Zack walked slowly up to the moon towers' doors. Gulping silently he pushed the doors open and stepped inside. Zack thought the outside was beautiful but it was nothing compared to the inside.
While the outside was made of pure untainted white marble, the inside was made of a beautiful luminesce black glass-like stone that shined in the torchlight. Looking closer Zack could see gold lining running through the stone like lightning through storm clouds. And as if that weren't beautiful enough, from the all-glass roof hang a black and gold chandelier that lit the entirety of the main room.
All the floors, which were made of black pearl-like stone, were connected to the main room by teleportation magic circles, in total there were three hundred and twelve floors each containing knowledge gathered by humans before and after the great fall. Though much of what could be gathered before the great fall was useless or incomplete, humanity valued it as valuable information to learn and grow from.
Inside the gold pillars holding the three hundred floors up were mana stones, which were used to power the teleportation circles. Mana stones are special crystal-like rocks that absorb the mana in the air around them. Humans figured out a way to use these stones to power many of the past inventions that still remain today. though since mana stones are rare you don't see many of them being used.
Zack gapped at the twelve bolder sized crystals, he'd never seen mana stones that were so large. "Where do you even find mana stones so big," Zack whispered to himself.
"They were a gift from our elf friends in The Forest of Lua," The admins' voice said from behind Zack. "It's a mana rich zone because it sits on top of a leyline intersection, apparently stones this big are considered the small ones." Zack couldn't believe these were considered small, he swore to himself he'd go visit the Lua Forest one day. "Alright, that's enough gawking let's go the others are waiting." The admin said.
Zack quickly followed the man to where the others were waiting. Zack knew he'd screwed up once he saw the both of them, they both wore pure white clothing made from what looked like fancy silks and cotton, they were dressed in a manner that would make them seem to be noblemen had Zack not seen them before today, while Zack was dressed in light armor and a long black jacket with chainmail sown into it.
He'd dressed in the cleanest clothing he had, but he still couldn't help but feel somewhat insecure and out of place. Trying to ignore the feeling Zack greeted the others, who greeted him back and to his delight didn't mention his lack of formalwear. "Right, now that the three of you are here we can get going," the admin said. the three followed the admin outside a small group of mages that surrounded four horses. Zack mounted a large black stallion that seemed to like him. Once the others had mounted their horses the admin ordered the other mages to advance with the three new recruits in the middle, and himself at the head of the group.
It took the better part of an hour to get to the castle, in the spare time they had to get there the admin explained to the others that a grimoire isn't actually a book but a stone that, when mana is run through it, forms an object that can manipulate mana strands into spells, and that while most people prefer books they can actually be anything the wielder wants even live animals. Zack was happy to hear this because he had doubts that he could fight and read at the same time.
The admin also explained that the incantation of a spell only has to be said once to preform it after that the spell's name will suffice, and that a spell's name is committed to the grimoires' memory so the spell caster doesn't need to remember it, once the spell is needed the name will come to mind as if remembering your own name. Zack was happy to hear this as well because saying a long spell or trying to remember a spell's name while trying to dodge an attack would be difficult, to say the least.
Once they'd reached the castle gates Zack almost fell from his horse at the greeting they got, from the gate to the castle's entrance was a line of royal knights, the admin called a halt to the walk to the castle. The knight commander, leader of the royal knights, drew his sword and face his men then ordered them to do the same. Each knight drew his blade and held it in front of him then when the knight commander ordered them to salute they each plunged their swords into the ground and knelt down griping the guard with both hands.
The admin began to advance forward again and the other began to follow behind him, each of the three staring at the knights who bowed their heads to them. "I don't get it," Lin said. "You'd think we're royalty the way these guys are acting."
"Technically you are noblemen now," the admin said. "You are all now directly under his highness the king so you are all granted titles and lands to lord over."
Zack nearly fell from his horse after hearing this. Lord of his own land, Zack loved the sound of that.
They dismounted their horses once they'd reached the castles' grand doors and were escorted to a large room with a large golden throne sitting on a small rise of five steps, on that throne sat a tall but frail-looking old man, Zack knew immediately that this was their king.
"All bow before your king, king Baldwin the eighth," the knight commander announced. everyone dropped to one knee and lowered their heads.
"All Hail The King, May He Live A Long Life," they all said at once. "May Our Service To Our King Benefit Our Great Kingdom." this was a pledge taken by all in the kingdom and is said as a prayer by many who live in or near the capital. Zack remembered it all by heart.
"You may rise," the king said in a weak weary voice. "We are here today to celebrate the new mages who would join my royal mage unit, so let us rejoice with food drinks and entertainment, but first let us offer our new friends their grimoires."