'Revenge? Justice? Call it what you want, but I swear on the Hermes name...' Hearing Elder Mars's words constantly replay in his head, Adonis exhaled sharply.
"The next time I see Fabianus, I will rip his throat out."
DUMMMM
****
At an unknown place, at an unknown time.
"Sir I have some news..."A figureless distorted voice lacking any emotion spoke.
"What is it? I'm busy." An identical voice with more authority replied.
"Sorry sir, but it's pretty important. It has to do with one of our candidates."
"Which one?"
"Adonis P. Vindicta, the Rising Star from Hero's Magic Knights Academy."
"The commoner you reccommended?"
"Yes sir."
"What about him? Are there any issues?"
"It's two things sir... The first one is in regard to his magic affinity."
"I thought you said he hadn't shown it yet?"
"He hadn't sir... But today the first-years' had their first magic exam."
"Okay. But why is that so important? Just put it in his file."
"The thing is sir..."
"Spit it out!"
"It's completely unique, we've never seen this one before..."
"What do you mean?"
"He calls it Inferno Magic..."
"Inferno? Are you sure it's not just Blaze or Flame magic."
"We thought so initially... But it has a few unique characteristics that makes us believe its a Special Grade Magic Affinity."
"Hm... I see, then we'll have to study him a bit more."
"Yes sir, we're on it."
"What's the other thing."
"We've confirmed he's Tier and Rank."
"What's the point of telling me this? Just put it in his file."
"But sir... Like he's magic affinity something is strange. He's only fifteen yet he's broken into the nineth tier."
***
Hero's Magic Knights Academy, Dorm Alpha (Second-year's floor.)
Bath house.
In a beautiful marble room filled with steam, a girl with flowing brown hair sat in an oversized bath.
SPLASH
"Queen!" Interrupting the second-year's bathing, a taller girl with black hair entered the bathing space.
"Since when are you allowed to interrupt me while bathing?" The teenage girl in the bath spoke, her form being distorted by the curtain of water vapor.
"Apologies master, but the Elders are urgently waiting for an answer." The girl with black hair said nervously.
"An answer? For what?"
SPLASH
"The incident that happened today."
"What incident?"
"You weren't at school today, so I don't think you're aware but... A first-year barged into Class 2C and fought a second-year, causing tons of damage."
"Fufufu... And the first-year survived?" The 'Queen' giggled.
"Yes master..."
"Aren't my orders to kill any first-year who disrupts my academy's peace?" The 'Queen's' Aura pulsated, causing the water in the bath to thrash uncontrollably.
DUMMMM
SPLASH
"Y-yes master... but."
"But what? Who was the incompetant second-year who fought?"
"Fabianus... Fabianus van Apis."
"Fabianus? He rarely shows mercy... Bring him to me." She commanded.
"He is in the infirmary right now, he's unconcious."
SPLASH
"Infirmary? Are you telling me he lost?"
"N-not necessarily... Elder Mars stepped in and stopped them both."
"Scipio Mars? He rarely interferes...Who is this first-year?" The 'Queen' asked.
SPLASH
"He has purple hair and silver eyes. " The black-haired girl squinted, trying to remember the first-year's name.
"Hm? What's his name..." The 'Queen' eagerly asked.
"Adonis... Adonis P. Vindicta."
"Fufufu." The 'Queen' began chuckling softly, her sweet voice cutting through the steam.
SPLASH
"What should I tell the Elders, Master?"
"Tell them to expel Fabianus for bullying and let Adonis off the hook since it's his first offense." The 'Queen' said, the coldness in her voice replaced with excitement.
"Excuse me? Don't you mean expel Adonis, master?" The girl asked, taken aback by the 'Queen's ' orders.
"No, I mean exactly that. Expel Fabianus, he stopped being useful to me after he dropped from Class A anyway." She shrugged.
SPLASH
***
Dorm Alpha (First-years' floor.)
Adonis's dormitory.
"Achooo! Achooo!"
'Are people talking about me?' Adonis sniffed his nose.
"I feel a bit lonely without Lord Eos..."
"I guess you guys are all I have." He chuckled, facing the dozens of spirits that occupied his room.
"B-but you still give me the creeps." He shuddered.
'If Lord Eos was here he'd tell me to train...' Adonis leaped out his bed and walked towards his private training suite.
'There's something that's been bothering me about Inferno Magic.' Shutting the door behind him, Adonis stood in the marble room's center.
'This is going to take quite alot of effort.'
The teenage boy raised his hand and stared at the lines on his palm, preparing to create an ivory flame.
