“Noon?”
“Yes, noon.” I sighed. “That was all the letter said.”
“Do you think…?”
“Why don’t you tell me?” I said, crossing my arms.
Or, I tried to, until I remembered there was currently a kitten resting in the nook of one of them.
“I’ll let you know that I don’t know everything.”
“Sure could fool me,” I responded, staring at Scyla, currently wearing a leather vest and riding pants, as if she had just returned from a pleasant outing jockeying horses.
“Alright, fine.” Scyla broke. “At the very least, I’m relatively sure that the academy hasn’t outright made any selections for the position yet.”
“Meaning?” I raised an eyebrow at her.
“Meaning, put the pieces together yourself.”
“Well, aren’t we a little quick today?” I frowned, leaning back in my chair as the kitten purred away in its sleep.
“No.” Scyla shook her head as she refuted me. “I’m not ‘quick,’ and I’d suggest you watch your tongue with accusing people of such. What it really is, is that it’s so obvious that you’ve made it a habit your entire life of simply letting life lead you around, completely content with being a backstage cast member in your own play of life.”
“A bit of a dramatic example, don’t you think?”
“Don’t change the subject, Rook.” Scyla was shooting me the stink eye, my fortitude withering under its intensity.
“Alright, alright.” I raised my hands, or, rather, raised my hand, one arm still preoccupied, in defeat. “I guess you might have a bit of a point. So what do you want me to go do? Bust down the Director’s door and demand she tell me everything?”
“No, unless you have wished to see the inside of a cell for the rest of your days.” Scyla smiled faintly. “Taking a more active role in your own life doesn’t have to be that dramatic, you know.”
“So, what do you suggest?” I questioned.
“Well, first off, don’t look for answers from others all the time. Use your head, put pieces together, come to a conclusion, and make decisions yourself rather than waiting to see how the rest of the chips will fall before you act.”
“I mean, I do that,” I said defensively.
“Oh, do you?” Scyla seemed unmoved, with zero belief in my feeble defense. “When was the last time?”
“Well, I…” I paused, taking a moment to think about it.
What about coming here?
No, that had effectively been my mother’s suggestion.
Being an adventurer?
Nope, it was merely an idea I adopted from my mother’s past, nothing more than a childhood fantasy that I had abandoned without much fuss in the grand scheme of things.
Uhm, well…
Even leaving Junaper behind had come at the suggestion of my master.
I wonder what ever happened to him?
“Fine, you got me. Even if I have been that way, don’t expect it to suddenly flip overnight.”
“Of course,” Scyla said pleasantly, spreading her hands out as if placating me. “It takes time to change.
“Now, enough of the small talk.” I shook my head. “You wanted to discuss something with me. Speak.”
It had been only an hour since I’d gotten myself cleaned up when I heard a knock at my door, only to find none other than Scyla waiting patiently on the other side.
“Well, first I must know-” Scyla pointed at the kitten nestled into the crook of my arm, raising an eyebrow at me. “-is that?”
“It’s... yeah.” I half shrugged.
“Do you want me to handle getting rid of it?” Scyla looked between the kitten and me suspiciously, but at her words, I found myself pulling the sleeping kitten in closer, surprised at how defensive I felt for the thing already.
“It’s fine.” I shook my head. “I have a full year where it’s nothing more than a glorified cat. I can get things figured out until then.”
“If you insist.” Scyla huffed. “Putting that aside, I have an important request.”
“No,” I answered back instantly.
“You don’t even know what I was going to ask?”
“Does it matter?”
“Well, why don’t you humor me first?”
“Whatever.” I shook my head. “What sort of asinine thing do you want me to try to take care of because you don’t want to involve your associates too closely?”
“How would you feel about seeing a play with me?”
“No. I refuse to involve myself in anymore dang- wait, what?” I let the words I’d been mentally preparing fade out of existence, staring at the woman in confusion. “What exactly do you mean by ‘see a play’ with you? Wait, don’t tell me. There is some sort of monster that is-”
“No monster.” Scyla shook her head once more. “No magical beasts. No backhanded politicking. Nothing.”
