"Please step forward everyone. To the grand hall. The headmaster will hold a conference in half an hour. I advise you to socialize and form bonds between potential other students. Friendship and trust are our motto here. That is how we managed to defeat all the previous demon kings.
Be mindful of your words and do not belittle ones of lower status. Remember, on the front, everyone is equal against a blade or an arrow. Blood bonds will not save you, only camaraderie will."
"And knowledge about a videogame world... That helps too. The whole test wasn't so bad after all, we both managed to pass. There were only easy questions."
"Hehe, you're such an idiot. But you're right. I didn't think videogame knowledge worked like that. But please, be serious. We still need to find the other protagonists." Liz'a chuckled.
That was true. Even though the atmosphere was light and pleasant in the grand hall, the two were still in a gameworld with a completely unknown ending..
"Still, we've got a bit of time before we hear of the demons, and most importantly Raya. Demons will begin to act around the second act, in a whole semester. We have time to rally the others, that is if they're truly like us.
Meanwhile we can get the artifacts and loots we've talked about together. Raya isn't getting incroduced before finishing the demon king subjugation so should be around Act seven or eight."
"You aren't wrong. But the sooner, the better. We just need to find to them. Let's go, stick with me."
"Kinda crazy your 180° personality shift. Like... you completly refused to speak to me before ! You were like 'huh' 'mh' 'hmpf' and things like that. Now we're like two buddies who've known each other since childhood ! You bipolar or what ?" Ramiel gently mocked the empire's heiress.
"You're so dumb. I mean, you were 100% following Ramiel's original character. I had no fucking way to know you were like me. If this contined like this I'd have died of stress. Ever since I realized I reincarnated I've been tearing my own hair to find solutions !
Like, do we truly need to fight Raya if we end up dead either way ?! Can't we destroy just the demon spawn altar ? That's the source of the demon king revival, right ? That or... could we talk to the demon king ? Can we use the power of the Seven Deadly Sins ? All of that... that was so freaking annoying ! I feel like I've aged ten years !"
"Man, you had it rough... Vompared to you I did nothing really. Well I still followed Ramiel's plotline up until now so I trained pretty much endlessly since the day I got reincarnated but without all of this troublesome stuff."
"Wait, speaking of plotline... wouldn't rushing though events speed up everything ? Or will we be overprepared for what's to come ?"
"Huuuuh, I don't think 'overprepared' is the right term against the final boss. The one who four-shots you with splash damage from AoE attacks, even with the best defensive gear in the game."
"Yeah, true... But seriously, we should go somewhere less crowded. The royal lounge is a lot calmer than this place."
...
"Well, what did your amazing elf ears pick up ?"
"As we suspected. Every protagonist is a reincarnated person. How convenient. Seems like Liz'a reincarnated a few days ago and Ramiel has been there for his whole new life. That makes things a lot easier. They're also coming to meet us so we should say hi."
A pair of tall, silver-haired male teens with tanned skin nodded in sync to the elven eavesdropper.
RayiK and Margos, the two sucessors of the bi-facial power that was the Thalassa Union, or rather their bodies with otherworldy souls.
The Thalassa Union was made of two countries merged as one entity due to their cultural similarities and closeness to the oceans. If the Awka Empire had supremacy on ground, the Union was a naval superpower, boasting ships, wind and water mages like no other.
The people there were often working outside, which explained the tone of their skin. The silver hair was a coloration made with magic to mark the future leaders of the territory.
The little spy was Frea, the Shaman-to-be of Elfort, the nation furthest to the north of the continent. As the name indicated, Elfort was the country of the elves. It was also home to many demi-humans due to its relatively wild and calm nature. The whole nation was a giant forest after all. Vampires were common there too. The branches and leaves allowed them to enjoy daytime without getting skin burns or fainting.
Frea, as the next Shaman, would become the next spiritual guardian of the country. She would be the next holder of The Truth. The texts where all of the known elvish race's history was mysteriously written.
