Chapter 70

First, Arthur took out a dusty bottle with yellowed, illegible label and two rocks glasses.

I accepted a glass half full with amber liquid. I raised it, observing the contents. Strong smell of smoke and alcohol assailed my overly sensitive nose, but that did not qualify as danger.

The wise and respectable Headmaster of the Akadem did not bother with drinking ceremonies, and directly knocked back his glass. I took a small sip, feeling the taste of coal-soaked ethanol. Scotch was something I have never been impressed about. Luckily, Arthur began to talk and I could discreetly leave the glass on the desk, its obnoxious contents barely touched.

—

Our talk lasted more than two hours. By the time we agreed on the details and signed all the necessary  contracts, the sun had risen above the surrounding mountain peaks. That was an interesting thing on its own, as ever since I returned to Earth, it was the first time I saw the Sun. When I looked out of the window, there were no signs of the storms and heavy clouds that were reportedly plaguing the rest of the world.

While talking, I remembered my eye-catching appearance, and shifted my hair and eye colour back to black. The armor also retracted, disappearing beneath my shirt and trousers outfit. That surprised Arthur, and I detected a tinge of disappointment when he continued our conversation. Was he planning to use me to deal with some trouble?

He also kept sighing and massaging his temples and eyelids. First, I thought he was tired and under constant pressure just like he had said. But somehow, while his eyes were reddish, the eyelids were not swollen, and his body temperature and heartbeat rate remained normal. Using my memories of long travels and sleepless nights as references, I doubted he was as tired as he was acting. However, his energy was disorderly, messily seething and rolling within his body.

All the while, he kept ‘carelessly’ suggesting that my strength could convince the Committee to name me a Protector. Clearly, he did not dare to directly ask me to become a guardian, but that did not stop him from mentioning that option again and again. But a few roundabout questions revealed, that while the rank of Protector was highly respected and extremely lucrative, it also involved a whole lot of restrictions and duties that could not be ignored.

I had previously evaluated my current situation, and concluded that I had to remain unnoticed for as long as possible. For me, it was crucial to get as much knowledge and information before somebody managed to drag me into another mess. That did not mean that I would ignore a threat to my surroundings, but deliberately drawing attention was something I planned to avoid. Well, at least until I had a coherent understanding of the intricacies of the supernatural.

That way, being a Mentor suited me best – I would have some authority, but would not have to do anything. It gave me enough time to actually understand what was going on.

To Arthur, I let know that I could not care less about ‘mundane authority’ and would prefer to remain in retreat, indulging in some leisurely research. In an attempt to prove that I had no intention of meddling, I even tried to show that the changes in the world did not interest me.

However, I had gone a bit overboard with such claim. As Arthur’s nervous reaction revealed, he had not expected that. Did I belittle too much the changes and the dangers they brought? I began to suspect, that I had given a different impression from what I had initially intended. I was desperately lacking information to make accurate judgements. But for now, the results could be called satisfactory.

—

I was eager to check the books I had obtained from the ill-fated market, so I readily agreed to postpone the visit to my new property, as it would require another ‘dimensional transfer’. Instead, I found it interesting to have a look around the Akadem.

Arthur opened a cabinet by the wall and took out a silver pocket watch. It was similar to the one he had been using. He clicked the cover open and used his watch to softly tap on the inside of the lid. He then passed the new watch to me.

“Sir, could you please look at the inside of the lid and hold your finger on the center of the glass.” – he told me.

I followed the instructions, but nothing happened for several seconds. Just as I was going to demand an explanation, a faint engraving appeared on the inside of the cover. The lines became darker, and image clearer, until my silver-and-black portrait took its shape. Cool, an occult ID, I had not expected that.

I closed the watch and observed its surface. In the middle, there was a shape of a bearded man dressed in chiton, a tunic the Ancient Greeks used to wear. It took me a moment to guess that it might be Mentor, the friend of Odysseus and the origin of the modern word mentor. Around the edges were engraved several concentric circles forming complex geometrical patterns, each made with exquisite precision, every line smooth and distinct.

Arthur described me the layout of the Akadem and even offered me a detailed floor-by-floor map. I scanned it attentively with my eyes, memorizing it, but refused to take it. Another way to apply psychological pressure – now I showed him that I had no trouble with remembering a heap of complex floor plans. Privately, I was plenty impressed by the structure of the Akadem. According to the maps I was shown, it reached hundreds of meters into the mountain in all directions, creating a complex, apparently self-sufficient city on its own.

“How many students nowadays?” – I tried to make it an offhand question.

Arthur replied immediately: “About that… honoured sir, numbers have been going up and down last two hundred years, with a sudden drop over last fifty or so, I’m afraid. Now, I believe, in the 19 years of full education, we have close to five thousand. However, most of the last seven years have individual apprenticeships and appear fairly irregularly. But considering current events, I believe the numbers will increase rather drastically.”

I grunted in response while following him out of his office.

Five thousand, he said? That was number for twenty years, making it around two hundred and fifty people each year. It felt like a normal number, but was it enough to maintain the population of the magic community? Well, Arthur did say that Akadem is the premier study facility in Britain, and that suggested that there are others. But still, it felt insufficient. On the other hand, wizards do seem to live for centuries, so maybe that works out somehow.

I followed Arthur along the wide passage that rapidly narrowed into sharp arches above our heads. I kept observing the surroundings that were mostly represented by old carved wooden panels and occasional bronze statues. The statues felt vaguely familiar, somewhat Egyptian, before I connected their style to the archaic Ancient Greek. Similar shapes of walking youths, but cast in bronze instead of carved from stone.

