An Old Acquaintance Arrives

Hearing Jenny's words, Mark seemed a little stunned for a moment, as if he had not yet figured out what was happening before him—or perhaps the fully armed Cecil Soldiers had made the timid young man so nervous that he had forgotten what to say. But Jenny did not get angry. Instead, she patiently repeated herself: "Go tell my mentor that I'm back."

This time, Mark finally reacted. "Ah, ah, okay... but..."

He suddenly hesitated, arranging his words several times before finally speaking. "But my mentor isn't in very good condition right now..."

"Just take me to see him."

"Okay... Jenny."

Mark fearfully glanced at the soldiers behind Jenny, then stepped aside, clearing the entrance leading into the Magic Tower.

Jenny walked inside, with the guarding soldiers following closely behind. The uniform metallic clatter of their Magic-Powered Armor made the young man at the door shrink his neck. He seemed to want to say something, but swallowed the words in the end.

Inside the Mage Tower, the classical and solemn furnishings were just as she remembered. A fireplace created by long-lasting Illusion Magic burned fiercely in the first-floor hall, yet its flames were a pale white that called snow and ice to mind. A refreshing breeze produced by a temperature-control barrier circulated through the hall, dispelling the season's heat. Shelves made of dark-grained wood stood quietly against the walls, and two servants were dusting them.

An astrolabe stood in the center of the hall. Powered by magic, the delicate and expensive instrument operated automatically, simulating within a small area the projections of many stars invisible during the daytime.

A curved staircase stood across the hall, extending upward along the wall. At the same time, a semicircular platform with railings floated along the inner side of the stairs, moving back and