Arcane Weapons

In the candy shop, the clientele were mostly nobles, and the shop attendants had far more reliable sources of information than the drunken tavern regulars. However, the veracity of such rumors was always hard to gauge.

One thing was certain: Isabella’s social circle had certainly changed. Her mentor, a figure of high standing among mages, seemed to wield considerable influence. Oliver couldn’t help but wonder how her teacher compared to Professor Arcanus in terms of strength.

"Looks like I still have a long way to go," Oliver thought to himself.

Today had been a good haul. Thanks to the wild boar's evolution, he had grown significantly stronger. Oliver was feeling quite proud of his progress, but as he thought about it, he realized he wasn’t the only one improving. Isabella, unbeknownst to him, was also working hard and growing in strength.

"I’ll go to Glensorne someday, find Isabella, and show her how far I've come," Oliver decided. He knew he had to work even harder. At the very least, he needed to become a fully-fledged mage first.

Right now, Oliver was close—his battle prowess was nearly on par with a fully-fledged mage, but he hadn’t yet learned enough high-level spells or passed the Mage Tower’s trials. It was only once he became an official mage that his standing in the kingdom would truly change.

With that in mind, Oliver quickly made his way back to the academy. As he walked through the gates, something seemed off. The usual bustle was absent, and instead, students huddled in small groups, whispering anxiously. Fear was evident in their eyes.

“What happened?” Oliver asked as he found James and Deniel by the training field.

James and Deniel’s faces were grim as they turned to him. "Griffin… he’s dead."

Griffin dead? Oliver was taken aback. He remembered Griffin well—he was always cold and detached. Back when James and Deniel had been bullied by noble students, Griffin had been a teacher, yet he ignored the situation, pretending not to see. Later, when Oliver became a core apprentice, Griffin had seemed bitter, perhaps even resentful. He hadn’t expected this person to die.

"How did he die?" Oliver asked.

"We don’t know the details," James replied. "But rumors are flying around the academy—some say it was a magical creature or even a demon that killed him. Hector told us not to discuss it yet, as the investigation is ongoing."

Oliver nodded. It seemed James and Deniel didn’t have any more information, but his curiosity only deepened. He decided to visit the academy’s garden, where Professor Arcanus resided. As a core apprentice, Oliver had the privilege of meeting with the professor at any time—a privilege most students didn’t have.

He made his way to the garden quickly. There, he found Professor Arcanus and Hector talking. Their expressions were unusually somber.

"Good morning, Oliver," Hector greeted him with a nod.

"Oliver, you’re just in time. There’s been an incident at the academy. A few of the older students are heading out to investigate. You should come along for some field experience," Professor Arcanus said with a smile.

"Is it related to Griffin’s death?" Oliver asked, intrigued.

"Ah, so you’ve heard. Griffin was killed near the hilltop cemetery outside the city. We suspect it was either a demon or an evil spirit," Professor Arcanus replied, his face serious.

A demon? An evil spirit? Oliver felt a chill run down his spine. He had heard rumors of such creatures, but he never imagined they actually existed in this world. Of course, this world was full of magic, so demons and spirits weren’t so far-fetched.

"A demon or evil spirit powerful enough to kill a mage apprentice is no trivial matter," Professor Arcanus continued. "Be careful, Oliver. Stay behind the senior students and don’t act recklessly."

"Don’t worry, Professor," Hector added with a grin. "We’ll make sure Oliver stays safe."

As the group prepared to leave, Oliver took out the wrapped scales of the Emberfang.

"This is… the scales of Emberfang!" Professor Arcanus said, his gaze sharpening. "Where did you get this? This is a valuable find!"

Oliver quickly explained how he had found the scales in the forest, witnessing two giant beasts fighting. He left out the part about his pets, saying only that he had been hunting alone.

"Unbelievable! Your luck is incredible, Oliver," William and Hector said, their voices tinged with envy.

Professor Arcanus began explaining, "The Emberfang may resemble a giant serpent, but it’s actually not closely related to any real snake. It’s the result of a fire magic entity evolving into a creature. The scale you have is not a typical snake scale. It's a condensed form of fire magic."

"Though this is just a regular scale, the fire magic within it is potent. It can be used to forge weapons or learn advanced fire spells."

"Since you’re not yet able to learn high-level spells, you should use it to forge a weapon. If you integrate this scale into a weapon, it might even bestow a magical ability, turning it into an Arcane Weapon!"

Arcane Weapon?

Oliver’s eyes widened with excitement. A true Arcane Weapon? This was legendary!

The sword Professor Arcanus had gifted him was enchanted with fire magic, but it didn’t come close to being an Arcane Weapon. It was a simple magical enhancement. The weapon that could be forged with the Emberfang scale, however, would be something truly special—a weapon imbued with a powerful magical ability.

"An Arcane Weapon, I don’t even have one of those!" William sighed, envious of Oliver’s luck.

Excited yet still curious, Oliver asked, "I heard rumors that the two beasts fighting in the forest were connected to a noble mage. Do you know anything about that?"

Perhaps Professor Arcanus and his colleagues knew more.