Chapter Summaries

Key Plot Points and Events

• Hall watches Fran leave, feeling the freedom of the wealthy.
• Fran visits a magic craftsmen guild, intending to commission a large order of daggers using White Mountain Copper.
• She presents a simple blueprint for a dagger, requesting two hundred of them to be completed within a month.
• The guild leader agrees, seeing a significant profit in the deal.
• Fran visits another magic craftsmen guild with the same request.
• Meanwhile, at the Alchemist Association, a commissioner arrives late and demands to see the sales and purchase records for potion ingredients, causing delays and inconvenience for the receptionist.

Character Developments

• Hall: Realizes the privileges of wealth and expresses a desire to become an alchemist if he ever gains wealth.
• Fran: Demonstrates her wealth and influence, commissioning large orders and expecting prompt service.
• The Guild Leader: Sees an opportunity for profit and agrees to Fran's request despite the tight deadline.
• The Commissioner: Exhibits arrogance and entitlement, causing inconvenience for the receptionist at the Alchemist Association.

Significant Themes

• Wealth and privilege: The wealthy have the freedom to pursue interests and make demands without considering the time and effort required by others.
• Power dynamics: Those in positions of power or wealth can exert influence and expect special treatment.
• Time and efficiency: The value of time is emphasized, with Fran expecting her orders to be completed within a month and the commissioner causing delays at the association.

Character Interactions

• Hall and Fran: Hall watches Fran leave, feeling a sense of awe and envy towards her wealth.
• Fran and the Guild Leader: Fran commissions a large order, and the guild leader agrees, seeing a significant profit in the deal.
• The Commissioner and the Receptionist: The commissioner arrives late and demands special treatment, causing inconvenience for the receptionist.

Key Plot Points and Events

• An association official checks the ledger to find alchemists producing Energy Potions with high success rates.
• He discovers Fran has a shockingly low success rate (less than 1 in 5) despite buying many materials.
• He finds another alchemist with a 1 in 5 success rate but still not meeting his requirements.
• He learns the association has 500 units of Energy Potion materials in stock, which he plans to manipulate for profit.
• Fran spars with Bella, using a rune technique to win, and Bella believes Fran's explanation for the unusual move.

Character Developments

• The association official shows his greed and manipulation, exploiting the association's situation for personal gain.
• Fran demonstrates her strategic thinking and deception, using a rune technique to win against Bella and keeping her secret.

Significant Themes

• Greed and manipulation: The official's actions highlight the corrupt nature of the association and the potential for abuse of power.
• Deception and strategy: Fran's use of a rune technique and her lie to Bella showcase her cunning and adaptability.

Character Interactions

• The official interacts with the receptionist, learning about the material inventory and planning his scheme.
• Fran spars with Bella, ultimately winning by using a rune technique and deceiving Bella about its nature.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Elan and Celine discuss the dire state of the Alchemist Association, with Celine revealing that several alchemists have stopped brewing Energy Potions due to conflicts and corruption within the Association.
• Elan shares that a commissioner tried to sell a large batch of materials back to the Association but was caught, and the materials were bought by Elan's alchemist recruit.
• Richter, a high-level apprentice, meets with a man to discuss securing a safe environment for an apprentice he's interested in after the upcoming assessment.

Character Developments

• Elan: Shows concern for the Alchemist Association's plight but is also profiting from the situation by buying materials at a low price.
• Celine: Expresses frustration with the Association's corruption and lack of hope for its future.
• Richter: Demonstrates his ruthless and manipulative nature, willing to pay for a secure environment to protect an apprentice.

Significant Themes

• Corruption within the Alchemist Association, leading to its decline.
• The high demand and profitability of Energy Potions, driving unethical behavior.
• The ruthless competition and power dynamics among apprentices.

Character Interactions

• Elan and Celine: Share information and discuss the Association's situation, expressing their mutual frustration and helplessness.
• Richter and the unnamed man: Discuss Richter's plans to secure a safe environment for an apprentice after the assessment, with Richter demonstrating his dominance in the interaction.

Key Plot Points and Events

• John conducts the final swordsmanship assessment, involving basic skill demonstration and sparring matches with him.
• Mason, the strongest among the apprentices, spars with John first, displaying caution and improving as the match progresses.
• John ponders Mason's potential, acknowledging his combat skills but doubting his poor physique for the recommendation.
• Bella spars with John, activating her breathing technique quickly and impressing him with her improved practical combat ability and physique.
• Fran spars with John next, her physique seemingly improved, hinting at her progress from training with Bella.

