Roland could see that Atali was forcing a smile.
The two had known each other since childhood and attended school together for years. To say there were no feelings between them would have been a lie.
But they were nowhere near making vows of eternal love.
Adolescent affection was hazy and beautiful like that, so much so that it often quietly faded away upon graduation.
Deciding where to go from here was a major life choice, not something they could think through in a short time.
Besides, the Roland of today was no longer the Roland of the past.
So, after telling Atali and Cynthia to keep in touch and saying they could meet again if the opportunity arose, he parted with them at the school gates and set out that very night, traveling light.
The city where Falando Academy stood had a Teleportation Array leading to the Orvisto Wizard Tower.
Swein had also thoughtfully secured that precious free teleportation opportunity for him beforehand.
He did not have to worry about any of the paperwork.
Before stepping onto the Teleportation Array, Roland looked back at the city in his memories and nodded silently.
The body's former owner is dead. Burn paper offerings if you have anything to tell him.
If fate brings us together again, the person you meet will be me, Roland.
I can't let his life limit mine. I have to live a whole new life.
Then, this is goodbye.
Flandre.
In darkness like the fall of night, a faint ray of light shone down from the distant heavens.
Stars dotted the vast sky, which appeared before him like a projection of the universe.
Before he knew it, the scene before his eyes grew ever deeper.
Roland almost had the illusion that he was drifting through the universe.
Before long, however, light appeared ahead. Countless things drifted into view like a revolving lantern, with the unreal quality of a mirage.
That was where the Orvisto Wizard Tower stood, in the vast territory along the Empire's southeastern border.
A moment later, a dizzying sensation swept over him. When Roland came to his senses, he found himself standing inside a magnificent building.
"Welcome to the Orvisto Wizard Tower. Please gather your luggage and follow the directions to leave the Teleportation Array.
The exit is directly ahead, at the green Arcane Mark..."
A metallic, mechanically synthesized voice sounded. It was a reminder from the Tower Spirit's artificial intelligence.
Roland had brought little luggage. He stepped straight off the Teleportation Array, found the exit, and headed toward the Floating Stairway outside.
Leaving the staircase, he arrived in the first-floor lobby, where quite a few people were coming and going.
These people did not belong to the Mage Tower. They were wandering mages or adventurers who depended on it to survive and develop.
After briefly checking his surroundings, Roland found the reception room reserved for internal members.
The reception room was bright and spotless. An attractive receptionist stood behind the counter, but it was not human. It was a female doll created through alchemy, Miss.
It had a lifelike appearance, except for a keyhole-shaped mark on its forehead.
At Roland's arrival, a smile appeared on the doll's face, and it asked in a sweet voice, "Hello. How may I help you, Miss?"
"I'm an Apprentice Mage affiliated with this tower. I'd like to report in."
"Please wait while I look up your registration information...
Hello, Mr. Roland. Your records have been located, and you are authorized to report in.
Connecting you to the Tower Spirit now."
As the times advanced, mages could use the Magic Network not only to store their spell quotas, but also to transmit information.
It did have something of the information age about it, except that regional differences were greater, and economic, cultural, and magical development were even more uneven.
One place already had a Floating City soaring into the sky, while another still had people living like monkeys in trees.
As for the former owner's hometown, it was a remote mountain backwater under a feudal lord's rule.
While Roland reflected on this, the doll continued, "Your information has been registered. I will now contact the supervisor for new arrivals. Please wait a moment, Miss."
Roland waited a little while before a screen of light appeared in front of him. It was a Projection cast through the Tower Spirit.
"Why has one of this year's new arrivals come to report in so early, and at such a late hour? Let me see..."
On the other side of the screen was an adorable-looking little girl with glasses and twin tails.
After reading Roland's basic information, she pushed up her glasses and gave a cryptic, wicked smile.
The next moment, the screen vanished, and the girl with glasses appeared.
She had actually teleported straight over using the level 2 spell Dimensional Jump.
The girl still held her stylish glasses-adjusting pose. Her lenses reflected the Magic Lamp, and even her eyes seemed to gleam.
"Junior Roland!" the girl called out energetically.
"Here," Roland replied, straightening.
"All new arrivals must undergo the necessary assessment when entering the tower. Now, I, Froya, the supervisor for new arrivals, will take you through that process. You may call me Senior Froya. Understood?"
Roland was speechless. She looked barely seven or eight. Was she really a senior at the Mage Tower, and not some senior's daughter?
Could this be some brat who ran out here to mess with me?
"Hey, what's with that look?" Froya planted both hands on her hips and said indignantly, "You look like you're doubting your senior!"
Roland hurriedly waved his hands. "No, not at all."
"Don't think I don't know what you're thinking!" Froya lectured with the air of an old hand. "In the world of mages, judging people by appearances is incredibly foolish. My actual age... hmph, that's confidential, but I've been an adult for ages. I only look like this for certain reasons!"
"Thank you for explaining. I see."
Realization dawned on Roland. So little-girl aunties really did exist. At first, he had thought this crowd had some seriously questionable practices.
"Here. Fill out the form."
Froya snorted and snapped her fingers.
A projection instantly appeared before Roland, accompanied by a notification from the Tower Spirit.
"Froya, the supervisor for new arrivals, is sending you an assessment form..."
Roland sat down on a sofa in the reception room and began filling in the fields or checking the boxes one by one.
List of mastered spells: (Level 0) Resistance, Acid Splash, Detect Poison, Detect Magic, Read Magic, Daze, Dancing Lights, Flare, Light, Ray of Frost, Shocking Grasp, Ghost Sound, Disrupt Undead, Touch of Fatigue, Mage Hand, Mending, Message, Open/Close, Copying Spell, Arcane Mark, Prestidigitation; List of specially authorized spells (castable without mastery): (Level 1) Tongues; Skills: Craft (average), Decipher Script (excellent), Knowledge (arcana) (good), Knowledge (architecture and engineering) (average), Knowledge (dungeoneering) (average), Knowledge (geography) (average), Knowledge (history) (good), Knowledge (local) (average), Knowledge (nature) (good), Knowledge (nobility and royalty) (average), Knowledge (religion) (average), Knowledge (the planes) (good), Spellcraft (excellent), Use Magic Device (excellent); Feats: Scribe Scroll (excellent)...
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