Elves had no deities per say. They, like any mortal in this realm, knew a god was out there, but instead of worshipping this being, elves profundly respected the ancient and the past.
The Truth, from what the in-game descriptions said, appeared one day in the hands of the first Shaman, when a 'Hell-made-flesh' descended from Heavens and destroyed the ancient elven civilization. It was theorized by many scholars that the scriptures had appeared in response to the surviving elves' desire to forbid this piece of history from being forgotten.
"So... how's it gonna be ? Now that the five of us are there."
"Well, we've got to see. Their goal is to survive Raya too."
"For sure. Who wouldn't try to get as far as possible from her ? She's impossible to defeat... But now, there's five of us, unlike in the game."
The three waited for another minute before the two made their way to the lounge. The place was quiet and free from any distraction.
"Well well well, What do we have here ? Two poor souls trying to find a solution to an unbeatable boss. Welcome to the club." RaviK teased. They all snickered when the newcomers froze in disbelief for a second.
"You... You too... What a relief." the heiress of the Akwa Empire sighed as she leaned on one of the room's pillars.
"See ? I told you it made sense ! Now we've got backup !"
"Ahhhh ! Shut up ! Stop saying useless things ! We have to share our findings ! And stop swinging your damn sword everywhere !" Liz'a fake-raged by pulling her hairstrings.
"Oh, right !"
"Wait, what findings ?"
Ahem ahem...
"Welp, the headmaster's going to begin the speech. Would be rude to not hear what he has to say.We can speak about this during the speech. Not like we don't know it after all."
---
Sun Mane stroked his dense mane with his callous hands. Hands that wielded blades and a variety of other killing tools for decades. Now hands that carefully tried to not tear a poor pamphlet apart. Ugh... Why did everyone in the party want to appoint him as the headmaster. He was a lion-man, not a parrot-folk. Words weren't his strong suit.
But still...
Alright Mane, tell yourself these young lads are soldiers. Yeah, just like with soliders.
Ahem ahem...
The former member of the heroic party gazed at the numerous students who were settling on a seat or trying to find a spot. All of them had passed the entrance exam., which was... only scare tactics. The test was bullshit through and through with only questions about basic knowledge. Thos who failed really were lost causes.
Among these students, a lot of noble children from baron, ducal and earl families. He looked up. The four royals and the Hero candidate. Hm.
Then commoners, lots of them. The institution was free, Staillon offered invitation letters for merit all over the continent and commoners weren't less talented than nobles.
And... Where was Raya...? She promised she'd at least be there for the first day. Ugh... She was like a unruly teen... At least the cathedral's holy aura managed to calm her down. She wasn't as raging as... well as always, when she was around in the city. She looked like teen during puberty. A decades early puberty.
The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
Everyone had settled. he could now begin his speech.
"Greetings students ! I am headmaster Sun Mane. The one who will be in charge and overview your growth for the next years at Staillon Academy.
I dislike delaying things so I will go straight to the subject. Or rather subjects. The first one is your growth at Staillon Academy. As you surely know, Staillon Academy is the cream of the crop in terms of education for those who wish to become fighters and battle magi. You will be surrounded by veterans from the last two demon wars and we encourage you to ask questions, many questions during your studies.
But.. that does not mean we will pre-digest your work.
You will have to grow by yourselves. We, as the staff, will give you some of the necessary elements for your growth. It will be up to you to take care of your talents and harvest what they can give you back. Do not only rely on our courses, we strongly recommend you to find answers by yourselves, to dwelve into the abyss of mysteries regarding magic, to train your bodies... Do all of that and Staillon Academy will have nothing more to teach you.
This year... I see a lot of female students. I will tell you all... Grow stronger, stronger than anyone, stronger than any man or woman you know of. I am not speaking of gender equity or men and women being this or that... I am talking about rape... Something nobody openly talks about by fear or trauman and thus, not largely known.
Young women, you are attending this institution to learn how to fight demons, and you surely know that some fight can be lost.
