Corvus, Straf and Cycelia approach the closed gates of the Academy of Magic. Made of a dark metal-like material, the giant double doors tower over them, covered in complex magic runes that eke out a faint blue glow.

「As you can see, these doors here make our gate… They're older than you and I, and they're magical…」

The headmaster casually explains, gesturing with his hand while he walks, pointing it briefly at the gate. As they approach closer, Straf and Cycelia stop to wait for the gate to open.

Crrrrrrrreaaaaaaaaaaaaaakkkkk…

With a loud noise, they slowly swing open. Just fast enough to not interrupt the headmaster's brisk, but unrushed pace.

「The runes on them are somewhat faded, but they work well still… They recognize the Academy members and open themselves for the students, and the professors returning from the city.」

Corvus explains to Straf and Cycelia, looking at them over his shoulder with a soft smile on his face. They glance at each other, Straf shrugs, and they catch up to the old mage.

「Headmaster, can I ask you something?」

Cycelia asks, jogging up to his side. Straf nonchalantly joins his other side with wide but leisurely steps.

「Of course, Ms. Lia. Please.」

The old mage returns a light nod of his head while they enter the walled perimeter. Inside, the Academy looks like a small city itself. Countless buildings that could not be seen from beyond the wall dot the grassy area around the pristinely clean and paved pathways.

「I've heard the Academy is surrounded by a barrier… Where is it?」

She asks, looking all around the sky.

「We're already in it. We have been for a while now, in fact.」

Corvus bluntly declares with a shrug of his shoulders, causing Cycelia some confoundment.

「What?… But I don't see anything.」

She replies, sounding almost disappointed.

「Well, of course you don't, Ms. Lia. It's a barrier of mana, it won't be visible unless mana tries opposing it. But I assure you, it covers most of this hilltop… Excluding the forest that we use for magic exercises sometimes.」

The headmaster smiles at her, and takes a turn at a Y-junction of the paths. They pass a large, beautiful fountain of marble spewing a steady stream of water out into the air. The stream arcs back down into the basin with a noisy splatter. Every few moments, a fellow student passes by them, and sometimes, a professor. Despite still being on the periphery of the Academy, the student density is increasing rapidly while they approach the main buildings.

「Straf… Have you ever served as a court mage somewhere before?」

Corvus asks with a gentle smile, glancing at Straf by his side.

「Nope. Being a court jester is more my thing.」

Straf shrugs his shoulders, and his response causes a giggling fit in Cycelia. She covers her mouth with her hands, suppressing a soft laughter.

「…I see.」

The headmaster nods his head, and they make their way to a vast and open plaza. Students are sitting on the benches lining its perimeter, and reading tomes, or simply talking and relaxing. In the plaza's center, a large and colorful flower garden naturally draws attention to itself. Bees and butterflies swarm the flowers, which are apparently growing unaffected by the cooling weather. Corvus gives the garden only a momentary glance, before turning his eyes forward. Cycelia takes in the whole scenery presented to her so far with a broad, happy smile on her face.

「And here is the Academy itself, so to speak. All the buildings we've just passed are storage sheds, or housing for the Academy workers.」

Corvus says, presenting the facade of the largest building with his hand as they approach its large doors.

「By workers do you mean like, professors?」

Cycelia asks, glancing over her shoulder at the small buildings behind them.

「No, no… Simple workers. Like garbage collectors, or the gardeners. Yearly, we also hire temporary mage workers to clean the Academy's walls, that's why they're so pristine.」

Crrreaak.

The headmaster explains with a quick nod upward at the immaculately clean pale walls, and pushes the door in with his shoulder.

「Headmaster.」「Hello headmaster!」「Good morning.」

Busy students nod their heads as they greet Corvus in passing, and continue to wherever they're headed. He says nothing, but gently nods his head back to each of them with a smile on his face. The morning sunlight readily floods in through the tall windows above, and magic lamps levitating in the air supplement the sun's warm glow. They slowly bob up and down, appearing like the glass housing of a Victorian era streetlight, and giving out a blue light that is bright, yet easy on the eyes.

「As you can see, this is the foyer. The library is over there, and there is the cafeteria…」

The old mage explains as he points his hand in one way, then another. He then glances over his shoulder at Straf.

