[Shortly after the library]
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The Artifex building occupied its own area, separate from the main academy grounds. The atmosphere here felt different—more like a museum or reservation than a place of education.
Vel followed the paved path that split through the greenery. The grass on either side was deliberately kept low, trimmed to a uniform height.
As he approached the entrance, two massive statues flanked the doorway. Beneath each stood a brazier, their flames burning in unnatural hues—shifting between blue and violet. The left statue held a scale, the right clutched an ancient-looking book.
The tower itself rose before him—white stone spiraling upward, each level narrower than the last. Lush green vines climbed portions of the surface, woven into the architecture as if they'd grown there by design rather than accident.
Vel climbed the steps and pushed through the arched entrance.
He stopped just inside.
The building's interior was hollow—completely open from ground level to nearly the top. Natural light filtered down from somewhere far above.
From where he stood, Vel could see each floor's walkway and balcony spiraling upward around the hollow center, level after level reaching toward that distant light. Strange beams gleaming with dark gold metal stretched vertically through the space, connecting the floors. Not quite stairs, not quite supports. They hummed faintly with magic, their purpose unclear.
His gaze dropped to a long desk positioned to his right. An old man with gray hair pulled back into a tight ponytail, the style revealing a substantial portion of his forehead lined with age.
"Can I help you, young man?" he asked, his voice surprisingly clear despite his apparent age.
"I'm looking for Instructor Nalren," Vel said, keeping his voice respectful.
The old man didn't look up from his journal. "Is this pre-appointed or occasional?"
Vel hesitated. "Occasional."
"Purpose?"
Vel weighed how much to reveal. Too little might get him turned away, too much might raise suspicions.
"I'm researching... a possibility that combines magic and alchemy. I need to study a certain artifact."
The old man lifted his head to look at Vel while still maintaining his hunched posture. His eyes were sharp despite his age, with a clarity that suggested decades of careful observation.
"It's true that Nalren is in charge of alchemy class, but he does not hold permission for artifacts. Look around you."
Vel followed Moana's gesture and scanned the building properly this time. Figures stood at intervals along the pathways and near doorways—guards, he realized. Not ceremonial ones either. Each had a wand at their belt, hands clasped behind their backs, gazes fixed forward yet somehow tracking everything.
His enthusiasm wavered. Right. The Academy wasn't just a school—it was the kingdom's premier magical institution. A place that housed artifacts valuable enough to need this level of security.
Those guards weren't decorative. They were a warning.
But he'd come this far. And if his identification spell could help them prepare for the tournament—maybe even understand the strange phenomena happening across the kingdom—then it was worth the risk of asking.
YOU ARE READING
GameDev Reincarnated into His Own Creation
FantasyWhen renowned game developer Giri meets his untimely end, he awakens as twelve-year-old Vel in the magical realm of Aeonalus-his own creation. Five hundred years have passed since he crafted the world, and Vel finds himself in the village of Oakhave...
