Night was slowly falling as the bell tower of Arcanis Royal Academy rang out the final chime of the day, signaling the end of the last class.
Outside the Arcane Spire, the sky was painted in hues of gold and crimson by the setting sun. Light streamed through the tall windows of the tower, casting long, warm streaks across the stone floor—like the lingering glow of some ancient ritual.
Damien sat in his office, fingers tapping idly on the desk, though his mind was already elsewhere.
He was thinking about the academy's library—known in the game as the "Tower of Knowledge."
In the game's lore, the library wasn't just a place to study magical theory. It was a key hub for unlocking new skills, discovering hidden quests, and triggering rare events.
"Maybe it's time to check it out," he murmured to himself.
He stood, raised a hand, and activated the teleportation node embedded within the Arcane Spire.
A familiar flash of blue light enveloped him—and in the next instant, he was standing in the library's grand hall.
The sight before him was almost identical to what he remembered from the game: towering bookshelves that seemed to stretch into the clouds, spellbooks floating midair, scrolls flipping their own pages, and that unmistakable scent—a mix of ink and raw magic.
He reached out and pulled a book from the shelf. The moment he opened it, a system prompt appeared before his eyes:
[Would you like to learn Tier 1 Spell: Blazing Sphere?]
[Required Materials: Flameflower ×1, Phoenix Feather ×1]
A smirk tugged at Damien's lips.
"Just like in the game."
This was exactly why he'd gone on that shopping spree at the market earlier.
In this world, learning magic wasn't just about theory—you needed specific materials to act as catalysts, channeling energy through magical circuits.
And Damien, a wealthy noble with deep pockets, could afford to brute-force his way through an entire spellbook if he wanted to.
He dove into the first floor of the library, tearing through books like a man possessed.
Each book was a potential skill point. Every page, a new combat possibility.
He fed the required materials into the system one after another, learning at a breakneck pace.
In less than two hours, he'd absorbed nearly every Tier 1 spell available on the first floor.
Only when he finally ran out of materials did he stop, exhaling deeply.
"That should do it."
By now, the library had grown dim. Only a few magical lamps still flickered quietly in the corners.
Just as he was about to leave, a faint but steady glow caught his eye from deeper within the library.
It wasn't the cool shimmer of a magic lamp—it was… candlelight.
"Someone else is here?" he muttered, raising an eyebrow as he moved silently toward the light.
He weaved through rows of towering shelves, following the glow, until he stopped at a long table by the window.
There, hunched over a stack of parchment, was a girl—scribbling furiously.
Her short, light brown hair shimmered softly in the candlelight. A pair of round glasses perched on her nose, and her expression was one of intense focus. She was murmuring to herself as she wrote.
"Maybe Professor Damien can use this topic for tomorrow's lecture…"
Damien blinked in surprise. "Hallie?"
Startled by the sound of his voice, the girl jerked her head up. Her eyes widened in panic.
"P-Professor Damien?!" she stammered, scrambling to her feet. She pushed her glasses up in a flustered motion, her cheeks turning a deep shade of pink.
Damien, unusually, let a small, gentle smile slip through. His voice was softer than usual too. "Still working this late?"
Hallie shook her head quickly, her voice firm despite the blush. "I'm not tired! It's an honor to help you prepare your lectures!"
There wasn't a trace of hesitation in her eyes—only pure dedication and quiet determination.
Damien paused, silent for a moment.
He knew the academy had assigned Hallie to assist him, but with her knowledge and talent, she could easily be teaching her own classes.
Having someone like her as his assistant… even he felt a little guilty about it.
"You don't need to write these lecture drafts anymore," he said calmly.
Hallie froze.
The color drained from her face in an instant, and she swayed slightly, like someone had just pulled the ground out from under her.
"I… I can do better!" Her voice trembled, eyes welling up with tears. "Please don't cast me aside—I can be a good assistant, I swear!"
The tears clung to her lashes, threatening to fall at any second.
Damien frowned.
He hadn't expected such an intense reaction from a single sentence.
Then, Vaelric's voice echoed in his mind, laced with dry amusement. "You thought she was a full-fledged faculty member? She hasn't even broken into Tier 1. She's just a magic apprentice."
Damien blinked, then it clicked.
In the game's system, magic apprentices ranged from level 1 to 9—still far from qualifying as a proper Mage.
And Arcanis Royal Academy's minimum hiring requirement? Tier 1 Mage.
Which meant Hallie had no business being a teacher here in the first place.
The fact that she was even allowed to stay on campus was already a stretch—an exception, not the rule.
If she lost her assistant position, she'd be out. No one would question it. No one would fight for her. They'd just say she "wasn't good enough."
Her talent, her effort, her relentless drive—would all be dismissed with a single word: failure.
Damien was quiet for a moment, then finally spoke.
"…Alright. I take it back."
He looked her in the eye. His tone was still cool, but there was a subtle warmth buried beneath it.
"You've done well. You haven't made any mistakes."
"I'll keep using you—until you break."
"So don't wear yourself out before then."
Hallie blinked, stunned. Then, slowly, the light returned to her eyes. She nodded, hard. "Professor! I won't let you down!"
Damien studied her for a moment, then asked, almost offhandedly, "Why'd you choose to be an assistant, anyway?"
Hallie looked surprised—like she hadn't expected him to ask something so personal.
She lowered her head, voice calm but tinged with quiet sadness. "I graduated from Arcanis… but even by the time I finished, I still hadn't reached Tier 1."
"So I stayed. Applied to be a teaching assistant."
She paused, then added, "Most professors already had their favorites. And me… I don't have talent. No one wanted me."
"Until you came. That was the first time I had a real chance."
Damien gave a small nod, then reached out and gave her shoulder a light pat. "Then make the most of it. If the academy's letting you stay, they won't let you starve."
He paused, then shifted gears. "I'm still new here. Mind showing me around the campus a bit?"
Hallie blinked again, then quickly nodded, flustered. "O-of course! Just give me a second to pack up!"
She scrambled to gather her notes and books, her face lit up with a joy she clearly wasn't trying to hide.
Damien stood off to the side, a faint smile tugging at his lips.
"Just got here. Might as well take a look around," he said aloud.
But in truth, he knew this place like the back of his hand.
In the game, he'd visited this academy more times than he could count. He could walk from the dorms to the headmaster's secret garden behind the office with his eyes closed.
Still, he said it anyway.
Because he didn't want this foolish girl to push herself too hard.
Especially not for him. Staying up late, prepping lectures that weren't even hers to write.
That feeling—it left a bitter taste in his mouth.
It wasn't right. It was his job, and yet she was the one shouldering it.
Of course… guilt aside, having someone else do the heavy lifting?
Kind of nice.
Who wouldn't want someone to take care of everything for them?
…