Every one of his senses told him to be careful. To not breathe a hair out of line or upset the woman sitting across.
'Why's an archmage here? I just accepted a disguise commission. It's not like this is the frontlines, where you can often see an archmage or two.'
"Pre.. pretend to be one of your teachers?" Ilrune blinked, bewildered. He who had expected a Welxorth executive, given the golden badge he had been handed previously, felt overwhelmed. The archmage's appearance exceeded most of his calculations.
'So that's the power of someone at the peak. How many years will it take me to reach her level?'
A towering cliff set mages and archmages apart. It was like comparing a whale to a shrimp. An archmage could have less mana capacity than a regular mage, but still single-handedly beat dozens of them in a fight.
'They are known for their affinities to abstract aspects of magic: control, time, weather, ocean, and more, but more so for their 'visual imagery', an ability only the beginning of transcendence unlocks. Some people's is a battlefield, others, a clear waterfall. I wonder what hers is... Perhaps something cold?'
Ilrune instinctively desired to fight against her, to test his limits and seek the line that separated a mage from an archmage despite feeling like a tiny ant facing a giant, wondering if he would even survive the natural repercussions of the latter's existence.
'I need to focus. One wrong word and I might get erased from this world. Some truly mad archmages don't hesitate to get rid of nobles, much less of a nameless adventurer like me. She does look reasonable. They wouldn't have employed her as a dean if she couldn't even control her anger.'
"I'm sorry, I don't follow. If you're lacking a teacher, couldn't you hire another? I'm sure plenty of talented individuals wish to join your prestigious Academy's staff," Ilrune sounded dubiously.
The dean sighed, as if she had to deal with this question for the hundredth time already.
'That might be the case, seeing the popularity of the commission. Many people must've declined out of fear, or didn't pass her test.'
"That wouldn't do. Take a look," she ordered, tossing a scroll towards Ilrune.
'This is a profile? Bernard Monet... thirty-five... six feet, dirty blonde...'
He sharply raised his head in surprise. "You already have a teacher? Is he unavailable?"
"You can say that," the dean said curtly. "I need a replacement for this semester only. Mr. Monet was supposed to replace the previous teacher. You won't find it difficult to pretend since neither the students nor the teachers have seen him. You can do that, right? Roughly imitate his profile."
Pausing to filter the stream of information, Ilrune suppressed a frown.
'Any quack with decent disguise skills would do. Why hire a seasoned adventurer? Where's the risk in this commission? I should probe her for answers.'
"This is indeed doable," Ilrune conceded at first, then added, "But there are some issues.
Will you provide me with the funds and necessary elements for the disguise? You're framing this as a leisurely 'pretend to be a missing person', but it wouldn't have been called a high-risk commission if that were the case. Where's the risk? If I have to work under you, I think I deserve to know how to preserve my life."
"..."
'Uh... is it my imagination, or is the air growing even colder? Ilrune, let's hold the fort and resist her intimidation! As a commissioner, she's obligated to disclose all the necessary information if I ask. Still, I'm a little uneasy... Her pressure is no joke.'
He smiled nervously, wringing his hands under the table as the dean sighed, folding her hands under her chin. Her hair, long and down, flowed ethereally around her figure despite the absence of wind.
'She looks a little angry. I'm guessing she's itching to test me, not to answer a barrage of technical questions.'
"Intelligent people are always the hardest to manage," the dean said after a period of awkward silence. "Always so inquisitive and complicated to order around. By the way, don't get offended, it's a compliment. If you pass my test, I'll tell you the reason behind the commission. I have the feeling that you'll pass, so telling you this much shouldn't be a problem. Also, I'll lend you a transformative, magically engineered Device for your employment period. It's a great honour to receive something from Welxorth themselves."
She waved her hand, and an unassuming box flew over from a dainty, ebony shelf.
"As for the risk, it is only if you get caught. Your soon-to-be close colleagues don't take too well to suspicious intruders. Now, don't let me repeat myself. Will you undertake the test? If you pass, you'll automatically accept the commission."
