------------------------------Hervalle Empire -----------------------
Christina looked around at her fellow classmates of Eagle Class. Each and every one of them was a genius. All of them had greater backgrounds than her. Although there were a few children of lesser nobles the majority were children of Dukes and Marquis. There was even a rumor members of the Royal Family were in Eagle Class. Of the eleven gifted students in Eagle class, two otherwise peerless students stood out. One was a young boy with ashen hair called Virgoh who came from the Empire’s northern territory known as the grassland wastes.
As the adopted son of the territory’s Duke, Virgoh had spent his early childhood in one of the many tribes that populated the grasslands. But his relatively normal life changed forever when he was ten when Virgoh awakened his natural talent during a raid on his tribe by a rival clan. His brief joy of becoming a Mage was quickly shattered when he discovered his family had already been slaughtered in the attack. The awakened Virgoh managed to escape but swore vengeance. He went to visit the Duke of the Grasslands Nico Grosslain. Upon seeing Virgoh and his talent Duke Grosslain quickly adopted him as his son. To celebrate the occasion the Duke answered Virgoh’s wish by sending his soldiers to destroy the tribe which eradicated Virgoh’s loved ones. After achieving his revenge, at least on the surface, Virgoh was sent to attend the academy, quickly becoming its brightest star only rivaled by another equally astonishing youngster.
Christina glanced at the girl in question. Victoria Begaul. Someone with no official background, but believed by many in the class as a hidden member of the royal family. The black haired willowy girl never spoke to others spending all her time in her studies, voraciously studying and consuming books with a ferocity akin to a starving animal among food. If asked a question by a teacher or another student she may give a curt one word response, or just flat out ignore them. The mysterious girl had cemented herself among the top of Eagle class after the first in class tournament where she had taken first place after defeating Virgoh in the championship match. Since then they had traded wins, with both demonstrating a similar determination to become the strongest one in the class.
As for Christina she had been welcomed warmly upon entering Eagle class despite acknowledging her status as a commoner. Taken in the twelve year old Christina found herself enjoying all the mischief the other students got into often taking part herself in their antics. Although everyone in Eagle Class was a good student, the children of nobility who had been spoiled for a large portion of their lives often sought entertainment in the most inventive ways, ranging from pranks to dastardly rumors.
Christina had no clue the student's quick acceptance of her was due to the widespread belief she was another hidden relative of the royal family, just like they believed Victoria Begual to be. After all, how could anyone believe such a powerful mage candidate could rise from the historically talentless pool of commoners?
Each student was separated into different living quarters and classes based on their classification. The Sparrow living quarters were on the other side of campus and so Christina hadn’t been able to see Avior as much as she would like. She would often find herself feeling guilty when learning from the high-end instructors of Eagle class. Their thorough and careful instruction allowed Christina to easily grasp more complicated concepts and as a result she found herself quickly growing in power. Now after her first few months, only Victoria and Virgoh still stood above her in class rank. Despite her hope Avior was receiving similar instruction even her naive self believed it unlikely. For those reasons Christina had sought Avior out every free period to help try and emulate the training she was receiving. Although Avior had been thankful he had yet to show much progress. Christina believed it was due to her lack of effective teaching, after all she could never allow the thought it was actually Avior’s talent to blame. To Christina, her savior would always be faultless. In an attempt to better help Avior, Christina had been working hard to not only learn what they were being taught but also try to learn how to teach it! It was the only way she could repay the boy who had risked his very life for her.
At this moment Christina was focusing on the current guest teacher. A man from the Hervalle’s Imperial Mage Corps and renowned hero, Duvain Markun. The young man looked no older than thirty but had a serious face that made one think he had never smiled in his lifetime. The look of brutal determination he wore was only further enhanced by a wide collection of visible scars decorating the area just below his left eye and jaw.
Currently, Duvain was teaching the class about the levels of a mage something they all knew of only Duvain was not only teaching them that but also the best way to kill a mage at each level.
His grim voice sounded throughout the classroom as he taught with the same tone of a hardened veteran. “Mages of the first and second, although able to kill a warrior, are nothing but soft targets for enemy archers. It takes countless resources and many years to raise a mage to the second level, but it takes nothing but a few months of training to make a passable archer. For this reason, most mages stuck at the first and second level pick up other talents such as archery or soldiering and become either a mage archer or magical warrior respectively. Mages of the third can cast defensive spells able to repulse an arrow or two and as a result are much harder to kill by a non-magic user alone. Most are generally killed by either groups of archers, other mages, or a silent assassin sent by their enemies to slit their throat in the night.” Duvain showed no sympathy for the eleven through fourteen-year-old students before him as he told them about the ways they would most likely lose their lives. In the same vein, the students of Eagle class weren’t repelled by his words but were fascinated, believing a missed word might be the difference between them living and dying all the young children isolated unimportant thoughts from their minds and focused on the lecture as Duvain continued.
