(A/N: Sorry for another author note, just wanted to say Auxiliary chapter 1 was moved to be first in volume one whilst Auxiliary chapter 2 was to be moved to first on the Verdantis Arc volume whilst the pictures of the armor of Mikoto and the rest was moved to be first in this current volume, it should be easier to go back and familiarize oneself with the characters this way. Any new characters will be posted to Auxiliary chapter 2.")
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"Must we really wear this armor at every waking moment?" Agatha could not help but question as she walked through the hallways of the academy, glancing at her attire. It was easy to see her armor was clearly crafted by someone with immense skill. The breastplate, a masterpiece of special alloy work, hugged her curves with a protective embrace. It seemed as if the armor itself had been molded to her body, a second skin shielding her from harm. The intricate designs etched onto the surface of the breastplate made it stand out even more.
Her shoulder pads, crafted from polished silver alloy, were adorned with delicate filigree, adding a touch of elegance to the otherwise formidable armor. The alloy reflected the light of the surrounding area. The pauldron on her left shoulder, slightly larger than its counterpart, bore an elaborate crest, the meaning of which was unknown.
Her gauntlets, ensuring dexterity and precision, were adorned with intricate engravings that traced the path of her veins. Her lower legs were clad in greaves, polished silver alloy plates that protected her shins and calves from harm. Her knee pads, crafted from the same gleaming alloy, were intricately designed to provide both protection and mobility.
"I think the armor is quite swell," Victoria voiced, her own much more eccentric and standing out.
She did not have a breastplate; instead, the girl opted for simple cloth to show off her ample cleavage. Over that, she wore a blue-and-gold jacket, the neckline of which was cut low to reveal a white bodice underneath.
The jacket was made of a rich, velvety blue fabric that contrasted beautifully with the shine of her eyes. The sleeves were trimmed with gold, and the shoulders were adorned with elaborate golden shoulder pads that resembled the wings of a bird. On her left hand, she wore a dark, steel gauntlet, while her right hand was bare. Along with that, she was outfitted with dark greaves outlined with gold as well as sabatons of the same color. On her now loosely styled hair was some headgear, the same theme, gold and blue in color.
"And besides," Victoria continued, "It's best for us to get used to our armor; everyone else is already constantly wearing theirs."
"I see, that does make sense. But still, what are we doing in the academy this early? It's not an academy day today, so there are no teachers or students present; everyone is within their dorms. Would our time not be better spent training?"
"Come now, rest is important too, you know? Besides, your mana training has been progressing rather splendidly," Victoria countered.
"Even so, with all that training, I can only maintain Arcane Ascendance for about four extra minutes, hardly a worthwhile difference," Agatha shot back blankly.
"Ah, so young yet so pessimistic," Victoria chuckled. "Worry not; we shall get back to your training in a moment. First, the reason for our visit here is apparently Mikoto had returned yesterday." That caused Agatha to slightly perk up. "And oh, how Mikoto wounds me to not even say hello first," she gave a mock look of anguish.
"I see, so then Mikoto is within the Academy?" Agatha surmised, getting a nod of confirmation from the older blonde. Well, that was a good reason to postpone training; she had not seen Mikoto for the past few days now. She had gotten used to his constant presence to such a degree.
"Ugh! Why do you even want to meet that guy!" The familiar squeaky voice of Cor'nella filled the air as she quite literally appeared out of thin air, hovering beside her.
"Oh, you've quarrel with dear Mikoto?" Victoria mused, addressing the eccentric fairy who merely huffed.
"He called me a 'thing' the first time we met. As if I were some measly toy! I shan't ever forget that nerve!" The fairy squeaked out.
"You are much too sensitive," Agatha dully noted. Her fairy threw her a glare but said nothing.
"Not a bad trait, though what do you think of Agatha's progress, Cor'nella?" Victoria inquired.
"Hmph! Nothing special," Cor'nella voiced without reservation. "If her mind were not so constantly on that boy, then mayhap she'd progress better."
"Oh, so Agatha should get her mind out of the gutter," Victoria chuckled some more. "Hear that, Agatha."