'A transformative magical device...!'
"Yes! I accept!" Ilrune rushed to agree, his heart pounding.
'I won't even need to sneak into the libraries on my way out. I only need to study the structure of this artifact and make my own! This is a golden egg...!'
"Very good."
The dean's authoritative eyes seemed to hold a myriad of secrets as she smiled faintly and snapped her fingers, producing a crisp sound.
"I am Aquila D. Amyse, the current dean of Welxorth Academy. Welcome to my custom-made test. Be honoured, you are personally witnessing an archmage's power."
It was like the first snow upon a field of flowers, swallowing the world around Ilrune whole and spitting him out in a different location.
"...What?"
'Her test starts just like that? No preemptive preparations, only 'go and do your best'?'
"...I can feel a headache coming on," Ilrune sighed as he held his wrinkled face in one hand. "What I would give for a few clams maybe..."
'Alright, take a deep breath, Ilrune. This is unexpected, but it's a necessary struggle. Who knows how many conmen came to Dean Amyse's office and claimed to be the one? It's to be expected.'
He glanced around: a sombre room, with intricate sculpting and beautiful paintings. Opposite him stood a regular student's desk with a scroll on it, and behind, four identical doors with expensive-looking carvings.
'Looks like she dropped me somewhere in the school. Probably the basement, judging by the darkness around? That was pretty impressive spatial magic. I guess it has to do with her affinity and her visual imagery. As expected, it's something cold but beautiful. Was it like the beginning of the winter season? I wonder how it feels to fight it...
No, I should focus on what's in front of me. I only have a couple of hours until my potion wears off. Who knows if she's watching me right now? I can't afford getting caught now, not when I finally have my goal in sight!'
Fuelled by thoughts of the transformative artifact, Ilrune marched onwards, towards the lectern.
'Let's see... A riddle?'
"Answer this multiple-choice questionnaire. Pick a door based on the number of choices you have. The leftmost door corresponds to A, and so on towards the right."
"What in the..."
'I thought it'd be something akin to a riddle, not a regular academy quiz! It's not even advanced analyses and question answering, just some simple multiple-choice questions! This is a magically engineered consumable, a never-ending scroll. The examinee is an archmage, so it'll surely take a long while to complete. At this rate, my potion will wear off before I even finish half of the questions!'
Ilrune glanced at the scroll, then at his wrinkled hands.
"..."
'Well, guess I don't have a choice. Think of the M.E.D., Ilrune. The rune transcribed on that device is worth thousands, much more than what you currently own! There is a limited number of copies in the entire world! Well, my copying defies the latter point, but I certainly don't care. I should hurry.'
"Let's get solving," Ilrune sighed. It was the weary sigh of someone who was unfortunately reminded of their early student days.
***
"...Huh?"
'That's it?'
Puzzled, Ilrune tried to unroll the scroll once again, only to find it firmly stuck in place.
'That didn't even take me an hour, though? I was expecting a more challenging test.
A lot of the questions were like 'What is the name of this plant based on its description?', 'How do you heal someone poisoned by this plant?', 'How should you balance a potion with these ingredients?'...
To be fair, they asked for a botany expert. That's me. I shouldn't be finding this quiz challenging...'
Ilrune couldn't resist laughing. He could picture the confused and panicked faces of previous test takers, seasoned adventurers needing to name plants when they've only been able to recognize them by their looks.
'Well, no use lingering. Every minute counts, I can't have the mana-devouring potion fail on me now.'
Ilrune stood up quickly, swayed shortly, then sat down.
'I forgot. With this potion, I can't make too brusque movements. Otherwise, my vision is filled with black spots, and I feel dizzy. It goes away after a few seconds, so it's bearable. A transformative M.E.D. would fix all of that.'
Energized by the thought of the transformative artifact, Ilrune stood up again and headed towards the door. From afar, they seemed to glint in the light, but upon closer inspection, discreet golden patterns were engraved upon the wood.
