The sound of a knock echoed into the room.
"Come in," came Major General Arbarth's voice, sounding lower than usual. Opening the door, Mia entered the office and immediately noticed Arbarth's grim face as he scrutinized a letter in his hand. She waited for a moment, hesitating to break the silence.
"You called me? Is there something wrong, sir?" Arbarth tossed the letter on the table with a heavy sigh.
"Another company patrolling the eastern border is gone." Mia didn't seem surprised by the news; she had heard similar reports before, but they never felt good. Too many had already been lost up to this point.
"Which company, if you don't mind me asking, sir?"
"The 20th. You should know of them," Arbarth said, causing Mia's eyes to go wide in shock.
"The 20th? But didn't they have a Master-level mage and several Knight Adepts?" Mia's words were precisely why Arbarth was so distressed. The Headmistress of Takerth Academy was already bearing down on him, and this was just more bad news being added to the pile.
Arbarth didn't reply. Instead, he rose to his feet and made his way to a window close by, giving him a view over Arlciff City.
"Mia, the City Council Meeting is right around the corner, and we still don't even know why things are worsening at the eastern border. Our scouts have found nothing, and there have been no survivors from any of the recent attacks to give us any clues. Do you understand what I'm saying?" He turned, locking eyes with Mia, his gaze piercing.
"The city's steward already has it out for me. My bolstering of security forced him to cut back on his... activities in this city and he's looking for any reason to remove me from my position as the Major General of this region. And considering how our last talk went, I'm pretty sure the Headmistress is going to give him just that. The Trade Ambassador is already on the steward's side, and the Guild Master has always backed the academy when it comes to council-related matters. Aside from the High Priest and Chief Scholar, it feels like I'll be walking into enemy territory as soon as I step through those doors."
As Arbarth laid out the situation, Mia slowly understood just how bad the internal issues had gotten in the city.
Until Arbarth arrived, almost everyone on the council, except the High Priest and Chief Scholar, who usually stayed out of it, were in the steward's pocket, helping him cover up his tracks. He gave perks to those who sided with him, and they, in turn, supported him.
Only when Arbarth took charge as the new Major General did the military start to clamp down and tighten the leash, which obviously put a target on his back.
"We've got a few more months until the next City Council Meeting. Before we completely lose the academy's backing, I need something I can use. I'm clueless as to why Takerth Academy is siding with the steward despite the risks, but one thing is clear: the steward is just a greedy fool. He's oblivious to the real danger looming over us—the threat from the kryle at the eastern border. I need some idea of what we're up against here, and then I can present a case to the Royal Court. Mia, you're the only one I can trust with a mission like this."
Arbarth's last words hit Mia like a ton of bricks, making it crystal clear he was counting on her.
Every other team, even those boasting a Master-level mage, hadn't managed to return. She was Arbarth's only chance of finally getting a lead on what was going on. If she pulled this off, Arbarth could finally shake the City Council off his back and maybe even take the reins of this mess with some backing from the royal capital.
Failure wasn't an option. If nothing was down, Arbarath would be removed from his position, and by the time the new Major General, handpicked by the steward no doubt, caught wind of how bad things were, it'd be too late.
Arbarth was basically teetering on the rim of a volcano, and now Mia felt that heat on her as well. But, standing there, her resolve only firmed up as she answered with conviction.
"I'll do what needs to be done. Gerald and Marcos will be with me on this." Arbarth gave her a nod, gratitude written all over his face.
"Thank you. I hate to give you missions like this due to your oath, but…" Mia cut him off with a shake of her head, brushing off his concern.
"That oath was my choice when I stepped up to become a knight. It's on me; nobody else, sir. Oh, and speaking of, I almost forgot—I've got some good news." Mia dove into her recent meeting with Magnus and the fact he had gained control over his ability, which she was convinced had to be some form of magic.
The impact of her news might've been dampened by the current chaos, but it still managed to draw a slight smirk from Arbarth.
"I see; in that case, training him would be a worthwhile investment. The only issue is that we don't have any military mages in the city to do so. That means our only option is Takerth Academy." It was kind of funny when you think about it. The military barely had any mages of their own, and on the off chance they found someone promising, they'd have to send them off to the academy anyway.
And whenever that happened, there was always the risk they'd switch sides, and the military's potential mage wouldn't return. That was simply how much authority magic academies had when it came to magical knowledge.
Mia looked a bit worried about this, but Arbarth didn't seem too bothered, waving as he said, "Don't think about it too much; I'll figure it out. For now, let's find a chance to show him around the academy. Seeing future mages and knights could be good for him. Plus, he must be itching to get outside after being stuck in that villa for so long. We've got to make him feel welcome if we want him on our side. It's all a waste if he ends up choosing the academy over us. As for the other things we talked about, I'll send you a letter when it's time." Mia nodded, getting the message that it was up to her to handle both Magnus and the situation at the border.