BWSHHHHH
'White flames? That's kinda similar to Papa's Storm Magic.' Adonis observed the blinding flames in his hand, constantly tilting his arm to study the flame's movement.
'But...It's behaviour is contradicting. At the shooting range it didn't burn the target, but at the academic block it completely incinerated the fountain.'
'Let's see what it will do this time.'
"Inferno Magic: Hell Grenade."
Adonis swiped his hand toward the straw doll in the training room, on contact the dummy was engulfed by the beautiful flames.
"It's on fire but not actually burning." Adonis arched his eyebrows.
He walked up to the straw doll, studying it's body intently.
"No damage?"
"Disipate." Adonis waved his hand, dismissing the flame.
"Let's try this again...Inferno Magic: Hell Grenade."
BWSHHH
Adonis threw the white flame at the straw doll once more, the result staying the same.
'Still not burning?'
"Hmm..."
'Let's try this.'
"Incinerate." Adonis's silver eyes bulged.
BWFFFF
Following Adonis's command, the ivory flame destroyed the straw doll reducing it to nothingness.
"Hmm... So I have to manually command it to destroy somethi-" Halting his conclusion, Adonis noticed something strange...
There was no ash.
"That's weird."
'Hmmmm...Live targets would be more effective for experimentation.' Adonis removed his hand from his chin while he prepared to call on his pet.
"Minnie."
PUPUP PUPUP
If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
A majestic bat-like beast fazed through the white marble wall and landed itself on Adonis's unkept hair.
"You've gotten bigger." Adonis grinned.
"Ksk Ksk!"
"It seems you've eaten quite alot!" Adonis rubbed the beast's body.
"Ksk Ksk."
"Yeah... Would you mind doing me a favor?"
"Ksk Ksk."
"Bring me five Grey Wolves."
"Ksk Ksk."
"I know their disgusting... Please?"
"Ksk Ksk!"
"Okay okay, I owe you."
PUPUP PUPUP
***
Five minutes later.
PUPUP PUPUP
Minnie returned back looking significantly larger and his speed was significantly diminished, as if he staggered through the air.
"That was quick!" Adonis smiled.
"BLERGH!" Minnie threw up six alive Grey Wolves, the quantity of the beasts he expelled betraying his size.
'Wait... This is six. He's stomach is bottomless.' Adonis shuddered.
"Ksk Ksk."
"You can rest in the corner."
"Ksk Ksk." Eager to watch Adonis train, Minnie plopped himself in the corner.
"Grr!" After regaining their senses, the Grey Wolves growled at the teenage boy who leisurely stared at them.
"Relax." Adonis commanded, exerting an intimidating burst of Earthly Aura.
DUMMM
"Now... Let's test this out." Adonis raised his hand and pointed it at the palaryzed Grey Wolves.
"Inferno Magic: Hell Grenade."
Following its usual behaviour, the Inferno Magic set the magic beast on fire.
Though, ulike mundane targets, the Grey Wolf didn't simply set ablaze with the ivory flame, this time it died.
It didn't die in the sense that it burned to death like usual flames would do, but instead it simply buckled over and died, the ivory flame disappearing with the beast's life.
Adonis repeated this procedure with the rest of the Grey Wolves, adjusting the spell in various different ways so he could evaluate his magic affinity accurately.
***
"Okay...I get it now."
'There are two types of spells... The internal damage type, where it destroy's the target from within. This variation attack's the entity's soul, this is clear because the magic crystal within the beast's is no where to be found after death. Although I'm not sure if it also destroys the spirit.'
"The second type is external damage, it destroys the target entirely. This variation leaves no ash or residue, essentially burning the target out of existance. I'm pretty sure this works on an atomic level, but it'd be better to do more precise experiments to reach a concrete conclusion."
"But it seems I can't combine the two."
"Although this is pretty useful for mortal combat, it seems to lack versatility. I can't use it for anything other than killing..."
'Another issue is these spells take too much mana, combined with the inefficiency of magic circles; I'm not using my mana to the best of its ability.'
'Even without using a magic circle for simple spells, the efficiency is still poor... This simply won't do.' Adonis shook his head.
KNOCK KNOCK
"Hm?" Hearing his dormitory's main door being knocked, Adonis turned his head to look at his training room's door.
'Is it Elder Mars again?'
"Minnie, I'll be right back.'
"Ksk Ksk."
Adonis exited his private training room and reached to open his main door.
'Hm?! They're strong!' Alarmed by the Earthly Aura radiating behind his door, Adonis arched his brows.
