Aoko had no desire to waste time in a power struggle with Tarnished on the snowy plains. Whether he could find the portal to the Mohgwyn Dynasty, or enter the Haligtree, was no longer her concern. As a collaborator, Aoko had already fulfilled her part of the responsibility.
Having obtained what she wanted, Aoko spent some time teleporting and flying before returning to the academy. In front of Touko and Sellen, she took out the Mage Block Amulet and the original scroll of Founding Rain of Stars.
"This, this is…" Sellen spoke in a trembling voice, her fingers slightly shaking as she pointed at the Mage Block Amulet. "Where did you find this?"
"Deep in the Consecrated Snowfield," Aoko shrugged. "This thing likely belonged to the first mage in the Lands Between who tried to align essence with the origin. Someone used the essence of that unfortunate soul to craft this amulet."
Sellen remained silent, holding the amulet in her hand and carefully sensing the mysteries within this origin artifact.
"This thing's material is someone's Glintstone of Origin," Aoko explained directly. "But the consciousness within it has already faded because it got too close to the origin in the abyss of darkness. It couldn't maintain the balance. You understand what that means, right?"
"…I understand." Sellen's voice came from within her glintstone helm, sounding a bit muffled and strained as if she were engaged in a fierce inner struggle.
"Good. I brought this back just to show you the tragic end of the unrestrained Origin School — a fate even worse than Master Lusat or Azur — reduced to a soulless stone."
"Alright, stop scaring her," Touko intervened. "This scroll is quite interesting. If I'm not mistaken, this spell — Sellen already knows how to use it?"
"That's right," Aoko nodded. "This is the origin of Glintstone magic in this world. If a world wants to harness the power of Glintstone, this spell is indispensable. Without it, Glintstone would remain a non-renewable resource."
"…This version is very different from what I studied," Sellen said, now more composed, staring at the scroll laid out on the table. "Older… and much closer to the source."
"That's because this is the original text created by the first Astrologers — the ancestors of the Nokstella people," Aoko said with admiration. "Honestly, I'm amazed this thing survived in that tower for so many years without rotting or being lost. No doubt the parchment is infused with a large amount of Glintstone dust — it's a magical catalyst in itself."
"I've heard that legend before…" Sellen said, devouring the scroll's contents with hungry eyes. "There were originally no Glintstones in the Lands Between, but the Astrologers' magic summoned the amber rain from the stars — this was the origin of Glintstone magic."
"That's the saying, but it's not entirely accurate," Aoko mused. "Professor Ymir once said that Glintstone is the amber of the stars, containing the seeds of life. And all life, including humanity in the Lands Between, originated from a great explosion set off by the Greater Will in ancient times—"
"—All humans are children of the Greater Will," Touko added in a theatrical tone. "Romantic, isn't it? But it also suggests that Glintstone might have originally existed here, just in small quantities, until that magic was invented."
"I've heard about Professor Ymir," Sellen nodded. "But back then, the academy's mentors were hostile toward any magic scholars who served the Carian royal family. Ymir, being the most powerful among them, naturally became the most criticized."
"'A true man can endure the grindstone of fate; only the mediocre escape envy,'" Aoko quoted succinctly. "That's an old poem from our world, and it suits Professor Ymir. He was brilliant, but misunderstood by those around him."
"…That's a very thought-provoking line," Sellen said with admiration. "I used to feel bitter about my suffering. But now it seems... it's just the fate of geniuses?"
"I do think you went too far in the past," Touko said, shifting uncomfortably. "Experimenting on classmates and all… even I wouldn't go that far."
"Haha, if even Touko says you were extreme, then you were extreme."
Aoko chuckled and teased them both, making Touko glare at her fiercely.
— Scene Break —
Days passed, and the return of the three great origin magics caused a huge stir in the Academy of Raya Lucaria. The original Founding Rain of Stars scrolls, without a doubt, became the most coveted treasure of all Glintstone mages. Queen Rennala's office mailbox was flooded with requests to read and study it.
The Full Moon Queen and Ranni were among the first, after the trio, to read the original text. Both were dazzling demigod-level mages. They quickly mastered the origin spell and, using their interpretations and laws adapted it into personalized forms.
Just like how Comet Azur looked one way in Aoko's hands and another in Queen Rennala's, the high plasticity of Glintstone magic was vividly shown through different casters.
Among them, the one who restored the spell closest to its original form was still Sellen. Since she already knew how to use the spell, with the boost from the original text, she quickly grasped its essence. As a pillar of the Origin School, she was likely the most skilled within the school aside from Masters Azur and Lusat.
However, speaking of the Origin School — though Raya Lucaria's Three Giants each had their understanding of the dark abyss — in Aoko's view, Glintstone magic was only one system among many in the Lands Between. Compared to the Origin School, Professor Ymir's research might be closer to the true essence.
Aoko's opinion was confirmed by Thops. After his Thops Field theory was recognized, he opened a classroom in the academy and even took on students, flourishing greatly.
Thops agreed with Aoko because, after learning the Finger Glintstone magic from her, he found some of its theories aligned perfectly with the logic he used when creating the Thops Field — namely, that sorcery and incantations are, at their core, the same.
The greatest evidence of Thops' theory was his own invented spell and Aoko's Scarlet Staff. The former could deflect all spells and incantations, while the latter could cast all magic and prayers regardless of catalyst type.
Though Aoko lacked any formal faith, her powerful and focused will allowed her to learn a few basic incantations — including flame-based prayers (or pyromancies?) of unknown origin stored in the Carian Library, and the healing prayers recorded in Ymir's collection.
She had no intention of worshipping the Two Fingers or the Flame of Frenzy, but after understanding the stories behind these prayers, she could still use them — a fact that invites deep reflection.