Chapter 22: The Structure of the Sorcerers' Order

Solomon's learning journey was much longer than that of the other sorcerers—not just because he was the Sorcerer Supreme's disciple but primarily due to his age. Kamar-Taj had a strict rule about minors: no one underage could hold any official position in the Sanctum, no matter how powerful their magic. In everyone's eyes, Solomon still had much to learn.

Because of this, Solomon didn't rush through his studies. He followed the lessons laid out by both the Sorcerer Supreme and Athena day after day. This careful accumulation of foundational knowledge would benefit him greatly in the future. Solomon was well aware that if he were like Stephen Strange, relying on translation software to read decoded magic tomes, he would be helpless in ancient ruins without access to the internet, where decoding magical texts was essential.

As the Sorcerer Supreme emphasized during Solomon's training, Comprehend Languages couldn't decipher the hidden messages or magical runes often embedded in arcane texts. The magical writing in grimoires and scrolls required painstaking decoding, and copying these spells always carried a risk of failure.

This was why the Sorcerer Supreme placed so much importance on Solomon's linguistic education. Furthermore, to ensure that Solomon understood the modern world (since the Sorcerer Supreme believed Solomon was too absorbed in magic and lacked knowledge of science), she arranged for the London Sanctum to enroll Solomon in a school. When he reached the appropriate age, he would take formal exams.

By age seven, Solomon had already taken the Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 exams, allowing him to participate in the SATs exams required for thirteen-year-olds. Although Solomon never physically attended school, the London Sanctum handled the formalities with money. This was a first for Kamar-Taj, as the children affiliated with Kamar-Taj typically only practiced martial arts while attending normal schools. For example, Alice Gulliver, daughter of Wu Guiyue, the guardian of the Hong Kong Sanctum, only came to Kamar-Taj to study defensive arts.

Never before had a minor like Solomon fully immersed themselves in magic studies. While Solomon didn't seem to mind this almost hermit-like life, the Sorcerer Supreme worried that being so disconnected from the mundane world might cause Solomon to become too isolated. Sometimes, she even wondered if she had passed her own overly detached personality onto him.

But that wouldn't do. Such a personality couldn't intimidate the extradimensional beings who sought to invade Earth.

Solomon's joy in being a recluse was something others found difficult to understand. He even changed the posters in his room every three months. Thanks to his Comprehend Languages spell, he could instantly watch the latest anime without needing translations. As long as he had access to the internet and food, Solomon could stay locked up forever. Other than visiting Athena Hill, he saw no need to leave his room.

This month, his "wife" was Holo, the wolf-eared and wolf-tailed girl from the anime Spice and Wolf, a fact that was non-negotiable (since it aired in January 2008).

From an outsider's perspective, Solomon's life seemed highly abnormal. Many times, Wong had tried to drag Solomon out for a walk, but Solomon always refused. The rainy London weather didn't sit well with him, and if he wanted fish and chips or a trip to the British Museum, he would go on his own. As for New York, he preferred to avoid it altogether—who knew when a green giant might show up to start smashing things? Or maybe even two of them! He frequented Hong Kong more often, especially the street food stalls near the Hong Kong Sanctum, where he had become a regular. He even spoke fluent Cantonese now, chatting easily with the local vendors.

As for entertainment? What could be more fascinating than magic? To Solomon, magic was the most wondrous thing in the world, and nothing else compared. The only discomfort he faced was having to confront the Dark Dimension from time to time.

"I met my wife, Adria, at your age," Kaecilius once told Solomon. Although he could be harsh during defensive arts training, Kaecilius was patient when teaching Solomon.

"You should go out more," Kaecilius advised. "Don't bury yourself in books all the time. Kamar-Taj doesn't need you to take on any heavy responsibilities yet. You should go to school and meet some girls. Staying here all the time will make you as dull as an old man.

"If my son were still alive, he'd be about your age now, and I'd probably be risking a lawsuit by letting him try beer for the first time. But anyway, staying locked up isn't good for you. If you want to train more, you can always come to me."

Kaecilius spoke with his head lowered, making it hard for Solomon to read his expression. Was it sadness or nostalgia? Years later, when Solomon looked back, all he could recall was the cold wind from the Himalayas, the smell of decay, and the image of the gray-haired man standing before him—a man who had lost everything.

It was said that Kaecilius had been brought to Kamar-Taj by Baron Mordo. Kamar-Taj's ethos had always been to help those in need, but they had to possess magical talent. 

Apart from those personally recruited by the Sorcerer Supreme, like Solomon and Strange, most of Kamar-Taj's sorcerers entered through similar paths. In fact, the Sorcerers' Order had been founded on this very principle by the Sorcerer Supreme herself.

The Sorcerer Supreme's approach was akin to entering a monastery, as only those who had nearly lost everything were drawn to Kamar-Taj's mission of protecting Earth. These individuals were less likely to be tempted by wealth or fame, and they could fully dedicate themselves to the battle against extradimensional threats. That's why Kamar-Taj placed such emphasis on asceticism—its purpose was to bring peace to souls that had been ravaged by suffering.

This philosophy wasn't necessarily flawed. The Sorcerer Supreme's selection criteria had withstood the test of time for over a thousand years. However, there were many apprentices like Kaecilius, and not everyone was as engrossed in the magical world as Solomon was.

Some were drawn to Kamar-Taj for its ideals, like Baron Mordo, who was deeply committed to the mission of defending Earth from extradimensional invaders. He held the Sorcerer Supreme in the highest regard for her millennia-long fight against such threats.

Another important group within Kamar-Taj was the sorcerer families. These were the descendants of the original disciples of Kamar-Taj, such as Wong and Wu Guiyue. These families played a vital role in Kamar-Taj's community, having spent their entire lives in the Sanctum, generation after generation receiving the Sorcerer Supreme's teachings. Some members of these families had come close to ascending to the position of Sorcerer Supreme, but the Sorcerer Supreme had outlasted each potential successor over the centuries.

Despite this, these families remained loyal supporters of the Sorcerer Supreme.

Then there were those who came to Kamar-Taj from the mundane world, often with lingering attachments. Kaecilius, for example, longed to see his wife again. Others sought magic as a means to an end. It wasn't uncommon for some to learn magic and then return to the mundane world, using their powers to dominate or indulge in luxuries far beyond the reach of ordinary people.

Although the Sorcerer Supreme had no inherent prejudice against material pleasures, she had ruthlessly eliminated those who abused magic for their own gain in the past.

In modern times, however, the Sorcerer Supreme had grown less strict about such matters. The reason was simple: with the rapid advancement of technology, modern humans were bombarded with more information in a single day than people from the past received in their entire lives. If Kamar-Taj were to demand complete detachment from worldly affairs, they might end up with no disciples at all. The Sorcerer Supreme understood this well and had relaxed the criteria for selecting new members. As long as they didn't use magic for evil and upheld the duty of protecting Earth, their motivations didn't matter. The only thing the Sorcerer Supreme couldn't tolerate was allegiance to Dormammu.

But now it seemed that Solomon's soul was a bit too calm.

So, the Sorcerer Supreme decided it was time to give Solomon something to do.

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