「…But that's not what we're here for. Come.」

He gestures to Straf with a wave of his hand, and places them behind his back again. He climbs a wide stairway in the center of the room, large enough to fit at least half a dozen people shoulder to shoulder. On their way up, a few students trickle past them down the stairs, heading either towards the cafeteria, or outside. They arrive at the top of the stairs with the headmaster, and the path splits into three separate routes. Corvus continues along the center path. Cycelia's head swivels around constantly, absorbing every little detail she can with a huge smile on her face.

The three pass portraits of stately-looking men. Most of them sporting large beards of varying colors, and the grand majority of them wear spectacles of some form.

「These are our previous headmasters, our alumni, and our notable students, as well as professors… Sometimes both, really.」

Corvus says as they walk, briefly glancing at his own portrait. The headmaster on the wall smiles at them with kind eyes as they pass by, and they arrive at a peculiar darkness. The magic lamps from before are nowhere to be seen, and their glow has long faded behind them. They step into the dim, purple light ahead, flickering and dancing as it grows brighter and dimmer seemingly at random.

「And this…」

The old mage stops, looking up at the floating brazier, high up and well out of anyone's reach. His eyes return back down to Cycelia, and although they remain markedly pleasant, there is a significant and tangible troubled look about them. His gaze shifts to Straf.

「…This is the Cursefire Brazier. A product of much darker times.」

Corvus remarks with a sigh, looking Straf into his bored eyes, before turning to the levitating brazier above.

「What does it do?」

Cycelia asks, and the old man briefly glances at her. His gaze drifts away into the darkness of the room, as he thinks in silence for a moment.

「…In simplest terms, Ms. Lia, it curses things.」

「The fire? Isn't that dangerous?」

Cycelia tilts her head, and the headmaster lets out a soft, stifled laugh.

「Hmhmhmmh… No, Ms. Lia. That's a common misconception, however. The Cursefire is just that. A fire. It burns, of course, but there are a lot of misleading rumors about it.」

Corvus shrugs at her, smiling while he explains with a soft gaze.

「The fire burns, just like a normal fire. If you put something flammable into it, it will catch alight.」

The headmaster shrugs again, gently tilting his head as he looks up at the brazier again.

「…But it won't burn it to ashes, and then burn the ashes eternal, no. That's a misunderstanding. The Cursefire does burn eternal… But even that is a misunderstanding.」

「What do you mean?」

Straf asks, furrowing his brows at the old man.

「The truth of the Cursefire is… It will burn as long as the curses within it are left unfulfilled, or lifted by the one who laid the curse. And since the artifact is ancient, and most of the people who cursed something with it are gone…」

Corvus explains, then takes a deep breath, and sighs.

「…Well. It's ancient, but the fire is still burning. There are curses burning away, and who knows for how long still. The fire does not burn eternal, but it's still burning. Simply…」

He continues, turning his troubled old eyes to Straf.

「…It might as well be eternal. Human nature does not readily change. The Cursefire is here to remind every student and professor of that fact.」

Corvus glumly concludes, and falls silent as he watches the purple flame dance in the dark.

「…How can we know what's in the brazier? The curses, I mean.」

Cycelia hesitantly asks, pointing her finger at the artifact hovering above.

「We can't, Ms. Lia.」

「Huh?」

She tilts her head, blinking a few times at the headmaster.

「Well, that isn't exactly true… There are certain oblique ways to learn what type of curses are burning away. Magic theory is advancing these days. One day we may even learn about the specific target…」

He quickly corrects himself, still focused on the purple flames.

「…But the only reliable way to find out the general type of curse fueling the flame, and the general target, is to use necromancy.」

「Necromancy!?」

Cycelia exclaims in shock, and looks at the flame.

「Yes… Federation-regulated necromancy abiding the rules, of course. Unsanctioned necromancy-」

Corvus nods and clarifies himself with his wrinkled hand out towards her.

「Yes, yes, yes, illegal. I know, yes…」

She repeatedly nods her chestnut head, keeping her face lowered.

「Yes, it is good that you know the rules, Ms. Lia… In any case, the only option is necromancy, and even that does not give us the details. Only some vague notions, most of the time.」

He places his hands behind his back again, and looks up to the flame once more.

「…Such as?」

She asks, glancing up at him.

