—
"Was this a good idea?" Seraphine asks as she first watches Daniel. And then a minute or so later, Relkin stomp off. "I doubt Professor Drauve will take this lying down. I'm sure that in the next meeti-"
Seraphine paused as she turned to Malrik. Shock passed over her face as she noticed how drained Malrik suddenly looked. He was sweating. And his face was flushed. Like he had a fever.
"Wha-" She reaches out instinctively. To help. To steady. To do something. But she is quickly brushed off by Malrik as he straightens up again. "It's nothing. I'm just nearly out of mana." He mentions casually.
Like it was something that just happens sometimes. Seraphine, however, knew better. Malrik was someone with immense Mana reserves. He had a ten-star magic potential. He was undoubtedly one of the strongest mages on all of Draumond. Easily in the top three.
For him to run out of Mana meant that he must have used an incredibly powerful and complex spell over a long period of time. Or he would have had to defend with a high complexity spell against an attack of equal power.
But there was no such thing to her knowledge. All she saw Malrik do was hold that student in place for a few seconds. "Wait. Don't tell me th-"
Her question is answered before she can finish asking it. "I didn't think just holding him in place would burn through my mana so quickly. He really is something else." Malrik muses as he breathes deeply and recovers his strength.
Everything fell into place in Seraphine's mind. The spell that Malrik had used to freeze the student in place was neither a Motus, Gravitasl, nor a Chronomancy spell. No. That would have been too easy and simple for a Man like Malrik.
It was a spell of the Vinculum school. That esoteric school of magic that governs relationships between things, such as the soul. It's all about magical contracts, oaths, tethering, leashing spirits and connecting minds or fates.
Malrik had tried to hold the student in place by freezing not his body but his soul. It was a high-level spell in the school of Nexus called Animae Stasis. Designed to freeze the body by stopping the soul from moving.
"Malrik! How could you do something so dangerous to a student?!?" It was an incredibly dangerous spell. One wrong line in the circle and it might leave the soul damaged. So Seraphine's anger was very much warranted.
Malrik could have hurt the student. Severely. "I can't believe you. Was this because he said he would fight you if he had to?" Seraphine tears into Malrik. Who looks at her with a confused expression.
An expression that sets her off even more. "Don't give me that look. This is well beyond what is appropriate. You know this. One wrong move and y-""Nothing would have happened." Malrik interrupts her with a raised hand and a sure tone.
But it's not enough to placate her. Not this time. What Malrik did was really dangerous and irresponsible. "How could y-"
"I couldn't even so much as scratch his soul if I tried." Malrik interrupts her again. Thought this time he continues before she can say anything. Making her close her mouth as she listens. "You don't understand, Seraphine. You don't see what I do."
Malrik explains with a sigh. Bringing up the fact that he sees the world differently than others do because of his absolute mastery of certain schools of magic that others struggle with. "You don't see his soul. How powerful it is. How strong it is."
Of course, Seraphine knew that Malrik had a reason to keep his eye on this particular student. But hearing him talk like this was fascinating and surprising regardless. "It's like the Sun." Malrik rarely showed any interest in other people.
"It burns with such intense ferocity that even holding it is like trying to stop a raging wildfire with your bare hands. I can't even begin to imagine how anyone would damage it." And his explanation finally shows her why he is so interested in that student.
Vinculum magic was always one of Malrik's specialities. Of course, a student with a soul as powerful as what he described would catch his interest. It all made sense now.
Why he had risked upsetting the status quo for a single student. Why he was so vehement to have him attend the school. It was, as always, to feed his own curiosity.
The sigh that escaped Seraphine was long and drawn out. Tired and annoyed. Though she was also a little happy that Malrik finally showed some interest in the student body. Maybe she could finally make him take on a more active role in caring for the next generation.
But even if she was happy about him finally taking an interest in the students. Or well. One student. It wasn't all good. Today showed as much.
"Even so. Is he worth it? Is he worth upsetting the status quo? Is he worth being at odds with the noble faction? He doesn't have a high magical potential. And he is barely scraping by in class. And even that only because of the points you gifted him."
