Silence filled the hall as the knight spoke those words. Gale stared in shock and confusion. 'My Role is what? Did I hear that right?' The silence continued for a few more moments before the panic set in. The onlookers began to back away from the stage in fright as screams echoed through the hall. A group of knights jumped onto the stage, brandishing their weapons, and surrounded Gale. Gale fell over and began backing away, fear and confusion on his face as the knights drew closer.
"Cease this madness at once! Knights, put your weapons away!" The king shouted. He turned to the few knights that hadn't moved and ordered them to calm down the masses and continue the ceremony without them. Gale felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to see the knight in the green cape behind him. It took him a second to realize it was the Hero, Eric Douglas.
"Hey, it's gonna be okay. What's your name?"
"G-G-Gale, sir."
"Well Gale, we'll get you out of here and discuss this somewhere more private."
Eric shielded Gale from view as he led him off the stage, the crowd pulling back to put as much space as possible between them, and out of the cathedral.
-----------------------
Gale sat on a couch in a private room in the castle. He was joined by Eric, Frode, a small party of knights, and the king, Torin. They sat in silence until there was a knock at the door. The door opened and in walked an unfamiliar nobleman. He had blonde hair, blue eyes, and a large round body. His striped suit seemingly emphasizing his size.
"Your majesty, I heard that someone was given the Demon Lord Role. Is this true?"
"Yes minister Finley, it is true. This boy seems to have been unfortunate enough to receive that Role." King Torin gestured towards Gale as he spoke.
"Then pray tell, why are we not preparing for his execution?!"
Gale shot up with fear on his face.
"For what crime? Being unlucky? The boy is innocent, he did not choose the Role himself." Torin countered.
"But he is a Demon Lord! The worst of the worst, you have seen what they can do! His mere existence puts everyone here at risk! We should kill him now before he becomes a threat!" Finley shouted practically frothing at the mouth.
"Watch your tone, Finley. You may be one of my advisors, but you do not have the power to decide such things." Torin threatened.
Finley backpedaled for a second. "Forgive me your majesty, but I stand by what I said. The boy is a danger to the world. Eric, you have fought demon lords before. Surely you agree?" He turned to the Hero.
Eric took a deep breath before he started speaking. "Yes I have, and I understand your feelings, but I agree with King Torin. Gale should not be punished for uncertainties and possibilities."
Finley continued bickering with the others as Gale sat there in a daze. He knew what demon lords were. Who didn't? When the first Fracture opened, multiple different types of demons came through. They had different characteristics and abilities, but demon lords were special. Their appearances varied, but their powers were the same. For example, their strength far exceeded that of the other demons, to the point where it would take an army numbering in the thousands to take down one demon lord on its own. Only a Hero could take on a demon lord single handedly. However, their most terrifying ability was how they could command other demons. Even in hordes, demons acted on their own, fighting and attacking at random. Demon lords could coordinate them, get them to act in groups and work like a unit. If a group of demons were working together, there was a demon lord among them.
'But that still doesn't explain how I could be a Demon Lord. Even if they're unique, they still came through a Fracture. How can a human be a Demon Lord?' Gale's thoughts and emotions were all over the place. He looked up to see everyone still arguing. He wondered if they could answer his questions. Gathering his courage, he raised his hand to get their attention.
"Umm…"
Everyone turned to look at Gale.
"This conservation is good and all, but I'm confused. How could I be a Demon Lord? How could any human be one?"
They looked at him for a few seconds before Frode spoke up for the first time.
"Your confusion is understandable. Unfortunately, even we don't fully understand how. Even with records of it happening, we still don't know why."
Gale looked crestfallen before he realized what Frode said.
"Wait, there have been others?"
Finley cut in "Yes. They all underwent demonic transformations and turned on mankind."
A cold chill crept up Gale's spine as Finley continued.
"Not only that, they were even stronger than the average demon lord. Which is why I am saying that the boy should be struck down now before that happens."
"We will not execute him for what might happen."
"Then what should we do, your majesty?" Finley spat out.
The group sat in silence for a few moments before Frode spoke up again.
"Why don't we enroll him in the Adventurers Academy?"
The group stared at him.
"Think about it. If we can teach him to use his powers without falling to them, he could become a powerful ally. Not only that, Eric here will be teaching this year and I have received word that the newest Hero will also be attending. If he does turn, we will have two Heroes to take care of him before he causes too much damage."
King Torin raised his hand to his chin in thought. Eric spoke up.
"Your majesty, that isn't a bad idea."
Torin nodded.
Finley looked aghast.
"Your highness, surely you are not considering this? This is a horrible idea! We would be training a Demon Lord!"
