Archivist Rodney!

If one were to ask what the most fascinating aspect of a DND fantasy world is, the answer would simply be too vast!

There are countless campaigns, battles, and intricate conspiracies to be found!

The same holds true for Faerûn, a massive world woven together by countless smaller stories.

In this fantasy realm, one of the most interesting features is the sheer variety of professions available!

Inside the Mission Hall of Giles Academy.

Academician Hawkes was publicly presenting the rewards to the members of the Arcane Society for their recent investigation into the Lizardfolk.

Since this was the first off-campus mission, the academy's upper management, well aware of the need to set a precedent, had specifically organized an awards ceremony.

Facing the surrounding crowd, it felt quite like receiving a certificate back in my previous life.

Seeing his companions again, Borne greeted them warmly.

The others were all very excited, like children waiting for candy, but the president didn't seem particularly happy; her smile looked somewhat forced.

Borne's heart skipped a beat as he realized the reason.

The others were happy because they were ignorant of the situation, but Lisper, as the president, should have known the full story.

What was supposed to be a carefully orchestrated adventure had turned into a joke because of her "cleverness."

Still, the rewards had to be given; after all, it was the first off-campus mission, and if the rewards were meager, how could they motivate those who followed?

Academician Hawkes first announced the achievements of the Arcane Society members before presenting the rewards.

"...This mission not only wiped out a small Lizardfolk tribe, avenging the soldiers of the Military Department, but also captured the Lizardfolk leader, achieving a brilliant victory..."

"Based on your contributions, you are awarded 3,000 to 8,000 points and a portion of military merit. As for Borne, he is additionally awarded a one-time pass to the Royal Library!"

The surrounding crowd was stunned by these generous rewards. Setting aside the eight thousand points, the inclusion of military merit and a Royal Library pass made everyone's eyes turn red with envy.

Everyone knew how difficult it was to obtain military merit; it required genuine combat achievements. Points were for use within the academy, while military merit was for use outside.

For instance, when Borne had visited the military warehouse previously, some items required military merit to be exchanged.

As for the Royal Library pass, that was the library of the Court Mages. Every year, there were at least eight hundred students aspiring to become Court Mages.

Beyond the benefits of being a Court Mage, the Royal Library contained records far more extensive and complete than those in the Giles Academy library!

Giles Academy's spell records were too sparse, whereas the Royal Library contained all the magic of the Court Mages from the time of Netheril to the present day.

For any spellcaster hoping to continue climbing the path of magic, the attraction was immense!

Regardless, the promotional effect had certainly been achieved.

Seeing the expressions of the many students below, Borne estimated that if a mission to crusade against the demons of the Abyss were released now, they would likely fight to be the first to go and die.

Following this, Academician Hawkes announced that the academy would begin issuing a second off-campus mission, which would be arranged by the Arcane Society.

Hearing this, Borne tilted his head and whispered into Lisper's ear: "The second mission should still be handled by the Arcane Society, right? But it should be a different group of people, right?"

At Borne's sudden proximity, Lisper trembled imperceptibly, a faint blush appearing on her face.

She had wanted to speak after his first sentence, but after hearing the second, her head felt like it had exploded. The fire elements around her body turned violent, and she turned to look at Borne, her red hair floating without a breeze.

Borne hadn't expected such a strong reaction from the president. His thoughts raced, and he immediately understood the reason, quickly saying: "I only found out after I got back!"

Seeing Lisper staring at him, Borne swallowed and said: "Believe me, really!"

The president pondered for a moment and also realized the situation, her mana immediately calming down.

The entire process lasted only a few seconds. Because the surrounding crowd was exceptionally excited, they didn't notice the "small movements" between Borne and Lisper; only Academician Hawkes, who had just finished announcing the mission, glanced toward them.

Upon hearing that the Arcane Society was in charge again, the crowd became somewhat "agitated"!

Faced with such generous "rewards," many had their eyes turned red, believing that as long as they received the mission, the next reward would be theirs.

As for why there were so many rewards for the first mission, they didn't even bother to think about it.

There was no helping it; not everyone had Borne's ability to farm points as if it were a game. Most people wouldn't earn as many points in five years as the Arcane Society members had just received.

