"Shameless! Give him an inch, and they'll take a mile; I can't withstand these peasants and their unsophisticated behaviours!"
"How brazen of you, peasant! Even the death of your nine ancestral families is not enough to atone for your sins. Your filthy blood and flesh will get tortured for eternity in the Imperial Underground Prison!"
"Professor, this is clearly sexual harassment. We demand justice to be served!"
Cagnus turned a deaf ear to the students' complaints as he looked at Elizabeth with expectant eyes.
"Huh? Why are her ears red? And she also seems to be hiding her face… Does she have a fever?", Cagnus asked worriedly; naturally, he wouldn't dare to voice out his thoughts.
However, when the students saw the professor's expression, even more chaos ensued.
"Impossible! Absurd! What's happening with Professor? Is the peasant using voodoo magic to bewitch her?"
"Outrageous, not only does he dare to sneak into the Imperial Chess Academy, he actually dares to bewitch the Professor using his witchcraft means and forbidden techniques."
"Truly audacious. I've never seen someone as shameless as him. In fact, he goes as far as seducing Madam Elizabeth with his wanton words and devil magic."
Contrary to people's expectations, the knights did not take action.
Professor Elizabeth took a moment to recollect herself as she looked at Cagnus sternly, and then she issued a series of orders to the knights.
"Accompany him to his dormitory."
"Search his room for the identification badge."
"Check its authenticity."
Then her gaze turned sharp as she stared at Cagnus. She continued: "if it's not authentic, follow protocol."
Gulp.
The entire amphitheatre gulped as they felt chills run down their spine. The Imperial Chess Academy's internal protocol is known for its strictness and harshness. One wrong word here will get you expelled; if you commit a relatively light crime, such as disturbing the peace or littering the sacred grounds, even your noble status will get stripped.
As for destroying property, fines were as rampant as mice in the capital's sewer system; even taking off a leaf from a plant would get you a fine of up to three thousand pounds.
As for impersonating a student of the academy, or sneaking into learning grounds without permission or authorisation, even if you had all the money and status in the world, you wouldn't be able to escape paying a visit to the Imperial Underground Prison.
In some cases, death is way better than spending a night over in the Imperial Underground Prison.
Naturally, Cagnus was aware of this. Before he came to the Academy, he did sufficient research with his grandfather to make sure his journey went unhindered.
He silently prayed to the Fide Empire's current Empress, Karry Gasparov.
"O' great Empress of Humanity and Chess."
"I come to you with a humble plea."
"Please guard my belongings and keep them safe."
"So no one takes them away from me."
"Fill my home with your divine presence."
"Protect it from all harm and ill."
"Let no thief come in and steal away,"
"And keep my identification badge safe and still."
"Thank you for your kindness and care."
"And your watchful eye on me."
"Amen."
The Empress Karry is one of the Fide Empire's living gods; both the Ascetics Knight Order and Ecclesiastical Mage Corp fall under her command. These two are considered one of the empire's most potent forces and played an essential role in fending off the various races from invading humanity's grounds.
As one of the Empire's living gods, the Empress naturally has a Holy See, cathedrals and many churches spread throughout the country. Almost every human believes and prays to her daily, and Cagnus is no exception.
When he finished his prayer, the knight wielding the spear grabbed him violently by his shoulder and escorted him all the way to his dormitory.
The residence hall that spanned hundreds of metres soon came into view as both Cagnus and the knights passed by the lobby. Because it was class time, the recreational rooms were empty, with no person in sight.
Soon, they made their way into the staircase that led to the bottom floors. Then they opened a wooden door that led to an obscure area in the dormitory.
After taking two turns to the right, both Cagnus and the knights finally arrived in front of his room.
Their noses couldn't help but twitch as the pungent smell of the nearby bathroom assaulted their nostrils, but the six didn't care. Cagnus looked at the plaque that wrote "23-51" and couldn't help but lampoon his dilemma.
Two of the knights at the front shook their heads tacitly, and then they took three steps back and raised their legs.
BOOM!