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“At the fourth level, combat mages become able to cast wider offensive magics making them true strategic weapons on a battlefield. With this renewed importance comes new threats as well. On a battlefield, if a general is given the option of sacrificing a company of two hundred archers to kill one fourth level mage they will take it without a second thought. As a result, most fourth-level mages die on the battlefield in the face of overwhelming numbers. Off the battlefield, just like with mages of the third they face assassination threats. Fifth-level mages are known for their ability to produce battlefield-altering magic. Destroying entire companies of two hundred men in a single spell. For this reason, overwhelming numbers are no longer an effective solution and so opposing enemy strategists will generally deploy their own high level mages or secret weapons to silence them. At the fifth level mages also gain the ability to form wards to guard themselves as they sleep making the majority of assassins unable to pose a threat. As a result, the main killer of fifth-level mages is far and away other mages although one can never forget about the threat of the extremely rare mage assassins.” Before Devim was able to continue a singular hand shot up from the respectful crowd of students before him.
“Yes?” Duvain asked the student. Trying his best, despite his appearance, to welcome the student's question.
Christina spoke her question. “What’s a mage assassin?” She asked leading to a couple of scoffs from the students surrounding her who believed there was no way a member of the royal family wasn’t taught the threat of magic assassins. Unwilling to think they had a commoner in their midst, they assumed Christina was playing dumb to mess with Duvain.
Duvain, unaware of the thoughts going through the children’s heads, took the question as wanting to know more about mage assassins. He began to explain the risks of a magic assassin.
“As most know mage assassins, much like a warrior mage, are mages who specialize in the field of assassination. However, many forget despite the two being similar, becoming a magic assassin requires far more resources and dedication than becoming a run-of-the-mill warrior mage. Aside from the fact most mage assassins need to at least be mages of the third level to even be capable of learning to dispel ward magic, the rigorous training world powers put their mage assassins through means many die in training. As a result few willingly choose to become magic assassins and most are instead captured or blackmailed mages who have been forced to give their undying loyalty to protect loved ones or their own lives.”
All the students let out a gasp showing shocked faces, all except Victoria Begaul who stood there with a face made of stone. It seemed many of the noble children had not yet been told about the underhanded side of raising mage assassins.
Christina thankful for such a thorough answer despite the shock and horror she felt at the content didn’t forget her manners. “Thank you professor for answering my question.”
Duvain responded with a curt nod before continuing the lecture. “With mage assassins in mind, they only grow in danger as mages rise to that of the 6th. Mages of the sixth are no longer resources that can be deployed on battlefields without much thought. A kingdom will likely have only one or two mages of the sixth and they are treated as more valuable than even members of their royal family. At the sixth level, mages become powerful enough to project power, similar to large organizations or mercenary companies. As a result those who can reach this plateau, often become independent. Either deciding to retreat to a life of their choosing or deciding to pursue other goals. To these mages, the most common cause of death is old age. To mages unable or unwilling to break away from whichever group raised them they’ll find themselves being used as trump cards to kill mages of the 5th en-masse along with single-handedly winning large battles involving ten thousand men or more. The only threat for careful mages of the 6th is other mages including mage assassins. Mages of the seventh are either completely hidden from the world achieving their goals without revealing themselves or despotic rulers of small kingdoms. The new Flame Emperor Arden who has been establishing his kingdom on the eastern continent is an example of this. The only true threat to mages of the seventh is other mages. As for mage assassins, there is likely less than a handful in the entire world who are capable of defeating one and only when in very favorable conditions for the assassin. As for the legendary mages of the 8th only a few are acknowledged to exist in the entire world such as the Church of Radiance’s Nine Pillars who's efforts are credited for effectively bringing the entire central continent under the Church’s control. As for Mythical mages of the 9th none are publicly recognized although many suspect the Church of Radiance may have one among their ranks. The Kiolites who have managed an iron hold over the Western Isles for centuries are also suspected of having one by most scholars. Although some suspect known mages of the 8th at secretly being mages of the 9th in truth no one knows despite the mages themselves. The amount of power a 9th level mage can wield is unknown. Although even the most conservative scholar will say it’s enough to level kingdoms and kill hundreds of thousands with just a wisp of their power.”
Christina could feel herself getting lost in thought along with her classmates as they daydreamed about reaching the pinnacle. How amazing would it be? Their wildest dreams, endless fame, and the ability to change the world how they saw fit. What a wonderful ability that would be!
These thoughts would swirl around the student's heads for the rest of the day and into the night as many would continue the idea into their dreams with them before returning to their regular studies the next day with renewed vigor.
Among them, one in particular, the ashen-haired leader of the Eagle Class Virgoh had a look, not of hope but one of bitter determination. The next morning when he awoke from his daily nightmare he wiped away his familiar tears as he spoke the mantra he had driven deep into his heart. “To the plotter in the dark, to the one who drove the tribes of my homeland to fight, whose actions killed my mother, brothers, and sisters, I will do whatever I can to ensure you get to feel the same ever present despair you granted me.”
With the edgy words uttered, the fourteen-year-old boy returned to his normal friendly expression. His darkened face no more as he prepared himself to attend his morning classes.