Despite several minutes having passed, Zeke wasn’t able to restore his inner peace. He felt like he was surrounded by enemies on all sides and he had nobody left to turn to.
With a deep sigh, he finally sat up straight. Laying down hadn’t helped calm his mind. He swept his gaze across the deserted room, in search of a distraction. However, he saw nothing that could hold his attention. Just as he was about to give up, he spotted something. Out of the corner of his eyes, he spied a round object at the far end of the room. Whoever had looted the place apparently deigned it worthless.
Zeke focused his mind as he stared straight at the sphere. Slowly, it started to move. It rolled toward him before rising into the air. The object started out a bit wobbly but soon soared through the air in a controlled manner.
With a deft swipe, he snatched the sphere out of the air. The object in his hand was a fist-sized ball. He had never before seen its like, but it was soft and colorfully decorated. It appeared to be some kind of toy for small children.
Zeke tossed it back into the air and had it slowly circle his head. Every time the toy passed in front of his face, he tried to imagine what had led to it being abandoned there. Did its former owner not want it anymore? Had a child lost it and didn’t get the time to search for it when they were driven out? Was the ball a mysterious, powerful artifact that had intentionally sought him out in order to help him achieve world domination?
The exercise in creativity finally managed to calm his anxious mind somewhat. But with the calm also came the other thoughts that had been suppressed. His use of [Telekinesis] had inadvertently reminded him of Sophia. She had gifted him the spell book for the technique for his birthday, braving no small risk in doing so.
During their travels through the empire, Zeke had taken some time off every day in order to practice. He had wanted to impress her with his progress the next time they met. It all sounded so silly now, and Zeke felt his heart clench at the thought of how their next meeting would go.
Would they meet as enemies? Would he see her again at all? What about Viola? How did she react when she found out? She probably had no idea of anything that had happened yet. Would she turn against him? What about Markus? Had his friend gotten into trouble as well because of him?
A profound sense of loss washed over Zeke as he once again came face to face with the pain of leaving so many of his closest friends behind. He would probably be sobbing on the floor right now if he hadn’t at least managed to bring his family with him. Even though they couldn’t help him much with his current predicament, their presence gave him comfort. More than that, it gave him a reason not to surrender to helplessness.
Despite the circumstances, the thoughts of his closest friends still brought a smile to his face. He just hoped that they would be fine. Zeke was worried for Sophia the most. She would probably get in trouble down the line because of him. He wasn’t stupid enough to not have realized by now that she had been ordered to get close to him. But the fact that he had been allowed to escape meant that she had kept the dragon’s heart as well as anything else she might have found out a secret.
However, this also meant that everything exceptional he did in the future could be seen as a failure on her part. A dreadful realization came to him. Could he even release the meditation research? The empire would know where it had come from. The fallout from this would most likely land on Sophia’s slender shoulders.
An unexpected thought sprang up in his mind. It was something Zeke had never thought himself capable of conceiving. However, the moment he acknowledged its existence, it was impossible to get rid of. Like a worm, it burrowed itself deeper into his mind until it had fully taken root in his consciousness.
‘Do I even want to release it?’
The idea was so foreign to him that Zeke was left with no other option than to consider this to be foul play. Had the emperor or some other Mind Mage managed to invade his consciousness? Had it been Sophia?
However, the longer he thought about it, the more certain he became that this was his own genuine idea. He had learned that the best way to find out if one was influenced by Mind Magic was to question the motive and rationale behind each thought. In most cases, they would not hold up under close scrutiny. This was the opposite, however. The longer he thought about it, the more reasons he found why releasing his research would be a bad idea.
The reason he had been so eager to teach his technique to the commoners had been rooted in the belief that it would benefit them. He had wanted to give them more power, more say in how things were done. He had been so certain that he would be able to improve their lives by doing so. He wasn’t so sure anymore, though.
It was entirely possible that his research would only lead to the swelling of armies on all sides of the conflict. The number of casualties during the coming war could be that much higher because of it. What was even worse was that his research would only be effective on young people. He could already picture a swarm of freshly awakened 14-year-olds being used as cannon fodder by the losing side in a desperate attempt to turn things around.
With a shudder, Zeke shook off the vivid imagery he had inadvertently conjured up. It was a future too grim to even contemplate. During all the time he had spent daydreaming about the rosy future, he had not once considered the potential risks involved. Even with the commoners all being able to advance to the True Mage level. They would still be ants in the eyes of the great families. Just… slightly bigger ants. With a sigh, he stopped this particular train of thought.
“A problem for another day,” he murmured.
He had more pressing concerns at the moment. Money was at the very forefront. While studying the legal code, Zeke had stumbled across something that made their situation that much worse. The moment they lost their estate, the von Hohenheim family would also lose all citizens’ rights here in Tradespire. It was very likely that they would be turned over to the empire at that point.
“100,000 gold, huh?” Zeke thought out loud.
A year ago, this would have been more money than he could realistically conceive. It was enough gold to buy a castle in the empire. He would probably still have enough left over to buy the surrounding villages as well. Now, however, he had to earn this amount in a measly five weeks, with his life at stake, no less.