“So… just a show?” I tentatively asked.
“Just a show,” Scyla confirmed.
“Why?” I was staring at her, trying to figure out the angle.
“Really now, Rook. Must you force a woman to come out and speak so plainly? I dare say you are rather lacking in the manners department.”
“I….”
Huh?
“So, a show,” I spoke slowly, trying to keep the words from escaping me without being considered thoroughly. “Because…”
“Because you’re an interesting man, even if rather… unattached, to say the least. And not the least bit charismatic.”
“I’m not charismatic, though.” I frowned at her, confused.
“I know.” Scyla laughed. “I wasn’t being sarcastic.”
“Oh,” I murmured.
I know. Who could possibly think I wasn’t naturally charismatic?
“I will admit.” Scyla patted me on the arm. “Intriguing events seem to precede or follow you, so perhaps there is a bit of intrigue there. And you aren’t exactly hard on the eyes. So while I’ve met men who’ve done quite a better job at attempting to swoon or sway others, you’re one of the first to be so unabashedly simple.”
“I’m not sure if that is a compliment or insult.”
“Take it as a compliment.” Scyla chuckled. “Don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t trade my life for the world, but when you run in my circles, you tend to deal with the types who constantly have an agenda.”
“And how do I know this isn’t exactly that?” I questioned her. “That you’re not trying to gain another tool in your arsenal of, uh, tools?”
“You don’t.” She winked at me. “So, are you in?”
I frowned, leaning back in my chair.
Am I being played?
I’d come to realize that Scyla was still a mystery to me. I would need time to get a feel of the woman, to know her angle, even if I could trust her.
But.
I could say no; it would be the safe choice.
But.
But was that just me waiting for the chips to fall?
Take agency in your own life.
“Alright.” I sighed. “What’s the worst that can happen?”
Rather than show excitement or any obvious sign that she had been unsure of herself for a second, Scyla simply picked herself up from the seat she had sat in before walking over to me and dropping something in my lap.
“What’s this?”
“Oh, the ticket to the show.”
“Wait, you already got the tickets?”
“Of course.” Scyla beamed at me, her pearly white teeth shining like a light in the dark.
“Why am I not surprised.” I sighed once again.
I looked at the date, taken aback by just how soon it was scheduled.
‘This is tomorrow.” I looked up at Scyla, who was still beaming at me.
“I’m aware.”
“What if I had plans for tomorrow?”
“Do you ever have plans?” She frowned at me as if genuinely curious.
“Well, I, uh... sometimes?”
The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
“Sure, whatever you say.” Scyla flipped her hair over her shoulder, walking away from me and toward the door.
“Where are you going?”
“Well, I just came by for that.” She called back over her shoulder. “Oh, and make sure to wear something nice, will you?”
And then, just like that, she was gone, the door closing quietly behind her.
A whirlwind, that’s what she is.
I stared down at the ticket once more. I was sure it was for some fancy theater place, for some fancy play that I was entirely unfamiliar with, with fancy people I didn’t know the least about.
Wonderful.
I was beginning to regret my decision, but I wouldn’t back down after only a few minutes of rumination.
Anyway, I had more pressing issues to tackle.
Picking up the letter I had received only a few minutes before Scyla had appeared, I scanned it over again, trying my best to wrap my mind around it.
To Mr. Koor
Your application and interview have been thoroughly assessed, and final decisions are underway. Due to time necessities, you must meet with the Director’s office by noon today.
-Parisian Academy
That was it.
That was all the letter said.
“You would think an acceptance letter would be more… flowery,” I mumbled as I turned it over in my hands.
Short and to the point as it was, I couldn’t even feel excited. I was too worried that perhaps there was more than meets the eye in the letter.
Maybe code of some sort?