"Finley, I have made my decision. As of this day, Gale Morrigan will be attending the Adventurers Academy, where Frode will oversee his training."
"As you command, your majesty." Frode bowed before turning and smiling at Gale.
"Come along, let's get you prepared. Classes start in only a few weeks."
Gale stared in confusion. 'What just happened?'
----------------------------
Two weeks later, Gale stood nervously outside the large gates of the Adventurers Academy. He was dressed in a dark red blazer with brown pants, and black dress shoes, the academy's uniform. He carried a satchel with books and tools that the headmaster had helped him buy in preparation for his year at the academy. Students, new and old, walked through the gates, giving him scared looks.
"Isn't that the guy who got the Demon Lord Role?"
"Yeah, it is. What is he doing here?"
"I would have thought that he would be imprisoned or killed."
"Are they sure it is a good idea to let him in?"
Gale shrunk in on himself. 'I have to spend the next three years like this? Can I just go home?' He was not looking forward to his time here. He continued standing there until he felt a thump on his back and heard a familiar voice.
"Well if it isn't mister big bad Demon Lord."
Gale turned around and saw Tom Barbaras with a big smile on his face. Gale brightened a little. "Tom! You made it?"
"I told you that I would be here. I am surprised you are though. I would've thought that the higher ups would want you as far as possible from a place like this."
"Yeah, Headmaster Frode convinced them somehow and… Wait. You're not afraid of me?"
"Of course not! I may not have known you for long, but I can tell you're a good guy, Demon Lord or not."
Gale felt tension leave his spine. 'Nevermind, I think my time here will be alright.' They continued walking forward into the courtyard. Gale sucked in when he saw the academy. The building was almost as spectacular as the castle. It was many times larger than the school he came from, and painted a healthy brown. It had the width of a whole city block, and had three floors. The courtyard was decorated with three gardens, and a stone pathway cut through the middle leading to the entrance of the academy. Many students walked around the courtyard, chatting with their friends. Some of them had non-human partners, probably from a pact or a summons. Gale and Tom heard loud flapping and looked up to see a large bird-like creature fly over the academy. Its body was decorated in reddish orange feathers that gave the appearance of flames as they fluttered in the wind. The creature flew over the academy and disappeared.
The two of them walked inside the academy and saw a large crowd of students with teachers directing them towards another set of doors.
Tom turned to Gale. "That's probably where the assembly hall is. Since it's the first day, all of the new students have to meet there for orientation."
They walked through and found a couple of seats a few rows towards the back. Even though the assembly hall was nearly full, all seats near Gale and Tom were left open. A loud clapping from the stage got everyone's attention. They all looked up to see headmaster Frode. Once there was silence, he began speaking.
"Welcome to the Adventurers Academy new students. After rigorous testing, you have been found to have the best potential for success at this institution. Being an adventurer is not an easy job after all. You will be tasked with serving the people in any way you can, be that collecting herbs for medicine, or hunting rogue monsters, and of course, what all of you came for. Mankind lost the majority of Earth to the demons after the first Fracture, but we adventurers have been slowly taking it back. However, that first Fracture was not the only one. They continue to open up to this day, letting more demons into our world. We are the frontline. We are the ones sworn to retake our lost world. We are adventurers. And now, so are you. Good luck, and may triumph await you."
Frode's speech concluded to the sound of thunderous cheers, even Gale couldn't help but get caught up in the excitement. Frode stepped away from the podium and a brown haired woman with glasses took his place. "Alright, let us continue. Over the next hour, we will inform you on what to expect here at the Academy…"
A while later, Gale joined the sea of people as they left the auditorium and began looking for his homeroom, Tom right beside him.
"Hey, we're in the same class, Gale."
"Really? Awesome."
"Yep, let's hurry so we can get good seats."
The two continued through the crowd before finally making it to their homeroom. There were at least a dozen students already there, either sitting and reading or chatting with their peers. Gale felt his heart sink when he saw Aiden among them. The desks were divided into three columns and ten rows, each one elevated as they went further back. On the left side, one of the desks was unoccupied and Gale and Tom took a seat there. They continued chatting when a commotion was heard from the door. They looked up to see a crowd of excited students surrounding the newest attendant. It didn't take long for either to realize it was Alejandra. She was wearing the female uniform; a dark red blazer, a skirt that ended at the knees, black dress shoes and black leggings.
She took a seat near the front of the room, still crowded by classmates. Tom turned to Gale "Wow, who would have thought a Hero would be in our class, any reason why?" Gale gave him a deadpan stare. "I'm kidding, I'm kidding" Tom laughed.