Of course, the academy was prepared for this situation; after all, no matter how sloppy the first mission was, they had gained some experience.

Otherwise, the rewards wouldn't have taken over a month to be issued. Aside from preparing the second script, some rules also needed to be established beforehand.

After all, no matter what one does, the rules must be set first, and the earlier the better, otherwise the resistance and losses incurred later would be massive.

Subsequently, Academician Hawkes announced a series of ranking systems, requiring a minimum of five people to form a team, undergo a rank assessment, and accept missions based on their rank, and so on.

Borne's eyelids twitched as he listened. What is this...

Isn't this the Mercenary Guild system I discussed with my grandfather?

Damn it...

To plagiarize it so directly, is there no sense of public morality?

I thought it was strange last time when my grandfather suddenly asked for my opinion; it turns out it was a free ride...

I didn't expect that just by casually mentioning a few plans, such a detailed blueprint would be developed.

"As expected, novels are all f*cking lies, hmph!"

Shouldn't the protagonist be surrounded by idiots?

How come he feels like everyone around him is so damn smart!

Could it be that I'm just a low-level mob sent to deliver experience points to the "True Protagonist"???

Borne felt a bit melancholy...

After that, there was nothing left for Borne and his group to do.

Cook and the others beamed with joy as they looked at the "huge sum" of points added to their accounts. Although Borne had taken the majority of the battle merits and the pass, they didn't have a single complaint.

The entire mission was essentially carried by Borne; he found the guide, and he was the one who wiped out the Lizardfolk. They were just there to assist, yet they received so many points—it was an absolute steal!

Furthermore, they had realized to some extent what the academy had arranged. Since they returned not only unscathed but also in high spirits, their parents would surely have questioned them about it.

If not for this mission, they certainly wouldn't have thought anything was wrong. To become high-ranking members of the Arcane Society, their aptitude couldn't be poor; they were just relatively naive before. But after witnessing the world outside, they had all grown.

Afterward, the group discussed it privately and deduced the unusual nature of the mission. They understood they had taken advantage of Borne; what should have been a bitter ordeal turned into a "lying down to win" scenario.

As for feeling regret?

Not a chance. Knowing it's torture and still wanting it—that would be insane!

Fortunately, the academy didn't intend to send them a second time.

The personnel for the second batch had already been decided. Aside from the members of the Arcane Society, there was also the chief of Giles Academy—Raleigh Cecil!

The fourth-year Raleigh was hailed as the second strongest at Giles Academy. If not for Borne, he would have been the legend of the school.

Why wasn't the fifth-year chief the president of the Arcane Society? Because he had been defeated by Raleigh.

He was also one of only two students at Giles Academy to challenge a senior and win; the first, of course, was Borne.

It wasn't as if Raleigh hadn't challenged Borne, but he had been easily crushed. In reality, Raleigh was the one on the standard protagonist growth path: entering as an ordinary person, being bullied, awakening bloodline talents, starting to stand out in his second year, becoming the grade chief in his third, and through grueling training, defeating the fifth-year chief in his fourth.

In a novel, he would be the textbook definition of a protagonist with plot armor, but reality is just that absurd—a genius running into someone even more genius than himself.

Many felt pity for Raleigh, hoping that by taking on this mission, he could replicate the achievements of Borne's group.

Only Cook and the others knew what kind of cruel journey awaited them.

To prevent accidents, someone would definitely be following them at all times, making them understand what true despair felt like!

The group could only offer them silent blessings in their hearts.

It seemed that mercenary squads would become the trend from here on out.

Lisper invited Borne to join them, but Borne politely declined.

The members of the Arcane Society weren't surprised; they had long guessed that Borne wasn't lacking in points. Don't let the high mission points fool you—that was only because it was the first time, and because Borne had cleared the dungeon and achieved an SSS rating, resulting in such high rewards. Anything after that would be unthinkable.

After all, mission points were just too easy for Borne to acquire. Off-campus missions offered rich rewards, but they took too long, often lasting ten days or half a month, which wasn't as efficient as grinding out research papers.

Borne bid everyone farewell and returned to his underground laboratory.

