Library

Mary brought Ang to the gates of Wolf Mage Academy. The Mage Academy was enclosed by walls, giving it an air of mystery and solemnity. Two towering magical beast statues stood at the entrance. One looked like a combination of a horse and the elephants Ang remembered, bearing traits of both animals; the other was a round-bodied creature with wings and claws. Ang did not recognize either magical beast and asked Mary, "What kind of magical beasts are these?"

Mary smiled as she explained, "They are the academy's guardian magical beasts: the Black Scale Elephant Horse and the Blazing Flame Bird. The Black Scale Elephant Horse looks exactly as its name suggests, but the Blazing Flame Bird's appearance is indeed a little unexpected."

Ang looked at the Blazing Flame Bird statue and nodded. "It really doesn't look like a bird."

Mary continued, "These two magical beasts symbolize strength and wisdom. They are the academy's symbols."

Ang understood and did not press the matter further. Mary showed her identification at the academy entrance and led Ang inside.

The moment he entered the academy, Ang was drawn in by its rich academic atmosphere. Lush trees shaded the grounds, while the buildings were ancient and elegant. Mary led Ang through several corridors until they arrived before a magnificent building.

"This is our library," Mary introduced. "It houses a large collection of Magic Books, especially materials on foundational magic and elemental magic."

Ang entered the library eagerly and was immediately awed by the sight within. Tall bookshelves were filled with every kind of book, and the air was rich with the scent of paper. Since the academy was on break, there were not many people inside—only a few scattered readers quietly studying or discussing things. The entire place was peaceful and orderly.

Mary brought Ang to the foundational magic section and helped him select several books suitable for beginners. "These books are even more detailed than my explanations. They're all about the fundamentals of magic."

As Ang leafed through the books, he gradually became absorbed in the knowledge within. He exclaimed, "The books here are incredibly extensive."

Mary nodded with a smile. "Yes, this is the best place to learn magic. As long as you are willing to learn, the doors of knowledge will always be open to you."

Ang looked at Mary gratefully. "Thank you, Mary. Your help is very important to me."

Mary gently patted Ang's shoulder. "No need to thank me. We're friends, after all. I hope you can achieve something here."

Because the library did not allow students to take away any books related to magic, Ang could only skim through them within the limited time available, swallowing up some basic knowledge wholesale. However, Mary comforted him. "For the next few days, I can bring you to the library every day to read and study. If you have any questions, just ask me anytime."

Ang nodded gratefully. "Thank you, Mary. This is very important to me."

Mary smiled and continued, "But after these next few days, I'll be going to work at a magic materials shop. My parents found me a sales position. If you have any questions in the future, you can come find me at the shop."

Ang asked, "Where is that shop?"

Mary replied, "It's in the commercial district of the East District. It's called Source of Magic. You'll be able to find it easily."

Ang nodded to show that he remembered. "Alright, I'll come find you."

The two continued studying in the library. Mary patiently explained some basic magical concepts and theories to Ang. Though time was limited, with Mary's help, Ang gradually gained a deeper understanding of magic.

When they left the library, Ang thanked Mary once more. "I learned a lot today. It was all thanks to you."

Mary smiled. "No need to thank me. We're friends, after all. I hope you have a fulfilling time in Wolf City."

Ang said gratefully, "Thank you. I'll cherish this time."

Over the next few days, Ang went to the library with Mary every day, making full use of every moment to learn magical knowledge. As always, Mary guided him patiently, giving Ang an unprecedented passion and drive for learning.

During that time, Mary also showed Ang around the Mage Academy and gave him a detailed introduction to its buildings and history. Ang learned that the entire Mage Academy had fewer than three hundred students.

Mary told him, "Wolf City has close to four hundred thousand people. These are statistics from the Lord's Mansion over the past few years. Although the data is from several years ago, Demons invaded the Maple Sugar Plane over the last two years, and many people fled to Wolf City. The population now must be far greater than four hundred thousand.