I made a few half-hearted attempts at decoding whatever code may exist within the letter, but I gave up within minutes.
Either there was none, the more likely option, or if there was, it was far too complex for someone like me to ever notice.
I looked out the window, watching the sun. It wasn’t quite noon yet; I had perhaps an hour, but it would take me nearly that long to prepare myself mentally and appearance-wise for what was to come.
Whatever that may be.
“Look at the bright side.” I looked down at the kitten, which stretched lazily in its slumber. “Chances are good that this letter means you got the job.”
I hope.
I doubted they would reach out in such a fashion only to turn me down.
But still…
Why?
“Whatever.” I shook my head, gently placing the kitten in a pile of cushions. “I guess I can figure it out when I get there.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
“Mr. Koor.” The Director nodded to me once, waving a hand forward. “Please, have a seat.”
“Thanks.” I pulled the seat out before nervously sitting before the Director. “So, what do I-”
“I’m going to cut to the chase.” The Director cut me off, shaking her head as if she had no time for pleasantries. “Against my better judgment, you intrigued me. I did a little digging. You know what I found?”
“Err, what?” I questioned.
“Nothing. Jack shit.” The Director leaned back in her chair. I noticed that my block of warm ice was now being used as a paperweight for some open folders strewn across her desk. “Or rather, I found nothing conclusive.”
“Didn’t the academy do a background check when reviewing the written application?”
“Of course, but those count for shit.” The woman barked with a rather harsh laugh. “Government means it has to go through official channels. Everything stays above water. But I wasn’t put into this position just because of my charming good looks.’ The woman winked at me, sweeping her graying hair out of the way to reveal a rather nasty-looking scar across her forehead. “It’s because I know where I stand and how to take measures into my own hands when necessary.”
“Meaning?” I raised an eyebrow at her.
“Meaning that there is a gag order on your identity. Something that usually only happens when a person already has connections with the information brokers. And, interestingly, there have been rumors of the young Eorial mistress being spotted with an unknown acquittance.”
“I don’t see how that plays into this,” I said, hoping I could retain my façade of indifference.
“Ahh, you clearly don’t understand the game played, something we’ll have to drill into you. All, and I mean all the important movers and shakers, rub noses with each other. For an unknown person, a young man from the reports I’ve heard, to be spotted with the Eorial mistress has several interesting implications. Considering my initial review of you was with the… implied suggestion of the Eorials in the first place, you tell me. Are you a mole, owed a buck, an enemy they’re keeping a close eye on, or perhaps a secret lover?”
“I- huh?”
“Don’t play dumb.” The Director rolled her eyes at me. “I want to give you this position, but I need to know the game. So, spill.”
My head was already buzzing. The Director’s mannerisms had taken a somewhat blunter direction compared to my initial interview with the woman.
So, I got the job. Or, I might have the job.
“Neither, rather, none of the above,” I said after gathering my thoughts. “By and large, I really am just a random person.”
“I don’t enjoy being taken for a fool, Mr. ‘Koor’, though I’m confident that isn’t your real identity.”
“I’m serious.” I raised my hands up in self-defense. “But yeah.” I sighed quietly. “I have connections with the Eorials or Scyla herself.”
“As expected.” The Director nodded. “Care tell, what exactly is this ‘connection’ you speak of?”
“When we were young, we met. One thing led to another, and she ended up in debt to me.”
I purposely chose to withhold the information about my master, news I was sure would only drag this conversation on.
“And how exactly did she end up owing you anything?”
“Chance, mostly,” I admitted.
Which wasn’t a lie. Not really.
“Chance.” The Director mused over the thought, chewing it over before slowly nodding. “Fine, let’s say I believe that. Considering the young Eorial’s interest in magic and your affinity for it, I can buy that a chance meeting led to her owing you. And these recent sightings of a mysterious figure seen with the Eorial is an extension of such.”
“Yes.” I nodded, my minding thinking back to the ticket at my place.
She’s not entirely correct, but close enough.
