"Dismissed."
Grandmaster Vilignin's final order served as the gun the marked the start of a race between most of us newly Initiated. At the sound of her last vowel, Jonet skipped from our cluster to trot off towards the stands, presumably to where her mother was. Similarly, Letta and Giorno ran and nonchalantly walked off towards our quarters upon our release. Leaving Toril, Jaimess, and Ed to walk back as a group while Roheisa and I approached our respective family members to be guided under the stands to a more private setting.
Causing a blaring observation to come to mind: I still haven't met or even seen Roheisa's mother. As far as I was aware, her absence could only mean a couple of things: either Roheisa was a bastard child, or her mother died when Roheisa was still young. I had a strong inkling it was the latter, but whatever the case behind her absence was, it explained her close attachment to her father. The Emperor was all she had, which made me all the more worried about her reaction to his condition inevitably worsening down the line.
Inside the halls, I was guided into a seemingly random lounge while Roheisa and her father stepped into the adjacent room.
Within ours, Grandpa Lich plopped himself down on a sofa with a heavy sigh while my father quietly closed the door, then turned about to lean against it like he just escaped from an angry mob. Creating the perfect environment to pry for information.
"Does Roheisa know?"
"Know what?" Grandpa Lich groaned.
"About His Imperial Majesty's condition," I calmly said. "If I'm going to be traveling with her, I need to know if she's at risk of going off the rails or not."
"And here I thought you were being altruistic." Grandpa Lich huffed with a potent mix of emotions.
"I'd never." I contemptuously laughed.
That got a dry chortle out of both of my forefathers; yet, the somber tide I tried to keep at bay swept into the lounge at full force. Sweeping my father, and more so my Grandfather, out into the bay of depression as it ebbed away from the shore once more.
"He is… she is being told as we speak." Grandpa Lich sighed. "As are you, I suppose."
"What does that mean?" I raised a single brow. But Grandpa Lich only turned to my father with expecting eyes.
"It means that you have no obligation to return home, Amun," Father said. "While it would make me the happiest man alive if you did. You don't have to. Not even if the worst was to happen. Your great Grandfather and I have had multiple contingencies worked out since long before you were born. Even if our Empire is reduced to rubble, our people will undoubtedly survive. You only need to maintain your focus and bring your dreams into reality.
"Also." He sighed a moment later. "As an Initiate, you are now considered an adult. You can do just about whatever you want now, and as a result, your allowance will be no more after today." He paused to gesture to the chest at his feet before resuming in an apologetic tone. "You'll have to earn your own coin from here on out."
"Very well," I quickly said. I wasn't hurt by the news. Over my fifteen years of living, I had well over fifty million gold coins saved up. If my plans were to come to fruition, that amount would surely begin to increase exponentially with enough time. With quests and the prospects of an undead legion clearing out rich veins of ore across the Plane on top of that, I couldn't ever see myself as being poor in this world.
"However," I added. "I am still the heir to Odissi. So, I'll be returning to this place after I graduate from the academy."
"While that warms my heart." Father chuckled. "I fail to see how you will explore the Plane while ruling over Odissi."
"I'll take it with me." I amiably shrugged. Causing my father's mouth to remain agape for the several seconds of silence that lasted until my Grandfather broke the silence with a far too somber tone.
"Amun."
I turned to him. "Yes?"
"Here's what should happen. The courses during your first year should be the same for everyone. In your second year, you'll be able to pick virtually all of your Classes. Being a Shadow Necromancer, you'll automatically be enrolled into the Summoner's course. In your third year, you'll be instructed by me in learning to properly control your undead army. If you've learned the secret to raising them, that is."
"I'm around ninety-eight percent sure I know how to already." I quipped with a tap to my ear. "I assume it involves imbuing the voice with mana and giving a command?"
"You haven't tried it?" Grandpa Lich coyly asked.
"I don't want my first undead to be a run-of-the-mill human." I shrugged. "I want it to be something magical or mythical, and sentient."
While he said nothing, Grandpa Lich held a curious gaze towards me that all but told me that I was right in following such a line of thinking. Though, to no surprise, he quickly deflected onto another topic within the same moment. "With the completion of your education, my tasks will finally be complete."
