Jeb’s first stop was the plot of land that the Academy had given him. He wasn’t really expecting to find anything new in the storage shed, and nodded when he saw that it had the same tools as before. The Fireleaf continued to look healthy and was still steadily pumping the idea of Fire into the air around it. Jeb noticed that it took longer for the Fire to disperse than it had when the plants were first growing. It still dissipated well before saturation, but Jeb made a mental note to avoid planting such a large plot of anything with a single Element.
His readings of Druidic growing practices suggested that they worked hard to find the optimal Essence and Attunement levels for each plant to grow. Jeb had been wondering why they wouldn’t just grow entire fields of Fireleaf, but was beginning to get an answer. While he did not think that it would be an issue this time, he knew that it would take the field time to recover before he could grow anything else. If he tried to grow more Fireleaf without cleansing the soil, something in the System assured him that the field would likely catch fire. Thinking about the Druids led Jeb to his next stop: the Seed Vault.
Even though the Druids were no longer a part of the Academy, the objects they built still remained. Or, at least, Jeb knew that the grove where he had twice Upgraded his Class and the Seed Vault were still in somewhat active use. The Seed Vault had ready to grow seed of almost every Magical plant that Jeb had read about, and thousands more that were still completely unknown. However, the Academy, being a place of Magic, did not store mundane plants such as barley. Even if it did, Jeb mused, I don’t know any way to make the barley grow more quickly. It wouldn’t be the end of the world if he needed to grow the barley from seed, but it would mean that Jeb would not be able to start brewing until the next term break at the earliest.
Frowning slightly, he followed the hallway to Professor Quicksilver’s office. Jeb knocked on the door a few times, but Professor Quicksilver did not answer. He debated knocking again, unsure where else he might find the Professor. Just as he began to turn from the door, though, it opened.
“Good,” Professor Quicksilver glanced back into his office, “morning, Jeb. What are you doing here?”
His tone was far friendlier than the question implied, and Jeb took it in stride.
“Dean Aquam said that I should start brewing and distilling, and I was hoping that I could borrow a still and barrel, at the very least.”
Quicksilver started nodding rapidly. Jeb looked at him with his Magical vision active, noticing the way that the Essence around the Professor seemed to loop in silver arcs. As the arcs started to calm down, Quicksilver spoke again “I do not have any stills which are safe for use in creating potables. The Alchemy Department should, however.” He ducked back into his office, leaving the door ajar.
Jeb stood awkwardly in the hallway, debating whether to take the open door as an invitation to follow. Before he could decide, Professor Quicksilver came back out and thrust a piece of stained paper into his room. “If the supply room asks, you have my specific permission.” He paused a moment, “as well as Dean Aquam’s, I suppose.”
The door slammed in Jeb’s face, and he looked down at the sheet of paper in his head. It had a string of numbers and letters that meant nothing to him. “Any chance you’re willing to lead me to the supply room?” he asked the Academy hopefully.
It did not reply, and after walking through the halls for a few minutes, Jeb found himself in the Library. Kaitlyn was manning the help desk. She looked up as Jeb came by, wiping her lavender hair off of her face.
“Welcome to the Academy branch of the Library,” she said, tone making it clear she was reading off of a script, “how can I be assistance?”
Jeb frowned. “Is there a reason you’re reading from a script?”
She shrugged, blowing a strand of hair that had fallen across her eyes. “It reduces the number of complaints that we receive, as well as improving the randomly sampled ratings that we receive.” Even that statement came with the cadence of something she had repeated many times before.
“Professor Quicksilver gave me this slip of paper and told me to go to the supply room,” Jeb said, offering the sheet to the Librarian.
Kaitlyn took it and began nodding. “What is your question?” she asked, even though a book was already flying towards her outstretched hand.
“What do the numbers mean?” Jeb asked.
The book paused just before she grasped it. “Do you actually care what the numbers mean, or is your goal simply to find the supply room and receive the supplies you have requested?”
Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
Jeb thought about her question. “Is there a significant difference between the two questions?”
She nodded. “If it is the latter, then I can task you with bringing this book to Alchemy Supply, and the Academy halls will lead you there quickly. If it is the former, however, then you will need to understand the topography of the Academy.”
Before Jeb could say anything, she prompted, “how well can you visualize a seven dimensional projection of an eight dimensional object?”
“Um,” Jeb replied.
“If you were asking for advice,” Kaitlyn said, “I would recommend that you take at least a few terms of Advanced Questions in Topography before you try to understand the Academy layout. Without understanding the Academy’s layout, you will have no real hope of understanding what these numbers mean.”
