A Reunion at Grey Academy

Near a massive lake within Mondstadt stood an imposing castle. Surrounding it stretched a vast expanse of grassland, dotted with numerous flowerbeds, cultivated gardens, and a dense forest. A cluster of meticulously arranged auxiliary buildings encircled the grand fortress, housing everything a comprehensive magic academy required: beast-taming pens, dormitories, lecture halls, a magical research institute, a school hospital, and an arena.

This was the Grey Academy of Magic, a name that resonated across the entire continent.

It operated as a full-time boarding academy, exclusively admitting students of exceptional aptitude and those from noble or royal families.

Legend had it that a millennium ago, a Demon Lord of that era struck down the Hero. Before a new Hero could rise, the Demon Lord seized countless territories across the human continent. To repel this demonic invasion, the five most powerful human mages united their strength, successfully driving back the demon forces.

After their victory, to ensure the legacy of their magic endured, these mages gathered their followers and established an academy in the empire’s southeastern region. This institution became the Grey Academy of Magic, and indeed, Mondstadt itself flourished around its foundations.

The Grey Academy of Magic was renowned for its balanced development, encompassing five distinct departments: Elemental Magic, Mana Body Arts, Attribute Magic, Alchemy, and Magical Beasts.

Over thousands of years, magic had evolved into an incredibly intricate discipline, branching into numerous specializations. Without proper categorization, the transmission of magical knowledge would have become exceedingly difficult. Even the most gifted human prodigies found it impossible to master every facet of magic.

For instance, Babas Lamias, one of the most powerful mages who founded the academy, was a genius in elemental magic, proficient in almost all its forms. Yet, his research into alchemy and magical beasts remained superficial.

Another co-founder, Casilla Hasso, was the undisputed master of Mana Body Arts, even surpassing the then-current Hero in swordsmanship and physical combat. However, if tasked with elemental magic, he could only cast spells of the fifth tier or below. (Each tier corresponded to ten levels, with magic reaching a maximum of ten tiers, though most individuals could only achieve ninth-tier proficiency.)

Consequently, with the implementation of departmental divisions, students entering the academy now pursued a structured education, a stark contrast to the haphazard learning methods of self-taught mages.

Firstly, the academy operated on an application and examination system. All prospective students were required to submit an application before the annual enrollment examination and pass the relevant aptitude tests to be admitted.

Upon admission, students were assigned to departments based on their academic interests. Sometimes, even if a student possessed exceptional talent for elemental magic, but expressed a desire to study alchemy, the academy would not force them. Generally, student preferences were respected.

Beyond the compulsory courses of each department, students were also required to complete a certain number of elective credits. Professors from various departments offered lectures and elective courses, allowing students to audit classes or consult literature for independent research if they wished to explore knowledge from other fields.

The standard study period at the school was four years, with teaching progressing from foundational concepts to advanced complexities. Upon graduation, students received a Bachelor’s degree from the Grey Academy of Magic.

Possessing this credential typically guaranteed a lucrative position in various organizations across the continent. For example, applying to the Mage Association would automatically grant one a Mid-Level Mage qualification, regardless of their magical power level.

For ordinary mages, achieving this required a magical power level of at least LV50. (Levels above LV20 qualified for Junior Mage registration, LV50 for Mid-Level Mage, and LV60 for Senior Mage, while those with outstanding magical achievements were bestowed the title of Archmage.)

Beyond the Mage Association, neither the Church, the Imperial government, nor even the military would ever refuse a talent graduating from the Grey Academy of Magic.

After all, while the Grey Academy of Magic, along with several other academies founded by human nations, was collectively known as the Five Great Academies of the magical world—with its Alchemy department specifically grouped with three others to form the ‘Four Great Alchemy Departments’—it remained the highest sanctuary of the magical realm, having been founded by the most powerful mages.

Furthermore, if students wished to continue their academic pursuits and delve deeper into magical scholarship after graduation, they could apply to become postgraduate or even doctoral students at the Grey Academy of Magic, also through an examination system.

