High Artificer, Ch 2: Academy Head

As Sam walked through the doors into the academy, he considered the best method to get Altey a spot.

He’d promised her once that he would try to help her have a normal school experience, to make sure she wouldn’t be treated strangely because of him. If people knew she was the younger sister of a Titan, they would either want something from her or be terrified of her.

He wanted her to have friends and not be a princess that no one dared to touch or even talk to, and that meant he had to approach her admission with a bit of sensitivity. 

It would be easy to just rip the roof off, command them to create a spot for her, and then put an avatar here to make sure they did it, but it would let the cat out of the bag.

The question was how to get it done.

Spots to the academy were limited, so he would probably still have to overpower or bribe someone, but he had no lack of either power or resources. 

He just had to find the right person.

It was kind of fun to need a more nuanced approach to things, but he imagined the interest  would wear off soon enough. 

Even as he scanned the academy, he could hear more than one person arguing with admission officials about finding a spot for their children or relatives, which made him shake his head.

It didn’t sound like they were having much luck. 

The academy’s roster for the term was already set, the admissions having been sent out two years in advance to give the students time to travel here.

Those who had the political backing to come here and present their case in person were a mixed group, just powerful enough to be able to walk in and talk to whomever they wanted, but not powerful enough to command much attention.

They seemed to be relatives of planetary governors, noble descendants of the high races, and a few merchants, as well as the occasional adventurer who might have been hired for the purpose. 

The academy had set up a receiving hall for them that was filled with snacks and polite attendants who were generally there just to waste time while stonewalling the visitors. It was a political game, one where the academy didn’t want to look unwelcoming, but at the same time, providing a way to remind the visitors that its rules were ironclad.

It was basically impossible to get an exception,

Given that he’d just prevented an Outsider invasion of the galaxy, he figured it was the least they could do.

He was invisible to detection, his presence hidden among the layers of the Void that stretched through all dimensions, so he took his time listening in on the conversations as he wandered through the academy, scanning its buildings and people to familiarize himself.

It was a pleasant place taking up nearly the full quarter of the capital city, a mix of arching silver halls and open gardens interspersed with elegant buildings, some large and some small, that were all in different styles, probably built up over the years as the fashion changed.

The main paths were ancient, built of the same silver-infused astral stone as the walls, and decorative arches rose above them, tangled within flowering vines and grapes that dangled above the paths.

Hidden nooks and benches, pools and fountains, sunny grasses and quiet corners in the shadow of the arches were everywhere, presenting endless opportunities for students looking for a place to study. Some of them were filled by young people of different races, all wearing white and silver robes.

Sam smiled at them as he walked past, noting the wings of the Winged Furies, the white hair of the Winter Sylphs, the golden skin of the Dragon Spirits, and the violet eyes common to the Archali.

Those were four of the High Nine races, the ones he’d met when they came to help him fight the Vos’Rekan near Aster Fall.

There were a few Cer’Aleth as well, the crystal flame elementals whose sapphire-tinted bodies blazed with internal fires, but they were long-lived people who had few children, so they weren’t present in high numbers. 

The other three members of the high races were present too. He saw a humanoid figure who seemed to be made of swirling winds, her skin just opaque enough to give her a sense of solidity.

A Wind Wraith. 

They were related to air elementals, although they saw themselves as the highest type. They were capable of turning to pure air and reforming, but were easily distracted by things. 

They were usually good as rogues and assassins.

Then there was a Mountain Dwarf, a race that was familiar to him. 

They called themselves the Morani, but they were the same as the dwarves he knew on Aster Fall, loving all things that came from the deep earth and the arts needed to forge them.

Krana would be interested to meet them. Her people must have descended from them once. 

They had been great allies of the Titans and probably would have come to help with the Vos’Rekan, but they had a particularly reclusive faction head at the moment who held their seat on high council. 

Finally, there was a tall and pale figure whose body was decorated with intricate lines of mana, almost like a tattoo. Colorful illusions played around him, filling the air as he showed off his expertise to a group of younger students.

He was a Lifeweaver.

Their race was naturally aware of their meridians from birth and enhanced them with permanent additions as they grew older, turning themselves into a mana-infused work of art. They had strong affinities for healing, illusion, and enchanting. 

