"That was an ... interesting perspective on spells," Abenezigel commented after class.

"Is it? I thought it was commonly taught in Helock, among other places," I replied carefully.

"Oh, it used to be. But the alternative strategy has prevailed overall. Chasing after all the spells Nous deigned to give us tends to be superior to using direct mana manipulation. As you said, mortals cannot rival divinity, and the power of proper spells combined with a wide variety of them to not be caught in an unfavorable position is unrivaled."

I sighed at that. He wasn't even wrong. It just felt ... cheap.

"But, some mana control will surely have a positive effect on a lot of students, if only to properly appreciate what the light gods have done for us."

"Oh?" I perked up. "I was sure you're here to pull me away from your students to pevent me from poisoning their minds further."

He chuckled at that. "We're not so insecure in our teachings that we have to smother all dissenting opinions."

"Right. So if you're not here to send me away, was this just to see how I'm doing?"

"Oh, no. I absolutely mean to send you away. Just not for your opinions on spells."

I blinked at him. This guy was giving me whiplash.

"Wait, where am I going? Did the Empress have me do something?"

"No, it has nothing to do with her. She is busy. So am I and most of our trusted people. So, since I got the authority to order you around, I'll make use of it."

The author's content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

He paused for a moment, gathering his thoughts.

"Technically, you would be considered a tax collector."

At this point I was wondering if he was just screwing with me, but he kept going.

"There are various villages along the border between the Deadshield Woods and the Empire of Harrak. The ones on our side of the mountains we lay claim to. However, a lot of them are isolated and don't know that Harrak is no longer just a wasteland full of revenants. And so we want to bring them into the fold, gently."

He gave me a serious look and I understood that at no point was he joking.

"This is a somewhat delicate matter. We do not want to terrorize villages. The Empress will not stand for it, and honestly neither would I. And yet, adding to our numbers and making territorial claims believable means we cannot just let parts of our supposed citizens remain unaware. And untaxed."

The dean reached into his robes and pulled out a bag.

"This contains everything you need to know. A map with the marked location of the village you need to visit, the proclamation that claims them as citizens, a decree that decribes the rights and duties of citizens of Harrak and finally a writ that identifies you as a Harrakan official tasked with said tax collection. Though, like I said, we're not really doing this for the money."

I nodded slowly, thinking through the implication of being given this task at this time. I couldn't shake the feeling that someone wanted me gone. Politics wasn't my strong suit, but I was forced to learn the basics through many painful experiences.

"Just one village, not the entire range?"

"Just one, the other villages will be handled by others. It's not the most glorious job, so we spread it among our numbers. Also you're quite fast if you need to be."

He must have gotten a report from me flying in. This was getting a little dangerous for my liking, so I took what measures I could.

"I'll be bringing my disciple," I said in a matter-of-fact voice.

The dean frowned at that, probably worrying about the safety of one of his students. "Are you sure? She will be missing many classes and fall behind. And ... there is a reason we don't just send second step mages out to do this."

"I am certain. I have been slacking in my duties as a master. It is about time I did some one-on-one tutoring. I'll keep Alliya safe, don't worry."

He huffed at that, but finally gave in. "Very well. She is your disciple after all. Just ... bring her back alive. That's all I'm asking."

"Of course," I grinned at him. "I can hardly have the student roster beaten by a dead girl, can I?"