Daneel was puzzled hearing this.
"System, did I suddenly get the mageroot?", he asked, hoping against all odds for a positive answer.
[System informs host that a mageroot is not present in host"s body. As for the Master"s statement, it must be because of the fact that those with mageroots are known have advanced visualization abilities. This is crucial to comprehend phenomena and advance in the mage stages. If host obtains a mageroot, there will be a decided advantage in this sphere because PAM-1 can be used for comprehending phenomena for mage purposes also.]
Although the answer was negative, Daneel was overjoyed hearing the second part. He focused back on the Master who had been waiting for an answer.
"Master, is that possible? How do I test if I have one?", he asked, suddenly getting a look of excitement on his face. He had judged that this was an appropriate response.
"In 2 months, magic academies will open their doors to everyone above the age of 12. You are the perfect age to get admitted. Due to mages being so rare, magic academies take in anyone who has a mageroot, regardless of their potential or comprehension abilities. There is even an option to get free tuition, but you will have to join the army for a certain time for that. I doubt that your father would agree to that. The best academy in the kingdom is of course the NMAL, or the National Magic Academy of Lanthanor. It is a 6 year course, but one can graduate early if they reach the required level. We will think of something for the first year, but you will have to get a part time job to take care of your needs. The fee is 20 Gold Lans. I can probably scrounge it up in the next 2 months." The last part was almost muttered under Felix"s breath as he drifted into his thoughts.
Daneel felt warm in his heart hearing this. To think of giving that huge an amount of money for him, Robert and Felix must be really good friends.
"What are you looking at? Your father helped me when he was in the army without expecting anything in return. Now that I have a chance to repay him, I will. I would have happily paid for your family"s food and expenses, but your d.a.m.n dad is too headstrong to accept my help for matters like those. HAHA, he has no option now!", he said, eyeing Daneel staring at him.
Daneel almost fell out of his seat hearing Felix laugh. It was practically no different from the roar of a lion.
"Run along kid. Viuda is out on some ch.o.r.es. I"ll have her drop you back home later. Congratulations on winning. Focus on the "Fists of Justice". I"m not supposed to tell you this, but there"s a secret technique hidden in the beginners volume. The youngest to have comprehended it is that kid Elenav. Based on what he said, you must have seen it in front of the library. I hope you will be able to comprehend it much faster cos" I"m sick of that kid boasting everywhere that he"s the youngest to do so. Beating my record.", he grumbled.
Daneel nodded and ran out of the cottage.
From conversations with his fellow trainees and Elenav, he knew that mages were some of the most highly respected individuals in the world. Capable of deciding the rise or doom of a nation, they were sought after by all nations and races. If he wanted to get justice for his father as soon as possible, he had to enter the academy in 2 months.
It wasn"t the first time he had heard of the NMAL. Students of NMAL were practically treated as princes around the kingdom. Touted as the background of the nation, they were given many privileges and powers, including a private villa for their family. It was any poor kid"s dream to get admitted into the NMAL and leap through the proverbial gate to become a dragon from the carps that they were.
As soon as he got to his tent, he sat down on his bed and asked, "System, how do I get a mageroot?"
[Replying to host, development of a technique to form a Pseudo-mageroot from observed phenomena is possible but PAM-1 cannot handle the complexity. System requests host to obtain EXP and upgrade PAM-1. Required EXP: 500 points.]
d.a.m.n EXP AGAIN!, screamed Daneel in his mind.
"How do I get EXP fast?", he asked immediately.
[System reminds host that the name of the system is World Domination System. Any action that progresses toward the overall goal to dominate the world will generate high amounts of EXP. System suggests host to either form a faction, however small it is, or build the personal image of host. The latter will contribute in many ways to the overall goal, hence it was suggested.]
Daneel hit his head hearing this. Of course! It was the World Domination System, not Personal Training System! All this time, he had focused on himself, thinking that making small leaps could result in steady acc.u.mulation of EXP. But now, he needed to do something that would, as the system had said, "contribute towards the overall goal".
Daneel thought long and hard about how to do either of the things that the system had suggested. Finally, he hit upon an idea.
It was time to take revenge on the sick library duo.