“So why did Professor Quicksilver give me a sheet with numbers?” Jeb asked.
The Librarian shrugged. “I would assume that he does know the layout of the Academy and has for a long enough time that he forgets not everyone knows where everything is. It may also have been a test to see how well you were able to gather your own resources, though that would not be typical of Professor Quicksilver. He tends to be explicit when assigning tests.”
She offered him the book again, and Jeb took it. As soon as it was in his hands, Jeb felt the sudden urge to start moving. Heeding the impulse, he started walking and immediately found himself in the Academy hallways. After walking for just a few minutes, the hallway ended in front of a wooden door.
Jeb knocked, noting that the halls around him were not solidifying into any other shape. The door opened after just a moment.
“Hello?” a voice called from somewhere in the room.
“Hello!” Jeb called back with a wave.
Jeb started to bounce in the hallway, one of the lute pieces he had learned the past semester playing through his head. After a full chorus, the voice called out again, “What are you doing here? How did you get here? What do you want?”
It sounded as though each question came from a very different and far off location from behind the door.
“Do you want me to answer those in order?” Jeb called back.
“Whatever order you prefer,” the voice answered again in a darker register.
“I found my way here because I’m delivering a book from the Library,” Jeb held up the book, “Librarian Kaitlyn said that I’d have trouble finding my way here otherwise. I’d like to check out supplies for Brewing and Distilling, and Professor Quicksilver and Dean Aquam support that request.” Jeb hummed, trying to decide if the implicit answer to the first question was good enough.
A hand shot out and took the book from Jeb’s hand. The door slammed, and he heard the voice murmur from across the room. A few seconds later, the door opened again and a basic set of equipment for brewing and distilling came through it. The door closed again, disappearing this time.
Jeb nodded and picked up the supplies, debating where to set them. As he started to walk, it seemed as though the Academy was trying to lead him somewhere, and he trusted the weaving hallways. They opened on a building that was directly beside his field of Fireleaf.
Jeb was certain that the building had not been there earlier in the day. It seemed to have everything that he would need, though, so he set up his equipment. Even though Alchemy Supply had given him all of the apparatus he would need, Jeb still needed ingredients. With no other ideas, Jeb made his way to Dean Aquam’s office to ask for another day pass.
Dean Aquam’s door was open when Jeb walked by, and the Dean called him in.
“Jeb, is there a reason that Alchemy Supply just sent me an invoice for a still?” He asked as soon as Jeb entered the room.
“I would assume that they sent you an invoice for the still they gave me,” Jeb said, nodding. “I had asked to borrow their equipment, but I can understand if they think that the still might be fundamentally changed by my use.”
“Why did they send me the invoice?”
Jeb shrugged. “You told me to start brewing, and Professor Quicksilver told me to tell Alchemy Supply that the two of you had sent me. On that note,” he said, giving the Dean his best smile.
Dean Aquam sighed. “Why do I get the feeling that you are planning to ask me for another Day Pass?”
“Because you’re the best of Deans?” Jeb asked, hoping the compliment might work.
“Why do you want a Day Pass?” Dean Aquam asked, tone somewhat resigned.
“I couldn’t find hops or malt anywhere in the Academy. Brewing, at least non-Alchemical Brewing, requires malt, and most of the time uses hops. Since the Inn I repaired an Enchantment for sells beer, I know that there is likely malt available somewhere in the Capital.”
The Dean held out a Day Pass that he had clearly filled out earlier in the day. As Jeb went to reach for it, he pulled it away. “I feel as though we need to set a few more ground rules before you go on your trip.”
Jeb nodded.
“First,” Dean Aquam said, holding up a finger, “no repairing Enchantments or otherwise visibly using Magic.”
Jeb nodded. There were plenty of Magics he knew that were not visible. It had been a while since he worked on the Ephemeral Song that the Bard had taught him. Maybe his new Class would make that easier.
“Second-” Dean Aquam paused, clearly replaying what he had just said, “actually, let me amend the first ground rule. Do not repair any Enchantments or do any other Magic, unless your life depends on it.”
Understanding dawned on Jeb, and he nodded more vigorously.
“Second, do not attempt to barter with whoever you end up purchasing ingredients from. Tell them to send their invoice to the Academy, care of Dean Aquam.”
“I can do that,” Jeb said, committing the phrase to memory.
“And third, please try your hardest not to come to the attention of any other Guilds while you are in the Capital today.”
Jeb nodded and took the Day Pass. Whistling slightly, he made his way to the Capital. The same person sat at the desk, and he hardly seemed to register Jeb as he walked into the city.