It was interesting to see them all gathered in one place. He was sure Altey would have fun studying with them. The Winter Sylph and Mountain Dwarf were the most reassuring, since their presence would help her feel at home.

He left the students behind as he continued deeper into the academy paths, winding through the old buildings and studying the enchantments on them, as well as the things they held. 

The conversations with the admission officials told him that was a dead end, since none of them had any ability to alter the academy rules. 

From the sound of it, they were nearly immovable, made that way to stop people from doing the exact thing that the visitors and he were all trying to do. 

Instead of accepting that, he just grinned and turned his attention higher, to a well-appointed chamber at the top of one of the central towers. 

That was the headmaster’s office, at least the official one.

He didn’t see a reason to deal with anyone else, and if he had to pressure someone into admitting Altey here, it might as well be the main guy. 

At the moment, that office was occupied by the assistant headmaster, who seemed to be exasperated as she dealt with paperwork and the occasional visitor, so Sam continued searching through the area for the headmaster’s real office.

If his guess was right, the real headmaster was hiding somewhere to avoid work, or possibly just to get some peace of mind. 

That was what he had an assistant for.

There was, however, a statue of the headmaster near the entry. Based on that, he was a severe-looking man with calm eyes and a studious expression, but that was almost certainly a lie, as most statues were, something designed to impress the students. 

From the aura impressions left around the Academy, on the statue, and in his office, the headmaster was a clever individual with a great dislike for visitors. His real appearance was closer to a white-haired grandfather whose hair looked like he’d been hit by a lightning bolt.

He was a well-known retired adventurer who specialized in arcane research and lightning magic.

According to the records Sam got from the Path of Stars, he had been appointed by default because he was one of the few Sixth Evolution individuals who wasn’t part of the High Nine. 

He was also human, which was amusing, at least to Sam.

The high races had apparently been upset by it, but he’d been selected as headmaster to keep the rather extreme politics of the high races from affecting the Academy too much. 

Having him here was a feather in the academy’s hat, since the number of Sixth Evolution individuals was extremely limited, sometimes fewer than a dozen in the entire galaxy since the Titans had left.

It was a political appointment and one for which he was well paid, but from the looks of it he would rather be doing something else.

The rest of the faculty were at the Fourth or Fifth evolution for the most part, although there were a few at the Third who had unique specialties. There was no other place in the galaxy that could boast of teachers at such a level.

After he finished scanning the Academy, he began searching the rest of the planet for anyone who matched the right description.

There were a lot of wards to sort through, but nothing he couldn’t handle. It looked like every one who came to this world put up their own set.

Before too long, he found not just one but sixteen separate aura signatures that matched the traces of the headmaster, which made him roll his eyes.

The man was definitely hiding.

He sorted through the aura signatures until he located the real headmaster and then he teleported away in a flash of silver light.

When he reappeared, it was on the peak of a tropical island halfway around the world. A warm wind blew across the land, stirring the leaves of the trees and carrying the scent of ripening fruit and salt.

Sunlight tangled with shadow on the land below, which was half lush with greenery and half a field of fresh lava mixed with ash from a recent lightning storm.

The headmaster was seated at the edge of the mountain with his feet dangling over the side. He was wearing informal clothing that was half charred and looked as if it had lost a battle with the same lightning storm that hit the land below.

There was a fishing pole in his hand with a glowing bit of bait on the end, but instead of being a hook, it was a fragment of a lightning elemental stone. 

“Fishing for lightning elementals?” Sam asked with a chuckle as he walked up behind him.

The headmaster jumped, his pole flying upward as violet-colored lightning flared around him. 

“Damn it!” he started swearing, not even bothering to look behind him to see who was there. “I thought I was well hidden up here! Time to find a new spot.” 

He made his fishing rod disappear and grabbed a tattered hat from the ground next to him before he leapt away into the sky.  

“I’m not helping you or answering any questions!” he shouted over his shoulder. “Deal with the administration yourself! It’s not my job!” 

“Not so fast,” Sam said with a laugh as he reached out with a golden hand that was larger than the entire peak. The distance between them was irrelevant. 

The headmaster attempted to escape by twisting dimensional space and teleporting away, but he struck a barrier of pure astral force that locked him in place. 

