As the morning sunshine peeked through the navy blue blinds, Solomon finally opened his weary eyes. Normally, he would immediately rush out of bed to look for gigs or practice his craft. However, as his entire body sank into the soft mattress, he could barely lift himself up due to the sheer comfort it provided. Instead, he dragged his backpack toward him and chose to unpack his things.
First, he decided to read the booklet he had been given yesterday. As famous as Ars was, someone like Solomon—who had been struggling just to get by day to day—had never had the luxury of time to daydream about it.
However, this was now his reality. He needed to learn and adapt.
Ars was made up of three different schools: the School of Magic, the School of Arms, and the School of Crafts. From the name itself, the School of Magic focused on analyzing and studying the mystic arts, as well as the manipulation of mana to conjure the supernatural. Currently, it was divided into four major branches: Sorcery, Wizardry, Spiritualism, and Magic Engineering.
Sorcery was a branch of magic focused on a unique power that didn't stem from mana or the aura used by martial artists. It simply existed in the body—a unique superpower brought forth by a strong bloodline or a rare awakening. It came with an emblem or a mark that naturally formed the moment its user awakened it, visually representing the individual's power.
Just as some members of the Allflame family could conjure fire without mana, and the Armstrong family could increase the size of their bodies, sorcerers were essentially people with their own inherent superpowers.
Wizardry, on the other hand, was considered the most ancient and fundamental form of magic study. It was also the most populated branch, as it was essentially the manipulation of the elements through mana. The conjuration of fireballs, riding the winds, and healing wounds all fell under this class. Because of its simplicity—with its only requirement being the ability to control mana, unlike the strict unique bloodline restriction of sorcery—wizardry was what most children aspired to learn.
As for Spiritualism, although it wasn't as restrictive as sorcery, it was also considered a rare form of magic. It was more complicated in the sense that it required specific personality traits: a love for creation, an affinity for nature, and inner kindness. Although not as restrictive as being born of a certain family, it's limited purely based on one's personality. In essence, it was the ability to commune with and borrow the powers of spirits.
Spirits were the physical manifestations of the world itself, born from the seamless union of nature and mana. Because of this, regions steeped in dense mana birthed them in absolute abundance. The richer the mana, the more powerful the spirits grew, with the environment molding their very nature.
The Lake of Elfina, for example, boasted such pure mana that it became the domain of the Queen of Water Spirits, just as the fiery depths of the Red Dragon's volcano housed the Flame Spirit King. Ultimately, spiritualists were those deemed worthy by these elemental beings—chosen mortals granted the authority to command their immense power.
Last but not least was a mixture of both the School of Magic and the School of Crafts: Magic Engineering. Rather than focusing solely on the manipulation of magic, this branch analyzed magical systems and integrated them with technology and crafting. Enchantments, scroll-making, magic seals, and traps all fell under this specialization. Most students who lacked inborn talent in terms of mana quantity and quality typically ended up in this branch.
Reading the descriptions of each specialization, Solomon could finally understand why he had been placed in Sorcery. Although he wasn't a true sorcerer, as he didn't have any physical marks on his body, sorcerers typically possessed unique, unexplainable superpowers. Someone like him, who was supposedly using anomalous magic, fit better among the sorcerers than in any other specialization.
However, what concerned him was the mention of the ability to control mana. The Towermaster had convinced everyone that Solomon was the one responsible for the grand display back in Katharos. But if he was without an emblem or a mark, and if he couldn't control or even feel mana after trying multiple times, then what did he actually do? Was that giant figure just a spirit? Was it an illusion?
Thinking about it made his head spin. At first, he knew that whatever had happened, it wasn't him. It was someone else, or perhaps the ring he was wearing. Yet, somehow, the Towermaster seemed so incredibly certain that Solomon was now starting to doubt himself.
'Was the ring really that powerful?' He thought. 'No traces of it could be picked up even by one of the strongest mages in the world. Or was that exact mage just getting old?'
'Sigh...' Despite the extravagant tag on his chest and the sky-high expectations people had for him, he knew he had nothing real going for himself. All he could do was trick people into believing they were seeing magic. He was a performer, not a magician.
Staring into the cold emptiness of the room, a sense of dread started to consume him. Despite lacking his current luxurious dwelling back then, he had a life that was entirely in his own hands just a few days ago. He had control. Now, however, he felt like he was rushing down a violent river without a paddle.
...
With his heart heavy from his thoughts, his motivation started to dwindle. Solomon placed the booklet on his bedside table, unmotivated to read further. He stared blankly at the colorful ceiling, his anxieties creeping up in his mind.
He had thought this opportunity would be the final push to help him buy a house in Solaris. Yet here he was, trapped in a life he didn't belong in, far removed from the dream he had been striving to achieve, and entirely isolated from the life he knew. If anything, it made it seem like his past fifteen years of hard work had all been for naught.
Yet, despite everything that had happened, he didn't regret helping Simon. If anything, he only regretted bringing the ring with him.
In hopes of clearing his mind, Solomon rose from his bed and walked into the bathroom.
Thanks to his time staying in various lodgings during his past performances, he knew the gist of how to work the mechanisms inside. Still, he needed to test the fixtures out to make sure he could bathe properly.
As the warm water drizzled from his head down to his feet, Solomon's mind started to clear. As heavy as the pressure was on his shoulders, he needed to survive. But for that to happen, he needed a plan.
Despite being labeled as a magician with limitless potential, Solomon knew he was just a normal teenager from the slums. To others, however, he could weaponize that exact perception. Due to the immense stigma surrounding the magician from twenty years ago, everyone in the academy would likely have an inkling of who he was supposedly connected to. He had, after all, performed at a very high-profile event.
Thus, one of the most important weapons he had on him was the tag on his chest. With it, he could easily deter the lower-ranking people in Ars, who would be too afraid of what his title and moniker might imply.
However, the bigger problem would be those who wouldn't be intimidated by his status. Specifically, those who were in high positions themselves, or those who simply wanted to prove their strength against him.
Although he couldn't actually do what most thought he could, he had some alternatives. He needed to learn how to talk his way out of everything, and he needed something real to focus on to bridge the gap between reality and their perception of him. To be more specific, despite lacking the capabilities of a limitless magician, he could still study magic engineering theories or learn swordsmanship to make up for the power gap, just in case there came an inevitable moment where he was forced to fight. In short, he needed to become strong one way or another. Wearing the clothes of someone he wasn't would only work for so long.
But for now, while his name alone could send shivers down the spines of everyone inside the academy, he needed to become the person they all thought he could be. He needed to act like the legendary magician who conjured a giant in the sky.