Beckoning Fates, page 15
“This door seems different from all the other ones.” I turned my head back to compare.
“Yes. Director Goodsky seems to place quite a bit of emphasis on your training.” She gave me a charming smile.
“Yet she didn’t even bother to tell my class who their new professor was,” I muttered under my breath.
“Excuse me?” The lady tilted her head in confusion.
“Ah, nothing. So how do I open this?” I asked. Sylvie had jumped off my head and was excitedly hopping in place in front of the double doors.
“If you place either of your palms against the door, it will open automatically. If you need any further assistance, there is a communication device inside which you can use to contact me. If you are hungry, I can also send someone over to bring you some food.” She bowed, waiting for me to open the door.
I raised my hand, ready to open the door. “Thank you. What was your name?”
“Please call me Chloe. I wish you a fruitful training session,” she said.
“Got it. Thanks again, Chloe.” I turned back and placed my right hand on the double doors. With a loud engine-like noise, the area where I placed my palm glowed and streams of light branched out. Eventually, the light dimmed and the door slid open to reveal a room that was much different from what I had imagined.
I turned my head back but Chloe was already gone. Sylvie had run into the room before I could object, so I took a cautious step forward. I peered into the room, the sudden brightness compared to the dim light of the hall making me squint and raise a hand to shield my eyes. My vision soon adjusted and, as I lowered my hand, I spotted a familiar figure, fidgeting in place as Sylvie scurried up her leg.
Whether it was the sparkling brightness inside the room or the fact that this room looked more like a huge natural wonder than a training facility, my childhood friend looked stunning. Tess stood before me, wearing a loose white training robe and cuddling her cheek against Sylvie, who was perched on her shoulder.
“Hi,” Tess said. She kept her head lowered as she cast her eyes up at me.
I stepped forward as the door closed behind me. The floor underneath me was grass, and there was a large pond with a waterfall as well. Huge boulders and trees surrounded us, making me feel as if I were in a dream. Snapping out of my momentary daze, I scratched my head with the hand that wasn’t holding Dawn’s Ballad.
“Hey, Tess.” I smiled awkwardly.
“Should we get started?” Tess put Sylvie down on the ground before she shyly began removing her robe.
“Wait, what? Get started with what?” I almost tripped backward as I saw her bare shoulders.
“The assimilation. Grandpa told me it would work better with less clothes in the way.” I looked away as the robe slipped from her shoulders. When nothing happened, I glanced back. Tess’s face was bright red, but I was relieved to see that she wasn’t entirely nude; gauze strips coved her chest.
Ah, right… the assimilation… Wait, what?
I wasn’t sure whether to blame Gramps for his misleading message or Tess for her excessive enthusiasm.
“Assuming that’s even true, I’m sure he didn’t mean to get stark naked.” I covered my eyes with my hand.
“Shut up! How was I supposed to—” Tess fell to her knees with a moan, her face a mask of pain.
I moved as quickly as my injured body would let me, putting Dawn’s Ballad back into my dimension ring as I went. Kneeling down next to her, I placed my palm on her warm, pale back. I felt her body tremble in pain, and I was taken aback by how frail she looked. Although she was a powerful mage, physically she was still a skinny thirteen-year-old girl.
Removing the seal from my wrist, I willed mana into Tess’s body. Using all four elements, I controlled the mana to spread throughout her body, counteracting the mana coming from the elderwood guardian’s beast will. What Virion had done while I was assimilating had just eased my pain, but by using a balanced mixture of mana from all four elements, I was able to essentially help Tess’s body fight against the beast will. I had never tested this, but it was based on the same principles I had used to help awaken Lilia and my sister.
Her ragged breathing soon calmed, and her trembling stilled as she began panting with relief. After I gently lifted her robe to cover her, I walked over to the pond and splashed my face with cold water.
I needed to calm myself down.
After a few moments, I felt my heartbeat slowing down, but I reacted again when I heard Tess making her way to me, Sylvie trotting behind her.
Squatting down next to me, she stared at me as if she wanted to say something, her flushed, tired face still sparkling. After a moment of hesitation, she spoke in a firm voice.
“Art, can we talk?”
60
Romantic Idiot
“Art, can we talk?” she asked, her gaze locking onto mine.
“Sure. It seems like there’s a third party at work here trying to make us talk anyway.” I sat back, leaning on my arms, my face dripping with the fresh water.
“About the kiss—are you mad?” Tess’s face was bright red, revealing how nervous she was despite her terse expression.
“I’m not mad. I was surprised, but I’m not mad.” I would’ve been lying if I said I hadn’t realized that Tess had feelings for me since all the way back when I lived with her in Elenoir.
There was a brief silence where I could tell Tess was waiting for me to say something, but I didn’t know what to say at that moment.
If it were as simple as choosing between liking or disliking Tess, of course I leaned heavily toward the former, but this situation wasn’t as black and white as that. I knew it wasn’t unheard of for children, especially royalty, to marry at the age of thirteen or fourteen, but there was another factor that came into play here: I could only see this girl in front of me as a child.
