We had dinner at a pasta place, which honestly didn't suit my strong preferences for food, but was good anyways. We talked about a lot of things, from our past to our futures, and I even found out that Sam was actually a 'commoner' just like me, and the others already knew about it from the beginning. Apparently, Sam '...looks so much like a commoner that I wouldn't believe even if he actually was from noble background!...'.
I also got to know about the guys a bit more. Fred was gentle and patient, maybe even uncaring of his surroundings. Pim was kind and educated, and very observant. Sam had started off pretty shy, but got increasingly more active with time. He was the one leading most of the conversations now. All in all, everything seemed to have worked out well.
I'm just thankful I didn't get placed in a room with some snobby nobles... like that Erick guy.
I also had to thank the great standards of living in our country. I've heard that education and health were not 'universal rights' to be demanded, but 'priviledges' to be obtained. Though it staggers me to think about why the world is still like this...
...
By the time we were returning to the dorms, it was past 2000 (it reads 'twenty hundred' when speaking of the time).
Eventually, our conversation reached our recommended training methods. Fred had said his family had a secret scripture that their mages have used from long ago, and Pim was going for the classic combination of meditation and book-reading. Sam, however, had a rather strange one:
"So, my list kinda goes like this..."
- Music Craft: Excelent Affinity.
A symphony that wakes the inner light,
Each note a key that opens hidden doors.
The melody reveals the truth in sight,
And guides us to the wisdom at its core.
In every verse, a story softly blooms,
A journey painted with each passing chord.
The music weaves a tapestry that looms,
And guides our thoughts to where our hopes are stored.
...
"...It has some more lines about waves this, sound representations there, but I'll spare you those. The other one was like this..."
- Animal Mimicry: Great Affinity.
In the stillness of the forest, the owl waits, eyes wide, gathering the dark secrets of the night. Its wings, soft as whispers, carry the knowledge of the unseen. The fox, nimble and wise, dances between shadows, finding paths hidden from the human eye, each step a lesson in the art of subtlety.
Here, in the quiet observation, lies a truth unspoken—a world where instincts are guides, and wisdom flows not from thought, but from being.
"Is that all?" I asked, with blatant surprise.
Sam nodded, "It does give me more instructions and book references, but that's basically all."
"How interesting." Fred said. "Are you going to try both?"
"Hmm, nahh. I tried to learn the guitar once, but it was too hard so I quit. I'll stick to the mimicry one, I've always loved animals and pets. I had a dog back in Atrani, his name is Dedee."
"I feel you, man... What about you, Leaf? You have a bunch of them but they are all Average, right? What are you going to choose?"
Pim had a good memory, apparently.
"I'm not sure. I was thinking of asking a professor tomorrow."
"That may be for the best. Well, since we are going to the library, you could also ask the librarian."
"Since when were we going to the library?"
...
We got into Young's Summit, the leftmost indigo spire of the set, and went to the 10th floor. Now I finally knew what all the seven towers were called. From left to right when looking from Misiones they were: North Star #1, Young's Summit, North Star #2, Huygen's Zenith, North Star #3, Maxwell's Culmination and North Star #4.
I would only know this later but all our classes until the fourth year were taken in the North Star Towers. The indigo towers were mostly labs and offices.
Despite the technological advances of the last eras, the Academy still had physical books. Though most of their data was certainly digital, having books from aeons back could be of great motivation for students. Of course, that didn't mean the library had an old architecture. On the contrary, it was enourmous and made use of extensive automatic cleaning and protection devices. Terminals were all around to help you find what you needed, and there were several desks where people could use for studying.
As we entered the Student Library, I noticed there were some people talking to the librarian-receptionist. They looked young, so they were probably first years like us.
The librarian spoke some words and they went in. When it was our turn, the boys asked for book recommendations (and guidelines to use the library), and I then asked for help in choosing my method.
"If I seem to understand correctly, your training method recommendations gave you a dozen methods with average affinities, so you don't know what to choose?"
The man adjusted his spectacles once I nodded.
"I have heard of somewhat similar cases. In this case, there are two options. You either choose the one that looks better, or test them one by one to find the method that suits you the most. I recommend at least two methods if you wish to go with the fisrt alternative, just to maxime your chances. All known methods for training magic are stored in the Academy's data lake, so if you need something specific just let me know and I'll get it for you."
"Understood, thank you for your help. I think I'll choose a couple first and come back to you for the instructions."
"Okay. You can take a seat over there. Remember that the library closes at 2200."
I thought about my options as I took a seat.
"Let's see..."