Cagnus' eyes widened in astonishment as he questioned his entire existence, "What is this?", "Who am I?", "What am I doing here?".
The already-fragile wooden door plummeted to the ground as it was broken into pieces; shards of wood embedded themselves deep into Cagnus' bed.
"My door!", he couldn't help but scream pitifully as his heart bled.
The Imperial Chess Academy's rules were clear, any damages done to the property assigned to you will be borne solely by you and you alone. Even if the knights were the ones to break the door, Cagnus would have to pay the corresponding reparation fees on top of a disciplinary fee.
For his pocket money, his entire family amassed ten shillings after exhausting all their options. From where is he supposed to gather thousands upon thousands of pounds? Although that number sounds absurd, there have been cases in the academy of people plucking leaves from a random tree on the academy grounds only to get slapped with a fine amounting to three thousand pounds.
Like robots, the knights made no comment as they entered the cramped room. They furiously turned the furniture upside down, breaking the table in the process.
"The badge is right there! It's over there!", Cagnus's heart bled as he thought of his ever-increasing fine to pay.
The identification badge was on the ground; its position was as clear as ice. Even a blind person would not miss it, yet these knights pretended as though they didn't see it as they laid ruin to the bed, table and dresser.
"I'm done! My life is over!", he can already see the fine exceeding the ten thousand pounds threshold.
After they felt that it was enough, one of the guards looked at Cagnus and commanded:
"Bow down and grab the identification badge."
Although Cagnus' heart was filled with indignation, he had no choice but to comply.
Would he dare go against the orders of an Ascetic Knight? Of course not!
After grabbing the badge and handing it respectfully to him, the knight wielding the spear looked at the luggage that was tucked under the ruined bed and spoke: "Your luggage too."
This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
"What?", Cagnus thought he was mishearing things.
"I said your luggage, be quick. Are you defying orders?"
Cagnus sighed silently as he grabbed a bag of cloth that was his luggage. It had his clothes and other miscellaneous items he had brought from home.
He handed the bag respectfully to the spear-wielding knight, then stood to the side and silently observed.
One knight was using a magnifying glass to verify the identification badge's authenticity while the other was frantically throwing out his items, one by one.
His clothes were strewn all across the ground, and then they were "accidentally" trampled on by the rest of the men. After the spear-wielding knight was done with his clothes, he started grabbing the miscellaneous items and breaking them one by one.
A hairbrush crafted by his long-deceased mother.
Snap. Broken in half.
A small wooden box with intricate carvings on it was gifted to him by his grandfather.
Shattered to pieces.
A good luck pendant that's considered to be a family heirloom.
Snapped in half.
A spoon and a bowl his deceased father used to eat porridge in.
Reduced to rubble.
Cagnus' heart bled more and more; he looked at the carnage that was in front of him and blamed himself for forgetting the identification badge.
"If only I'd brought it with me…"
Just when the spear-wielding knight was about to break the last items in the bag, his expression changed as it quickly turned pale. However, because of his helmet that covered all of his face, his teammates and companions did not know.
His entire body shuddered as he grabbed a seemingly-ordinary looking toothbrush from the bag.
It was hand-crafted from oak wood and featured complex patterns and engravings. It had a sturdy handle that looked polished and clean. The bristles were surprisingly soft and gentle; they were made of boar hair as it was the best material to get rid of food bits and other pieces of debris.
However, when you compare this toothbrush to what the nobles use. It looked extremely ordinary and in fact, some would say it looked crude. Whichever angle you look at it, this toothbrush was nothing special.
"F-f-from w-where d-did you get this?", the spear-wielding knight asked in a shivering tone; he held the toothbrush with both arms as his hands shook violently from fear and trepidation.
His companions were oblivious to his behaviour, as they were either busy inspecting the identification badge or trampling on Cagnus' clothes.
When Cagnus heard the spear-wielding knight's question, he replied hurriedly as he looked at the items on the ground with a pained expression: "I handcrafted it."