Character Developments

• Mason: Shows growth in combat skills but faces challenges due to his poor physique.
• Bella: Improves her practical combat ability by learning to control her breathing technique at will, thanks to Fran's pressure.
• Fran: Shows potential in her physique's improvement, hinting at her growth from training with Bella.

Significant Themes

• Physical fitness and combat skills are crucial for recommendation to the Sword Chant School.
• Competition and pressure from peers drive character growth and improvement.

Character Interactions

• John assesses each apprentice's skills, providing feedback and insights.
• Mason and Bella spar with John, showcasing their abilities and receiving his evaluation.
• Bella and Fran's training together results in mutual growth and improvement.

Chapter Summary: “Recommendation Qualification (Part 2)”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Near the end of the school year, Fran prepares for her upcoming assessment, less than a week away.
• Over nearly three months of intense training, she greatly improves her Panel:
  • Her Swift Wind Breathing Technique reaches the Mastered level.
  • Her Constitution rises above her Mental attribute for the first time.
  • Her Rune Warrior profession grants her the powerful Mental Power trait.
  • Her rune proficiency increases through an unconventional method: partially engraving runes onto weapons, then discarding them. This earns proficiency faster but consumes enormous numbers of weapons and drives up the price of White Mountain Copper.
• Fran stops sparring with Bela after surpassing her in combat whenever the Breathing Technique is active.
• During a match with John, Fran initially fights without using her Breathing Technique. John is surprised by her greatly increased natural strength and realizes she is already capable of competing in the Advanced Apprentice assessment.
• Fran eventually activates the Breathing Technique, producing a powerful barrage that briefly gives her the advantage.
• John activates his own Breathing Technique, regaining the upper hand. Fran considers using Mental Power but rejects it to avoid exposing an unexplained increase in strength.
• Instead, Fran uses her superior agility and precise swordplay to break John’s wooden sword. She lands the decisive strike before he can retreat.
• John concedes and tells Fran he looks forward to the day she becomes a Formal Mage, believing she will certainly pass the school’s trial within three years.

Character Development

• Fran: Has transformed from a weak beginner into an exceptionally powerful apprentice in only a few months. She now combines high Constitution, superior agility, mastered breathing techniques, rune skills, and tactical restraint. Her decision not to use Mental Power shows growing caution and awareness of how others perceive her abilities.
• John: Initially underestimates the effect of Fran’s growth, but quickly recognizes her extraordinary talent. His attitude shifts from testing her to acknowledging her future greatness. Despite fighting seriously, he accepts defeat with respect.
• Bela: Though not present in the main duel, she serves as an important benchmark for Fran’s progress. Fran has surpassed Bela in agility and can now match or exceed her strength under certain conditions.

Significant Themes

• Rapid growth and exceptional talent: Fran’s advancement challenges ordinary expectations for apprentices and establishes her as an unusually gifted fighter.
• Discipline and perseverance: Her progress comes from sustained training, repeated sparring, and systematic improvement of every skill.
• Strategic restraint: Fran possesses hidden power but chooses not to reveal it unnecessarily, demonstrating maturity and an understanding of the dangers of attracting suspicion.
• The cost of advancement: Her rune training consumes vast quantities of weapons and materials, showing that power and proficiency often require significant financial and practical sacrifices.
• Recognition and future promise: John’s final words confirm that Fran is no longer merely improving—she is already on a credible path toward becoming a Formal Mage.

Character Interactions

• Fran and Bela: Their long-term sparring drives Fran’s improvement. Once Fran reaches the Mastered level with her Breathing Technique, she becomes too strong and agile for Bela to defeat consistently.
• Fran and John: Their duel reveals Fran’s dramatic advancement. John initially expects her to struggle, but he is forced to increase his strength, activate his own Breathing Technique, and fight seriously. Fran defeats him through a combination of power, speed, and precision.
• John’s final acknowledgment: By congratulating Fran and predicting her success, John validates her accomplishments and recognizes her as a future elite mage of the Sword Chant School.

Key Plot Points and Events

• John announces the results of the swordsmanship assessment.
• Five apprentices receive an 'Excellent' rating.
• John reveals three recommendation spots for the 'Swordsman' club at the Sword Chant School.
• Fran declines the recommendation, choosing to explore other schools.
• Mason is recommended for the last spot.

