Brother Morrin led Nova through the white doors into a building that seemed plucked from another time. Nova's footsteps echoed against worn wooden floorboards as he followed the priest inside. Stark wooden walls stretched ahead, lined with dusty portraits in gilded frames—a jarring contrast to the extravagant outer shell.

Nova's eyes darted from window to window, mapping every possible exit. His fingers twitched as he sensed the barrier magic protecting the walls. The barrier would be easier to analyze from the inside, but it would take him some time to fully understand it.

'The outer walls seem thin, but they are all protected by barriers… Governor Newark seems like an amateur compared to the church, at least when it comes to barriers.

Brother Morrin glanced over his shoulder as they walked. "You speak remarkably well for your age. We have a girl who just arrived, quite like yourself in many ways. Perhaps you could become friends?"

'That's Millie, isn't it? Don't worry, Brother, the two of us are quite close already.'

Nova hunched his shoulders and stammered, keeping up his act. "A g-girl? Mmh, maybe…"

Brother Morrin's laugh echoed warmly through the hall. "Haha, the girls can indeed be dangerous. But this one might..."

His smile faltered slightly. "Might need a friend. You'll meet them all later."

"Okay." Nova pointed at the nearest portrait. "Wh-what are the paintings of?"

"Former students and headmasters, all renowned for their contributions to the church." Brother Morrin gestured proudly. "This is Headmaster Loraine, inventor of our truth serum. And this is Brother Farley, one of our finest warriors ever."

Nova's steps faltered. "T-truth serum? It makes people t-tell the truth?"

"Well, it's not fool-proof, but in most cases, yes." Brother Morrin puffed up with pride. "Our alchemy lab is the leading producer for the entire church, so it's a very important part of our history."

"Huh..." Nova's mind raced behind his nervous facade. "Wh-when is it used?"

"Only in rare cases." Brother Morrin folded his hands behind his back. "But its existence works as a deterrent as well, so it serves its purpose."

Nova kept his eyes on the paintings, trying to understand the strange power he sensed from them. "Are you the he-headmaster now?"

"No, no, I am only one of many teachers here. I'm also responsible for watching the outer door, but we all have multiple tasks."

"... The sc-school looks smaller than it s-sounds like from your descriptions."

"Ahh, you really are a clever one!" Brother Morrin's eyes sparkled. "Yes, most of the school exists underground, actually! Hundreds of rooms and hallways, all deep under the ground, connecting the school to the cathedral. Just down that set of stairs over there."

Nova stared at the stairway, which descended to a pair of heavy steel doors. '... That looks more like a prison than a school. Maybe this will be more of a challenge than I thought.'

"Through here, Arthur." Brother Morrin pushed open a door to reveal a brightly lit circular chamber. "We're going to give you a proper test to check your aspects and traits."

Nova's throat tightened as he followed, praying his cover would hold through whatever test awaited.

In the center of the room stood a pedestal topped with a white pearl. The sphere hummed softly, but the sound grew stronger with each step Nova took toward it.

Brother Morrin gestured toward the sphere. "Could you put your hand on it for me?"

"Y-Yes, sir!" Nova approached the pedestal, unable to tell if the humming was actually getting louder or if there was some strange resonance going on. When he touched the pearl, it vibrated against his palm like a living thing.

The sphere's glow intensified as its vibrations faded to stillness. A system prompt appeared, but unlike the usual way it hovered in front of his eyes, this time it hovered above the sphere.

[System assessment: A prodigy without equal. You will be sent to the holy city of Damascus for proper training. Please keep contact with the sphere during the transfer.]

'What?! No thanks!'

Nova immediately let go of the sphere and jumped away, fearing he would be sent away. "What the hell?!"

"My word!" Brother Morrin's eyes lit up with wild excitement. He thrust his hands toward the sphere. "Arthur, quickly! Touch it again! This is a tremendous honor!"

"No!" Nova backed further away, letting real panic seep into his voice. "I'm staying here! Aunt Mary told me to stay here!"

"Child!" Brother Morrin pleaded, raising his arms in helpless frustration. "This is more important than anything your aunt may think of! You may become the Holy Signus in the future! The leader of the church!"

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"I wanna stay in Collport!" Nova pressed himself against the wall. "My family lives here!"

Brother Morrin stared at him with intense eyes for several long seconds before finally dropping his arms with a heavy sigh.

"Fine, we can wait... but, I can't believe you're that talented!" His enthusiasm returned quickly. "What kind of traits do you have, Arthur?"

'The sphere probably sensed my unique and mythical traits, right? Damn, this is troublesome. But at least it didn't reveal my cover.'

Nova twisted his fingers together, staring at the floor.

"One is called Divine Focus, and the other is Perfect Control." He picked traits he could easily explain, and that would fit his supposed prodigy status.

"And what color are they?" Brother Morrin leaned forward.

"Mmh, kind of red-orange?"

"Both?!" He stumbled back, nearly tripping on his own foot.

Nova hunched his shoulders. "Y-yes. Is that bad?"

"No! No, no, that's amazing!" Brother Morrin paced in a small circle, running his hands through his hair. "That's... Well, it sounds impossible! What are the odds?"

He froze mid-step and stared at the ceiling with wide eyes. "And right after the other one... Has the system changed?""

'... Yeah, it is an incredible coincidence. Especially when you consider how well Millie and I actually know each other.