「Such as… For example, there is a property in the capital that has a curse hanging over it. Ruin will fall upon whoever owns it, until the building itself falls to ruin. Then, the curse will fade, and cease fueling the Cursefire.」

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

「In Draconis!?」

「Yes, in the capital. Surprising?」

He asks back, smiling softly at her.

「I didn't think that could even be a possibility… The whole city looks so peaceful all the time…」

Cycelia remarks, furrowing her brows at the dark floor.

「Hmm… Nothing, and nobody is immune to curses, Ms. Lia. That's why they are so insidious. Innocent people are frequently caught up in centuries-old malice. That's why I dream this flame to die out, and see these halls dark one day.」

「Which building is it? In Draconis, I mean.」

「We don't know, Ms. Lia. Perhaps we will never know. What can be chalked up to bad luck may actually be the effects of a curse. A house fire, a collapse, home invasions…」

「How do the curses even work, headmaster?」

She inquisitively asks, tilting her head as she blinks her emerald eyes at him.

「Hmm… Many ways, Ms. Lia. Some bring misfortune, as I have said… The general rule of curses is, the greater the grudge and the immediate desire for vengeance, the more direct and powerful the curse is.」

Corvus humms and shrugs his shoulders, only briefly taking his eyes off the flame to glance at Cycelia.

「…What would happen if someone who really, really hates me cursed me?」

「Supposing that person would wish you death… Well, I imagine you would grow sickly and weak. Most healthy people will not die by a curse alone, though. Curses kill by a thousand cuts, Ms. Lia. There are certain exceptions however…」

「Such as?…」

Straf asks, looking at the headmaster with a slanted mouth.

「…Ms. Lia will get a chance to learn about it all soon. About other types of magic, too.」

Corvus turns his smile to Straf, then looks at Cycelia.

「My apologies, I've gotten a little distracted. Let us continue, shall we?」

He asks, and gestures his hand forward, then takes a few steps.

「No, it's no problem at all! That was interesting!」

Cycelia shakes her head, following behind the headmaster. He smiles at her over his shoulder.

「I hope your willingness to learn will stay with you for the entire term, Ms. Lia.」

Corvus returns a pleased nod, while Straf follows him deep in thought, rubbing his chin.

The three continue onward and exit the dim, Cursefire-lit hallway. The student crowd is now absolutely dense, and while the students make way for the elderly headmaster, they proceed to merge back together right behind him.

「Outta the way! I'm walkin' here! Move, nerd!」

Straf shouts in the faces of the oncoming students, causing them to jump away in panic and freeze up. While Corvus smoothly cuts through the crowd like a blade, with nary a turbulence and leaving no wake, Straf is like a speedboat.

「Hey! Do you even know who I am!?-」

A young man in the Academy's uniform asserts himself and refuses to make way for Straf, standing proudly with his fists on his hips, defiant.

Plap!

「I don't fuckin' care!」

Straf exclaims as he places his hand on the student's face, and shoves him away. He tumbles into the other students, collapsing them like bowling pins. Cycelia follows skittishly in the empty space left in Straf's wake, biting her lip.

「S- Straf, you don't need to take it so seriously-」

She calls out towards his back, reaching out towards him with her dainty hand.

「Huh? What do you mean, Lia?」

「Hurk!-」

Straf casually asks with his brows furrowed at her, as he shoulder-checks a student and sends him plummeting to the ground.

「N- Nothing…」

Cycelia shakes her head, smiling a little with her lip still bit. They eventually reach a T-junction in the hallway, and the crowd thins a little into more livable levels.

「Over here, in this room, you can exchange your money for the Academy's engraved gems.」

Corvus points his hand at a closed door with a sign stating「Money changer」above it.

「What? Why would I do that?」

Straf asks, furrowing his brows at the old mage.

「To pay for cafeteria meals, for example. The Academy facilities only accept engraved gems.」

The headmaster shrugs his shoulders, looking at Straf with a gaze as if it the answer was obvious.

「Why the fuck!? We're in the Redwing Kingdom! Just use drakes!」

Slap!

「Ow! Watch it!」

Straf exclaims as he spreads his hands, hitting a passing student in the face.

「Straf, we may be in the Redwing Kingdom, but the Academy of Magic is independent. We have students from all the corners of the world, why should they be forced to procure the local currency?」

Corvus asks, shrugging his hands before returning them before his back.

