After Lucas had returned to his room, he organized his belongings and idly chatted with Eren. At nine, the bell tolled, signalling the curfew. Lucas and Eren set aside their conversation, preparing for the next day by succumbing to the allure of sleep.
At around half past seven in the morning, the bell tolled once again to arouse the students. Heavy shuffling steps sounded from above, resonating from the seniors’ awakening. Lucas threw off his perfectly fluffed blanket and began dressing into his plain tunic and pants. He looked over to check how Eren was doing.
Quite unbefitting the elite that he was, Eren had been spending the night tangled in an unsolvable mess with his blanket. Even now, he was snoring, unaware of the bustle in the dormitories around them. Lucas quickly finished dressing and shook Eren awake.
“Five more minutes…” Eren mumbled, rolling over.
“It’s time to go to class!” Lucas yelled into Eren’s ear.
“What? Huh? What class?” Eren sat up straight and planted his head into Lucas's face. “Oh, sorry. Didn’t see you there.”
Nursing his smarting nose, Lucas replied, “We’re supposed to get ready, I think, but I don’t know where to go.”
“Oh, right, because you weren’t at the class testing. They gave us our schedules after they finished deciding what class we were. Look— this one’s mine. We all take the same courses for our first year, so yours should be the same as mine.” Eren held out a rather flimsy-looking piece of paper. On it was a list of courses, as well as where to take them, in chronological order, from Monday to Friday.
“Worldly Studies, Magical Ethics, Elemental Theory, Bodily Enhancement, and Spellcasting?” Lucas was confused, since using darkness during Spellcasting would be a dead giveaway that something was different about him.
“Yeah, I think we’re studying history in Magical Ethics,” Eren replied, completely misunderstanding Lucas's confusion. “Anyway, wait for me to finish dressing… Are those your normal clothes? They look a little shabby. You should wear one of mine.”
“No, no. It is a capital offense to bear an emblem besides your own. Thanks for the offer, though.” Lucas hurried to decline the offer. He had heard of some of the punishments for wearing a crest of another family, and he did not want any part in them.
“Oh, yeah. I forgot about that. Sorry for almost sentencing you to death.”
“It’s alright. Just get to changing quickly. I want to see what the classes are like.”
“Oh, we’re not taking any classes today. We’re getting tested to see our magic mastery, physical endurance, as well as our knowledge on how magical tools and artifacts work.”
“What’s the use if they’re going to teach all of us the same stuff?”
“I think they want to flesh out what jobs and futures we are best suited for,” Eren said, fishing through his giant suitcase, taking his sweet time to find a suitable set of clothing for the day.
“Wait, what do you mean by futures? Aren’t we all going to fight or something?” Lucas asked.
“No, no. Our classes define what kind of combative magic we’re good at, but they don’t necessarily limit you to fighting. Personally, I find blacksmithing somewhat interesting, but quite clearly, both my element and my class are unsuitable for it. Anyway, the moment I got tested to be a recovery mage, my future was already set. The kingdom lacks healers on the battlefield, you know. And depending on how you use them, plants can be rather versatile, no matter what class you are, so it’s not like I’m defenseless.”
“So does the kingdom pressure you into becoming a battle healer?”
“Let’s get going,” Eren said as he put on his rather stylish dark-green jacket. “Anyway, I think they do something like that, but I’m not sure. It’s not like the kingdom does things like that very commonly. It’s just that we’re in a rather tense situation with Genesca right now.”
“Did something happen?” Lucas inquired while holding the door for Eren.
“I think some of the Genescan king’s scouts discovered some black iron deposits in some mountains that are considered a part of our kingdom. They’ve already dispatched a team of miners, as well as a group of guards, calling it first come first serve.”
“Isn’t that really shameless?” Lucas's voice echoed off the smooth wooden walls, warped slightly from the shallow patterns engraved in them.
“I suppose so, but it’s not like we haven’t done anything like that. I’m pretty sure just last year we did the exact same thing except it was because a patch of their land had extremely dense and thick wind-element leylines. They conceded the land temporarily that time, and now they’re using that as an excuse to nab at our materials.” Eren retrieved his card from his pocket and searched for Room 028.
