The group reached central campus with little time to spare. Luckily, it seemed that a number of the students had planned on being fashionably late, so they blended in with the slow moving crowd that was approaching the venue.
Circular tables, capable of seating groups of eight, had been set up in a wide grassy area, and a small army of servants went around providing the students with refreshments prior to the actual meal. A raised platform with an erected podium stood on one side, suggesting that a speech would be part of the festivities.
At the moment it seemed like the students were mostly talking in small groups, the event taking on the air of a upscale social gathering.
"I guess this is where we mingle." Mike said uncertainly, looking around.
Sera pulled his arm, to ensure she had his attention. "Alright, think of this as a test run for tomorrow. You are supposed to be the head of our household, which in noble society means you need to act with dignity and restraint. Try to remain calm at all times, don't say anything embarrassing to anyone important, and whatever you do, don't get into any duels."
Brenden chuckled, "I think that last bit is going to be hard for him. I'm honestly surprised he doesn't end up getting attacked by monsters every time he leaves the dorm."
"Hey! I'm not the one who got into a brawl yesterday." He replied, slightly annoyed by the exaggeration.
The Oracle pulled his arm again. "Focus. You need to avoid reacting like that. It will only show weakness."
"Alright, alright. I'll be careful." He assured her, before spotting a familiar face. "Now if you excuse me, I'm going to go say hi to an acquaintance."
He walked up to the callow young man who was trying to hide himself in the shadow of a nearby tree. "Hey, Edgar. I didn't expect to see you at an event like this."
The dhampyr jumped at the sound of his name, but relaxed when he saw Mike. "I normally wouldn't be attending this kind of thing, but my advisor said it was required…" He trailed off while looking at his feet.
Mike realized that the other students nearby were whispering quietly amongst themselves, while shooting glances at the pair of them. It seems his attempt at a friendly greeting had only made Edgar the center of attention.
"Sorry about this. I figured I would say hello, since I saw you." He explained.
Edgar was wringing his hands in an anxious manner. "Please do not apologize. It's really your reputation that will be affected by association with me. If anything I need to apologize.
"Don't worry about it. I have the bad habit of becoming a target for rumors anyway." He replied while waving it off.
A woman's voice, amplified by magic, rang out over the gathering. "Attention students and guests, please make your way to your seats. The meal will begin shortly."
"Alright, I'm heading over to join my friends. Do you already have a seat?" Mike asked.
Edgar brightened momentarily, before returning to his gloomy self. "I…..do…" He said quietly.
[Probably plans on hiding somewhere until the event is over with, to avoid causing me trouble.]
Looking at the uncomfortable young noble, he was reminded a little of his past self. Although he never had to face Edgar's level of persecution, he'd spent most of his life as a loner. He had discovered that there were few things more miserable than being alone in a crowd.
"Want to sit with us? I think we have room." Mike said, scanning the crowd to locate his companions. It looked like they had set up on a table near the rear edge of the gathering.
"Are you sure? I wouldn't want to cause you any trouble…" Edgar asked, with a hint of suppressed hope in his voice.
Wrapping an arm around the dhampyr's shoulders, Mike pulled him along. "It's fine. Trust me, I get into all kinds of trouble regardless of who I associate with. Hanging out with you shouldn't make any difference."
He halfway dragged the young man over to the table, and made him take a seat. Mike was surprised to see Aine and Rebecca sitting next to his friends.
There were only three open seats, so he chose one next to Sera for himself and placed Edgar on his right. As soon as he sat down, Sera rounded on him angrily. "What's this I hear about you being attacked by this redhead?"
Swallowing nervously, he replied. "I wouldn't really call it an attack. It was more like a heated argument that went a little too far."
Aine broke in quietly, trembling slightly and unable to meet Mike's gaze. "I lost control of my temper, and I had every intention of attacking you, before you…..stopped me. I can only apologize for my indiscretion."
Edgar was looking between the two parties in a slightly panicked manner, as if he didn't know what he should be doing.
"Why didn't you tell us about this?" Sera hissed at him, clearly upset. Brenden, on the other hand, looked mildly amused by the whole situation, and Tal appeared impassive.
"You were busy, besides it wasn't that big of a deal." He whispered back, before clearing his throat and addressing his classmates. "Although you may have been the first to act, I am not without fault in this matter. I suggest we let bygones be bygones, and start fresh. Would that be acceptable?"
[Didn't I already have this conversation with Rebecca? Why is it coming up again?]
He looked over at the quiet woman, and was surprised to see a slightly mischievous expression on her face. Clearly, she had engineered this for some reason.
Aine blinked at him, as if taken aback by his response. Finally she nodded, looking more confident now. "If that is alright with you, I would like that."
Sera sighed, knuckling her temples in a manner that suggested a developing headache. "We'll talk about this later. Anyway, would you care to introduce us to your acquaintances?"
Mike went around the table, giving introductions. There was a flash of calculation in Rebecca's expression when he used their last names. He realized his mistake afterwards, since his classmates had never mentioned their full names. He concluded with Edgar, who for once seemed rather upbeat.
[He must be starved for social interaction.]
Lunch was served soon afterwards, which proved to be as delicious. Brenden ate with a relish, getting seconds on several occasions. The others were less gluttonous, but nevertheless looked immensely satisfied. Sera even started dozing in her chair.