My brows perked up at once. 'Tasks? As in, given by someone with a name that rhymes with felon, type of task?'
In my moment of conjecture, Grandpa Lich erected his towering frame to begin taking slow, dramatic steps toward me. Then stop to kneel and place his massive hands on my shoulders. "Much like Jamettus, I'm a memento from a time long gone. I've ravaged kingdoms. Erected empires. Paved the way for hundreds of thousands of individuals to rise to greatness." He paused to give me a gentle shake. "All that ends with you, Amun. It's your turn to spread darkness across the Mortal Plane.
"After Jamettus… passes, and your training is complete, I will physically realize my grimoire and pass on to the Under. If you seek to claim that grimoire for yourself, then venture to the family crypt in the place of my birth. And." He amiably shrugged. "If you ever wish to talk, you can find me in the Under."
"I understand." I nodded, then stepped in for a hug.
To my surprise, he bear-hugged me back. Not in a lethal way, but in a fully affectionate way that was never displayed by the great Necro King before. Honestly, it was slightly unsettling. But I welcomed it all the same. As did my Father, who joined in after a few moments.
We just… stood there, holding each other in a tight embrace for a few blissful moments until we simultaneously peeled away to our former positions as if it'd never happened at all.
"A final word of advice." Grandpa Lich spat in his usual tone. "If you see any fake necromancers during your travels, kill them without mercy and raise them immediately. As a member of the one, true family of necromancers, you'll find that they'll drastically increase your power."
"Fake necromancers?" I hesitantly asked.
"Those who use ritual or divine intervention to raise and control dead." He commented with a few dismissive waves. "An insult to our existence."
"Ah." I nodded, then turned to my father with raised brows.
To which, he only smiled and said. "Just be careful."
"I will." I bowed, then erected myself in the next second to give them both a beaming smile. "And thank you for all that you've given me. I love you."
"And we love you, Son." Father smiled.
And so too did Grandpa Lich. "With every fabric of my dead being."
So saying, I trotted out of the room and down the hall past the subtle sounds of weeping and sparked up a smoke before taking to the air.
After a short flight, I was floating before a vast cove on the southern base of the mountain, easing my boat out of my shadow and into the dock for mooring.
Once done, I could only float there, chiefing away as I studied the craft in awe of this world's engineering capabilities.
It was by no means my first boat; well, it was in this life, but it by no right could even be called a boat.
It was just over twenty meters long, with the wide, flat frame of a ferry painted in a matte black with gilded accents. As one would expect, the main deck was filled with saloons, dining areas, and a slew of interior and exterior social spaces from bow to stern.
Naturally, the power plant sat the aft end in a massive frame of wood and steel that housed the array of enchantments used to power and control the vessel. It only needed to be primed with either air, water, or some type of fire magic to start. Then, it'd continue until it was either shut off or ran out of mana.
While I studied it from the outside when my father first dumped it on me, I never really got the chance to tour the interior until now. So, I assumed my Wraith Form and drifted down to peer through the bulkheads and decking while I skimmed the owner's manual stored in my Eternal Eye.
According to it, the vessel's name was 'The Broad Bottom Packet,' and was intended to be crewed by the undead. As such, there were no crew quarters. Opening up tens of square meters for additional amenities. The entire upper deck was dedicated to the owner, me. Complete with a full-beam master cabin with en suite, private study, and outdoor saloon. Below that was a larger outdoor saloon, grill space, and fishing area on the aft deck that seamlessly transitioned to the open, country-style galley and sunken living room inside. Leaving the entire lower deck open for eight spacious cabins and a full-berth VIP room to have their own private social space.
On top of that, the vessel had two huge walk-in freezers, a trash incinerator, and numerous enchantments for things like bilge pumps, stabilization, and even water desalination. Essentially, it was a luxury expedition yacht that was only lacking in digital media. As such, I almost wanted to sail the entire way to Rook Island in it, but my days of sailing and piracy would come in due time just like everything else.
Still, I planned to at least sail to Epethia in it come tomorrow, and at a leisurely pace at that. Which meant that it needed to be packed with provisions and prepared for departure before we left; however, there were more important matters to attend to at the moment, so I took a moment to download the map we'd been given into my eternal eye before I pulled myself out the cove to fall through the air towards our cabin.