Instead of the despair that had gripped him earlier, a silent chuckle escaped his lips. His voice built until it had turned into full-on laughter. The sound proved walls reflected the merry sound back at him, making him laugh even harder.
“You think you have me cornered!? Screw you all!” Zeke yelled. “I will not be stopped by this! Watch me, old man!”
Minutes passed with Zeke yelling all sorts of obscenities and boasts. He was giving voice to all his frustrations, holding nothing back. Minutes later, a heavily breathing Zeke finally slumped against the wall. He had to take a break in order to catch his breath. With the back of his hand, he wiped a few unshed tears from his eyes.
Having caught his breath, Zeke felt a lot better after releasing his pent-up stress. With his head clear, it was finally time to strategize. Zeke had found great success with betting during the tournament, but that had been a special case. His in depth knowledge of the other contestants combined with the Trinity project had given him a competitive edge back then. Those were not things he could count on here.
When after several minutes, Zeke still had not come up with anything, he tried a new approach. He stopped his pacing and made his way toward the door. Maybe a bit of fresh air would help him come up with something. Zeke was not stupid enough to leave the estate grounds, but he still dare to wander the lavish grounds surrounding the mansion.
The well-tended gardens were a stark reminder that there had been over 100 people working here until last week. Zeke wondered if he would be able to find those people. Would they even want to work for the family at this point again?
He soon reached the edge of the property. The city was shaped like a pyramid, meaning that he could oversee any of the lower levels from where he stood. The bustling metropolis stretched out beneath him. Zeke felt like a king looking down at his subjects from up here.
The symbolism of this architectural style was not lost on him. In this city, your financial success literally determined who you could ‘look down on’. Of course, the opposite was true as well.
Zeke turned around and looked at the two layers that were above his current position. The opulent palaces he could see above made even his estate look shabby in comparison. Zeke realized that this was likely intentional. This was probably the reason the people here were so full of ambition and callousness. All their lives, they would be forced to gaze upon all the luxuries they couldn’t even dream of possessing.
Growing up in Feldstadt, Zeke had never thought himself poor. Even though they had been mere farmers, his family had never lacked anything. Everyone lived in the same houses, ate the same food, and wore the same clothes. People generally treated each other with kindness. The absence of true luxury meant that there was very little to get envious about.
Zeke’s gaze traveled to the very top of the mountain, toward the heart of the city. He tried to imagine how he might have turned out if he had been born here instead. His gaze fell upon the tower at the very top of the mountain. It seemed like a heavenly beacon, luring in unsuspecting fools with the promise of riches and prosperity.
There were so many flying vessels in the air surrounding the tower. They appeared like a swarm of flies to Zeke. Compared to the lower districts, it seemed that the rich and powerful preferred to travel on these tiny airships.
No wonder Zeke had also been intrigued after first laying eyes on one. They were not only fast and comfortable but also served to show off your wealth and status. Each of them was worth a fortune. Zeke had seen a receipt for one of them in Gilderoys pile of documents. The craft had been sold for a whopping 13,000 gold. He would only have to sell a couple of them in order to pay off his debt.
The realization hit Zeke like a thunderbolt. He only had to sell a couple of them to pay off his debt, didn’t he? Was… Was this a feasible plan? It might actually work. Granted, Zeke didn’t know how these ships were built yet, but he had expansive archives on metalworking and engineering in his mind’s library. On top of that, he was sure that Tradespire had libraries and schools that he could visit.
The outline of a plan started to form in Zeke’s mind. Didn’t he always want to learn more about engineering? Ever since the day he had seen the ancient marvels buried in the underground empire, he had dreamed of doing so. The empire had been a barren place when it came to magical engineering, but now he was at the source.
It would be an outright crime not to make full use of the situation! With a growing sense of anticipation, Zeke’s eyes followed the many dots traveling through the air far out in the distance. Finally, he had found a direction. Only now did he realize how much his strained and anxious mind had wanted a concrete goal to chase. Idea after idea streamed into his mind without him even trying.
A smile finally spread across his face, as a plan had more or less solidified in his mind. He had no time to waste, but it should still be possible if he played his cards right. Zeke got up from his perch on the lawn. A series of satisfying cracks could be heard as he stretched his back and rolled his shoulders. After the last bit of stiffness had left his body, Zeke put his hands on his hips as he observed the city below.
“Time to get started,” he announced with a smile.
“How many more?” Margret asked in a tired voice.
“About… three… probably?” Zeke replied.
The two had just stepped out of another library. They had spent all afternoon going from place to place. Zeke had grossly underestimated the amount of knowledge Tradespire provided to the public.
In the last few hours, he had ingested more knowledge than during his entire life in the empire. Tradespire wasn’t called the cultural capital of the world for nothing. While the Arkanheim empire had been hyper-focused on war, the Merchant Union employed Magic for a wide variety of applications.
Zeke marveled at all the creative uses he was now confronted with. He frequently interrupted his tour to inquire about this or that. One of the most baffling new discoveries was that Fire Mages had a prestigious role in Tradespire as well. However, compared to the empire, their expertise was not used for destruction.
