by TurtleMe
When we arrived at the destination, the moon was still high overhead, illuminating the warmly lit floating city of Xyrus. The guard stationed in front of the gate leading to Elenoir Kingdom hurried over to us with his left hand gripping the pommel of the sword strapped to his waist.
“State your reason for passage and proof of verification,” the rugged guard demanded as his left hand eased off from his sword, seeing that I was just a kid.
For some reason, his voice sounded vaguely familiar, and not just in a he-had-a-common-voice sort of way. Shrugging it off and pushing that nagging thought towards the back of my mind, I focused on the situation at hand.
Uncertain of what to say, I remembered that I still had the silver compass Virion gave me way back when I was a child. It had the insignia of the Eralith family so maybe it could be use as sufficient proof.
Wordlessly, I stuck my hand in my pocket and took out the compass from my ring outside of the guard’s view and showed it to him.
“Hmm, I asked for the rea... th-this is the… right this way sir. My apologizes for being so disrespectful. I had no idea you had such close ties with the royal family.” The crude expression was nowhere to be seen as he bowed down and hurriedly went back to the gate, activating it.
After the runes around the portal entrance glowed and started humming in a low pitch, he jogged back to us with an apologetic look on his face.
“Unfortunately, the gate can’t immediately take you to the inside of the kingdom, but it will be in a relatively close vicinity to one of the entrances,” the guard disclosed contritely, as if it was his fault.
“Mmm, that’s fine. Thank you,” I nod.
Hmm… it seems this was more than just a simple compass.
The humming coming from portal intensified, while the ancient magic runes opened the portal. I turned my head back to see the guard giving me an exaggerated bow.
As my right foot stepped into the portal and I felt the familiar sensation of my body getting sucked in; the guard looked up.
The rugged looking guard with scars etched on his face was gone, replacing it was the old man from the elixir store.
With a cheeky grin, he gives me a wink before saying, “Have a safe trip, young lad.”
Chapter 81: At Last
ELIJAH KNIGHT’S POV:
By the time the DC officers and Student Council got out of the meeting with the Professors, it was already late into the night.
I took that chance to tell them all what I couldn’t earlier - that Arthur was alive and safe.
“Yes! I knew it! I knew he’d survive.” Claire had sunk down on her chair in relief as she covered her face with her arms, probably to hide the stray tears that were sliding down her cheek.
Curtis just let out a huge breath of relief as he leaned back against the wall; but it was Princess Kathlyn’s reaction that caught me off guard.
For once, I could visibly see her face brighten as she studied me to make sure I wasn’t lying. I could almost see her chocolate-colored eyes twinkle as they narrowed to formed a rare smile.
“Thank God,” she muttered over and over under her breath after I reaffirmed the information with an awkward nod.
“As expected of my *sniff* rival. Mhmm.” The elf that kept insisting that he was Arthur’s rival had a presuming look on his face as though he was the one that saved Arthur or something but the mucus leaking from his nose betrayed his expression.
“Heh, I knew the twerp wouldn’t die from just a fall,” The bear leaning back on his chair scoffed. Theodore tried to play it off casually but the half-grin he tried to hold back told everyone that he was quite glad.
Kai, I think that was his name, responded very indifferently with a smile that looked superficially drawn.
“Looks like I’ll get my dual after all.” The buff midget, too ugly to be deemed anything but an “attractive” dwarf, nodded in anticipation, her arms crossed to show off the bulging veins.
Ugh, I’m recalling some unpleasant memories again.
Fairly obvious that they were all relieved, they didn’t mind that he wouldn’t be back to help out with the situation at hand for a bit longer.
Just the opposite, it felt like they wanted this whole fiasco taken care of before Arthur and Tessia got back.
This was odd because, more so than the professors here, I felt like Arthur would be able to do something about this mess if our Director didn’t get back in time.
I had told the Disciplinary Committee officers about Arthur after the Tri-Union Building site was under control. Luckily no one died and only a few students were mildly injured. An Emitter brought over from the Adventurer’s guild healed them and they were taken to the treatment ward where, before their parents came, they’d give their account for what happened inside.
The atmosphere within the academy took a turn for the worse as there was a clear split between the students now. The newly admitted elves and dwarves were furious, generalizing that all humans were racist brutes, while the prideful human students had no intention of taking the blame for the actions of others.
The few human students that did feel bad for what had happened, ended up being ostracized by both sides. In the end, they just took a neutral stance, too afraid to say anything since at this point, the situation was too volatile; everyone was trying to find someone else to blame.
It was weird how people acted more recklessly when they banded together, like they got strength from each other. Both sides became more vocal after the building was put out and almost turned physical until the professors told them all to disperse.
Restless at this whole event, I ended up stopping by the training room that Arthur had allowed me access to. I normally didn’t use it, but since both Arthur and Tessia weren’t here, I decided it would be okay.
The guard eyed me funny but the front desk lady named Chloe was friendly enough to escort me personally into the room.
“Haaa…” I let out a deep breath as I felt my mana core tremble in excitement to let loose.