Much to my surprise, the Princess was standing outside of our cabin when I arrived. I fully expected to her be drowning in tears in her room, but there she was, standing tall with a faux sense of pride surrounding her. But the puffy skin around her bloodshot eyes betrayed her all the same.
I was unsure if letting her maintain her sense of strength or if being a pillar for her to lean on was what she needed at the time; and frankly, I didn't care. If we were going to be stuck together for the foreseeable future, I needed her to be the best version of herself on both the inside and the outside. So I stepped towards her to bring her into my embrace just after I came to a landing.
Despite her hugging me back, she still tried to maintain her aura of strength, even as her voice wavered in my ear. "W- what's the meaning of this?"
"You know why," I calmly said.
She only hugged me tighter in response and remained that way for more than a few minutes. Emitting nothing more than a few silent whimpers until she finally pulled me away from her to wipe her eyes. "Thank you." She sniffled, then buried her eyes in her hands again to straighten herself out. "And what was that magic just now?"
"It's a spell that allows me to remain by your side." I smiled reassuringly at her. "Since we'll be traveling together, we have to look out for each other, right?"
"Oh?" She sassed in her usual manner. "And who said we'd be traveling together?"
"Why else would you be here?" I laughed. "And besides, why wouldn't you? We're going to the same place after all. No sense in traveling alone."
"True." She pouted out her lips in hesitant agreement before stepping after me. Only to halt in place as I paused at the door.
"That said. There are a few things I need to take care of along the way."
So saying, I entered the cabin to see my vassals, scattered around the table, simultaneously look at me with unbridled excitement.
Excepting Toril, who stood to approach me, saying. "Our gear is packed and we're all prepared to leave at your word, Your Grace. Save whatever those three have in store for us."
Following Toril's gesture, I saw Ed, Letta, and Giorno reaching down to grab an array of boxes and bags from their doppelgangers or rucks to then arrange them out before us.
"You'll find that your watches have the same features," Letta explained on her approach to the Princess and I with two small boxes stretched out towards us. "But, each of them has been made with the materials provided by His Grace and tailored to your styles and color schemes. This one is yours, Your Imperial Highness." Letta offered up the remaining box with a bow. "This watch is automatic; meaning, it's wound using the natural motions of your arm while you go about your daily activities. Additionally, it's dirt-proof, waterproof, and contains a stopwatch, sun tracker, and a timer and silent alarm in the rotating bezel."
"Letta. This is amazing!" The princess gasped in disbelief
"This is only the start." I chuckled before she could ask any questions. "After the academy, we'll have access to magical materials and enchantments as well. Just wait until you see what they create then."
"In the meantime, I give you these." Ed beamed from the back of the room, bringing our eyes to a few strangely built seats and recliners strewn about the backyard. "I call them navigational aids." He proudly declared, then waved to what appeared to be a legless seat with a large bag stitched to the back. "Jonet, this first one is for you. According to our Lord's theories, you should be able to create updrafts and wind currents anywhere you please with your Thermal Magic. This chair takes advantage of that. All you need to do is strap yourself in, and open up the parachute."
Although she said nothing, Jonet's face beamed up the moment she understood how to use it. To no surprise, as she was one of the few who still had to use elemental manipulation to fly about.
"For you, Toril, I made this." Ed gestured to a strange mix between a coffin, a recliner, and a sun-shaded wheelchair. It was essentially a wheeled box with a padded interior for Toril's outstretched legs to lie in while he reclined. "After reducing its weight with your magic, you close yourself in here, and this covering unfolds into a pair of wings that'll keep you afloat. Or." He paused to wheel the contraption around to show the small bell welded to the backside. "You can use your combustion magic to increase your speed."
After slowly approaching his new vessel, Toril rubbed a callous hand over the polished wood frame to first admire the near-impeccable quality of Ed's work before turning to him with an apologetic smile. "Thanks. But I can already fly."
"We all can." Ed snorted. "This makes it so you can relax while you fly. And, it fits in your rucksack."