All of the best restaurants in town employed Fire Mages as chefs. Zeke and his guard detail had enjoyed their lunch in one such establishment. Drool leaked from the side of his mouth at the mere memory of the heavenly taste. No wonder all the top merchant companies and noble houses were fighting each other for the privilege of employing such talent.
Zeke swore that he would also employ such a chef as soon as he had properly settled down. It wouldn’t be cheap, but after having tasted true perfection, his stomach would not settle for anything less anymore. The mere thought of his beloved monster meat prepared by one of them nearly drove him insane with hunger.
He was rudely awakened from his daydreaming by the annoyed voice of the leader of his personal guard.
“Why are we even doing this?” Margret questioned. “You are just walking around. You don’t even look at any of the books. Is this really an essential part of your plan?”
Zeke paused his steps and wiped the drool from the corner of his mouth. He turned toward Margret and looked straight into her eyes. His face was dead serious. “Margret, do you trust me?”
“I do,” the woman replied.
“Then please just go along with me,” Zeke said. “I don’t want to lie to you, but there are things I can’t tell you just yet. You’ll have to trust that I have a plan and that I am doing things for a good reason. Can you do that?”
“Fine. That will have to do, for now…” Margret replied in an equally serious tone.
“Good,” Zeke said with a nod. “Because I can’t do this without you, without all of you. I need you in my corner. Otherwise, we won’t have a chance to weather the storms that are sure to arrive soon.”
“Understood,” Margret replied. “You can count on me.”
Zeke looked deeply into her eyes. There was no hesitation or doubt in the woman’s gaze. Her eyes were brimming with resolve. Ever since they had learned of Gretchen’s death, Margret had been extra zealous. Zeke hoped it was not because she felt responsible for what had happened.
“I know,” Zeke said with a smile.
He gave the signal for their group to continue on their route. They soon found their way to the next library and Zeke started pacing the corridors again. Not once did he touch a single book. He merely wandered around, seemingly without any clear goal in mind. The same pattern repeated itself at the other two locations before they were finally done.
Back at the estate, Zeke immediately made his way to the study. He slumped into the chair that had been placed in the newly decorated room. His body felt heavy. It had been a long day. From his arrival in the city to the surprise visit of Gilderoy and the messengers, a lot had happened.
Even so, there was a content smile on his face. Despite the strenuous start, the day had been productive. Not only did he have a plan, he had already taken the first step. Zeke licked his lips before diving into his Mind’s library. The place had been completely transformed from his first visit.
Zeke had discovered that he could change how he perceived this imaginary world with a mere thought. In his first attempt, he had created it in the image of the grand library. Each section was sorted by affinity. There had been a section for Fire Magic, Earth Magic, and so on. However, he learned that this concept would not be sufficient for his purposes soon after.
In his next attempt, he created libraries for each of the elements. The sections were now sorted by application. For example, there would be a section for cooking, in the Fire Magic library. Or a section for smithing, in the Metal Magic library. Not too long ago, he had believed this to be an ingenious design.
Today, however, he realized how lacking his system truly was. If he wanted to learn about engineering, for example, he had to search all his libraries for related knowledge. The engineers in Tradespire were mostly Mind and Metal Mages, but there were countless others. Some specialized artisans used a myriad of different affinities in their craft. Zeke would miss out on a lot of valuable knowledge if he just ignored all others and only focused on those two schools instead.
With a sigh, he began the task of implementing a new system. Zeke had a rough idea of how he was going to design the new version of his Minds library. However, this would be a monumental effort. It would take him months or even years to complete. Even so, if he didn’t start at some point, he would never finish.
Hours passed in silence as he worked. The sun was already setting when Zeke finally finished the first step of his undertaking. He paused for a moment and marveled at his creation. There were no grand buildings anywhere, no long corridors, and no books on display either. Instead, his Mind’s library had been reduced to a single desk and chair.
Zeke approached the ensemble. The two pieces of furniture were the only thing that could be found in this world now. All that surrounded him was a completely barren white space stretching out to eternity. He took a seat on the plush chair he had conjured up and looked down at the solitary book that was placed on the simple wooden desk.
‘Akasha — The Book of All’, the cover read. Zeke had learned the name in some obscure old text and found it oddly fitting. It had been linked to the legend of a tome that contained all knowledge of the past, present, and future. He had immediately taken a liking to that idea.
With his fingertips, he gently brushed over the leather cover binding the book. Even though nothing in this space was technically real, the feeling of the sturdy tome in his hands was indistinguishable from anything he had experienced in the real world. This was probably a result of his [Perfect Sensory Recall] constantly collecting data.
He flipped open the book and looked at the first page.
“Welcome to the Akashic Records”, he read out loud. “Please select the category you are interested in.”