“We’re really not in the best relations with them, are we?”
“Well, you should be fine, since even in the unlikely event of a war, your hometown is rather out of the way. It’s not likely that they’ll come after it. After all, there’s only one path that leads outside of the valley, and only your people know how to cross it. But because of the secludedness of the valley, it has developed a unique environment, which makes it so ideal for us to get our crops from there. At least, that’s what my dad says. I don’t really know that much about our intercity relations.”
“You guys should come live with us, then,” Lucas said jokingly. He knew it would be rather hard and unnecessary for such an important family to uproot itself from its city.
“You know, my dad has seriously considered that before, but apparently there are just some things that can’t be done.” The duo took a right turn, exiting the area of the dormitories of the first years.
“The thingy is telling us to go straight down… That can’t be right.” Lucas looked around but saw nothing besides the fork that they had just come from and the two sides of the torchlit corridor. Just as he was on the brink of despair, he saw a familiar face emerge from the T-shaped fork. “V— whatever your name was! Can you help us really quickly? I think we’re lost.”
“It’s Vaelith! And I appear to be in the same situation as you two.”
“Whatever. Let’s just walk forward and see where that takes us. I’m sure we’ll find a staircase eventually,” Eren suggested.
The three walked on in silence after a quick acknowledgement of Eren’s suggestion. The soft carpet rustled beneath their feet as the torchlights flickered, casting long shadows of the trio. True to Eren’s word, the three did eventually find a staircase that led to the lower floor. The wood quickly faded to stone as they descended, and the soft rustling became quiet tapping.
Intent to break the silence, Lucas asked, “So… What’re your element and class, Vaelith?”
“None of your business,” she replied, rather tersely.
“Jeez… Not very sociable, huh?” Eren said.
“Oh, alright. I use a magic technique that allows me to use fire, water and wind. Apparently it’s a mutation that’s happened before. It’s called the Dragonkin, although I sincerely doubt that I have any blood relation with the mythical creatures.”
“Isn’t that really powerful? And in that case, do you have one specific class, then?”
“Well, of course I do. Elemental attribute has nothing to do with your class, after all. I’m a ranged attack mage.”
“So what was the point in testing in private if you’re just gonna tell us?” Eren asked.
“You knew that she was testing in private?” Lucas interjected with another question.
“Naturally. She was told by the teacher to remain in the classroom. That only happens when your family has requested private class testing. Isn’t that what happened to you?”
“Um… Yeah, sure. Something like that.” Come to think of it, he didn’t know what his class was. The headmaster might have neglected to mention it.
“I don’t really like to keep secrets, and you’re going to find out eventually. And anyway, who are you going to tell? And how are you going to tell them? Like, ‘Oh, by the way, you know the girl named Vaelith? Yeah, she’s a ranged attack mage who can use three elements.’”
Now that she had put it that way, Lucas did indeed see that it was unlikely for anyone else to find out about her power. Now that the topic had expired, the three kept on walking in silence. They seemed to have been simultaneously struck with a sudden sense of urgency. Perhaps they were running late; they’d been walking for a while, anyway. They quickened their pace, finally reaching Room 028 after a few minutes.
As they approached, the handleless door swung open, revealing a rather empty classroom. The three slowly set foot into the room, looking around for a sign of life.
“I see we have some early brats here,” a crackly voice came from behind them. All three of the students jumped and turned around to see nothing. The words “too slow” were followed by a cackle. Lucas quickly whipped around and saw a rather plump and wrinkly mage sitting on one of the desks, swinging her legs back and forth like a toddler. “Is there nobody else here yet? To think coming to class was such an unpopular idea among the students…”
“I think it’s because the school is so large. We nearly got lost, too.”
“Naturally, naturally. I still remember the first time I set foot into this magnificent institution of magic… No I don’t, actually.” A frown formed on her face, wrinkling it further. “How age concerns one…”
In the next ten minutes, the rest of the first year slowly trickled in, alarmed by their tardy arrival and not just a little vexed by the complexity of the school’s structure. “I see everyone has gathered…” The plump mage, who had disappeared after conversing with the three punctual students, abruptly appeared behind the crowd that had appeared at the doorway, startling the students and compelling a few to release high-pitched shrieks. “Now, now. There’s no need to imitate birds. Not indoors, at least. Please go to your seats.”
