Early the next morning, Roland woke to melodious music and found that the Magic Lamp in his room had switched on automatically.
The curtains nearby slowly drew back, revealing the scenery outside.
The Mage Tower stood amid a mountain range. In the distance, clouds glowed in the morning light, and white mist wreathed the rolling peaks like a gauze veil.
The first rays of morning sunlight shone over a peak, lifting his spirits with them.
Roland sat up and reclined against the soft, fragrant pillows on the large bed. He quietly admired the morning scenery outside for a while before half closing his eyes and beginning to meditate.
A wizard's meditation required no particular posture, only concentration. Before long, he connected to the magic network's spell allocation layer and confirmed that all his spell allotments had recharged according to their default settings while he slept.
Current spell allotments: 2/1... Note: The level 1 allotment is the specially authorized spell "Tongues" (castable without mastery)...
He then switched to the casting layer, recited the incantation to activate the allotment, and began casting through the magic network.
As a faint light glimmered, Roland felt a cool current sweep through his mind, instantly making it clear and alert.
"Requesting an Ancient Elvish course."
Without wasting any time, he connected to the tower spirit with his mental power.
"Request approved. Target location locked. Activating Projection."
A standard-sized Projection screen appeared 0.6 meters in front of him. On it, a scholarly-looking female wizard wearing glasses held a pointer and began explaining as she pointed at a small blackboard.
Roland had never studied Ancient Elvish, yet his remembered foundation in modern Elvish, combined with the effects of Tongues, allowed him to understand everything he needed to.
Learning this way was naturally as smooth as a hot knife cutting through butter.
"Using a spell like this to study really does get twice the results for half the effort."
After a full hour of diligent study, Roland put away his notes, still wanting more, then opened the door and went out.
Outside was a corridor. Leaning against its railing, he could see several maids already busy in the living room below, dressed in uniforms resembling Western-style shirts.
Apprentice Mages lived in the same standard three-story split-level residences as Full Mages. Each floor of the Mage Tower was three times the height of an ordinary building's floor, making it just right for division into three levels.
Every wizard had a private suite, complete with a study, bedroom, bathroom, recreation room, gym, storeroom, kitchen, dining room, large balcony, and every other facility they might need. Those with the leisure and inclination could remodel it further to suit their own tastes and preferences.
The lowest level held a living room large enough for small gatherings, where wizards could host Arcana salons or other get-togethers with their colleagues. His predecessor's memories even contained amusing stories of certain wizards using such occasions to indulge in wild debauchery, which had once filled him with longing.
"Good morning, Mr. Roland. Your breakfast is ready. Please enjoy."
Seeing Roland descend the stairs at one side, the head maid greeted him, then led the other maids out.
They all belonged to the Mage Tower's support staff and did not serve Roland exclusively. Even so, they took care of his three daily meals and all miscellaneous chores. He could simply leave any housework to them.
Security within the Mage Tower was also handled by the tower spirit and the tower guards. Wizards living here did not have to manage their daily needs as unaffiliated wizards did, nor did they need to prepare spells such as Alarm or Detect Poison. This freed up more spell allotments, time, and energy for study, an enormous advantage in its own right.
After breakfast, Roland left his suite and headed to the library upstairs.
The Orvisto Mage Tower had much the same overall layout as other Mage Towers. The first basement level housed the Teleportation Array and other protective magic circles that formed part of the foundations, while also serving as storage for basic supplies. The first floor above ground was the adventurers' hall, which provided various public services within the territory.
As a rule, organizations such as the adventurers' guild and professional guilds would set up offices there.
This was because a Mage Tower usually represented a key node in the local magic network. The Arcane Empire of Atrelin used them to build a vast network that covered every part of its territory.
Grand Mages who owned Mage Towers could be regarded as the lords of the imperial age, and providing these public services to adventurers and traveling merchants was part of their obligations.
The second floor was the commercial district, usually occupied by major merchant associations and planar colonization companies.
The third floor generally housed the tower's servants and staff.
The fourth, fifth, and sixth floors were the wizards' residences. Roland currently lived in a corner of the southern corridor on the fourth floor.
The seventh floor and above largely housed training grounds, classrooms, and libraries, and could be considered the teaching area.
The eighth floor was devoted to experiments and the storage of magical materials.
As for the ninth floor, it was naturally reserved for the tower's master.
Some wealthier Grand Mages would even connect demiplanes to it, continually expanding its space.
Ordinary wizards had no permission to enter, however, and Roland had no desire to wander around for now. He plunged into the library, studying diligently on his own with its abundant books and resources, occasionally copying things into the notebook he carried with him.
These resources were extremely expensive for adventurers and unaffiliated wizards. The more he read and learned, the more he was effectively getting for free.
Copying them into his little notebook to review at home was even more satisfying, like enjoying a feast and taking the leftovers with him.
Nearly half a month passed this way. Immersed in an ocean of knowledge, Roland came to appreciate the purity and beauty of life in an ivory tower.
Studying made him happy. Almost every day, he could feel tangible improvement, soaking up knowledge like a sponge absorbing water.
It was not just his knowledge of Arcana that grew, but also his understanding of the Mage Tower he belonged to and of this world.
As a student at Falando Academy, his predecessor had actually ranked only somewhat above average. Even gaining admission to a lower-ranked Mage Tower had been uncertain; he was no star student who excelled in every subject.
That was why Cynthia believed Roland had performed beyond his usual ability and lucked out.
But after Roland transmigrated here, the knowledge and experience of his previous life filled some of those gaps, sending his potential for growth soaring like a rocket.
Before he knew it, early August had arrived.
On the morning of the fifth, Roland left his room and headed to a small hall near the seventh-floor library to meet the students admitted to the Orvisto Wizard Tower in the same intake as him.
Only then did he learn that the tower had accepted just three students that year, himself included.
Admissions to every Mage Tower were personally overseen by a Grand Mage-level figure. The Orvisto Mage Tower in particular had always been famous for its difficult entrance examination, and its academic credentials carried considerable weight.
Fellow students who had passed such a demanding selection were naturally worth getting to know.
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