They look over at her. "I'm afraid acid splash doesn't dissolve most woods. Have you seen your mother do this?"

Burn it in daylight. Well, there might still be some way. Hint at the brimstone, let them figure that part out themselves so their cute human egos get stuck on certainty they can figure out the rest as well.

"One time! She held the wood in real close and cast it real slow, and maybe she cast it a li'l different? It was all stinky that time."

The students look at each other and begin talking quietly. "Have you heard–? I don't know. Why would it smell bad? You think elves have a better acid splash? Pretty sure Folwin's is the same as ours, and he's half-elf..."

They continue the back-and-forth for a little while, before turning back to her. "Give me a moment, little one. I'm going to get Professor Manea." One of the students leaves the room.

She... sits there. Prettily. And gazes thoughtlessly and somewhat adoringly at the remaining student every once in a while. 

Ugh. Hopefully they'll have something, she didn't expect to get stuck playing this part for more than a few minutes.

A minute later, she can hear conversation in the hallway. "—ery fascinating, from a historical perspective. The early '20s had a surplus of brimstone due to the Xivu—"

The student walks in, followed by a well-dressed woman, presumably Professor Manea. She walks over to Tencednil. "Hello! I don't often hear inquiries about alchemical interactions with acid splash of all things."

"Ooh! Hi! What are alll-chemical interactions?"

No really, what are alchemical interactions? Brimstone must be one of them, but are there other things like that? She said 'with Acid Splash', not just general, so maybe there are!

"A complicated question if there ever was one. In this specific case I believe you're referring to the use of prepared reagents as additional material components to alter spell effects. Brimstone of sufficient purity is known to slightly enhance acid spells. The Acadamae once taught its use with acid splash, but brimstone has been too expensive to waste on a cantrip for some decades now."

"Oh." She droops a little. ...well, humans are terrible at estimating elf ages, and she is obviously an elf. She isn't that old, but they don't need to know that.

"It was a long time ago I guess. ...Is there anything else like that?" She perks back up and shifts her smile to the probably-Professor.

She pauses to think for a while. "The book you're looking for is Topological Disentanglings with Pseudonatural Forms, but it's rather... dense. You'll also need Demonic Lessons of the Material Shape if you can't read Haagentic notation. For a broad overview of the subject as a whole, I recommend Fundamentals of the Natural Elements, but it doesn't cover interactions with magic."

She droops again. "I'm not a student here, I can't get them. Maybe later. Mom said I could start in a decade or two."

That sounds right? She's just in the age Mother was hoping she would become a cleric, and elves are slower and unnecessarily cautious, so a decade or two is probably fine. She has book titles for Julio and Anton when she next sees them now, though! That seems like a success.

"Yes, I would recommend waiting until you have some education under your belt to tackle this topic. You don't gain much learning how to enhance spells you cannot cast."

The professor turns to leave the room.

The cost of being underestimated. Oh well, at least she got book titles.

"Thank you! Both of you! ...All three of you!" She bobs a quick bow/curtsey thing, stumbling a little on her way up, and looks around wide-eyed again before making her own way out.

Now, what else is there around here?

There's not much more for members of the public in the Hall of Summoning, grand as it is. Tencednil gets the sense they're trying to make spell slots last, what with the schedule and the hour-long gaps between exhibitions.

She has heard Mother's complaints about how short a Summon last. Disappointing, but it makes sense. Oh well. 

Out of the hall she goes. Illusions are still always going to be her favorite, but there are all sorts of other things here which could be worth examining now that she can actually cast spells. What are the various groups yelling about now?

There's a lot going on! Someone outside the Hall of Shaping is selling use of a greater hat of disguise, charging by the minute. The booms of explosions can be heard from the Hall of Induction. An area around the Hall of Wards has been cordoned off, and some people are already standing or sitting around it. The size of the crowds has grown, and vendors are set up, hawking food and random baubles.

Whatever's going on around the Hall of Wards is probably interesting. She'll wander over that way. And maybe be distracted by a thing or two along her way.

Or three.

Or four.

Eventually, after many fun distractions, Tencednil makes her way to the crowd surrounding the Hall of Wards, which has grown substantially by the time she arrives. To the crowd's left, there is a beautiful platform with raised seats, most of which are full. One can recognize students, faculty, members of the Great Houses, and the King and his family among them. The royal family has a dedicated section, above everyone else.

The Hall of Wards itself is a plain, rectangular wooden building with minimal decoration. Large windows face the crowd, and through them one can see a large empty room with a glittering wood floor. There is one set of double doors at the front. Surrounding the Hall of Wards is a perfect circle of emptiness. No illusions. No stalls or vendors. Nothing but a field of grass.

Huh. There's nothing in particular happening here yet, and in a place with as many other things going on as the Festival has, that's a little odd. She makes her way around the area, drifting so she's never obviously going anywhere, but trying to get a broad view of the crowd. They must be expecting something to be gathering so early, and maybe she can tell what it is if she sees enough of them. Are they focused on anything, as a collective? 

The crowd doesn't seem to be focused on anything in particular right now. From listening to the ambient discussion, it seems the Breaching will start soon. The crowd is curious who will make an attempt this year.

Oh wow she didn't realize it was that late. Sheeee maybe got a bit too distracted. She'll try to wiggle forward and get a good view!

(Her shadow thing floats up above her head. It wants a good view too!)

She can get a decent view.

A few minutes later, she hears a long blast from a mighty horn, and a man appears in the sky.

"Hello everyone," his voice booms like thunder "and welcome to this year's Breaching Festival!"

"I know our five contestants, which include our very own Professor Vargas of the Hall of Shaping, are eager to begin, so I shall keep this introduction short. This year, as every year, the contestants will attempt enter the Hall of Wards by any means available to them. The first person to step on the floor the Hall of Wards shall win our grand prize, located further within the Hall. If no winner emerges by dusk, items equaling one thousand gold sails in value will be added to the prize for next year. As it has been one hundred and sixty-three years since our last winner, the prize has grown truly astronomical. Our current best estimate puts its total value at over one hundred and thirty thousand gold sails!"

The crowd roars, even louder than the Headmaster's voice!

"Now, there are some rules. Each contestant only ever gets one attempt. Avoid collateral damage; you are at fault for any injuries in the audience as a result of your attempt. You must actually enter the Hall of Wards; no illusions, no projected images, no simulacra, your actual physical boot must touch that floor. No divine intervention... if your god wants the prize they can come get it themselves. And no wishes. With that, our contestants will draw lots, and we shall see among them who goes first."

Still "over one hundred and thirty thousand"? That number has stayed surprisingly constant, if you were they type of elf to be surprised by humans lying about doing things that won't matter until the future. To be fair, a century and a half is actually a long time, but still.

Five contestants, five chances to see some unique and exciting display of magic. Probably nobody will try another cannon broadside, however impressive that animation might have been — it's been pretty conclusively demonstrated that sheer force isn't going to do it. That just means it's time for unique spell combinations, though! And just like last year, this year she knows enough about magic to maybe figure out what some of the spells they cast are supposed to do.