Scarlet Sorcerer

Chapter 1: The Surgeon

“Apprentice! Put away the specimens and materials; the experiment is over.”

In a dimly lit basement, the faint magical light cast eerie shadows across the room. A bald head, marked with strange patterns, was briefly illuminated as its owner spoke in a cold, detached voice before disappearing through the door, the edge of a crimson robe the last thing visible to the black-haired boy inside.

The boy adjusted his black robe and began to clean up the room. His skin was pale from lack of sunlight, and his features were delicate, though his somewhat flat face did not conform to the ideal beauty standards of Faerûn. Still, there was something appealing about him, a hint of what might have been a sunny disposition, had it not been for the grim task at hand. The blood-stained table before him reflected the harsh light above, adding a macabre glow to the scene.

Under this unsettling light, the name "Penny Sien" could be seen etched in Serlick on the nameplate pinned to his chest. In this Red Robe Mage Academy, located by the shores of Lake Sembia, that nameplate offered him a degree of safety—albeit limited.

As Penny Sien stepped out of the cramped, foul-smelling laboratory, he was greeted by the sight of countless other apprentices, all of them rushing about with grim expressions. Most were around ten years old, much younger than Penny, and their eyes often flicked toward him with scorn or jealousy, wondering why this fourteen-year-old, who had yet to access the deeper layers of the Weave, was so favored by the masters.

In this academy, failing to attain wizard status by the age of twelve meant a student would be "demoted"—or more accurately, "promoted"—to the status of experimental material. Although this academy belonged to the Conjuration school, whose experiments were less horrifying than those of Necromancy or Enchantment, there were still plenty of experiments that sent shivers down one's spine.

Penny had managed to avoid such a fate, thanks to his peculiar talents, like his ability to dissect any creature flawlessly, even with his eyes closed.

To understand this, one must look back to Penny's life before his arrival in this world. As it turns out, being a surgeon is a valuable skill no matter where you are. In this world, called Faerûn, even high-level wizards who could access the fifth or sixth layer of the Weave found it difficult to perform such precise dissections, making Penny a prized assistant among many of the academy's masters. These wizards, engrossed in their arcane studies, often found themselves too lazy to deal with such tasks, especially when it involved strange and dangerous creatures.

As a result, Penny had become a favorite of many senior instructors—at least on the surface. They found it convenient that a student with such an unusual gift wasn't part of the Necromancy school, but rather their own Conjuration school, which they saw as a fortunate coincidence.

This, of course, fueled resentment and jealousy among his peers. Many of them believed that if they had the chance to serve as an instructor's assistant, they could curry favor and earn stronger spell records or casting techniques. But this opportunity was often wasted on Penny, a so-called "failure." In the past two years, Penny had faced multiple attempts to sabotage, frame, or even assassinate him.

However, for someone like Penny, who, including his previous life, had nearly forty years of experience, these petty tricks were child's play. In this cutthroat environment, Penny navigated with ease, understanding the cruel survival laws of the Red Robe Mages.

Faerûn's northeastern region, where the academy was located, was a harsh and unforgiving land. The remnants of the ancient Imaskar Empire ruled over this area with an iron fist, and Penny had learned to survive in this world of intrigue and betrayal.

In the Red Robe Mage Academy, being too foolish was dangerous, as it often meant becoming cannon fodder or experimental material. Conversely, being too clever was equally perilous, as jealousy from peers could lead to a quick and unexpected demise.

Penny had witnessed this firsthand. Two years ago, a peer whose cunning and talent had awed everyone—including Penny himself—had been used as a live test subject by an instructor during a class. Penny had been the one to dissect the twisted remains of that once-promising student.

This harsh lesson taught Penny that, in this world where coups and assassinations were commonplace, and where the Red Robes ruled with terror and intimidation, those who excelled too much were seen as threats to be eliminated.

So, Penny kept his head down, using his surgical skills to maintain a precarious balance. To the instructors, he was a valuable assistant, too useful to be wasted as a test subject. To the younger apprentices, he was someone to be envied but not easily overcome.

Penny had no grand ambitions. In his previous life, he had been indifferent to fame and fortune, finding solace in a quiet life filled with simple pleasures—coffee, books, and the occasional mindless drama. Being reborn into this dangerous world was not his choice, but he had no other option.

Raised by a wealthy merchant until the age of six, Penny had lived a comfortable life, thinking that this would be his new normal. But that all changed one morning when two Red Robe guards took him to the local mage guild. After discovering his magical potential, Penny was initially thrilled, dreaming of becoming a powerful wizard. But his dreams quickly turned to nightmares when he was sent to the academy, a dark and deadly place where survival was anything but guaranteed.

“When will I ever get out of here?” he often wondered.

Penny didn’t aspire to climb the ranks. For him, advancing meant leaving the relative safety of the academy and facing even more cunning and ruthless foes. His current position, though precarious, suited him just fine.

With a sigh, Penny headed to the dining hall as the other apprentices went off to their classes. He grabbed a bowl of vegetable egg soup and some cheese bread. After a quick check for poison, he began to eat, savoring the brief respite from the constant tension. Eating had become one of his few remaining pleasures, akin to the brief moments of peace he had enjoyed in his previous life.

As he relaxed, his heightened senses began to take in his surroundings. It was a gift, or perhaps a curse, that had come with his rebirth—a heightened awareness that allowed him to sense movement and intent even while asleep.

This ability had saved his life more than once, allowing him to evade numerous assassination attempts. It was also a source of secret amusement for him, as he could observe the hidden machinations of the academy from the safety of his secluded corners.

Today, as he enjoyed his meal, his senses detected a small, trembling figure huddled in the bushes outside the dining hall. The ragged gray robes and quivering shoulders told him all he needed to know—another apprentice, likely on the brink of despair.

Penny opened his eyes and dismissed the mental image, focusing instead on his food. Such scenes were common in the Red Robe Academy, where crying was not forbidden, but neither was it tolerated. Anyone who showed weakness could easily find themselves dead at the hands of an irritable instructor or another apprentice.

Penny had no desire to dwell on the scene. He feared that empathy might lead him to trouble, and in a place like this, compassion was a weakness that could get him killed. Despite the harshness of his surroundings, Penny still held on to the remnants of his previous life’s personality, but he knew better than to let it show.

And so, he kept his distance, focusing on surviving in a world where only the cunning and the ruthless could thrive.

Chapter 2: The Creed

Penny’s mood took a sudden downturn as he left the dining hall, having hastily finished his meal. A glance to the left revealed a thin stream of blood trickling out from the bushes. His curiosity piqued, he pushed aside the foliage and found the young apprentice he had noticed earlier, now lying sprawled on the ground, her limbs stretched unnaturally, her once tear-filled eyes now vacant and lifeless. Blood gushed from the gaping wounds on her wrists, staining the earth beneath her. Penny’s mood darkened further.

As a former surgeon, he had developed a certain detachment towards life and death, yet witnessing someone die in front of him still stirred something unsettling within him. It was an emotional reflex, a subtle disturbance that lingered long after the event had passed.

If he turned and walked away, this body would likely end up on his dissection table by morning, mangled and barely recognizable. The thought made his stomach churn. Glanc