Yet among so many people, only one or two thousand have magical talent. You can imagine just how rare and valuable mages are."

Ang sighed. "Things are precious when they are rare. Mages truly are scarce resources."

Mary nodded and continued, "Moreover, once someone becomes a formal mage, they can be granted a noble title by the Grand Duchy and become a noble. That way, it is not only a personal honor—the entire family benefits as well."

Ang asked with interest, "Then once you become a mage, will you be able to make your family nobles too?"

Mary's eyes shone with longing. "Yes, that is my goal. After becoming a mage, I hope to bring honor and better living conditions to my family."

Ang admired Mary's determination. "That is a great goal. I believe you can definitely achieve it."

Mary smiled and continued showing Ang around the academy's various buildings, explaining the purpose and history of each one in detail. She took him to the academy's teaching buildings, laboratories, meditation rooms, and training grounds. At every stop, Mary explained patiently, giving Ang a deeper understanding of Wolf Mage Academy.

Through this tour, Ang gained a clearer understanding of the world of magic and came to better understand Mary's determination and dream of becoming a mage.

After Mary began working at Source of Magic, Ang could only stay at the inn by himself. During those days in the academy library, Ang had read many books, especially books about spellcasting. However, since he had never studied magic systematically, he could not understand much of the content. In a book called "Fundamentals of Fire Magic," Ang noticed a description of the Fireball spell.

Since Mary studied water magic and did not understand fire magic, she could not offer Ang any practical guidance. So Ang decided to try it himself.

He memorized the casting steps for the Fireball spell and prepared to practice when he had time. According to the book, Fireball required the caster to use spiritual power to inscribe a flame rune above the palm. The rune was relatively simple, and Ang remembered it after just one look.

After returning to the inn, Ang began trying to cast the spell. He sat on the bed, closed his eyes, focused his mind, and tried his best to project his spiritual power outward.

However, no matter how fully he concentrated, his spiritual power could not break through the limits of his body, much less inscribe a rune above his palm. After several attempts, Ang still failed.

He felt somewhat frustrated, but he did not give up. Ang knew that learning magic required time and patience.

He decided to practice every day, hoping that he could slowly master the method of projecting his spiritual power outward. He also remembered Mary mentioning that meditation was a good way to improve control over spiritual power.

So, he began setting aside time every day to meditate, trying to strengthen his spiritual power.

A few days later, Ang discovered that he could concentrate more deeply during meditation, and his spiritual power had improved somewhat. Though he still had a long way to go before he could cast Fireball, Ang was satisfied with his progress. He believed that as long as he persevered, he would one day master the Fireball spell.

Ang knew that haste made waste, so he decided to set Fireball aside for the time being and focus on other matters. He went to Source of Magic to find Mary and selected some gifts in the shop.

First, he chose a magical Water Gathering Board, which could automatically gather moisture from the air and was extremely practical. He also chose a warm light stone that could provide warmth on cold nights, intending to give both to his parents. Next, he selected an exquisite butterfly hairpin for his younger sister. Finally, he bought a short knife only one meter long for his younger brother. Altogether, he spent four Gold Wacks.

Besides those items, he also bought several rolls of cloth. In his impression, commoner families usually made their own clothes, so he could bring the cloth home for his family to use.

After finishing his shopping, Ang found Mary, who was working, and thanked her for her earlier help. When Mary saw that Ang had bought so many things, she said with a smile, "It seems you've already adapted to life in Wolf City." Ang nodded in response. "This place is indeed amazing. It has also let me see many new things."

Mary asked Ang what he planned to do next. Ang said, "I want to stay in Wolf City a while longer, continuing to explore and learn." Mary smiled. "Alright, then when I have time, I'll take you to more interesting places."

Ang returned to the inn with his purchases and carefully put away the gifts and cloth. He planned to give each gift to his family once he returned to the Grand Duchy of Tan'anster.