Birds singing, sun shining on the bright green grass and students going around to their classes.

  How truly nice, it feels better than most days and the smell of books and coffee beans being grinded.

  It truly is an unbeatable experience.

  "NORIEN WHAT THE HELL IS THIS SHIT!" the entire mood was ruined by a short beardless dwarf.

  "What do you mean, it's a blueprint"

  "FOR WHAT, A BOMB?"

  "It looks nothing like a bomb" Norien argued

  "IT SURE FEELS LIKE IT, SERIOUSLY HOW THE HELL DO YOU WANT TO MAKE THIS."

  "Well... um we gave you a blueprint"

  "A BLUEPRINT, HEY YOU NUMBSKULL IS THAT HEAD OF YOURS ONLY FOR SHOW" The dwarfs anger seem to only rise

  Tesla butted in "I apologize sir, but what seems to be the issue?"

  Dwarf sighed and looked at the blueprint presented by Norien and Tesla "you won't be able to modify it nor fix it, not to mention the moment you put the gears in you won't be able to take them out." Dwarf looked at Tesla "in short, the moment something inside breaks, that's IT! You will NOT be able to fix it no matter how much you try."

  Norien squatted "but you have to admit it's impressive"

  "IMPRESSIVE MY ASS." Dwarf pulled on Norien's nose "If it WAS impressive you would've made it modular AND easy to fix!" He let Norien go "It looks impressive and is impressive from performance look, but you will make several smiths, engineers and technicians succumbt to depression."

  Tesla pitched in "Then if we modify it, it should be fine, correct?"

  "Yeah, it should." The dwarf answered

  "Then could you help us?" Tesla asked with Noried nodding while holding his nose.

  Dwarf wondered for a bit walking from one side of the room to another, until he stopped "So be it, but under a two conditions"

  Norien still holding his nose "maniac"

  "First whenever you make something let me go through it and second, I use your workshop freely however I like." Dwarf's smile rose

  "ugh fine but never crush my nose again, I fear I need to go to the infirmary."

  Dwarf smiled and by the looks he started packing. "Kid!" he said to to Tesla

  "Y-YES!" Tesla jumped up from fear

  "Name's Nuville, REMEBER IT, got it!"

  "o-of course" dwarf looked at him again up and down again, even if they talk it was far from enough to get a grasp on him.

  "Norien come and help me out with work and you kid, I dunno go to library or something."

  before Tesla knew it both have already started to pack for work.

  Seeing both packing up and leaving Tesla felt lost, what would he do, it's not he has any classes.

  So far he could only roam the campus, sleep through the entire day, join a random lecture or go to the library.

  two of those seem like a waste of precious time and the other would require speaking to strangers so only one option was left.

  Library it is.

  Going there felt fascinating, to think that just a month ago Tesla was surrounded by slums and houses that were falling apart, yet now he lives in a place at the heart of the city, where the elite go as well.

  A stark contrast compared to his previous life.

  But at the same time it was clear that some people are here just so they can say they were here.

  Tesla felt like bugs were crawling beneath his skin, he wanted to punch and kick everything whenever he met them.

  He himself doesn't really have any group he belongs to, usually hanging out with Norien and helping him out with his lectures and projects, so he has both experience as a student and as a 'professor' though without any qualifications or skills in talking.

  We are talking the level of communication a toddler would have, only speaking when spoken to and answer with minimal words.

  So going to a library felt right, after all it's not like anyone would speak to him, let alone bother him with stuff.

  Oh and what a library it was, in fact it would be difficult to compare it to anything, bookshelves towering all the way to the ceiling, several floors that spiral and ladders that moved across for purposes of reaching for books, and if the students or professors couldn't then there were spirits that controlled golems.

  Their shape reminded Tesla of the angels that were drawn on glass of his old church.

  It was in fact beautiful, no art or creation can ever compare to this.

  A place filled with magic and knowledge so vast that no soul can ever experience it all.

  With all this combined, it finally felt like a reward for Tesla.

  With the help of some spirit golems he took the books and started reading them, ignoring his desire to eat, drink, sleep and even go to the bathroom.

  The books he took ranged far and wide.

  Magical basics, Mathematics, Physics, Alchemy and it's evolution into Chemistry, Mechanics and even some fairy tales.

  After all, much can be learned from children's story.

  Even some of the books he read would be impossible to read through one week, let alone a day, he still was able to achieve that.

  Finishing books in what some would consider absurd speed, taking notes and creating his own theories and ideas for project him and Norien were working on.

  And so the days past, with Norien, Nuville and Tesla working together, resting and testing together the projects they have done.

  Norien's lab and workshop, that often was silent, became a place where work continued night and day, non-stop.

  on some days Nuville would create specialized tools for better and more precise work, Norien would create a more powerful and condensed fuel resource with chemistry and Tesla would usually make more and more detailed blueprints, that described the tools and machinery made.

  The lab that in the past was just a place where paperwork and rules would stop the progress of beauty became an unstoppable monster creating more and more.

  To the point where the patent office started calling them by first name and asked to bring their inventions in bulk.

  All of this was made in less than 2 months.

  And with the 2 months ending Tesla and Norien would become a lot more busy.

  A new semester with new students has started, Tesla was one of them.

  Going to lectures, conducting research and going to library became a norm for him.

  But if any other person tried that they would go insane, and probably die from overworking themselves.

  WIth that in mind there was also the good relationship Tesla had with most professors and lecturers due to his connection with Norien and Nuville.

  If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  So he was able to easily pass most lectures and classes on attendance alone.

  Howerver one thing that Norien found curious is the fact that when it came to tests, Tesla was failing most of them.

  Which was, weird.

