Chapter 32

  I stared blankly at my notes, most of which were copied from Meztili. My second spellcraft class had ended after extensive testing of Mrs. Abigail’s incomplete scrolls, which left Tiara and me exhausted.

  “Rex, please look here, this should be a ‘burn’ rune, not a ‘scorch’ one. The alignment of the inner ring also causes issues with the outer ring. This spell would only serve to blow your fingertips off.”

  Even while copying the notes, I still somehow messed up my formula.

  Meztili and I had left Lily after class to attend our elective class, Animal Companionship.

  Generally speaking, this class was just free marks for me and didn’t offer anything I didn’t already know. Our task was to calm a Scarlet Hare, a particularly aggressive herbivorous creature that poses no real danger due to its tiny size and lack of any offensive options. I pinched ours by the back of the neck, and it settled in my lap after all of three seconds.

  So, the rest of the class was spent with Meztili checking my understanding of magic. I’ll give her this much: she is incredibly patient with slow students.

  “Here, try writing out this one. It’s a minor illusion spell that creates an illusory double of an object.”

  She quickly and expertly drew the spell circle in my notebook and handed it back.

  “With the monster method, you can disregard 80% of the markings here. You just need the outer and inner rings and two runes.”

  She circled the only relevant runes I needed to memorise.

  “Tia still has some mana. Give it a go.”

  I sighed reluctantly and tried forming the spell. A green glowing ring appeared hovering over my palm, then a second, smaller one slowly formed.

  “Good. Now remember, ‘blur’ at the three o’clock position, and ‘optics’ at seven.”

  I started with ‘optics’ since it pretty much just looked like a lower-case ‘t’ with an extra horizontal line thrown in.

  It was so easy a child could do it.

  “...It’s gone.”

  I laughed dryly as everything I made vanished. Meztili cocked her head, trying her best to understand what I was doing wrong.

  “It was still better than yesterday.”

  She offered encouragement, apparently undeterred in her pursuit of understanding the monster method.

  We kept trying different approaches, but at the end of the lesson, I still had not crafted a successful spell circle.

  Meztili quietly made notes of her own and promised to continue helping me, then we separated as lunch came around.

  As I had a prior engagement, I went straight to the academy greenhouse and waited by the entrance. Rose had yet to arrive, but I did see another familiar face.

  “Hello, Rex.”

  “Oh, hey Fleur. What are you doing here?”

  Fleur was inside, tending to the plants and harvesting ingredients. I figured she was stocking up for her own mission.

  “Stamina potions, flashbombs, and more sticky-snare thread.”

  She raised different ingredients from her basket as she explained what they were to be used for.

  “Don’t suppose you can make any water-breathing potions for my team, could you?”

  “Yes. However, this garden is lacking any merweed to do so. It would take two weeks to grow if I were to plant some today.”

  “I’d appreciate it if you could, I’ll cover the cost.”

  She nodded, and I handed her 10 silver pieces.

  “What about you? Are you making something?”

  She stood strangely close as usual and looked at me curiously.

  “No, I’m meeting someone here. Actually, I’d appreciate it if we could have some privacy.”

  I said it as politely as I could, considering she was here first and I didn’t really have a right to ask her to leave for my convenience.

  Fleur gazed at me silently for a moment, then asked something unexpected.

  “You should be careful with romantic relations. You should choose someone of equal strength so you do not have to worry about them in dangerous situations. You would also be able to produce the optimal offspring for future generations to benefit.”

  “Huh? Fleur, I’m meeting my sister.”

  “I see. Inbreeding only holds risks after multiple gene—”

  “Holy shit, Fleur.”

  Even with her bizarrely unhinged social skills, she seemed to understand that she should stop talking when she saw my expression.

  I could not comprehend how her brain worked, and every interaction I had with her made me want to meet another elf just to find out if this was cultural or some form of social disorder unique to her.

  “I seem to have misunderstood something. I will see you later, Rex.”

  She walked away, and the moment she was out of sight, as if to take her place, Rose appeared from the opposite direction.

  “...You came.”

  She stopped a few metres from me, just a little further away than necessary.

  “Of course.”

  I waited for her to explain what we were doing here, but she silently walked past me to enter the greenhouse. After a few steps in, she stopped and called without looking back.

  “You coming?”

  “Yeah.”

  I followed from behind. Like this, we walked together, yet separately. To any onlookers, it would appear I was following her while she ignored my presence.

