Li Xiang arrived at the apartment Waver Velvet rented on Druid Street.
As he entered the hall, he noticed the elderly woman sitting in the manager's area to the left. She was petting a cat on her lap and nodded slightly when she saw him. This apartment was part of the El-Melloi estate, and although the old lady was advanced in years, her memory was sharp. She remembered that Li Xiang was a student of Lord El-Melloi II.
Li Xiang smiled and greeted her before heading upstairs. The building was quiet, with no sounds of conversation. The last time he had met Waver was in the hall; this time, he was directed to a room on the second floor.
As he approached the door, he heard a faint humming—an old, delicate melody. He instantly guessed that it was Gray, singing softly in what seemed to be Old English.
He raised his hand and knocked lightly on the door.
A short gasp followed, and the door opened instantly.
"Teacher..." Gray started, but upon seeing that it was Li Xiang and not Waver, she quickly lowered her head, allowing her hood to obscure her delicate features.
The girl held a small cloth in her hands, and the faint scent of shoe polish lingered in the air.
"Hello, Gray," Li Xiang said, trying to speak gently so as not to startle her. He smiled and added, "Teacher asked me to come. You remember me, right? I'm Li Xiang."
"I remember," Gray replied, nodding slightly. She turned and sat on a small round stool by the door, continuing, "Um... Teacher went out to get some materials. He said if you arrived, you should wait for him."
"Alright."
Li Xiang entered the room and sat on the sofa by the coffee table, waiting quietly.
Gray returned to her task, polishing Waver's shoes. Li Xiang fidgeted with his fingers, unsure how to start a conversation. He was curious to see the face that was said to be identical to Artoria's, but he knew it was a sensitive topic for Gray.
Her wide sleeves concealed Add, the sharp-tongued holy spear Rhongomyniad, which was said to simulate King Arthur's personality and also had seals from various Knights of the Round Table.
"That song you were humming earlier was really nice," Li Xiang said, trying to break the silence. "The melody feels ancient, though I didn't understand the words."
"Ah? Thank you," Gray responded before falling silent again.
Li Xiang scratched his head, feeling awkward. 'This is tough,' he thought. As a hardcore introvert in his previous life, he was great at making sarcastic comments online, but finding topics to discuss in real life was a real challenge.
"Is it a song from your homeland?" he ventured.
"...I learned it in my homeland, but I don't know if it's directly related," Gray replied, her voice soft and hesitant.
"It sounds like Old English, perhaps from the era of the Heptarchy in Britain," Li Xiang noted, hoping to keep the conversation going.
Gray's shoulders trembled slightly, but she didn't respond.
"Sorry," Li Xiang quickly added, realizing that mentioning Britain likely brought up unwanted memories. He knew that thoughts of Britain would inevitably remind her of the King of Knights. "I didn't mean to pry."
"It's... it's okay," Gray murmured.
The silence returned, more awkward than before.
Fortunately, it wasn't long before the door opened and Waver entered, removing his leather boots.
"Thank you," Waver said, handing his boots to Gray.
"Teacher," Li Xiang greeted, standing up.
Waver nodded, holding a stack of documents. "Come with me to the study."
Once they were seated, Waver wasted no time in getting to the point. "I heard you joined the Policies and Regulations Department?"
"Yes."
"Be careful around Hishiri Adashino. She's not a simple woman," Waver advised, his tone not accusatory but cautionary. "Since you've chosen this path, you'll need to be extremely careful to continue down it."
"Ah, no, Teacher, you misunderstand," Li Xiang replied, smiling sheepishly. "I didn't join to become a full member; I'm just... short on funds."
Mentioning money seemed to touch a nerve as Waver rubbed his temples. "Under normal circumstances, students in the Modern Magecraft Department can apply for research grants and necessary funds from their lecturers. But given your current situation, pursuing research topics might be difficult. Joining the Policies and Regulations Department might be your best option under the circumstances. Fortunately, you're an external member, so most of the assignments will involve running errands. The real danger shouldn't concern you."
"Yes."
Li Xiang didn't mention that Hishiri Adashino seemed to have a strangely favorable attitude toward him. It was a detail he himself couldn't fully explain.
"The reason I called you here today is to go over your magecraft studies," Waver continued, picking up the documents. "I've collected your records from various department lecturers. You've been diligent in class and have shown particular effort during breaks. You're focusing on basic magecraft?"
"Yes, because basic spells are relatively simple and practical. I wanted to learn as many as possible for self-defense."
"You're going about this the wrong way."
Waver's tone became more serious, similar to when he was teaching in class—precise and methodical. "Learning basic spells is a good starting point, but your approach is too chaotic. Your records show you've borrowed books from various departments, touching on almost every field. It's too scattered. A normal person doesn't have the energy to study so many different systems of magecraft. What you're doing is reminiscent of Chaos Magecraft, but I wouldn't recommend you delve into that system."
"Actually... I've already mastered them all."
"What?" Waver blinked, thinking he must have misheard. "You've only been at the Clock Tower for half a month. Normally, mastering four or five spells would be considered impressive. How could you have learned them all?"
"Does it take that long?" Li Xiang asked, confused. "I didn't think it was that difficult. You just need to practice each first-level spell twenty or thirty times, right?"
"..."
Waver stared at Li Xiang, his expression slowly shifting to one of disbelief. "Technically, yes. First-level spells have fewer syllables and are easier to memorize. But using them is a different matter. It's like learning to drive—you can memorize the theory all you want, but when you actually get behind the wheel, it's a mess. You need long periods of practice to develop muscle memory before you can truly say you've mastered a spell. Magecraft requires intense concentration; how could you possibly master anything with just twenty or thirty attempts?"
Li Xiang was silent for a moment, understanding Waver's point. However, with Irigal's system displaying his progress numerically, he could skip the extensive practice required for most people. Once a spell's progress hit 100%, the system deemed it mastered.
He opened his magic circuits, demonstrating his proficiency by casting thirty different spells in quick succession.
Waver held his breath, a pained expression crossing his face.
"Another genius?"
What a dazzling light...
Although Waver had come to terms with his own mediocrity, he still harbored the hope of becoming a top-tier mage. But seeing yet another student of such extraordinary talent, he couldn't help but feel a mix of joy and envy.
His voice, now tinged with melancholy, asked, "Your elemental attribute is Earth?"
"Yes, Teacher."
Being able to discern elemental attributes at a glance was no small feat. Waver was indeed worthy of his title as Lord El-Melloi II. Despite owing his position to Reines, he had held it for ten years by his own merits. As a dismantler of mysteries who could see through and break down various forms of magecraft, Waver had earned his place.
"Your magecraft specialization is Conversion. This trait is well-suited for learning Gem Magecraft from the Mineralogy Department. It allows you to store your mana in gemstones without loss. If you're interested, you can apply to study there as well. The Clock Tower permits exceptional talents to pursue multiple disciplines."
Conversion... If he remembered correctly, both Rin Tohsaka and Luvia Edelfelt also specialized in Conversion, excelling in Gem Magecraft. But... that path would lead to financial ruin!
In magecraft terms, a specialization or "trait" is an attribute that extends the applicability of one's elemental affinity. A mage can possess multiple traits, but each family typically has a specific trait they excel in.
Simply put, a mage with the Conversion trait can cast Gem Magecraft faster and more powerfully than a regular mage.
But there's another type of magecraft well-suited to the Conversion trait: Primodial Rune Magecraft.
The era of the Seven Kingdoms in Britain, before the time of King Arthur's legend...