"Soul resonance... heh, introducing something fresh at a time like this to canvass the public for votes?
Unfortunately, the power to select the Arcane Star has always rested with the upper ranks. There's simply no room for tactics like that!"
That day, in the Ingenious Automaton laboratory at the Craid Mage Tower.
Professor Xiagengsi was drinking tea and reading the newspaper as usual, keeping abreast of the latest news.
He could tell at a glance that this was a divine-kingdom-like project aimed at the public, or perhaps an internal private network for the Seris School.
With some curiosity, he read on.
Sure enough, it was much as he had expected.
"It shows some imagination, but it still takes a foundational approach. It'll be hard to impress high mages."
Just then, however, Shagengs's gaze suddenly shifted to a line in the introduction.
"Meditation, perception, resonance... laws!"
"This thing can connect to laws and control their corresponding power through 'Seris divine runes'?"
Shagengs looked startled. This already touched upon the mighty powers of deities. In scope and value, it was no less impressive than his own "intelligence bestowal."
What he found even more incredible was that, when he followed the brief instructions in the news article and immersed his mental power in the world of meditation, he truly did faintly sense a vast, hazy, tree-shaped entity.
It was the World Tree!
Countless points of starlight glittered around it, resembling fruits hanging from its branches.
One fruit shone especially brightly, giving him a faint urge to pluck it.
"Invest mental power into it and cultivate new fruit... then harvest the results you can sense?
Exchange... that's very much in keeping with the principles of alchemy."
Recalling the introduction he had just read, Professor Xiagengsi decided to give it a try.
The arcane world