Brother Morrin looked at him again, seeming almost afraid to approach him. "What… what would you like to do, Arthur?"

"... Uhm, w-what's going to happen to me?"

"Most likely," Morrin started, "someone will come here to convince you to go to the holy city. They might ask your aunt to help us convince you. Would you go if she said so?"

'I need to drag this out and try to give him a reason to let me stay here for now. And if someone is coming, there's a chance it's someone with a ton of power. I need to hurry!'

Nova stared at his shoes. "Maybe... but my mom is here..."

"I understand it will be hard to leave, Arthur." Brother Morrin took a careful step forward. "But you could become someone really important if you go! And then you can visit this city as often as you'd like!"

Nova turned away and pursed his lips. "... Can I see the other children?"

"Sure!" Brother Morrin brightened. "I just have to speak to the headmaster first, but then I'll take you right to them! Follow me!"

Brother Morrin walked back to the corridor and held the door for Nova, guiding him further down the hallway they had walked through earlier. "Headmaster Petiver will be shocked to meet you. I can't wait to see his face."

Nova pointed at another gilded frame. "Is the headmaster up there?"

"Not yet." Brother Morrin shook his head. "These paintings are usually made when the headmasters are old, but Petiver is still younger than most teachers here. He was also a talent once, though, not as much as you."

He stopped at a large white door near the end of the hallway. "Here we are!" he said, knocking on the door energetically.

There was no response. He knocked again, more forcefully this time. Still no response.

Brother Morrin let out a heavy sigh. "... Excuse me, Arthur. Just wait here while I open the door and check on him."

"Are you s-sure he's in there?"

"Not completely, but this has happened many times by now. Hang on." A thin film of light enveloped Brother Morrin as he closed his eyes, using a skill Nova hadn't seen before. It seemed to have protective properties, but very weak ones at that.

Brother Morrin opened the door, letting out a cloud of red smoke that rose to the roof.

"Not again," he mumbled, entering quickly and closing the door behind him.

'... What the hell? Is the headmaster doing experiments? An alchemist?'

Nova sniffed at the strange red smoke. It smelled like strawberries, oddly enough.

Nearly a minute passed before Brother Morrin opened the door, and this time, no smoke appeared. "You can come in now, Arthur."

Nova stepped into an office that looked nothing like he expected. Plain wooden walls stretched up to an unpainted ceiling. A beaten leather couch sagged in one corner. Simple landscape paintings hung crooked on the walls. Only the extended workbench behind the desk showed any flash, filled with beakers and colorful bottles.

A man in his early thirties hunched behind the desk. His unruly hair stuck up at odd angles, and a strange gleam flickered in his eyes. One lens of his glasses was normal, but the other was oversized and filled with red glass. His clothes might have once been deep red or dark green, but splotches of discoloration made them look like failed chemistry experiments.

"What an interesting child." The headmaster's flat tone completely failed to match his words. He barely glanced at Nova. "Thank you, Morrin."

"... Headmaster," Brother Morrin started, seemingly trying to control his temper. "This child was just in the pearl room. What do you think it said once Arthur here touched it?"

"Oh, probably the usual." The headmaster waved a dismissive hand. "'System assessment: 'interesting child.' Maybe even 'very interesting.'"

"It said, in no uncertain terms, that he was a prodigy without equal."

"What?" The headmaster's head snapped up. "Are you certain you read it right?"

"It tried to teleport him to Damascus immediately. But Arthur here jumped away, wanting to stay in Collport instead."

"... No, that seems unlikely, Morrin." The headmaster shook his head. "Even that other girl remained here, despite her immense potential."

"I'm telling you, it's true!" Brother Morrin's face darkened, taking on a serious tone. "We might even get a message from the archbishop soon."

"Oh no..." The headmaster leapt to his feet, nearly knocking over a rack of bottles. His eyes lit up with sudden manic energy. "Child! Do you like alchemy?"

Nova shrank back. "A-Alchemy, sir? I d-don't know anything about it."

'I know more than you, that's for sure… Well, depending on how similar this world's ingredients are to my last one. But your clothes tell me you don't grasp the possible effects well, so I'm sure you have much to learn.'

"Oh, it's the simplest thing!" The headmaster's hands fluttered excitedly. "Just mix ingredients until something interesting happens. Then write it down! Great fun!"

Morrin scowled at him. "I think you were about to say something else, Petiver."

"Ah... right." The headmaster's smile vanished. He planted both hands on his desk and leaned forward. "Child!"

Nova flinched. "Y-Yes, sir?"

'This man seems at least somewhat insane… Unpredictable. But minds like this are often a great source of talent and motivation.'

"Do you have any final wishes?" the principal asked.

"W-What?!" Nova stumbled back a step.

'What the hell kind of question is that?'

"Anything you'd like to see taken care of? Any family?"

Nova twisted the hem of his shirt. "... Mmh, my aunt, sir. If you can take good c-care of her, then I'll be fine with le-leaving."

"Perfect!" The headmaster clapped his hands together. "Consider it done! Now, why don't you meet your fellow students? Alchemy class begins in two days—do try to stick around until then."

"Y-Yes, sir!" Nova bobbed his head. "I'll t-try my best!"

"Morrin, show him the way down."

Brother Morrin seemed halfway between resignation and satisfaction. "Yes, sir." He gestured toward the door. "Come along, Arthur. Time to meet your new friends."

'Finally. I hope you remember the sign for staying quiet, Millie.'

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