Inside the Mage Tower, in the academy office.
Roland snapped his fingers, and a book opened before him with a rustle, its pages flipping rapidly.
A vast passage of obscure magic runes appeared before him.
These magic runes were formed from mana, with the flowing, sinuous strokes of talismanic script.
They had no three-dimensional structure, yet their written forms shifted dynamically, like clusters of flames hovering over the paper, burning quietly.
Heaven and earth, dark and yellow; the universe, vast and ancient; sun, moon, and stars, the constellations arrayed...
These were all Seris runes, the highest achievement in Arcana that Roland had mastered so far.
The various runes are nearly ready, and the latest round of construction for the Dream Spell is complete. It is time to prepare to advance to the sixth rank.
At that point, I will reach the pinnacle of middle-tier magical creatures.
Since the advancement ritual still required some other preparations, he did not attempt it immediately.
But with all the necessary hardware and software conditions already met, the rest was merely a matter of time.
He was in no hurry.
"Mr. Roland, the monthly exam questions are ready."
Just then, Princess Rosa's voice reached him.
Roland returned to the present, took the draft she handed him, and began reviewing it.
Seris Academy was still in its infancy, and nobody had much experience with its various operations. Even an ordinary monthly exam therefore required Roland's personal review.
But he soon discovered that the mages employed by the academy truly deserved their reputation as highly intelligent professionals.
They had already done an excellent job.
"Well done. These questions are moderately difficult and can assess how well students have mastered the various subjects," Roland said approvingly.
"It is mainly because your Teaching Syllabus and framework were so good,"