Archivist Rodney!

What was the most fascinating thing about Dungeons & Dragons, the fantasy world?

The answer was practically endless!

There were countless tabletop campaigns, adventures, schemes, and intrigues!

The same was true of Faerûn, where countless little stories came together to form one vast world!

One of the most interesting things about this fantasy world was its wide variety of professions!

Inside Giles Academy's Mission Hall.

In front of everyone, Academician Hawkes announced the rewards for the Arcane Society members' investigation into the Lizardfolk.

After all, it was their first off-campus mission, and the academy's senior staff understood the importance of setting an example. They had specifically held an award ceremony.

With so many people watching, it felt just like getting an award at school in his previous life.

Seeing his friends again, Borne greeted them warmly.

The others were all excited, like children waiting to be handed candy. Only the president seemed less than pleased, forcing a smile.

Borne's heart stirred, and he understood what had happened.

The others were happy because they didn't know the truth, but Lisper, as the president, should have known the whole story.

It had been meant to be a carefully arranged adventure, but her "cleverness" had turned the entire mission into a joke.

Still, they had to hand out the promised rewards. It was their first off-campus mission, after all; if the rewards were too small, how could they motivate people to do the work in the future?

Academician Hawkes first announced the Arcane Society members' achievements, then presented the rewards.

"...In this mission, you not only wiped out a small Lizardfolk tribe and avenged the soldiers of the Military Department, but also captured the Lizardfolk leader, achieving a resounding victory..."

"Based on your contributions, you'll receive between 3,000 and 8,000 points, as well as some military merit from the Military Department. Borne will also receive a one-time pass to the Royal Library!"

Everyone around them was stunned by the generous rewards. Not only were there as many as eight thousand points, there was also military merit and a pass to the Royal Library. Their eyes turned red with envy.

Everyone knew how hard it was to earn military merit. You had to rack up real battlefield victories. Points were for use at the academy, while military merit was for use outside it.

For example, some items at the military warehouse Borne had visited earlier could only be exchanged for military merit.

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

It offered not only the benefits of a Court Mage, but also access to the Royal Library, whose archives were more extensive and complete than those in Giles Academy's library.

Giles Academy had very few records on spells, while the Royal Library contained the magic of every Court Mage from Netheril's past up to the present.

For spellcasters who still hoped to climb higher on the path of magic, its appeal was enormous!

In any case, the publicity campaign had worked.

Seeing the expressions of the students below, Borne figured that if someone announced a mission to subjugate demons in the Abyss right now, they'd all rush off to their deaths.

Academician Hawkes then announced that the academy would be issuing a second off-campus mission, which the Arcane Society would organize.

Borne tilted his head and quietly asked Lisper, "The second mission will still be handled by the Arcane Society, right? But they'll probably send different people this time?"

At Borne's sudden approach, Lisper gave an almost imperceptible shiver, and a faint blush appeared on her face.

She had wanted to speak after hearing his first sentence, but when she heard the second, her mind went blank. The Fire Elemental around her turned turbulent, and she turned to look at Borne, her red hair floating as if stirred by a breeze.

Borne hadn't expected such a strong reaction from the president. His thoughts raced, and he immediately understood why. He hurriedly said, "I only found out after I got back!"

Seeing Lisper keep staring at him, Borne swallowed and said, "Believe me, I really do!"

The president thought it over briefly and understood as well. The magic around her immediately settled.

The whole thing lasted only a few seconds. The crowd around them was so excited that no one noticed the "little exchange" between Borne and Lisper. Only Academician Hawkes, who had just announced the mission, turned to glance at them.

When everyone heard that the Arcane Society would be in charge again, the crowd grew a little "fired up"!

Faced with such generous "rewards," plenty of people had become so excited their eyes were bloodshot. They believed that as soon as they got a mission, the next reward would be theirs.

As for why the first mission had offered such generous rewards, it never even crossed their minds.