“And who are you to order us around, hag?” sneered the prince.
“You will do as I ask.” No longer assuming her previous, flowery tone, she released a brief wave of formless Azla. At once, all of the students, not just Lucas, could not move, not even to breathe, as if their energy had been sucked out of their limbs. “Your youthful vitality will not serve you before overwhelming might. I do not look it, but I am the oldest and most skilled professor in this school. Besides the headmaster, naturally.”
As briefly as the powerless sensation came, it left. The students, many perspiring from the unusual experience of being oppressed by another human being, quickly made for their labelled desks and seats. The chatter that had filled the room just a few moments before did not leave even a shadow of itself behind. The professor waddled up to the podium and announced, “My name is Endelyn Marris. Today I will be testing you on your practical magic mastery, as well as your physical endurance.”
Hopping down from the podium, Professor Marris made for the door, signalling all of the students to follow her. “We will be going to the fields for the testing. Come with me.”
The students shuffled into a single line, not daring to cause any unnecessary trouble. Besides the prince, of course. He strode to the front, casting the defenseless Lucas aside. Unwilling to draw negative attention to himself, especially not from the son of the royal house, he contented himself with placing himself between Eren and Vaelith. In a sudden stroke of inspiration, he searched the line for Rebrixi. Spotting her near the end of the line, he waved to her. She waved back, seemingly declining his invitation to the front. Lucas turned around, walking properly now, and tried to burn the path down to the fields into his memory.
After a little while of walking, the class arrived at the open fields. The grass here was short, but it became longer the further away from the school they went. The soft East Wind blew the grass to the left, into a further reach of the mountain range that seemed to stretch around the world. The city was not visible from here; perhaps the headmaster’s office had been at the highest part of the school. Rogue blades of grass, swept up by the wind, flew high into the air, giving attention to the pure, blue sky, only bleached by a few magnificent, tall, white cumulus clouds that erupted from behind the mountains.
Was this the breathtaking view that Lucas was privileged to see every day at this school? The mountain slopes back at home came very close to Everward itself; there was no way to see the mountains in their full glory there. Although the fields were not limited much by this, they could not compare to the vastness of the grasslands that stretched now before him. In the distance, he could just barely make out the dark green of a line of trees sitting just above the light, verdant pasture; perhaps a forest that connected to the snow-capped mountains.
The crackly voice of the professor snapped his attention back, away from the scenery. Pointing at a row of crates that were lined up in the room that they had just travelled through to reach the outside, she said, “Grab a suitable weapon from there. They are all completely crafted from wood, so don’t worry about inadvertently slicing off one of your classmates’s arms.”
Lucas, who had not been paying attention to his indoor surroundings, now saw that they had come through a windowed cabin, connected to one of the school’s many hallways, that held many tools, not just the wooden weapons they were instructed to retrieve. The walls were supported by embedded wooden pillars, each polished so smoothly that it reflected every bit of the scenery that came through the windows. The ground was similarly smooth.
Its petrified mahogany wood supported many shelves, each tailored to avoid blocking the view provided by the windows, which each carried a vast but organized assortment of objects that could only be collectively categorized as things. There were wooden weapons, real weapons, a multitude of differently sized balls, crystal balls similar to the one at the ceremony, large and rubbery membranes Lucas couldn’t figure out the purpose of, what looked like parts of machinery, and so much more.
Lucas grabbed the first weapon he saw, a thin shortsword, and returned to the outside. The other students also quickly made decisions and came to join him.
“I see that everyone has chosen the weapon that they would like to— Vonnel, is that a crowbar? Where did you ever find one?”
“It was behind the other weapons, ma’am. I thought it was a legitimate choice.”
The professor sighed, saying, “I suppose you could use a crowbar as a weapon. Well, anyway, now we’ll be testing your ability to infuse magic into your weapons. Normally, you won’t need to do this in the real world, but it will be helpful if it ever comes to a time when you need to pour your magic into a vessel or artifact. This application of magic may seem to make the Will study redundant, but very quickly through the school year will you realize: it is nowhere near as boundless and practical as the Will can be. Without further ado, let’s get started.