'Another waste of money. Anyway, where's the door that corresponds to choice C...'
"There." Ilrune pushed through the door and was instantly blinded. He staggered, supporting himself with his hand on the doorframe.
'So bright!'
A botany of green, blinding white and blue greeted him beyond the doors. It was a great contrast to the dark, industrial room before. Many birds' songs could be faintly heard through the dense forest, and everything felt peaceful due to the gentle rustle of the wind against the leaves. The clearing Ilrune was stepped into was decorated with small, white flowers, turned towards the bright sun and cloudless sky.
'What a beautiful scenery. The only problem is, it's way too quiet. Usually, when that happens, it means that a large predator is nearby... Is this the second stage of the test? Testing the applicant's magical power? Honestly, I expected more from an archmage...'
He took a few steps towards the dense forest beyond the clearing. Upon reaching the middle, the air shifted.
Bit by bit, the birds' songs grew quiet, then diminished.
The clearing was now completely silent, leaving only the wind's rare rustles as faint background noises.
'This is a little creepy. Something's coming.'
Soon enough, long and heavy thuds resonated throughout the forest. A sound akin to something being dragged around could also be heard; the leaves' rustling grew increasingly intense.
'Sounds large. There are only a handful of monsters mages can legally keep around civilians due to how easy they are to restrain or kill: dead tyrants, heart eaters, corrupted banes, and a few more common ones. She seemed to be proud of being an archmage, so I assume she wouldn't send monsters under RL-2... Judging by the heaviness of its steps, it has to be a dead tyrant.'
Just as Ilrune made the guess, a dark, towering figure emerged from the dense woods.
"Crrrrk...!"
It was a large, humanoid creature, with an extensive spiky exterior the colour of human skin and a broad face-splitting smile that stretched from one end of its narrow face to the other. Its wide eyes were black and empty, and the bloody ring of spikes on its head resembled a crown.
"Urk!" Ilrune coughed erratically. Rot welled in his throat, leaving a gross aftertaste in his mouth.
'The worst part about the dead tyrant, however, is its disgusting smell and revolting touch.'
Not only did the dead tyrant carry a foul stench of rot and flesh, but it also smelled like the most foul thing one personally ever smelled in their lives. It was due to being a creature born of the foulest magic existing: corruption.
"What a vile creature."
'Just great. One of my least favourite monsters corrupting a captivating scenery. Don't go around handing out your birthright just like that, it'll end up all ugly just like you!'
"Grrrah!" As if sensing Ilrune's mocking thoughts, the monster swung its club, made of a cluster of bones and a strange substance that stuck them all together. The disguised elf deftly jumped out of the way, rolling under the cover of the surrounding trees to catch his breath. The club's destructive actions plowed down nearby trees, echoing loudly in the silent forest.
Black spots swam briefly in Ilrune's vision.
'Excellent, I'm burdened by this stupid mana potion, and it has a weapon.'
"You'll pay for hurting the clearing," he muttered, pausing and reaching into his right sleeve, pulling out a silver, intricate dagger.
"Arrgh...!"
'As long as he stays in this clearing... I should win in a little bit.'
The monster swung. The ground splintered in a deafening crack as it slammed its club down, missing Ilrune by a few inches.
Dirt, grass and branches scattered.
Ilrune ably dodged another sweeping movement.
'A dead tyrant is made from corruption, a state transcending death that I wouldn't wish on anybody. The only way to kill the dead is... fire. I don't have enough stamina to keep dodging for a long time, due to the stupid potion, but if I'm fast enough, I'll find a good window of time to launch an explosive spell.'
Whoosh... The wind was sent in all directions due to the club's movements. Yet, not a single one of the dead tyrant's movements seemed to hit, or even mildly inconvenience, Ilrune.
"I'd be a pitiful adventurer if I couldn't even handle this subpar creature," he laughed, wobbling slightly. His hands shook, and his legs seemed to creak at every moment.
