A most excellent question arose after the Headmaster died. Who the fuck owned the damned Academy? Not the government, that's for sure. Two hundred years ago someone funded its construction but they were all dead. If the headmaster was still alive, it would be him. Corporations usually didn't survive the death of their leader without a clear succession plan. That's why the System granted a title to the [King], to avoid confusion.
Before someone could claim to be the Headmaster's heir, the issue was settled. Because in Yznarian, power spoke louder. Someone reputable and powerful came, declared the Academy to be his, asked if anyone disagreed with Lightning coursing through his fingers. Nobody was stupid to challenge a fourth-tier [Deathless Archmage]. Case closed.
The flabbergasted students, staff, and faculty assembled as the new Headmaster gave his inaugural speech.
"I can't believe it's him!"
"What's he made of?"
"Wasn't he dead?"
"Now the Academy is in good hands."
"I want him to sign my book!"
"Wasn't he human?"
"Damn, he has diamonds for eyes."
Sitting with my commoner clique in our spot, I watched the girls' reactions. It was Jocelyn who surprised me the most.
She clapped my wrist and leaned next to my ear. "He's made of {Living Thread}," she commented with awe and admiration. "It should be impossible!"
I knew what was the problem. It was obvious for anyone with advanced {Appraise}.
> Level 146 Cloth Golem / Level 185 Human [Deathless Archmage].
>
> Value: Inestimable.
>
> Materials: Living Thread, Gold, Precious Gems, Powdered monster Core.
Marlowe's body was a cloth golem, an item. An enchanted and leveled-up item that gave him the equivalent of the best equipment money could buy, but he couldn't use any other enchanted items. It wasn't his golem body's fault but the fact he was a golem. But this combination meant he had half as many Perks as anyone his level could. The {Living Thread} body usually picked Perks by itself and normally selected things that enhanced durability but in his case, it gained a very good set of Perks among several others.
> MP Reservoir (ultra-rare): This cloth golem has an MP pool. Storage is equal to the Bound Soul (Magic * Base MP), modified by any Perks that affect an MP pool.
>
> MP Generation (ultra-rare): This cloth golem generates Bound Soul (Mind * SQRT(Magic)) MP per hour.
That gave Marlowe some autonomy to cast spells without relying on either my MP pool or Kel'Caldor's phylactery in the Core room of the Dungeon of Trials.
While I mused about his power, the new Headmaster kept rambling. The cantankerous bastard was actually happy to be away from the barbarian kingdom. A few contestants reached the last trial and we would probably have heirs to the throne of Aquilonia soon.
"And finally, as you well know I am devout of Vukdon. I made a bargain with Him and the God of Magic requested a cathedral for him, on Campus. It will be built as a group project for all years. All students are required to contribute something with their magic. Shrines to the other deities can be built as well but the temple will be consecrated to Vukdon. A high priest is already on his way. This will change some things. First, the cathedral will be accessible to outsiders. Its entrance shall be placed next to the main gate but students and staff will have their own access.
"In exchange, Vukdon agreed to help a master enchanter place a great boon upon our academy. Just like when it was founded, the Academy and the area around it will be blessed with a {Mana Wellspring}. This will double the MP regeneration of everyone in its area.
"Thank you."
If the idiot had started with this as his sales pitch, the mages would want to crown him King. It wasn't a surprise when everyone gave the new headmaster a standing ovation. I wondered for all of ten seconds who this "master enchanter" was. Then the System slapped me in the face.
> Vukdon offered you a Quest:
>
> Enchant the Academy to emanate a {Mana Wellspring}. Link the Wellspring to the cathedral of Vukdon.
>
> If you accept, you'll gain:
>
> * 15 Proficiency points in [Enchanter]
> * Unlock the Ability, Enchant Perks: You can create enchantments that emulate one of your Perks. The effect is (Proficiency/5+2*Rarity)% of the actual Perk. The cost is (100*Emulated Attribute*Perk Rarity^2). For Perks without Attributes, this value is 50.
>
> Bonus for completing the Quest:
>
> * 30 fast-growth points for both [Enchanter] and [Spellcaster].
>
> Penalty for failing: Removal of the acceptance bonuses.
Damn, [Spellcaster] proficiency. Why did Vukdon want all that MP? If it was the faith from the mages' gratitude, he would get it anyway. No, there was something fishy in this quest. I pushed it aside and left it unanswered.
After the Headmaster's inaugural speech, again, we went to Class. Marlowe was there. He smiled, I cringed. Isengar was there. He glowered, I cringed. Mirina was there, I bowed respectfully. Euric was there, he mouthed "meeting" to me, I nodded. I needed to play my role and that was of a very busy student.
