My name is Irene Briar, I was born in 1678 of the Blooming Sun age, an era of peace, ruled by the lions and under the influenced of the Goddess, Rosalia. I lived with my grandmother at the outskirts of the capital, in Requiem's town, Thornhills province, locating south-east of the Corvus territories.
My grandmother passed away when I was at the age of twelve. I stayed at the thornhills orphanage for about a year, before I met Master Abel Abstein. There's a church at the orphanage called The Rose Church, devoting to the Goddess.
Master Abel was a devoted member of the Rose Church, he was a clergyman from The Rose Cathedral in the capital, but was transferred here for a period of time as a substitute priest.
"Oh! Do you like magic?" Abel asked.
It was the beginning of spring. I was sitting under a Willow tree, reading a fairytale book about a princess, who discovered a magical sword, and with that sword, she brings forth magic and light in to the world.
I nodded to his question enthusiastically.
"Mmm.. I knew of someone who liked this book as much as you do." He placed his head on his arms, leaning onto his knees.
"..Does she like fairytales too?" I asked Abel.
He smiled happily- "Of course! She was a dreamy lady, who immerse herself in the study of magic! and on top of that, one can say that she is almost a magical lady!"
I was thrilled by amazement, knowing that such a lady exist- " Wahh~ I-I want to meet the magical lady!"
Master Abel expression changed when I mentioned about it, he looked a bit saddened but he kept on a smile as he continued to tell me about her- "..The magical lady has returned to her highness side, one day I'm sure you'll meet her."
Grandma used to read me a lot of books about magic, and the goddess. All of it was so enchanting and it had influenced my youthful mind to strive to become one like the fairytale.
"I-I want to become a magical lady and be by her goddess side too!" I told master.
Abel smiled and patted my head.That was the first encounter I had with Master Abel.
From then on, he would come around a lot and brought me all kinds of books. He taught me how to read, how to write and we would sit under the willow tree, talking about how magical the world around us are. I accidentally casted my first fireball when I was 13. One of the book he brought to me was about pyromancy spells, everyone was shocked that suddenly a blazing fireball the size of the church was casted over it, and it almost blew the orphanage into a crisp hadn't Master Abel interfered.
He couldn't believe his eyes. From the start, he knew that I was different, but never had he imagined I had the potential to be as parallel as to a great mage.
After that incident, he started to teach me more about sorceries and ancient language. After I turned 14, he had to go back to the capital, and magic was the only thing that was on my mind, so I begged him to take me with. Though without my pleading, he was gonna do it anyway.
In the capital,there's often a couple who would visit the cathedral, praying for a miracle that one day they may bear a child.
"How about adopting this child?" Abel said, that was the first time I met my foster parents.
Even though they said they wanted to bear a child of their own, they accepted me with open arms like I was their own.
"How could we reject such a lovely child? If this was what the goddess has intended for us, how could we object?" They said, and thus began my life, somewhere in the capital city of Lilium Kingdom. Everyday, I'd visit the church with my parents and in the evening, I would received teachings from Master. It took only about a year and a half to reach the level of a 5th classed mage, comparable to a knight. Master was bewildered by my growth rate.
The classed of a mage is determined by how many magic circles or spells you can cast in a constant of time.
For instance, an apprentice or a novice mage, can project one or two magic circle at a time, being at around 1st or 2nd classed mage. Most mage would staggered at the 4th circled as it's harder to cast 4 spells at a time, with the same outputs. In spite of this, one can still push onwards to become a Advanced Mage, by focused more on their spells castings speed and potency. When you achieved the 5th or 6th circled, you have the qualifications to become the imperial magic knights. At the 7th or 8th classed, you've achieved the title of an arch mage, or a great mage, your power is of equal to that of a nation. A kingdom power is based on how many arch mage they possess, by just one or two different in numbers can make equal to a big gap in power, currently the Lilian Kingdom consist of 10 great mage which is the most mages in one country. Lastly, the 9th classed mage, the high sage, honestly it's a myth, no one has said to achieve such a state anyway, but… who knows, right?
At the age of 16,I , Irene Briar, was accepted in to the prestigious Academy of Viscum.There were some controversies going around the school because of my enrollment.
"What! There's a commoner transferring to our school?!"
"Not only that! Rumor has it…that her beauty is as heavenly as a goddess!"
"What!.. a beauty!? Man..I can't wait to see her!"