It couldn't be helped. Not everyone had Borne's ability to rack up points as if it were a game. The points most people earned over five years didn't add up to as much as the Arcane Society members had received this time.

Of course, the academy had prepared for this situation. Even if the first mission had been staged, they had still gained some experience.

Otherwise, the rewards wouldn't have taken over a month to issue. Besides preparing the second scenario, they needed to establish a set of rules first.

Whatever you did, the rules had to be set in advance—and the sooner, the better. Otherwise, establishing new measures later would run into all kinds of resistance and cause significant losses.

Academician Hawkes then announced a series of ranking rules. Teams had to have at least five members, undergo a ranking assessment, and accept missions based on their rank, among other things.

Borne's eyelid twitched as he listened. What was going on...?

Wasn't this the system the Mercenary Guild used, the one he had discussed with his grandfather?

Damn...

They'd just copied it outright. Didn't they have any sense of decency?

He'd thought it was strange when his grandfather suddenly asked for his opinion last time. Turned out he'd been ripped off...

Still, Borne hadn't expected a few casual suggestions to become such a detailed plan.

"Turns out novels are all damn lies. Hmph!"

Wasn't everyone around the protagonist supposed to be an idiot?

Why did everyone around him seem so damn clever?

Was he just a minor monster meant to give the "true protagonist" experience points???

Borne felt a little melancholy...

After that, there was nothing more for Borne and the others to do.

Cook and the others saw the huge new sum of points in their accounts and grinned from ear to ear. Although Borne had taken most of the military merit and the library pass, they didn't have the slightest complaint.

Borne had basically led them through the whole mission. He had found the guide, and he had wiped out the Lizardfolk. They had only been there to help, yet they'd earned so many points. They'd made a killing!

They also had some idea of the academy's arrangements. Since they'd returned completely unharmed and in high spirits, their parents had surely questioned them.

Without this mission, they probably wouldn't have noticed anything wrong. Anyone who could become a senior member of the Arcane Society was bound to be talented. They had just been rather naive before, but seeing the outside world had helped them grow.

Afterward, the group discussed it in private and gradually worked out what was unusual about the mission. They understood that they'd benefited from Borne's help: they should have had to endure a difficult ordeal, but instead they'd won without lifting a finger.

Did they regret it?

Of course not. Wanting to be put through the wringer when you knew what was coming would mean something was wrong with you!

Fortunately, the academy had no plans to send them on a second mission.

The members of the second team had also been decided. Alongside the Arcane Society members, it included Giles Academy's top student, Reilly Sesi!

Fourth-year Reilly was hailed as the second-strongest student at Giles Academy. If Borne hadn't been there, Reilly would have been the academy's legend.

Why wasn't the fifth-year president the strongest? Because Reilly had beaten him.

Reilly was one of only two students at Giles Academy to defeat an upperclassman while still an underclassman. The first, of course, was Borne.

Reilly had challenged Borne, too, but had been crushed with ease. In fact, Reilly's was the usual protagonist's path to growth: an ordinary student at enrollment, bullied until his bloodline awakened; showing his talent in his second year, becoming the top student in his year in his third, then training hard and defeating the fifth-year top student in his fourth.

In a novel, he'd have the perfect protagonist's aura. But reality could be absurd: one genius could run into someone even more talented.

Many people felt sorry for Reilly. By taking on this mission, he had a chance to replicate the success of Borne and his group on the previous one.

Only Cook and the others knew what a brutal journey awaited them.

To prevent anything unexpected, someone would definitely keep an eye on them this time, so they could learn what despair felt like!

The others could only offer them silent blessings from the bottom of their hearts.

It looked like mercenary teams would become the norm from now on.

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

The Arcane Society members weren't surprised. They'd already guessed that Borne didn't need the points. The mission offered lots of points now because it was the first one, and because Borne had basically cleared the whole dungeon and earned an SSS rating. They couldn't expect anything like that next time.

After all, earning points was just too easy for Borne. Off-campus missions offered generous rewards, but took far too long—often ten days or half a month. Writing papers was faster for him.