Sadly, the end of a lost fight against a demon greatly varies for men and women.
While us men get killed or maimed at best by the victor, you... as women, will most likely end up as toys or living breeding grounds for demons should you loose a fight.
That is a sight I have seen countless times on the battlefield. That is why you need to grow stronger than you can possibly imagine. You need to grow stronger so that no demon may lay its hands on you.
... That also applies to men as in some ways, as we can very well behave like demons too. Always be aware of that, if you don't want to meet a fate of broken spirit and tainted body, grow stronger. Else... I suggest you return home.
Not that this warning has been made, I will begin to introduce our new course. This course, under the supervision of her Holiness the pope Kari, will dwelve deeper into the origins of a race many have heard about. A race many detest too. I am of course talking about Fire Wyverns. During our years together, we will try to understand and discern the truth from the lies in the saying about Fire Wyverns and at some point, try to learn about their relation to the Drake Sin of Wrath.
You may ask how we will manage to do such thing, and to this question I will answer.
The books and tales your parents surely read for you a long time ago, all omit one thing. My party did not vanquish the demon king alone. My party did not kill the traitorous hero who sought power for himself.
An unknown companion was with us during these times. A Fire Wyvern named Fireroc. We had rough times, but we bonded to become great friends.. I learnt that he passed away without me kowing about it and as a companion feeling great shame for not being there, I am trying to honor him by trying to realize his wish.
That is nuancing the bad image Fire Wyverns have held for the past eras.
Our studies will take foundations on the texts my friend wrote during the past six hundred years, a source deemed trustworthy by her Holiness herself. We will try to comprehend the views of this world a Fire Wyvern can hold and their nature. Their relations and culture.
Please be aware that my deceased friend's child may sometimes be seen on campus. I will ask you to not bother this yougling in regard for her mental health.
That was the special course we implemented this year. Tomo-"
----------------------------------------
"But that's... fucking strange. The plot is getting thrown out of the window like crazy. What the fuck is that ?" Margos exclaimed while waving his arms in every direction.
"That... matches what you said. The church and the school being in cahoots. They'll try to disguise their ways with this course and no-one will suspect a thing And the headmaster's announcement was completely out of character from the in-game Sun Mane..."
"Can't you use your scouting skills Frea ? Like you did before ? To scout the academy ?"
"Could be worth a shot. But I don't guarrantee it will be effective. Mental barriers prevent that sort of things, plus we're still weak compared to the staff and the hero party, even if we're the protagonists. If they discover someone spying on them, it's over."
"I kind of hate that everything's straying further and further from the plot. The day I departed from Elfort, I hear there were already demon movements near the other side of Frosty Death. That's way too soon..." Ramiel interjected.
"In any case, now we stick close to each other. Every off-school ground assignment will be an occasion to get the items we want. We just need to avoid every location where the endgame speaks of Raya."
"But, did you notice ? As soon as Sun Mane started speaking about Wyvern history, some of the Wyvern students started to act strange. Shouldn't they be happy ?"
"Well, he mentioned Fire Wyverns. I guess the other types aren't too fond of being associated with the last boss' family. It's like having a dark family past and someone comes into your life and starts investigating. I'd be like them, uncomfortable."
"Wow, first time I hear Ramiel saying coherent things. I'm impressed. Really. Don't make that face, up until now you've pratically been my lapdog, trying to follow your own plot and things like that !"
"Oh c'mon Liz'a ! That was a low blow ! And it's not my fault ! Shoud I rememeber you how you were acting like some sort of cold and uncaring princess ?!"
"You two seem very close. Did you have that much time socializing ?" Frea asked. Ramiel and Liz'a looked at each other and shrugged.
"Nah. I've only reincarnated for... like five days ? It just felt more like there was a good feeling between us. We're pretty good friends already !"
"Mh-hm. That must be nice. The twins situation was a complete mess at first, do you remember Margos ? You weere screaming and freaking out, it took us so much time to realise you just reincanated like me."
