Aretuza, located on the island of Thanedd, northwest of Gors Velen in Temeria, resembles a magnificent castle carved from the island's rocks. A massive stone bridge, hundreds of meters long, connects it to the mainland, creating a breathtaking sight.
The college is illuminated day and night by magical lights, casting an aura of awe upon all who visit. As one of the largest magic academies in the North, Aretuza specializes in training female sorceresses, actively seeking out girls with magical talent and purchasing them from their parents for training. This makes Thanedd Island a sacred place for sorceresses throughout the North.
A powerful magical barrier surrounds the academy, preventing unauthorized entry and prohibiting teleportation spells. Anyone wishing to enter must cross the bridge on foot. Even Triss and Keira, despite their status as royal advisors, must open their portal in a nearby town and await permission before entering.
Emerging from the portal, Wayne felt disoriented. Unlike the smooth transition through the spatial rift, this felt like being put through a washing machine's spin cycle. He was dizzy, nauseous, and his organs felt like they were twisting. Triss and Keira, accustomed to the spell, watched him with amusement, knowing his enhanced witcher senses amplified the discomfort caused by the portal's spatial distortion.
After Wayne recovered, the trio didn't linger in town. They cleaned up and headed across the stone bridge to Aretuza. Triss and Keira had already arranged the visit with Margarita through a megascope. When they arrived at the college gates, the tall, statuesque headmistress was waiting for them.
"Headmistress, thank you for welcoming us," Triss greeted.
"Triss, Keira, as outstanding graduates, you're always welcome to lecture at the academy," Margarita replied warmly.
"You're too kind. We owe our achievements to the academy's training," Triss responded.
After exchanging pleasantries, Triss introduced Wayne to Margarita. Before he could speak, Margarita extended her hand with a smile. "Welcome to Aretuza, Wayne. Triss has informed me of your purpose. While she and Keira lecture, I'll have someone escort you to our library. The first floor will be open to you, where you can access some public books and materials."
"As for books with higher authority," Margarita continued, "I need to consider carefully before deciding whether to sell them to you." She winked at Wayne with a knowing smile and extended the back of her hand for him to kiss.
Wayne glanced at Triss, whose expression remained unchanged, and then leaned down to gently kiss Margarita's hand. The headmistress retracted her hand and turned to a young woman dressed as a student, about fourteen or fifteen years old. "Amiya," she said, "please escort this gentleman to our library. Inform Administrator Wesson to grant him access to the first floor."
Margarita turned back to Wayne with a smile. "Regarding the books on the first floor, if you wish to purchase any, simply note their titles and give them to Administrator Wesson. However, consider your choices carefully. In this world, knowledge is the most valuable currency. The books in our academy hold many secrets and are rarely sold to outsiders, commanding high prices. Of course, as friends, you'll receive a generous discount. But you must repay me with a lovely dinner."
Wayne laughed at Margarita's playful tone. "Of course, no problem, Headmistress Margarita. I'll prepare a sumptuous dinner for everyone at Triss's residence this evening, as a thank you for your assistance."
After more pleasantries, Triss and Keira followed Margarita into the academy, presumably to prepare for their lectures. Wayne, accompanied by Amiya, made his way to the vast library. As a centuries-old magic academy, Aretuza's library boasted an extensive collection. Wayne estimated over 100,000 books on the first floor alone.
Margarita had been considerate. Amiya, after securing the necessary permissions from the white-bearded librarian, Wesson, remained by Wayne's side. " Wayne," she whispered, "the headmistress asked me to stay with you today. I'm familiar with the library; if you need help finding any books, I can assist you."
Wayne nodded his thanks, causing Amiya to blush and reply it was merely the headmistress's orders. The young sorceress was pretty and well-mannered, clearly not from a rural background. Perhaps due to limited exposure to men, she seemed shy around Wayne.
However, upon entering the library, Wayne became engrossed in studying. After sometime Wayne merely smiled towards Amiya and said,
"Miss Amiya, could you please help me find all the books about witchers? I'm interested in them," Wayne requested, still disguised as a nobleman. For this visit, he had donned fine attire, looking nothing like the typical image of a witcher.
Amiya tilted her head, confused but assuming Wayne was an aristocratic youth drawn to the witcher legends. She dutifully fetched numerous books on the topic from the shelves.
Wayne remained composed at first, but as the pile grew to over two hundred, his mouth twitched. The academy's reputation as a repository of knowledge was well-deserved, even collecting so many books related to witchers. Of course, not all contained crucial information. Some were biographies, others stories, and some experimental data.
For the next few days, Wayne immersed himself in the library, voraciously consuming all sorts of knowledge.