A few minutes later, a young woman wearing a suit and tie walked in. She had blond hair and blue eyes and wore a pair of glasses on her sharp face. She turned to the students with a comforting smile.
"Welcome new students. I am your homeroom teacher, Ms. Cassidy Danielle. Homeroom time will be used primarily for study hall, but we will also take the time to go over magic fundamentals. Since this is the first day, we will go over the basics. While mankind has had powers for countless generations, magic is a new technique that came into play with the first Roles. Not only that, only Mage type roles can use it. Now does anyone know what fuels magic?"
Multiple hands went up. "How about you?" she pointed at Alejandra.
"The answer is mana." Alejandra said.
"That is correct. Does anyone know what mana is?"
The class was quiet before a red haired girl raised her hand. "Mana is a type of energy that exists in all things both living and nonliving."
"Correct. Mana exists everywhere. In the air, the ground, plants, animals, and in all of us. Mana is also how we use our powers."
Aiden interrupted. "But Ms. Danielle, that doesn't make sense. You said that magic can only be used by mages."
Ms. Danielle smirked. "Ah, but powers are not the same as magic. Come here, and we can demonstrate."
Aiden walked forward. Ms. Danielle gestured for him to use his powers. Aiden turned to the side like a boxer, his fist burst into flames before throwing it forward. The flames flew two feet in front of him. The students stared in awe, while Gale rolled his eyes. 'Showoff'. Next, Ms. Danielle stepped forward and held out her hand. Two glowing circles filled with complex designs and symbols appeared on either side of her. They twisted and pulsed for a few seconds before three icicles shot from each of them and slammed into the wall on the other side of the room. The students 'oohed'.
"Now, can anyone spot the differences?"
The red haired girl raised her hand again. "His powers came from his body and only went a short distance. Your spell was cast away from your body and hit from a range. Also, he was able to use his abilities instantly while yours took a while to activate."
Ms. Danielle smiled. "That is correct. The reason why these two techniques are different is because of how they each utilize mana. Powers are fueled by the mana formed and stored in the body. It is why they can be used so quickly and only in close quarters. Mages, however, only use a little of their own mana. They mostly use the mana in the world around them. They gather the specific type of mana they need to form the spell, which is why it takes longer to cast. Don't forget, mana is no different from stamina and can be run dry, leaving you vulnerable, so be careful."
When Homeroom ended, the whole class moved on to the botany greenhouse. The professor, a brown haired man wearing a gardening apron, gave them a rundown about what they would learn in the course. Specifically would learn to identify different herbs and plants, avoid and eliminate the massive carnivorous plants, and mix quick potions they could use to recover mana. The next course was Earth ecology, focusing on wildlife. The wildlife on Earth could be divided into two categories, animals and monsters. Animals were the smaller, less dangerous wildlife such as rabbits and leopards. Monsters were creatures that had extremely high levels of mana, such as saberwolves and black-tusked boars. Monsters tended to be more aggressive towards humans than animals. There was also a separate course for Summoners and Tamers that would teach them how to form pacts. The ecology teacher was a man with black hair and dressed in a fur lined coat, with a massive scar that went diagonally from his hairline to his jaw.
Soon, lunch had come around. Gale and Tom went to the cafeteria and quickly got their meals before looking for a place to sit. Gale turned to Tom "We should probably look for an empty table. I highly doubt anyone will let me sit anywhere near them." Tom nodded and they began looking around. The students around them shifted to get out of the way, some even leaving their tables to avoid them. Gale couldn't help but shrink in on himself before he felt a pat on the back. He turned to see Tom giving him a smile. Gale smiled back. They finally found an empty table and sat down. They ate and talked for a few moments before a voice spoke up behind them.
"Excuse me, but you wouldn't happen to have room for two, would you?"
They turned to see the girl from the first course standing behind them, her red hair tied into a ponytail, and green eyes sparkling with mischief. Behind her was a boy they didn't recognize with soft features, his brown hair draped over his amber eyes. He wore a nervous smile as he looked at them. Gale and Tom stared at them for a few seconds before smiling. "Of course, take a seat anywhere" Tom welcomed them. The boy's smile softened into relief as he and the girl sat next to Tom. The girl was about to open her mouth when another, more familiar voice beat her to it.
"My apologies, but may I be allowed to sit here as well?"
All four of them turned and their jaws dropped open when they saw Alejandra standing there. They stared for a couple seconds before Gale spoke up. "O-of course, take a seat." Alejandra smiled and sat next to Gale. Gale looked around the cafeteria and saw many faces full of shock before they turned and began whispering amongst themselves.