"Wait, you guys aren't real twins ?"
The two young men from the Union just shrugged.
"Well no. We're complete stranger to begin with. But we lived in this world for more than a decade together already, we've gotten pretty used to this. Our old lives weren't very cool so it was a nice change. I was a fisherman, RaviK was a... dog trainer ? Yeah. Frea had a pretty chill life, but she never got to do most things she enjoyed so she's on the winning side too."
"Oh, you too ? Guess we were in the same boat then. I was just some office worker, pretty sure I died from exhaustion while driving. Having the physique of Ramiel is such a nice change, I'm literally a whole other new man !"
"And what about you Liz'a ? Shitty life or blessed with fortune ?"
"Good life. Had good finances, was about to get a job, had a boyfriend of seven years. My childhood friend. We were on a date but there was one of these crazy ass rogues S.C.U.M droids at our place. BAM ! Headshot, both of us. And then I found myself in some sort of void. And I think I've been waiting a long time. My holo-watch still ticked and last time I checked, seventeen years had passed. And now here I am."
"The S.C.U.M units ? Dang, you really had no chance. Bad date location I guess. And what about your boyfriend ? Wouldn't he be jealous of you hanging out with another guy~" RaviK teased with a sly smile.
"I- I guess he would be pretty disappointed seeing how fast I became friend with someone else but... It's been almost twenty years in that void. I... really need something to vent, something more to experience. It's selfish and horrible to say but I can't hold hold these feelings forever. I've got a new life, I can't cling onto something that's basically a fleeting dream now."
"Hm. There's definitely some thoughts behind this reasoning. I can't blame you for this."
"Me neither."
"Same."
"... I was thinking about something. What classes will you take ? Liz'a already told me about magic control classes, but what about you guys ? Surely Ragnar's course for Frea, because nature, survival, elves and stuff but I don't see anything for you two."
"Ain't that obvious ? Were you the type of guy who skipped dialogues and descritions ?"
"No comment."
The four other stepped away a little bit after hearing this.
"No seriously, Margos' stats are all around raw magic and physical strengh. Magic brawler type character. Quite anticlimatic for one of the future leaders of a water nation. RaviK on the other hand, has a knack for wind magic and agility. Like an assassin. So it's going to be both magic control and physical training for us."
"Damn, good luck with future homework."
"Nah, don't remind me..."
---
"You're pretty good with coming up with lies on the spot. From someone who talks with his fists and claws your speech was almost impeccable. I am impressed." clapped the apporaching Milia. She and the Skal had been watching the poor headmaster from a crystal orb.
"..."
"Ah ! There you are Raya ! Where have you been ?"
"Went with the pope. I went to the village I destroyed with her. There were things I found interesting and I wanted to show to you or her."
"How come you didn't tell us this ? What did you find ?"
"Wicked Sins that tainted their minds. Greed made them turn against outsiders. They would have tried to butcher us. They were man eaters and necromancers. They wanted to conquer other villages for their riches. But... the dead must rest and they already plenty. They never thought about this properly the pope said. 'Who in their right mind would try to raise an army of undead twenty minutes away from BlancheVille ?' she told me."
"Right. Why would anyone do this ?"
"Because we found an orb of the dead. It amplified the control over corpses and dampened magical signatures of magic that taps into the dark a senior Paladin told us. They surely believed this artifact would help them in their sinful endeavors. Now the relic has been purified and the undead in the village's underground have been culled."
"Well you've been busy. And... calm. No offense. It's definitely a new experience to see you not in fire and angry. You know what I mean ?"
"I do. But it's a displeasing feelling after a while. I feel like a part of myself is not here anymore. Being able to taste food and to see color again was nice at first but... it is also distracting. The nature of Wrath is to incinerate what strays from the divine's will. I do not need to feel or see anything other than blackened, tainted hearts and minds."
"In any case, you should rest. And we should too. We're teachers, we should be in shape for tomorrow."