8. The Teacher in the Heavens

In the following two to three months, Arian, accompanied by mages loyal to him, traveled to hundreds of different human villages, constructing makeshift stone schools. At the same time, he spread the message that the Empire would establish schools here, allowing commoners to learn magic.

This marked the first time in history that the surface-dwelling common folk of Eldoren saw the sky-dwelling mage lords appear in a positive light. Some celebrated, while others questioned and feared, worrying it might just be a game played by the mage lords, fearing the empire’s decrees would change with each passing day.

Regardless, these days would be recorded in history, rewriting the destiny of Eldoren.

Fortunately, during this process, Arian discovered that the vast majority of villages, unlike Rolling Stone Village, which happened to lie among the few villages destroyed by the mages, had not received refugees from the mage lords’ “hunting games” and thus did not circulate the terrifying legends of the sky mages’ killing games.

In this era when information was hard to spread, most commoners only knew that in the floating city above the heavens lived arrogant mages who considered themselves supreme. They might have heard fragmentary tales—half true, half false—of terror, but had never truly witnessed the mages’ atrocities.

Indeed, when the mages came to many villages to announce that magic would be taught there, the villagers welcomed them warmly and even said, “We had heard stories about the sky city mages killing people recklessly, but now we know those were lies.”

This was a great comfort to Arian.

It meant that the conflict between the floating city and the surface commoners had not yet reached an irreconcilable point.

After all, the hunting of surface commoners was merely a game popular at the end of the empire, destroying only a handful of villages before Arian forcibly put a stop to it.

Had it continued for another eight or nine years, allowing the hunting games to expand further, this reform would have been nearly impossible.

...

In Rolling Stone Village, where little Gret lived, after Arian left, the villagers gazed at the newly built simple stone school in front of the village with a sense of disbelief.

It was nothing more than a crude stone building, with no adornments, merely enough to shield from rain and sun. Inside was a single small classroom, furnished with a few desks and chairs crafted by the intricate “Master’s Craft” spell cast with four rings.

To Arian, this was just a very basic teaching facility.

But to the surface commoners, for whom mere survival required every ounce of strength, such a sturdy stone school was an unimaginable luxury.

“Really? From now on, the sky mages won’t come hunting us anymore?”

“Can we learn magic too, and become noble mages like them?”

“Is this not just another game the mage lords play to amuse themselves by deceiving us?”

“...”

As in other villages, the commoners in Rolling Stone Village gathered around the school, discussing among themselves, some rejoicing, others anxious.

“Everyone, quiet down, please,” a short, hunched old man with a white beard stood up, commanding the noisy crowd.

Among the people, little Gret immediately recognized the old man.

In Rolling Stone Village, he was called the “village chief,” the most respected squire in the village.

“I know these recent events have surprised everyone,” he said.

“According to what the mages said before they left, they will soon send people again, and the school will officially begin classes.”

The village chief cleared his throat and continued:

“I hope that by then, everyone will cooperate with the mage lords from the sky as much as possible. Let the children go to school and study well.”

“Regardless of the true intentions of the mage lords, we must not anger them!”

“I know some worry this is another game where the mages lure us to kill us, and want to flee with their families to other villages before the mages return.”

“But as far as I know, the surrounding villages have all experienced the same thing!”

The commoners exchanged glances and gradually supported the village chief’s opinion.

Even if this was another game of the mage lords, they had no right to refuse.

...

Shortly thereafter, teachers from the floating city truly arrived in Rolling Stone Village.

The school officially opened.

The teacher was a refined-looking man who called himself Joseph, wearing a pair of glass lenses on his nose—he said these were called “glasses” in the floating city.

With mixed feelings of fear and curiosity, every household sent children who met the requirements to the school.

...

“What? Teacher Joseph, we can’t learn magic right away?”

When little Gret heard that the initial curriculum was just basic literacy and no magic, he was stunned.

“Of course not. Magic isn’t that easy to learn,” the man with glasses glanced at Gret.

“Can you read? If I gave you a spellbook, could you understand it? Do you know arithmetic? Do you know what the symbols for addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division mean?”

“Uh... reading? Arithmetic?” Gret scratched his head.

Right.

In the stories he had heard, mages were scholars brimming with knowledge, drawing magic from their learning.

But he couldn’t even recognize letters!

During the ancient Eldoren Empire era, the earliest form of a common language had emerged—a script combining Elven and Draconic languages, representing the two dominant supernatural races that ruled the land, dragons and elves. Compared to later common tongues, this language was imbued with supernatural properties, making it suitable for incantations and manipulating natural forces.

Teacher Joseph spoke earnestly:

“Arcane magic is a profound and rigorous discipline.”

“You must have sufficient literacy to write spells and pronounce incantations correctly; you must have basic arithmetic and geometry to analyze spell structures and understand arcane formulas; some spells even require knowledge of astronomy, because memorizing these spells and preparing the corresponding rituals depends on celestial trajectories and the laws governing the stars.”

This was the first time Gret heard an explanation about magic, and he listened with wide eyes, fascinated.

So magic was such a beautiful and profound study.

I must study hard and master magic!

“By the way, teacher, what does ‘arcane magic’ mean? Isn’t magic just magic? Are there other kinds of magic?”

Gret’s sister, Hiluka, noticed the teacher’s choice of words and asked curiously.