"The Hero is sitting next to the Demon Lord? Why would she do that?"
"Maybe she is sizing him up? Trying to see what he is made of?"
"Yeah, of course. She's trying to find his weaknesses. That way it will be easier for her to defeat him."
Gale turned to Alejandra and saw a look of annoyance on her face. He realized pretty quickly that she did not agree with any of the other students' conjectures. 'But then, why would she sit here?' Gale pushed the thoughts out of his head and turned to the two newcomers.
"We should introduce ourselves. I'm Gale Morrigan."
"And I'm Thomas Barbaras, but you can call me Tom." Tom went next.
The red-haired girl smiled. "I'm Annie Burke."
"I'm Leo Cante." The brown haired boy introduced himself.
Alejandra leaned over. "My name is Alejandra Valentina."
They all shook hands.
They sat in silence before Gale spoke. "So, what brings you to the Demon Lord's table?"
Annie rolled her eyes. "This table had the most spots open, and the two of you seemed nice. It was really a no-brainer."
Leo nodded. "Plus, we are in the same class as you. So the two of you are somewhat familiar."
Tom blinked. "Really? I recognized Annie, but I didn't notice you, Leo."
Leo's head dropped as a dark cloud hung over him. "Didn't notice me?"
Tom looked uneasily. "Ummm… did I say something?"
Annie rolled her eyes fondly, "No, he just gets easily depressed. He is quite plain-looking, so people tend to overlook him."
Tom winced. "Sorry man, didn't mean to hurt your feelings."
"It's fine. I'm used to it."
Alejandra giggled before turning to Annie. "You seem very close with Leo. Have you known him long?"
Annie nodded, "My whole life. Our families are pretty close, despite the difference in social standing, and the two of us grew up together."
Alejandra looked at her thoughtfully. "I thought I recognized the name Burke. Isn't it the noble family that owns the Salt Plains to the North?"
Annie let out an almost imperceptible wince before replying. "Yep. We are not as prominent as your family, but we are technically nobles."
Gale blinked. "Are you really nobility? I couldn't tell."
Annie put a hand behind her head sheepishly. "I'm kind of the black sheep of the family. I didn't really like all of the fancy dresses and large amounts of makeup. I also ran away from my etiquette lessons and such, preferring to rough house with Leo and his little brother or go running through the Plains."
Tom nodded. "Oh, so you're a tom-" He was cut off by a plastic knife sailing past his face. Annie had her eyes closed and wore a large smile, but emitted a dangerous aura and twiddled another knife in her fingers. "What was that?" Tom gulped nervously. "Uhh… n-nothing."
"Thought so."
Gale and Alejandra giggled at Tom as he calmed down. Alejandra finally got control before speaking up. "While I don't agree with the outright rebellion, I do understand where you are coming from. The dresses can be quite uncomfortable and the lessons were tedious."
Annie threw up her hands exaggeratedly. "Tell me about it. Those dresses were so tight, I felt like they were trying to choke me. And don't get me started on the lessons. Seriously! What is so important about the salad and dinner fork being on the left side of the plate. Also, why are there two different types of forks to begin with?"
Leo snickered. "Oh no, how horrible for them to try and teach you to close your mouth when you eat. How could they tell you that it isn't appropriate to climb trees with a skirt on. What monsters, how could th-Ow!"
"Shut it, you." Annie flicked Leo.
The occupants at the table all laughed. Gale calmed down first and looked around the table. 'Is this what it is like to have friends? I like this feeling.' Gale smiled and continued eating.
-----------------------------
Gale and his friends walked through the halls to their final course of the day. The class after lunch had been Survival Training. The teacher was a middle aged woman with long, black hair. Her green eyes were hardened with experience and she had a face that looked like it had never seen a smile. Her syllabus included proper tracking and hunting techniques, navigating unfamiliar territory, setting camp and traps, skinning prey, and more. Now they were walking towards Mana Techniques. It was the course meant for refining their powers. On their way, they were stopped by the brown haired woman that spoke during orientation.
"Sorry to disturb you, but I need Gale to come with me."
The group gave Gale curious looks. Gale looked back and shrugged.
"Did I do something wrong, ma'am?"
The woman smiled. "Not at all, but you will be taking a different course than the other students with Headmaster Frode."
"Oh, ok." Gale turned and said goodbye to his friends before following her to the headmaster's room. When they arrived, Gale looked at the woman, who gestured for him to knock. "Come in." He heard from the other side. He opened the door and walked in. The room was about half of the size of his homeroom. It had large windows, covered with white curtains. A deep red carpet, decorated with orange patterns covered the floor. There were two seats on the wall and a desk in the middle with another leather chair in front of him. On the other side of the desk sat Frode. Frode looked at Gale with a familiar smile and gestured for him to sit down. As Gale took a seat, Frode began speaking.