Once these advanced degrees were presented to the Mage Association, they instantly conferred the qualifications of Senior Mage and Archmage, irrespective of one’s magical power level. Such individuals would effortlessly overshadow commoners, ascending to a transcendent status above all others!

Thus, merely becoming a student at the Grey Academy of Magic was an unparalleled honor; even becoming a dog within its grounds was considered supreme glory.

“Woof woof~” Roland gently stroked a small yellow dog that was rolling playfully on the ground by a massive lake in Mondstadt. His eyes were filled with an undeniable mix of envy and jealousy. Just moments before, passing by the academy dog’s kennel, he had noticed the students feeding it Hell Bull—a breed renowned for its exquisite, snowflake-patterned meat that melted in one’s mouth.

‘Damn it, even the dogs here eat better than I do!’

He furiously kneaded the dog’s soft, bulging belly, transferring all his resentment towards the wealthy students onto the unsuspecting canine. He continued to pet the dog with wild abandon.

“You’re going to rub all its fur off,” Roxy murmured, her blue hair swaying in the breeze as she looked down.

“Let it eat so well!” Roland retorted, his hands still stroking the dog. “I’m just helping it digest!” After a long while, he grew bored and turned to ask, “When will your teacher be free? We’ve been waiting for an hour.”

“He has two classes this morning,” Roxy replied, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear. “One is teaching ‘Designing Alchemical Arrays’ to second-year alchemy students, and the other is ‘Introduction to Alchemy’ for first-years.” She then crouched down, gently scooping the small dog, whose eyes were filled with sorrow, into her arms, protecting it from Roland’s ‘illegal’ assault.

“By the way, aren’t you a student here too?” Roland asked, crossing his arms with curiosity. “And Master Rudios’s excellent disciple, no less. Why aren’t you attending classes?”

“I took a leave of absence a few months ago,” Roxy answered indifferently, stroking the dog in her lap. “My senior helped me arrange it.”

A few months ago… Roland mentally checked the timeline. That would have been around the time she encountered trouble.

‘No wonder,’ he thought.

Roland cleared his throat, attempting to change the subject. “This academy is incredibly wealthy. I heard that only the rich and powerful can get in, so a commoner like me would never have a chance. But you don’t seem to be a noble, so how did you get in?”

“I passed the entrance exam,” the little yellow dog purred in Roxy’s arms as she spoke. “I was first in my class, so I didn’t have to pay tuition fees.”

‘Damn it! She’s a top student too!’

Roland suddenly felt a strange pressure and decided against further questions. He simply sat on a nearby stone bench, enjoying the sight of the girls’ skirts fluttering in the wind along the academy paths, revealing their legs.

Ding dong ding dong—

The bell signaling the end of class rang. Roxy gently set the dog down, then nervously pulled her hat brim lower, as if afraid of being seen.

The brass-colored doors of the lecture hall swung open, and numerous elegant and spirited students streamed out, eagerly discussing the day’s lessons or amusing family anecdotes. Roxy pulled her hat brim down tightly, completely obscuring her face. Many passing students glanced curiously at the familiar figure but quickly moved on. Roxy dared not make a sound, waiting quietly for the students to disperse.

“There’s hardly anyone left,” Roland said, standing up and crossing his arms in front of her. “You’re worried about being recognized, aren’t you?”

“Yes,” Roxy replied, peeking out with one eye, visibly relieved. “If no one’s around, we can probably head into the classroom now.”

“Alright, let’s go.”

Roxy led the way, and Roland followed her into Lecture Hall No. 2. The moment he stepped inside, Roland felt a sense of vastness. From the outside, it hadn’t seemed so large, but the interior space spanned nearly a thousand square meters.

The lecturer’s platform dominated the front of the classroom, facing rows of student seats that ascended in tiers, numbering several hundred. Imagining hundreds of eyes simultaneously fixed on the teacher during a lecture, Roland couldn’t help but admire the psychological fortitude of the instructors here.

“Alchemy is a profoundly mysterious and complex field of study,” a young blond mentor on the platform was explaining to a few students who had stayed behind for questions. “Long ago, it was defined as an art aimed at transmuting base metals into gold or preparing elixirs of immortality. However, this merely explains alchemy from a technical perspective and fails to encompass its full meaning.”