“Alren Aabryn, please step forward.” The moment the student complied, a wall of mist formed around him and the professor, shielding not only his application of magic but also the sound that came with it. After Alren stepped out of the mist, Professor Marris’ voice came drifting through it, calling for the name of the next name in alphabetic order, Cael Adrosen, who was rather well-built for a twelve-year-old.
This continued for the next twenty-four students until it came to Lucas. He stepped into the mist, expecting a slight coolness or at least a little bit of texture to greet him. The mist, however, was entirely intangible. If it weren’t for his vision, he would not have believed that he had crossed such a solid-looking barrier of white mist.
“You are the one with the Strange Arcane, yes?” the professor asked.
“Yes, ma’am,” Lucas replied.
“I would like you to try to pour all of your Azla into your weapon.”
“How do I do that, again?” Lucas asked.
“Focus on your kidneys,” — she pointed at an area around Lucas's lower back — “and try to exert some strength there. It’ll be like exerting your biceps when you push on a heavy boulder. If you feel something like a liquid pour from your kidneys and reach all around your body, know that you have successfully released your Azla. Normally, this is a one-time thing and is done basically the moment one manifests magic. However, it does appear that you have not manifested your magic at all yet, which may just be a side effect of the Strange Arcane. Well, go ahead and try it.”
Lucas did as she asked — and the sensation came faster than he had thought it would. It felt cold, but comfortably so. It swam through his body, although he couldn’t feel specific veins like Professor Morrix had said. It was like his body was an inverted whirlpool that circled back on itself — water-like coolness swirled from his kidneys and travelled back. There was no other way to describe this — it was power.
Lucas lifted his hand instinctively. Immediately, what looked like a ball made of shadows began dancing in his palm.
“Whoa! Is this supposed to be so easy?” Lucas asked.
“Apparently you’re some sort of genius. This process of unlocking magic usually takes weeks of continued exertion in one’s kidneys. The headmaster did instruct me to tell you to try to unlock your Azla flow, saying something about your ability to naturally manifest the magic, but I didn’t think it would be to this extent. And to think you were able to pull out your magic instantly. You’ll make Thalen’s job very easy.”
Lucas's spirits soared. For the first time in his life, he believed that his existence could mean something. “Wait, but you said that usually unlocking your Azla flow happens after manifesting your magic. How does that work?”
“When you manifest your magic, there are no outward signs of it. However, your Azla vein system will start becoming more active. It’ll begin the final stages of maturing so that you can use Azla without damaging the structure. This small change is noticeable by those fluent in magic; it is gradual, but it’s like how you can tell the difference between a toddler and a newborn child, but instead of using sight, it’s using magic. Then your parents would usually tell you how to unlock your Azla flow.
“However, since your unlocking came so late, your kidneys have become used to the condensed nature of the Azla that’s been building up inside of them. This is not a bad thing; on the contrary, it gives you an upper hand against others who use darkness and the Arcane, and any magic in general. Your magic is much stronger and has more momentum. It’s like hitting a dinghy with a giant warship. Not that you really need any upper hand, but the more advantages the better, I suppose.”
“Wait, so then why doesn’t everyone wait a long time before unlocking?”
“Because most people believe that sacrificing the valuable time that you could be spending to master your magic more isn’t worth the condensed, heavier Azla that you wield. But don’t be discouraged; although they do have higher mastery than you at the moment, your body is a natural genius at using darkness, as you displayed today, and having more condensed Azla does not mean more strain on your veins.
“Now, for the second part of this test. I don’t think this will be a challenge for you, judging by how easily you manifested that ball of darkness, but it’s procedure that we must follow. Use the flow in your veins. Push it out through your palms—into the sword.”
“Like this?” Lucas asked as he did what the professor dictated. The wooden sword instantly erupted in black flames, or so it looked. The flames emitted no heat and the wood did not burn. “Is it supposed to do that? It looks like fire, but it doesn’t burn…”
“On the whole, it does not appear that you are lacking in output, but that flame-like look to your magic is a result of a lack of control. But that is not necessary now. Professor Morrix will expand on it later, possibly tomorrow. Well, I believe that you are done here. You may go.”