"Ughh.. how could they let a commoner in here?"
"Right…has she ever even learned about anything at all?..mmm I wouldn't want to be near someone that uncivilized…"
"But.. I heard she excelled in academics.. and a genius in the art of magic too.."
"What?!"
"Woaah~!!"
All kind of rumors started in a matter of mere seconds, and those words ended up in the worst pair of ears possible.
"Hey you! What's your name?" Kannavis Corvus, that was my first encountered with her. She was the first person that had approached me in the academy. My first impression was that she was going to be my first friend, but goodness was I wrong..
From that point forward, I had a rough time with her underlings, she wouldn't do anything to dirtied her own hands, but you would see her from across the room, smiling at your pathetic state as you're being watered like a plant in the middle of the class. This type thing would be a daily occurrence for me, but What's concerning about all of this wasn't the abuse I've been through … the parts that worried me was that… I found it a bit alluring when she smiled at me as she bullied me.
I must have been insane.. she's an evil and an narcissistic person, I shouldn't try to let her get through my head with her cuteness.
Everyday I get to the academy, wondering what type of petty pranks they would pulled on me, but one day, it was different. I stumbled upon in the corner of the building, they were picking on another girl.
"Seriously, when did you learn to wear make up?"
"What..Are you trying to seduce the prince or something, hah?"
There were two people that have always followed Kannavis around. One of the them was pinning a girl to the ground, smudging her face, drawing over her like a clown.
"Wa-wait! Don't take my cosmetics-" The girl pleaded.
*Slap!*
The other bully slapped the girl- "Hey, who allowed you to talk? And look at these things, you call it make up? they look cheap as hell.." she dropped it to the ground and smashed it with her foot. They laughed as if it was nothing. The girl was terrified, she looked like she's about to cry. Kannavis, on the other hand, she just sit on a bench there with a expression of unsatisfaction.
"Hey you're crying? Who allowed you to cry huh?" I had to step in.
She raised her hand, about to hit the girl again, but I grabbed it.
"! Oh look who it is? Isn't it our pretty little commoner? What do you think you're doi- ACK!" I squeezed her hand. Fear was showing in her eyes for the time.
"You shouldn't have done that to her." I said, with the most serious tone I could make up.
"W-wha..L-let go of me, You bitc-ACKK!!.. p-please… let go of me." I squeezed harder. Now she started to beg, huh?
"Hey…what do you think you're doing?" Kannavis got up and started to walk towards me. She grabbed a lipstick from the other girl's hand.
She slowly walked closer, hold my shoulder tightly and pushed me against the wall.
While she popped the cap of the lipstick and drew it on my lips then continued onto my face.
Kannavis said "What? Did you miss me?" That very few words got my mind all wined up. Who would missed someone like her.
"..What's with that look?" Kannavis said. I stared at her while looking down on her. Yeah she's just small.
"…I just felt sorry for you." I said, it was true. Why would nobles like them would go around and do such a thing? I just don't understand..but I messed up when I said that. She was furious and tried to hit me, but the prince, who was her fiancée and the student council president of the academy, came and stop it just in time.
Kannavis felt embarrassed from getting caught by the very person she held dear feelings for; therefore, now she has an even deeper grudge against me.
The bullying become a bit more ruthless, but the prince, somehow would always be there to saved me at every last minute.
"I can not allow this kind of behavior anymore, Kannavis. If you're going to be like this, I don't think a person like you would suited to be by my side." The prince said.
If the words weren't humiliating enough, he said it in front of everyone at the academy.
This aggravated another rumor that I was the prince secret's lover, and another rumor was that Kannavis was an evil cunning witch who's trying to break away true love, they called her The hateful crow.
The beginning of summer break, I was blackmailed in to becoming her personal maid. My master after hearing about it, was quite worried but at the same time, had a proposition for me.
On weekends, I usually went to the library near the cathedral, and met up with Master Abel for lessons.
"Irene, do you remember the magical lady I told you about when you were young." Master Abel asked.
"..? Of course I remember, master. She inspired me to learn more about magic after all." I replied. Why would he bring her up now?
He smiled- "I'm glad! Well, you see..Irene the magical lady was the Duchess of the House of Corvus." That information shocked me. It couldn't be…
"Wait-master! You're saying she's the mother of-"
"That's right, she is the mother of Kannavis Corvus. Mary Rose Corvus."
N-no way.. my hero.. she's the mother of that person?!