East Lainer Mage Tower, Academy Office.
Roland was communicating over the magic network with Grand Mage Temperis, who was serving his rotation on the committee.
"Roland, isn't the funding you're applying for a little excessive?
I remember East Lainer won a major award before and received quite a sum..."
"Your Excellency Temperis, didn't we agree long ago that prize money and funding were separate matters?
Besides, that was a surplus from the Governor's Residence's rule. It's educational funding shared by the entire East Lainer Mage Tower, not money exclusively for my Seris Academy and the project teams on that list."
"Oh, please. Who doesn't know that your Seris Academy now dominates the entire East Lainer Mage Tower? Aren't you the one who decides how that funding is allocated?"
"How could that be? Nothing of the sort..."
After some back-and-forth, Roland confirmed that the Arcane Committee would not readily meet his demands.
They might nurture a growing seedling.
But once it matured, it had to learn to find its own funding.
He could only change the subject.
"By the way, about my earlier application to establish awards..."
This was a strategy Roland had previously agreed upon with Lie Yi, Blaise, and the others.
After several probing attempts from Roland, Temperis finally let something slip. "We also feel that, given how far the Seris School has developed, it's time it had awards of its own.
The committee has provisionally proposed a second-class award, the 'Oracle Award,' named after your first paper and your school's distinctive features. Its standing will be second only to awards on the level of the Morningstar Award.
This will be a national award, with nominations submitted by you and reviewed by the committee. The associated title and corresponding spell quota will be set at the sixth rank.
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