My seemingly innocent question hung in the air for a short while before Master Ayleth finally raised her eyes from her scroll to meet mine for the first time.

Her piercing gaze landed on me, and I felt the same wave of pressure from before assaulting me, yet I didn't allow myself to waver, holding firm.

I could see the corners of the old woman's mouth curling upward as if pleased with what she was seeing. "You may..."

I was already prepared to be dismissed after witnessing her previous strict demeanor, so her prompt agreement to entertain my curiosity surprised me a little.

I blinked, hurriedly opening my mouth to voice my inquiry before the stern-looking magister had a chance to change her mind, but then I paused, thinking about the best way to breach the subject.

This was not something I had planned in advance; it was more like a spur-of-the-moment decision prompted by something Master Ayleth said during her lecture about the different types of magic.

But she didn't pursue the subject any further, so I decided to ask her about it directly. Now, however, when it came to it, I had trouble forming the right words. The fact that the old woman was staring at me certainly didn't help.

Yet, at the same time, I knew I couldn't linger any longer, so in the end, I simply asked, "Is it possible to alter one's path?"

Master Ayleth leaned back, contemplating my question for a short while before answering.

"It's certainly possible if the path is not yet fully set... Although, why would you want to do such a thing? I've heard that your command of Fire during the Acceptance ceremony was more than commendable; it would be quite a shame to let such an exceptional talent go to waste."

This gave me another pause, as I didn't really expect her to know who I was, not to mention being so well informed about what I did during the Trials—especially since this was supposed to be our very first meeting.

'I guess it makes sense that the magister in charge of the first-years would keep an eye on the promising students, but still... All this unwanted attention is rubbing me the wrong way.' I thought, frowning.

But then a subtle smile found its way onto my face as another thought came up. 'Still, this could play right into my hand... If Master Ayleth thinks I have potential, she may perhaps be more inclined to offer me a helping hand...'

So, I put on an innocent smile, saying, "Well, I trained in the element of Fire because that was all I could get my hands on. But recently, I've come to understand that there was more to the arcane arts than just the basic elements, and I was wondering whether or not I may have a talent for any of the so-called advanced ones."

"Is that so?" The old woman said with a raised eyebrow. It was pretty clear Master Ayleth didn't quite believe me, though she didn't comment on it. Instead, she simply gave me a nod as if my reasons didn't matter to her whatsoever.

"You are an interesting one... Most young mages focus on mastering their innate element first, and only when they are confident in their ability do they dabble in the more advanced arts as a way to build upon their foundations."

"You said most, but not all," I quickly interjected, which seemed to bring a subtle smile to the old woman's face.

"You sure have a keen mind... Yes, as with everything, there are exceptions. But those are mainly the scions of the great legacy families supposed to inherit their family's arcane arts. Still, it would be highly unusual for a first-generation commoner mage like yourself, although there are a few precedents for it."

Hearing this made me perk up, and I leaned closer. "So it is possible..."

"Possible? Yes, Although you'd be sacrificing your current path's progress for the slim chance of having an aptitude for any of the advanced elements. However, I can't and won't approve of such reckless behavior, so don't expect any of my assistance in this matter."

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

My sudden joy was quickly subdued by the magister's terse reply. Yet I didn't let it sour my mood too much, as her next word brought a smile back to my face.

"Nevertheless, if you are steadfast in your resolve, the knowledge you seek can be found within the confines of the Great Library."

'Great library?' I frowned briefly before widening my eyes. 'Ah! It's that same Library those first years were previously talking about!'

"And can you tell me where I can find this Great library, honorable magister?" I said eagerly.

Master Ayleth looked at me with a twinkle in her eye, seemingly amused by my enthusiasm. "You can find the entrance to the Library on the tenth floor... However, as a Novice, you'll need either an access token or special permission from a Master to gain entry."

'Huh?' I tilted my head in confusion at those unfamiliar terms and was just about to ask about it but was stopped by Master Ayleth's raised hand.

"I'd be inclined to tell you more, but I'm afraid we must end our consultation here as I have other obligations that require my presence. I wish you luck in your endeavor and will watch your progress closely."

With that, she elegantly stood up and left the auditorium before I had a chance to thank her for her help. 'Well, it's no big deal. I can thank her next time...' I shrugged my shoulders, quickly following after her, only now realizing I was the last person here with everyone else long gone.

'That took much longer than I expected, but I have no complaints. There was so much I just learned!' I grinned as I left the spacious auditorium behind and returned to the Tower's lobby.

'So what now?' I briefly wondered. The idea of delving right into the advanced magic right off the bat was a very intriguing prospect. One that could give me a tremendous advantage over my peers.

Not to mention, it could also give me new insight into how to overcome my current bottleneck, as I was painfully aware that I had not made much progress in my magic training over the last few months.

I could feel that my pool of essence stopped expanding some time ago, as if it had hit some sort of boundary. I wasn't sure whether I had finally hit my natural limit or if there was a way to go beyond it.

However, I was not inclined to try—at least not until I gathered more information about the subject. I've heard many cautionary tales over the years about mages who, in their pursuit of power, lost control over their magic, and it consumed them, turning them into raving lunatics.

Although, I had an inkling it had perhaps something to do with their practice of " Forbidden magic" or whatever the stories also mentioned, as I've come close to overusing my magic a few times, too, but never felt like I was going mad because of it.

But that was not all. I've also come to the realization that the sheer quantity of essence wasn't the only thing I should be focusing on. It was during my training with my late master, Lily, that I discovered there was much more to the essence than was obvious at first glance.

Like for example, spells that cost the same amount of essence to cast but each manifested a different amount of influence on the world. So it was not just about the quantity, but the quality mattered too—the depth of one's understanding and the strength of one's magic control played the same, if not bigger, role than the sheer amount of essence at your disposal.

I didn't have the time to pursue this subject back then, as I was preoccupied with other, more urgent matters. But it all came back when I saw Master Ayleth enter the auditorium.

Despite not emanating almost any essence at all, the strength of her presence was strikingly profound, as if there were different layers to her essence I could not yet see.

Whatever the case, there was still so much I didn't know about magic. Yet, I had a feeling the Great Library would be the best place to start closing the knowledge gap.

'Alright! So the first order of business has to be to gain access to the Great Library.' I mused. Sadly, it won't be that easy as I couldn't just walk in there. First, I had to discover what that "access token" Master Ayleth talked about was and how to get one.

There was also that "special permission" from a Master she mentioned, but it was clear she wouldn't help me in this regard, and I didn't know any other Master yet who would be inclined to assist me, so there was no point in pursuing that one.

I looked at the time, and it was already close to midday. With no other obligations for the day, I could do seemingly whatever, and by looking at my fellow novices, that was exactly what most of them planned to do.

'I guess now would be the perfect time to go check out the fifth floor...' I thought.

It was almost lunchtime already, and as my own experience told me, taverns and eateries were often the best places to learn stuff and catch the latest rumors. Not to mention, I was already feeling quite hungry after the meager breakfast.

So with that, I joined the steady stream of jovial-looking students making their way to the main staircase, and then I began the long ascent to the fifth floor.