Zeke flipped to the next page of the book. He found a collection of categories neatly listed there. He traced the different words one by one as he slid his finger down the page: ‘Magic, Technology, History, Geography, People…’
He paused his movement on that last one. Flipping to the next page, he found himself confronted with a new selection. ‘Alphabetical index, Historical figures, Current Rulers, Mages by level, etc…’
Zeke mentally chose the ‘Alphabetical index’ option and flipped to the next page. Here he found a list of every single person he had ever met or heard of, in alphabetical order. The first entry referred to somebody named Aaron Krayer. He didn’t remember who that was, but a mental nudge informed him that it was the name of a famous engineer who had developed a vessel that was capable of diving deep underwater. He was also the author of several books Zeke had scanned today.
A smile appeared on his face as he saw his idea come to fruition. He casually thumbed through the book. Despite it not appearing particularly thick, the pages were endless. One of the advantages of this imaginary space was that he was not bound by any laws. This allowed him to conceive a book that would automatically change what could be found on the next page according to the readers’ wishes.
Now all that was left to do was actually read the books in his possession so that he could accurately sort the knowledge. There was a mountain of books that had no other markers than ‘Grand Library / Wind section’ for example. None of the spells, people, or concepts mentioned in such a book could be found in the Akashic Records for now. A sigh escaped his lips at the thought of the monumental task that was still ahead of him.
His movements paused as he spied a familiar name on the page he had just opened. His fingers traced the outline of the delicate writing. ‘Maximilian Bombastus von Hohenheim’, the words read. Zeke selected the name and flipped to the next page. It felt like a stake had been driven straight through his heart when he read the entry.
Maximilian Bombastus von Hohenheim
The Greatest Genius who ever lived.
Maximilian is a prominent figure in the history of magic. He is best known for his invention of what is commonly referred to as 'Explosion Magic'. His innovative work in this field has been widely recognized and remains influential to this day.
In addition to his contributions to Explosion Magic, Maximilian also dedicated himself to the study of Magic cores. He advocated for the release of a meditation technique that could have greatly advanced the understanding of how these cores function. Sadly, this research was never published due to his arrest.
However, it is worth noting that Maximilian's greatest invention is not related to his personal Magic capabilities. The Trinity Project, a remarkable synergy of Magic, remains the most innovative of its kind. This project involved the combination of three unaligned affinities, resulting in a creation that surpassed the sum of its individual parts. Ezekiel von Hohenheim, Maximilian's student and heir, lauds him as ‘The Greatest Genius who ever lived’ for his selfless dedication to advancing the field of magic over the course of centuries…
Before he could read any further, Zeke was awoken. Somebody was shaking him wildly, pulling him out of his Minds library. He blinked a couple of times to regain clarity, his gaze incredibly blurry.
When he could finally see, he was confronted with two blue orbs that were only a handwidth away from his own. Maya had climbed his chair and leveled a worried gaze at him.
“Are you alright, Zeke?” she asked in a soft tone.
“Of course,” Zeke replied immediately as he began to stroke her head. She seemed unusually distraught for some reason.
“Then why are you crying?” the girl asked.
In his muddled state, Zeke’s first instinct was to deny her claim. However, before the words left his mouth, he thought better of it. Instead, he hesitantly touched his cheek and was surprised by the wetness he could feel. He inwardly cursed, this was not a side of him that he wanted to show his sister. He was sure that she would be worried about him now.
“It's nothing,” he said. “I just thought of something sad, that’s all.”
“Did you think of Grandpa Max?” The girl could be incredibly perceptive at times. Zeke had no reason to lie. He silently nodded.
“I miss him as well,” Maya confessed in a voice that was barely above a whisper.
Zeke hugged his sister to his chest. The two of them remained like that for a long while. He was thinking of a way to cheer the girl up. He couldn’t let her leave in such a depressed mood. Luckily, he had the perfect plan.
“Maya, do you want to accompany me tomorrow?”
“Really?!” she responded immediately. “Where are we going?”
“Would you like to take a look at some of the Magic academies?” Zeke questioned with a smile. “You might end up attending one of them when your core has formed.”
“Yes! Please! Can I really!?” she asked excitedly.
“Of course, you can,” Zeke reassured her in a pompous tone. “You are Maya von Hohenheim, sister to Ezekiel von Hohenheim, don’t you ever forget that. I would pluck the very stars from heaven for you.”
“Liar,” the girl said with a giggle.
“Well, maybe not the stars…” Zeke admitted with a smile. “But if you want to come with me tomorrow, you need to go to bed now.”
“Fiiiiiine,” the girl said as she got off his chair and made her way to the door. “Good night, Zeke.”
“Good night, sunshine. Sleep tight,” he called after her.
When he could no longer hear her footsteps from the hall, Zeke leaned back in his chair. He went over his plans for the coming day one more time. His invitation to Maya had not been a spur-of-the-moment decision. He had planned to take her along from the beginning.
He could not have asked for a better cover story to visit the best academies in this city than a brother doting on his little sister. Tomorrow, he would visit the academy-owned libraries. The fact that he might find a good place for Maya at the same time only made him more excited for the coming day.
With a content smile on his lips, Ezekiel got back to work. He still had several hours until the sun would rise again and he didn’t want to waste a single minute of it.
