Chapter 6: Professor Kal

Kal walked along the empty halls, his gnarled black staff making a sharp clack, clack, clack, with each step he took. Light was streaming in through the windows, illuminating the long hall he was traversing. There were no students in sight, he didn't know where they would be, maybe classes were taking place. He had been following signs for the library, so it should be just behind the double doors straight ahead.

During the brief walk through the campus, he had felt the mana levels in the area were much higher than what he'd felt elsewhere. These higher levels were very conducive for mages to practice magic. The more mana that was available to use would allow for faster casting and keep the mage from exhausting themselves as quickly. Of course this wasn't a natural phenomenon, there were large magic circles set up around the campus, especially the practice field.

Just before Kal reached out to open the doors to the library, he noticed the door was protected by a crude magic array. The array was invisible to the naked eye, but being a lich, he was very sensitive to mana, being able to see the eb and flow of the mysterious energy. The runes used in the array weren't exactly like the ones he was used to seeing, but seemed to be derived from them. This allowed him to quickly decipher the purpose of the array, and just as quickly disarm it.

The array was used to only allow people with a certain magic item to open the door, anyone else that tried would set off some kind of alarm. This was the first sign of any security that he'd ran into since stepping foot in the academy. He figured it made sense, books were expensive, magic tomes doubly so, they wouldn't just let anyone walk in.

After manipulating the runes in the array, changing them so that anything with a mana signature would open the lock, the lock clicked open, allowing him inside. Rows and rows of shelves greeted him, a high, vaulted ceiling made of glass let natural light grace the leather covers of thousands of books. Plush, crimson carpets muffled his steps as he looked around. Taking a deep breath, he appreciated the smell of parchment and ink.

Large tables were set up in the center of the room, many students were taking cover behind stacks of books, studying. They looked up as he passed by, but paid no more attention to him. It wasn't their place to question anyone here, plus only faculty or students could enter the library, and it wasn't uncommon for them not to recognize someone.

Kal knew what he was looking for, he just had to find the right section. He peeked around corners, explored every nook, and traversed every cranny, but failed to find what he desired. Letting out a sigh, he resigned himself to ask for help. He solemnly walked back to the middle of the massive library, looking for the librarian. An elderly elf was pushing a small cart with several books precariously stacked atop of it. He would stop periodically, picking up a book, then putting it back on the shelf.

To see an elf that appeared old was actually quite rare. Elves could live for a few thousand years, but would often die well before that due to accidents, disease, or war. To make it to such an age, this particular elf must have been exceedingly lucky. Kal wondered if he was from before the war, maybe he could fill him in.

"Excuse me. I was hoping you could point me in the right direction." Kal whispered quietly, they were in a library after all.

The elf looked at Kal over the rim of his glasses that were sitting low on his long nose. His ears were a little droopy, losing their springiness with age. He had long silver hair, and very few wrinkles on his face. He would still be considered very handsome to anyone that would lay eyes on him.

"And what direction would that be in?" The elderly elf asked.

"Ancient history."

"History is in section H-fourteen, upstairs and to the left." The elf said dryly.

"I've already perused that section, what I'm looking for isn't there." Kal said, almost at a loss.

"I was wanting to research about the undead war, about what happened to the Undead King."

"The Undead King?" The elf's voice had a tinge of anger in it.

"Those books are under lock and key, you would need to be faculty or have their permission to see those."

Kal nodded his head, he didn't understand why they would be locked up, but there was nothing he could do about it. Perhaps they were degraded over the ages, being put under lock and key would protect them, but they could just copy them. Not thinking on it any further, he turned back to the elf.

"Do you know what happened to the Undead King?"

For a moment, the elf's eyes seemed to gloss over, but quickly snapped back onto Kal.

"You need to leave, you should know better than to ask me such a question." He said, not bothering to lower his voice at all.

Seeing that he had struck a nerve, Kal didn't bother him any further. He didn't apologize, just turned to leave. Reading his memories most likely wouldn't provide him with what he wanted, also he was deep in foreign territory, it would cause no small amount of trouble for him. At least he knew what he wanted was here in this building, he just had to get to it. The easiest way would be to just break into the vault they kept the books in, stealing them and being on his way.

The only problem was that to study the dungeons would take some time, being a criminal on the run would hamper his studies. He could hide with no problem, but didn't want to be like a rat running through the sewers. This left only one course of action. Making up his mind, he left the library and started looking for the signs that would point him in the right direction.

After more than an hour, several twists and turns, and directions from an impatient janitor, Kal found himself waiting in a reception room. The reception room was for the dean's office, and he was waiting for a meeting with him. He'd found his office and talked to the mousy secretary that was sitting behind her own desk, reading a book. He introduced himself as a mage, looking for employment. Luckily the dean had a light workload and was able to see him, he just had to wait.

This might seem like a roundabout way to achieve his goals, but Kal hadn't survived so long by doing things the easy way. By doing most things by the books, he prevented anyone scrutinizing him. Most liches would use their vast knowledge of arcane spells to take whatever they fancied, but not Kal. He would rather take the safest path when possible, making the risk to his life as low as possible. Even though now he couldn't be killed, since his phylactery was hidden in another plane, it would still be more trouble than it'd be worth.

Sitting motionlessly on a couch that sank in, Kal waited patiently. A large grandfather clock was ticking the seconds away, it rang out deep gongs, indicating the passing of an hour. As the last gong echoed around the room, the office door opened up, revealing a strong middle aged man.