He had originally intended to go find the Count to nag him, but for the sake of the pass, he wouldn't hold it against him too much.

The fact that he could obtain this pass with such a high markup meant that his suggestions had likely been incorporated.

On the main road beside the academy arena.

As Borne walked back, his footsteps suddenly faltered, and his expression turned grave.

This was the academy's main thoroughfare, and there were plenty of students coming and going, yet everyone instinctively steered clear of him. Borne knew for a fact that he hadn't used [Hypnotism].

The system quickly provided feedback: this was a higher-order Psychic technique, and the power used within it was over eighty percent similar to "Divine Arts."

Borne turned slowly, looking at a "classmate" not far behind him.

That "classmate" looked at Borne, revealing a friendly smile, and greeted him cordially.

Although the other party was smiling, in Borne's perception, it felt somewhat fake!

"Your Excellency, since you have sought me out, please show your true face. That is the least we can do to show mutual respect!"

The 'classmate' paused slightly, thought for a moment, and nodded in agreement. "Indeed."

"My apologies!"

The light around the 'classmate' distorted, and in Borne's eyes, he completely transformed into another appearance.

A dark red robe, rich flaxen-gold hair, and eyes so deep they seemed to shimmer with the light of wisdom. A faint smile played on his lips; his every gesture and posture exuded a noble yet elegant temperament.

He looked just like a true aristocrat from a fairy tale.

"I never expected to meet in such a manner; it is truly surprising." Borne sighed softly and bowed. "Your Excellency Rodney, the Archivist!"

Archivist Rodney, a pure human!

This was because the vast majority of "Archivists" were Elves or other long-lived races.

The development of Divine Arts was more profound than Arcane Arts; it required not only mastery of magic but also deep expertise in theology. The requirements for understanding spell structures and religious knowledge were extremely high, and the accumulation of such knowledge required the passage of time.

Human lifespans were simply too short; those who could become Archivists were, without exception, heaven-sent geniuses!

At the same time, this is a highly contradictory profession.

The magic used by a Archivist is divine in nature, though the form in which they cast spells is remarkably similar to that of a mage.

This leads to a Archivist's method of learning and utilizing spells making them appear more like a mage than those who are typical servants of divine power.

Archivists are dedicated to exploring the fundamental mysteries within divine power, regardless of the source of those mysteries, and the majority of divine spells used by clerics and servants of divine power were actually developed by Archivists!

It could be said that a Archivist is the divine-magic version of an Arcanist!

In particular, researching divine magic is extremely dangerous; they must risk the threat of corruption to pursue forbidden information or knowledge.

"Such pure mana, truly astonishing arcane talent! You are worthy of being hailed as the youngest genius Arcanist!"

Rodney praised.

A chill ran through Borne's heart; Rodney's gaze did not look like he was looking at a person, but rather at a piece of art.

"You overpraise me. Compared to you, the word 'genius' applied to me is truly a disgrace. I still have many areas where I need to learn from you."

Borne's expression remained calm as he looked into his eyes and said, "Isn't that right, Senior Brother?"

Rodney was among the first batch of students at Giles Academy. Born a commoner, he was taken in as a student by Count Ioulaum the moment he enrolled. At that time, the Count had just advanced to a High Arcanist and was shocked by Rodney's talent.

Unlike Borne, he was a true genius. From the moment he first touched magic, he displayed unparalleled talent and possessed unique insights into all things. During that period, he was as dazzling as a brilliant pearl!

At the time, the academy had just been established and everything was in the exploratory stage. Rodney was the first person the Dean took as a student, which made all the other students envious and jealous.

Naturally, he did not disappoint the Count's expectations; he advanced to a Low Arcanist in his second year, took the position of academy valedictorian, and founded the Arcane Society!

He intervened in the daily management of the academy, and even Concinnio once said that if Rodney were not a student, he would have made him the Vice Dean of the academy.

At that time, Concinnio had already achieved the 'Legendary' rank; for him to say that about a student who had only recently enrolled shows how high his evaluation was!

But after Rodney graduated, he did not develop in the direction of an Arcanist; instead, he turned and threw himself into the embrace of the gods, becoming a Archivist!

