Surviving the Magic Academy With Just Intelligence Stats

Chapter 104: Scholar I

Ambrose noticed Elias’s unsettled expression, realizing that his calculating gaze had likely unsettled the young prodigy. Quickly straightening his posture, he cleared his throat to dispel the awkward atmosphere.

"Ahem, I’m new here," Ambrose offered with a disarming smile. "Can you recommend some books?"

This approach seemed wiser than immediate recruitment. Building rapport first would serve his purposes better—they were both junior students, after all, which provided common ground. If they shared intellectual interests, perhaps Elias would lower his guard and see their potential compatibility as collaborators.

Elias hesitated momentarily, suspicion still evident in his posture, but the request appealed directly to his scholarly pride. Few things pleased a genius more than the opportunity to demonstrate expertise in their domain.

"Well," he began, warming to the task despite himself, "that depends on what you’re looking for. The restricted archives are organized by discipline rather than alphabetically."

The boy led Ambrose through towering shelves, his earlier wariness gradually replaced by genuine enthusiasm as he pointed out notable texts. His diminutive stature seemed forgotten as he adopted the authoritative manner of a seasoned archivist.

"This section contains theoretical works on mana manipulation," Elias explained, gesturing toward shelves of leather-bound tomes with faintly glowing spines. "That volume there—Principles of Ethereal Condensation by Archmage Vortimer—revolutionized our understanding of mana crystallization techniques. Most modern enchantment methods derive from his work."

They moved deeper into the labyrinthine stacks, Elias growing increasingly animated with each recommendation.

"Here we have Spatial Dynamics and Their Applications by Victoria Rothschild herself," he noted, pointing to an elegant black tome embossed with silver constellations. "Your mother’s work on pocket dimensions remains unparalleled, even decades later. The mathematics alone would challenge most third-years."

Ambrose nodded appreciatively, filing away the location of his mother’s re