Ring**
"That's for it today," announced the female professor right after the lunch bell sounded.
'Yawn. I can now see why everyone hates history. Why did I even pick it as a class in the first place?' Arthur questioned himself. He was drained from the two-hour history lesson and only prayed for a good nap if it wasn't for his growling stomach.
After spending a whole day in the infirmary, he had so much reading to catch up on because of the assignments that had piled up in his absence. Eight was the number of assignments he had to work on before the due date. Usually, he would be done, but his mind was always somewhere else.
"Hello, friend."
Eris tapped his shoulder from behind. Turns out they shared the same classes.
Slowly, he turned over and faced her while still in his seat. "Hey…"
"I heard you were in the infirmary. How are you feeling?"
"Fair, though I'll be taking a break from practical classes. I don't need to strain my…" He paused when he realized something was off.
Did she just call him a friend? Did she ask how he was feeling?
She noticed and smiled with her pink lips:
"I've accepted your friendship. I had time to think about it, and I need allies if I'm to head back to my kingdom faster."
"…quite ambitious, I see."
"You have a Will, so I know the two of us can make it."
The confidence on her face was worrying.
Arthur couldn't think of a better ally that a red dragon. Apart from their rivalry against humans, red dragons were masters of great magic. During his past life, Arthur heard stories of how mighty they were—they were intelligent enough to not interfere in the war against the demons because they were peaceful and noble beings. It was also the same for the elves, but that only raged the humans who had requested their help. Hence, a five-hundred-year-old rivalry started.
Even today, discrimination was still something in the human kingdoms.
"What is the purpose of a Will anyway?" he asked her.
She pressed her lower lip in thought and said, "Hmm…in my race a Will is like a hidden core, a source of power that is very hard to tap into. Dragons are born with it since we are all high-level magical beings regardless of the clan. However, we red dragons are shape shifters—and because of that ability, it's rare to tap into that power."
"But you recently awakened your will, didn't you?"
She winced. "Yes, and I was brought here to learn how to use at least a portion of it…no one in the kingdom of Eshelem had a single clue on how to help someone who has fully awakened one, that knowledge was lost thousands of years ago."
There was more to that, but he wasn't ready to investigate.
"I have the affinity for both fire and sound magic. My Will somehow amplified those two, and I can't control my magic. I came here to master those two and learn more about what I can do since humans are excellent scholars despite the short lifespans."
'Damn, I now see why the demons wanted her dead.'
"Is there a possibility that I can awaken the Will I have inside of me?"
"Right now…?" she was shocked by his question.
He nodded.
"You can't," she answered flatly as if it was obvious. Her red eyes were lively today, though she wasn't the type that jumped around.
Arthur was stunned, mainly confused.
"Why?" he frowned at the dragon girl's answer.
"First, you need to know which species that Will belongs to. Forcing a Will to awaken is impossible, you need to understand who gave it to you…and why they gave it to you in the first place. It's called beast taming," she explained. "If you don't know which magical being sacrificed their will for you, then forget about awakening its power."
"What other creatures have Wills?"
"Well…there are dragons, phoenixes, griffins, nightmare wolves…and basically every magic beast between class S and A," she answered, "even demon beasts like shadow specters and death walkers."
"Yelp. Those are many creatures. I also don't think I can awaken a Will. I am too weak even for the average magic user."
"I am surprised you can say that calmly," Eris scoffed.
"Sometimes you need to get comfortable with what you are," he replied with a smile. "I may be weak, but I don't need casting to summon magic."
"That's quite fascinating, to be honest. That's something ability that thousands would kill for…"
"I know, but it ended up with me so too bad for them," he softly cackled.
"Yeah. Anyway, it's lunchtime, and we have swordsmanship later. I suggest you go eat up; I won't be holding back if you end up being partnered with me."
She stood up and grabbed her bag before walking out of the class.
"Swordsmanship after lunch? I guess this semester keeps on getting harder."
Arthur mumbled, seeing he was the only one left in the classroom. This was going to be his first swordsmanship class after his fight with Grey. During that fight, he learned that if his sword skills were better, then maybe, he could've won.
Grey's earth magic was incredible, but he relied mostly on his strength during their fight. To sum it down, he was an overpowered gorilla.
He yawned, then sighed.
'A burger…I think I'll have that.'
.
.
.
"It's fascinating…I thought he was the weakest student in the academy. Did you teach him a few tricks, Obsidian?"
Glory turned to the white-haired man standing on the balcony with her.
"I only taught him dark arts and some mana usage basics. I was honestly unaware that he could give a third year a run for his money," he answered, staring at the green hills that surrounded the kingdom. You could only see them from the highest point of the academy but the view was even better from the Castle. He was a fan of nature, so just standing here and watching the sun shine down on the kingdom was a blessing.
"The thing that shocked me the most was that he was holding back on something during that entire fight," she spoke with an excitement similar to that of a child after seeing something exhilarating.
"Hmm. I won't lie, he's different. And that is what makes me wonder if he's connected to the demon candidate the ogre was hunting for during the exam."
"That's impossible! Demons can't cross the borders."
"Yeah, maybe. But have you ever heard of half-breed demons?" he asked. "Apparently, they were capable of having both human and demon characteristics. Boundaries couldn't work on them, I think."
"I thought those were just folk tales to scare us when we were kids. And even though they were real back then, half-breed demons haven't existed since they were purged from both sides. Do you think one might have appeared here, in the academy?"
She was now curious to know more.
He sighed, "No, half-breed demons couldn't use mana by then. It's just that the children I'm mentoring are all special, special in a way that is both encouraging and terrifying. A demon candidate could mean anything, we think we know demons but we don't."
There was a moment of silence between them as they both took in the beautiful scenery of the kingdom.
"Is that why you asked me to enlist him into my class?" she broke the silence.
"Yes, the ability to use magic without spells is terrifying--even in the hands of a weak magic user. Your class is meant to teach him that and give him more freedom when using his magic. It will make it much easier for him to switch between spells without holding back," said Obsidian.
And as a fellow professor, he understood why Glory had developed an interest in Arthur's abilities. The boy was intriguing.
Glory then turned over and leaned against the rails instead, crossing both her arms and pressing them against her large bosoms. She trusted Obsidian with her life, so if he was up to something, she would follow him without any doubt.
They had been friends since he joined the academy twelve years ago. "What the hell are you planning in that head of yours?" she questioned.
"That's a secret!" he chuckled at best, though there was a sense of worry in that short laugh he had released. "All you have to know is that if I succeed with this, the magic realm will remain safe even when I am gone."
Glory sighed, "If you say so, I'll do my best to help."
"Thanks. You've always been a great friend; you know that, right?"
"Of course I do. I am the ultimate best friend."