A surge of violet lightning sprang to life around him, instantly flooding the sky with a massive storm that covered the horizon. Dark clouds began to swirl, building strength as they appeared from nowhere.

The sky above the tropical island had been calm and beautiful, but now it was covered by destruction. Lightning arced from one side of the clouds to the other, intensifying by the moment. 

Nodes of elemental energy began to form into lightning elementals, gathering swiftly as their bodies grew larger. Instead of being real elementals, however, these were more like constructs, humanoid figures that represented the strength of the storm and the headmaster’s control.

Their bodies were jagged and fierce, their fingers ending in lightning claws and their heads crackling with force. They had no need of armor or weapons as they rushed forward.

They headed straight for Sam, arcs of lightning branching out around them, and a sizzling, explosive domain crackled against his grasp as he held onto the headmaster. 

The domain appeared in his eyes with intricate violet runes, each of them formed from seething bolts of lightning, similar to the elementals, and he took a moment to study it. The violet hue of the lightning was interesting.  

The headmaster’s law was based on the divisive power of lightning and its ability to break down bonds, something this violet energy excelled at. It was no surprise that his personality was also based around avoiding work. 

Despite that, the lightning wasn’t going to help him. 

Although the headmaster was at the Sixth Evolution, Sam’s strength was several times higher. The man was formidable, but he was no Voidborn Outsider or Titan.

Silver stars burned across the sky as Sam’s hand held tight around him, completely ignoring the lightning that struck it. The energy dissipated back into raw elemental energy that he absorbed, turning into part of his own domain.

The headmaster continued struggling, lashing out with different energy types and leveraging his law, trying to use the raw force of lightning to shatter Sam’s grip, but the only result was a series of dimensional cracks like blazing rainbow tears in the world. 

The cracks surrounded Sam’s hand in a chaotic web, but they didn’t break through. Suppression from his own domain forced them closed again as he reeled the man back in.

He was the one who was fishing now.

“Come and speak with me, Asperio Prosseto,” he said, his words shaking the sky around them. “You will not get away so easily.”

The sky turned calm again under Sam’s command, the clouds dissipating as the sun returned.

The dark storm instantly began to thin out. 

Within a few moments, the sun was visible through the swiftly disappearing mist, and then a moment later the clouds were gone as if they’d never been.

He could feel the man’s domain struggling against him, but it wasn’t able to stop his control over the elements. The headmaster had lightning, but Sam had Elemental Mastery and a more primal domain that could break down other laws for energy.

The tropical sky and the gentle breeze returned, flowing across the mountain peak.

“Damn...” the man muttered as he struggled against Sam’s grasp. 

After a moment, he saw that it was futile and gave up, glaring at the sky as if it had let him down. Then he made a rude gesture, flipping off the few remaining clouds.

He wasn’t what Sam had expected to find, but his personality was certainly interesting. Sam was amused as he set him down on the peak and let the golden hand of aura dissipate.

The headmaster tugged at his clothes, straightening out his half-burnt robe. It had survived the conflict with barely any damage, suggesting it wasn’t quite as simple as it seemed.

“I didn’t expect whatever you are,” he muttered as he looked up at Sam, who was two feet taller than him in his current form. “I should have made more aura decoys. When did someone like you get here?”

He glared at Sam as if it was his fault and turned as if to try and escape again. When he saw the gleam of runes in the air around him, however, he returned to muttering. It seemed like he was well prepared for people trying to find him, but Sam’s strength was unexpected. He looked at the tattered hat in his hands, which was more crumpled than before, and then he tossed it to the side. A crackle of lightning incinerated  it before it reached the ground, leaving only a few drifting ashes and a violet streak in the air.

“I was going to need another one of those anyway,” he said, shaking his head. “So much for fishing.” 

Then he focused on Sam properly, his eyes narrowing.

“I assume this is about the academy? It’s not like there’s any other reason someone comes to find me these days, especially at your level. Spit it out. What can I do for you then?”

“Yes,” Sam agreed, “I could use your help with a detail or two.”

Sam analyzed him as he spoke, combining what he could see in person with what the Path of Stars knew. 

Neither of them paid any more attention to the brief battle that had taken place in the sky. At their level, it wasn’t worth mentioning. 