While Toril shrugged in modest agreement and went to put his new toy away, Ed moved on to his last contraption. A bundle of iron rods and plates that unfolded into a rough 'I' shape. "This is basically a seat for Jaimess, Giorno, and Letta. Or, whoever else wants to ride with you." Ed paused to suggestively raise his brows at a sneering Jaimess before continuing. "All you have to do is create a mold around the frame with your paper and other magics. What you create, however, is entirely up to you."
"I'll be sure to put it to good use," Jaimess curtly said, then moved to put the frame away as Toril did with his.
"And for you, my Lord. I made this," Ed said as I approached a rather large but otherwise simple chair.
It was a padded recliner large enough for two of me. With no wheels or strange contraptions to be found, other than a pair of oversized armrests, foldout working surfaces that doubled as sunshades, and a parasol attached to the backrest.
"You already lounge about while in the air, my Lord." Ed meekly chuckled after seeing me plant myself on the seat to cop a feel. "You may as well be comfortable while you do it."
Like Toril's rocket chair and Jonet's paraglider, the falling throne was made of curved, polished blackwood slats housed within an iron frame. And like everything Ed created, it was exceptionally well made.
After getting settled, I reactivated my Free Fall spell and simultaneously pulled a speck of mana through my gravity well to flick a bullet at the chair. Pulling my body into the cushions while the entire structure began to drift away from the ground at a leisurely pace. Forcing me to fight back the urge to laugh once the Princess' eyes almost burst from their sockets.
Thankfully, her inevitable questions were put on hold by Giorno loudly pushing a wheeled wardrobe into the courtyard. Veritably grasping everyone's attention in just enough time to witness him jump from behind the furniture like a show host appearing from behind a curtain, eliciting a sudden gasp of surprise from the lot of us.
"Our show and tell is not complete." He charmingly declared. "As per our Lord's orders, I've crafted the perfect wear for your travels. As you can see for yourselves." He audaciously smiled, gesturing to himself. Or rather, to the three-piece suit covering him. It was black-on-black with a white button-up shirt paired with a green tie and handkerchief. But what was most eye-catching, were the designs stitched around the pockets. The breast pockets, the pockets along the ribs, on the pants, and even his tie were all dyed green, stitched, and sewn to make it appear as if the suit had been taken to with a pair of swords. Creating a subtly inconspicuous pattern when seen from a distance and quite the conversation piece from up close.
"First and foremost." Giorno continued as he handed Letta a paper-wrapped parcel. "Let it be known that there exist winterized versions of your clothes in addition to the heat-suited sets you'll be receiving today. To that end, there also exists variations of your clothes for every occasion. Should you be swimming, should you be caught in a downpour, should you find yourself crossing a desert or poisonous bog, I, Giorno Nojo, will have you dressed properly for the occasion." With a final bow, he silently ushered for Letta to go change and immediately return to present her garb to the rest of us.
She returned a few moments later, beaming and squatting awkwardly as she plunged her arms into the pockets of a gray, one-piece pantsuit with a modestly revealing frilled collar and matching gray frills on the short sleeves and ankles. It was a casually subtle, yet elegant design that was topped off with a black headband, sash, and a pair of simple gray slip on's.
"As stated before," Giorno said, halting Ed just after he'd been given his parcel. "This is only the base version for Letta's guise. For cold climates, her suit is made of thicker fabric lined with fur, paired with a thick jacket and fur boots.
"Naturally." He nodded to his left, signaling Ed to go change. "Her wet weather gear is found in a similar style."
'Surely there's a more efficient way to do this.' I internally snorted. 'But, I'll let him have his moment.'
So saying, I lit a smoke to pass the time, eliciting a disgusted gaze from the princess that was readily ignored by me.
Much to my amusement, Giorno did much the same and lit a cigarette just before Ed rounded the corner. Completing the look of a city-slicking salesman showing off a pristine model to a client.
The model, in this case, was Ed; or rather, the pair of ashen-gray coveralls wrapped around him. Save the white undershirt, the black riggers belt lined with attachment points, and the matching pair of buckled, high-top boots, the fit was a solid piece lined from head to toe in white trimmed pockets and holsters. On top of that, it seemed like Giorno brought zippers into this world. although he didn't explain the function due to the Princesses presence, I could see the unmistakable seams wrapped around the knees and elbows of his suit that gave them away.