  Tesla had all the knowledge and ability to answer the questions and yet his answers were incorrect.

  It was as if he was answering a different question altogether.

  Yet Norien saw Tesla's notes, they were detailed and easily understandable, even to people who never touched the subject.

  And there he was, struggling to answer questions that anyone would easily answer.

  Usually it would be easily fixed by studying more, but he was struggling even with other classes.

  Norien himself wished he could dive deeper but his plate is already full, he can hardly even find time for rest let alone more research and so for now only one thing could be done.

  Auditorium was filled with students, each worried and stressed out because with each passing second the creeping stress of knowing the grade from a test rose.

  Worried, stressed out and with throat becoming filled with blockage which is unwilling to open itself up.

  Norien entered, even as he was below everyone it stilled felt like he stood taller than all other. "I will be giving out the tests, if you have any questions then meet me at my office or in a lab for consultation, for now we will go through each question." With this class has begone, there was no commentary nor questions, everyone sat there defeated looking at their papers.

  Each of them barely passed the test and with this silence Norien continued his lecture until the very end.

  After the lecture ended Norien noticed Tesla's look of defeat.

  "Tesla come with me for a moment." Norien, though a rough looking at all time, truly cared for each and every student, to the point where he remembered each of their name, even those who cared very little about him.

  Tesla waited in silence, he was ashamed that even after all the studying he only passed because of one point.

  "Don't worry" Norien commented

  Tesla looked up at him "I don't know how you feel right now, but don't worry." Norien with everything packed away "There is no need for you to tell me that you have studied, because I already know that."

  No word was uttered from Tesla he was silent and still ashamed.

  Norien slapped Tesla on the back "Follow me there is somewhere we gotta go."

  Both went through the halls of the Academy students and professors chatting about studies or random stuff they know.

  As they went further on the halls changed in atmosphere, the air became strict, noise reduced to almost eerie silence and the students changed into a military uniforms.

  While the some still talked they fell silent whenever Norien came through, as if he was someone of high respect and soon enough they've arrived to a certain door with 'Director' written on it.

  "Stay here I will be right back." Norien asked Tesla.

  All the while Tesla basically went around the door, looking at all the different commemorative photos and different medals.

  In fact there was even written history here of how this place was a fort that changed into an academy that then got merged together with the campus that was next to it.

  There were even paintings of each director and rules that each must abide and how they changed as time progressed and the world evolved.

  The current main rules are : No soldier will hurt another, No officer is above the director on grounds of academy, every soldier is equal regardless of rank on the grounds of the academy, The director protects his students at all costs.

  Overall theses were the rules, while nice they felt shallow.

  Especially the last rule seemed like a way to abuse power, and what about other rules that are here.

  Surely there are more rules, but if these are the main rules, what could possibly be the entire list

  Tesla's mind felt full of questions and him looking around trying to find something did not help at all.

  As he was looking around, outside and inside, observing his surroundings even more, and going around the hall looking at all the different medals, armor and uniforms throught the history of the academy he got spooked by someone's hand touching his shoulder to the point where he jumped up and screamed a bit.

  After turning around he saw a female soldier in a uniform, her hair looked cut not so long ago, her body would even give Norien a run for his money.

  Her uniform stylish as it is still was able to show of her muscles, let alone her height was a head taller than Tesla.

  Eyes were green like emerals and her palms were full of calluses from what could be training or body lifting.

  While her neck had a deep scar that seemed to went down to her chest.

  She looked like a battle hardened veteran capable of fighting against an entire army by herself.

  "What is a student of the science academy doing here?" her voice was akin to a sharp axe cutting into wood

  "W-Well I am here with my professor he is... he is currently r-right behind that, that... door" Like always when faced with stress Tesla crumbles like a rotten tree.

  The soldier looked him up and down, compared to her he was far from fit, prepared or even all 'there' "Then I shall wait with you" She informed him, it was most probably a way to her calm him down, considering that he was visibly in fear.

  Tesla on the other hand seemed to internally scream at Norien for forcing him to come with him, as if he will hear it.

  Time passed and the two of them sat in silence, completely still.

  At least Tesla was the soldier on the otherhand was going through her reports over and over.

  Seems like she is also an officer since she was going through the documents like a crazed office minister.

  But Tesla was too busy trying to stay calm and not cry, luckily as all hope was being lost his savior, Norien, finally finished his talk.

  With Norien leaving, someone was following right behind him.

  "Sir! Major Richia reporting." The Soldier stood up so quickly that it felt like she just appeared at the front.

  The one she talked to was a short Gnome who looked up at her and smiled "No need to be so formal major, you are far from the border, so no need to be so uptight" his smile was weirdly calming as he turned to Norien "I will look into what you asked, in return I hope you will let one of my debts free, hmm."

  Norien looked down on him "Yeah don't worry about it." the two of them seemed to be quite close

  "Right major, let us talk inside, our friends here have work to do after all." As he said that Norien walked off with Tesla following suit and before he knew it the two soldiers have already gone in, their conversation silent to the world.

  Norien seemed exhausted, not physically but mentally.

  Seems like whatever they talked about was quite tiring, especially to Norien.

  And Norien did not talk but it was clear that he wanted Tesla to follow suit, as both went through the campus, they finally arrived to a bar located in a basement of the main building.

  As the two sat there Norien was simply drinking, unable to get drunk whatsoever, mostly due to his metabolism, yet he still talked. "That guy is so annoying." Norien looked at the ceiling "Tesla, do me a favor and never get involved in politics, it is going to ruin you."

  Tesla didn't know what to say, he felt like silence would be the only answer.

  And so it was, a silent conversation, in a silent bar, who's owner had a porcelain face and stoic hand.

  For only silence could linger for so long