"It's fascinating how bad you are at this," Irwyn sighed as he skimmed through the papers. A few days have passed since their time off at the carnival.

"I learn by doing, not by studying," Alice attempt to meekly protest, though her slightly scarlet cheeks clearly revealed her embarrassment. A gesture answered by giggles from Elizabeth and Desir in the background.

"That doesn't explain how you managed to only get a single point out of 50," Irwyn frowned "You didn't even read through the materials I have compiled, have you?"

"The carnival had just left today," her cheeks grew increasingly crimson, "I might have sneaked out to the shooting range a few times."

"So that is why you smell just like gunpowder, huh," Desir laughed as he appeared just behind Alice, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"You are lacking some crucial knowledge," Irwyn didn't remove the frown from his face, "For example, how do you not know what a keystone is?"

"I probably got that one wrong too," Desir chimed in, waving his own still uncorrected test, "The papers you gave did not even mention it."

"Me three," Elizabeth did not lapse behind when she was not the only oblivious person.

"I thought that it was common knowledge," Irwyn's expression changed into genuine surprise before he began to explain, "You are most likely already aware that everyone moves on an identical massive skill tree right?” Irwyn said. Desir and Elizabeth nodded while Alice slightly widened her eyes and also hurriedly nodded to hide her ignorance, “On that skill tree 3 types of nodes exist: Notable clusters, paths and keystones. The first two are rather self-explanatory so I will focus on keystones. In short, they take on the appearance of statues on the skill tree, depicting either the stereotypical appearance of their wielders or the legendary figures which gave the keystone birth in the first place. When you accept them the decision cannot be reversed, even if you stop using the class they will stick to you like tar.”

“And what do they do?” Alicea asked, apparently very curious after the build-up.

“They grand you immense advantage in exchange for something even more valuable. Usually they empower one’s ability but take away something else the user might use as well as granting a penalty fundamental to common person’s life.”

“Such as being unable to write,” Elizabeth’s eyes widened as she came to a realisation and Alice followed just a moment later. Only Desir did not have a reaction, apparently not yet aware of Irwyn’s disability.

“I would expect nothing less from you,” Irwyn laughed, “Yes you are correct. The keystone which I bear is called the True mage. It grants me multiple boons, removing the sorcery requirements to advance classes, multiplying the resistances I build up, granting me significantly more mana and empowering my true magic. In exchange I cannot receive any assistance when manipulating mana, use skills, nor utilise any sorcery granted to us by Logos. Most of all, I am also abandoned by creation, in other words, I fundamentally cannot create.”

“Writing doesn’t seem to be an act of creation,” Alice chimed in with an uncertain expression.

“What is and what isn’t creation is up to individual perception, though embracing the keystone will gradually adjust that being’s understanding to fit the consensus set by the aspects long ago,” Irwyn explained, “That is, sacrificing something in order to bring forth something else which can maintain itself for a longer period of time. In a sense, you sacrifice the pencil lead in order to create letters which will not just dissipate without outside interference. It applies the same way in the astronomical scale where the aspects sacrificed their very lives to create the universe we tread now. Under the same logic, combat-oriented magic would not be considered creation as it cannot sustain itself, while enchantments or healing spells would.”

“Then are there keystones we should look out for?” Elizabeth grew rather interested judging based on her glittering eyes.

“In general? All of them,” Irwyn said, “But most keystones are rare and their detrimental effects usually cause the untimely death of their users outside of the battlefield. When it comes to combat among those that are relatively common and dangerous I would recommend you look out for ‘Iron fortress’ and ‘Scourgebound’. The former is rather easy to recognise as their skin takes on a metallic hue. Their skin becomes nigh impregnable by both magical and physical means, making them particularly nasty if they were born nullified, stacking even more resistance to magic. The price they pay is that they lose all their skills and mana, moreover they require obscene amount of nutrition to sustain themselves. The most efficient way of dealing with such beings is to capture them and let them starve to death as even the strongest among them cannot last more than 2 days without food.”

“The latter is a bit more troublesome as it is difficult to identify Scourgebound by appearance alone. They could be considered the opposite of an Iron fortress as they are reckless berserkers, crazed with an insatiable appetite for destruction. They receive absolutely massive more multiplier to everything related to offence and destruction, however, in exchange they completely lose the ability to defend, moreover they are driven by maddening desire to erase all within their sight. The combination makes them insane and unpredictable killing machines with next to no care for their own survival which places them as a tough target for anyone experience with fighting normal humanoids. Usually, the keystone is taken by strong-willed men who wrongly assume they can withstand the erosion of their minds.”