"Welcome, welcome, Class Light-1," he said. "While we select a new teacher for you, I'll give you your lectures. As all of you know, I tutored Miss Haru for a brief period before this term started, so I won't direct any inquiries her way. What did professor Ibarin set as the last subject for your lectures? I'm afraid his whole library burned down."
----------------------------------------
After class, I saw Trinity rush to ask Marlowe about his {Living Silk} body. The princelings had left earlier to avoid student traffic, as usual. I said my goodbyes to the girls and went to my meeting with Euric at the library.
I had too many things in motion. The dwarven moot, when they would decide to secede. Nenandil keeping the Lamias ready. Fat Felix gathering information. The Tabard, currently under torture from Torgo.
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The crown that went back to Lonid. That one was a bad move by Mirina and showed that, despite all her cunning, she was still naive and idealistic. It was as clear as a cloudless day that the idiots there would use the return of the artifact as a rallying point to attack Windemere, instead of wising up and giving up on their ambitions.
Alas, giving up on one's ambitions was sometimes harder than giving up on one's life.
Then the two minor concerns on my hidden political agenda. Isengar and Euric. I had a good proposal for Isengar, to help him settle the debt without spending a dime. But I had to wait. Like a hunk of tough meat, I had to let him cook on low heat for a while to soften up. And Euric was about to stop being an unknown. I baited him with a juicy piece of information, revealing part of my hand. The two hadn't commented when I said how many Kingdoms I was related to, but I knew they were burning brain cells to figure out if it was true or not.
I reached my destination and readied my poker face...
The Academy library didn't resemble modern ones. It didn't have shelves but rectangular nooks built in the walls. These were filled with mostly scrolls and this or that tome. Students hadn't access to the materials as they were behind the counter that divided the library in two. You had to get a librarian to bring you the works you needed and study them using the tables on our side of the room. On the other side, a team of scriveners busied themselves copying books and scrolls. The sound of quills scratching paper formed the backdrop noise.
Another thing was that there were no windows, only small openings for ventilation that blocked sunlight from entering. The whole place was illuminated by glowing enchanted magic Cores that shed a cool light that wouldn't damage the paint. The nooks had runes etched on the sides that probably protected the scrolls and books from moths, mold, and moisture if I read them right.
One of Euric's knights waited for me next to the door. Once I entered, he stood up and greeted me.
"Lady Haru, this way, please. His Highness awaits you."
We crossed the counter and went into the no-student area of the library. I shouldn't be amazed but I felt a little like that. I found out the library had private reading rooms for their VIP users.
"Lady Haru," He announced to me through the closed door.
"Come in," Euric's voice replied.
I entered and found not a study room but a regal sitting room with hardwood couches, a tea service, and a beautiful painting of the Uroko Peninsula occupying most of the far wall. It was obvious Euric had redecorated the room, probably using storage rings for the furniture. It was still impressive.
"Your Highness, I came as requested," I curtsied and sat where the servants indicated, across from the [Prince].
"Serve us tea and leave," he ordered. Once we were alone, Euric smiled and slumped on the couch as he relaxed and lost the stiff poise...
"Better. I believe we are among equals if you allow me such rude assumptions."
"Equals is fine," I waved a hand to dismiss his worries. "So, we're here, what do you want to talk about?"
"You're Windemerian Royalty, and yet aren't on the throne. I believe the Tabard is linked to the dynasty rules of succession, is that correct?"
"Yes. The Tabard is missing," I agreed.
"Without it, the only way to gain control of Windemere is through conquest," Euric pointed out.
"And that's why nobody invaded yet. Because while the Tabard lives, the people of Windemere will fight fiercely."
"Will you lead them? You could conquer Windemere with its own armed forces if they'd follow you. The System cares very little about it, just that someone has enough military power to control the country.."
"It would be very convenient for you if I did, wouldn't it?"
"Certainly. Being live bait for my family's enemies does not appease me."
"You're more like dessert for them. Windemere is the real prize."
"What about Lonid?"
"I'll let them choke on their own ambitions. I have a deal with Mirina to spare her family if the worse comes to pass."
"Should you be telling me that?"
"Do you think it wise to cross me?"
He chuckled nervously, "Not at all. Let's change the subject a bit. How can you be a centaur, a High Elf, a mermaid, and a half-dwarf-kitsune at the same time?"
"You know this is impossible, right? Even for me."
"Enlighten me, please," he let out another chuckle to ease his tension.
I smirked, "Why don't we hear your theory first?"
He sighed but looked excited at the same time, "Assuming what you said is true?"
"Certainly."
He placed a hand on his stomach and bowed slightly, "Would you grace me with a hint, Your Majesty?"