Leaving the Major General's Office, Mia walked down the corridor and turned a corner. As soon as she was out of sight of anyone, her confident expression dropped, and she leaned heavily against a nearby wall.
This just feels endless. We're already getting torn apart on every front, and here we are, still fighting among ourselves. It's ridiculous! And what scares me the most... is this gut feeling that it's only going to get worse.
=====================================•=====================================
"Wait, hold up. You're here to tell me I'm getting enrolled in an academy?" Magnus was baffled, unsure how to respond to the news.
"Exactly. After she chatted with you yesterday, Mia reported back to the Major General, and they kind of decided what to do with you," Gerald explained. On the other hand, Celia, who had been standing there, spoke out hesitantly.
"Should I leave?" She looked uncertain. Talks about the Major General and the decisions he made were way above her pay grade. In this kind of world, accidentally overhearing certain things could get you arrested or worse.
"Huh, oh, you're fine; keeping this secret under current circumstances was impossible anyway," Gerald said to her before turning his attention back to Magnu to explain what Mia had told him.
"In a nutshell, now that we know you can use magic, the Major General's set on sending you to Takerth Academy to hone your abilities. Mia and I are helping out there as assistants at the moment, but we'll likely be gone by the time you're officially enrolled." Gerald couldn't hide his irritation at this last bit.
Magnus, on the other hand, felt a wave of relief wash over him. To him, Gerald made it sound like they were trying to stick him in some academy at first, which was the last thing he wanted.
"Anyway, with Mia tied up with her work and the Major General busy trying to find a way to get you enrolled, guess who's left to be your tour guide for the academy? That's right, me." Gerald laid it out as if it were a done deal. As nicely as Magnus felt he had been treated so far, it didn't seem like his opinion of wanting to attend the magic academy or not was going to be factored in at all.
I had a hunch they had plans for me the moment they found out about my powers. I just didn't expect them to act on it this quickly. It makes me wonder if they're in a rush or something.
Magnus was torn. On one hand, the fantasy lover in him was jumping for joy at the thought of attending a magic academy. On the other hand, his more practical side acknowledged the incredible chance he was being handed but hated the fact he was being forced into it.
That aside, there was something else that caught Magnus off guard, and that was Gerald's weird vibe when he talked about the academy. It was subtle, but there was a definite edge of sarcasm in his voice when he mentioned Takerth Academy.
Curious, Magnus couldn't help but ask, "You don't seem too thrilled about talking about the academy. Is there a reason?"
"Hmm? Oh, well, I think it's better to see it for yourself than have someone spoil the surprise," Gerald replied, dodging the question entirely.
"Um, okay. Then can you at least tell me when this tour is going to happen?" Magnus asked, prompting Gerald to stroke his chin thoughtfully.
"Hmm, well, it has to get the green light first; they don't just let anybody wander around the academy grounds. But as long as the Major General puts in a good word, it shouldn't be too long—a day or two, tops."
Hearing this, Magnus gave a nod of understanding and replied, "Alright, I'll just hang tight until you come to get me, then."
It's not like he had anything better to do besides practicing his [Self Body Puppetry] skills and checking out a few more books from the library that caught his attention.
"Great, I'll catch up with you later, kid," Gerald said, flashing a grin before deciding it was time to head out. Celia offered to show him out, but Gerald waved her off, leaving her and Magnus by themselves.
A magic academy, huh? Maybe I'll luck out and learn how to cast spells while I'm there, or at very least learn exactly how magic works. Though that makes me wonder, how will magic interact with the Command Console?
Lost in thought, Magnus didn't notice Celia's gaze fixed on him; her expression was a mix of curiosity and restraint, like she was itching to say something, but professionalism kept her silent. Finally, she let out a small sigh.
Why am I even hoping for that? I know it's not possible.
And just like that, two days went by.
Magnus wiped the sweat from his forehead, releasing a breath of satisfaction. He had devoted the better part of today to practicing [Self Body Puppetry], as usual. He was still feeling sore from when he overdid it three days ago, so he made sure not to overexert himself.
Now, his focus was on refining his basic movements, like boosting the force and speed of his legs during a jump to reach higher or subtly adding more strides to enhance his springing speed. These were straightforward methods, yet the outcomes were impressive.
Currently, Magus could leap over four meters off the ground, and he was confident he could go even higher if not for the fact he was already having trouble sticking the landing. Similarly, he was now confident he could run fast enough to break all sorts of world records back on Earth.
He wasn't sure how much that mattered in this new world, but the progress thrilled him. After all, just a couple of weeks ago, he couldn't have imagined achieving such feats.