Despite several minutes having passed, Zeke wasn’t able to restore his inner peace. He felt like he was surrounded by enemies on all sides and he had nobody left to turn to.
With a deep sigh, he finally sat up straight. Laying down hadn’t helped calm his mind. He swept his gaze across the deserted room, in search of a distraction. However, he saw nothing that could hold his attention. Just as he was about to give up, he spotted something. Out of the corner of his eyes, he spied a round object at the far end of the room. Whoever had looted the place apparently deigned it worthless.
Zeke focused his mind as he stared straight at the sphere. Slowly, it started to move. It rolled toward him before rising into the air. The object started out a bit wobbly but soon soared through the air in a controlled manner.
With a deft swipe, he snatched the sphere out of the air. The object in his hand was a fist-sized ball. He had never before seen its like, but it was soft and colorfully decorated. It appeared to be some kind of toy for small children.
Zeke tossed it back into the air and had it slowly circle his head. Every time the toy passed in front of his face, he tried to imagine what had led to it being abandoned there. Did its former owner not want it anymore? Had a child lost it and didn’t get the time to search for it when they were driven out? Was the ball a mysterious, powerful artifact that had intentionally sought him out in order to help him achieve world domination?
The exercise in creativity finally managed to calm his anxious mind somewhat. But with the calm also came the other thoughts that had been suppressed. His use of [Telekinesis] had inadvertently reminded him of Sophia. She had gifted him the spell book for the technique for his birthday, braving no small risk in doing so.
During their travels through the empire, Zeke had taken some time off every day in order to practice. He had wanted to impress her with his progress the next time they met. It all sounded so silly now, and Zeke felt his heart clench at the thought of how their next meeting would go.
Would they meet as enemies? Would he see her again at all? What about Viola? How did she react when she found out? She probably had no idea of anything that had happened yet. Would she turn against him? What about Markus? Had his friend gotten into trouble as well because of him?
A profound sense of loss washed over Zeke as he once again came face to face with the pain of leaving so many of his closest friends behind. He would probably be sobbing on the floor right now if he hadn’t at least managed to bring his family with him. Even though they couldn’t help him much with his current predicament, their presence gave him comfort. More than that, it gave him a reason not to surrender to helplessness.
Despite the circumstances, the thoughts of his closest friends still brought a smile to his face. He just hoped that they would be fine. Zeke was worried for Sophia the most. She would probably get in trouble down the line because of him. He wasn’t stupid enough to not have realized by now that she had been ordered to get close to him. But the fact that he had been allowed to escape meant that she had kept the dragon’s heart as well as anything else she might have found out a secret.
However, this also meant that everything exceptional he did in the future could be seen as a failure on her part. A dreadful realization came to him. Could he even release the meditation research? The empire would know where it had come from. The fallout from this would most likely land on Sophia’s slender shoulders.
An unexpected thought sprang up in his mind. It was something Zeke had never thought himself capable of conceiving. However, the moment he acknowledged its existence, it was impossible to get rid of. Like a worm, it burrowed itself deeper into his mind until it had fully taken root in his consciousness.
‘Do I even want to release it?’
The idea was so foreign to him that Zeke was left with no other option than to consider this to be foul play. Had the emperor or some other Mind Mage managed to invade his consciousness? Had it been Sophia?
However, the longer he thought about it, the more certain he became that this was his own genuine idea. He had learned that the best way to find out if one was influenced by Mind Magic was to question the motive and rationale behind each thought. In most cases, they would not hold up under close scrutiny. This was the opposite, however. The longer he thought about it, the more reasons he found why releasing his research would be a bad idea.
The reason he had been so eager to teach his technique to the commoners had been rooted in the belief that it would benefit them. He had wanted to give them more power, more say in how things were done. He had been so certain that he would be able to improve their lives by doing so. He wasn’t so sure anymore, though.
It was entirely possible that his research would only lead to the swelling of armies on all sides of the conflict. The number of casualties during the coming war could be that much higher because of it. What was even worse was that his research would only be effective on young people. He could already picture a swarm of freshly awakened 14-year-olds being used as cannon fodder by the losing side in a desperate attempt to turn things around.
With a shudder, Zeke shook off the vivid imagery he had inadvertently conjured up. It was a future too grim to even contemplate. During all the time he had spent daydreaming about the rosy future, he had not once considered the potential risks involved. Even with the commoners all being able to advance to the True Mage level. They would still be ants in the eyes of the great families. Just… slightly bigger ants. With a sigh, he stopped this particular train of thought.
“A problem for another day,” he murmured.
He had more pressing concerns at the moment. Money was at the very forefront. While studying the legal code, Zeke had stumbled across something that made their situation that much worse. The moment they lost their estate, the von Hohenheim family would also lose all citizens’ rights here in Tradespire. It was very likely that they would be turned over to the empire at that point.
“100,000 gold, huh?” Zeke thought out loud.
A year ago, this would have been more money than he could realistically conceive. It was enough gold to buy a castle in the empire. He would probably still have enough left over to buy the surrounding villages as well. Now, however, he had to earn this amount in a measly five weeks, with his life at stake, no less.