I held back the urge to let out a deep breath.
I had to question the use of being so experienced in fighting and politics when I didn’t even know where to start when it came to something as basic as love—or whatever this was.
“Arthur, what are you thinking about?” She leaned closer, her brows furrowing more deeply. The intensity with which she was staring at me made me uncomfortable, but this issue wasn’t something I could keep pushing aside.
“Tess, we’ve known each other since I was four. The first time I saw you, you were being kidnapped. After I saved you your parents were kind enough to let me stay in your castle. It was all kind of intense. And our families get along, but…” I took a deep breath.
“I don’t understand what you’re trying to say.” Tess had an impatient look on her face.
“Tess, we’re still so young. I mean, I’m only twelve and you’ve barely turned thirteen. I know it’s not weird for a girl your age to get married since you’re royalty, but I mean, I don’t have that background.” I realized I was stuttering a bit.
“Art, I know you well enough and right now, you’re just making excuses. You and I both know I didn’t mean we should get married right away. I… I just want things to progress. Even back in Elenoir, you always treated me like I was younger than you. It’s been almost eight years since then, Art… I have a lot to learn, but I don’t consider myself such a child anymore.” Her stern gaze softened as she tried to reason with me.
“It’s because I’ve known you since we were both children that it’s harder for me to see you as anything more—at least right now, Tess. And it hasn’t even been that long since we reconnected after such a long time apart.” I could hear my arguments sounding more and more like petty excuses, but I stood my ground.
Tess’s hair covered her face as she looked at the ground. She suddenly sprang to her feet, her face red and tense, as if on the verge of tears.
“So you’re telling me that, all this time, you haven’t once thought of me as anything more than a childhood friend?” she asked through pursed lips.
I averted my eyes, unable to meet her gaze.
I didn’t know how to respond. Of course there had been times when I’d had to ask myself if I was reciprocating the feelings Tess had for me back then, but my conscience had firmly stopped me. While I had spent twelve years in this body, acting—for the most part—my age, I still had memories of the near-forty years I had spent in my previous life. I had memories of the children at the orphanage where I had grown up calling me ‘Uncle’ when I visited, and I couldn’t help but picture Tess as one of those kids.
“I see,” she whispered, taking my silence as the answer. She whipped around and stomped off toward the door of the training facility.
As she opened the door, she said without turning around, “You know, Arthur, you’re so confident about so many things—magic, fighting, using your brain. You’re so confident in all these things you do because you’re good at them. But you know what? There are things you’re not good at. You’re not good at confronting your feelings. You always put on a mask and pretend you’re happy or unaffected when you can’t handle a certain situation. I think in that sense, you’re a lot less mature than you make yourself out to be. You’re just using your confidence in your strengths to mask your insecurities about the things you know you’re not good at.”
The door closed behind her, and I was left with an eerie silence that not even the sound of the waterfall could cover.
‘Papa’s a dummy.’ Sylvie curled up a few yards away, turning her back to me.
I sat in front of the pond, stunned by Tess’s last words. I had to admit that in some ways, maybe she was more mature than I was. Even in my past life, aside from being a great fighter, I wasn’t a very impressive man. I had the charisma and character to appeal to the masses, but when it came to interpersonal relationships, I considered myself mediocre on a good day. I grew up avoiding long-lasting relationships, seeing them as nothing more than a burden that could eventually be used against me. In order to be the best, I had to have no weaknesses, and having a lover would have eventually led to my demise.
I’d come to realize this even more strongly since coming into this world. Having a family that I would happily die for reminded me of how truly weak I was. If someone were to kidnap any one of my family members, no matter how strong I personally was, I would be at their beck and call.
The thought of having a lover, someone I could call my other half, was a wonderful thing, but it was also something that truly scared me.
After clipping the bracelet that sealed my fire- and water-attributes back onto my arm, I made my way back to the surface and headed toward my next class. How was I supposed to face Tess in my Team Fighting Mechanics class? Even Sylvie was pouting on top of my head because I’d made Tess angry.
“Good to have you back, Art.” Claire ran up to me and gave me a firm slap on the back, making me stagger a bit.
“Are you feeling better?” Curtis asked when he caught up to us, Grawder following behind him.
“I’ll probably have to sit out for a few more classes, but I’m okay,” I replied, giving him a weak smile as we arrived at the field.
“Good to see you walking, Mr. Leywin!” Professor Glory beamed when she spotted the three of us. She had begun to walk over to us when a rather malicious intent sent a chill down my spine.
Looking back over my shoulder, I spotted Lucas, a harsh look on his face as he took big, confident strides toward us.
I matched my gaze to his, neither of us looking away as he approached me. Grabbing my shirt by the collar, he pulled me close to his face.
“I think we need a rematch.” His effeminate face was twisted into a vicious scowl, his nose only a few inches away from mine.
With my face stone cold and my eyes locked to his, I replied, “This is a pretty rude way to ask for something.” I gripped his wrist hard enough to make his hand lose strength, but I didn’t stop there. I surged a blast of mana at the boy, making his knees give out.