His family heirlooms, both of his parents' sole remembrance tokens and his grandfather's gift, were strewn on the ground, broken in pieces. Why would he care about a toothbrush he crafted years ago to brush his teeth just like the fashionable nobles?
To him, even if the toothbrush were broken a thousand times, he wouldn't mind at all. After all, he can just grab a piece of wood, carve it using a slicing knife, grab some boar hair and glue it together using wax. As for the "intricate" carvings, he can just emulate what's popular on the storefronts in the nearby cities and towns.
However, his family heirlooms are another matter entirely. Each piece that gets broken cannot be replaced by a hundred thousand toothbrushes.
"Why are you shaking from head to toe? It's just a toothbrush! If you want it, take it! Just use restoration magic to make my family heirlooms back to their original states.", Cagnus pleaded silently.
When the spear-wielding knight heard Cagnus' reply, it felt as though thunderclaps were bombarding his eardrums, huge beads of sweat trickled down his back as he felt an unparalleled sensation of fear.
He had the highest rank amongst the current Ascetic Knights present in the dormitory. He was an Intermediate Knight.
Such strength was more than enough to acquire the title of Baron or even Viscount.
At the moment, his contributions are the ones that dictate whether he climbs the ladder of the upper echelon or not. That's why he decided to join the Ascetics Knight Order and serve under the Empress herself. He was assigned to be a Guardian Knight in the Imperial Chess Academy, perhaps one of the most important empire's sacred grounds.
He was a smart person; his peers could not compare to him in this regard. Coupled with his high-rank prowess, it made him an extraordinary person.
He can see what other people cannot see.
He can notice what other people cannot notice.
He can recognise what other people cannot recognise.
At this moment, the seemingly-ordinary toothbrush in front of him felt as though it was the most intricate and symbolic existence in the totality of reality. It radiated power that hid countless Truths in it, Truths that permit oneself to peer into the secrets of the Universe itself.
"Truth of Nature!", the spear-wielding knight quickly realised what Truth was imbued inside the toothbrush and frantically poured his consciousness into the wooden handle, trying to decipher the many secrets and intricacies it hid.
The Truth of Nature that was hidden deep inside the toothbrush extended its tendrils out to meet the spear-wielding knight's consciousness, gently pouring its energy into his body.
Because of a serious injury, he suffered in the past, the spear-wielding knight's prowess could not exceed the Intermediate Rank. No matter how much he cultivates the Ascetics Knights' Techniques, or how much he absorbs natural energy, his prowess wouldn't budge.
He relied on his status, money and power to meet the best medics and healers of the Fide Empire, ranging from chaplains, priests, bishops, archbishops and even the cardinal of the Imperial Cathedral.
Yet no matter how many treatments they did or how much medicine he drank, the hidden ailment never disappeared. He would forever stay as an Intermediate Knight.
His Eminence once said: "Perhaps only the gods are able to treat this sort of injury."
From that day on forward, all hope was snuffed, and the spear-wielding knight's advancement halted. He would never advance to the Advanced and Expert ranks.
However. Today is different; he finally managed to peer into one of many Truths of the Universe. He finally managed to peer into one of the Gods' domains, the Truth of Nature.
As the Truth of Nature supplied energy to the spear-wielding knight's body, it nourished his body and began to treat the hidden ailments that plagued his life.
On the surface, the spear-wielding knight looked motionless as he stared at the cloth bag, holding the toothbrush with both hands. Both Cagnus and the others did not notice anything out of the ordinary. However, monumental changes were happening to the spear-wielding knight's body deep down.
The ailment was in the form of a lump and was sitting on top of one of the blood vessels in his abdomen area. It constantly pulsated in and out as though it was a living organism.
It blocked knighthood, magic and other forms of energy from nourishing the spear-wielding knight's central organ, his heart.
By blocking energy to his most vital organ, the ailment successfully succeeded in halting the spear-wielding knight's prowess from advancing forever.
The Truth of Nature's gentle power seeped deep into the spear-wielding knight's body, finally reaching his abdomen by navigating his blood vessels.
