Chapter 86 (1/2)

Chapter 86: What a Pity!

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio  Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

There were two squares within the gates of the East Cove Magic Academy. The one near the entrance was called the Square of Glory, while the other one was a small courtyard inside the academy called Bryant’s Inspiration Courtyard.

Who was Bryant?

As the only Magician who rose to Legendary level for nearly a thousand years, Bryant was a household name in the Norton kingdom. Within the Magicians’ circle, he was also known as the “Child of the Apocalypse”.

It was said that this courtyard was where he received the inspiration that would later lead to his upgrade to the Legendary level. A century later, the East Cove Magic Academy was built on this valley, and as a tribute to the Master Magician Bryant. This piece of land was preserved and turned into a courtyard.

Rumors had it that once a Magician got Bryant’s blessings, they would then receive inspiration from the unrivaled Legendary Magician which would help them break through their current level and reach a higher one. There was, of course, no truth to this hearsay, and no Magician actually took it seriously.

However, only Link knew that this so-called Inspiration Courtyard should be called the Seal Courtyard instead, because deep under the grounds of the courtyard was exactly where the demon Tarviss was sealed!

With very few exceptions, no one in the entire academy knew about it.

The events that led up to the capture and confinement of the demon Tarviss happened hundreds of years ago. The horror of the past had faded through the ravaging tooth of time. Nowadays, the courtyard was a nice little place with a meticulously trimmed garden, surrounded by woods and streams. In fact, it was now the Magicians’ favorite place to take leisurely walks whenever they needed a break or had time on their hands.

Link and Eliard had agreed to meet here.

Link walked past lush green grounds, went around the Enchanted Fountain Garden, and finally to the willow grove by the stream. From afar he could see Eliard who was under the willow trees.

There were tables and chairs under the shade of the trees. Link walked over and saw Eliard engrossed a magic textbook.

“Hey, you’re early today,” said Link, who then sat down on the chair opposite of Eliard. He reached for a round wooden box on the table, opened the lid, and was immediately hit by an appetizing aroma of food that wafted out of it.

“Wow…sea bass soup, soft wheat bread, mushrooms and bacon…what a feast! Tsk tsk, Eliard, you lucky bastard; the best cook in the world is in your Mage Tower!”

Link tore into the piece of bread. It was both fragrant and soft, and it even had a savory seasoned buttery filling inside – it was just a piece of bread, yet it was irresistibly delectable!

This was all thanks to Herrera, the Angel of Light, otherwise known as the tutor Moira, who put particular emphasis on the quality of life of her apprentices. She employed the best chef in the academy in her Mage Tower. The apprentices in her Mage Tower only had to pay a small fee and the cook would prepare a scrumptious meal for them.

Whenever Eliard came, he would bring along some food with him to share it with Link.

Eliard put down the magic book, smiled and said, “Food can only bring joy to the body. The only thing that can enrich and delight the soul is magic.”

“I wouldn’t mind indulging in these earthly luxuries though,” replied Link with a laugh.

Link finished his bread, wiped his hand, then flipped through the textbook in Eliard’s hand. It was a book that he’d read before, titled Progress in Magic.

“So you’ve started to learn Level-1 spells, Eliard?” asked Link, slightly surprised.

“Yeah, I’ve recently just started to dive into it,” Eliard nodded.

Link could not help but marvel at the revelation. Eliard really deserved to be called a peerless genius. A month ago, he was still a beginner in magic who had absolutely no skill or knowledge. But now, he had advanced so quickly to Level-1 spells. Link couldn’t imagine how shocked the other apprentices in the academy would be if they found out.

Any Magician’s Apprentice who could begin to learn Level-1 spells within six months would already be deemed a genius. But in a mere month, Eliard could achieve what most other geniuses would need half a year to accomplish – this was irrefutable proof of his formidable talents!

“Eliard, that’s amazing!” Link was genuinely impressed. Link knew that the only reason he himself could make progress so quickly was because of the help from the Lord of Light. Eliard, on the other hand, was a pure and unadulterated genius!

“You’re mocking me,” said Eliard jokingly while looking at Link with a wry smile. “I’m only better than you in the strength of my Mana. As for everything else, I’m lagging far behind you.”

He admired Link’s profound insight in magic theory and he knew that he had a long way to go before he could reach Link’s level of wisdom. But unfortunately, Link’s natural Mana was just too weak, and Eliard feared that Link’s future paths might be limited because of it.

Although Link had told him that his Mana was low because of a serious injury, Eliard always assumed that this was something Link believed as a way to encourage himself and never took it seriously.

“Alright, alright, let’s stop licking each other’s boots,” said Link, “Here, I’ve brought you six Earth Spike magical scrolls.”

Link then handed Eliard the magic scrolls that he smuggled out of his Mage Tower.

Eliard was a favorite of Moira’s and she didn’t have many apprentices in her Mage Tower anyway, so Eliard quickly became her chief apprentice who was now in charge of managing the tower’s income. Both the income and status of Moira’s Mage Tower were roughly equal to that of Bale’s.

The magic scrolls and potions that the apprentices prepared, along with the magic materials that they collected were all handed by Eliard, who then sold it. So Link handed over his scrolls for him to sell, which Link thought a most convenient arrangement.

Eliard suddenly turned serious while he carefully examined the scrolls.

“Link, the quality of your scrolls is getting better and better!” said Eliard, “Is this structure one of your new modifications?”

He examined the scrolls, not to check the quality because he knew it had always been superb—what he was appreciating now was the little details added to the scrolls.