He stood proud with his back straight, his jet black hair slicked back, meticulously combed. He was a middle aged man, Kal supposed forty-four to fifty, his stern face showed few wrinkles. A tailored suit, in red and black with the insignia of the academy sewn into the cuffs, adorned his muscled figure.

"Mage Kal, I'll see you now." The dean said with a deep, monotone voice.

Kal gave the dean a practiced smile, showing his perfect white teeth. The dean didn't say anything, but felt that the mage's smile seemed unnatural, it made him uneasy. Kal stood, and silently followed him into his office. The dean sat behind his desk, motioning for Kal to take the seat across from him.

"Now, Minie tells me you wished to see me. I'm a very busy man, so please." The dean said, lacing his fingers together.

"Alright then, I'll cut to the chase. I wish to become a professor here at your prestigious academy." Kal said, emphasizing the word prestigious.

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The dean's face didn't so much as twitch, he was a master at hiding his emotions. He unlaced his fingers, took a deep breath, and started to speak.

"And why would we need such a mage as yourself? We teach the kingdom's future, the witches and wizards that will be the bedrock for the generations to come. To be able to mold the minds of the future, one must be able to guide them, show them the proper way to harness mana and all the power that comes with it. So, tell me, why would I want you?" He finished speaking, looking Kal dead in the eyes.

Kal wasn't intimidated in the slightest, the dean's aura was miniscule when compared to his, barely on the same scale. If Kal wasn't a master at manipulating mana, the slightest leak in his true power would have turned the dean's jet black hair stark white. Seeing Kal not flinch at all caused the dean's eye to twitch slightly, betraying his shock. He was one of the most powerful mages in the entire capital of Lenova, for the mage in front of him to have no reaction at all to his aura means he was at least as strong as he was.

"Well, Dean…. What was your name?" Kal asked, shrugging off the cold stare he was receiving.

"It's Alfred, Dean Alfred Petticoat."

"Well Dean Petticoat, I'm well versed in many schools of magic, fluent in even more languages. Magic arrays to alchemy, I know them all. I dare say there isn't a more qualified person to teach here at your school." Kal confidently stated.

"You say all this, but yet you look barely half my age." Dean Petticoat scoffed, not believing Kal for one second.

"Don't let looks fool you Dean Petticoat, age is just an illusion, such as many things in life." Kal said before his face started to age at a visible rate. His hairline receded and thinned as his hair turned white. His nose grew slightly larger as wrinkles invaded his face. His eyes sunk into his skull, the shadows making his sockets appear empty. He looked as if he had aged seventy years or more in an instant, shocking Dean Petticoat so much that his jaw was slacked open.

It was no trouble at all for Kal to adjust the age of his appearance, just a single thought was all it took. This showed the dean that he wasn't some young pup, but an old and powerful mage, capable of having such vast experience. It also let the Dean believe that Kal had a secret that he was a part of, this would make it so that if Kal was acting suspiciously the Dean would think that he knew why.

The Dean on the other hand was amazed that he had been fooled by such an 'illusion'. The mage was sitting across from him, barely three feet away, and yet he was none the wiser. This would also explain why he was unaffected by his aura, seeing that it was such a powerful mage made him feel much better. He had no qualms about allowing him to be a professor at the academy after seeing such seamless magic, he just had one question on his mind.

"Why do you want to teach here, you could go anywhere?"

By this point in time, Kal had already changed back to his younger appearance. He scratched his smooth check with his finger, as he opened his mouth. "Well, to be honest, I want to study the dungeons, and my home is very far from here. I was under the assumption should I become a professor I could use the academy's resources to help me do so."

"Ha." The Dean let out a chuckle.

"That is very shrewd of you. Yes, professors are allowed some resources to pursue their own personal research, as long as they share the results with the academy of course. But, I do have to say that many mages have researched the dungeons, and their results have been wanting." He said truthfully.

"No matter, I still wish to give it a crack." Kal said, waving his hand.

"Then I won't get in your way." Dean Petticoat said, then changed the subject.

"As far as your position, do you have any preferences?"

"None whatsoever, if it's related to magic, I am proficient in it."

"Well then, we just so happen to have an opening for an alchemy professor." Dean Petticoat explained while looking over some papers on his desk.

"You'll have access to a lab, herbs, magic crystals, anything you need in order to teach first year alchemy." He said as he handed Kal a list of everything that could be obtained.

Looking over everything, a question suddenly popped up in his mind.

"It's already halfway through the year isn't it? What happened to the original professor?"

"He was killed." Dean Petticoat didn't sugarcoat anything and explained.

"Professor Arckroft was killed while working on an experiment. He should have known better, but he mixed two different substances, creating a toxic gas." He paused.

"I, personally, think he knew what he was doing. His family was always pressuring him, since he was but a child. He was only thirty you see, but was considered a genius when it came to alchemy. It was never enough for his family though. Really, it's such a travesty."

Kal nodded his head in understanding, although he really didn't. He'd done all he could when he was human to avoid death, he couldn't understand the need to hasten it.

"Enough of that, do you accept the position?" The Dean asked.

"Of course, when do I start?" Kal asked, pleased with how things had gone.

"Two weeks. The students are currently on summer break, when they come back you'll begin. Of course you'll have a probationary period of one month, I'll have someone sit in on your classes on random days to observe you."

"I see no problem in that." Kal said, not bothered by it at all.

"Very good, now, if that is all, Minie will escort you to the faculty lodging. You'll have your own living space on campus, of course if you wish, you may also live in the city, it is up to you. Most of your peers choose to live on campus though, a house in the city is very expensive, even for a mage.." With that, Dean Petticoat walked Kal to the door, handing him off to Minie.

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