“So, your allegiances don’t lie with the Eorial, and it’s simply an arrangement of mutual gain.” She nodded to herself before opening her mouth again. “I can believe that. Then tell me, where do your allegiances lie?”
“Pardon?” I frowned at the question, unsure of what she meant.
“Oh, most of the applications we received that were thrown out, aside from lacking qualifications, the number one reason, can you guess what it was?”
“I can’t say I can,” I said truthfully.
“Allegiances. Since your background is a big mysterious hole of nothingness, I can’t gauge where yours lie. As for those who did apply and were turned away, many were thoroughly aligned in one direction, with one faction or another. Your position is a rather precarious one. By nature of being a professor of magic, you are misaligned with the intended goals of the country, the disdain for the supernatural. Yet this academy exists to bridge divides. With that came the compromise of a magic teacher; it was effectively the most important demand of the pro-magic faction.”
“So, you’re afraid I’m going to take sides.”
“More than afraid, actually.” The Director confirmed. “While your history is rather nebulous, to say the least, those surrounding you aren’t as much. Take Scyla Eorial, the youngest Eorial to be placed as a city lead within her family for a long time. Are you aware of how she rose through the ranks of her family at lightning speed?”
“Err, can’t say I do.” I shook my head, pretending to be completely oblivious.
“She received the favor of Nochesuki.” The Director sighed as if exhausted. “At face value, Nochesuki is nothing more than a single group, a single collection within the pro-magic camp. But that’s only at face value. Anyone with any knowledge knows their rather… clandestine and extreme approach to their methods and ideologies. Somehow, the Eorial girl earned their favor at a young age. The leading theory is that because of her interest in magic, Nochesuki made contact with her. There are now some rumors that suggest she is effectively a pawn of Nochesuki, and considering the role the Eorial play within the power dynamics of the country….”
“Right.” I felt my head buzzing again. I had kept myself uninvolved in the politics involved with the country’s upper echelon, but even I was aware that Nochesuki were more than they appeared. I’d once been told as much by the Guildmaster of the Adventurer’s guild himself.
I’d also been cuffed to a table at the time, but I digress.
“I’ll be blunt.” The Director resumed her speech after several seconds of silence. “It’s your age that really matters. Being as young as you are, it’s my gut feeling more than anything that says you’re unlikely to be tied with a specific allegiance. Young as you are, I figure you have minor connections to them at the very best, which isn’t a sin in itself. As I mentioned, they are officially nothing more than a special interest group. But I need to know if I hand you this position, can you do the job, regardless of potential allegiances? I turned others down for being too intimately tied to their beliefs, such that they would only cause the stability of our institution to be undermined from within.”
“That’s a lot to take in.”
“It’s a big responsibility.” The Director agreed with a shrug. “But this world you’re looking to enter is more than you realize. I don’t know your background, I don’t know who you are, and by all rights, I should turn you away, but you’re qualified, albeit lacking in experience. I’m willing to take this risk, which largely hinges upon a gut feeling, but my gut has seldom been wrong. So, one final time, can you do this, do this job well, and in doing so, perhaps offer more to your country than you ever thought possible?”
I froze, taking a moment to take it all in.
Do more for my country? I just wanted to teach!
I’d never intended for this to turn into my doing of some great service, and I had little interest in such things. Patting myself on the back for my ‘service’ would only be an act of egotism, as I’d never pursued such reasons.
But.
But I really did want the job.
Plus, I’d like a stable job that doesn’t involve me almost dying all the time.
“I can do it.” I finally nodded.
“Wonderful.” The woman visibly relaxed before reaching a hand across the desk. “Welcome to the team.”
I met her hand with my own. Her hand was far more calloused than I had anticipated, even knowing some of the rumors of her background. Her grip was solid and firm but not so tight that it was crushing. There was no pride, no ego in the exchange, just simple authority and confidence.
