The small classroom was on the second floor, fairly close to the Church of the Cuckoo. It was secluded, though. Getting there required a long detour around the second-floor corridor, with no convenient stairs or passageways. If anyone wanted a shortcut, crossing the roof and climbing through a window from the eaves would be faster.
Apparently, Sellen and the two old masters knew they were not particularly welcome, so they had picked an out-of-the-way spot. The room's most distinctive feature was its large crystals. Sunlight streamed through the windows and struck them, reflecting a strange radiance. They really were quite captivating.
Glintstone was amber formed from stars, and Glintstone Sorcery explored the life within those stars. Mining large crystals, refining them into glintstone, then making them into staves-there was something rather romantic about it. Unfortunately, Zhao Si could not learn sorcery.
Now, Zhao Si spread the plans he and Thops had drawn across a small table and presented them to Sellen and the two masters.
"As everyone knows, sorcery originates in the stars, and the stars are in the sky. Observing them is extremely difficult, especially now that General Radahn has arrested their movement." Zhao Si felt exactly like a salesman.
"Besides, exploring the stars with human minds is highly dangerous. I'm sure all three of you are willing to sacrifice yourselves for sorcery, but I would advise you to preserve your lives and contribute more to passing it on."
"Of course, I know your thirst for knowledge is impossible to contain, so I've prepared this for you."
He pulled out the plans for the Glintstone Computer and showed them. "As the saying goes, many minds are better than one. Becoming a Star Seed might let you explore the primeval current, but think about it: once you're in that state, even if you discover it, how will you share your findings? That does nothing to advance sorcery."
To Zhao Si, passing knowledge on was extremely important, yet some people insisted on cutting off its flow. Certain nobles, for example, deliberately used strange, complicated words to distance themselves from commoners and display their superiority. Then they kept a stranglehold on education, ensuring those beneath them could neither read nor write, which made the nobles seem all the more impressive.
Was that good? No, it was not. It only turned everything into a stagnant pool, devoid of fresh energy and disconnected from everyday life, until it eventually died out.
The same applied to sorcery. Exploring the primeval current and ultimately becoming a Star Seed hardly looked like a good thing to outsiders. The description of the Graven-School Talisman made it clear that Star Seeds were the academy's nightmare. Known as graven masses, they were virtually incapable of communication. Nor were they formed through the transformation of individual Primeval Sorcerers; instead, many sorcerers were gathered together into a ball.
The result was an enormous sphere taller than a person, its surface densely covered with Glintstone Crowns mashed together. Were those merely Glintstone Crowns? No, probably not. This was a form of symbolic imagery: the Glintstone Crowns represented brains, and thus intelligence.
Sorcerers recognized by the academy were granted Glintstone Crowns. Adorning the crowns with glintstone increased a sorcerer's intelligence and symbolized wisdom. Someone without a crown, like Thops, represented a person who had "lost his wits."
Star Seeds would also crystallize, losing the last of their "life."
It was no wonder sorcerers got the creeps when they saw Star Seeds these days. Anyone would be unsettled by those things.
So, however he looked at it, the whole process seemed like wasted effort. Apart from consuming the lives of one talented sorcerer after another, it had shown no obvious benefit to preserving or spreading sorcery.
"What makes us human is our ability to use tools." Zhao Si patted the plans. "Even beasts know to make tools out of stones once they gain intelligence. Sorcerers are hardly stupid, so why use your own brains to contemplate the stars? The universe is vast and boundless. It's perfectly normal to be terrified when you see a planet explode or a swarm of meteors. But we can explore with tools. Looking through a mirror would make it much safer."
"That's what the Glintstone Computer is for. Let this tool take the place of your brains and help you explore the primeval current. You can eat, drink, or sleep-it doesn't matter, as long as it keeps working."
Zhao Si pointed at Azur and Lusat. "These two masters are clever men. They're already a step ahead, having replaced their skulls and brains with glintstone. Add supporting equipment like the Glintstone Telescope and the Glintstone Network, and you'll be able to observe the stars and explore the primeval current safely at any time. Even bypassing the Erdtree won't be a pipe dream."
Zhao Si rattled on at length while Thops stood awkwardly beside him. To Thops, these flights of fancy seemed even less realistic than Barrier Magic.
Zhao Si, who was holding up the plans for the three of them, was unconcerned. Whether in terms of industrial development or any other capability, the Lands Between clearly lacked the means to manufacture the things he described. But none of that mattered. This world had gods, sorcery, and Incantations-powers that defied all ordinary limits. If glintstone could serve as a brain, he might as well skip the practical details, floor the accelerator, and charge straight into the mystical.
The principles did not matter, as long as it worked.
Sellen glanced at the two masters. Both remained silent and showed no reaction.
Zhao Si looked at the three of them, felt the silence hanging in the air, and swallowed cautiously, praying inwardly, Please let them be interested!
Ten seconds. Everything remained still for a full ten seconds.
Those ten seconds felt like ten years to Zhao Si. Then he thought he saw Azur's glintstone head flash. He rubbed his eyes, afraid he had imagined it, but immediately afterward, Lusat's glintstone head flashed too.
The light was faint, but Zhao Si's eyesight was good enough to catch it.
Swish, swish, swish. Bzz, bzz, bzz.
Their glintstone heads kept flashing, as though they were communicating.
-Were they communicating through their minds?
Zhao Si was startled. He had not expected the two of them to have abandoned language and evolved a more efficient form of mental communication. This was probably something they had developed by studying the faint thoughts of Crystalians.
While he was still puzzling over it, a voice seemed to sound inside his head. It was a somewhat aged male voice. "I am Azur. How feasible are the things you just described?"
That question told Zhao Si he had a chance. He turned toward Azur, whose glintstone head resembled a stone pillar, and said, "In terms of construction, the Glintstone Computer should be similar to your current glintstone structure. As long as we can build the whole setup successfully, it will achieve the results I described. Besides, apart from becoming Star Seeds, neither of you has any good way to explore right now. Why not give it a try?"
"You can't make these things yourself, can you?" Sellen said suddenly. She still communicated through ordinary speech.
Zhao Si did not hide it. "That's right. Thops and I can't make them on our own. That's why we need help."
Sellen's voice grew somewhat low. "So you want to use us?"
"No, no, no. This would benefit everyone." Zhao Si hurriedly shook his head. "It's a
good idea, but it needs capable people to make it a reality. Think of it as an investment. Besides, you'll probably be the ones using what we make. What's wrong with that?"
"Those words won't convince me." Sellen's tone gradually turned icy.
"Um..." At a loss for words, Zhao Si looked at Thops. For an instant, he felt as though he were back at school, being lectured by his homeroom teacher.
Thops was nervous too, his sweat soaking through his thick sorcerer's robe. But when he saw Zhao Si's look, he finally worked up his courage and took out the shield he had made. "S-senior, don't dismiss it just yet. Look, I wanted to create Barrier Magic, and with his help, I've made some progress these past few days."
When addressing Thops, Sellen's tone actually softened. "What progress?"
"It can deflect Glintstone Pebble now!" Thops waved the shield in his hands. "If you don't believe me, we can test it right here. He really does have some good ideas."
Watching Thops, who was as excited as a child, Sellen did not answer immediately. Instead, she briefly consulted the two masters.
A moment later, Sellen said, "Then let's test it here. Have him hold the shield. I'll cast the spell."
Before you continue