This was something no one had expected; it caught everyone completely off guard!

Even his teacher, Count Ioulaum, had not expected it and could not help but be utterly disappointed!

This incident caused a huge sensation at the time, and all information regarding it was sealed, with the records destroyed!

Because Archivists, as the developers of divine spells for the gods, hold power and status second only to the Pope, yet they likely know more than the Pope himself!

If the Pope is the "General Manager" of the gods in the mortal realm, then the Archivist is the "Secretary."

Therefore, every Archivist is extremely mysterious!

Borne could sense the pressure of that life-level within Rodney, so strong that it didn't seem like a high-level professional at all.

Not 'Legendary', Borne could be certain!

But this feeling... it was almost like a life form from a higher dimension!

It was somewhat similar to the illusion one felt around Dean Concinnio!

Ding! Foreign energy intrusion detected. Analysis: 81% divine power, 10% mana, 9%...

The system's voice rang out in his mind.

After nearly being 'blinded' by the Count last time, Borne had upgraded the system firewall, yet he never expected it to be triggered.

Ding! Firewall breach at 91.3%...

83.1%...

71.3... 63...

So fast!

Borne was struck with alarm, his thoughts racing at high speed.

Got it!!!

In an instant, he adjusted his breathing, a faint white light began to emanate from his skin, and light even shot from his pupils.

The 'beep-beep' warning alerts also ceased.

While Borne breathed a sigh of relief, he also shouted loudly, "What do you think you are doing?!!"

Immediately, Borne's mana erupted with full force, and his mana and 'Qi', which had been somewhat 'at odds', were for once united against an external threat.

[Mage Hand] covered him in a dozen layers to protect him, and a dozen fireballs manifested around him.

This was the first time Borne had gone all out in a battle where he had absolutely no chance of winning; he only hoped the commotion would attract the attention of the academy's higher-ups!

Is this the way 'divine power' is used?!

The priests of the Temple cannot be compared to a Archivist at all!

It is simply too terrifying!

Rodney looked at him with some surprise, then revealed an apologetic expression. "My apologies, I failed to control the overflow of divine power."

He then retracted the fluctuations of his divine power.

Borne was not deceived by his performance; although he dismissed his magic, he did not relax his vigilance.

Rodney did not offer much explanation, his demeanor and movements displaying the full elegance of a noble.

"Borne, you truly are a genius. To be able to cultivate 'Qi' even with an incomplete Breathing Technique—we should have met sooner. If we had, we surely would have been great friends!"

He shook his head with a hint of regret as he spoke.

"Breathing Technique?!"

Borne raised an eyebrow, though he wasn't surprised; it would be a problem if a Archivist didn't know about such things. "Speak, then. What do you want with me? The divine concealment won't last long, and the Dean doesn't like uninvited guests!"

"It seems you have a slight misunderstanding about me. As an apology, take this for the time being."

As Borne watched, Rodney flipped his hand, and a stack of golden scrolls appeared before him.

"Nether Scrolls?!"

Borne's eyes widened, and he stared at him intensely.

"For me?"

"Of course... not. These are managed by the Temple; I am merely lending them to you. I will come to retrieve them later."

Borne stared deep into his eyes. An apology using such precious items?

"It seems the time has come..."

Rodney looked up toward the distance. "I will come personally to retrieve them in ten days!"

With that, the space around him twisted. Rodney turned, took a step, and looked back to say something that made Borne's skin crawl.

"That little thing on the back of your neck is quite interesting!"

His figure then vanished, leaving only the Nether Scrolls behind.

As Rodney departed, the surroundings returned to normal. Passing students cast strange looks at Borne, who stood frozen in place—though the Nether Scrolls in his hands drew even more attention.

What was even more surprising was the arrival of the Dean and Count Ioulaum.

"What happened?"

The Count asked.

Borne quickly gave a brief account of what had just occurred. The Dean and the Count exchanged a glance, and then the Dean picked up the Nether Scrolls.

"The scrolls are fine. Since they are an apology, you may keep them. I have already wiped away the markings on them; just send them to the Temple after you have finished reading!"