Character Developments

• Fran demonstrates her independence and self-awareness, prioritizing her personal exploration over immediate opportunities.
• Mason shows determination, hard work, and resilience in pursuing his goal, ultimately securing a recommendation.

Significant Themes

• Personal Growth and Independence: Fran's decision to explore other schools reflects her desire for personal growth and independence, rather than taking the easy path.
• Hard Work and Perseverance: Mason's journey highlights the importance of hard work and perseverance in achieving one's goals, despite initial setbacks.

Character Interactions

• Fran and John: Fran's interaction with John shows her respect for his expertise but also her determination to forge her own path.
• Mason and Fran: Mason's reaction to Fran's decision reveals his initial disappointment but also his renewed hope when he learns he might still receive a recommendation.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Fran visits the Night Sky Reading Club after a long absence.
• She wants to exchange for spells, surprising Lai who assumes she's from the Sword Chant School.
• Fran looks at the available spells: Astrology Orb, Adjustment Method, and Divination Art.
• She chooses Divination Art despite Lai's warnings about its difficulty.
• Fran buys the spell with a gold coin and receives change from Lai.
• Haya, the club president, witnesses the transaction and mentions that mastering Divination Art is a prerequisite for prophecy magic.

Character Developments

• Fran demonstrates curiosity and initiative in exploring different schools and spells.
• Lai shows surprise and confusion at Fran's actions but remains helpful.
• Haya displays knowledge about prophecy magic and interest in Fran's potential.

Significant Themes

• The struggle to master complex and unpredictable spells, like Divination Art.
• The allure of prophecy and foresight, and the potential consequences of using them.

Character Interactions

• Fran and Lai's interaction reveals Fran's independent nature and Lai's confusion about Fran's intentions.
• Haya's appearance adds a layer of authority and guidance to the scene.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Compat, an unassuming committee member, becomes president of the Alchemist Association after a scandal and infighting among the powerful families.
• He attempts to stabilize the association's finances by skimming funds and proposing a new Energy Potion production layout, but faces resistance and embezzlement.
• Energy Potion's popularity boosts the association's prospects, but supply issues and market competition threaten its survival.
• On his last day as president, Compat approves a land development project, unaware of its true purpose.

Character Developments

• Compat: Initially passive and overwhelmed, he becomes more proactive in trying to save the association but remains naive about the corruption around him.
• Richter: An apprentice who successfully completes his assessment and orchestrates a plot involving Compat and the association's land.

Significant Themes

• Corruption and Power Struggles: The association's downfall is due to infighting and embezzlement among powerful families.
• Ambition vs. Naivety: Compat's desire to save the association clashes with his underestimation of the situation and the people around him.
• The Price of Popularity: Energy Potion's success brings both opportunity and danger to the association.

Character Interactions

• Compat and Richter: Although they don't interact directly, Richter manipulates Compat into approving the land development project, highlighting the power dynamics between them.
• Compat and the Association Members: Compat struggles to gain respect and cooperation from the association members, who doubt his abilities and undermine his efforts.
• Compat and His Friend: Compat's friend offers guidance and support, but also encourages Compat's questionable actions, such as skimming funds.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Richter, a high-ranking apprentice from the Transmutation School, challenges Fran, believing her to be an evil spirit possessing a body.
• Fran is lured to a wasteland by Richter, who intends to use a Spirit Driving Scroll to 'exorcise' her.
• Fran realizes Richter's intentions and prepares to defend herself.

Character Developments

• Fran shows growth in her combat skills and mental composure, understanding Richter's motives and preparing to face him.
• Richter displays arrogance and underestimates Fran's abilities, leading him to underestimate the danger he's in.

Significant Themes

• Arrogance and overconfidence leading to underestimation of opponents.
• The revelation of secrets and the consequences that follow.
• The struggle between power and morality.

Character Interactions

• Richter and Fran's interaction reveals Richter's arrogance and Fran's growing confidence and understanding of her adversary.
• Richter's apprentice companion remains silent, indicating either fear or lack of involvement in Richter's plans.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Fran confronts Richter, revealing she knows his identity.
• Richter attempts to attack Fran using bone skeletons and a spell, but Fran counters with her wind blades and enhanced attributes.
• Fran swiftly defeats Richter and his accomplice using her sword and mental power.
• Fran loots the bodies and buries them to hide evidence.
• The next day, apprentices from the Construct School arrive to compact the ground, discovering signs of digging but deciding not to investigate further.

