Olive’s Perspective

Olive stopped her momentum a dozen meters away. She dropped to the ground facing Jiran, the determination she felt minutes ago was fading fast now that he was right in front of her.

What am I doing? This is the worst time to convey what needs to be said!

I should have at least thought about what I was going to say before I flew over here.

‘Never blink before you think.’ Her mother’s words invaded her thoughts.

I need to start from the beginning, get my mind in order.

The things he could do when we were kids surprised me, but he didn’t stop, just like I knew he wouldn't. I remember when father wanted to send someone to catch him for questioning.

‘Father, don't you always say the best investments take time to mature? If we give Jiran a few more seasons, what else will he discover? Why don’t we watch him instead?’

I had no idea how right I was.

Every season Jiran did something more amazing than the last. Each time I thought I caught up, a new report would come in to show I was ever further behind. The worst was when Jiran fought the graymin. The generals were really clamoring to capture him for interrogation.

Father dangled Jiran’s freedom in front of my nose like a carrot, forcing me to do whatever he wanted.

Olive shivered, remembering the endless waves of beasts she had been forced to fight during that awful season.

They don’t understand how important his knowledge is. How it can change everything. Or maybe they do, and it scares them.

A sad smile floated across her lips as more memories bubbled unbidden to the surface of her thoughts.

I’ve read the true history of the empire, how every single emperor to ever live was killed by the claws of a beast. Father will be no different, whoever replaces him will be no different.

When it comes to ensuring the survival of the empire, the survival of every single human, the political viewpoint of an emperor doesn't matter at all. Only power matters. Only through strength can we keep our people safe.

Am I the only one who understands that Jiran holds the key to immeasurable growth?

Everything he has done, someone else could do as well, if they just knew how. Every child, mother, farmer, and warrior, they could all be so much more.

We can protect everyone.

Every day they tell me that my greatest duty is to protect my people. They put so much pressure on me to be perfect, to never allow a trace of emotions to affect my mana. To be stronger, faster, and more ruthless than anybody else.

Father constantly tries to marry me to suitors with the potential to improve the empire but they are all so much weaker than me.

So why not do it alone? Why have a partner that can’t stand shoulder to shoulder with me?

I put all my efforts into catching up with Jiran, all so I could do everything on my own. I tried so hard, every single day I pushed beyond my limits, and still failed.

Hearing about him through military reports didn’t prepare me. I thought I was ready to face him. I was such a fool.

If he’s the strongest, then naturally he would become the next emperor.

Why am I struggling so much? I could step back and let him succeed father.

No, absolutely not! I will never give up.

All I have to do is learn whatever secrets he has discovered. Then, I’ll surely surpass him just like all the others.

My priority needs to be keeping him independent. If the secret gets out that he’s the Fireling, they will descend on him like a flock of starving kriptchers.

They can never find out. He must be allowed to continue growing freely. I have to convince him to maintain a low profile like he has been.

If the wrong people dig their claws into him, then his wisdom could easily become tainted. Or snuffed out entirely before it’s passed along.

That’s what I need to say, I’ll just tell him and leave.

Does he have to look at me so intently? Wow, those eyes are a pretty shade of green.

I wonder what his hair feels like, it looks really soft.

Why is my heart beating so fast?

What was I going to say again?

Jiran’s Perspective

Olive stopped her momentum a dozen meters away. She dropped to the ground with a far-off, thoughtful expression. She looked in Jiran’s direction with her fierce, bright blue eyes.

At least she doesn’t look like she’s here for a fight this time. Maybe we can have a normal conversation for a change.

Olive was not the only one gazing at him with an intense look. Every single person in his group watched with bated breath. There wasn’t a student in the academy that didn’t know there was some kind of feud between the princess and him.

She was standing with a straight back, her chin slightly tilted up. The grace and elegance of royalty were on full display.

The uniform she wore was as pristine as it had been that morning. One of her hands rested confidently on her hip, and the other lightly played with the corner of her pursed lips.

Olive shivered and then her expression shifted from one of deep thought to a small, sad smile.

“Aren’t you supposed to be guiding your group, Olive?” She didn’t respond to his question, as if she hadn’t heard him at all.

The sad smile on her face shifted to a grim determination. For the first time since she arrived, Jiran felt like Olive was actually seeing him in front of her.

How long is she just going to stare at me? What was the point in coming over here if you’re not going to talk?

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

The peanut gallery was hard at work within the crowd behind him.

“Did you know he attacked a teacher in their own class?”

“What did he do to Oliviala? She looks pissed!”

“Princess Nutcracker is finally going to put him in his place.”

Jiran stood his ground, not once looking away from her. It felt like they had been staring at each other for an hour when her soft, melodic voice brought him out of his scrutiny.

“Thank you, Jiran.”

I forgot how pleasant her voice is. Huh? Did she just thank me? For what?

Jiran’s scrunched eyebrows, tilted head, and the perplexed tilt to his lips prompted her to continue.

“Last time we met, you truly dominated me,” Jiran’s jaw dropped open in shock and a pit of uncomfortable emotions began to form in his stomach as her words traveled to every ear present.

“How many times do you need to beat me before you’re satisfied?” The pit spread to his heart. It felt like steel stakes were being hammered through his chest as her terrible choice of words assaulted him.

“Now that you’ve revealed to me how weak and vulnerable I am, I’m developing a new prototype weapon. When it’s ready, I’ll hurk—” Her body was suddenly jerked backward.

Sophia now stood behind her. The Professor had an unbreakable grip on the nape of Olive’s neck.

"I gave you an order. Stop slacking off," Sophia said in her monotone voice.

With a twist of her shoulder and hips, Sophia threw Olive with far more power than the crazy girl could possibly contend with.