  Feeling it was best to let her maintain control, I kept my mouth shut the entire time. It did not escape my notice that she seemed to know exactly where she was going, and this was not meant to be a meaningless pleasant stroll.

  “Look.”

  She stopped in front of a bush of crimson flowers with green edges.

  “Do you know what this flower is?”

  She asked.

  “Yes. They’re rubyspires. Alchemically, the petals can be ground down to create a flammable powder. You can also boil them first and create fire-resistant potions.”

  “...”

  She didn’t respond to me at first, nor did she turn to face me.

  “Do you know what they symbolise in the language of flowers?”

  It wasn’t a topic I could say I cared about at all, but I started to see where this was going.

  “No. What does it symbolise?”

  “Joy after death. They’re often placed on the graves of children with the hopes that their afterlife will be filled with happy experiences. I placed these at your grave every year for four years. I refused to do it before that because I didn’t accept that you were really gone.”

  “Rose…”

  “I did it on the same day every time, too. That day is coming up in three months, do you know which one I’m talking about?”

  “...Our birthday.”

  I responded, my voice barely a whisper.

  “Yeah. That’s how I spent my birthdays since I turned 13. Crying at an empty grave for a brother who vanished without a trace.”

  She lowered her head, and I could see the subtle droplets hitting the ground by her feet. I stepped forward slowly, but held back from reaching out.

  “I wrote two letters for our family.”

  I pretended not to hear her choking back her sobs.

  “One is the same as any of my others, just an update on school life. The other talks about you.”

  She turned around. Her puffy, watering eyes looked up at me.

  “Which one should I send?”

  My sister looked like she would break any moment. I couldn’t imagine how difficult it must have been to maintain her composure. She reached into her blazer and produced two envelopes, holding them out wordlessly.

  “...Neither.”

  I pushed both of them back.

  “Let’s speak to them together. In person. I should do that much at least.”

  She clutched the envelopes tightly in her hand, and they burst into flames, their ashes scattering into the soil of the rubyspire bush.

  Thud.

  A light weight fell into my chest, and I felt my shirt growing damp. Without a word, I placed my arms around her shoulders, my hand resting on the back of her head.

  A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

  We stayed like that for some time, and an invisible weight lifted from my shoulders.

  ***

  “This still doesn’t mean I believe any of that crap you were spouting, you know?”

  “Yeah, yeah. Just keep it to yourself, would you? I don’t need some fanatic trying to burn me at the stake.”

  The atmosphere surrounding us had taken a drastic 180…

  …No. This was how we always were. We had just returned to normal.

  We had left the greenhouse, and she was showing me around the support class workshops. I had no reason previously to visit this part of the academy and had created a somewhat presumptuous image of it in my head.

  In a military academy, one would expect the fighters to receive some measure of favouritism. Thus, I thought the support class would be left in sub-standard conditions.

  I was very much incorrect.

  Looms, anvils, a forge, numerous work benches, an enchanting station, you name it, the support class had access to it.

  But Rose had something in particular she wanted to show me.

  “Here we are, my little gold mine.”

  The room she led me to was used by those focused on economics. The students working there seemed to be rather busy, as various students from all classes came and went to seek their advice. It appeared they charged a consultation fee, yet nobody seemed to have issues with it.

  “We keep up to date on the resources and flow of luxury goods within the empire and allied territories. We use that information to accurately determine the market price of various goods in different regions, then predict the price fluctuations.”

  Rose explained as she showed me a large map riddled with pins, threads, and notes.

  “Once this gets off the ground, I predict we will be able to not just profit monetarily, but use this data as a way to track the needs of the people and address them before it becomes an issue.”

  “This was your project for last month?”

  I asked, genuinely impressed at her foresight in establishing this kind of thing.

  “Yeah, obviously it’s only in the early stages. Our information network currently only accounts for Borderton and Farrowgate. We have some data for the smaller villages in the surrounding areas, but we haven't had time to flesh those out yet.”

  I noticed Redwater was also on her map. Likely everybody involved in the project was contributing what they knew about their own hometowns.

  “Mind if I have a nosy?”

  She gestured for me to go ahead, and I approached the board, reading the notes carefully.

  “You’re already aware of the trade issues with Farrowgate, I see.”

  “Oh, we were clued into that weeks ago, it’s old news.”

  “Any insider info you can give me?”