Character Developments

• Fran demonstrates her growth and prowess as a combatant, defeating a formidable opponent like Richter.
• Richter shows fear and uncertainty when faced with a powerful opponent, revealing his true nature as a coward despite his ruthless reputation.

Significant Themes

• The dangers of underestimating one's opponents and the consequences of hubris.
• The importance of caution and discretion in handling sensitive information and situations.

Character Interactions

• Fran and Richter's brief exchange highlights the tension and anticipation before their battle.
• The interaction between the two apprentices from the Construct School showcases their caution and awareness of potential dangers in their line of work.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Fran returns to her dormitory and decides to move due to the cluttered state of her room.
• She examines her spoils from killing Richter, including a notebook, a box, and magical equipment.
• She receives a new skill, [Transmutation], from studying Richter's notebook.
• She finds a [Guide of the Spirit Realm] stone in the box meant for the Apprentice Assessment Ranking Reward.

Character Developments

• Fran shows signs of personal growth and self-awareness, deciding to improve her living conditions.
• She demonstrates analytical thinking and intuition when hypothesizing about her future-seeing ability and the magical equipment's non-triggering.

Significant Themes

• The value of foresight and acting in accordance with future visions.
• The importance of personal space and quality of life.
• The acquisition of new knowledge and skills, and the responsibility that comes with them.

Character Interactions

• Although there are no direct interactions in this chapter, Fran's thoughts and decisions are influenced by her past experiences with Richter and her observations of his notebook.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Fran visits Elan at the Emerald Heart Tavern.
• Elan reveals he was once part of the Law School, but they're not accepting new students.
• Fran expresses her intention to explore other schools before joining one.
• Elan warns Fran about the importance of joining a school for the assessment and mentions the Spirit Realm as an alternative path to becoming an official mage.
• Elan reveals that new associations have been established following the Alchemist Association's shutdown.

Character Developments

• Fran shows determination in finding the right school and learning about the Spirit Realm.
• Elan displays knowledge about various schools and their importance in an apprentice's development.

Significant Themes

• The importance of joining a school for an apprentice's growth and advancement.
• The existence of alternative paths to becoming an official mage, such as the Spirit Realm.
• The impact of the Alchemist Association's shutdown and the establishment of new associations.

Character Interactions

• Fran and Elan discuss schools, the Spirit Realm, and the recent developments in the potion industry.
• Elan provides guidance and advice to Fran, showing a mentor-like role.

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Alchemist Association in the City of Apprentices collapses, leading to increased material prices and difficulties in selling potions for alchemists.
• Alchemists consider forming a new association to centralize material procurement and potion sales.
• Elan suggests forming an association with Fran's "friends" to compete, but Fran reveals her friends have already joined other associations.

Character Developments

• Fran: Realizes the challenges alchemists face post-association collapse and considers her next steps.
• Elan: Proposes forming an association with Fran's connections to compete in the new market landscape.

Significant Themes

• The impact of the Alchemist Association's collapse on alchemists and the potion market.
• The struggle for power and profit in the new, unregulated market.
• The importance of strategic timing and connections in business.

Character Interactions

• Fran and Elan discuss the changes in the potion market and potential business opportunities.
• Elan shares his plan to form an association with Fran's "friends" to compete in the market.
• Fran reveals that her friends have already joined other associations, disappointing Elan but leading to a new business model.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Fran struggles to choose courses due to the large number she initially selects.
• She meets Bella and Lai to compare schedules.
• Fran learns about internal school courses and decides to take 'Elven Swordsmanship Instruction.'
• Lai mentions a school recruitment event happening in the City of Apprentices.

Character Developments

• Fran shows her competitive nature and desire to learn multiple skills.
• Bella displays her understanding of the internal workings of the Sword Chant School.
• Lai shows concern for Fran's ambitious course selection.

Significant Themes

• Nepotism and favoritism in the academy system.
• The value of learning multiple skills versus specializing in one.
• The allure of powerful schools and their recruitment processes.

Character Interactions

• Fran, Bella, and Lai meet to discuss their course selections.
• Fran and Bella discuss internal school courses and Fran decides to join Bella's 'Elven Swordsmanship Instruction' class.
• Lai shares information about a school recruitment event with Fran.