"You just did. But does your Perk allow you to distinguish between scion and sovereign?" He grinned. "Okay. Here's a hint. Does a king cease to be one after death?"
He answered right away, "Absolutely not…" Then he went silent as he added everything together. "No way! I've read recollections about what the High Elves call 'the Old Soul', an envoy from another world that lives a thousand lives. Is that you?"
I used the opportunity to sip my tea as a lady should. The world around me vanished and I left Euric's question hanging until I finished. He waited as a gentleman should.
"The churches deny your existence vehemently," he continued the moment my teacup returned to the saucer.
"Do they?" I raised an eyebrow.
"They deny the possibility of reincarnation."
"What about our new Headmaster?"
"He's not alive," he pointed out.
I sighed and rolled my eyes. The golem life was perfect for Marlowe. He didn't need to worry about body functions, sleep, or sustenance. Not to mention he earned 5% of my Exp multiplied by 3, could tap my Energy pool as well as the lich's enchanted vessel, and was practically immortal because as a contracted spirit he would come back to me if his ridiculously powerful body was destroyed.
"I'll speculate that he's not alive by choice. Given that his body is made of {Living Threads}, the legendary material that King Locksley used to create the Windemerian Silk-Folk and later used by [Princess] Lakerta to weave the Tabard of Windemere, he had the choice of becoming one but refused. Yes, it all fits together!
"You are the Old Soul. You've lived many lives, including as Locksley and Lakerta, and now is back to life as Haru. It should be impossible, but yet Mirina wouldn't make any deals with you if she wasn't aware of your power.
"Regarding the Archmagister and Headmaster, you probably offered him to come back to life but he refused. I can see the convenience of not needing a living body."
"That cantankerous bastard," I cursed under my breath.
"The fools," Euric continued. He probably didn't hear my words or just ignored them. "They're going to attack Windemere but will all fail as they find its walls impenetrable and kept by a terrible guardian. Don't pretend to be meek, Haru. I noticed you were holding back during your duels, of that I'm sure."
"Guilty as charged. Yes, the fools plotting against Windemere will all be punished. Most will die."
"But not Lonid's Royal Family."
"Because Mirina pledged herself to me, body and soul in exchange for their lives," I declared. Their lives, but that's the extent of our deal. They could live as not-royalty for all I cared.
"That's impossible. Her oaths to her family could not be broken."
"There's a loophole in those oaths I can exploit. All of them are valid only 'until you die'."
Euric became speechless for a whole minute as the shrewd [Prince] processed the meaning of what I said. "But she's still flesh and blood, not cloth."
I waved my hand with the palm up to signal him to continue.
"Can you revive the dead? But the Gods--"
"Have little say on what I do," I finished for him. "I befriended some of them but our relationship is more like trusted trade partners than real friends. My goals align with theirs."
"Yet you killed one of them. The Godfall swamp is there to prove it."
"Yes. I didn't visit it in the last few centuries. Is it crowded with monsters?"
"No, it's not dangerous. People avoid it all the same. The lingering divinity of the place makes it a foreboding place even for bandits."
I had to check it. Too close to Windemere and avoided because of superstition? Sounds like the perfect place to hide something. But that would have to wait until tomorrow. It was time to adjourn this meeting, but I wanted to know what the [Prince] intended to do with the information he got.
"Now that you know about me, what are you going to do, Euric?"
"Make sure I don't cross you," he showed me his chickenhearted and trenchant sides at the same time. "Maybe I can be of assistance? Even a minor boon from you might prove life-changing."
"What are you offering?"
"If you have two Perk picks, I can teach you how to hide your Royal nature to outsiders. Unless you chose to reveal yourself, nobody will know you're Royalty."
That was spot-on. I still had six Perk picks from the removed Exp perks. "I'm all ears," I flicked mine for comical effect.
"There's a series of mental exercises to unlock {Detect Royalty}. Once you do, the inverse will unlock {Hidden Royalty}."
I delayed my return to Vugh Tarim for another hour as he instructed me on the way to clear the requirement for these Perks.
> You gained the Perks:
>
> * Detect Royalty (ultra-rare): You can sense them in a range of 10 x Mind meters.
> * HIdden Royalty (ultra-rare): Unless you wish to, nobody can discern your Royal nature. Checks that automatically fail against Royalty will display as "resisted" to third parties.
With the crisis at the Academy solved, I could dedicate myself to navigating the dwarven secession. I had Euric promise me to keep his mouth shut and refrain from committing the contents of our conversation to the written medium. He reassured me he liked living very much even if I could bring the dead back to life. I thought he was even considering asking for asylum. He could make a good researcher and lecturer after he graduated, but that was four years in the future.
I needed to make sure there was still a free Windemere for his sake as well as everyone else's.