「Tsk… Can I at least turn the stupid gems back into gold?」

「Of course. The gems themselves are valuable to any mage, but they have a face value like coins do… And in principle, we allow the students to exchange the gems back into money of their choice. Let's continue onward.」

The headmaster nods, and takes a turn down the hallway.

「…Exchange the gems into any money, huh?…」

Straf mutters to himself, rubbing his chin again. They weave through the crowd, though most of the students willingly make way for Straf when he glares at them, albeit with nervous expressions on their faces. They soon arrive at a door with a sign, depicting a shirt and pants on itself. Corvus opens the door, and steps in. Straf and Cycelia follow him in, and close the door behind them.

「Ah, headmaster… Who are they?」

A thin man asks as he's sitting at a desk, holding a quill in his hand, and resting his head against his other hand.

「New student, Wilfrey. Would you grab me a lady's uniform of… Ms. Lia's size?」

Corvus politely asks, pointing his palm at Cycelia. His voice trails off for a second as he thinks about the words to use while looking at her breasts, before smiling at Wilfrey.

「Yes, yes… One moment.」

He nods and stands up from his desk, hastily disappearing behind another door off to the side.

「Leila! Number nine girl's!」

「Number ni-!?」

The man's voice calls out, and a shocked female voice exclaims back. A brief silence begins while the three glance at each other.

「…Thank youuu!」

Wilfrey hastily walks out of the backroom with a trailing thanks directed at the hidden woman.

「Here it is. Number nine'll fit you fiiine… He he.」

With a grin, he lets out a little chuckle as he hands Cycelia the uniform set consisting of a clean white shirt, a green skirt, a blazer of matching color and a yellow ribbon. He sits back down, and continues looking at the paper on his desk.

「If it doesn't fit you, you can always come back and ask Winfrey for a larger one-」

Corvus smiles at Cycelia as he speaks, but then Winfrey covertly shakes his head at him, with a tight-lipped expression on his face. Corvus furrows his brows gently as he peeks at him, before returning his soft eyes to Cycelia.

「W- Well… If the ribbon doesn't suit you we also have ties, if that's more your taste…」

The headmaster says, gently nudging Cycelia towards the door with his hand.

「Okay. I think the ribbon will be fine-」

Cycelia nods, smiling back at Corvus.

「Do I not get a uniform?」

Straf abruptly asks, causing the whole room to look at him, then at each other.

「Well… Would you like one, Straf? I am all for it. The only discrimination we allow at the Academy is based on magical merit, not birth or wealth, and a uniform will help you avoid standing out.」

Corvus asks, shrugging his shoulders.

「Sure. I was wondering if I'd get a uniform, this is the magic school arc after all. I have to look the part.」

Straf spreads his hands, and walks up to the desk. Winfrey stands up again.

「Is he?… Is he not a student, headmaster?」

He asks, slowly shuffling away from his desk with his brows furrowed.

「No. Straf is a guest, a bodyguard. A special exception for Ms. Lia.」

Corvus gently shakes his head as he explains.

「I see… What size?」

「I dunno. Average, I guess-」

Straf shrugs, rolling his eyes.

「Ah! Straf has pretty broad shoulders, so keep that in mind! And he's tall! And… And- And- And he's pretty strong!」

Cycelia abruptly chimes in, peeking past him at Winfrey with a smile on her face, and a faint blush on her cheeks.

「…Thanks for making me feel bad about myself.」

Winfrey remarks, and shambles to the backroom.

「Leila!… And a top-heavy mens'! Tall!」

A whining, sighful voice calls out from the backroom.

「…Fat?」

A woman's voice loudly asks.

「Muscly…」

Winfrey's voice sighs out, dejected. After a brief moment of silence, he emerges from the room.

「Thank you!…」

As he exits, he shouts a dispirited thanks back towards the backroom, and shambles to Straf with his head lowered.

「Here's your uniform, sir…」

Winfrey says, holding the male uniform set out for Straf. Straf takes it into his free hand, and shrugs.

「Alright, what's next?」

He asks, looking Corvus with a slanted mouth.

「Now, I'll take you to your room.」

The headmaster says, and opens the door, allowing Straf and Cycelia to exit first, before shutting the door behind himself on his way out…