"This is your bonus," Giorno grunted as he planted a hardhat on top of Ed's head. Albeit one made from wood, covered in a material like black suede. "So you don't hit your head while working."
"A helmet for work?" The princess frowned in contemplation.
"Safety is key." I shrugged.
"Because of her abilities." Giorno continued without pause. "Jonet's guise needn't be copied and altered to befit her environment. Thus, I present to you, the Ice Queen."
Theatrically, Jonet rounded the corner on cue to pose with her leg on top of a chair akin to a certain Captain from Earth. All but showing off the brown leather, knee-high boots covering her legs, in which a pair of tight black pants were tucked into. Her hands and arms remained bare up to her elbows, where the black-trimmed sleeves of a light blue button-up shirt began and rose to a pair of shoulders shrouded by a simple black hood that hung over her head like the reaper's cowl.
In other words, she finally looked the part for the task I'd given her. All she needed now was to leave this land for good.
After departing, Jaimess rounded the corner next, and like Giorno, he bore a set of formal attire. A black, two-piece suit that was easily interchangeable to befit whatever climate or occasion he found himself in. With pinstripes running down his suit, a paper-tan tie, and a matching handkerchief paired against a black, tan-trimmed button-up and rye hat, Jaimess undoubtedly appeared as the most normal out of all us. Negating the need for an explanation on Giorno's part, must to Jaimess' dismay.
"Like Ed, Toril has an immunity to heat, and thus has a garb meant to protect him from cold, and physical damage."
So saying, Toril emerged in a dress befitting the warrior I intended for him to be. It started with a black tunic with stitches along the collar and seams that resembled streaks of white lightning. That served as a simple undershirt for the brown leather vest covering Toril's chest and shoulders with thick pads of black fur-lined with white and blue trimmings. From there, the tunic was tucked into a thick white belt that supported a loincloth made from intricately embroidered leather strips skirting his waist down to his knees. Leaving a pair of furred boots to cover the rest of his legs.
With Toril planted in his seat, Giorno reached up to my chair, floating a couple of meters off the ground, to hand off my parcel.
After thanking him kindly, I produced a small gravity well to pull my chair and I into the secluded sky. Where I dumped the contents of my parcel and let them float about around me while I stripped.
Due to years of wearing magical clothing, I found the simple act of changing clothes to be an embarrassingly challenging endeavor. I was unsure if it was enchantments or materials that caused my clothes to change size according to my body but I vowed to find out and procure it as soon as I could, as the luxury of having a true one-size-fit-all was too cemented in my mind to give up.
As for my clothes, they were a slight modification of the garb I was already wearing. My feet were covered in a pair of high-top minimalist boots covered in a material like black-suede which, in turn, had a pair of moderately baggy pants tucked into them like a pair of soldier's fatigues. In turn, that was paired with a black turtleneck made with slightly blacker sleeves. And, much to my delight, tied off with a replica sash made of a similar, silky, golden-yellow fabric.
The only other item was a small backpack filled with the standard loadout of better versions of the same trail equipment from before. After taking the bedroll Ebbet gave me and attaching it to the bag, I stuffed it and my spares into my shadow and descended back to the ground to first allow Giorno to gush over his work for a bit before we got down to business.
"Lastly," he said. "You'll find that while your packs may not be enchanted, they have ample space for all the essentials and more to be stored neatly. They are weatherproof, fireproof, and exceptionally resistant. But they are not enchanted, and will not be reformed if damaged. Should that ever happen, see to me for your replacement."
While Giorno retreated with a bow and went on to move his wardrobe out of the way, I took a few seconds to read over the rules we'd been given before unrolling and unfolding the surprisingly large and detailed map to skim over my plan before I shared it with the others.
To be honest, I was fully prepared to lounge about until the day before and simply fall to the rendezvous point like the lazy man I was. Naturally, however, the explorer within me couldn't pass up the chance of not only seeing the largest continent on this world with my own two eyes but learning if the stories about Epethia and its people were true.
And, it was a great way to build up my Menagerie.
In all, we had thirty days to find Letta and Giorno a shit hole to uplift, do some sightseeing and cross a supercontinent.
Quite the task indeed.