'Although I am getting tired fast. Blame the damn potion. Alright, let's wrap this up.'
Taking a deep breath, Ilrune dashed towards the monster, sliding under its thick hind legs. His lungs filled with the revolting stench, mixing dead bodies and embers and inciting him to hold his breath.
"Eurk..."
'Why did I think that was a good idea!? What about this stupid thing isn't gross?!'
Confused, the dead tyrant looked around for the puny old man who was as fast as a cheetah. It swung its club at the tall grass, upturning dirt but finding nothing.
"[Explosion]."
Boom!
An explosion shook the forest. Birds flew out in flocks, and smoke, leaves and dirt splattered everywhere.
'Oh, the smoke's clearing up. I didn't go overboard, right?'
The ground had a large hole, and there was no sign of the dead tyrant. Not even the club remained.
"Oh, great."
'Problem solved.' Ilrune nodded in satisfaction. 'I was a lot flashier than usual, but that's what the dean is looking for, right? Someone seasoned to impress the kids, to show transparent and intentional moves, so that they can learn from me. If I went too fast, I might confuse students.'
He dusted off his clothes, brushed the stray leaves, and then started walking forward.
'Let's just go straight for now... Dean Amyse sure is an intelligent woman. Behind a regular monster-slaying event, she hides a test of restraint, thoughtfulness and reaction time. If I stalled too much for time, I might've gotten affected by the dead tyrant's corruptive air, which wilted all the poor greenery. If I went too fast and had just gotten rid of it from the moment it appeared, what would the students learn?'
Ilrune walked, walked, and walked through the endless forest until his feet seemed to touch solid ground. Blinking, he found himself back inside the dean's office, standing in front of her desk like he never left. Roses and heliotropes filled his sense of smell once again.
'Oh, I'm back. That's, once again, impressive spatial magic...'
"You're here." The dean folded her hands neatly on her desk. "Congratulations on passing the test."
She succinctly handed him a file, then added: "Study his information closely and replicate him to the best of your abilities. I will send people to evaluate your disguise. You have until Monday to get used to acting like a teacher. A servant will show you the way out."
'Very straightforward... She'd make a good leader.'
"Got it," Ilrune replied, then bowed. "If you would excuse me..."
'Please let me leave, I'm exhausted. I really need to sit down!' Ilrune screamed mentally, gritting his teeth.
He turned and headed for the door.
"Ah, I forgot something."
Dean Amyse threw something at Ilrune, who reflexively caught it: a small pouch filled with francis sterling coins.
'Money?'
"Your advance payment. Do not disappoint me."
"This old man wouldn't dream of it." Ilrune raised his hand to his chest and bowed, feeling the muscles in his back strain under the pressure. "To the pleasure of seeing you again."
"Goodbye."
The heavy door thudded closed, echoing loudly in the empty hall.
Ilrune quietly followed a servant who led him through a few hallways, then into the teachers' lounge, then to a door labelled 'Bernard Monet'.
It was only when inside that Ilrune allowed his legs to grow weak and collapse onto the floor, back against the door.
'I am beyond drained! I was able to keep it in check in front of the dean, but the entire way here, all I could think of was to put one leg in front of the other. I didn't even get to look at my surroundings-'
"Cough!"
Ilrune let out a wet series of coughs, feeling his face bubble up and burn.
"Looks like I made it just in time.
He rested his head against the solid wood, feeling a burst of nausea claw its way up his throat.
'...The effects of the mana recovery potion are getting more and more potent, but I cannot help it. The more I drink, the more I get used to the poisonous effect, and the more I'll have to increase the dosage.
I'm lucky it's just a temporary weakness and light pain for now. I have to analyze the artifact as quickly as possible. Potions are convenient, but the side effects are often too large for people to handle. That's why it's not a very popular practice.'
"Hah..." he sighed.
'I never thought I'd smell this again. It's all that disgusting thing's fault. Living bodies burning...
I haven't smelled that since leaving the Gardenia Tree.'