It took a while before the two finally told Margarette the whole story. They first got some food and settled at the farthest table in the canteen to make sure they could talk privately.
"So, let me get this straight, you mean, those imperial spies almost caught you, but decided you weren't worth the trouble after all?"
"Yes." Dorin nodded.
"By then, Sebastian already got a punctured lung from a broken rib?"
"Yes." Dorin nodded again.
"Then Damien Wolfsbane came and rescued you and brought you back to his abode in the middle of Dark Forest to heal your injuries."
"Yes." Dorin nodded yet again. "He was out for three days, that's why we just got back this morning. The Dorin and Sebastian you met 3 days ago were changelings sent to take our place."
"Well, that explains a lot!" Margarette sighed.
"By the way, did the other me do anything weird while he was here?" Dorin asked.
"Not really, he still ate a lot, though I did find it queer that you hardly spoke that day." Margarette frowned. "Even Josiah and Professor Dupont looked a bit surprised when you received your award and simply walked off stage without saying a word."
"And I was so looking forward to that awarding ceremony, too," Dorin scowled.
"What about your mother allowing you to study here?" Margarette brightened up.
"Oh, that's true as well, aunt Agate and Marcus and Sebastian talked her into it." Dorin grinned.
"You mean to say that General Briar Rose of the Briar Rose family was here this morning?!?" Margarette suddenly rose in her seat and slapped the table so hard, some students looked at their direction. Sebastian raised his head and stared at her in irritation.
"Shh! It was just a hologram message!" Dorin hushed her.
[It was so clear you wouldn't have thought that it came from more that 500 leagues away.] wrote Sebastian. Margarette looked at him jealously. [She was very lovely.]
"Arghhhh!" Margarette sat back down and grabbed her red hair. "I want to meet her too!"
[She probably won't come until Dorin graduates as an arch mage.]
"Ugh... That would take at least 3 years..." grumbled Margarette. "But wait a minute, wouldn't you rather be in the military division?"
"Marcus said the same thing too, but my mother specifically said arch mage," said Dorin.
"Well, it doesn't really matter though, since you can have cross classes any time you want," said Margarette, finally regaining her composure.
"Cross classes?" Asked Dorin.
[In Aubrianne University, you can take any class you choose] wrote Sebastian, [as long as you have the prerequisites and can follow the lessons.]
"They are not too strict about attendance too, but you would need to pass the exams and exercises, of course," added Margarette. "Even I have a couple of classes in the Science and Technology Department."
"So, you're saying, I can be a Magic student and still be a Military student?" Dorin asked.
[No, you can belong to only one Division.] Sebastian clarified. [I, for example, am part of the Magic Division. I am a 2nd class Mage majoring in Enchantment under the Elemental Magic Division.]
"Ah, a 2nd class mage since this is your 2nd year here, right?" Dorin said with his brows raised.
"Nope," Margarette answered him, "he started as a second class mage when he enrolled last year."
[Students take a magic proficiency test when they first enter University.] Sebastian explained. [You can take it every year if you request for it, but you can only raise your rank when you pass enough subject units.]
"Ah, like a reward game?" Dorin piped in. He was enjoying himself. This school thing seems to be very interesting. "This will be easy then!" he chirped.
"Yes, I guess you could call it that," said Margarette, "but you need to finish a school year to advance to the next class – if you got enough units."
"Oh... a year? Meaning 12 months?" Dorin asked.
[Just 10 months, really. You take 2 months to cool off on vacation.]
"And you said It would take three years at least to become an archmage?" Dorin faced Margarette.
[Less if you can raise your mage class in the proficiency exam. You can also take additional lessons during summer vacation.]
"Good. I can finish this in a year, then." Dorin grinned confidently.
[Unless you take all the classes you want to take in the Military and Sciences and Technology department.]
Dorin's grin disappeared. "Well, I can always schedule the classes to fit..."
"A student can only have a certain number of subject units in one academic year," said Margarette. "Also, any given class can only have a certain number of students."
[They made this rule because there are limited slots for students. There aren't as many professors in University as there were before.] explained Sebastian. [Most alumni prefer to work in other places rather than stay here to teach.]
"So, what major would you like to pursue?" Margarette asked Dorin.
"A major, huh..."Dorin frowned thoughtfully. "What other majors are there anyway?"
[There are 3 Magic divisions, namely Elemental Magic, Mental Magic, and Arcane Magic.]
[The major courses are as follows...] Sebastian enumerated on his slate;
- Enchantment, as you know, deals with wards, charms and enchanting spells
- Healing Arts is headed by your Aunt, Professor Althea
- Magic Defense share some classes directly from the Military Department
- Magical Flora is the study of the magical properties of herbs
- Magical Fauna is the study of magical beings and other races
- Arcane Magic tackles stuff from summoning beings, to animating objects
- Mind Magic includes telekinesis and other powers of the mind
[That's seven majors in all...]
"Wonder what I should choose..." mumbled Dorin.
[You could take Enchantment too, since you're a good artificer. It's also the most profitable course.] wrote Sebastian. [But don't worry, you can change your major anytime you like, although, it's a big waste of time and resources to do so.]
"Or, you could take Magic Defense since you're interested in magical artillery," said Margarette.
"Hmm... It's really hard to choose..."
Dorin was still staring at the list on the slate when Margarette's cellphone rang.
Margarette took her phone out, looked at the name of the caller, and handed it to Dorin.
"Your aunt."
"Oh, thanks..."Dorin took the phone. "Yes, Aunt Agate?"
"Dorin? Where are you?" Agate sounded troubled.