Chapter 75- Tutor
Mentally prepared to engage in battle at anytime, Adonis reluctantly opened his dormitory's door.
"Good evening Vindicta." Standing on the other side of the boy's door was an old man with piercing blue eyes, dressed in the Academy's Elder's standard attire, setting him apart from the rest of the staff.
"Good evening Elder Slyhead."
'Why was he exerting his Aura?' Adonis refused to let down his guard.
"Would you like to come in?" The first-year invited.
"No thank you, I'm just here to relay some news." The Elder smiled softly, his gaze striking a sense of discomfort into Adonis.
"News?"
"Yes, the Elders have made up their desicion in terms of your actions earlier today."
"Right..."
'I'm assuming I'll be expelled.' Adonis sighed.
"Since you have barely been here for a month and you have done your Empire a great service we have decided to give you a strike..."
"A strike?"
'Just a strike? After I caused so much damage?'
"Yes, take this as a warning. The academy has a zero tolerance for violence, so please abstain from fighting outside of controlled environments.
"Yes Elder..." Adonis narrowed his eyebrows.
'Something's not right...'
"Thank you. Keep up the good work, you have tons of potential." The Elder turned toward the corridor, preparing to leave.
"Wait..." Adonis called out.
"Yes Vindicta?" The Elder managed a slight smile.
"What about Fabianus... What happened to him?" Adonis stared at the ground, suppressing the rage that began steadily building up.
"He has been expelled. Bullying those weaker than you isn't a quality a magic knight should possess, nor will it be tolerated in the academy." The Elder said flatly.
"...Right. Thank you." Adonis whispered.
"Enjoy your night..." The Elder said.
Adonis shut his door and stared at the handle for a few seconds, the gears in his head slowly turning.
'The Elder was acting strange... Hiram told me that he is classist and has a tendancy to look down on others. So why was he acting so polite towards me?'
'Does he respect my strength?'
'I'll need to investigate that further...'
'And about their decision in regards to my actions, it's odd. They favored a commoner over a noble from an esteemed family... And the 'Queen' allegedly has them all in her pocket. So why?'
***
The next day, Friday.
9AM
Class 1A, MIlitary Tactics
"The Caelum military is amongst the largests in the world, boasting a little over one hundred thousand combantants ready to engage in battle at any time. "
"This large military is divided appropriately into various divisions, squads and units."
"Squads are the smallest group of combatants, having seven warriors including a captain and vice captain. Captains are usually Tier 5 magic knights or Grandmaster level mages/ knights. Squads are given various names, from Alpha all the way to Kappa in accordance with their useful to the Empire."
( Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, Epsilon, Zeta, Eta, Theta, Lota and Kappa)
"Ten squads are grouped together and called Units, them being lead by Liutenants. Lieutenants are Tier 4 magic knights. Units are then ordered using numbers, from one to thirty."
"Moving higher along the chain, thirty units altogether are called divisions, those being lead by Vice Commanders and Commanders respectively. Divisions are named using their commander's last names, making it easier to distinguish between them. Commanders are typically Tier 2 while Vice commanders are Tier 3."
"Our Empire has managed to sustain fifty divisions, ready to attack at any time."
"What about Generals sir?" A student asked.
"Hehe, I almost forgot."
"There are ten Generals in the entire Caelum Empire, all of which are Tier 1. Generals hold the second highest position in the military chain, being allowed to act independantly or command multiple divisions above the the Commanders."
"Above the Generals is the Legatus Legion or quite simply the Legate, this position is reserved for the Savior of the Empire... Currently occupied by Cornelius Minerva the Third PTC, Caelum's strongest magic knight."
'Realistically Legate is out of my reach, even if I reach that level of power. No one will ever believe I reached Tier 0 without being Blessed, I'd be exposed as a damon immediately.' Adonis stared at the professor blankly.
'Even General status would be questionable, but... I need that level of influence and the freedom that comes with it. So it might be worth the risk, plus it's not like it's impossible to reach Tier 1 with your own strength.'
'In order for me to be able to reveal that level of strength I need to instill the idea of my potential in everyone's minds, so that my growth isn't that surprising. It's better to be known as a prodigy early on, than a mysterious Tier 1 who popped out of no where. ' Adonis concluded.
***
Next lesson
Martial Arts, shooting range.
"No matter what close range weapon you choose to wield, a magic knight should be capable of using ranged weapons." Professor Avitus said.
"NO!"
"Boring!"
"BOO!"
"So today you will all be practising shooting at moving targets. Please choose your ranged weapons of choice." Ignoring the students' retorts, Professor Avitus smiled calmly and pointed at the targets behind him.
