The week and a half following my first use of death and void magic passed in much the same manner as before. I awoke and ate, then relocated to the training court to practice elemental manipulation or practice casting until the sun began to rise; wherein I would retire for the day. With such a schedule, I’d gotten quite used to the relative solitude I was now afforded. if I were to ignore Jonet following me around and only sometimes practicing her ice magic. As such, I couldn't help but flinch in surprise when my father randomly decided to step out of my shadow.
“Oho!” He beamed after settling himself into the physical world. “Seems as if we were both startled, Son.” He grinned, nodding down to my shadow. “I see your shadow clone has made himself comfortable in there.”
‘Seriously?’ I scoffed inside before nodding to him. “I have. I call him Numa. My Doppelganger.”
“Fantastic.” He airily sighed. “Have you learned to control him yet?”
“I have…” I nodded while Numa reached his hand into physical space to give him a thumbs up. “Did… you have something to tell me?” I asked somewhat impatiently after another of my father's airy sighs of approval.
“Ah!” He recoiled as if he’d just been struck. “Yes! If you’ll come with me, Amun, there are a few things I wish to discuss with you.”
“Very well.” I shrugged, stepping after him into the Shadow Plane.
“As… Grandpa Lich told you.” Father’s voice echoed back to me a few moments later. “You’ll be receiving two vassals of your own. Like Jonet, they will follow you for the rest of your life and have each started an education down paths that will help you in the future. As such, your formal education will soon start. You’ll learn about the realms and their histories as we know them. And most importantly, you’ll learn about manners and etiquette. This is your teacher.” He paused to step back into reality, appearing in the service wing behind a slim, blonde man dressed in a white suit. “His name is Wilmont Brooks.”
Upon hearing his name, the man in question turned on his heels and immediately lowered his waist into a formal bow. “It’s an honor to finally meet you, Your Grace,” Wilmont said somewhat loudly after raising himself and allowing me to capture his heavily freckled face in memory. "Your father has told me much of your brilliance.” Somewhat paradoxically, he had both a slim, bony face as well as a prominent cleft in his chin. Centered on his face were a pair of wiry glasses that comically magnified his blue-green eyes. Triggering my inner child and nearly forcing an outburst of laughter to erupt in his face.
“The pleasure is mine.” I nodded in turn, attempting to distract myself by resurfacing those questions burning deep in my mind. “I’m free to begin my lessons now. If you wish.”
Mr. Brooks seemed taken aback at my offer and began stumbling over his words. “Ah- well. G-Give me some to prepare.” He finally uttered. “I’ll come to Your Grace when I’m ready.”
“Very well.” I shrugged internally; nodded externally, before asking. “Do you have any reading material for me to study in the meantime?”
He again seemed taken aback, yet this time he took a short but significant look at my father before reaching into his bag. "This is the material we'll be going over in our first block of instruction." He eventually said, placing four large textbooks on the table before me.
I gave him a warm smile as I deposited the books into my shadow. Then, after a final nod to my father, it was off to the courtyard to read to my heart's content. In this case, however, 'reading' constituted nestling under a tree to scan through each book with my proverbial second mind.
The first of them was about the history of this world, Maru. Or 'realm,' as it was called in the text. Regardless, it was a topic that I found great interest in rather quickly. In just seconds, I found myself taking my time in actually reading the material; albeit at a far faster pace than would otherwise be possible. Eventually becoming so absorbed in the information that I hardly noticed my father approaching me from the service wing with Jonet in tow.
“Amun.” He called. Then beckoned me to him after I met his gaze. “Follow me.”
Rather than venture back from where he came, he continued on towards the final area of the estate once I’d fallen in step beside him. Almost immediately, I immediately felt the strange, mixed sensations of my stomach roiling in displeasure while my heart skipped in excitement.
While I still had no desire to venture too far into such a politically focused world, I couldn’t deny that I was curious as to what remained hidden beyond those doors for all these years. Surely a library, I assumed. As it seemed to be the only thing missing from this place.
“Due to all the changes coming to your life.” My father started. “Your mother and I agreed to lift your restrictions around the estate. From now on, you can freely move through any part of the grounds that you wish; including the exterior yards. And you may go hunting with Gerolt as well.”
“Thank you.” I bowed a little and turned my head after my father waved off my thanks and pointed to an alcove carved next to the great doors of our destination.
“Your belt contains an enchantment that has a direct link with this shade door. All you have to do is pour mana in it and you’ll be returned here at once.” He paused before the large double doors of carved black wood to gaze at me intently through the side of his eye. "Use it only in the event of an emergency.”
I couldn’t even ask any questions before he pushed the doors apart, granting us entry to a U-shaped platform of slate tiles and cast iron boundaries. The space was heavily decorated with carvings. Everywhere, there were carvings. Carvings in place of paintings. Carvings in place of murals. Statues, busts, and monuments; all gilded and bedazzled in crystal. It gave me the impression of a gallery, yet a relatively short flight of stairs connected the platform to a vast great room containing a massive U-shaped desk surrounded by posh-looking folk idly waiting on an assortment of lounge chairs and couches. Some were even resting. Others were migrating to the alcoves and doors lining each facade of the wall. More were above, however, walking along wraparound terraces on the upper floor as they moved in and out of the glass-walled offices.
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It was a vast place. Yet our destination was literally around the corner. Just to the right of the doors, wherein a smaller reception and lounge area stood as a bastion to the double doors that permitted us entry.
“This is the center of business and politics for our family.” My father stopped just short of the doors to explain. “Lawyers, accountants, and others come here every day to earn their livelihoods. In addition to that.” He added, pointing off to our right. “This is where our library is located. Now, come with me.”