"My thoughts are not unpleasant; I was merely curious as to where Mikoto had disappeared off to," Agatha defended, giving the two other blondes a dry glance.
"Have no shame, Agatha. I would not deign to judge you for any kind of thoughts," Victoria reassured. Agatha furrowed her brows, not gauging what exactly Victoria meant, but for now, she ignored that. "Oh, what an ominous fellow," Victoria suddenly uttered out. Agatha and Cor'nella followed her gaze. Well, ominous did not do the armored figure justice that was approaching them; he looked like a villain from some old fairy tale come to life.
"Agatha, Victoria, wassup?" The figure uttered out with a lazy wave as he came to a stop in front of them. It seemed to click with Victoria immediately on who this was despite the muffled voice.
"Oh, Mikoto? What an odd set of armor you chose," Victoria casually noted with her ever-present smile. Agatha looked at Mikoto with a scrutinized gaze; he seemed a tad smaller than usual.
"You look more than a petty villain than usual, even more so than you were with that stupid mask," Cor'nella chimed in, giving him a once-over. "Are you trying to scare everyone you're around with that get-up?"
Mikoto gestured with his head towards Cor'nella, "This thing got an off switch?"
"I am no 'thing'!" Cor'nella screeched out with a glare. "I told you this guy wasn't worth it! No tact at all!" Agatha ignored her fairy's tantrum in turn of focusing on Mikoto.
"You've been gone for a while now; where were you?" Agatha questioned, naturally like most, she was curious as to what Mikoto had been up to for the past few days. He was, of course, always up to his own absurd thing.
"I went to go get a sword."
"I knew it! That damn sword chose you!" Cor'nella suddenly exclaimed, both of their words confused the other present girls. "Xiyie kerym uf vpudaurau baytsryoe!"
"Uh, what?" Mikoto blurted out.
"Fae tongue?" Victoria noted with a pondering gaze. "The sword of... hmm, I can't make out the rest. I've yet to brush up on the Fairy's language."
"Hmph! So that sword would find itself a new owner; Leifa Allr is so much better than you Iejtsamaygamai!" Cor'nella followed up with more gibberish.
Mikoto felt a pulse of unhappiness within himself, not his own. Sabre's, mayhap? The blade did not seem sentient, but he was so in tune with it that they might as well have been one.
"Eh, Sabre's better; it is wielded by me after all," Mikoto stated smugly. "I bet this Leifa whatever isn't even all that."
"That is so untrue; Leifa Allr is better! My kind were partially responsible in its forging after all!" Cor'nella argued.
"Words of a sore loser; bet Leifa whatever doesn't look half as badass as Sabre."
"Leifa Allr, you imp!" She thrashed about in the air with a glare no one would find fierce.
Agatha and Victoria, meanwhile, looked bemused, but the former took note of something, "Did you say Sabre?" Agatha questioned with a tilt of her head.
"Ah, the legendary hero's blade; I heard it was embedded in stone, unable to be lifted by anyone found unworthy," Victoria mused with a smile.
("Hmm, sword in the stone, I haven't thought much of that specific prospect before. Sabre taking a page out of the legendary Excalibur's book?") Mikoto thought in amusement.
"You managed to retrieve the blade?" Agatha questioned; she had only ever heard about Sabre in fairy tales. The legendary sword of heroes, wielded only by those found worthy. A myriad of different heroes all with different goals but the same motive.
"I did," Mikoto nodded, "It was easy to get; I'm me after all. Had a whole trial and everything, got to meet some past hero and whatnot," Mikoto commented offhandedly.
"You met a hero?" Agatha questioned with slightly wide eyes; she seemed intrigued.
"Interesting, I've never heard of anything like that before. Some manner of unique magic, mayhap?" Victoria mused. "So mind showing us the legendary Sabre?"
"Sure," Mikoto gave a shrug as he raised his gauntleted right hand. In a dazzling display of radiant red light, the large blade began to materialize in his hand. The slender blade with its dark gray metal body. The blade's sharp and pointed curve gave it a slightly menacing look. The black hilt, with a simple, unadorned design, made it stand out all the more. Its single red gemstone in the middle of the blade was the sharpest part of the blade, surrounded by a red glow. It appeared to be glowing faintly with a red light, and the light came from the tip of the sword and traveled to the handle, with it getting dimmer at the end.