Borne said goodbye to everyone and returned to his underground laboratory.

He had originally planned to go find the Count and give him an earful, but in light of the pass, he decided to let it go.

The pass had been given a very generous valuation. It seemed they'd incorporated his suggestions, too.

On the main road beside the academy arena.

As Borne walked back, his steps suddenly faltered, and his expression instantly turned serious.

This was one of the academy's main roads, and plenty of students passed by. Yet everyone who came near him unconsciously veered away. Borne knew perfectly well he hadn't used [Hypnotism].

The system quickly reported that it was a higher-level Psychic technique, using power that was more than eighty percent similar to "divine magic."

Borne slowly turned around and looked at a "fellow student" not far behind him.

The "fellow student" smiled amiably at him and greeted him warmly.

Although the other person was smiling, Borne felt that something about it seemed fake!

"Since you've come looking for me, please show me your true face. It's a matter of respect for both of us."

The "fellow student" was taken aback for a moment, then thought it over and nodded in agreement. "Quite right."

"Pardon my manners!"

The light around the "fellow student" wavered, and in Borne's eyes, he transformed completely into someone else.

He wore a dark-red robe, and his thick, flaxen-blond hair framed deep eyes that seemed to gleam with wisdom. A faint smile played at the corners of his mouth. His expression and bearing alike radiated a noble, yet elegant, air.

He looked just like a real noble from a fairy tale.

"I never expected we'd meet under these circumstances. What a surprise." Borne sighed and bowed. "Archivist Rodney!"

Archivist Rodney, a true human!

Most "Archivists" were Elves or other long-lived races.

The development of divine magic was even more profound than that of arcane magic. It involved not only magic, but also an extremely thorough grasp of theology. A deep understanding of spell formulas and religious knowledge was essential, and the accumulation of knowledge required time.

Human lives were far too short. Every Archivist was a peerless genius!

At the same time, it was an extremely paradoxical profession.

The magic used by "Archivists" was divine magic in essence; it was just that the way they cast their spells resembled the magic of Mages.

As a result, the way "Archivists" learned and used spells made them seem more like Mages than the usual servants of divine power.

Archivists devoted themselves to searching for the fundamental secrets of divine power, no matter where those secrets came from. Most divine spells used by Clerics and other servants of divine power had been developed by "Archivists"!

You could say that an Archivist was the divine-magic version of an Arcanist!

In particular, studying divine magic was extremely dangerous. They had to risk corruption to pursue forbidden information and knowledge.

"What pure magic. What astonishing talent for the arcane! No wonder you're hailed as the youngest genius Arcanist."

Rodney praised him.

Borne felt a chill in his heart. Rodney didn't look at him like a person, but like a work of art.

"You flatter me. Compared with you, calling me a 'genius' would truly be an insult. There's still a great deal I need to learn from you."

Borne kept his expression calm as he looked Rodney in the eye. "Isn't that right, Senior Brother?"

Rodney had been among the first students at Giles Academy. Born a commoner, he had been taken on as a student by Count Ioulaum as soon as he enrolled. The Count had just advanced to become a high-ranking Arcanist at the time, and Rodney's talent had astonished him.

Unlike Borne, Rodney was a true genius. The moment he encountered magic, he demonstrated unparalleled talent. He also had unique insights into the world around him, and in those days, he shone like a brilliant pearl!

The academy had only just been founded, and everything was still experimental. Rodney was the first student the teacher had taken on, making his classmates envious and jealous.

Of course, he had lived up to the Count's expectations. In his second year, he advanced to become a low-ranking Arcanist, claimed the top spot at the academy, and founded the Arcane Society!

He became involved in the academy's day-to-day management. Concinnio had even said that if Rodney weren't a student, he would have made him the academy's vice principal.

Concinnio was already a "Legend" at the time. To give that kind of praise to a student who had only recently enrolled—just how high was his opinion of him?