Unlike Arthur, I’ve been learning a lot since I came to this academy; a lot of practical aspects applicable to my magic seems to work differently for me compared to others.
One thing I noticed was that meditating didn’t do much for me. My mana core developed and strengthened at its own pace and any conscious effort to refine more mana from the atmosphere doesn’t seem to help.
Even without any real effort, I broke through into the light orange stage but after reaching this stage, I just can’t seem to make any gains.
I clench my hands into fists and then release, repeating this motion as if my hands weren’t my own.
[Earthen Spear]
I feel mana well up in me at the activation of the spell and immediately a rock spike shoots up from the ground a couple meters in front of me.
[Earthen Spear]
I cast, this time with more mana imbued into the spell.
Two thick spears of earth shoot up at an angle in front of me. To be honest, even casting the name of the spell is unnecessary for me. It’s just become a habit for me so that I can keep a firm vision of what I want to evoke but if I practiced more, maybe I could even instantly cast multiple streams of spells at once.
[Stone Barrage]
This time, the ground underneath me crumbled as chunks of earth began levitating. After a couple moments of concentration, I will the rocks to shoot forward.
*BOOM* *BOOM* *BOOM* *BOOM*
Only four of the ten rocks I shot actually hit the tree that I deemed as the target, making me a bit disappointed.
If I couldn’t meditate to strengthen my mana core like everyone else, I might as well get better at controlling the spells at hand.
I learned in my Mana Utilization class what exactly affinity towards a certain element meant. For a mage with very little affinity with fire, it basically meant that mage had to be a lot more precise in conjuring the spell, which also meant that the vocal incantation of the spell needed to be longer. Each vers
e of an incantation that we chant shapes the type of phenomenon we want to have occur. For the rock bullet spell, a mage with little affinity would need to have a verse for each step he takes: beginning from the shape of the rock, the density, where it would be made from; if you add in a spin to the bullet you would need to have verse for that as well. Not forgetting the initial trajectory of the spell as well as if you want the rock bullet strengthened so that it would pierce the target or if you want it to explode upon impact; all of these would add up to a pretty long chant.
All these “factors” of the spell can easily just be imagined by a mage that has great affinity with the element. Mages stick with the element that they have the highest affinity towards so that they can best utilize their mana and mental capacity.
For me, the earth below me feels like an extension of my body; maybe it was because I grew up with dwarves but I always had this nagging thought in the back of my mind that even amongst them I wasn’t normal. I didn’t mean not normal in a genius sort of way like Arthur was, but in a freak of nature sort of way.
Well, I guess Arthur is sort of a freak of nature in his own way…
It was an odd little train of thought. Those facts about my body or my disposition wasn’t top-secret stuff, but I didn’t explicitly tell anyone either. I considered telling Arthur about the differences in my body, but I always missed the timing and it just didn’t seem urgent enough to pull him aside and tell him.
It was good in a way because I felt like maybe, just maybe, I could someday catch up to Arthur if I trained hard enough.
Yeah, I know he’s a solid yellow quadra-elemental mage with a dragon’s will and he somehow has freakishly superb skills in close combat but hey, a man can dream, right?
I conjure more spells, half to practice, half to relieve the pent up frustration. I wanted to catch up to Arthur, not because I wanted to be better than him, but because I wanted to help him. I felt like he always had his own battles he was facing. As his best friend, I wanted to have his back, whether through good times, or through war. I didn’t know what sort of things he was going through but if I was going to be with him, I needed to get stronger.
ARTHUR LEYWIN’S POV:
I wanted to turn back, but it was too late; I was already inside the portal. The trip through the transportation never lasts longer than a few moments of unpleasant dizziness but this time, it felt longer… no. It WAS longer.
“Kuu…” Sylvie, who stuck to my head like glue began trembling.
‘It feels wrong, Papa,’ Sylvie transmitted, her inner thoughts traced with worry.
The journey through the transportation gate looked as though you were fast-forwarding to your destination. You’re standing on a platform as a blur of different colors race by as the background gets lighter and lighter until you disappear into the light, exiting out the other end. It was a peculiar sensation that I couldn’t seem to describe in words but this time, it was different.
The space around us distorted into a blur of colors like usual but instead of getting brighter, the color around of us drained and turned dimmer and dimmer, until it was pitch black.
‘Papa, I’m scared.” Sylvie’s trembling on my head was the only way I knew my bond was still there.
This was the first time Sylvie had told me she was scared. There were times when she was on guard, or alert, but she was never frightened.
The sensation of travelling through the gate that normally made me nauseous also ceased so I tautly augmented a ball of flame above my palm.
“What the hell…” It was bizarre. The ball of fire that was supposed to be giving me at least some sort of vision didn’t do anything. Almost like trying to color in a red ball on a black piece of paper, it had no effect on the pitch black darkness.
*VWOOOOM*
I crumbled to my knees and I instantly augmented my body with mana.
I was scared.
What sort of monster was here that had a thick enough malicious intent to make me fall to my knees?
I couldn’t stop shivering and the mana in my body dispersed, refusing to listen to me from the lack of mental control I had over myself.