Chapter Summary: “Extraordinary Proficiency”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Fran sets up a secluded potion-brewing room in her new three-story house near Cuilan Academy.
• Using her increased Mental Power and the [Skilled Alchemist] trait, she brews three Strength Potions simultaneously through direct fusion rather than the standard Harmonization Method.
• This successful batch raises her Pharmacy skill to the next level, changing it from Proficient to Extraordinary.
• Her Apothecary Profession rises to half a star, matching her Rune Warrior Profession, though it grants only a modest Mental Power increase.
• Her [Skilled Alchemist] trait evolves into [Miraculous Alchemist], allowing her to strengthen or weaken a potion’s effects at the cost of Mental Power.
• Fran tests the improved ability by creating an enhanced Strength Potion. Its effect is roughly thirty percent stronger, but she realizes such unusual potions would be difficult to sell because the market does not distinguish between grades of potion.
• She decides to store the enhanced potions for future use and completes part of an existing order.
• Despite feeling tired from using Mental Power, Fran resumes her Star Gazing Art. She receives a vision of herself operating a large Steam Engine in the distant future.
• Attempting to use Divination Art afterward causes severe pain, so she stops. She concludes that the vision is too far in the future to investigate immediately.

Character Development

• Fran’s alchemical abilities advance dramatically. Her Extraordinary Pharmacy makes potion brewing nearly effortless, allowing her to produce multiple potions with little concentration.
• She is compared to a once-in-a-century genius rather than merely a diligent expert, emphasizing the extraordinary effect of her upgraded skill.
• Fran gains greater control over potion quality through Miraculous Alchemist, but this power introduces a practical limitation: enhanced potions consume Mental Power and can only be produced in limited quantities.
• Her cautious and pragmatic side appears when she worries that the upgraded trait may have replaced her previous ability. She tests the new trait immediately and is relieved to find that her brewing precision has improved rather than declined.
• Fran’s Star Gazing Art continues to reveal fragments of her future, though the visions remain mysterious and sometimes physically taxing.

Significant Themes

• Talent versus effort: Fran’s transformation from a highly skilled practitioner into an effortless prodigy highlights the difference between ordinary mastery and extraordinary ability.
• Power and practicality: Having the ability to create stronger potions does not guarantee commercial success. Fran must consider market expectations, pricing, secrecy, and resource consumption.
• Uncertainty about advancement: Fran is uneasy about how skills and traits evolve, especially when improvements might overwrite useful abilities.
• Technology and historical change: The Steam Engine vision raises questions about why Fran would use an outdated technology in a world where far more advanced Magic Engines exist.
• Limits of foresight: Although Fran can glimpse the future, she cannot freely analyze it. The distance of the vision and the strain on her mind restrict her ability to understand what she has seen.

Character Interactions

• This chapter contains no direct interaction with other characters. Fran’s main interactions are with her own skills, system notifications, equipment, and visions of her future self.
• Her internal reactions—especially her concern over the changed trait, her excitement at the enhanced potion, and her confusion about the Steam Engine—drive the chapter’s emotional progression.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Fran is challenged by Ren, an apprentice from the Sword Chant School, as soon as she arrives at the classroom for the Elven Swordsmanship course.
• Ren attempts to provoke Fran into retaliating, but she remains calm and unreactive, understanding his intention to frame her.
• Burnett, the instructor, warns against settling disputes privately, hinting at Ren's plan.
• Burnett demonstrates Elven Swordsmanship, emphasizing the differences between human and elven physical structures.
• Fran is annoyed by Ren and Aboyue encroaching on her space during practice and speaks up, drawing everyone's attention.

Character Developments

• Fran shows restraint and self-control in the face of provocation, understanding the underlying rules and intentions.
• Ren is revealed to be working with Aboyue to frame Fran, driven by jealousy and fear of losing Burnett's mentorship.
• Burnett is shown to be a stern instructor who values fairness and discipline.

Significant Themes

• The importance of self-control and restraint in the face of provocation.
• The consequences of jealousy and fear-driven actions.
• The differences between human and elven physical structures and their impact on swordsmanship.

