After half an hour, Ranav and Paramita went shopping. The shoe store was near her estate, so they arrived quickly. They bought sneakers and shoes for Ranav. Meanwhile, Paramita spotted a pair of crystal shoes she liked and purchased them as well. She asked Ranav to put on the new sneakers and store his old ones in the box. Then, she instructed the shopkeeper to deliver the shoes to her house and collect payment there.
As they exited the shop, Paramita asked, "Do you want to go for a stroll, or is there a specific place you'd like to visit?"
"I'd like to visit the magic school. If you have time, we can go there. I know it's just a regular place for you since you're a student, but maybe you can still show me around?" Ranav replied, sounding a bit shy.
"Not at all! It's great that you picked a place I know like the back of my hand. I'd be happy to show you around, especially since Mom asked me to take care of you," she said with a grin.
"Okay, let's go!"
"If we walk, we'll be too tired to explore the school properly. The school compound is larger than our estate. Let's hire a carriage."
They soon found an empty horse carriage and started their journey. Unlike the bumpy village roads, the roads here were smooth, making the ride comfortable. Along the way, Paramita pointed out several notable stores. Ranav was amazed to see alchemy shops, weapon stores, medicinal herb stores, and even shops selling tamed beasts.
In about fifteen minutes, they arrived at the school gate. After paying the coachman, they stepped into the school grounds. It was a massive establishment. Playing fields stretched on either side of the road leading to the academic building. On one field, students were playing football, with a group of supporters cheering enthusiastically on the sidelines.
Ranav asked, "Aunt said the school is on holiday. Why are there still so many students here?"
"Our holiday this time lasts only five days. Students from distant areas usually stay in the dormitories. Only the locals go home," Paramita explained.
"Do you stay in the dormitory during regular school days?"
"No. Those who can afford it or already have a residence in town don't live in the dorm. I have a room there for convenience, but I don't stay overnight. I just use it to rest sometimes," she replied.
Pointing ahead, she continued, "That five-story building is our academic building. General classes like history, languages, basic magic, geography, math, and natural sciences are held there. The ground floor houses administrative offices, while classrooms and teachers' offices are on the upper floors."
"What about magic classes?" Ranav asked.
"Magic classes aren't held there. Behind this building are several three-story department buildings dedicated to magic. Let's head there."
When they reached the back of the academic building, Ranav noticed it looked identical to the front.
He asked, "The front and back of this building look the same. How do you tell which side is the front?"
Paramita laughed. "Honestly, I'm not sure. Everyone refers to this side as the back and the other as the front, so I just follow along. Maybe it's because the main entrance is on the other side."
Pointing to the right, she said, "That's the Light Department building. I'm currently part of it. If I awaken another element later, I'll be transferred to that department, but I'll retain my studentship in the Light Department. Only those who've awakened can enter these department buildings."
As they walked, Paramita explained each department. At the end of the row stood a massive two-story building adorned with several domes.
"What's this enormous building?" Ranav asked.
"This is the school library. It has two floors. The ground floor is accessible to all students, but only awakened students can enter the first floor," Paramita explained.
"It's huge. The number of books here must be incredible. If I could enter and Jessica could scan all the books... My powers would grow leaps and bounds! Ah, Jessica! When will you wake up? You're missing all the fun," Ranav thought wistfully.
"Can I enter the library?" he asked aloud.
"No, only students are allowed. We have to deposit our identity cards at the entrance to receive a token. This token acts as a key to unlock the shelves. If you enroll in the school, you'll get access," she replied.
After a pause, she added, "We'll take the road to the right now. The left road leads to the dormitory. There's nothing exciting there. On the right, we have the Beast Taming Department and the Heavenly Tower. The Beast Taming Department is especially thrilling- you'll get to see some amazing creatures. Outsiders can view them from a distance."
After a short walk, Paramita pointed to a single-story building. "That's the Beast Taming Department," she said.
Walking along a side road, they reached the back of the building, where a massive steel cage housed various beasts roaming freely. Smaller cages inside the large one held fiercer-looking creatures. Ranav recognized some of the beasts: tigers, lions, giant eagles, white wolves, Alicantos, Chamroshes, Sarimanoks, Barghests, and more. Seeing them in real life was far more exhilarating than reading about them or seeing pictures in books.
"If I ever get the chance, I want to learn more about these beasts. It'll be invaluable if I encounter them in the future," Ranav thought.
"Is there any way to study these beasts?" he asked.
"No, only Beast Taming Department students can interact with and learn about them. There are some books in the library, but access depends on your token's level," Paramita explained.
"It's a pity the school restricts access to books this way. Why not provide them to all students?"
"You may not know, but the books here are of exceptional quality and limited in number. If a book gets damaged, the school would suffer a significant loss. Many students couldn't afford to replace even one with their family's entire savings. Besides, the tokens are tailored to a student's magic level. It's a fair system," she replied.
"Now that you mention it, it does seem reasonable. Let's move on."
They left the Beast Taming Department and approached the Heavenly Tower, a ten-story building with each floor smaller than the one below it.
Noticing Ranav's curiosity, Paramita explained, "This is the most important place for magic students. Here, we fight doppelgangers created by arrays. Each of the ten levels offers a reward upon completion. Students can challenge the tower twice a year, and the rewards are crucial for magical progress. I've completed the second level but lost on the third. I received a silver-level blessing stone as a reward. Do you know the levels of magical artifacts?"
"I've read about them, but you can explain," Ranav said.
"There are five levels: Bronze, Silver, Gold, Diamond, and Heavenly. Blessing stones, for example, speed up meditation. A bronze-level stone doubles meditation efficiency, while a silver-level stone makes it four times faster. So, meditating for one hour with a silver stone gives the results of four hours."
"I'm envious! Just one question- are the rewards fixed?"
"No one knows how rewards are determined. The array was created by the school's first principal, and he took its secrets to the grave. But people say the reward always aligns with what the student needs most for their progress."