"Welcome Gale, how has your first day been?"
"Well, it has actually gone better than I expected it to, sir." Gale responded.
Frode chuckled, "I've told you before, please drop the 'sir' part. You don't have to be so formal with me."
Gale nodded, "Uhm… If you don't mind me asking, why am I here instead of-"
"Instead of with your classmates?" Frode finished with a smirk. "Well, I did promise King Torin that I would personally oversee your education, didn't I?"
Gale's confusion faded into realization. "Oh."
Frode continued speaking. "Also, your new abilities as a Demon Lord work differently than the other students. That same reason is also why Miss Alejandra will be taught differently as well."
Gale looked at Frode curiously, waiting for him to continue.
Frode took a deep breath, "Your homeroom teacher refreshed you on how humans use mana, correct?"
Gale nodded.
"However, what she didn't tell you, is that the Hero and Demon Lord work differently."
Gale tilted his head. "Sorry for interrupting, but why wait until now to tell me?"
Frode smirked. "Because you were still freaking out over the bestowing ceremony."
Gale put his hand behind his head, sheepishly. 'Oh, right.'
Frode continued, "The Hero Role, doesn't use the mana of this world. Rather, they wield the mana of the Goddess herself. Heavenly mana, as we call it, can be used to increase their strength and speed, or as a powerful aura of light that can destroy just about any demon in front of them. This power is why a Hero can stand against a demon lord singlehandedly."
He stared at Frode in awe.
Frode looked at Gale and smiled. "As for Demon Lords, they can't wield heavenly mana. Instead, they wield all of the mana of the Earth. Like the Hero, they can enhance their physical abilities. However, they don't need to gather mana like Mage types do. Instead, they can change the mana in the world around them to better suit their needs. This allows them to cast spells instantaneously and increase their power. They also have massive amounts of mana and can recover almost instantly, so they can cast even the most powerful spells as many times as they want."
He felt his jaw drop. 'I really have that much power?' Frode turned to Gale with a frown on his face. "They can also wield an incredibly dark mana. No other creature has this ability. A type of mana that covers them in a shadowy aura and can destroy entire cities. We don't know much, but we do know that using vast amounts of this dark mana caused the previous Demon Lords to turn."
Gale felt a cold chill go up his spine. Frode smiled, "Don't worry, that is what I am here for. I am going to help you overcome that dark power, tame it, and use it as you see fit."
Gale stared at Frode, "But why?"
Frode got up and walked around the desk towards the window. "Gale, demon lords are the greatest threat to mankind's existence. We have been doing our best to put them down when they pop up, but it takes way too long, and costs too many lives. And with Fractures still opening up, we have no idea when or where a new demon lord will come through. We need more adventurers that can fight them. And who better to fight a demon lord, than a Demon Lord."
Gale's eyes widened. Frode turned to him. "I believe that if you can master your new powers, you can become a force for mankind unlike any that has ever been seen before."
Gale looked down. He couldn't believe that the headmaster had this much faith in him. He raised his head, determination painted on his face. "I won't let you down sir."
Frode smiled, "Didn't I tell you not to be so formal with me, Gale?"
The next hour was spent going over the basics of how mana works and how to properly use it. "Well that is time. You best head to your dorm room, Gale." Gale nodded as he left the room.
Sometime later, Gale arrived at the boys' dorms. He walked through the halls to his room, wondering what his roommate would be like. When he finally made it, he could hear sounds of movement inside and realized his roommate was already there. He knocked on the door to let him know he was coming in and went inside. His eyes widened in shock when he saw Tom sitting on the top bunk. "Tom?"
"Gale?"
They stared at each other for a few seconds before chuckling. "Wow, what are the chances we would be roommates?" Tom asked while laughing.
"Don't know, don't care." Gale responded, glad to have a friend as his roommate.
"So, you get personal training from the headmaster?" Tom asked.
"Yeah. It turns out people like me are built differently from the others." Gale answered. "What did I miss from class?"
"Nothing much, the teacher had the Mages practice spell casting while the rest of us began learning the new abilities our Roles gave us." Tom told him.
"Cool."
They continued talking until Gale let out a yawn. "Well, I'm pretty tired, so I'm going to bed now."
"Ok, goodnight dude. See you tomorrow."
Gale turned out the lights and laid down in bed. He reminisced about his day and smiled. 'You know, I think my years here will be just fine.' He thinks as he drifts off to sleep.'