Character Interactions

• Fran and Ren: Ren attempts to provoke Fran, but she remains calm and composed.
• Fran and Aboyue: Aboyue is shown to be working with Ren to frame Fran.
• Burnett and the apprentices: Burnett warns against settling disputes privately and demonstrates Elven Swordsmanship.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Fran practices swordsmanship under harassment from Aboyue and Ren.
• Fran obtains 'Elven Swordsmanship' skill after her practice.
• Fran challenges Aboyue to a Sword-Grip Duel, which Burnett agrees to.
• The duel begins with Aboyue adopting a defensive stance, and Fran attacking with a jump, using the newly learned Elven Swordsmanship footwork.

Character Developments

• Fran shows determination and initiative by challenging Aboyue to a duel.
• Aboyue reveals his family's 'Iron Wall Swordsmanship' and defensive prowess.
• Burnett shows concern for his apprentices' safety and well-being.

Significant Themes

• The importance of skill proficiency and foundation in combat.
• The consequences of underestimating one's opponent.
• The role of a teacher in guiding and protecting their students.

Character Interactions

• Fran and Aboyue's conflict escalates, leading to the duel.
• Burnett acts as a mediator and referee for the duel.
• The apprentices watch and discuss the duel, showing curiosity and concern for their peers.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Fran uses her match against Aboyue to grind proficiency in Elven Swordsmanship.
• Aboyue uses his family's Breathing Technique and Triple Strike, but Fran blocks it.
• Fran gains proficiency in Elven Swordsmanship and learns Elven Combat Style.
• Aboyue begins using the Sword Dance, but Fran adapts and wins using her new skills.

Character Developments

• Fran demonstrates her adaptability and quick learning, mastering Elven Swordsmanship and Elven Combat Style.
• Aboyue shows his skill in defense and counterattacks but struggles against Fran's new abilities.
• Burnett recognizes Fran's use of Elven Swordsmanship and is impressed.

Significant Themes

• The importance of adaptability and quick learning in combat.
• The advantage of combining school-taught arts with swordsmanship.
• The power of focus and mental control in battle.

Character Interactions

• Fran and Aboyue's match highlights their respective strengths and weaknesses.
• Burnett's exclamation reveals the identity of Fran's fighting style to Aboyue and the audience.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Fran demonstrates exceptional skill in Elven Swordsmanship, impressing Burnett.
• Burnett offers to mentor Fran, but she declines to consider until she has seen other schools.
• Aboyue is defeated by Fran and loses Burnett's favor after Ren exposes his scheme.

Character Developments

• Fran: Shows remarkable aptitude for Elven Swordsmanship, remains humble and respectful.
• Burnett: Recognizes Fran's talent, offers mentorship, and disciplines Aboyue for framing peers.
• Aboyue: Loses to Fran, becomes disgraced after Ren's betrayal, and is expelled from Burnett's class.
• Ren: Backstabs Aboyue, aiming to gain Burnett's favor and remove his main competition.

Significant Themes

• Talent and recognition: Fran's natural ability in swordsmanship is acknowledged by Burnett.
• Betrayal and consequences: Aboyue's scheme backfires, leading to his expulsion and loss of Burnett's favor.
• Ambition and competition: Ren's actions highlight the cutthroat nature of aspiring mages' competition.

Character Interactions

• Fran and Burnett: They discuss Fran's potential and her decision not to join the Sword Chant School immediately.
• Aboyue and Burnett: Aboyue's defeat and subsequent expulsion from Burnett's class due to Ren's betrayal.
• Aboyue and Ren: Aboyue's suspicion and eventual realization of Ren's betrayal, leading to his downfall.

Summary of Chapter

At the Emerald Heart Tavern, Celine urgently approaches Elan. She reveals that Richter, a mage from the Transmutation School, has disappeared and is presumed dead—no body found, but a prediction confirms his death. Elan is a suspect because he is the titular dean of Cuilan Academy (where Richter studied), but he denies involvement and jokes that if he'd killed Richter, there'd be nothing left to find. The Transmutation School is frantic over a missing notebook possibly containing unique knowledge.
Celine then shifts to a new opportunity: a Fourth Order mage named Harbos Roins has founded the Forge School in the City of Apprentices and is offering a "Weapon Forging" course. Celine suggests Elan join the Forge School to leverage Roins's power and turn his title as dean of Cuilan Academy into real control, with backing from the Law School (where Celine works). Elan is skeptical but intrigued by the political chance. The chapter ends with Celine hinting this could mark the Law School's return to influence in the city.