A little grin stole onto Malrik's lips at her words. That grin that Seraphine knew so well. It was that grin that he always wore when he was planning something. "Oh. You have no idea. I believe that he will change the world one day." He explains while wiping some sweat from his brow with a handkerchief.
The fact that Malrik believed that one kid with middling grades and hardly any magical potential could really change the world was absurd, of course.
But before Seraphine could point this out, Malrik continues. "Also. Don't you think this is a good chance?" His question confused Seraphine. "What do you mean?"
Malrik let out a little snort at her confusion. "Hm. This whole thing. It's the perfect situation to put some people who have been overstepping back into their place." He explains as he wipes the last of the sweat off him. Straightening up again.
Once again, looking composed and ready. Like the figure of authority he is supposed to be. "We have eye witnesses of clear favouritism from a Professor towards a certain part of the student body." Malrik points to the two school staff members who have lingered near the door all this time.
So quiet that even Seraphine almost forgot about them. But she did not forget about the fact that this favouritism went both ways. It wasn't just Relkin trying to curry favour with the nobles. "Yes. But you have also shown clear favouritism. And I'm sure that Relkin will tell everyone about it. He is probably scheming to form some reprimand against you right now."
Seraphine's reply only made Malrik's grin grow even more. More bold. More sinister. Like he already knew he was going to get his way. "True. But have you forgotten who I am? And more importantly. Who my sworn brother is?"
It takes a moment for Seraphine to fully realise what Malrik was planning. But when it clicks, her jaw drops a little. It takes her a moment to recover. To formulate a proper response. "You can't possibly involve the crown in this matter."
Malrik just shrugs at her incredulous words. "Why shouldn't I? The one behind all of this is also another member of a Royal Family." He replies nonchalantly. Like he was merely discussing the weather with her.
Like he hadn't just revealed some information that made the situation a hundred times more delicate and dangerous. "Besides. I feel like people have started to forget who owns this school. It's time I put them back in their place a little."
Seraphine was left opening and closing her mouth like a fish on dry land for a few seconds. Trying to come up with some kind of response to deter Malrik from going forward with this plan. "S- Sir." She stammered before closing her mouth again.
Because it was already too late. After all. Once Malrik sets his mind on something. He won't back down. She knew that better than anyone.
She knew that soon there would be a clash between the two factions in the school. A clash that would involve two royal families that have always been at odds with each other.
A clash that could potentially lead to war. And all of that over one single student. Who wasn't even aware of what was going on. Too busy just trying to make it through classes without failing.
—
I had really begun to think I would be left alone. At least for today. However, before I can even really finish my homework, I hear a knock at my door. A knock I was planning on ignoring. I assumed it was another prank.
"Adept Blackwell." But then a voice comes from the other side of the door. A serious and mature voice. Not one that I knew. So with a quirked eyebrow, I get up from my desk and walk over to the door. To see who it could be.
And as it turns out, it was one of the school staff. A handsome man in his mid-thirties with short black hair and piercing blue eyes. He wore a butler uniform and carried himself as one.
Yet knowing what I know about the school staff now. He seemed more like a soldier carrying out orders. And with orders, he came indeed. He handed me a stack of papers. "Read them carefully." And then, with some blunt words, he was gone.
Leaving me standing at the door with the stack of papers in hand. Papers that detailed my punishment. "Bruh." And oh boy, what a punishment it was.
I thought I got off easy. And in a sense, I am. I'm not expelled or forced to go to some penal colony up north. But seven hundred and twenty hours of community service isn't exactly a light punishment either.
`They don't really expect me to squeeze in two hours of manual labour between everything else I have to do, right?` Despite my thoughts, it sure seemed like that was the case.
Or rather. They expected me to do more than that. Because the papers detailed, I was not allowed to leave Eidralore before I worked those hours off. Unless I wanted to be expelled from the academy.
"How the fuck do they expect me to do that before summer break rolls around?" Sure. There were other short breaks throughout the year. We had a two-week winter break. And other days off peppered throughout the year.
But Summer break was when I was supposed to go back home. To meet my parents. To tell them the truth.