Lucas took his leave and rushed to join the crowd of students. With the wooden weapons in hand, some of the students had taken to practicing sword-fighting and had been surrounded by a circle of bored students. Lucas noticed that the one named Vonnel, who had grabbed the crowbar, had no bruises on him. He was also surrounded by several male students who seemed to idolize him.
“Mira Drelan!” came the voice of the professor. “And the rest of you should find better hobbies than giving each other bruises, although that youthful vitality is very admirable.”
“What happened? You were in there for a really long time,” Rebrixi asked, appearing right behind him.
“What? Oh, was I? I think it just took a bit of time for me to get the hang of it, I guess,” Lucas replied.
“Oh, well. But you’re able to use magic?”
“Yeah.”
“That’s all that matters, then.” Rebrixi walked away as Eren approached him.
“What did she want with you?” he asked.
“Oh, Rebrixi? She’s also from Everward. I suppose you could consider her something like my girlfriend,” Lucas replied.
“Oh… Okay. To be honest, she doesn’t give off a great vibe.”
That was true. She had become noticeably more distant to him than when they hadn’t come to Sacred Heart. “She was a lot more cheerful back at the village. Well, whatever. Vaelith’s up soon, right?”
“Oh, right. Her last name starts with an ‘e’, doesn’t it? But I wonder how it’ll work for her.”
“Yeah… She has three elements after all. Which weapons did you two choose, by the way?” Lucas asked. He didn’t have a great understanding of the differences between each type of weapon, but he did like the light feel of the shortsword that he was holding.
“I chose one of these mini-hammers,” Eren said, holding up a hammer that wasn’t small but certainly wasn’t the size of one of those warhammers that Lucas had seen lying outside the weaponsmithies on the carriage ride to the school. It was perhaps as long as Lucas's lower leg and its head was shaped into a plain hexagonal prism the thickness of a large tome and the length of two bricks lined side-by-side. “But I didn’t check with Vaelith so I’m not sure.”
“Are you sure that that suits your plant magic?” Lucas asked, well aware that he wasn’t one to talk.
“I dunno, I just grabbed a random one.”
“I see. Well, I think Vaelith’s up next. Speaking of which, where is she?” Lucas looked around, unable to spot her.
“She’s there.” Eren pointed at the door to the storage room. She was practicing swinging the sword she had in hand, seemingly unaware that she would be called soon. “Should we go talk to her?”
“I don’t see why not,” Lucas agreed.
As they walked over, Lucas noticed that she was wearing a black cloak adorned with golden laces and chains that dangled thin strips of what looked like genuine gold. Nearly everyone else, besides himself and the other lowerclassmen, who all wore rather normal tunics, was wearing clothes that were reminiscent of their element. As the duo approached, Lucas called out, “You might be up soon, Vaelith. You should get ready.”
“Yeah, I know. I’m just practicing a bit. I’ll go when she calls me.”
“Sociable as ever, I see,” Eren said.
“Why did you even come to look for me?”
“Because you’re our friend now, right, Lucas?” Eren replied.
“Huh? Oh, right, yeah. Something like that.” Lucas's attention had now drifted to the school’s towering structure. The outside of the school was constructed with arches of gray wood, topped with black spikes of what looked like some sort of metal. The windows varied depending on the size and height of the classrooms that they shone light into.
“Stop daydreaming,” Eren said. A sharp pain met the back of Lucas's head.
“Ow, what was that for?” Lucas asked.
“Oh, come on, couldn’t you tell that we were in the middle of a touching interaction between two nice, extroverted boys and a girl who has trouble expressing herself properly?”
“And who are the two nice, extroverted boys, exactly?” Vaelith interjected.
“Well, it’s me and Lucas, of course. We’re the best people you’ll ever meet.” Eren said.
“If I knew you were like this, I would’ve chosen to get lost in the corridors this morning.”
“Geez… You really don’t want nice friends, do you?” Eren asked. “Well, Lucas, since she doesn’t appear to accept our charitable and noble action of extending friendship to her, I guess we don’t have anything left to do here.”
“I didn’t say anything about Lucas. Lucas, you’re fine. I just have trouble coexisting with this… this…”
“Beautiful, charming, and sensitive boy? Yeah, thanks. I appreciate it.”