It gently covered the pulsating lump in a thin-veiled green layer, then converted it into a beneficial organ that aided the spear-wielding knight when it came to cultivating his battle and physical prowess.
Knighthood and magic are now able to flow smoothly in his body, and when they pass by the lump in his vessel blood, their speed seems to be magnified as they reach his central organ in nano-seconds, aiding him greatly in his cultivation.
Seeing this, the spear-wielding knight was enlightened, "Healing doesn't mean the damage never existed; it means the damage no longer controls our lives."
Plop!
He dropped the toothbrush to the ground. His hands seemed to naturally let go of it. He bent down to grab it, but sensing Cagnus' gaze; he gulped as he retracted his hand back.
Meanwhile…
"What the heck is he doing? He stood dazed for a good second before dropping the toothbrush, is he okay? Perhaps he got brain damage from the bathroom smell?", Cagnus thought to himself, his gaze shifted to the toothbrush.
"Perhaps he got disgusted by my toothbrush, and the abominable smell that was staining the boar's hair bombarded his nostrils, making him lose contact with reality for a good second."
Instinctively, he smiled, showing his pearly-white teeth.
When the spear-wielding knight saw Cagnus' smile, he felt as though the devil was grinning at him. The image of the farmer-boy in front of him transformed into a vicious-looking, two-horned demonic entity that stared at him with unprecedented profoundness.
In front of this "demonic entity", the spear-wielding man felt as though all his secrets were laid bare, free for this devil to read.
He had this strong urge to prostrate himself in front of the village boy; it was irresistible. The only time he experienced this sort of feeling was when he met the Cardinal of Imperial Cathedral, his Eminence Tamizi.
"What is happening to me? Why do I have this sudden urge to prostrate? It's understandable when it comes to his Eminence Tamizi; after all, he is a Fide Master lifeform, an existence that's only second to Gods… But this village boy in front of me… He's not even an Ascentionist!", the spear-wielding man's knees fought hard to stand upright. They wobbled ever so slightly.
In the Fide Empire, there are three paths that lead to godhood: Magic, Knightlyhood and Ascentionism.
Magicians convert the world's natural energy into magic and store it in their bodies so they can use it to explode with unprecedented power afterwards.
As for Knights, they cultivate Knighthood. It is some sort of nourishing power that elevates the body and strengthens it to unparalleled levels. When it comes to physical strength, they are indisputably number one.
And finally, the most mysterious and blasphemous path of them all, the Ascensionist path.
It isn't much known about Ascentionists; it's only known that the upper brass of the Empire is all Ascentionist living gods who have exceeded the Fide Master Rank, thus achieving the International Master rank.
There are some Knight and Magician gods such as Prince Charles and Duchess Love. However, there might be fares in comparison to Ascentionists of the same rank.
As for the power system, their ranks goes as follows: Novice, Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced, Expert, Fide Master, International Master and finally, Grandmaster.
Novice is naturally the starting rank of every single Magician, Knight or Ascensionist.
As for Grandmaster, perhaps only two or three people in existence have achieved that rank.
One of them is Maul Purphy the Great, the Founding Emperor of Fide. The other is the unnamed, and mysterious Demon Lord sealed in the Abyss.
Each one of them was a world-shaking existence; their power is incomprehensible and beyond the comprehension abilities of humans.
"I have to let his Eminence Tamizi know about this as soon as possible!", the spear-wielding knight's thoughts whirled as he heard his companion say.
"This identification badge is legit and not forged."
"Peasant Cagnus, we forgive your trespass at the moment. But we will not be so benevolent in the future."
Hearing this, the spear-wielding knight immediately shot warning gazes towards the knight who just spoke.
"This young man has an artefact whose power is on the level of gods! It contains one of the many forbidden domains of International Master-like existences; what do you mean by forgiving his trespass? If this man wants to destroy this academy right here, right now, perhaps only the Princes and Archdukes can stop him!", the spear-wielding man thought silently.
Unfortunately, the man who just spoke seemed oblivious towards his companion's warning as he strode towards the staircase with a puffed-up chest.
"You can return to class.", his haughty voice lingered around.