Half self-conscious of any anticipatory frothing of the mouth, I wordlessly followed after him down the steps to approach the large reception desk. Specifically, to approach two young boys standing tall beside the desk. Like Jonet, they seemed to be just around my age, and, judging from posture and dress alone, they appeared to be twins. Though their appearance made it clear they most certainly were not. They stood like a soldier at the position of attention. Back straight, arms held at the sides with the heels together and toes pointed outwards at 45 degrees. Eyes level and looking straight forward, despite my father and I approaching.
They were entirely unmoving up until the moment my father and I stopped just before them. Then they immediately dropped to a knee in unison.
The one on the left had the signs of a fighter's build in his small frame. He moved with fluidity and grace and boast a surprising height for one his assumed age. He had rich brown skin and black hair fashioned in a tapered fade coupled with eyes a vibrant cobalt blue, somewhat like Jonet’s. Like the one next to him, he wore khaki slacks and leather dress shoes, coupled with a black button-up shirt that’d been covered by a fur-lined black and gold overcoat.
His counterpart had slightly darker skin and hair twisted into locks that were only a few centimeters long. He was just as tall as his other, only far leaner. As lean as I was, surprisingly. What was more surprising were the tan irises staring at me with the same anticipatory gaze as the cobalt eyes next to him.
“These two; along with Jonet, are your vassals.” My father explained as he gestured to the first, then the second. “Toril O’Connell, your knight. And Jaimess. A. Corey, your quartermaster.”
In response to my father’s introduction, they each looked up to me with resolve flooding their eyes before somewhat shouting from where they kneeled.
“I, Jaimess Corey, pledge my lifetime loyalty to His Grace, Amun. Grand Duke of Odissi.”
“And I, Toril O’Connell, pledge my lifetime loyalty to His Grace, Amun. Grand Duke of Odissi.”
“Jaimess, Toril.” I nodded to each of them in turn as if to commit the names to memory. “Can you tell me of your affinities?”
“I have lightning magic, Your Grace.” Toril bowed his head lower.
Followed by Jaimess. “And I, paper magic, Your Grace.”
‘Paper?’ I inwardly recoiled in surprise. “Interesting.” I slowly nodded as many ideas began forming in my mind. “How many sheets of paper can you make at a time?”
Jaimess seemed initially puzzled at my question but quickly regained his composure and answered. “Easily hundreds of the standard size, Your Grace.”
‘Perfect.’ I smiled. “Can you make me a few hundred sheets, here and now? It would be of great help.”
Jaimess said not a word and simply focused on the desk beside him. Within a second or two, his eyes were ablaze with a tan light and soon, a single sheet of paper seemed to peel itself from his arm and lie flat on the desk. Then it multiplied. And multiplied. Again and again, until the flow of mana ceased within him. Leaving a relatively thick stack of paper on the desk next to him.
“Excellent!” I grinned as I approached my new bounty to lift up a corner of the stack and expose the shadow underneath. With a quick shadow bullet, the smoky black energy spread around the borders of the stack and began consuming the stack of paper wholly. “You have my word that I will give each of you every tool you need to succeed,” I said, turning back to them. “That said.” I sighed. “I’m due for a block of instruction with my tutor soon. So I’d like you to get yourselves situated in the estate for now. Jonet will show you your quarters and get you acquainted with the grounds. We will have a proper discussion after I see to a few things.”
“Yes, Your Grace,” Jonet and the others said as they all bowed in unison.
‘Yeah.’ I sighed to myself. ‘That’s not creepy at all.’
As they were walking deeper into the estate, I noticed my teacher entering the lobby to scurry toward me after catching sight of me. Only to diverge toward an empty office after seeing me step toward him.
“How goes His Grace’s progress with his reading material?” He asked after I entered the surprisingly expansive room. Several plush chairs filled the space, facing a chalkboard emplaced on the mantle of a roaring enchanted fireplace.
“I learned that this world is called Maru.” I began explaining after gathering my bearings and finding my seat. “And that recorded history dates back to 1,481 years ago. That was when humans began to be born with affinity cores. At that time, five portals opened on the continent of Ulai, allowing creatures from previously unknown realms to invade our lands. Giving rise to twelve-hundred years of war.”
I paused for a second or two to give him a moment to comment in some way or form about my summary. But after receiving no reaction other than an agape mouth, I quickly continued. “While the wars on Maru waged on, others began venturing through the portals to establish guilds or colonies in those far-off realms, aiming to prevent the Marulean races from going extinct. That continued until another portal appeared in what would later become the Odissian empire, sometime in the early twelve-thirties. Through that portal came elves, and from those elves came the knowledge of enchantments, how to awaken additional affinity cores, and more. Finally granting humanity an edge in the war.
"In twelve-fifty-five.” I continued. “A mage by the name of Willard Epeth sealed the Ulaian continent behind a magical barrier. Paving the way for other mages at the time to begin culling Maru of those otherworldly creatures. Among them were the Necro King and His Imperial Majesty, Emperor Deapou. Who stabilized the island that would become our empire before using magic and enchantments to revitalize the land into what it is today.
“And that was all I was able to go over.” I politely bowed. To remain candid, I had absolutely no desire to spend years and years listening to the lectures of a teacher. I spent a good portion of my past life doing exactly that, after all. So I figured I had some sort of alibi to skip school in this one.
I just had to prove to my teacher that teaching me traditionally was a waste of time.
Much to my delight, he seemed flustered at the fact that I just summarized his entire lesson in less than a few minutes. In fact, I think I even heard him curse under his breath just now as he turned to a tote bag to begin shuffling through its contents.
“Here is your book, I said, handing him the first book out of the stack he’d only just given me. “Do you have any more?”