Ever since Nathan stepped out of Lostburg, the scenery and wonders of the outside world had always made him feel that reality was a dream. And if the same concept could be applied to what Nathan witnessed now, then it must be one of those dreams during a fever, too vivid to dismiss, too surreal to accept.
He could be certain that the environment he belonged to was still the Imperial Academy, but the actions of the people did not provide the same reassurance.
Nathan could faintly remember the description of something named a "circus" in his father's stories, where a bunch of actors would entertain the audience with silly costumes and wacky Rune Arts. From what Nathan perceived, this was the type of location he was at.
"A jumpstart for all fire-element Rune Artists! Dive deep into the intricacies of expansive, catastrophic combat during the early stages of your academy journey!" A bald man with sparking blazes jumping out of the runes around him shouted.
"Watch out, watch out! All darkness-element wielders, embrace the art of shadow manipulation!" Another man cried out in a devilishly hoarse voice while drawing perplexing symbols in midair. "Turn their shadows against themselves!"
"Scared of pain? Afraid of incidents? Worried about potential dangers in the future? You are in luck if you are a water-element Rune Artist. Learn how to flow through everything like water—nothing will ever be able to…"
"Rubbish!" interrupted a grizzled man, his fingers dripping molten stone. "I could reduce your puddles to steam before you blink."
"Shut it, you old terrorist. Gotta warn ya, be careful the next time you shower."
"...!" "...?" "...#$...&^#&!"
Chaotic promotions and arguments filled the academy's atmosphere. It was like a disorganised, crowded market entire of dealers trying to advertise their exclusive products, and the students desperately bargained for lower prices enthusiastically. The only difference was that, in addition, the professors were actively showcasing the Rune Arts that they had mastered.
The ordinary students were already among the crowds, and the hasty ones had begun to pick the Rune Arts they wanted to study.
"Right, everyone! This is the Imperial Academy's true distinction," Clara announced loudly, raising her tone even stronger than usual to overcome the external noise. "Apart from ordinary lessons that you will take with me about fundamental knowledge and universal Rune Arts, you are also free to choose a private mentor to guide you on your own exclusive journeys."
Nathan whispered to Charlotte, "How are you supposed to find a mentor that teaches four elements?"
"Nathan! Focus!" Clara snapped her fingers and flung a harmless shock of electric energy onto Nathan's forehead. "And the reason why this type of education can never be replicated anywhere else is that every single professor capable enough to become a mentor, is someone who has invented their own personalized Rune Arts."
The amusement in the students' eyes instantly turned into shock and admiration. Scanning the area, the number of shouting professors had definitely exceeded fifty. To find so many Rune Art masters with their original research. Except for the Imperial Academy, only the Rune Arts Federation and royalty could claim such a feat.
As a one-element Rune Artist, it was almost impossible to come up with something new. Even though most of these professors had definitely mutated more than one elemental trait, they had shifted their focus to one singular element's role in the art they had invented for teaching purposes.
Seeing the representative students' arrival, the horde of professors instantly moved in their direction and started to rant about how unique their Rune Arts were.
In theory, two-element Rune Artists were supposed to be the most popular picks for the professors. Nathan had verified his assumptions by observing the astounding number surrounding Jay Short. But somehow, every single one of them avoided Nathan like he was a lethal plague that would kill them if they dared to approach one step closer.
"Come on. Really? Am I that scary?" Nathan shrugged and complained out loud, frustration evident in his eyes.
Jennifer Lumendra walked past him, leaving only a nonchalant stare and an expressive comment.
"Who dares to teach someone that doesn't need to bow to the First Seat?"
His silence did not signify disagreement with Jennifer's argument.
Nathan stood amongst the lively crowd like a statue waiting to be polished. The breeze that blew on him had never felt so cold before. Well, that was an overstatement, but he did, more or less, feel a little hopeless. As a Rune Artist who wielded both the light and darkness elements, it was almost impossible to learn or do anything particularly useful, especially when no one of the same element would teach him. Many in history had chosen to forget their elemental duality and focus on one element instead.
Everyone left after deciding on their mentors and apprentices cheerfully. The busyness of the academy grounds progressively soothed. Nathan Modernson, being the only figure out of the picture, seemed to have gotten the most and least attention at the same time.
He sighed and walked away toward the dormitory. There was still quite some time until the day ended—he might as well make use of this freedom to enjoy the life he had not been fortunate enough to have before.
"Unfortunate for them… gotta study the tedious, complicated Rune Arts. Yet I get all the free time," Nathan whispered to himself quietly—a desolate attempt to keep his enthusiasm. Though deep in his heart, he knew more than anyone how foolish his sentence sounded.
"Nathan, you're by yourself?"
Hearing a voice in the silence, Nathan turned back almost instantly. Clara Marshall entered his vision. She was like her usual self, though her gaze seemed to have softened a little outside class.
"Miss Marshall, volunteering to become my mentor?" Nathan joked in resignation, already expecting the objection.
Clara shook her head. "Don't blame me or the professors. It was old Henry's decision that nobody is to mentor you."
Principal Nox? Why would he be involved in this situation? Nathan wondered. He had definitely left a decent impression in his mind. As one of the best principals in the academy's history, his decision couldn't have been a witless, hasty judgment. Furthermore, Nathan started to wonder why Clara always referred to him as "old." From what he had heard, Henry had just reached his fifties. And how old was Clara Marshall? Nathan knew that, despite her beauty, any guesses would probably be an understatement.
"Hey, Nathan, you know what isn't old Henry's command? Let me tell you a story," Clara advanced closer, walking beside him slowly. "When I was your age, I also never had a mentor."
"In fact, I never even had anyone to teach me Rune Arts. Quite ironic, actually. As a four-element Rune Artist, I was exiled from the academy for a mistake that I unintentionally, or you could say, intentionally committed."
Nathan listened silently and carefully. Clara clearly held back many crucial pieces of information. But as a teacher, she did have the empathy to teach Nathan a new mindset.
"All academies, including the Rune Arts Federation and the Four Pathtowers, rejected me. I was all alone with a bunch of close friends, doing whatever I could to survive. Well, I'm going off track now, my mistake." Clara continued. There wasn't a trace of sorrow in her voice, just reminiscence and relief.
"One day, I just realized, I couldn't put my blessings to waste. I was a four-element Rune Artist, one of the few in history. Then, I started to study by myself, with no one to guide me but some passed-down or stolen old books. Times had been difficult, yes. Took a lot of trial and error, broken bones, electrified bodies, burnt houses, and eventually, where I am now" She gestured to herself and the academy around. "That's probably—I mean, definitely—why I set my expectations so high for students."
Nathan nodded in acknowledgment. "So you're teaching me that I should never give up even if no one is here to guide me?" It was a fair point in his eyes. He had lived the past sixteen years of his life independently. He had already gotten used to figuring everything out himself.
"No, I mean, that as well," Clara replied flatly. "But, not quite. You still have your fundamental lessons with me. I don't share the same elements as you, but I can still help you to an extent. So you're not completely alone."
"My real message is…"
"Never mind. I'll leave that for you to figure out yourself."
She patted Nathan on the shoulder and waved her wand swiftly in midair, taking off at a horrifying speed that almost knocked Nathan over from the force produced.
"Good luck, Nathan Modernson." She whispered, though it was unknown whether her voice reached Nathan's ears among the howling energy spiral.