The Magic Tower's archive was extensive and vast. There were numerous books, scrolls, and other things being stored here. It truly served as a treasure trove for researchers. Even Lucas couldn't help but marvel at its sight and didn't even know where to start.
"Hmm…." Lucas approached the guidebook and the map of the archive area. "List of sections," he said to the book. The book shuddered, and then, on the page, it provided him with the list of available sections.
"Fascinating, it recognizes me, huh." The archive likely registered his existence through the ID card, connecting it to the book.
"Show me everything in the basic section in a list," and the book displayed a comprehensive list of every object registered in the basic section. Lucas used EoO to locate the books he had already read, and dismissed them. He repeated this process for every section he could access. He also went to search for tomes, but unfortunately, any tomes that offered instant spell learning were restricted to him. Too bad, he had been genuinely looking forward to it.
"Alright, guide me to the basic section." A pinpoint appeared on the map, and a dashed line connected his position to the pinpoint's location.
"Thank you," he muttered. While he didn't consider expressing gratitude necessary, he felt there was nothing wrong with it. Who knows, someone behind the creation of the system in the archive to guide readers might feel happy after being thanked, assuming they heard him.
Lucas began to scour through every available reading material he had not encountered back at home. The wealth of information was vast, and time seemed insufficient. He doubted whether he could manage to finish reading everything. He could likely only record all of them within this week and read them later. Nonetheless, he planned to read a selection within the week anticipating that his parents might inquire about his readings in the archive. He could simply activate EoO and answer their questions by reading the record, but that would feel unnatural, and he wasn't confident about appearing natural while engrossed in reading.
Lunchtime arrived, and Lucas left the archive to grab a bite. Upon reaching the cafeteria, he used his EoO to observe the mages enjoying their meal. He had not yet observed the other mages when arriving here. By gathering more information, it would allow him to make estimations and gain a better understanding of how EoO worked.
Most of the mages in the cafeteria ranged from tier 3 to tier 4. Only a few were tier 5, and none reached tier 6. Then again, he didn't expect those at higher tiers to mingle in public unless they aimed to cause a commotion, as individuals at higher tiers were often perceived as celebrities.
Some of the mages looked at him curiously, given that he was an oddity here. After all, he was the only child present, while the rest were teenagers or older. Fortunately, none of them questioned him, and he wasn't in the mood for conversation with strangers.
'Hmmm…. Those with high attributes easily advanced to a higher tier,' Lucas noted, observing the difference in attributes among the mages. Lucas pondered, 'Most of the tier 4 mages here are the same age as Brother Steve or Sister Ros. What prevents them from reaching tier 5 yet? Some of them even have the same or more attributes than them, and yet they are still one tier below…. Are they in the same situation as my parents? Not achieving a breakthrough?'
'I suppose attributes are not everything. Mindset and enlightenment are critical as well, and they are something I can't discern with EoO.'
"Hmm …. So you are Aunt Isabella's son?" A voice interrupted Lucas' thoughts. Turning to the chirpy girl's voice, he saw a young girl looking at him with curiosity.
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Name: Olenna Kastarn
Race: Human
Age: 14
Gender: Female
Magic tier: 4
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Strength: 13/51
Dexterity: 30/94
Speed: 25/80
Endurance: 18/48
Will: 67/88
Mana: 52/98
Magic: 58/99
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Talent:
Child of Wind
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Skill:
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'Kastarn?' his eyes widened. The Kastarn family was his mother's family, and known for their magical bloodline. Although not a noble family, they had become one of the important families in the Magic Tower. 'Her attributes are impressive …. And that talent.'
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Description: Olenna Kastarn is blessed by the wind element, making mastery of wind magic will come easily to her. However, this specialization makes her less adept in other forms of magic, though not to a debilitating extent.>
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'A named talent is much more powerful than a simple major talent, but it has its own drawbacks. Ah…. I should reply,' Lucas realized that he had been too quiet. He stood and bowed to Olenna. "Pleasure to meet you, Olenna Kastarn."
"Oh? You know me?"
"My mother speaks highly of you. She says you are a talented mage, achieving tier 4 at such a young age." While his mother did talk about Olenna's talent, she didn't mention her reaching tier 4. Nevertheless, his comment made Olenna look happy and borderline smug.
"Hmph, of course, I am a genius after all," she replied haughtily, and Lucas had no doubt about that.
"Shall we sit, Cousin?"
"Yes, and call me Olenna," she said while sitting opposite him. "Where is Aunt?" She asked immediately.
"Mother is with my sister, Liliya. They are in the city and will come back here in the afternoon."
"Is that so?" She tried to appear unconcerned, but it was clear that she was disappointed. It seemed she held a fondness for his mother.
"Anyway, what brought you here?" she asked. "You are still tier 1, right?"
Lucas nodded. "Do you know about my circumstances?"
Olenna shook her head.
"I can't use magic. Every time I try to cast a spell, my magic ends in failure, and I will receive a backlash."
"Is it not because you cast it incorrectly?" It might sound insulting if others said that, but Olenna was genuinely curious.
"No, I cast it perfectly. I can prove it to you if you want, but just not here," Lucas replied. He wasn't afraid to cast the spell despite receiving a backlash. He was already used to it, and the backlash was still minimal too.
"Okay, so why come here?"
"I'm hoping to do research about it and find a way for me to enroll in the academy without using magic directly. Magic Tower has vast knowledge, and I hope it can help me."
"That's true! Magic Tower's archive is the best! You can find everything there!" she stated proudly.
"I hope so," he replied with a wry smile. He doubted they had any information about tier 8 magic though. And even if they did, he doubted he could access it easily. "Are you here to eat, cousin?"
"Call me Olenna, and no, I just want to meet your mom, you, and your sister."
"Then, call me Lucas. Would you like to teach me a bit?"
"Hm? What do you want to know?"
"Your experience. As a tier 4 mage. What have you experienced so far, and what should I prepare to reach your level?"
Olenna looked smug. "Heh, then listen, to become as strong as me, you obviously need to be talented! Then, you need to learn and train a lot! But everyone does that, so what makes me different?"