  “For your mission, you mean? Let’s see. Delilah, can you come here a minute?”

  She called over one of the students who was busy sorting through a stack of requisition forms.

  “What’s up, Rose? Oh, hello there.”

  She gave me a curtsy, one look at her manners and appearance told me she was nobility of some kind.

  “The Farrowgate issue, you were the one who procured most of our data around that, right? My brother here is heading there at the end of the month to look into it. Can you tell him anything?”

  “Brother…”

  She peered at me curiously, then a lightbulb went off in her head.

  “Ah! I remember your face now. Rex Jaeger, right?”

  As soon as she said my name, all the chatter and hurried movements around us stopped, and I felt their eyes fix on me.

  “That’s Rex? The one said to be a Druid?”

  “He’s the guy who beat Axel? I thought he’d be scarier.”

  “Didn’t the boss just call him her brother? She’s not a noble, is she?”

  The gossip began immediately, but I tactfully chose to disregard it. Instead, I asked Delilah for something specific.

  “Do you have any information regarding pollution. Maybe a strange animal corpse washing up prior to the decline of seafood exports?”

  It was a long shot, but my assessment of the report, which Professor Kuhn gave me, suggested that whatever was going on, it wasn’t the fault of the people sending the supplies out. Rather, I suspected something had happened to prevent the procurement of said goods.

  “Nothing comes to mind, no… But there was a strange rumour being shared among the merchants. They said a new player arrived in Farrowgate recently, but nobody knew who they were or what they were doing there.”

  She held her finger to her chin as she tried to recall what she knew.

  “He was described as being wealthy based on his clothing, but always kept his face covered with a veil. He showed up with some tough-looking guys but never caused any trouble or met with anyone of importance. All they were able to find out was that he went down to the docks every night with his escort, and he would carry an ornate-looking black box.”

  “And this was before the shortages?”

  “Yes, I’m sure of it. The man vanished one day and never spoke a word to anyone. It was all very odd.”

  “Ok, it’s worth asking about while I’m there, I suppose. Thank you.”

  “Before you go, there is one more thing I can do to help you.”

  She returned to the desk she had been sitting at earlier and pulled out a piece of parchment and an envelope. As she began writing, she continued talking to me.

  “My Father is a knight stationed at Farrowgate, Marcus Connor. Take this letter to him and tell him Delilah asked for your help. He has some pull around there and should be willing to give you a hand. From what he tells me, Farrowgate tends to be quite proud of their self-sufficiency, the locals probably won’t like having the empire scrutinising their inner workings.”

  She poured some wax onto the envelope and sealed it with the signet ring on her middle finger before handing it to me.

  “He stays in a high-class establishment called ‘The Ocean View’.”

  “I'll speak to him. Thanks for the help.”

  “Don’t mention it, you can always make it up to me in Pegasir.”

  She flashed me a wink, but I didn’t understand what she was insinuating. She returned to her task without clarifying, but the way Rose cooed in amazement suggested she understood.

  “Look at you, playboy.”

  She punched me playfully in the arm.

  “Huh? What happens in Pegasir?”

  Pegasir was the eighth month of the Gaian calendar; we were currently in the second month, Phoenixtide.

  “You don’t know? There’s a big fancy ball held in the capital. Delilah must have a high opinion of you if she thinks you’ll be invited to attend.”

  She mused to herself, then gave me a sly smile and whispered conspiratorially.

  “Her family is reasonably wealthy, it’s not a bad idea to seduce the next heir.”

  Was there something in the water at Borderton? What was with the girls and these weird comments.

  ***

  That night, Rose stuck with me as Leon and I workshopped formations and tactics for our team in the chamite dorm.

  “If I knew the accommodations would be so different, I would have tried harder to reach diamond.”

  Leon mused as he admired the spacious building. Even though Axel, Fleur, and Lloyd were in the same room, we each still had enough space to enjoy our own activities.

  “If you catch Professor Kuhn’s eye, you could find yourself in chamite instead.”

  I set up a chessboard between us with the intention of using the pieces to represent our team members.

  “Unfortunately, he already knows all there is to know about my family, I don’t have anything interesting to offer him.”

  Leon took the two kings and placed them on either end of a formation of six pawns.

  “Who’re the kings?”

  Rose jumped in.

  “Us. The pawns are the others.”