Yet after Rodney graduated, he didn't continue on the path of an Arcanist. Instead, he turned to the gods and became an Archivist!

No one had seen it coming. It had caught everyone completely off guard!

Even his teacher, Count Ioulaum, hadn't expected it, and couldn't help feeling utterly disappointed.

The incident caused a huge sensation at the time, and all information about it was sealed away. The records were destroyed!

As developers of divine magic for the gods, Archivists had power and status second only to the Pontiff, but they might know even more than the Pontiff!

If the Pontiff was the god's "general manager" in the mortal world, then an Archivist was the "secretary."

That was why every Archivist was so mysterious!

Borne could sense the pressure exerted by the life force within Rodney. It was so powerful that it hardly seemed like the aura of a high-ranking professional.

It wasn't "Legendary"—Borne was certain of that!

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

It was somewhat like the illusion he'd had with Principal Concinnio!

"Ding! Intrusion by foreign energy detected. Assessment: 81% divine power, 10% magic, 9%..."

The system's voice rang out in his mind.

After nearly having his "eyes stabbed blind" by the Count last time, Borne had upgraded the system's firewall. He hadn't expected it to be triggered.

"Ding! Firewall breached by 91.3%..."

"83.1%..."

"71.3...63..."

"So fast!"

Borne was alarmed. His thoughts raced at once.

"Got it!!!"

He immediately adjusted his breathing. A faint white glow spread across his skin, and light even shone from his pupils.

The warning beeps stopped as well.

As soon as Borne let out a breath, he shouted, "What are you trying to do?!"

Then he unleashed all his magic. His previously "off-kilter" magic and "qi" finally aligned against a common enemy.

More than a dozen layers of [Mage Hand] shielded Borne, and over a dozen fireballs appeared around him.

This was the first time Borne had gone all out in a battle where he had absolutely no chance of winning. He could only hope the commotion would attract the academy's senior staff!

So this was how "divine power" worked?!

The priests of the temple and Archivists were on completely different levels!

It was terrifying!

Rodney looked at him with some surprise, then apologized. "Sorry. I didn't manage to keep my divine power from leaking out."

Then he drew in the fluctuations of his divine power.

Borne wasn't fooled by his behavior. Although he dispelled his spells, he remained on guard.

Rodney offered no further explanation. His every movement and gesture exuded the elegance of a noble.

"Borne, you really are a genius. You even managed to cultivate 'ki' with an incomplete Breathing Technique. We should have met sooner. If we had, we would have been great friends!"

He shook his head regretfully as he spoke.

"The Breathing Technique?!"

Borne raised an eyebrow, but wasn't surprised. It would have been strange if the Archivist didn't know about it. "Say, what do you want with me? The divine power concealing you won't last long, and the dean doesn't like uninvited guests!"

"Seems you've misunderstood me a little. As an apology, you can borrow this for now."

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

"The Nether Scrolls?!"

Borne's eyes widened, then he fixed his gaze on Rodney.

"For me?"

"Of course... not. This batch belongs to the temple. You can borrow them for now, and I'll come back to collect them later."

Borne stared into his eyes. He was using something so precious as an apology?

"Looks like it's time..."

Rodney glanced into the distance. "I'll come back for them myself in ten days!"

The space around Rodney twisted. He turned and took a step, then glanced back and said something that made Borne's skin crawl.

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

Then he disappeared, leaving only the Nether Scrolls behind.

After Rodney left, the surroundings returned to normal. Passing students looked strangely at Borne, who stood frozen in place. Of course, the Nether Scrolls in his hands drew even more attention.

What surprised everyone even more was the appearance of the dean and Count Ioulaum.

"What happened?"

the count asked.

Borne quickly gave them a brief account of what had just happened. The dean and the count exchanged a glance, then the dean picked up the Nether Scrolls.

"There's nothing wrong with them. Since they're an apology, you can keep them. I've erased the markings on them. After you've read them, just send them to the temple!"