The Mage Tower, also known as the Imperial Mage Academy, was an academistitution founded by the empire’s first Arch Mage. It was the ultimate dream of all mages, a prestigious pce where the most talented magic users of the empire gathered. It stood as the most promi structure in the imperial capital, even dwarfing the royal pad the headquarters of the Church of the Holy Light.

  In many ways, it had bee a symbol of the capital itself.

  The tower’s rise to prominence was rooted in a historical event.

  In the early days of the empire, humans were at their weakest, having only just formed a fragile coalition for survival.

  However, their newfound unity was immediately threatened by a massive invasion from an allied force of non-human races, culminating in a rge-scale war between humans and non-humans.

  Acc to imperial records, this was the empire’s first defensive war for survival.

  In that war, the non-human coalition feigned an atta the western fortress—then not officially part of the empire’s western border—while secretly cirg south to directly assault the imperial capital.

  Fag the overwhelming invasion, the capital was on the verge of falling. However, the city was saved by three hundred senies, led by the newly asded Sixth-Tier mage, Rond, the first Arch Mage.

  Together, they cast a massive barrier that shielded the entire capital, holding off the enemy forces for three days and nights until reinforts arrived.

  This miraculous defeurhe tide of the war and secured a peace that would st for a thousand years.

  This event forever ted the status of mages in the empire. From that point forward, mages became the most important and revered group in the empire, earning the deep favor of the royal family.

  In fact, every emperor would spend a portion of their youth studying in the Mage Tower, though not every monarch had the talent fibsp;

  Those who did not still beed from the experience, f friendships with mages and broadening their perspectives, ensuring that the tradition persisted through the geions.

  The key to the Mage Tower’s rise in influence was a treaty established at the empire’s founding: “Mages shall not meddle in politics.”

  This treaty made mages the most useful, yet least threatening, group to the royal family and the nobility.

  They could wield great power without the risk of overshadowing the rulers, making them indispensable allies.

  Meanwhile, the Church of the Holy Light, which had long advocated for the divine right of kings, found itself increasingly marginalized.

  Despite outwardly maintaining the rhetoric of divine right, the Church had lost any real influence over imperial governanbsp;

  Were it not for the empire’s tinued faith in the God of Light, the situation could have been even worse for them.

  Of course, while every student of the Imperial Mage Academy could gaze up at the t structure from a distance, only the most aplished mages were permitted to ehe Mage Tower and access the accumuted wisdom of human magic research spanning a thousand years.

  Those who earned such a privilege were often regarded as the core of the empire's magical unity—mages of signifit tribution or achievement.

  ...

  Following the figure ahead in silence, Edward couldn’t help but feel a bit nostalgic as he was led through the familiar corridors of the Mage Tower.

  Eventually, Roy, the senie who had brought him here, stopped at the entrao a grand hall—the same one where Edward had once presented his "Alchemy Revolution."

  The Graure Hall was where mages shared their discoveries and received reition.

  It was a venue for showg breakthroughs in magical research, and every signifit academic development had to be formally reported and publicly presented here.

  The ins of this tradition were lost to history, but it was this practice of academic opehat had propelled the empire’s mages to greater heights with each passing geion. The empire now boasted nearly a dozen Arch Mages, a hat tio grow.

  Every mage who ehe tower had the right to access the entire corpus of human magical knowledge, from foundational spells to Tier Six forbidden magibsp;

  With enough talent and diligence, a mage could study every known forbidden spell and reach the level of an Arch Mage with retive ease.

  Though, iy, most mages failed to achieve even one such breakthrough.

  pared to knights, who maintained an unbroken of martial arts passed down through geions, mages had achieved a remarkable level of knowledge-sharing.

  This openness had allowed them to thrive, while the knights had yet to produce a siier Six expert.

  As Edward and Roy ehe lecture hall, Edward was struck by how full the room was.

  Many of the academy’s senies, including instructors, department heads, and renowned schors, had gathered.

  Edward even reized a few faces among the ages with siderable porestige.

  He could also sehe presence of several unfamiliar but equally formidable individuals.

  Despite his best efforts to blend into the background, Edward could feel the weight of tless eyes on him, many of them filled with curiosity and fusion.

  Clearly, some of them were w why he was there, even after all these years.

  Edward sighed inwardly, remembering the chaos he had caused during his earlier years at the academy.

  Now was not the time to stir up more trouble.

  Soon, the doors to the hall opened once again, and the head of the Imperial Mage Academy, Arch Mage Hohenheim, ehe room.

  This man, who stood at the pinnacle of the empire's magical unity, looked visibly fatigued as if he hadn’t slept in days.

  Without preamble, he addressed the gathered mages.

  "Since everyone is here, I’ll get straight to the point and not waste aime," Hohenheim said, his voice tired but firm.

  Mages highly valued efficy, so both meetings and academic presentatioypically ducted with the utmost brevity.

  Long-winded speeches, like the kind one might expect from a school principal, were unheard of in the Mage Tower.

  As puzzled murmurs filled the room, Hoheook a deep breath and made a series of stunning annous.

  "Starting today, the Alchemy Tower will officially separate from the Mage Tower and bee a reized institution of its own. Alchemy will be formally aowledged as a legitimate branagid it will have its own academi. Alchemy Tower’s current head, Ska, will be grahe title of Tower Master and will assume the role of Deputy Head of the Imperial Mage Academy."

  Pausing for a moment to let the news sink in, Hohenheim delivered the final blow.

  "Lastly, I am pleased to annouhat former imperial mage, now indepe mage, Edward Durin, will have his status as an imperial mage reinstated. Moreover, he will assume the position of Head of the newly established Alchemy Branch at the Imperial Mage Academy!"

  Zaztra_Vandesh