Grimacing in pain, Lucas mumbled inaudibly and conjured orange flames with his free palm, ready to fire at me.
“That’s enough!” Professor Glory roared as she shoved her sheathed sword between us.
“Arthur, go rest in the viewing platform. You’re not to take part in any activities in this class until you’re fully healed—Director Goodsky’s orders. As for you, Lucas, you need to calm down. Whether you want to settle your petty grudge with a fight or with a hug, do it after Arthur is fully healed. Now is not the time.” She let out a sigh as she nudged me toward the viewing platform. I headed back with a begrudging nod, trying not to let my limp show.
As I walked, my eyes unconsciously searched for Tess, but she was nowhere to be found. “Professor Glory, where’s Princess Tessia?”
“She stopped by not too long before you came, saying she wasn’t feeling well. She said she would make up class somehow, but she seemed off so Clive took her back to her dorm. Why? Did you need her for something?” Professor Glory asked.
I shook my head. “Just wondering.”
“You can get up to the viewing platform without starting another fight, right? Just rest up for a couple more days.” She placed a gentle hand on my shoulder before running back off toward the rest of the class.
I watched the class split up into teams, assuming specific formations to confront various circumstances. In scenarios like sieging, conjurers played a crucial role, so augmenters got into a much more defensive position, focusing solely on protecting the long-range casters. In scenarios where guerilla fights were necessary, only one or two augmenters remained close to the conjurer as the rest went off on their own.
We were only a week into class so it was very basic, but it was obvious that Professor Glory knew what she was doing. The class grasped the lessons well and even managed to have fun. It was a nice sight to see but my mind strayed off to the scene with Tess. I didn’t regret the things I had said, but I had to question whether I had actually said them well.
My next class was the one I was looking forward to the most: Deviant Magic Theory. Our professor, Professor Drywell, placed utmost importance on covering the basics first, so to my dismay, even after a week had passed, she was barely addressing the foundation of deviant magic.
“Whenever deviant magic is involved, the mana cost of even simple spells increases significantly. Why do you think that is? It’s because deviant magic, as its name indicates, is deviant from the natural elemental mana pool that is available in our world. The mana that surrounds us is made up of only fire, wind, earth, and water mana. Deviant magic, which comes from the higher forms of these four elements, has a much greater cost compared to the four original elements because there is no such thing as lightning, plant, gravity, metal, magma, sound, or ice mana surrounding us in the atmosphere. In order to produce these phenomena in our spells, we must be able to directly alter their parent element and manipulate it into its deviant form.” Professor Drywell was a very aged lady, and although she seemed like a nice quiet grandmother, she never stopped talking.
“But Professor,” an older girl spoke up, “gravity, lightning, metal, magma, sound, plants, and ice all exist naturally in our world as well. So why doesn’t our world produce these types of mana?”
“Good question, young one. Honestly, no one knows for sure why that is. Many mana theorists believe that because a certain set of conditions must be met for those deviant elements to occur, mana directly correlated to them does not exist,” Professor Drywell explained as she paced around the lecture hall. “Then there are always exceptions such as fire, which certainly does not just spontaneously manifest without cause. Perhaps that is why most mages believe fire to be the highest form of normal magic, because it is so close to being deviant magic itself.
“Deviant magic that strays even further from the four main forms of elemental mana in our world comes at even a greater cost. All of you know what emitters are—they are healers, essentially. The mana that they utilize does not fall under the category of water, earth, fire, or wind. Instead, I would dare say that there exists a holy element—or light element, to be more accurate. Emitters gain little benefit from absorbing mana from the atmosphere because there is no light-element mana in our world. Instead, they work to condense and purify the mana that forms in their mana core so that even when less mana is used, there is still a substantial effect on their spells.” I could tell Professor Drywell was running out of steam because her voice was getting breathier.
After she finished the day’s lesson, we had a short Q&A session, but no one really had any questions to ask—perhaps out of fear that the class would never finish. Eventually, Professor Drywell released us and I trudged on to my last class, Spell Formations I.
Most of the students in this class were conjurers, but some of the smarter augmenters also knew they could improve their skills by taking the course. Our teacher, Professor Mayner, was a scholarly-looking man who wore a monocle and, over his suit, a white gown. His hair was parted down the middle, and his mustache was well-trimmed
“Welcome, students. I was notified by Director Goodsky that a student named Arthur Leywin will begin joining us for class, am I correct?” He looked around, his monocle catching the glare from the light in the classroom.
“Yes, I’m Arthur Leywin. A pleasure to be here.” I gave a small bow and he nodded in approval.
“Very well. You did not miss anything too important, Mr. Leywin. We were going over the different types of spell formations, from individual spell incantations to group spell formations. Care to tell us what you know about spell formations?” He adjusted his monocle as he approached me, his back straight.
“To my knowledge, spell formations are the conjoining and/or altering of basic spells and skills in order to produce a different effect, whether that be to the user himself, or the specific point in space the spell was invoked,” I answered.
“A most solid answer indeed, Mr. Leywin. Very good.” He clapped his hands once, then went back to the front of the class where he began the lesson.