With a sigh, I squatted beside the map with a stick in hand to repeatedly point between the comical versions of the Cast Iron Summit and a port city on the Epethian side."Here's the plan. We travel by boat to the northwestern coast of Epethia, then travel by foot for a few dozen kilometers into this port city. From there." I moved my pointer a fair way inland, far beyond the dotted lines that distinguished territories from one another, to the vast mountain range that separated the dense jungle from the desert plains. "We'll fly to this region to find a suitable location for Letta and Giorno to take up shop in during our absence. If this map is correct, the distance is nearly five thousand kilometers, so we'll have to fly as fast as possible along the way if we want to have enough time to get you both settled properly.
"After that." I moved my pointer far to the south, within the jigsaw of borders, cities, and counties huddled against each other for leagues. "I want to go another five thousand kilometers to the south to see the Epethian capital. Only for a day, if that, before we backtrack to a suitable location to cross the mountain. I intend for us to find a crossing point on our way to the capital, allowing us to waste no time climbing the mountain.
"From there." I tapped the pointer halfway across the map to the southeastern coast. "It's a straight, nine thousand kilometer shot to the southeastern coast and a short ride to the island."
"Sounds simple enough." Roheisa nodded. "Assuming we fly fast enough."
"So simple a barbarian could do it." I snorted. "The only question is, when do we leave? We can either tend to our last-minute needs and depart in a few hours, or try and get some sleep and depart at dawn."
"As if I'd be able to sleep with adventure on the horizon." The Princess scoffed.
"Agreed." Followed Toril with a grunt. And everyone else thereafter.
"Then it's settled." I nodded. "We'll meet at the dock in, say… two hours?"
Again, they all voiced their agreements in sequence. Leaving a final piece of business to attend to before we dispersed.
"Sorry, Princess." I lowered my head towards Roheisa, then turned to Jonet to say. "Mute her."
Much to my delight, Jonet followed my order without question and assaulted the Princess with a harmless sound spell. Causing her blistering frustrations to go unheard, and thus ignored.
"First," I said to Jonet. "I want to reaffirm that you not only understand your task but that you're willing to do it."
"My answer is the same, My Lord." She quickly shook her head. "I fully understand and accept the mission you've given me. And I shall not fall you."
"And you two?" I turned away from Jonet's bow to gaze upon my tinkerers. "Do you understand and accept your roles in this remote place?"
"Yes, my Lord." They both said in unison.
"Now then." I turned to those coming with me to the academy. "I want to reiterate that we are to act independently of each other during our time at the academy. We should remain cordial with each other but should seek our own circles to spend time around while we're there. Make new friends. Form rivalries. Follow your heart's content in your studies and work silently to gather allies. For when we graduate, we'll be wasting no time to form our guild.
"We may find ourselves separated for a while; perhaps again sometime in the far future. But I want each of you to know that our deal still stands. I will entrust you with all my knowledge, I will give you the tools you need for success, and I will protect you with all my strength. In exchange, I ask for your loyalty and trust."
"I trust you with my soul, my Lord." Toril grimly declared. "And I will remain loyal to you long past my dying breath."
"My answer is the same." Giorno quickly followed with a bow. "Be I alive or dead, I will serve you, and only you."
Letta, Ed, Jaimess, and Jonet went on to swear fealty to me again in sequence, reassuring the skeptical lizard hiding deep in my brain in the process.
It wasn't that I felt there was a traitor among us, only, one could never be too cautious. I'd long since known that these six highly skilled individuals would be with me to the end. They'd been with me since the beginning, after all.
No. It was everyone who came after that I had to be wary of. Those who are easily swayed with lies or bribed with false promises. These were my most precious vassals. As such, they deserved nothing but the best.
"Not to get soppy," I said. "But I want to take a moment to tell each of you how proud I am of how far you've come. You've endured my training without complaints for years on end. You saw the results of that for yourselves today, so don't ever doubt yourselves. I couldn't be more proud of you."
Before the awkwardness could rise to dangerous levels, I stole their attention by reaching into my Shadow Pocket and retrieving six hefty sacks, and distributing them to each of them. "As a reward for your efforts, I first give you a lump sum of the next four years' salary. Second." I reached out to summon the gang of puppets laying across the ground and wall. "I'm giving each of you an upgrade."