Chess Mage of Faerûn

Chapter 234 Deepwater City Academy

“Zangir and his men have already gone to the Temple of Dawn for help. It happened this morning. Those priests and paladins of the Lord of Dawn love to meddle in these kinds of things.”

The person who addressed Captain Zhang so casually was naturally a certain teacher, Nancy.

The female thief who was assigned to keep watch on the movements of the Golden Clover survivors did not disappoint. Her stealth skills, which were originally only mediocre, became quite usable after she was equipped with the Shadow Thief Leather Armor given to her by her apprentice.

Nancy and Lawrence, the two wanderers, knew exactly what the group was doing. Of course, they couldn't find out what happened after they entered the Temple of Dawn.

But it doesn't really matter; it's just a minor move anyway, and we can't rely on it entirely.

"You've worked hard these past two days. This is your time to rest and relax. Enjoy it and don't cause any trouble." Although there were two people in front of him, he was speaking to the female thief, only to be met with an annoyed glare and a snort from her nostrils.

Watching his two teammates leave, the mage shook his head, smiled silently, and continued to immerse himself in studying his notes. He still had classes to attend every day and couldn't afford to be negligent.

Yes, attending classes—that's the "entertainment" he found for himself during the holidays.

On his third day in Waterdeep, today, Zhang Yuan found the renowned magic academy within Waterdeep—the Watchers of Order, a school for mages and guardians.

The academy's headquarters are located on Bell Street in the Castle District, adjacent to the City Hall in Deepwater Castle. It is the largest magic academy in Deepwater City, bar none.

However, the largest does not mean the strongest. In fact, the academy, which aims to protect weaker spellcasters from the hostility and harassment of those ignorant and vulgar people and to encourage the careful and proper use of arcane magic in order to win people's respect and esteem, has the principle of being inclusive and tolerant.

This magic academy, also known as the Vigilant Knights, has a truly good reputation, regardless of its strength. Just one example is enough to make this clear: these guys actually take on the important role of firefighters, as well as some of the duties of the guard team.

Wherever there is disaster, wherever there is difficulty, wherever there is danger, there you will find this group of Order Mages.

Regardless of whether he agrees with the actions of these part-time volunteer police officers, Zhang Yuan's values, ingrained from his previous life, make it difficult for him not to admire their way of doing things.

Of course, this was not the main reason he went to study. If he had a choice, the Black Staff Tower founded by Kelburn would undoubtedly be the best choice. The lineage of a legendary mage, even just the name itself is a golden brand.

However, the high threshold and strict selection process of this academy are to be expected. Not to mention that Zhang Yuan already has a master, so it is impossible for him to betray his master and switch to another school.

He decided not to dwell on it. He was a disciple of Tyrantir, and although he was indeed inferior to the renowned old legend, Kelben Black Staff, cultivation was up to him, and the path of arcane magic ultimately had to be walked by himself.

Not necessarily that all those legendary mages were Iolum, mass-producing grand arcane mages?
The main reason for choosing to study at the Watchers Order is its easy entry and wide acceptance. As long as one has no bad records and possesses a certain level of spellcasting ability, one can enroll after paying 50 gold coins as an application fee and the first month's tuition.

Grand Master Zhang wasn't hoping to find a renowned teacher or learn any profound skills at this school. Nearly three months had passed since he left Highhold, and he had almost finished studying all the books he had kept. It was in search of new intellectual nourishment, and to continue absorbing the knowledge of arcane magic, that he set his sights on the academies in Deepwater City.

Things went quite smoothly. Yesterday afternoon, he went to the Tower of Order, the headquarters of the Watchers, on his own. After explaining his purpose, the receptionist went through the entire enrollment regulations with ease.

He pulled out his Flame Fist Guild identification document and a letter of introduction from Bantli Mirror Image, and after casually performing a few magic tricks, he was admitted to the academy without any surprises, without even having to use the Tyrantir insignia as a backup plan.

The Tower of Order is located next to Waterdeep Castle, and atop its towering top stands the great bell that chimes the time for Waterdeep Castle, hence the name Bell Avenue.

Thinking about the roles the Watchers usually play, it seems they have a very close relationship with the Waterdeep City government.

The tower is very tall, comparable to the Black Staff Tower not far away. However, this is only the administrative center of the academy. The massive size of the academy, with thousands of students and other members, cannot be contained by a single tower.

The tower is built of stone and surrounded by a magical, shimmering green fence that blends the symbols of Mystra and Azus. Above the entrance, an inlay resembling the hand of Azus guards the tower, ready to unleash spells on any daring intruders.

After registering, Zhang Yuan left the tower and turned into the Button Street area behind it, which is where the college campus is located. After asking a few passing apprentices, he found the teaching location and the library.

As a student who joined the class midway through, Zhang Yuan was not in a hurry to choose courses. With a solid foundation, he had already clearly seen the path he wanted to take. Now that he could see the star he was chasing, he would not be distracted by the glitz and glamour along the way.

Finding a quiet corner in the library, he began to organize his knowledge and learning. On his last night in Cloud City, Master Zhang, who had thoroughly read and mastered Herbart's classic texts on the system of change and the relevant documents in his mental library, had already entered the inner sanctum of the theory of change.

The system panel displayed a new mage level of eight and a newly added feat: Spell Specialization: Alteration, which was an affirmation of the achievement.

Incidentally, after mastering the Dao of Qi, his long-lost Sword Saint profession finally leveled up, and he is now a dignified Level 6 Sword Saint, which can be considered a mid-level warrior.

Add to that Zhang Yuan's exceptional attributes, and when it comes to melee combat, an average mid-level warrior would probably be pinned to the ground and beaten by this guy.

My mind is clear, my thinking is clear, and my plan is well-defined.

They primarily study the schools of incantation and sculpting, with a secondary focus on transmutation. As for other schools, they prioritize application, selecting and learning practical spells from among them.

Guided by this principle, Zhang Yuan soon devised a list of courses and documents for himself to study. He got up and borrowed the necessary books from the library where he was, and returned to the hostel to study them.

Zhang Yuan had just returned from the academy when Nancy and Lawrence came to his door, interrupting his study and lesson preparation plans.

(End of this chapter)