"You're all so immature." Amber, who held a crossbow muttered.
"You're such an old soul." Holding a giant wooden bow, Luna mocked the 3rd Rising Star.
"You know you don't always have to speak your mind right?" Tarzy growled.
"Since when do you protect anyone who isn't the princess? Did she throw you away?" Luna chuckled.
"...S-she didn't throw me away." Tarzy whispered.
"He isn't as lively today." Maxwell, who was now fully healed, turned his head to Adonis.
"Yeah, he musn't have gotten his bone." Adonis chuckled.
"Where is the princess anyway?" Maxwell giggled.
"Apparently she's sick today." Veda replied.
"I didn't think princesses got sick." Jerald said.
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"I-I mean... I didn't think someone that strong could get sick." Jerald nervously laughed.
"Hey Vindicta!"
Snatching Adonis's away from the awkwaard atmosphere was a calming feminine voice.
"Hm...Evergreen?" Adonis's silver eyes set on an enchanting petite girl with beautiful shoulder-length blonde hair and hot pink eyes.
'Why the fuck is that bitch talking to Vindicta.' Vera scowled at Flora.
"Could you please help me?" Flora asked sweetly.
"Yeah, why not." He shrugged
'I don't feel like being around Jerald, plus this could be an opportunity to study another classmate.' He concluded.
"Okay! Let's go!" Flora grabbed Adonis by the arm and dragged him toward a set of targets.
'Where the hell is she taking him!' Vera internally fought the intense impulse to rip the girl's head off.
***
"So what do you need help with?" Adonis asked as he watched the girl pick up a wooden bow.
"I struggle with the aiming."
"I'm not the best at using bows, but I can try helping."
"Thank you..." Flora drew the bow shakily and pathetically shot a single arrow, completely missing the target and venturing into the bushes behind.
WHOOSH
RUSTLE
"Hmm... I think your posture is the problem, everything else seems to be okay."
"My posture?" She frowned.
"Yeah, straighten your back a bit and lift up your chin."
"Like this?" Following Adonis's instructions, Flora straightened her back and faced the target before her.
"No, just a bit more and your hand is a bit misplaced."
"Like this?"
"No, lift it up a bit."
"Like this?"
"No, that's a bit too high?"
"Like this?"
"No, now your drawing is the problem..."
"Like this?"
"No. I'll just show you." Growing irritated by Flora's inability to follow instructions, Adonis walked up behind her and placed his hands on hers assisting her with her grip and aiming.
"You have to hold it like this." He demonstrated.
"Okay..."
'He's so close.' Flora licked her rosy lips as she followed the instructions more accurately.
"Now your posture is the problem." Adonis critiqued, using his hand to manually straighten her back.
"Heehee." Flora giggled under her breath.
"What?"
"Nothing." Flora let go of the arrow, allowing it to strike the target accurately, with considerable force.
"That's good!" Adonis smiled, widening the distance between the two.
"Thank you." She smiled.
"Since you've got the hang of it, I'll go practise with Maxwell." Adonis turned to leave the girl's side.
"Why don't you just practise with me?" Flora asked.
"Hm?"
"We can even play a game to make things more interesting!" She smiled.
'A game?'
"So what's the game?" Adonis asked curiously.
"Simple really, we'll compete to see who can hit the most targets." Flora looked at the moving targets.
"Hmm... I expected something more creative." Adonis chuckled.
"That's a bit mean... Not everyone is as smart as you Vindicta." She pouted.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"C'mon, don't play dumb now... You're the smartest in the class." Flora's pink eyes pierced through Adonis's being.
"That's according to the test scores..." Adonsi said, straightening his face.
"Heehee... So humble." She giggled.
'She's strange...'
"Is there atleast a prize?" Adonis asked, looking toward the moving targets.
"Hm, I haven't thought that far yet." Flora put her finger to her lip, as if deep in thought.
"How about... The winner gets to ask the loser for anything they want?" She continued.
"A blank cheque is a bit risky." Adonis contested.
"Are you not confident you'll win?" She teased.
Extra Information:
The average magic knight is Tier 7.
The average mage and knight is Intermediate level.
Although Caelum has over 130 000 soldiers in their military, this doesn't mean that is number represents everysingle mage, knight and magic knight; as there are also combatants in other occupations.
Eg. There are around 300 000 rangers in the Empire ; 200 000 working mundane jobs; 50 000 doing government work; and about 200 000 doing other things (Gladiators, Independant companies, body guarding etc.)
The Caelum Empire's population is almost 2 Billion.