Now that I thought about that, the word ‘academy’ also came from Greek, it was ‘akademia’ there. Mentor, owl in the entrance to the educational facility, statues – Greek references everywhere. To be honest, that was not what I had imagined. Perhaps, I had been expecting something originating from Celts, Anglo-Saxons or Vikings, with a clear connection to British history. Or something very gothic, High Medieval stuff like Hogwarts and its copycats.

—

After we passed through the final isolated passage, Arthur accompanied me towards my new quarters. These were provided to me as a part of the benefits that came with the position I had accepted. However, according to the map I had seen, it was not a standard accommodation given to the local teachers and mentors. It should be one of the uppermost peaks of the local mountains, and that meant it had windows. In a huge structure built into the mountain, having windows must be a limited privilege.

Following Arthur’s polite instructions, I lightly rapped my new ID watch against the massive door. The door was impressive, made of something that looked suspiciously like polished ebony inlaid with endless twirls of copper, bronze, silver, gold and some other metals I could not recognize.

“Previous Headmaster brought this door from the East. Indo-Persian fusion of different protections, flawlessly combining multiple paths of the arcane. Just a bit weaker than the wards in the Office, but only because the Office has been tempered and fortified for much longer” – Arthur proclaimed proudly.

I nodded, although I could see nothing special except for its ability to block my perception. As far as I could judge it myself, the door made an amazing radiation shield.

The door opened soundlessly, its hinges perfectly balanced under the huge weight of the dense hardwood. However, it did not seem to be very thick, barely exceeding the other doors I had seen in this place. Good thing too, as I suspected that even as it was now, it weighed at least a ton, if not more.

The map I remembered was correct. When the door swung open, a huge room was revealed. After the soft and rather dim light in the oppressive corridors, the golden morning sun stood in stark contrast as it created a bright halo within the tastefully decorated, spacious room.

The furniture was made of dark oak, with most of the horizontal surfaces decorated with geometric marquetry. There were cabinets along the walls, several armchairs and a U-shaped sofa around a low table, giving it a solidly traditional, but fairly modern appearance. The window in the opposite wall looked narrow like an embrasure, and was set deep into the rock. Sturdy well-maintained wooden frames and thick glass blocked the draughts, and cushioned seating was built into the deep windowsill.

The floor was well-polished reddish and brown wood, and its warmth drew my attention to the surprisingly warm temperature within the room. While my perception was limited in the heavily shielded Akadem, I could detect currents of heat below the floor and within the walls. That was some sort of hypocaust, carrying heat from below and spreading it throughout the structure of the Akadem. Central heating in Britain, I was impressed. Perhaps, by any chance, the wizards were smart enough to also adapt mixers to replace the separate water taps, the source of psychological traumas for millions of tourists visiting Britain every year?

Two doors led to adjoining rooms. A quick explanation from Arthur revealed, that one led to a personal study that was further joined with bedroom and bathing facility, and another to a practice and experimental areas with strong structural reinforcements. Finally, after wishing me a good rest, he left.

Well, considering how chaotic was his life energy, it was not me who needed an urgent rest. When he walked away along the hallway, he stealthily moved his hand, hiding the gesture to wipe away the blood that was leaking from his burst eye and nose capillaries. Before, he had kept it suppressed by forming a sort of energy field around his eyes. But obviously, that could not be done for long. He did not know about my peculiar senses, so eventually, his attempt to hide his wounds turned out to be wasted. Even worse for him, I did not care much about the fact, and all he did was in vain. Or was that some sort of wizard thing? Maintaining image and avoiding showing a weakness? I looked at his retreating back, shook my head and closed the door. Some sort of magic locked it automatically.

—

First, I brought my bags into the study. It had similar furnishing style as the first room, a lot of heavy wood, leather and broadcloth. There was also a window with closed curtain, so most of the light came from light orbs in ornate brass lanterns. I quickly snuck a look into the bathroom – a copper bathtub, marble tile floor. There was even a shower, flush toilet and wash basin. With mixer taps.

Back in the study, I quickly arranged my things. Magic artifacts were spread out on the long, narrow table that was along one of the walls. I left the books on the wide writing desk,that had a comfortable-looking armchair next to it.

I checked the artifacts one by one, remembering what the auction appraiser had said about each. I tried to feel energy or something special from them, but finally had to give up with no results.

Out of curiosity, I picked up the Giant-lock chain I had bought from the market.

According to the seller, it was supposedly capable of subduing mighty giants by suppressing their strength. I held it in my hand, but felt nothing different.

Then I wrapped it around my arm. Immediately, I could sense and observe how my energy turned sluggish, slowing down its flow through my body. In the place where the chain circled my arm, some kind of force acted like a valve or filter, resisting the passage of the energy. I thought a bit more about physics I hazily remembered, and came up with a better analogy of electromagnetic fields and charged particles.

I quickly moved to the practice room, where the metal panels covered everything from floor to ceiling. By one of the walls, a massive amount of various things was piled up. There I found multiple weights, that was exactly what I needed.

After a few quick tests, I found that there was not enough weights to find my upper limit without the suppression. But with the chain on, I had trouble holding more than one thousand three hundred pounds in one hand. That would be somewhere around six hundred kilograms. The main issue was getting a strong enough grip on things, so the results were far from comprehensive. But I could not call the test useless either. For example, now I knew that while under suppression, I could not lift cars with one hand. Oh well, I was forced to admit – perhaps the result really was useless.

Thinking, I rubbed my chin before deciding that I need to make a plan how to properly evaluate my abilities. Most of the materials were simply not dense enough, making it difficult to measure my pure strength with ordinary means. Everything heavy enough was just too large.

I returned to the study, and flopped down on the armchair by the desk. I picked up the book that according to Matthew-Mattea was an introduction to magic knowledge and began reading.