“Now, as you should be aware, the regent-to-be will be arriving in” She looked past me, toward a clock upon the wall. “-soon. You’ll have a full week before our first day of school begins. I’ll have your schedule brought to you before then. The classroom direction will largely be for your discretion, just no agenda pushing, or I’ll have your ass out of here sooner than you can say ‘sorry.’ Am I clear?”
“Crystal.” I quickly answered.
“Good. Now, any questions?”
“Err, just how many classes will I be teaching anyway?” I questioned. “Considering the academy’s size, there must be a few hundred kids attending at the least.”
“You would be correct. As the academy covers all age ranges, there is a rather large student body, ranging from lower-echelon nobility to the regent-to-be herself. As for your class load, that depends.”
“It… depends?”
“Yes, of course. The first week will be the welcome period; depending on the age bracket, the kids will have regularly required courses of varying topics. You will see classes in that first week as nothing more than an introduction to magic and basics. For the younger students, you will dumb it down considerably. As for their older cohorts, feel free to ramp up the intensity. Now, unlike some other courses, magic will be a half-elective.”
“Elective?”
“Course that students can freely take.” The Director waved my question off, thankfully never bothering to ask why I didn’t know something that was likely common knowledge. “Now, as a half-elective, there is a lower and upper form. The lower form will be required by all students but will only convene once a week. In that, I expect you to educate the students on how to not be bigots, but don’t make it obvious that your goal is to make them not hate anything associated with magic whatsoever.”
“Got it. Keep the kids from being little pricks.”
The Director smiled briefly, clearly finding my comment amusing, before she continued. “Upper form is a more traditional class, where you can cover magical theory, application, and all that. For upper form, it’s your discretion as to how you decide to teach the class.”
“Right, and so you said the first week is the welcome period. Then what, the kids decide what classes they take amongst the ‘electives,’ or is there something I’m missing?”
“That’s exactly correct.” The Director confirmed.
“So, if I currently don’t have a plan made, classes start in about a week, and official classes start a week after-”
“You have a week to develop a plan, get it in writing, and submit it to me for addition to the course directory. If you do a good job selling the class in that welcome week, plus have a compelling course summary for the directory, you will likely see a very active class load.”
“And if not, I get a lot of free time?”
“Don’t get ahead of yourself.” The Director winked at me once more. “If your participation from students is too low, it might be recognized that perhaps it’s the professor that is the problem.”
“Got it.” I nodded instantly.
Make the kids interested, or lose your job. Right.
“Anything else?” The Director questioned me.
“No.” I shook my head. “I think that sums up everything.”
“Good. You are dismissed then.”
I stood up, pushing my chair closer to her desk as I turned to leave until I stopped, the Director calling out to me suddenly.
“Oh, and Mr. Koor.”
“Yes?”
“I forgot to mention, but do watch yourself. Not all are as welcoming as I am. You will be facing much objection and scrutiny. You are a department of one for the time being, and many would prefer to see the department gone entirely. So make a good impression, will you?”
“Taking a bit of a gamble on someone like me as your flagship magic teacher, aren’t you?” I raised an eyebrow at the woman, the move far bolder than you would expect for such an important position.
“Ahh, but in war, sometimes you must take the bold initiative if you wish to prevail.”
“This isn’t war, though.” I pointed out. “This is education.”
“Ahh, and that is where you are mistaken.” She crossed her arms. “Is there a battlefield more vicious than the classroom?”
I tried to respond, but nothing came to mind, the words echoing.
“On that note then-” She pulled a folder to the leading forefront of her desk, opening it and pulling several papers out as she donned a pair of reading glasses. “-I am quite busy, so I must bid you farewell.”
I silently closed the door behind me as I stepped out of the room, taking a deep breath only after I was sure the Director could see me no longer.
I think I can believe those rumors about her a bit more now.
“The classroom is a battlefield, is it?” I whispered the words, slowly leaving behind the administrative wing of the academy before I was once more basked in the sun’s warm rays.
Then I should probably prepare for war.