Instead of the despair that had gripped him earlier, a silent chuckle escaped his lips. His voice built until it had turned into full-on laughter. The sound proved walls reflected the merry sound back at him, making him laugh even harder.
“You think you have me cornered!? Screw you all!” Zeke yelled. “I will not be stopped by this! Watch me, old man!”
Minutes passed with Zeke yelling all sorts of obscenities and boasts. He was giving voice to all his frustrations, holding nothing back. Minutes later, a heavily breathing Zeke finally slumped against the wall. He had to take a break in order to catch his breath. With the back of his hand, he wiped a few unshed tears from his eyes.
Having caught his breath, Zeke felt a lot better after releasing his pent-up stress. With his head clear, it was finally time to strategize. Zeke had found great success with betting during the tournament, but that had been a special case. His in depth knowledge of the other contestants combined with the Trinity project had given him a competitive edge back then. Those were not things he could count on here.
When after several minutes, Zeke still had not come up with anything, he tried a new approach. He stopped his pacing and made his way toward the door. Maybe a bit of fresh air would help him come up with something. Zeke was not stupid enough to leave the estate grounds, but he still dare to wander the lavish grounds surrounding the mansion.
The well-tended gardens were a stark reminder that there had been over 100 people working here until last week. Zeke wondered if he would be able to find those people. Would they even want to work for the family at this point again?
He soon reached the edge of the property. The city was shaped like a pyramid, meaning that he could oversee any of the lower levels from where he stood. The bustling metropolis stretched out beneath him. Zeke felt like a king looking down at his subjects from up here.
The symbolism of this architectural style was not lost on him. In this city, your financial success literally determined who you could ‘look down on’. Of course, the opposite was true as well.
Zeke turned around and looked at the two layers that were above his current position. The opulent palaces he could see above made even his estate look shabby in comparison. Zeke realized that this was likely intentional. This was probably the reason the people here were so full of ambition and callousness. All their lives, they would be forced to gaze upon all the luxuries they couldn’t even dream of possessing.
Growing up in Feldstadt, Zeke had never thought himself poor. Even though they had been mere farmers, his family had never lacked anything. Everyone lived in the same houses, ate the same food, and wore the same clothes. People generally treated each other with kindness. The absence of true luxury meant that there was very little to get envious about.
Zeke’s gaze traveled to the very top of the mountain, toward the heart of the city. He tried to imagine how he might have turned out if he had been born here instead. His gaze fell upon the tower at the very top of the mountain. It seemed like a heavenly beacon, luring in unsuspecting fools with the promise of riches and prosperity.
There were so many flying vessels in the air surrounding the tower. They appeared like a swarm of flies to Zeke. Compared to the lower districts, it seemed that the rich and powerful preferred to travel on these tiny airships.
No wonder Zeke had also been intrigued after first laying eyes on one. They were not only fast and comfortable but also served to show off your wealth and status. Each of them was worth a fortune. Zeke had seen a receipt for one of them in Gilderoys pile of documents. The craft had been sold for a whopping 13,000 gold. He would only have to sell a couple of them in order to pay off his debt.
The realization hit Zeke like a thunderbolt. He only had to sell a couple of them to pay off his debt, didn’t he? Was… Was this a feasible plan? It might actually work. Granted, Zeke didn’t know how these ships were built yet, but he had expansive archives on metalworking and engineering in his mind’s library. On top of that, he was sure that Tradespire had libraries and schools that he could visit.
The outline of a plan started to form in Zeke’s mind. Didn’t he always want to learn more about engineering? Ever since the day he had seen the ancient marvels buried in the underground empire, he had dreamed of doing so. The empire had been a barren place when it came to magical engineering, but now he was at the source.
It would be an outright crime not to make full use of the situation! With a growing sense of anticipation, Zeke’s eyes followed the many dots traveling through the air far out in the distance. Finally, he had found a direction. Only now did he realize how much his strained and anxious mind had wanted a concrete goal to chase. Idea after idea streamed into his mind without him even trying.
A smile finally spread across his face, as a plan had more or less solidified in his mind. He had no time to waste, but it should still be possible if he played his cards right. Zeke got up from his perch on the lawn. A series of satisfying cracks could be heard as he stretched his back and rolled his shoulders. After the last bit of stiffness had left his body, Zeke put his hands on his hips as he observed the city below.
“Time to get started,” he announced with a smile.
“How many more?” Margret asked in a tired voice.
“About… three… probably?” Zeke replied.
The two had just stepped out of another library. They had spent all afternoon going from place to place. Zeke had grossly underestimated the amount of knowledge Tradespire provided to the public.
In the last few hours, he had ingested more knowledge than during his entire life in the empire. Tradespire wasn’t called the cultural capital of the world for nothing. While the Arkanheim empire had been hyper-focused on war, the Merchant Union employed Magic for a wide variety of applications.
Zeke marveled at all the creative uses he was now confronted with. He frequently interrupted his tour to inquire about this or that. One of the most baffling new discoveries was that Fire Mages had a prestigious role in Tradespire as well. However, compared to the empire, their expertise was not used for destruction.