He looked around the area, and seeing that most of the other participants had finished as well, he wondered what would be next on the agenda. Judging from the expressions on their faces, the large meal and pleasant afternoon sun were taking their toll. Although, the servers were quick to ensure that none of their charges went without refreshment, even after the meal was concluded.
[That's odd, it looks like there are more servers now, than during the meal.]
While observing the proceedings, he noticed his advisor standing off to one side. Since, he had a few things to discuss with Emmanuel, Mike stood and excused himself to his drowsy tablemates.
He walked over to the senior mage, who was engaged in a hushed discussion with another instructor, and waited patiently for him to notice.
Emmanuel was talking in a low, intense voice, "….find out. We need to make sure that nothing happens today."
The other instructor nodded and moved away.
"Ah, Mike. What can I do for you?" The department chair asked with a forced smile after he noticed his student.
"I hope I'm not interrupting, sir. I just had a few questions I was hoping you could answer."
"Now's not the best time…" He began, before sighing. "Never mind, what can I help you with?"
"Well, first I was told to speak with you regarding the mobilization exercise, and what I'm supposed to do during it."
Emmanuel nodded, thoughtfully, "The first step is to report to the courtyard under the Tower of Will. From there, an instructor will take charge of you. He or she will have a detailed assignment for you based on your instructors' opinion of your abilities. As an experienced adventurer, you'll probably be assigned a role in the main combat force. However, this is merely an exercise, so don't worry too much about it."
"Fair enough. My other question was of a more academic bent. I recently came into possession of an extradimensional sack, and it has been an immensely convenient tool ever since. I was wondering, how might someone go about making one of these?" Mike asked, barely controlling his eagerness.
"Ha! You're quite the ambitious one, aren't you? The first major hurdle for making something along those lines, is finding a Space Mage with sufficient experience to create extradimensional spaces. This means, at the very least, they would need to be a mid-Tier 3 Elemental or Arcane Mage. I'm sure you are aware of how rare we are. To create the item itself, a Tier 2 Artificer is necessary."
[So I would need to improve my elemental magic, acquire and improve Space Magic, and learn what I can only assume is a crafting skill in order to make one. This might have to be a long term project.]
"Are there classes at the University to train the Artificer Skill?"
"Artifice is the term, and yes, although it's usually only available to Arcane Mages. I think there are a few rare classes that might be able to acquire the skill without Arcane Magic, but I would not get my hopes up about it." He said with a slightly sad smile.
"I'll take that under advisement, sir. I did have one more question, should you be willing to entertain it."
"Go ahead, but make it quick. The headmaster should giving a speech soon."
Mike nodded, "It's a bit obscure, but I was reading about the history of Ea, and I came upon a passage about the High Elves making portals to other words. It didn't go into any details, but I found the concept fascinating. Do you know anything about it?"
Emmanuel gave Mike an appraising look, one filled with calculation. "If I didn't know better, I would suspect you were trying to improve my opinion of you by asking about my research. I have devoted the better part of my life trying to recreate the portals of the High Elves, but I've unfortunately made little progress as of yet. While it has proven possible to travel to the other realms created during the First Age, the ones attached to Ea, going beyond is incredibly difficult. The mana requirements for even attempting it are staggering, and it's only with the aid of a specially built magical device that I've had any success at all."
"I see…" Mike said, lost in thought.
[Another long term project then. Oh well, I'm not in any hurry to leave this world.]
His attention was caught by a large, bald headed man who had moved to the podium. He spoke with a deep, magically amplified voice. "Thank you all for attending this welcoming event. I am Alexander Potrarian, and I have the honor of being the 131st Headmaster of the University of Almirn."
The imposing man paused for a polite round of applause before continuing. "We are gathered here today primarily to welcome our newest students, may their time here be fruitful. However, we are also here welcome the coming of a new quarter, one that-"
The Headmaster stopped as a large shadow fell over the crowd. Looking up, Mike saw something unbelievable.
A massive wooden vessel seemed to be riding on the air itself, as it slowly drifted over the gathered students. Mike had half expected to see a blimp or something similarly ungainly, but this was something else entirely. If he had to describe it, he would say the ship appeared elegant and deadly, as it seemed to swim through the air like some kind of flying shark.
Fin-like sails of a shimmering substance extended out from the vessel's hull in several places. He could see them shifting slightly, guiding the airship along invisible air currents.
The streamlined appearance of the ship was broken, however, when several gun ports opened along its side. The black, circular mouths of cannons could be seen sticking out from them.
"That's odd," Emmanuel commented. "They're early, and I thought we decided against a gun salute."
Mike had a sudden rush of unease, which was compounded as he felt a familiar internal click, as one of his skills increased in tier. A quick glance at his
[That means that….]
With a sinking sensation in the pit of his stomach, he looked over at the table, unconsciously taking a few steps in their direction. Most of the students were barely awake, a few of the more resistant were glancing around, confused. Tellingly, the servers had cleared the area, leaving a perfect killing ground.
"It's an attack!" Mike yelled, turning towards his advisor. He had just enough time to register a man in a butler's outfit standing behind Emmanuel, as he plunged a knife into the mage's kidney.