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“Then what would be the strongest keystone,” Elizabeth seemed all ears as she immediately followed up with yet another question. Irwyn paused for a few moments, not really trying to remember, but rather contemplating whether to tell his three proteges. In the end he succumbed to the whim to leak the mostly meaningless piece of information: “Undoubtedly Transcendence. It has only a single effect, it grants a skill of the same name. When activated the skill amasses all the knowledge in the entire universe within the user’s soul. Everything ever recorded within Logos from before time until that very moments. That very much includes the complete and perfect understanding of all Truths and power as a whole. That grants the user power comparable to Ignis himself... For about 1 millionth of a second before the user’s souls is overwhelmed by the unbearable wisdom and implodes, shattering beyond repair and wrecking its vessel at the same time. The reason why I consider it the most powerful keystone is because hypothetically, in that one instant after activating the keystone the user would be able to instantaneously destroy anyone or anything. Although, despite its power it had never been used as its location within the skill tree makes it nearly impossible to obtain."

"Then how do you know about this, as well as many other things," Desir crossed his arms over his chest, "I cannot be the only one who is suspicious, right?" his eyes flew over Elizabeth and Alice who in turn shifted their gazes towards Irwyn, filled with long-withheld curiosity.

"It does not take a genius to figure out I not just a common twelve years old brat," Irwyn smiled at Desir, "Though I have to admire your bravery as you are the first person who dared say it to my face."

"I like to be blunt when I am not playing around," Desir shrugged, waiting for Irwyn to continue.

"A volatile trait, though I don't personally dislike it," Irwyn eyed Desir as he allowed a small trace of his soul to leak, artificially making the atmosphere heavier, "I am what the Logos would call a reincarnator, someone who has made a deal with a soul monarch in order to keep the memories from a previous life as well as the transition period."

"It's such a thing even possible?" Alice seemed needlessly startled by the revelation as she gasped.

"Extremely rarely, to the point that I might be the only reincarnator currently alive," Irwyn explained, "Soul monarchs are not known for their generosity when it comes to dealing with their subjects."

"Then who were you to strike such a bargain?" Desir still seemed far from satisfied.

“I could tell you,” Irwyn smiled at him, “But I have another idea. From today each of you gets a question about my former identity if you manage to get a certain score on the tests. Sounds good?"

"What even is this trivia for," Alice whimpered on the side, painfully aware that she would not meet the criteria for quite a while, "I am a mage, why would I need to understand the basics of smithing?"

"That trivia might just save your life one day," Irwyn sighed at her attitude, “Either way, let’s not argue about that right now, we have something more interesting to do today,” he then pulled a small bundle of documents from a drawer in his desk, “I have taken the liberty of registering us at the Seeker’s guild.”

“The Seeker’s guild?” Elizabeth seemed to be the only person unfamiliar with the name, “I have heard of the Mage guild, what is the difference?”

“They are both large scale organisations, though their difference is fundamental,” Desir stole Irwyn’s thunder as he described, “The Mage guild is more unified, demanding long term and exclusive membership. The Seeker’s guild on the other hand employs most of their members by one assignment contracts and doesn’t restrict them from simultaneously joining other organisations, moreover, their government is mostly localised. Branches only interfere with it each other if one of them gets into real trouble.”

“The people of my village often got their work through the Seeker’s guild, so I am also a bit familiar with them,” Alice nodded on the site at Desir’s rather detailed explanation, “However, what is the point of joining them? They are by no means a small organisation, but nowhere near the influence of the Blackburg family from what I have seen."

"That is only true in certain areas," Irwyn shook his head, "This region is the Blackburg turf, but what about the other side of the empire, or the other continents?"

"Moreover, the Seeker's guild's influence here in the North is not good at representing of what the organisation can really do," Desir seemed rather happy that he was not among the ignorant people for once, "Here in the North the ruling nobles are almost all-powerful mages with just as mighty as their subordinates who all are more or less at peace with one another. If a serious problem arises it's taken care of quickly and efficiently, leaving the Seekers with mostly low importance work. Be it a monster stampede or an actual awakened necromancer, the Northern nobles can deal with anything. But the central continent is a war-torn mess with countless petty kingdoms, constant border disputes and various inheritance struggles. In a land like that the Seeker's guild plays a vital part in maintaining order against monsters and naturally also possesses great influence."

"You have really done your research," Irwyn jokingly clapped as he smiled.

"My original plan had been to join the Guild before getting into the academy of Ignis," Desir nodded, "I could later on use that connection during my studies for monetary sustain."

"Now you have full scholarship but still ended up joining," Alice giggled, "A bit ironic, isn't it?"

"What the guild offers isn't money, right?" Elizabeth did not share Alice's sentiment and looked at Irwyn for confirmation.

"Of course," Irwyn nodded, "There is one thing you missed, Desir. The bond between the academy of Ignis and the Seeker's guild is much more tightly knit than what you imagine. Historically, 95 to 99 percent of the guild's high ranking members were graduates from the academy and it's almost impossible to find a branch master in the central continent who hadn't attended at some point in their lives. Naturally, the mutual relationship between the two organisations is close-knit. In fact, so close that the academy allows you to claim credit for tasks completed for the guild and vice versa."

"So we are joining because it's going to be convenient," Alice stated confidently.

"No, the exact opposite," Irwyn laughed, causing the other three to blink in surprise, "The academy restricts the number of assignments per student, the guild, on the other hand doesn't. How else am I supposed to put you bunch under pressure?"