Asperio Prosseto. Level 610. The Violet Storm-Archmage of Shattered Chains.

Age: 5,407 years. 

Asperio is well known as holding the Law of Unchained Lightning. His domain focuses on storm and lightning energy, as well as breaking runic patterns. He is one of the most dangerous individuals at the Sixth Evolution who can be found within the settled domain, as well as the only known human at that level, which has turned him into something of a celebrity among the race. 

He has long-standing treaties with the Council of the High Nine for mutual defense and protection. His current position as headmaster is a result of them.

As the records from the Path filled in the details, Sam could feel a wave of energy from Asperio trying to analyze him back, but it was an automatic reflex to block it.

The ability used aura and a wave of mana to scan someone, but Sam’s command over both energies meant it was easy enough to prevent.

He was pleased to see a human here, even if Asperio didn’t seem very reliable.

“You want help with an admission, I suppose?” Asperio asked shrewdly, his eyes narrow. He didn’t seem happy about it. 

“There’s no other reason I can think of for someone at your level of strength to care about the academy. Unless you’ve come to replace me as headmaster perhaps, hmm? Did you make a deal with the council and convince them to stop bothering me, and that I really have other things to do?”

He sounded hopeful.

“Sorry to crush your dreams, Asperio,” Sam said with a laugh. “But no, I just want you to admit a student and to not tell anyone that it was me.”

“Why?” Asperio grumbled. “Do you know how much of a pain in the ass that is? I’m out here to avoid work. The academy has survived this long without me interfering. It’ll be fine if I stay that way.”

“What will it take for you to do it?” Sam raised an eyebrow as he cut to the chase. “I understand that you don’t want to, but you underestimate what I have to offer.”

Asperio frowned, his words frozen as he tried to analyze Sam again. This time, he looked more interested, but also worried.

“I don’t recognize you,” he said at last. “Are you one of the new members of the High Nine? They were supposed to change out at some point, but I don’t bother to pay attention to the calendar. Based on the old agreement, I don’t have to have anything to do with you if you are.”

“No, Asperio of the Shattered Chain,” Sam said, shaking his head. “I could take such a position, but like you, I have no interest in it.”

“Then who are you?” Asperio frowned. “I don’t know of any Sixth Evolution being who could defeat me that easily in a fight...not even the members of the High Council. Their strength is a bit higher than mine, but that’s all. Most of those decoys I created were for them. Until now, I would have said it was impossible for someone like you to show up.”

“Search your memory for legends, headmaster, and you will know who and what I am,” Sam replied. “The answer is in front of you.”

Asperio looked at him, his eyes searching as they moved across Sam’s golden skin, dark horns, and blue eyes. He could see the astral energy flowing around Sam that created ribbons of silver mist, and his aura was endless, filled with the light of burning silver stars.

“Impossible,” Asperio breathed out as the answer came to him. “The Titans are a myth.”

“You of all people should know why I do not want to deal with the High Nine or show myself,” Sam explained as he focused on that similarity. “They would constantly interrupt my work when I have other things to do. Nor do I want to take over from the current council.”

“Makes sense...” Asperio muttered. “But still...you could change everything with a few words.”

A cunning glint appeared in his eye then as he continued studying Sam.

“You said I could ask for anything, if I get your student into the academy?” 

“Within reason,” Sam said. “If it takes too much effort, you’ll have to ask for something else.”

Asperio looked thoughtful, his eyes turning to the sky. Eventually, he spoke.

“As much as I complain about this position, it doesn’t actually take that much effort,” he said, “so I won’t ask you to get me out of it. The pay isn’t bad and most people can’t find me. The problem with what you’re asking is that it’s not that easy, even for me.

“The admissions are set years in advance and the student roster is set in stone. Even if a student drops out or doesn’t make it here, their position is still secure in case they show up, and every teacher’s roster is booked out with various duties. There’s simply no room for another student this year.

“People are constantly asking for exceptions to the admissions and until now I’ve relied on the truth to send them away. The high nine and the other races have done their best to support that strictness, since admissions are so political that it’s ridiculous. None of them want anyone else to have an advantage. Just a few extra spots can be enough to alter treaties between some noble families. A century ago, three planets started to fight over a single spot and the High Council had to intervene to stop it from turning into a war...”