All of the best restaurants in town employed Fire Mages as chefs. Zeke and his guard detail had enjoyed their lunch in one such establishment. Drool leaked from the side of his mouth at the mere memory of the heavenly taste. No wonder all the top merchant companies and noble houses were fighting each other for the privilege of employing such talent.
Zeke swore that he would also employ such a chef as soon as he had properly settled down. It wouldn’t be cheap, but after having tasted true perfection, his stomach would not settle for anything less anymore. The mere thought of his beloved monster meat prepared by one of them nearly drove him insane with hunger.
He was rudely awakened from his daydreaming by the annoyed voice of the leader of his personal guard.
“Why are we even doing this?” Margret questioned. “You are just walking around. You don’t even look at any of the books. Is this really an essential part of your plan?”
Zeke paused his steps and wiped the drool from the corner of his mouth. He turned toward Margret and looked straight into her eyes. His face was dead serious. “Margret, do you trust me?”
“I do,” the woman replied.
“Then please just go along with me,” Zeke said. “I don’t want to lie to you, but there are things I can’t tell you just yet. You’ll have to trust that I have a plan and that I am doing things for a good reason. Can you do that?”
“Fine. That will have to do, for now…” Margret replied in an equally serious tone.
“Good,” Zeke said with a nod. “Because I can’t do this without you, without all of you. I need you in my corner. Otherwise, we won’t have a chance to weather the storms that are sure to arrive soon.”
“Understood,” Margret replied. “You can count on me.”
Zeke looked deeply into her eyes. There was no hesitation or doubt in the woman’s gaze. Her eyes were brimming with resolve. Ever since they had learned of Gretchen’s death, Margret had been extra zealous. Zeke hoped it was not because she felt responsible for what had happened.
“I know,” Zeke said with a smile.
He gave the signal for their group to continue on their route. They soon found their way to the next library and Zeke started pacing the corridors again. Not once did he touch a single book. He merely wandered around, seemingly without any clear goal in mind. The same pattern repeated itself at the other two locations before they were finally done.
Back at the estate, Zeke immediately made his way to the study. He slumped into the chair that had been placed in the newly decorated room. His body felt heavy. It had been a long day. From his arrival in the city to the surprise visit of Gilderoy and the messengers, a lot had happened.
Even so, there was a content smile on his face. Despite the strenuous start, the day had been productive. Not only did he have a plan, he had already taken the first step. Zeke licked his lips before diving into his Mind’s library. The place had been completely transformed from his first visit.
Zeke had discovered that he could change how he perceived this imaginary world with a mere thought. In his first attempt, he had created it in the image of the grand library. Each section was sorted by affinity. There had been a section for Fire Magic, Earth Magic, and so on. However, he learned that this concept would not be sufficient for his purposes soon after.
In his next attempt, he created libraries for each of the elements. The sections were now sorted by application. For example, there would be a section for cooking, in the Fire Magic library. Or a section for smithing, in the Metal Magic library. Not too long ago, he had believed this to be an ingenious design.
Today, however, he realized how lacking his system truly was. If he wanted to learn about engineering, for example, he had to search all his libraries for related knowledge. The engineers in Tradespire were mostly Mind and Metal Mages, but there were countless others. Some specialized artisans used a myriad of different affinities in their craft. Zeke would miss out on a lot of valuable knowledge if he just ignored all others and only focused on those two schools instead.
With a sigh, he began the task of implementing a new system. Zeke had a rough idea of how he was going to design the new version of his Minds library. However, this would be a monumental effort. It would take him months or even years to complete. Even so, if he didn’t start at some point, he would never finish.
Hours passed in silence as he worked. The sun was already setting when Zeke finally finished the first step of his undertaking. He paused for a moment and marveled at his creation. There were no grand buildings anywhere, no long corridors, and no books on display either. Instead, his Mind’s library had been reduced to a single desk and chair.
Zeke approached the ensemble. The two pieces of furniture were the only thing that could be found in this world now. All that surrounded him was a completely barren white space stretching out to eternity. He took a seat on the plush chair he had conjured up and looked down at the solitary book that was placed on the simple wooden desk.
‘Akasha — The Book of All’, the cover read. Zeke had learned the name in some obscure old text and found it oddly fitting. It had been linked to the legend of a tome that contained all knowledge of the past, present, and future. He had immediately taken a liking to that idea.
With his fingertips, he gently brushed over the leather cover binding the book. Even though nothing in this space was technically real, the feeling of the sturdy tome in his hands was indistinguishable from anything he had experienced in the real world. This was probably a result of his [Perfect Sensory Recall] constantly collecting data.
He flipped open the book and looked at the first page.
“Welcome to the Akashic Records”, he read out loud. “Please select the category you are interested in.”