“This unnecessary walking embodiment of noise and arrogance, was probably what she meant to say,” Lucas joined in.
“Yes, thank you, Lucas. See, this is what friends are really supposed to be like. Anyway, it seems that the professor is calling me,” Vaelith said, as her name drifted across the crowd of students. “Good day to you, Lucas. I hope your life crashes right before your eyes, Eren.”
“Why, thank you,” Eren replied, giving a sweeping bow. “Lucas, why would you turn on your valuable friend like that?”
“Because it was funny,” Lucas said with a shrug.
“Et tu, Lucas? I’ll remember this when I’m famous.”
“Yeah, yeah. I’m sure you’ll become famous one day, no doubt. Just make sure your big head doesn’t get in the way.”
“Now, now, Lucas. I’ve been lenient with you. But if you’re going to outright disrespect me like that, I’ll have to teach you some manners.” These words were followed by a tap on Lucas's head with Eren’s hammer. The tap was heavy enough to hurt, but held back just enough so as not to injure him.
“What manners? We’re just twelve-year-olds having fun at school. Do you want to take all your classes in boredom?”
“Well, not exactly. But you’re the one making this boring right now.”
“What, by putting a curb on your self-praise? Yeah, well, sorry, but not everyone’s willing to hear about your beauty and charm and sensitivity,” Lucas said, whose eyes had drifted back to looking at the structure of the school.
“Anyway, I don’t think you’ve told me yet. What’s your element and class? I’ve never heard of the crystal ball cracking like it did with you.”
There it was. The unavoidable question that was bound to come one way or another. “To be honest, I don’t know what my class is. Nobody ever told me. And about my element — well, you see, my element is, well, you know, also undisclosed.”
Although the finish was not entirely truthful, Eren took it, saying, “Well, if you can’t tell me, there’s nothing I can do about it. If it’s that serious then it was the headmaster who told you not to tell me, right? At least you can tell me that much.”
“Yeah, it was the headmaster.”
“Wait, really? What was his office like? Did you see him use his magic? Where is his office? How do I get there? What did his robes look like? What artifacts did he have in his office? What did his office smell like? What did he smell like?”
Lucas blinked. “You want me to describe his scent?”
“Yeah, never mind that. But do you remember where his office is?”
“No? And can’t you just find it on the card?”
“Well, you can’t just find his office by inserting ‘headmaster’s office’. You need a room number, and I don’t think anyone knows what it is.”
“Oh. Well. No, I don’t remember. I just remember being able to see the city from one of the windows, so it’s either on the south side or it’s really high up.”
“It’s an untouchable dream for so many students to be able to personally witness his office, and yet when the opportunity is extended to you, you don’t take advantage of it? How dumb can you be?” Eren said.
“Pretty dumb, I suppose. I dunno, am I supposed to know how dumb I am?”
“That was a rhetorical question,” Eren said hastily. “But you seriously don’t remember anything?”
“Well, there were big bookshelves. It was octagonal, so they lined six of the eight sides. There was a desk and there was this whirring sphere thingy.”
“What whirring sphere thingy? I must know.”
“It was a globe or something. Don’t ask me, I don’t memorize every detail of every place I go to.”
“It seems that you don’t memorize any detail of any place you go to.”
“Say, shouldn’t Vaelith be done already? What’s taking her so long?”
“Well, you took pretty long, too. The professor was taking a look at the magic that I can’t know about, huh?”
“Yeah, something like that.”
“Geez, why can’t you tell me? I can’t even think of something that would be so secret that you can’t even tell me. Could it be that you have a technique? A really rare, really dangerous one?”
As far off as his guess was, it was still pretty close to the truth. Alarmingly close, like Eren could look into Lucas's mind and determine what was going on in there. Lucas felt like his insides were being turned out so that Eren could inspect them.
“Stop pressing me about this. I don’t know much about it either.” Which was a total lie. He knew everything, down to the anatomy associated with the Strange Arcane, from what the headmaster and what Professor Morrix had told him.
“Oh, well, whatever. Look, here comes the girl who wants to be surrounded by ghosts.”