`Should I write them a letter to tell them that I might not be able to go home during summer break?` I ponder before an idea pops into my head. "Hold on. I don't need to tell them anything. I can make it through this punishment before summer break rolls around." `The other breaks from school we get might just be what I need to do this.`
First, I try to calculate things in my head. But I quickly give that up. To go grab pen and paper to write my thoughts out. To write down my plans.
"If I use the breaks and the weekends between the breaks, I should be able to do the community service without having to do anything during the week." I muse while counting up how many days off I have that I could spend working off my hours.
Fortunately for my calculations, the game devs made the year three hundred and sixty-five days long. And while the months might have different names. They were still essentially the same as back on Earth.
The first month of the year was called Veltharion. The second Sirethar. Then in order Elyndris, Ovelian, Rahzilar, Norexen, Calyrian, Verakos, Thalmyra, Asterin, Cryndrel, Myrvalon.
"They really just named them after the stars, didn't they?" It wasn't only the months that had different names. The weekdays did too. They were Molyn, Thelisar, Wistereth, Tyrion, Falara, Savion and last but not least Salythen.
Of course, I haven't been referring to them as such. To me, they will always be the days and months from back on earth. I refuse to call Wednesday Wistereth. Not only was that name a mouthful, but it also just sounds stupid in my own ears.
I slap my forehead with both hands to refocus repeatedly. "Godamm. Bruh. Focus. We gotta do this math real quick." To get back to what I actually wanted to do.
"So…" I hum as I think it out. `It's been almost a month since school started. Considering Summer break is two months. I have about nine left over. If I work every weekend, I get seventy-two days in all.`
"Wait." Considering I had seventy-two days in total with just the weekends, I could easily do this. I'd just have to work ten hours every Saturday and Sunday, and I could get through my punishment no problem.
I was just about to start celebrating when reality stabs me in the back cruelly. When I remember that I don't have Saturdays off.
"Ah. Fuck. Almost forgot about that." In fact, I have to decide on my elective classes soon anyway. And they'll end up consuming my Saturdays in the future.
Not only that. But they'll keep going even during the breaks we get.
It's expected of students to use their breaks in a useful manner if they stay at school. Even the students who go home for breaks must later prove to the academy that their time was spent wisely.
Which means I can basically forget about Saturdays. Since you have to spend at least six hours with your elective classes. And if you don't. Well. You lose points. Or get expelled if things get bad enough.
So I cannot afford to skip on my elective classes. "Hmm." Which means it's back to the drawing board for me. To do my math again.
`If I still do ten hours on Sundays. Then four on Saturdays and Fridays. That would still leave me with about 70 hours. I could easily work that off during the breaks.` That was my plan for the future.
My plan to get through my punishment in less than a year. Without having to compromise on what I do during the week.
Until I kept reading the stack of papers. Which I really should have finished first. Because they threw a little wrench in my plan. In my calculations.
Because, as it turns out, there were only a few places I was allowed to work said hours off. And none of them were inside the school. They were dotted around the city instead. Most of them in the southern district.
`Bruh.` Which in turn meant I had to also calculate getting there into my times. "The furthest one is a whole hour on foot away." And I was talking about jogging there. If I walked at a slow pace, I would take two or three. The city was huge after all.
"Okay, so that one is out." I would have actually preferred to do the one furthest away. Because it was work that had to do with the City Guard. The ones stationed at the Southern Gate.
Where Keldric worked. And where the chance of seeing Myra and the others wasn't low.
I would have done whatever there, too. Cleaning toilets. Polishing armour and weapons. Filling sandbags. Or even cleaning the whole barracks with a toothbrush for the chance to see them again.
"No. You know what? Fuck it. We ball." Thinking about the chance to see Myra and the others again, I decided to instead of doing the logical thing, choose the place furthest away.
Even if it did mean I had to run two hours to and from there every day. All I had to change about my plans was when to set off on the days I went there to work, of my hours.
"It's just that shrimple." Of course, my optimism alone will not carry me through this. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I was already aware that the future would not be easy.
That, for the next few months, I will be running on fumes. But it's not like I could think of anything else without being at odds with myself. So I'll just have to grit my teeth and bear with it.