For the first time in a long while, I felt like a child - an actual, helpless child in front of the boogeyman.
“Who’s there?” I tried my best to roar but my shaking voice betrayed me.
Just then, a pair of eyes came into view out of nowhere. I knew exactly whom these pair of eyes belonged to. I was sure of it; yet, it didn’t comfort me or help me in knowing at all.
The pair of glowing white eyes speckled with stars, that captivated me the first time I saw them, grew close. An authoritative voice that was devoid of emotion pierced through me, as if he was speaking directly into my ear.
“At last. We now have a bit of privacy to peacefully converse.”
Chapter 82: Benefactor
LUCAS WYKES’ POV:
“And what the hell is this supposed to be?” I raised an eyebrow, looking around inside the dimly lit room that reminded me of some crudely built wine cellar.
It was that poor excuse of a mage from the Ravenpor house that brought me here, telling me that it would be something I’d be interested in.
I normally would’ve blasted that sod away when he talked me so arrogantly, like he was doing me a favor; but I was quite curious, especially after the explosion of the Tri-Union Building earlier today.
“Welcome to one of the many humble dwelling that we use to hold our meetings,” said a coarse voice. I was surrounded by at least 60 hooded figures, but only the one sitting lazily in the middle while addressing me had a mask on.
It was a plain white mask with two small eyeholes and a smile crudely drawn where the mouth should be. The mask was rather simple enough but the simply drawn smile gave off a sinister feel.
Charles Ravenpor, who was next to me, put on his own hooded robe and knelt down on one knee with his head bowed.
“Lord, I have brought Lucas Wykes like you asked,” he said in a careful, hushed tone.
“Ahh, the famous Mr. Wykes, here in the flesh! So glad you could join us for our little...crusade!” he laughed, averting his attention from Charles.
I looked around. “I’m not here to join anything. I came here out of curiosity, but I’m not impressed. Who are you supposed to be anyway? You don’t seem to be a student… Don’t tell me you’re a professor?” I scoffed.
“How dare you! You should be grateful that we even considered letting a mutt like you join us!” One of the hooded figures to my right hissed.
“A mutt?” I echoed back, feeling a vein bulging from the side of my forehead.
I soundlessly prepared a spell at the ingrate who dared to mock me, but before I could finish the chant, the man behind the smiling mask snapped his fingers.
*Fwoom*
“AHH!” The hooded snob that dared called me a mutt suddenly combusted into flames.
I couldn’t help but click my tongue. Even for insta-casting, that was fast… frighteningly so.
“Now, now. That isn’t a very courteous thing to say to our newest member, right?” As the masked man, who was still lazily sagged down on his earthen throne, spoke, the fire had already burned through the boy’s robe and was burning his skin.
“AHHHHH! F-forgive me! I was wrong. I apologize! P-please!” he begged as he was furiously trying to pat the fire off. Meanwhile, the other hooded figures were too scared to do anything to help him.
Turning away from the hooded figure still screaming in pain, I faced the masked man. “Before I decide whether I want to even join this little cult of yours, what is it you’re trying to accomplish, and why do you even need me?”
I couldn’t sense his mana core but it didn’t seem like I was on the same level as him.
“Circumstances make it unable for me to personally act for now, so I need some capable magicians in order to thoroughly complete my plans. You see, I hate leaving loose ends,” he explained as he used an arm to prop his head up.
“Taking advantage of your Director's absence, it is the opportune time to act so that by the time she comes back, it will all be too late,” he continued. After snapping his fingers again, the fire suddenly disappeared, leaving the boy twitching from the pain.
“And as for what I hope to do, let’s just say that my goals coincide with these folks and I simply thought that it’d be nice to kill two birds with one stone. Everyone here is a dissatisfied human noble that once took pride in the fact that this academy was meant only for the purest of lineage. While you may be a special exception to this case, I would still like to have you on board,” he answered as if he wasn’t human.
“Besides, the whole ‘accept all’ motto that this academy now follows makes me want to barf; don’t you agree Mr. Wykes?” As he said this, the hooded figures all nodded fiercely in agreement. Just from his tone, I could tell that this guy was smirking behind his mask.
“Whether they make you want to barf or not doesn’t matter to me. Why waste my time and energy on bugs I could squish at any time? The peasants that were able to weed their way into this academy aren’t any better than the low class adventurer thugs that go around blindly flailing their weapons. Even the nobles that were brought up in the most pampered conditions aren’t worth crap to me. If this all that you have to say, then I have no reason to lower myself to be put on some leash and take commands from you,” I snapped at him, turning my back.
“Lucas~ what a hurtful thing to say. How could you ever compare yourself to some sort of dog tied to a leash?” He gestured by putting covering his mouth with his hands, sarcastically, like he was actually surprised.
“It seems like what I’ve heard is true. That you were a rather prideful mage that looked down on people of low birth. Did your friend, Arthur Leywin, not prove you wrong in this aspect?” The coarse voice playfully edged me on, making me stop in my tracks.
I whipped my head around. “What did you—”