He shook his head.

“If I were able to just hand out entries, it would be like painting a target on my head. Even I can’t do that. I have to request extra entries from the academy’s board, which is made up of three members of the High Council on a rotating basis. In order to get it, I need to convince them it’s worthwhile.

“There is only one way to guarantee admission to a new student and that’s if you perform a service to the academy, something that no one else can do. It’s a loophole, but it can’t be something frivolous, since it will be recorded in the academy’s history.”

He studied Sam, his eyes narrow in thought. “The problem right now is two fold. First, there are no open spots for new students. The roster is completely full and the faculty is stretched thin, partly because people at their level don’t always want to teach. They have their own research and levels to pursue. My assistant is constantly complaining about how much she has to force them to fill up their roster every term.”

He paused for a moment.

“Second, the High Council needs a good reason to accept my request, and right now, I don’t have anything to make them agree to it. But I have an idea.”

A wicked glint came into his eyes, one that promised he would be very amused by the result.

“There is one thing you could do that would let me convince the High Council and create more space in the student roster.”

He paused for dramatic effect, a grin appearing.

“Why don’t you teach at the academy?”

Sam raised an eyebrow, which made the headmaster talk faster.

“I don’t know why you really want to hide your presence, or why this student is so important to you, but it would be quite a feather in my cap to get an Astral Titan teaching at the academy. Just change your appearance a bit and no one will even know.

“Given that even I can’t analyze you, it’ll be safe enough, and I’m sure you’ll figure out a way to show a different class and level if you want to.”

“You want a Titan to teach at the academy...to students who have not even reached the First Evolution?” Sam’s eyebrow went higher, but he was amused by the idea.

He wasn’t sure if Asperio was telling him the complete truth, but he had the ability to see it was mostly true. One of the effects of his racial Wisdom abilities confirmed it. There might be a deeper motivation, but it was enough for now.

He was curious about the academy and he’d planned to keep an eye on Altey anyway. This was one way to do that, so he wasn’t against it.

“Either way, I won’t reveal myself as a Titan,” he said, “so you will have to come up with some other history to explain about your new teacher. Even if I were willing, however, what do you get out of it?”

“Teaching there is just to open up the slot,” Asperio said hurriedly as he kept an eye on Sam’s expression. “That’s how I’ll get the council to agree. But for me to help you, I want you to show me how you blocked my escape here, and to teach me how to improve my methods. There aren’t many paths to advancement at my level and I get the feeling this is an opportunity I can’t miss.”

Sam gave him a long look, studying the fluctuations of the man’s aura, but he didn’t detect any dishonesty. Asperio seemed to be on the level.

“Can you guarantee the student’s anonymity?” he asked. “That they will be treated the same as any other student? You can know who it is, if necessary, but to everyone else, they should seem exactly the same, just one more among the many admitted years ago.”

“I can do that,” Asperio said hurriedly. “Many students are selected by competitions on their world. Their identity is less important than the slot they take. I can make this entry look like a hidden reward for one of them. It happens sometimes when governments don’t want to announce the reward in advance, so as not to influence the competitors. Once a student is at the academy, I’m the only one with access to review exactly why someone was admitted. Otherwise, political enemies would be constantly trying to access each other’s records.”

Sam looked into the tropical sky, considering the ramifications, but he didn’t see many downsides to the idea. If necessary, he could always stick an avatar here to hold down the teaching position while he went off to do other things.

“The teaching position will end by the time the student leaves the academy,” he said, clarifying some details. “There will be no oversight on the position. I’ll teach what I like, but you can make suggestions for what you need. I assume the curriculum is already comprehensive enough that it won’t be a problem.”

“We can arrange that!” Asperio said hurriedly, his excitement rising now that he saw Sam was willing. “You can do whatever you like as long as you’re listed on the faculty and take some students. As far as anyone else is concerned, I’ll be the only one who has oversight on what you’re doing. It will be a special guest professorship. How about we call you a Professor of Ancient History?”

“No,” Sam said, shaking his head. “You can call me a professor if you like, but I’ll go by the title of High Artificer. It’s one of many that I have. The classes will be on runes, golem construction and engraving, and possibly scrolls and enchantments as well, with a practical focus for battle or research. I don’t believe the academy has significant development in those areas, so it should work.”