“Rather than just a technique, alchemy is a discipline,” he continued. “Items in our daily lives, such as projection crystals, phonograph crystals, and luminous crystals, are all products of alchemy. Without the existence of alchemy, our standard of living would undoubtedly plummet…”

One student from below then posed a question: “Teacher, what exactly is the Philosopher’s Stone in alchemy?”

Upon hearing this, Rudios, who was taking a sip of water, offered a helpless smile. “It’s good to ask questions, but try not to be too ambitious. The Philosopher’s Stone is a legend passed down through generations. While the Church has always claimed it’s in the Demon Lord’s possession, so much time has passed that no one can verify it.”

“However, if I ever had the chance to obtain the Philosopher’s Stone… I would certainly hope to study it thoroughly,” he mused. Nodding slightly, Rudios waved his hand. “Class is dismissed. You should all return and complete the homework I assigned. If I find tomorrow during class that anyone cannot recite the ‘Basic Metal Conversion Laws,’ I will make them copy the entire ‘Introduction to Alchemy’ textbook.”

“Yes…” “Understood, Teacher…”

Hearing such a punishment, the students gathered around Rudios trembled with fear, bowing respectfully before departing.

As they exited, several students cast curious glances at the blue-haired girl by the door, whose hat brim was pulled low.

‘Who is that? She looks somewhat familiar?’ they wondered.

But before they could get a closer look, Rudios walked to the door and closed it.

“So, you’ve finally decided to come back and see me,” Rudios said, walking over to the girl and removing her long magical hat. “Roxy.”

Roxy, her long hat removed, fought back the urge to sob. She bowed to her teacher, her voice choked with emotion. “Teacher, I’m sorry, I…”

Rudios placed a hand on her head, and a gentle magical energy began to soothe the girl’s wounded spirit. Roxy felt the external magic as a profound warmth, like a spring breeze caressing her.

Then, Rudios gently touched Roxy’s face, speaking softly. “Life is long, and everyone experiences their own pain and misfortune. But every life is equally precious, and within the equality of life, everyone has the chance to shine. I hope you can overcome the misfortunes in your life and walk more steadfastly on the path of alchemy.”

“Teacher…” Roxy sobbed, throwing herself into his embrace, her body trembling. “Only you don’t despise me…”

“No matter what you become…” Rudios murmured, gently stroking Roxy’s trembling back. “You will always be my most cherished disciple.”

Watching this intimate scene between teacher and student, Roland awkwardly averted his gaze.

‘These two? Is their relationship truly as simple as teacher and student?’ he wondered.

At that moment, Rudios, having comforted Roxy, turned his head. He looked at Roland with a gentle smile. “And who might this be?”

“He is the adventurer Roland,” Roxy said, wiping away her tears, though her eyes remained somewhat red and swollen. “He was the one who saved me.”

“Thank you, Sir Roland,” Rudios extended his hand. “I thank you on behalf of the Grey Academy of Magic.”

“It was nothing, I merely did a small task,” Roland replied, feeling a touch of embarrassment as he shook Rudios’s hand, thinking, ‘This is rare.’ He also found it strange that someone of Rudios’s apparent stature hadn’t sent anyone to Loran Forest to search for his missing disciple. ‘Could there be some hidden reason?’ he mused.

However, such a question was difficult to ask directly. Roland glanced at Roxy’s adoring eyes and decided to postpone his inquiry for now.

‘Never mind,’ he thought. ‘Best to ask about the important matters first.’

“Ahem, to be frank, the reason I’ve come to seek your esteemed help, Master, is regarding a certain matter.”

“As long as it is within my capabilities, I will do my best,” Rudios promised.

“That’s good… I just wonder if you…” Roland pulled out two bottles. “…have done any research on Mandrake and Rofenia Herb?”

Rudios took the two bottles with a puzzled expression. Upon seeing the labels, his face darkened.

“Could you tell me the entire story in detail? We can…”

He gestured towards a nearby seat.

“…take our time.”