Zeke flipped to the next page of the book. He found a collection of categories neatly listed there. He traced the different words one by one as he slid his finger down the page: ‘Magic, Technology, History, Geography, People…’
He paused his movement on that last one. Flipping to the next page, he found himself confronted with a new selection. ‘Alphabetical index, Historical figures, Current Rulers, Mages by level, etc…’
Zeke mentally chose the ‘Alphabetical index’ option and flipped to the next page. Here he found a list of every single person he had ever met or heard of, in alphabetical order. The first entry referred to somebody named Aaron Krayer. He didn’t remember who that was, but a mental nudge informed him that it was the name of a famous engineer who had developed a vessel that was capable of diving deep underwater. He was also the author of several books Zeke had scanned today.
A smile appeared on his face as he saw his idea come to fruition. He casually thumbed through the book. Despite it not appearing particularly thick, the pages were endless. One of the advantages of this imaginary space was that he was not bound by any laws. This allowed him to conceive a book that would automatically change what could be found on the next page according to the readers’ wishes.
Now all that was left to do was actually read the books in his possession so that he could accurately sort the knowledge. There was a mountain of books that had no other markers than ‘Grand Library / Wind section’ for example. None of the spells, people, or concepts mentioned in such a book could be found in the Akashic Records for now. A sigh escaped his lips at the thought of the monumental task that was still ahead of him.
His movements paused as he spied a familiar name on the page he had just opened. His fingers traced the outline of the delicate writing. ‘Maximilian Bombastus von Hohenheim’, the words read. Zeke selected the name and flipped to the next page. It felt like a stake had been driven straight through his heart when he read the entry.
Maximilian Bombastus von Hohenheim
The Greatest Genius who ever lived.
Maximilian is a prominent figure in the history of magic. He is best known for his invention of what is commonly referred to as 'Explosion Magic'. His innovative work in this field has been widely recognized and remains influential to this day.
In addition to his contributions to Explosion Magic, Maximilian also dedicated himself to the study of Magic cores. He advocated for the release of a meditation technique that could have greatly advanced the understanding of how these cores function. Sadly, this research was never published due to his arrest.
However, it is worth noting that Maximilian's greatest invention is not related to his personal Magic capabilities. The Trinity Project, a remarkable synergy of Magic, remains the most innovative of its kind. This project involved the combination of three unaligned affinities, resulting in a creation that surpassed the sum of its individual parts. Ezekiel von Hohenheim, Maximilian's student and heir, lauds him as ‘The Greatest Genius who ever lived’ for his selfless dedication to advancing the field of magic over the course of centuries…
Before he could read any further, Zeke was awoken. Somebody was shaking him wildly, pulling him out of his Minds library. He blinked a couple of times to regain clarity, his gaze incredibly blurry.
When he could finally see, he was confronted with two blue orbs that were only a handwidth away from his own. Maya had climbed his chair and leveled a worried gaze at him.
“Are you alright, Zeke?” she asked in a soft tone.
“Of course,” Zeke replied immediately as he began to stroke her head. She seemed unusually distraught for some reason.
“Then why are you crying?” the girl asked.
In his muddled state, Zeke’s first instinct was to deny her claim. However, before the words left his mouth, he thought better of it. Instead, he hesitantly touched his cheek and was surprised by the wetness he could feel. He inwardly cursed, this was not a side of him that he wanted to show his sister. He was sure that she would be worried about him now.
“It's nothing,” he said. “I just thought of something sad, that’s all.”
“Did you think of Grandpa Max?” The girl could be incredibly perceptive at times. Zeke had no reason to lie. He silently nodded.
“I miss him as well,” Maya confessed in a voice that was barely above a whisper.
Zeke hugged his sister to his chest. The two of them remained like that for a long while. He was thinking of a way to cheer the girl up. He couldn’t let her leave in such a depressed mood. Luckily, he had the perfect plan.
“Maya, do you want to accompany me tomorrow?”
“Really?!” she responded immediately. “Where are we going?”
“Would you like to take a look at some of the Magic academies?” Zeke questioned with a smile. “You might end up attending one of them when your core has formed.”
“Yes! Please! Can I really!?” she asked excitedly.
“Of course, you can,” Zeke reassured her in a pompous tone. “You are Maya von Hohenheim, sister to Ezekiel von Hohenheim, don’t you ever forget that. I would pluck the very stars from heaven for you.”
“Liar,” the girl said with a giggle.
“Well, maybe not the stars…” Zeke admitted with a smile. “But if you want to come with me tomorrow, you need to go to bed now.”
“Fiiiiiine,” the girl said as she got off his chair and made her way to the door. “Good night, Zeke.”
“Good night, sunshine. Sleep tight,” he called after her.
When he could no longer hear her footsteps from the hall, Zeke leaned back in his chair. He went over his plans for the coming day one more time. His invitation to Maya had not been a spur-of-the-moment decision. He had planned to take her along from the beginning.
He could not have asked for a better cover story to visit the best academies in this city than a brother doting on his little sister. Tomorrow, he would visit the academy-owned libraries. The fact that he might find a good place for Maya at the same time only made him more excited for the coming day.
With a content smile on his lips, Ezekiel got back to work. He still had several hours until the sun would rise again and he didn’t want to waste a single minute of it.
