. The audience started to get interested.
"Triple casting at twelve years?"
"What the f*ck? Triple perfect silent…"
The arm reached six o'clock, and a blot of pure darkness started to consume its surrounding light, pulsing with hunger. Both the Headmaster and the Marchioness had already understood what it was, but while the Marchioness had seen Lith in action, Linjos was shocked.
"It couldn't be Silverwing's…"
At eight o'clock rock, dust and dirt condensed into a small round stone, while at eleven o'clock a small bubble of water constantly shifted between gas, liquid, and frozen states.
"By the gods! Hexacasting with perfect silent magic!"
"That's almost Magus Silverwing's Mana Hexagram."
"The last student that managed to do that…"
The Headmaster hit the department Head with the elbow, forcing him to shut up. Lith's interest was piqued. Why interrupt him? Was the identity of the student a secret?
'There is no almost.' He thought.
His arm didn't stop, at the second round of his hand, the single dots of energy became connected by tendrils of power, forming a perfect hexagram inscribed in a circle.
Through the shared connections, energy started to circulate, until the single elements disappeared, leaving only a golden hexagram floating in the air. (AN: If you have problems imagining the result, just look again at the book's cover :P)
That was the reason why Nana had been admitted back in the day, and she had passed it down to Lith.
Lochra Silverwing's Mana Hexagram was a rare feat, that barely one magician out of a hundred was capable to perform. It was an exercise that demonstrated not only mastery over all the elements, but also a deep understanding of the flow of mana.
It emphasized the mental strength and focus of its caster. It was an unwritten rule that whoever was capable of casting the Mana Hexagram was automatically admitted, even if they were a slave.
After that Lith started to cast fake magic spells as fast as he could. Now he had to prove his mastery and control over the first three tiers of magic to skip the beginner's years.
He was supposed to cast at least twenty tier one spells, but he performed thirty. He could have done more, but he had decided to avoid overachieving.
Lith had already studied and memorized all the White Griffon records, if geniuses scored 110/100, 90/100 was a perfectly fine result for him.
He didn't want to get too much spotlight, just enough to get his talent recognized and maybe turn some professors into his backers. That way he would be able to spend the next two years in a calm and peaceful environment.
He was there to learn, not to fight. Lith stopped at tier three spells, going further would be too dangerous. Not only would he have exposed too much talent, but he would also risk skipping the fourth year.
Specialization courses started on the fourth year, and Lith wanted to remain in the academy long enough to assimilate everything it had to offer about forgemastering, and maybe even healing. Not to mention that he still needed powerful backers.
When he finished, there was no applause or congratulations, but the convened mages huddled up, starting to discuss wildly. Their 'whispers' were loud enough that even with his old hearing Lith would still be able to listen to them.
"Outstanding performance." The Marchioness had left the group as soon as the discussion started, she had no place in it.
"Thanks." Lith pretended to be tired and short of breath.
"Do you think I'm in?"
"Most definitely, unless heaven and earth turn upside down."
Thank you very much for your support, guys.
It's hard to express how your comments helps me find the motivation to keep writing.
Some bad news, tho. Between my job, looking for a better job and writing my novel I fear I'm overloading myself. I could take a pause of a couple of days, sooner or later.
Thanks for your understanding.
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