"We're in the canteen with Sebastian," answered Dorin. "Why? Is anything wrong?"
"Nothing much," replied his aunt. "Just don't spend too much. It seems the coins you brought with you had a homing spell. Your mother has taken them all back."
"What?" Dorin was dumbfounded, "What about the ones we've already spent?"
"I will have to take care of that stuff, but for now, you need to curb your expenses," Agate said heatedly, "How on earth did you manage to spend 3 thousand Almas in less than a week?! And that's just your food expenses!"
"But, I'm a growing boy!" Dorin explained.
"Enough!" his aunt said heatedly, "From now on, watch what you eat! Or better yet, stay on your cooking duty so you can eat for free!" she suggested. "In fact, I'll tell Mrs. Cooper to hire you full time so you can earn some pocket money!"
"Eh? But – "
Dorin was interrupted by the busy signal. He handed the phone back to Margarette and sat quietly on the table.
[No more funds huh?] Sebastian wrote beside him. [At least you still have your aunt to cover for you.]
"I guess I'll just keep working here in the canteen," said Dorin.
[Sounds like a good idea. You think they still have an opening?]
That evening, back at the dorm, Sebastian was busy with his inventory. With nothing but a few loose change left from his savings, he would need to re-stock and sell more of his charms and spells to the student populace.
"Are you making more spells?" Dorin asked, when he saw his roommate take out his chemistry set. "Do you need some help?"
"I found a spare slate," Sebastian said, thankful that the silence spell was set in the room, or that Dorin didn't seem to be affected by his voice. "Do you mind enchanting it again?" he handed a slightly smaller slate to Dorin who accepted it with a grin.
Dorin winced as he placed the charms on the new slate. "These new bands aunt Agate gave me really are a bother," he said, "I can't release enough thaums of mana to make the spells as fast as I used to."
"Why don't you take it off for a bit?" Sebastian suggested.
"Oh, good idea!" Dorin took one off and tried his charms again. "There, much better," he grinned, "Wearing both of them feels like I'm being wrapped in cellophane, it's so tight that my thaums can't seep through."
"Seep through? What do you mean?" Sebastian said absentmindedly.
"You know, releasing mana for working magic," yawned Dorin. "And you know what happens when the thaums of mana can't seep properly out of your body..."
Sebastian looked at Dorin. "What happens?" he asked, lilac eyes staring inquisitively at Dorin.
"You get a fever, of course!" Dorin said matter of factly. "I used to get feverish a lot when I was younger until mother gave me those abasers and those mana seeping charms. It only got better when I learned to use magic in a regular basis..." he looked at Sebastian who was still looking closely back at him. "How about you?"
"I don't seep thaums of mana out of my body on a regular basis," said Sebastian. "I think maybe that's unique to you." A pause. "And I also think it would be a good idea to keep that info to ourselves."
Dorin looked confused.
"By the way, do you mind helping me with these spells?" he asked Dorin before he could react. "You can release more mana this way."
The two of them worked on the spells until way past midnight, when Dorin could hardly keep his eyes open.
"Well, that's it for tonight." Sebastian took several small vials and placed them carefully inside his coat pocket. "Thank you very much for the assistance, you can go to sleep now."
"You still plan to mix more potions?" Dorin asked, stifling another yawn. "We still need to get up early tomorrow for kitchen duty."
"I just need to tidy up," replied Sebastian.
"Okay, I'll wait for you then..." Dorin sat on his bed, his head nodding off.
Sebastian looked at his friend, sighed, and quickly wiped off the table. "Okay," he sat by Dorin's side. "tell me what's troubling you?"
"Oh, it's nothing!" the other replied, his face burning up.
"Just spit it out," insisted Sebastian.
"Well..." Dorin hesitated, "It's just that... I got to thinking about how long I need to stay here... and that I won't be able to come home until I graduate..."
"Uh-huh."
"And... I've never really been away from home this long before..." Dorin starts to fidget. "Do you think mother's really angry at me?"
He kept his gaze down as he asked Sebastian this question.
"I think that your mother is secretly proud of this decision you made," Sebastian replied. "It's very hard to let go of something you treasure, but if doing so would make said treasure shine even brighter, then it is all for the best."
"But... I have never been away from mother for more than a month... two at most... And my mother is all I have ever known..."
"And now you know me," Sebastian pointed out. "And Margarette, and your aunt Althea, and you already know General Muller..." He sighed and gently placed a hand on Dorin's shoulder. "In only 6 days, you have already met so many people who are quickly becoming your friends. Isn't that so much better than living in the middle of a forest with nothing but your mother to talk to when ever she decides to come home?"
Dorin looked up at Sebastian defensively. He was about to say something, but decided not to. Sebastian sighed and stood up in front of his friend.
"Now, go to sleep," he told Dorin. "Like you said, we still have kitchen duty later." He turned away, holding on to the ladder leading to the top bunk. "With my savings gone and your money confiscated, even staying in this room might be too expensive, so you better make the most of it," he added. "Soon enough, we might need to room with the free borders."
Sebastian shuddered at the thought of loosing his privacy. He was about to climb the ladder when Dorin pulled at his sleeve.
"If it's okay..." Dorin stared at him, his face burning, "can we sleep together?"
Sebastian gave a deep sigh, then he sat back down beside Dorin. "Okay, just for tonight."
That night, Sebastian pretended not to notice as Dorin silently cried himself to sleep. It was going to be a long night, with a new academic year along the way, and something tells him that it was going to be an amusing one.
Yes, this will definitely be an interesting year.