A woman is sitting behind a long desk strewn with paper. The piles and piles of notes, notebooks, and textbooks are organized in a somewhat chaotic order. She has fluffy, ash blonde hair falling down to her shoulders. Her eyes are a deep green mixed with gray. Slightly pointed ears are peeking between her hair. She is average height for an elf, a little taller than me. There is a neutral expression on her face, only vaguely betrayed by the tinniest spark of curiosity hidden in her gaze.

I take an unsure step inside the room, hesitating briefly, but long enough for her to notice. Each subsequent step toward the offered chair is done with more and more apprehension, especially evident when the door swings closed. The neutral expression does not change. Damn, she's good. I need to employ some of my signature tricks for this mission.

Before I sit down, I offer a deep bow. "Th—" I bite my tongue and change shades. "Thank you for seeing me, Archmage Elisa." Perfect.

"There is no need to thank me. Unfortunately, this meeting might only be a waste of your time, Lucius."

Zero reaction. I am not declaring mission failure just yet. I virtually crack my neck, employing that technique where it looks like you are trying to assassinate yourself. As I sit down, a single tear escapes my left eye, my hand blurs as I wipe it. I try to play it off like I was chasing away a bug.

Got you.

She clears her throat, unnecessarily. "Why don't we start with you explaining the problem. Even the tiniest detail could lead to something substantial." I am getting way too good at this. I know I am playing a character, but let's dial it down a little bit.

"Okay." I take a deep breath, trying to relax. "I always knew I was different." From the moment I was created. "For as long as I can remember, I felt like I was lacking something." Lacking? I am a hollow— Enough. Focus. "As I grew older, I began to understand what magic and mana were. I tried, and tried, and tried. Countless days and nights. Then I lost my parents... And everything became so meaningless." It took me too long to realize that. "From then, I just focused on getting stronger with the sword." I stop to catch my breath and calm down. Mostly to calm down.

Archmage Elisa uses my pause to elaborate on her questioning, "I was told you were not able to perceive mana. Is that a total inability or simply muted?"

"I think it's total. Even if I could, I wouldn't know what to look for."

She extends her arm toward me. "Place your palm on top of my hand and try to feel anything other than touch."

I oblige, making sure to cycle through my shade catalogue. I am feeling like red today. Full sensor array data reveals nothing. After a few seconds of making funny expressions trying to relay ultimate focus, I pull back, a little too hastily.

"I am sorry, Archmage Elisa. It felt like a normal hand."

She starts tapping her index finger on the desk. "I can't make a conclusive verdict, but I would tend to agree that you cannot feel mana, or the sense is so weak that you can't perceive it." The tapping stops. "I channeled almost all of the mana I have at my disposal. If it was a nor—"—she twists the word—"another person, they would have felt notable intensity." The tapping returns for a few moments and then stops again. "How about spellcasting. I know you must have tried numerous times, but please indulge me."

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I quickly respond, "Of course, Archmage Elisa. Whatever you need." Let's dial it back a few shades for this one. Exposure therapy, right.

"Try to visualize a spark jumping between your thumb and your index finger."

I nod my head and follow the instructions. I bring my right hand close to my face and focus on the small gap I made between the two fingers. After a few seconds of failed attempts, I grip my right wrist with my left hand and flex my muscles. The tension makes my arms shake slightly. As that also fails to produce any results, I sigh and let my hands fall down, limp.

"Nothing to be discouraged about. This was the expected result." Her voice has lost the neutral tone, turning into curious but still respectful of my plight. "Tell me about your training and progression. As you are a licensed adventurer, and from what I have been informed about your achievements, I can assume that even without spellcasting abilities you are as capable as your contemporaries?"

You are not making it easy for me, are you. The shade goes up again. "Yes, Archmage," mumbled with apprehension and hints of humility.

"And you haven't felt anything strange or out of the ordinary during combat? While utilizing mana tempering?" I shake my head. "Anything that you might have discarded as insignificant?" I shake my head again, not meeting her gaze this time. She opens a drawer in her desk and pulls out a dull mana crystal. "I would like to observe an attempted enchantment." A blank piece of paper slides toward me as she places the crystal in front of me. "Something simple." She glances away in brief contemplation. "Make a dot that will heat up."

I take the crystal in my hand, observing it. After my character is satisfied with something arbitrary, I crush it in a fist. The construct crumbles into dust with minimal resistance. I position my hand over the paper and slowly open my clenched fist, letting the opaque dust accumulate in a little pile. When the remains of the crystal are exhausted, I place my hand on top of the pile and press down. The particles just disperse from the force. When I lift my hand, nothing else happens.

"Hmm. I am personally not an expert in enchantment, but I have closely observed the process before. I was not able to observe anything that would normally be present in each stage. Did you feel some difference with this attempt?" I shake my head yet again, disappointment morphing into quiet resignation. "Okay." She starts writing down something, while a few sheets of paper and a pencil slide toward me by themselves, replacing the dusty mess. "General information about yourself. Answer whatever you are comfortable with."

I make a show of reading the paper. As she said, general information—name, address, age, other physical properties, broad personal history, and other similar details. One might classify it as marginally invasive when being asked by someone other than a medical professional, but my character is unperturbed. I fill in the stack of pages and place the pencil on top when I am done.

As Archmage Elisa finished writing her notes a few minutes ago, she addresses me right as I finish too, "I won't hold you any longer. I will review what we discussed, the information you provided, any relevant literature I can think of, and I will consult with some colleagues." She stands up and walks around her desk, stopping before me. I get up and let her escort me to the door. "When I have something conclusive, or when I have exhausted all of my options, I will send you a message."

Now firmly out of the door, I turn back. "Thank you, Archmage Elisa. And good luck." I laugh internally. Someone's about to have some fun. Pretty professional, though. The neutral expression has returned at full force.

"Of course. Goodbye, Lucius."

I make a final grateful nod and let her be free.

I wonder if she'll figure something out. A pity I can't leave an observer in her office. Well, 'shouldn't' is the correct word choice in this case. I could give myself some leeway with Khirfin and her workshop, as the blacksmith was less likely to detect something amiss, but Archmage Elisa's office is a fortress in comparison, and the woman herself is another huge risk factor. I am sure the small loss wouldn't really matter though, as she will most definitely share everything she finds.

Leaving the Academy, I take off toward the Guild. Let's report back to Ren. He has been nervously prancing around the hall ever since I left. All the adventurers that visit are suffering area damage just from his overbearing presence. Yes, an update—and a quick spar—will calm him down.

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