After crossing over, Lein had always thought there was nothing fun to do while holed up in the valley. Now, with the Fire Bats' vision, he could fully enjoy the thrill of watching people from afar.
What was this, some otherworldly version of studying by hanging your hair from a beam and stabbing your thigh with an awl?
Or cramming at the last minute?
The children of well-connected nobles could even get their hands on magic books from before the Age of the End of Dharma and stay up all night studying.
But in Lein's eyes, the most impressive were the loudmouths in the tavern.
The tavern Downs liked to visit had become the hottest tourist spot in the whole city.
A tiny Fire Bat, looking almost like a stone carving, hung silently upside down from the ceiling, hidden in the shadows of a crossbeam. It watched and listened as people bragged.
"I'm telling you, that so-called exam syllabus is just there to mess with people. Nobody had any time to prepare. What can anyone learn in just a few days?"
"No, I heard the nobles got an extra page!"
"What good is one extra page? If Archmage Tesla really cared so much about noble children, he wouldn't have taken the Mage Tower from the royal capital. Would an Archmage who dared defy the king care about the nobles' dignity and power?"
The local miner's words struck a chord with Lein. The man might not understand magic, but he understood human nature.
Someone else hit the nail on the head. "Heh! Who can understand the standards of a true Archmage? Researching magic costs money, doesn't it? Maybe he's just trying to drive up his own price. Heh heh heh!"
"Give it a rest. I know your two kids are preparing