  I watched as Leon arranged the remaining pieces around to simulate an ambush scenario. Then I shifted the formation so the two kings were in the back.

  “A defensive approach?”

  He eyed me curiously.

  “No. Two separate formations.”

  “Rejected.”

  Leon flicked two of the pawns over.

  “Lily and Meztili would be too open, their support would be useless to both sides.”

  “Hm… You’re right.”

  This continued as we took turns demonstrating a formation while the other highlighted the flaws. This way, we could constantly improve and tweak things and hopefully adapt to any scenario.

  “Is that fun for you guys?”

  Rose was visibly bored. I wasn’t really sure why she insisted on tagging along after hearing I was meeting with Leon.

  “Yes. Rex’s view on combat is unorthodox. It’s wildly different from what Father taught me growing up.”

  “Likewise.”

  I murmured, analysing his latest setup.

  “Well, that’s fine, I guess. Say, Leon, you wouldn’t happen to know how much ore your family mines produce, would you?”

  “What? No, not off the top of my head. Those kinds of logistics are handled by servants.”

  He didn’t pay much attention, but I realised something in that moment.

  My sister was an opportunistic money-grubber.

  The door opened, and in walked Meztili on her own.

  “Tilly? Weren’t you and Lily supposed to be running drills with the others?”

  I asked.

  “Lily never showed up. In fact, I came here to find her.”

  “Well, she’s not here. I haven’t seen her since class.”

  Fleur looked up from the kitchen counter as she finished brewing her tea.

  “I saw her in town when I went out to buy the merweed for you. She wasn’t in her uniform.”

  Our reactions weren’t particularly drastic. It’s not like any of us considered her a diligent student, so skipping classes was hardly a surprise.

  Still, she would be a fundamental member of the team as a particularly versatile support mage. I made a mental note to crack down on her starting tomorrow.

  ***

  In the town of Borderton, there were very few issues with criminal activity. The town was too new to have any established organisations sticking their fingers in places, and the presence of the academy alone served as a reminder that a large portion of the population consisted of skilled fighters. Only a moron would stir up trouble in such a place.

  Thus, Lily of Ashenport hummed happily to herself as she strolled through the dark alleyways. Even if some vagrant were to try anything, all the shadows there would rush to her defence the moment she was in danger.

  Lily wore her casual clothing that night, a black dress and stockings with her favourite violet flower pin hairband. She took great pride in the occasional glances that were thrown her way by the male population on the main streets. Her cute appearance had disarmed many an unsuspecting victim in the past, and it was good to know she hadn’t lost that edge.

  She rounded the corner to a dead end and approached a certain indistinct brick wall.

  Humming all the while, she delicately traced her fingertip in graceful arcs, then stepped back and waited.

  She then turned on her heel and went down a different path, thinking about all the fun activities she had planned.

  She came to another wall, and this time traced some invisible lines on the ground in front of it with the tip of her shoes, looking like a twirling ballerina under the moonlit stars.

  Again, nothing happened. She made her way back to the first wall and knocked three times.

  Immediately, the bricks sank inwards, as if being sucked into a black hole. The hole did not reveal the interior of the mundane dwelling that should be behind the wall, but instead showed a swirling black void.

  Lily hummed happily and hopped through the portal, closing immediately behind her.

  “Helloooo!”

  She called out in her sing-song voice. The glowing eyes that stared at her from the darkness merely glared in response, but a regal male voice responded from above.

  “Report.”

  Simple. To the point. This was the only way this man ever spoke to Lily despite her antics.

  “No news about the rebels, but I happened across something much more interesting.”

  “Speak. Do not waste my time.”

  She shivered at his warning. Even she knew better than to get on the wrong side of this person.

  “Right. There’s a student who claims to know the truth of the afterlife.”

  A pause in the empty darkness. The eyes shifted like ominous red lights, and finally, the voice continued.

  “Are they credible?”

  “He mentioned the Primordials. He said he wants to return divinity to the world and remove the gods.”

  Again, silence bore down on Lily. It felt like the man’s will had forbidden any other noise from interrupting his thoughts. And given his identity, that was a very real possibility.

  “Get close to them. I’ll be visiting in two months to see for myself. In the meantime, keep them safe.”

  “I will do my best, as always. He goes by Rex Jaeger, but he was born Rex of Redwater, declared deceased six years ago.”

  The voice did not respond, but a portal opened next to her. It was a wordless indication that she was dismissed.