“We’re not that bad at enchanting...” Asperio said with a frown, but he instantly went silent when Sam looked at him. “But it’s true we don’t have much knowledge about golems. It’s mostly the dwarves who like them. It will work.”

“Then we have a deal, Asperio Prosseto.” Sam held out his hand, a slight smile on his face. 

When the man took it, he could feel the crackling force of lightning contained inside the headmaster’s body, but it was nothing compared to the vastness of his own essence.

He shook Asperio’s hand and then he tapped himself on the chest.

He let the horns and more overt details that declared him to be a Titan fade away, concealing the flare of silver energy. His eyes shone like blue crystal, clear and bright, and his height shrank down to a more normal six and a half feet. It was still taller than most humans, but nothing that would draw much attention.

“Try to analyze me now,” he said, already knowing what Asperio would see. It was no trouble to set a partial status for himself or to change the class name.

Sam Hastern. High Artificer of the Elements-Lord of Silver Stars.

Race: Human. 

Level 577. 

“It shouldn’t be too much trouble if another powerful human appears,” he said as he let the astral energy in his voice fade away, making it appropriate for his new appearance.

“They are well known for their sudden growth, as well as how broadly distributed they are throughout the galaxy. You can come up with a story about what planet I’m from and how long you’ve known me.”

He had been tempted to call himself Lord of the Void, but it was an old name for the Titans and too much of a giveaway, so he stuck to his own title. 

Other titles like Lord of the Elements or anything with “Astral” in the title were also too high tier, although any of them would have been appropriate. 

This would do.

He glanced at his status sheet to see how the changes looked.

These classes were close enough to his real ones that he was comfortable with them.

Sam Hastern.

Level: 577.

Title: Lord of Silver Stars.

Class: Lord of Silver Realms.  [Shown as High Artificer of the Elements]

Subclass: Guardian of Aster Fall. [Shown as Lord of Silver Stars]

577 was his real level, so he hadn’t needed to change that..

For the first time in ages, he’d also used his real name. No one here would recognize it and if they connected him to Altey because of it, he would just say it was a coincidence. 

There were a lot of humans with the same name.

“Err...a Lord-tier class?” Asterio blinked in surprise, taking in Sam’s changes and the status he now displayed, as well as the swift change in appearance. “And it’s a Title as well? That’s rare. It will get some attention, but it will also make the council quicker to accept you. It’s probably best if you’re not at the Sixth yet. Good choice. It’s less threatening that way.” 

After a moment he nodded in approval, gathering himself with more confidence.

“Yes, I think that should work. Perfect. I’ll make sure no one causes you any trouble.”

“Then I look forward to working with you,” Sam said as he looked at Asterio with a smile. “I’ll wait here for you to carry out your promise. I hear the term is about to start, so you should hurry.”

Asterio looked flustered for a moment, but then the confidence of a Sixth Evolution headmaster reappeared. He gave Sam a firm nod and then turned into a bolt of violet lightning, which streaked across the horizon. 

“Clever old fellow,” Sam thought as he watched him go, debating the deal he’d just made. 

He was aware that Asperio had gotten the better deal since Sixth Evolution knowledge was extremely limited, but he was willing to do almost anything for Altey, so this was acceptable.

He had Elemental Mastery and the Path of Stars to rely on, as well as a domain that was designed to comprehend other laws, so it wouldn’t be difficult to help Asperio with his lightning path.

Then a flash of humor bubbled up, turning into a silver flare that appeared around him as he laughed. 

“Professor, is it?” he asked, turning the idea around. He’d never had a chance to attend an academy as a young man and he certainly hadn’t thought it would end up like this. 

All of his attention in recent years had been on killing enemies and dealing with threats to Aster Fall, as well as creating new defenses. This promised to be a more relaxing turn of events.

Perhaps he would get some interesting students.

“Well, it should be fun.”

And he could tease Altey about it.

He settled down onto the mountain, looking out at the tropical island and the lava fields, and then a fishing pole appeared in his hands.

He took out a lightning elemental crystal that was ten times stronger than the fragment Asperio had been using and threaded it onto the end of the line before he tossed it out into the air.

Since he was waiting here anyway, he might as well see what it was all about.