The following day, after the morning training session, Atticus made his way to the runes division for his lesson. As he entered the building, which was deserted as usual, he noticed the same clerk he had met yesterday still sleeping on the counter.
Atticus sighed and approached the counter. Having learned his lesson, he decided to speak loudly from the beginning, saying, "Hello."
This time, his initial greeting did the trick, and the man groaned, slowly waking up again. He cast Atticus a glance before quickly regaining his composure upon recognizing him.
Without wasting time, he stood up and directed Atticus to the room where the lesson would take place.
The interior of the building was as plain as the exterior. After walking for a few seconds, they got to a plain looking door. The man gestured for Atticus to enter and promptly excused himself, saying, "He'll be here soon," and left Atticus to his devices.
Atticus found himself in a completely messy workshop-like room, with a large table at the center, various equipment, books, and slates scattered all over the floor.
Atticus chose a seat in the corner and sat down quietly, deciding to wait for his teacher. After waiting for about 30 minutes, which was about 25 minutes past the scheduled lesson time, a man entered the room.
The man appeared disheveled and tired. He had the distinct white hair of Ravenstein, but it was completely scattered and oily, with some strands sticking to his face. His eyes resembled large panda eyes, and his clothes were wrinkled and unkempt.
The first thing that came to Atticus's mind upon seeing this man was that he had given up on life. 'Why are they all like this?' Atticus couldn't help but contemplate. Just like the clerk at the counter, this man also looked as if he was tired of living.
The man turned his gaze towards Atticus and walked slowly towards him. His voice sounded cracked and hoarse as he spoke, "You must be my new student." His face appeared like he was struggling hard to stay awake.
Seeing Atticus nod, the man retrieved a vial from his storage ring and downed its contents in one gulp. As he finished drinking it, he couldn't hide his disgust at the awful taste of the potion.
Atticus immediately noticed some changes in the man's demeanor. Although it didn't alter his appearance, he seemed more lively than before. 'What is that?' Atticus wondered, his gaze fixed on the vial.
The man cleared his throat and continued, "Listen, I'll be straight with you. Not everyone can become a runesmith. And even if you have the slightest talent for it, don't expect it to be all fun and games. I'm sure to you, I look like I've given up on life."
He glanced at Atticus, who responded with a nod, "Yes, this is exactly how you would feel about 90% of the time if you go through with this. So I will ask you, are you sure about this?"
Atticus's expression remained unchanged throughout the man's speech, and he replied without hesitation, "Yeah." He had already made up his mind.
The man shook his head, a little disappointed. He was aware of Atticus's talent and felt it would be a huge waste if he chose this path. However, camp staff weren't allowed to force trainees into anything, so he had no choice but to accept it.
Letting out a heavy sigh, he introduced himself, "Alright then, my name is Grimestone, and I'll be your teacher for as long as it takes for you to become a runesmith."
Atticus stood up and also introduced himself, saying, "I'm Atticus. I'll be in your care." Grimestone smiled at this, seemingly pleased with Atticus's introduction.
He had initially expected Atticus to be a proud, hot-tempered brat, given his talent and his status as the son of the family head. He was glad to see that Atticus didn't fit that stereotype.
"Alright, let's begin," Grimestone said, motioning towards the table in the middle of the room. Atticus complied, taking a seat at the table.
Grimestone moved to the opposite end and faced Atticus. He clapped his hands twice, causing the room's lights to go off and the table to illuminate with blue holographic images displayed above it.
"Now, I assume you've acquired the materials. Did you read the beginner Runsmith book?" Grimestone inquired. Seeing Atticus nod, he continued, "Good, so I don't have to explain the grades. Let's dive right into it," he said, using his device to control the images on the holographic display.
"Now, there are two important things you need before you can even dream of becoming a runesmith."
The images on the holographic display changed to a drawing of a human, with labels highlighting intelligence and will.
"You guessed it, it's intelligence and will. In order to engrave a rune, you have to be able to project your will into the words you're writing with your mana. To do that, you have to be able to channel and control it. What enables you to have this control is your intelligence."
He paused, allowing Atticus to absorb the information, and then tapped his device to change the displayed image. This time, Atticus saw images illustrating the relationship between intelligence and will.
"Just like the image shows, the relationship between intelligence and will is straightforward. Having a high amount of intelligence allows you to control your will perfectly. The higher the amount of will you possess, the stronger and more complex runes you can create. Without high enough intelligence, you won't be able to control a high will."
Atticus nodded, absorbing the knowledge eagerly. Although he had read about all the basics from the book, it mainly talked about the different grades of runesmiths. He was learning a lot of things from listening to Grimestone.
"In rune engraving, there are no languages. The effect of the rune you engrave depends on the individual's will and intent. The more the words you engrave means to you, the better the effects. You can engrave anything you like, as long as your will can carry it."