About the book: year / The capital of Acheron, the purple-towered Python was also the main city of the Guild of Mages, whose influence on all spheres of public life of the state was truly enormous. Mages were an integral part of the entire social structure of the kingdom, from performing the functions of healers to participating in the work of the royal Council. There was, perhaps, not a single family that did not want the successors of their family to become magicians, but not everyone was able to achieve this. There were no special schools that would train magicians under the Guild, and training from its members well-known in Python was not affordable for everyone. First of all, the age of the applicant was limited to ten years, and the training itself lasted at least six years. At the same time, in addition to the annual payment for magic lessons and accommodation in the teacher’s house, parents had the responsibility to dress and put on shoes for their child as his clothes wore out or he grew out of them. Magic classes lasted daily for three hours; the rest of the time, in addition to self-preparation to consolidate the material learned, the student had to help servants around the house and carry out orders for the teacher, his wives or concubines. For disobedience, laziness or other offenses, the student received cuffs and slaps on the head, or even beatings with a heavy staff. However, the mentors still tried not to injure their students, since they themselves then had to treat them.