All three looked at the blade with varying gazes. Astonishment clouded Agatha's eyes surprisingly; she gazed over the blade with intent eyes. "It's overflowing with mana, though it seems more potent. Foreign even," she deduced with impressed eyes. She seemed on the verge of reaching out and touching it but refrained. "It's beautiful."
"Leifa Allr is still better," Cor'nella grumbled.
Victoria's gaze seemed much more intent than the others; her eyes almost radiating when looking at the blade. She was looking at it as if there was something only she could see, her eyes narrowed in disappointment. "My, my, so incomprehensible."
"Your Familial Arts?" Mikoto surmised.
"Indeed, it allows me to analyze any concept or object, breaking it down into its simplest form," she briefly explained. "It's mighty nifty, yet I cannot for the life of me get down the composition of Sabre; it's almost... otherworldly."
"True, you should see its ability," Mikoto spoke, dismissing Sabre into naught but particles of red. "Anyhow, I'm off again."
"So soon?" Victoria frowned, "But you only just returned."
"It be good riddance if you disappear again," Cor'nella said, sticking out her tongue at him. He ignored the fairy.
"Eh, I'm a busy man, though I'll only be in Verdantis a few hours," Mikoto offhandedly added.
"Verdantis?" Agatha repeated, "What would you need there?"
"I was doing some research with someone there; I'm heading over to retrieve some notes," Mikoto clarified. "She's located somewhere in the capital; I can't teleport that far. So I'll just fly across the sea."
"Oh?" Victoria wiggled her eyebrows suggestively, "A 'she?' Is this a romantic rendezvous? Oh, I'll be so intrigued yet disappointed!" She giggled like a schoolgirl.
"Nah, nothing like that," Mikoto waved off.
"Oh? You sure?" Victoria questioned, "Well, that is a relief. Say, mind if I tag along?"
"Hm? I don't, but why do you want to?"
"Things are getting much too cramped here; for the past few days, we have been doing naught but training and strategizing," Victoria gave a sigh of exasperation. "I need a little break; oh, and how about you, Agatha?"
The aforementioned girl seemed to mull over her choice momentarily, "Well, I suppose I have hit a wall. And I've naught else to do; if you do not mind, Mikoto, then may I accompany you as well?"
"Sure." ("Seems like this is going to become a group effort; oh well...")
"Hmph! I wanted to go to meet Arthur once more anyway, and I am bound to Agatha, but do not misunderstand, I am not going with you because I want to; I have my own motives!" Cor'nella squeaked out, but none paid her mind.
("Hm, I didn't plan on this being a group trip, but oh well.")
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Sprawling beneath a heavy blanket of soft, velvety snow, the city was nestled within a deep valley, surrounded by towering, snow-capped mountains that seemed to touch the heavens. A thick blanket of snow covered everything, from the rooftops of the towering cathedrals to the cobbled streets below. Muffled sounds of the bustling streets rang out.
Towering spires and gargoyles loomed above, their stone faces finely carved, dripping with icicles that glimmered like shards of broken crystal. Each building might as well have been a fortress of granite and textured limestone, boasting arched windows with stained glass, the colors somewhat dulled by frost, yet still vibrant all the same. Cobblestone streets wound between these monumental structures, their surfaces littered with ice and snow, leading to grand public squares where wrought-iron lampposts flickered to life.
Majestic cathedrals stood tall, their entrances framed by massive wooden doors, twisted iron motifs curling around them. Nearby, smaller chapels would catch the eye with their low ceilings and flickering candles. Large trees, their branches heavy with snow, lined the spaces between buildings, while statues of Gods and saints figures rose, partially obscured in white. A marketplace thrummed with activity—the laughter of bundled figures being loud as they bartered and debated, their faces flushed from the cold. Above, clouds hung low, a swirling mass of gray that threatened yet another flurry, while in the distance, the echoing toll of cathedral bells sliced through the serene atmosphere.
The enormous capital of Verdantis was a sight; there was no denying that.
But within this cold religious city, there was a storm coming, the golden figure grinned.