"Hmm... from what I can tell, there's no problem. Mia's Guidance spell is compatible with this bacterium."
This time, the Arbitration Committee brought one more person, making four in total.
The three mages originally on the committee weren't familiar with bacteria, so they called in an Archdruid as well.
Only after the four committee members had studied it together could they finally assess Mia's spell.
There was no doubt she'd pass the exam.
But it raised a new question.
How should this spell be classified?
In the Caster Association's rating system, spells had not only spell-circle ranks, which represented their power and casting difficulty, but also restriction levels, which indicated how dangerous they were.
Most spells had no restrictions. As long as you could learn them, you were free to do so.
But some spells were devious and evil, or could have serious adverse effects. To preserve social stability and keep casters from running amok—after all, people in this line of work often went crazy—such spells were classified as restricted and could not be freely shared or studied.
There were three restriction levels: red, orange, and yellow.
They went from most to least restrictive.
To study a spell at the lowest level, yellow, you had to complete a rather tedious application process. Your background was checked, and you had to be deemed mentally sound. You also couldn't teach the spell to anyone else without permission.
Many of Jia Xiu's "masterpieces" had been classified at this level by the Association.
They weren't necessarily powerful, but they were truly devious.
Orange restrictions required you to declare the spell's intended use in addition to meeting the yellow-level requirements. If you were found using the spell for an undeclared purpose after your application was approved, the Association would hold you accountable.
The technology for