An apprehension took over Maxi.
Were there any problems with your drafts?
She quickly put on her robe before hurriedly leaving where the sky was dyed dark blue.
She and Anette quickly crossed the shadowy forest path, lit by the soft glow of twilight.
Turning up the brightness of the lamp she carried, Anette looked at Maxi's distressed face.
“Do you know what Master Landon wants to talk to you about?”
“N-Not at all.”
Nervously fidgeting with his sleeve, Maxi went over the symbol he had dedicated months to in his head.
She had sacrificed sleep and food to finish it in time for the competition.
Despite her efforts, the senior mage could very well have discovered a serious flaw that she had overlooked.
Anxiety quickened his steps, and his heart began to sink in his chest.
When they finally arrived at the Gnome Hall, Anette pointed to the huge iron box, similar to a bird cage, attached to the outside of the tower.
"Master Landon should be waiting for you in his office.
I'll be in the communal workshop, so look for me if you need any help."
"Thanks."
After waiting for Maxi to enter the box, Anette closed the door and pulled the adjacent lever down.
The device began to shake as it climbed the wall.
Maxi held on to the iron bars and forced himself not to look down.
The dark forest spread like a carpet beneath her feet as she climbed.
Soon, the grayish blue ocean expanded beyond the edge of the forest.
She looked longingly at the distant waters and only looked away when she felt tears welling up.
The pulley stopped with a resounding crash.
Maxi carefully climbed out of the box on shaky legs and entered the tower through an opening in the side of the building.
She walked through a cluttered hallway and stopped in front of a wooden door.
With its soft knock, a hoarse voice called from inside the room.
“You can come in.”
Maxi walked into a spacious office filled with stacks of books.
An elderly, pot-bellied man sat reading by a roaring fireplace.
“I apologize for calling you here at this late hour,” he said, closing the book with a snap.
“I thought about waiting until tomorrow, but I thought it would be better to talk with fewer ears around.”
“May I ask what you want to talk about, Master Landon?”, Maxi said, looking uneasy.
Landon pointed a fat finger at the empty chair across from him.
“Please sit down first.”
The chief wizard removed a bundle of rolled up parchment from a stack of books.
Maxi immediately recognized it as his rune sketches.
He unrolled them on his lap and watched them in silence for a while.
“I imagine you know why I called you here.”
“Is there… a problem?”
Landon shook his head.
"Not at all.
Quite the opposite, in fact.
This rune of yours is quite ingenious.
So ingenious, in fact, that it's hard to believe it was designed by a third-year rookie."
Maxi's eyes widened at the unexpected compliment.
Although she had devoted significant time and effort to creating the rune, she had not dared to wait for such approval from the chief mage of the Gnome Hall.
Having her abilities recognized made her heart fill with joy, but the apprehension quickly returned when she noticed Landon's thoughtful expression.
“So… why…?”
“It’s simply exceptional,” Landon replied, tapping the parchment with a broad finger.
“I am sure you will be elevated to senior mage the moment you present this rune.”
“Senior M-Maga?” Maxi said, her eyes widening even wider in astonishment.
Landon nodded, his face serious.
"As you may be aware, upon becoming a senior mage, you will receive Nornui's support and be granted the freedom to study various types of magic.
In return, you will be bound to the island, forbidden to leave without permission."
The blood drained from Maxi's face.
She looked at Landon and the rune in horror.
Her breathing became shallow as if she were being strangled.
"I-I don't understand.
I really worked hard on it, but to think it was so impressive...
it's quite simple compared to advanced magic..."
"A complicated rune does not always equate to exceptional magic.
In fact, a simpler rune is easier to use, and this is a masterpiece in that sense."
Taking the parchment, Landon admired it for a moment before frowning."But I doubt it will be used.
It is more likely that Urd will include it in his list of forbidden magics.
What a shame that such impressive magic should rot on this island because the Tower fears displeasing the church."
Landon sighed regretfully, and Maxi fell silent, stunned.
Was his rune really that incredible?
She could barely do more than blink.
Observing her perplexed expression, Landon clicked his tongue.
"Haven't you considered any of the dangers of creating a golem?
The church would never tolerate the existence of such magic.
Any spells involving monsters are strictly prohibited."
"B-But a golem is not a monster!
I was told that a golem is a type of magical device.
I-If we go by historical records… golems were created in large numbers during the golden age of the Roem Dynasty to fight monsters."
"And the golems created back then are now indiscriminately attacking humans.
That's why people outside this island consider them monsters, which has become the general consensus."
Landon shook the parchment.
"To put it bluntly, the rune you designed is a spell to create a monster.
What do you think the church would do if they found out that such magic existed?"
Maxi was so horrified that she couldn't say anything.
The gravity of her situation finally dawned on her, and she snatched the sketch from the chief wizard's hands.
She paid no attention to his start of surprise and tucked the parchment into her robes.
"I-I'm going to pretend this never existed.
So please...
forget you ever saw this, Master Landon."
Landon looked perplexed.
“So, what about the presentation?”
"I-I'm going to create a new rune, so please ignore this one.
I-I haven't told anyone what the rune is for...
so it shouldn't pose a threat if we never talk about it again."
Suddenly, she remembered the Godric brothers examining the sketches in the communal workshop.
Still, with the twins' abilities, she doubted they would have discovered the rune's purpose in such a short time.
Even if they did, she knew they wouldn't tell anyone if she asked.
“I-I don’t intend to stay in the Wizards’ Tower,” said Maxi, with a pleading tone.
"I have dedicated myself to my studies...
so that I can return to my husband's side as soon as possible.
So, I beg you...
please keep this between us."
“If you do not wish to stay, why work on such a rune when you could have chosen so many other things?”
“I… became interested in the idea while researching ancient wizards,” Maxi murmured, her cheeks flushing.
She couldn't bring herself to admit that she had decided on the rune after days of thinking of ways to help Riftan in battle.
Landon watched her with his amber eyes for a long time before sighing softly.
"No need to be so nervous.
If I wanted to force you to present this, I wouldn't have called you into my office at this late hour."
"And then…?"
“Is there anyone on this island who doesn’t know how desperately you want to leave this place?” Landon said irritably before leaning back in his chair.
"Still, I wanted to make sure it was truly what you wanted.
This rune would guarantee your place in Nornui.
I must admit, I was tempted not to even bring this matter up with you to ensure this spell could see the light of day."
He gave Maxi a bitter smile as she closed her lips.
"Evidently I have since changed my mind.
Doing so would have guaranteed Nornui his second deserter."
“I-It’s not that I’m unhappy here,” Maxi said cautiously.
"I simply want to return to my family.
Learning magic is certainly rewarding...
but I can't imagine a lifetime of studying magic in this tower.
I want to be with my husband."