Three days later.
"Arcane Beast Rearing Manual, this must be the one Chayle was talking about."
In the library, Edwyn pulled the Arcane Beast Rearing Manual from the shelf. This book detailed the basics of raising Arcane Beasts. Borrowing it from the academy cost three Mana Stones for five days.
According to what Chayle told him when he handed over the Death Raven, this creature functioned just like a normal Arcane Beast, aside from not being able to grow naturally.
Edwyn handed the academy currency to the tiny sprite that had appeared, then touched the crystal orb to the book's serial number. With that, the loan was complete.
Book in hand, Edwyn returned to his dormitory.
On the balcony, a green-eyed raven slightly larger than an ordinary crow sat still, its leg bound by an iron chain, staring off into the distance.
This was the Death Raven made by Chayle.
According to Chayle, this Death Raven had a physique rating of 15, capable of flying freely at 6,000 meters. Its feathers were so resilient they could carry over 200 pounds without snapping, and were even resistant to magical projectiles.
Its claws and beak had also been modified. The razor-sharp talons could tear through steel plates with ease.
Setting the book down, Edwyn retrieved a handful of prepared iron pellets from a drawer.
Chayle had altered the Death Raven's digestive system to be omnivorous, capable of digesting certain metals to maintain the strength of its feathers, claws, and beak.
In addition, it needed to consume ten pounds of fresh meat every day to maintain basic energy levels.
"Eat up, eat up. The more, the better."
Edwyn held out his hand, letting the Death Raven peck at the iron pellets.
He needed to slowly build a bond with the raven to reduce resistance when implanting the soul seed.
The soul seed is the core of Arcane Beast technology. It allows the pet to obey its master's commands. Through the soul seed, a Mage can give complex commands and even share the pet's senses.
Some Mages even build entire combat systems around controlling large numbers of Arcane Beasts.
However, apprentice Mages can only produce two soul seeds at most, and once a pet dies, the seed is lost. So apprentices usually stick to one, often for support roles like Edwyn's Death Raven.
After feeding the raven, Edwyn grabbed a watering can and began tending to his plants.
He had collected a variety of magical herb seeds and saplings from Blackstone Mountain. After returning to the academy, he had potted them all and placed them on the balcony.
After watering them, Edwyn sat down at his desk. The surface was covered with books, aside from the newly borrowed Arcane Beast Rearing Manual, the rest were alchemy books given to him by Joron.
He had skimmed through them. They included foundational knowledge on artifacts, potions, chimeras, and magic arrays, all explained in impressive detail.
If one tried to borrow these from the library, it would cost a huge number of Mana Stones just to get a portion of them.
But Edwyn had gotten them all for free.
That's one of the perks of being a full apprentice, some knowledge simply couldn't be bought with money alone.
Classes, feeding, watering, reading, his day went by quickly.
In the evening, Edwyn left his room and called for Elia next door. Together, they headed downstairs and walked to a newly opened restaurant not far from the tower.
Ever since deciding to cultivate Elia as a teammate during the Blackstone Mountain trip, Edwyn had started investing in their relationship.
Casual meals, going to class or the library together, and taking on joint missions regularly, they were gradually building up their teamwork and trust.
Relationships grow step by step.
The restaurant's decor was simple, one could even call it shabby. A few landscape paintings and tapestries hung on the walls. Twelve Mana Stone lamps lit twelve tables beneath the ceiling.
But the decor didn't reflect the quality. The restaurant owner had somehow hired a group of mortal waiters, tall, attractive, and trained in refined etiquette.
One of them handed Edwyn a menu and laid out silver cutlery on the table.
"Charcoal-Grilled Rune Pig Ribs, regular consumption enhances physical strength." Edwyn smiled as he read the menu. "This owner must have connections. All the ingredients are from arcane beasts."
"Isn't this... a little too expensive?"
Elia looked nervously at the menu. Every dish came with a hefty price tag, a few selections could easily cost three or four Mana Stones.
In golden coins, this meal was worth an entire kingdom's yearly tax income.
"Just trying something new. It's not like we do this often." Edwyn selected a few dishes that intrigued him and handed the menu back to the waiter.
He was especially curious about the physical enhancement effects.
As the waiter silently retreated, Edwyn glanced around the room out of boredom.
There were only twelve tables, and aside from theirs, only four were occupied.
"Hm?" Edwyn suddenly noticed someone familiar at one of the other tables. "Elia, isn't that Kevan from the airship?"
Elia followed his gaze and nodded.
"Yes, that's him."
"Perfect."
Edwyn grinned and strolled over to Kevan's table, greeting him like an old friend.
"Kevan! Long time no see. Miss me?"
Sitting across from Kevan was Griffith, the one who had helped him pass the entrance exam. When he saw Edwyn approach, Griffith paused and looked up.
"Edwyn?" Kevan flinched, then quickly understood what Edwyn meant.
"Long time, long time. How have you been, Edwyn?"
As he spoke, Kevan discreetly pulled a hundred-credit academy note from his coat pocket.
"I've been alright, nothing compared to you, Young Lord Kevan," Edwyn said, grinning as he pocketed the note.
Kevan's best trait was his sense of tact. He'd shown it both on the airship and now.
"Don't flatter me. Just did a little business lately, made a bit of money." Kevan chuckled and shook his head.
"Business?" Edwyn's nose twitched. The moment he approached, he'd smelled something familiar.
"Wisteria. Wisteria's useful in both arcane artifact and potion-making."
Kevan froze briefly, then gave a resigned nod. Coming from a merchant family, everyone in Kevan's household had a knack for business. Once at the academy, his sharp instincts quickly identified a new opportunity: trading alchemical materials.
"Sharp senses. Edwyn, are you specializing in alchemy?"
Now that Kevan had admitted it, Edwyn became more interested.
Since alchemy was his specialization, he'd be doing a lot of experiments. The commercial zone had plenty of materials, but rarer ingredients were often hard to find.
Now that Kevan was involved in alchemical material trade, he'd likely become a fixture in the commercial zone.
As the saying goes, more friends means more opportunities, and Edwyn was already thinking about building that connection.