Chapter 211: Ancient Master as the Principal

September marked the start of the new school year. After a well-deserved two-month break, the freshmen were ready to begin their journey at Kamar-Taj, the legendary magic holy land, home of the Supreme Mage!

The students who had been admitted were already skilled magicians, each with years of training under their belts. Still, they couldn’t help but feel a sense of excitement as they arrived in Nepal, eager to begin their studies.

Evan and his friends were no exception. They had arrived early, but unfortunately, they were unable to contact Noah. Their owl, Hathaway, had failed to find him, and had not flown for a long time. This left them feeling a bit frantic, but just as they were beginning to lose hope, someone arrived to receive them.

A monk-clad Asian man, a disciple of one of Kamar-Taj’s magicians, greeted them warmly. Many of Kamar-Taj’s magicians had their own disciples, and while Noah could have had disciples by now, he had never considered it.

The man was friendly and, after a brief exchange, offered them an unexpected piece of advice: "You’d better buy yourself a mobile phone. A better one."

The group exchanged puzzled looks. "Why? And what is a mobile phone?" Evan asked, clearly confused.

Only Hermione seemed to know what a mobile phone was. The rest had been banned from using high-tech gadgets at Hogwarts due to the strong magical interference that disrupted electronics in the area.

"Well," the monk continued, "it’s convenient for communication, and Kamar-Taj has a wireless network. You can even go online when you’re bored... if you know how to, of course."

The group was even more bewildered. A wireless network? What on earth was that?

They felt like primitive people, completely out of their depth. But it wasn’t entirely their fault. Many ordinary people didn't even know about wireless networks. In fact, this technology was still in its early stages of development, scheduled for rollout next year.

However, things worked differently in this world. Scientists, particularly those trained in magic, were incredibly resourceful. After all, vampires, with nothing else to do, could build their own laptops. So it was no surprise that Kamar-Taj had access to wireless technology far ahead of schedule.

Noah had even acted on this information after receiving news from New York. He reached out to his old friend, Pick Ham, whose company was booming, and asked him to help set up a wireless network at Kamar-Taj.

Pick Ham was no pushover, though. When Noah appeared to ask for help, Pick was ready with a trick of his own. While Noah couldn’t find the shrunken Pick, he didn’t waste any time and ended up placing the laboratory into the mirror space. Pick spent three days in free fall before Noah remembered him. Afterward, Pick, thoroughly humbled, got everything done without Noah or his friends having to pay.

Evan and his friends were oblivious to these details and simply bought mobile phones—a Nokia model, the iconic “black brick.” It was a modest purchase given that Nepal was not a wealthy country. They spent some time figuring out how to use the phones and adjusting to the slower pace of life before school began.

As the start of the school year approached, the monk-clad man returned on September 1st, once again drawing a glowing circle in front of them.

"Wow, this is the magic Noah used before. Amazing!" Evan couldn’t help but laugh, and his friends shared the same reaction.

The receptionist, hearing Evan’s words, blinked in surprise. "Noah? Master Noah Finniel?"

The group was taken aback. "Master Noah Finniel?" Evan repeated, looking at the others in confusion.

They exchanged glances before Evan hesitated and said, "If the master you're referring to is from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and his teacher is Master Ancient One, then yes, that sounds like him."

The receptionist seemed embarrassed. "Ah, I didn’t realize. I’m sorry, I didn’t know you knew Master Finniel."

"Can you tell us why you call him ‘Master’?" Hermione asked, intrigued.

"Master Finniel is the youngest magician in Kamar-Taj, and perhaps the most talented. He changed the course of our destiny. He’s now a level-six magician!"

"Sixth level? My God, how is that possible?" Evan gasped.

"It’s true," the receptionist confirmed with a smile. "He’s a wonderful person, and everyone gets along with him, especially my teacher. Except for his melee class, which is a bit... well, let's just say it’s not his strong suit, everything else is perfect."

The receptionist was clearly fond of Noah, who had been more than willing to answer his questions about elemental magic.

Hermione raised an eyebrow. "But Noah is only eighteen, isn’t he?"

"Well," the receptionist replied, "in Kamar-Taj, we don't judge by age. It’s about your level of skill. My teacher might be younger than me, but he’s still my teacher."

The group absorbed this, surprised by the apparent flexibility in Kamar-Taj’s views on age and authority.

"Okay, let’s not waste any more time," the receptionist said with a smile. "Today is an important day for you, and I’m almost out of magic energy." He then turned and walked into the glowing circle.

Evan and his friends exchanged nervous glances before following him.


---

As they stepped through the magical portal, they were greeted by an overwhelming sight. The square in front of them was packed with students, many of whom were grouped in sets of ten, though a few teams had fewer members. Several students wore their old school uniforms, likely to help identify each other.

After a brief wait, Master Ancient One appeared at the front of the square, opening a space door. With her arrival, the once noisy gathering fell silent.

"Welcome, young magicians," her gentle voice resonated in everyone’s ears, even without the need for amplification.

"Perhaps some of you have already learned about me or this place through other means. Nevertheless, let me introduce myself. I am the first president of the newly established Kamar-Taj University of Magic. I am Master Ancient One."

Her words caused an eruption of surprised murmurs and applause. The realization hit them hard—this gentle-looking woman was none other than the Supreme Mage.

After the cheers died down, Master Ancient One continued, "In the next four years, you will study and grow here together. I hope these years will be fulfilling. However, I must deliver some unfortunate news—there will still be exams, and failure will have greater consequences here than at your previous schools. If you fail, you may be asked to leave."

This news, though unsettling, was not met with panic. The students had endured exams for years at their previous schools. Failure was disappointing, but no one felt it was unfair. This was Kamar-Taj.

"You will form teams of three, with a special team leader to guide you. You may always ask your teachers for help, though there may be exceptions."

She paused before adding, "Finally, I wish you all a successful journey here. You are the future of the magical world, and I hope to see you at the graduation ceremony in four years, having become excellent magicians!"