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It's definitely going to draw attention if you can't come up with a way to get out of this, or to convincingly set the dummy aflame. On the other hand, while you might not be able to disguise the dodge, you do have a chancellor and a captive audience here, so this might be a useful time to introduce the subject of the Academy's admittance policies.

The trick will be doing this fast enough that no one can question it.

"Ah, you can't believe everything you hear, Chancellor Savva!" you say, wagging a finger. "Demons have learned to defend against the most typical human spells. They're expecting fireballs. What they don't expect…is this."

Before Savva can ask what you mean, you take off running toward the dummy. "You have to sneak up close to them for this, which is difficult with the teleportation," you call back over your shoulder. "Always helped to have Letha there fighting with me. Demons don't expect close combat from mages, so all it takes is a lick of flame to catch them off-guard." You position yourself carefully behind the dummy and reach into the pouch at your side. Deftly, you strike the flint and tinder together while using the dummy to block your audience's line of sight. Immediately, the straw catches flame, and it quickly spreads.

You step out from behind the blaze to a round of applause. "A fascinating perspective, Jun," Savva says as you return to her side. Behind her, students are making their reluctant ways back to class. "I think Chancellor Mardas would be very interested to talk to you."

Next

Savva lingers behind as the crowd dissipates. "I understand you don't have much time, under the circumstances," she says, "but I hope you're aware you're welcome at the Academy whenever you'd like. Chancellor Zaman and I have a bit of a wager over what it is you've been working on in Archa these past few years."

Savva nods. "Yes, of course. What can we do to help? We've all heard the news from Archa. Shall I send for Alvis?"

"I understand Chancellor Mardas is the man to speak to about demons," you say. "Can you tell me where I would find him?"

Savva raises her eyebrows. "Naturally," she says. "There isn't generally much question about it."

"The basement, in the archives," Evander says, stepping up beside you. "I'll show you."

Next

Evander leads you to the tower that houses the Academy archives, which tapers artistically off into the sky. You pass quite a few mages on your way in, which delays the process somewhat, as Evander enthusiastically greets most of them by name. You make your way slowly through a maze of shelves to a door in the back of the building. Evander hesitates before opening it.

"I wish I could tell you what to expect," he says, shaking his head. "He might be reading. He might have hired some of the newer students to re-enact historical demon battles for him. He might have forgotten to eat for a few days. It…could be all three."

What you are greeted with, when Evander tentatively pushes at the door, is pitch blackness. Evander appears to judge this a relatively good sign, or at least not actively concerning, because it only takes him a moment to move forward and warn you to be careful of the stairs. Before you can follow his instructions, there's a soft sound behind you, and you turn to see a dark-haired man in ornate robes approaching the door as well. You'd swear he pales when he meets your eyes.

Evander blinks. "Oh, Professor! Did you need to see Chancellor Mardas as well?"

"Ah…I'm sure your business is more urgent, Highness," the professor says. He hurries away, avoiding your gaze. Starstruck, probably—he'd hardly be the first one to shy away from you on campus today.

You descend into the basement, eventually noticing a faint gleam of light at the end of the hallway. When you reach a corner, you turn to find an open room with the walls painted black—recently, judging by the scent. The light you saw is clustered around the walls and the ceiling in pinpricks that you eventually realize are constellations. Dead center on the ceiling is a painted red circle that must represent the moon, and directly underneath the circle is the man who must be the chancellor.

The conjured stars don't provide enough light to discern many of his features. He doesn't face you as you enter, or in any way alter his contemplation of his painted moon, though after several seconds he offers a conversational "Hello."