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Of Arms and Arcane: Chapter 64
🕑 Added 2024-02-27 13:55:35 +0000 UTCAfter checking out my new digs, I took the course application papers and plonk down on the comfy bed.
Let's see what courses are available to me…
On the first page, I see a few subjects that are deemed compulsory courses. They were Higher Language Studies, Higher Mathematics, Logic and Philosophy, History and Literature, Basic Natural Sciences, and a 2nd language of my choice.
On the next page, were courses recommended for those who passed magic and combat practical for Lower Education, which apparently I did when Albert and Walt tested me at the Earl’s place. Recommended causes were Advanced Spell Theory and Advanced Combat & Tactics.
Besides the mandatory and recommended courses, there were optional courses like Battle Magic, Wards and Shields, Enchantment, Alchemy, Divination and Prophecy, and many others.
As I read down the list, a few courses caught my eye. The first was what Grandma recommended, Array Architecture. Now, being a noble’s kid, I was in no way aching for money, but if there comes a day that I go off on an adventure, it is an invaluable skill to have instead of selling my sword as a mercenary for some loose change.
The next course I had an eye on was, Mana Smithing. From what I got from reading the course summary, Mana Smithing falls under the family of Enchanting. Where it differs from regular enchanting which was a lot more flexible and did not require the basics of blacksmithing, was Mana Smithing being inflexible with its base enchantments hammered directly into the metals, which made it almost immune to most forms of anti-magic or disruption spells that regular enchantments are susceptible to, and if there is synergy, it is possible to overlay regular enchantments on a Mana Smithed item for potent results.
The only downside of this course is that Mana Smithing requires, and I am quoting here, “Copious amounts of mana to practice.”, the other downside is that I can only take this course if I have basic knowledge in Blacksmithing and Enchanting, which means at earliest I can take the Mana Smithing course is in year 2 of Higher Education if I take a Blacksmithing and Enchanting this year.
Now I am sure most people will think I am crazy or stupid for aiming for such a niche course, but I have a dream… not the one about the flushable toilet… but a dream ever since my previous life when I was first introduced to Medieval Combat Sports and donned plate armor. I dream of creating my own custom set of armor with full-temperature control to cool my body and an active ventilation system so I do not breathe my own exhaled breath in my helmet, I was basically half suffocating in my helmet until I got used to it, but that did not mean I liked it.
Back in the day when I had just started fooling around in Medieval Combat Sports, I actually tried to water-cool the inside of my armor with a 240mm computer radiator, hooked up to a small pump, and flexible tubes. The tubes were held together on the inside of my gambeson using hot glue, ducktape, zip ties, hopes, and dreams, while the 240mm computer radiator was mounted on my back and hooked up with two 120mm fans, and all this was powered by a power bank.
Needless to say, my idea did not work out so well in practice, water circulation was regularly cut off by the tubes pinching when I moved, and it became an expensive mistake when I was knocked on my back and fucked up the radiator.
My friends laughed and soon I sucked it up like the rest of them and came to enjoy the sport. But now? Now I had options, with magic I could imagine myself fighting in cooled armor with fresh air constantly circulating in my helmet.
While others are sweating and cooking in their armor, I will be cool and comfortable, my movements unhindered and my focus unwavering, thanks to the meticulously crafted enchantments woven into my custom armor. Who knows, I may even find a way to make it power armor.
Ahhh…. A boy can only dream.
The last course that I had an eye on was called Languages of Power. Says here it is a course that studies the magical languages of ancient long-dead civilizations all the way to current modern magical languages like the glyphs and runes used in the spells I currently know.
Being somewhat of a polyglot myself after traveling most of Asia in my previous life, and even picking up some European languages from the app with the friendly green owl. I was curious to see if any of the languages had anything to do with Earth, because if I could find Zhang Jun’s journal, who knows if any of my fellow Earthlings came over to this world and made something of themselves grand enough to survive the rigors of time.
After I was done looking through the course list, I looked at the course application form. After filling out my personal information, it came time to fill out the courses. Before I marked out anything, my attention was brought down to the footnotes.
“It is highly recommended that the applicant not exceed 4 optional courses due to time restraint and workload. If the applicant chooses to apply for more than 4 optional courses, please approach the academy’s guidance counselors.”
Hmmm… let's see. Advanced Spell Theory and Advanced Combat & Tactics are the recommended courses, but they are not compulsory, Those are 2 courses I am hoping to get out of the way in my 1st year, which leaves me with 2 courses for me to choose, but there are 4 courses I want to take, Array Architecture, Blacksmithing, Enchanting, and Languages of Power.
I am somewhat struck by decision paralysis at this point. I guess I really am going to need to see the academy’s guidance counselor.
Well, it is still early in the afternoon and it is a school day, so might as well get this over and done with so I can relax until school starts.