Olive’s aura could not save her from the torrential acceleration. She spun uncontrollably, screaming as she flew in the direction of her group in the distance.

Jiran massaged his temples with a hand that covered his eyes.

Her voice sounds like honey drizzling in your ears. But the words… how can anyone possibly be this terrible at explaining themselves?

We should have a rematch, Jiran. Let me show you my new weapon, Jiran. Hey you were super fast at running away, Jiran.

What the hell was that gibberish about you being weak and vulnerable?!

Maybe it's not so terrible, some of them understood what she was trying to say. Right?

Unable to process the sight of Olive being thrown over a kilometer through the air, the crowd of students turned on Jiran instead.

“He must have violated the princess!”

“This guy is complete scum!”

“Please violate me too, Master Jiran!”

“Shut up, Molly!”

Jiran looked up at the crowd of glowering teenagers. Their eyes were full of venom and vitriol. Each and every one of them was prepared to lay down their lives for the dignity of their beloved princess.

Sophia was long gone, having left him to clean up this mess on his own.

Frustration and annoyance simmered inside him until something finally snapped.

So be it, if they want an enemy, I’ll give them an enemy.

“What do you weaklings think you’re looking at?!” His voice boomed out, enhanced by mana and his aura.

Layers of pressure formed above the thousand tightly packed students, pressing them into the ground with far more strength than they could fight. Every person in the crowd was flattened into the dirt, unable to move. They watched him with fear as he floated into the air.

“Show me I’m wrong. Stand up and prove to me that the empire has a backbone!” He spread his arms wide, a frown on his face.

None of them stood. Their bodies shook with anguish as grim frustration was painted on their faces.

Jiran’s expression softened as he continued.

“So it’s true. None of you know what you’re capable of. Every single one of you has been lied to so thoroughly that you can’t see the truth when it’s right in front of your eyes.”

This can’t go on. For there to only be a few hundred thousand kids in my generation, and for them to be so damn pathetic.

All the death I’ve seen because people were too weak to stand up to simple beasts. The graymin that should've been wiped out long ago.

It’s all unforgivable.

Whatever it takes, I’m going to correct this systemic weakness. I refuse to watch it even one more day.

The pressure weighing them down lifted as Jiran retracted his aura. They looked up at his grim features. They were furious at his words and actions, confused that he had stopped, and defiant in the face of his supposed superiority.

“I’ll show you the truth, look at what you are each capable of.”

A flickering blue light shone through the chest of Jiran’s uniform. It started small, the size of his fingernail, and lazily traced a circular pattern in the diameter of an open palm. It undulated just under his skin, steadily moving faster and glowing brighter.

Faster and faster the light spun until it was no longer possible to see the small blue flame. There was now only a solid ring of pale light within his chest.

“Every one of you knows how to combine a shaping and a casting. But did you know you can control the channels of mana inside your body?

“If you talk to your mana, convince it to listen, and then understand what it needs, then this is just one of the many results.”

Jiran lifted his right hand, palm facing out. away from his body. He aimed for the far side of the garden, furthest from all three groups. Then he released the little blue flame.

A bright blue laser the width of a coin exited Jiran’s palm and connected to a hill several hundred meters away. Less than a second passed before the explosion devoured the terrain and ballooned upward to smash against the ceiling.

The blastwave knocked his entire group to the ground before a wave of dust and heat washed over them.

When the air cleared, faces aghast, the students beheld a smoking crater where once a rocky hill stood. The land was blackened, and bits of molten rock burned in the desolate hole.

“That is what every Tier three in the empire should be capable of,” He spoke loud enough that their bruised ears could hear.

“Our empire is struggling, dying. We don’t have to lose dozens of towns and villages every year to beasts. We don’t have to constantly send our children to die at the claws of the graymin.

“We are not winning, but we should be!

“I’m done watching and waiting for someone else to fix things. I’m going to pull you all up by your asses if I have to!

“When you leave this academy, you are going to be the ones that change the course of history for the empire.”

Jiran’s passionate speech was not met with cheers or screams. As he gazed across a thousand shell-shocked faces, he wasn't sure they had comprehended a word he said.

A girl's voice from within the crowd finally broke the spell.

“Fireling!” She pointed at him.

Oh no, what have I done?

Like a genie released from its bottle, pandemonium swept through the crowd. Fingers were pointed as each person tried to shout over their neighbors. A hundred new questions and shouts were thrown at him with every second that passed.

Jiran lost his patience. He created a thunderous bang from two waves of air pressure slamming together above their heads.

“If you want to ask questions, my class will start tomorrow at first wave, in auditorium twenty-two B.

“Now let’s finish this tour. March, cadets!” Jirans voice reverted to the overbearing thunder of command. This time, there were no stragglers or malcontents as the crowd moved toward their next destination.

The next several flags were positioned before sprawling areas of varied terrain. There were hills, valleys, open plains with craggy rocks, and forests.

As they moved from flag to flag, the mood slowly calmed among his peers. They spoke mostly in soft whispers to one another as they looked over their shoulder at Jiran hovering above them.

He did his best to ignore them as he took in the surroundings and memorized each flag.

These look like zones for mock combat exercises. I’ll need to schedule some library time to review troop movement strategies. That’s definitely a gap in my education that I’ll need to resolve ASAP.

Two of the last three flags were positioned at identical forts on opposite sides of the garden. The final flag was for the race track that circled the very edge of the entire complex.

This would be great for my morning workouts, if I could bring Mayalyn down here it would be perfect. It’s way more fun to exercise with her though, so I doubt I’ll end up down here outside of class.

As they completed their slow circuit of The Garden, Jiran ruminated on the choices he had made.

This sure was one hell of a first day at school.

He looked at the hopeful faces. Their eyes burned with a hunger for knowledge that had not been there before.

I guess this means my vacation is over.