Still, it's a bit hard to focus on that since someone keeps staring at me.
Right now, the inner courtyard was pretty much deserted, with just Magnus and Celia hanging around. Which meant she was the only one who could be giving him those intense looks.
"Ok, I was going to ignore it, but can you stop drilling a hole into my face?" Magnus finally spoke out. He didn't notice it at first, but over the past two days, Celia had been randomly staring at him whenever she thought he wasn't looking. At first, he thought he was just imagining things, but he couldn't ignore it anymore.
Realizing she had been caught staring, Celia bowed and apologized, "Forgive me, sir; I meant no offense."
"I'm not offended; I'm just weirded out. So what is it you want?" He asked plainly, causing Celia to reveal a look of surprise as she responded.
"What- What do you mean, sir?"
"I'm not oblivious, Celia. You've got that 'I wanna ask something' look. In fact, you've been wearing it since Gerald dropped by if I remember correctly. So, spit it out, what's on your mind?" Magnus saw right through her, which made Celia a bit embarrassed yet also hesitant, torn between asking or staying silent.
Magnus didn't rush her, waiting in silence for a few moments before she finally decided to open her mouth.
"Is it true... that you're a mage?" The question took Magnus by surprise, and seeing his reaction, Celia rushed to apologize again.
"Sorry, I know I shouldn't be asking things like this. I just-" But Magnus cut her off, shaking his head.
"Relax; I'm not offended or anything. I was just caught off guard by the fact that you wanted to ask me about that. Honestly, I've been trying to get more than a single note response out of you since... well, since I got here." To that, Celia could only give a weak laugh; clearly, she was aware of her own behavior. But this time around, it seemed she was willing to talk about it.
"Well, the Head Maid told us all to avoid talking to you or even interacting with you. However, I guess you can tell that order is being taken with liberties due to how much the other maids like to gossip and watch you. And I guess that officially includes me as well, considering what's happening right now." Magnus was taken aback by her words; he had no clue the Head Maid had given such an order.
Actually, now that I think about it, I don't think I've even met the Head Maid before. That's a bit odd, all things considered. But now, at least, Celia and all the other maid's behavior makes sense; I just thought they didn't like me or something.
As Magnus thought about it for a little longer, a grin spread across his face. He finally understood why Celia had started staring at him out of the blue.
"So basically, I was too dull for you to ignore your Head Maid's orders before?" Celia couldn't help but flash a nervous and guilty smile when Magnus pointed this out. He had hit the nail on the head.
Compared to the other maids, especially ones like Tola, she had resisted much longer, but she couldn't hold on anymore, her interest getting the best of her.
"I don't blame you for being curious. Where I come from, the closest thing to magic was a sleight of hand or some clever tricks with smoke and mirrors. I wouldn't have believed in all this supernatural stuff if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes."
Even now, part of him half-expected to wake up back on Earth, the Command Console gone, all this revealed as nothing but a dream. Yet, each day made this world feel more tangible and real.
In any case, after clearing the air about what exactly she wanted, the conversation between Magnus and Celia flowed a lot more easily. With no other maids in sight, Celia didn't need to maintain her usual facade, and her curiosity about Magnus's so-called abilities pushed her to engage more.
Gerald had made it clear that his powers were no secret, so he felt comfortable discussing them, though he chose to keep his 'backstory' under wraps. Telling the same lie too many times only led to trouble, and Magnus would prefer to avoid that.
Still, even with him toning down on sharing some stuff, he was genuinely caught off guard by just how talkative Celia could be. It was like she had flipped a switch that made her do a complete one-eighty compared to how she normally was around him. They got so caught up chatting that an hour flew by without them even realizing it.
"Wow, you're younger than me, but you've lived through so much already. I mean, meeting Captain Reiheim? I can't even begin to count how many people she and her company have saved." Magnus couldn't hide his mixed feelings upon hearing that.
"Well, bumping into Mia and the others was... something. But nearly dying? I'm keen on skipping out on that kind of thing in the future."
"I get that. What's the use of incredible experiences if you're not around to think about them in the future, right? Oh, and speaking of incredible experiences, you're heading to Takerth Academy, aren't you?" Celia asked.
"Hmm? Right, you were there when Gerald said that. Yep, if I got it right, it's ranked among the Ten Great Magic Academies in Batis Kingdom, isn't it? I tried digging up information on it in the library but came up short on it, and honestly, I couldn't figure out much about magic in general. All I really learned was that some of the academies were set up at crucial spots across Batis Kingdom back in the day."
Celia nodded, looking a bit down at Magnus's comment.
"Well... that's likely due to the censorship the Royal Court's got in place."
"Huh, censorship?"