Side story:
Education within the Nation
During the seven months between the group saving of Walgonia, and their visit to Constal, they all spent their time trying to be better. Gray spent his time doing all sorts of things, like training in leadership as well as basic combat with Lincoln, exercising daily, reading, and hanging out with his friends. But the thing he looked forward to the most was his time with Ryo. On the weekends Gray would walk up to his house to keep it clean while Ryo was in Walgonia to work as Gordon’s assistant. Then while Gray would stay at his house, Ryo would astral project to help teach him about the spirit arts. Most of the time Gray sits in the astral state, trying to control it. The spiritual sense ability is the lesser form, it's done by focusing spiritual energy into your body, and most of the power is sealed. This is why, when sealing spirit mana into your body, your eyes will turn black while your pupils become white. The black space works as a seal, though the spiritual state doesn't have this.
The spiritual state works by fusing your astral state with pure spirit mana, perfectly connecting your body to the astral plane. But being able to do this is insanely rare because you either need to train for years on end, or have a grand connection to the spirits. While Ryo has an extraordinarily strong connection, it still took him years to begin mastering it, but Gray is different. While it took Ryo almost a decade to master it, Gray's body was made with the connection in mind, while Ryo’s OD had to grow and shape this connection. Grays mastery is happening much faster, and Ryo knows it. Sitting down in Ryos’ college, in a meditation position is Gray. And instead of waiting for Ryo, he decides to test the range of his astral projection. He scoots a little bit over, getting directly in the center of a nice old rug.
Gray: “Nice rug, nice red rug, small house, cool house. Basic rug, gold on bits of the rug, kinda looks like a gear, haha…wonder if Silver Car will work…bad name…better need…”
Gray continues to ramble because Ryo told him that the best way to maintain his mind within the astral realm is to remember his surroundings, but he’s bad at it. His mind keeps wandering about every little thing. What Rosemary may be cooking, what game to play with Soku, something to start a conversation with Edward, and if Peter's new creation will work. The astral plane is confusing, at least for Gray.
Gray: “There are three domains in this world, all stacked on top of each other, all existing at the same time. Alfheim, land of the spirits, home of the dragons. Eclis, land of the dead, the forgotten. And in the middle of both, Midland, the land of magic. In between the domains, separating everything just a bit, the astral realm. It purifies mana, so Eclis won’t affect us, and anything that needs to go to Eclis goes there. I call upon the spirits, let me in, let me enter the between, let me enter the mind space.”
Gray closes his eyes, trying to hold his location in his mind, so his soul doesn't forget about it. The small cabin. The center room, the kitchen to his left, the butcher area to his right, the small library behind him, which also holds stairs to the bedroom upstairs, everything. Then, his soul leaves his body, entering into the white space. The house falls apart as Gray’s body slowly turns transparent and light blue. Then everything around him begins rushing forward at an insanely fast speed, traveling right toward Ryo. At this point, only three months have passed since the raid on Walgonia, and in those three months Grays’ abilities have skyrocketed in his level of control, but it’s not enough to reach Ryo yet. Now, stuck in the white space, time feels frozen. But those connected to astral space, like Ryo, can sense a disturbance in it. So Ryo, who’s walking around the Castle library, sits down at a nearby table to assist Gray.
He constantly seeps far into the astral plane, finding Gray. Now, before Gray’s mind can destabilize, Ryo holds his shoulder, forcing Gray’s astral form to fall back into his body. Gray tumbles over, rubbing his head while Ryo floats around his home.
Ryo: “Thank you for taking care of my home. But what did I tell you about traveling long distances?”
Gray: “That I’d be trapped within the space between my target and my body if I lose focus.”
Ryo: “Precisely! You’ve been learning!”
Ryos’ overly kind demeanor would be something to most, but it irks Gray to the core. It’s been close to a year that this version of Gray has been in this world, almost a year of self-betterment. Trying to get stronger, be nicer, be funnier, be better. But the change from self-hating to self-loving is a long, difficult road, one Gray has yet you reach the end of, one he fears he’ll never reach. He hates when people are overly nice to him and when people don’t just criticize him. He wants people to give him directions, and to have expectations for him, though he hates something a little more than himself, the thing that he feels made him like this.
Ryo: “But you could be learning much more, from much better people.”
Gray: “NO RYO! Lincoln’s teaching me how to fight, Edward’s helping me with customs, and you’re teaching me about the spirit arts!”
Ryo: “But I’m not a teacher, I’m just trying. You can only learn so much from us, from those books. There are schools all over the place, for all ages. Walgonia makes you become a soldier before becoming a knight, and you need to study while doing that. You need an education. Though you can go for a few years, you only need to go for five or more months if you want to become a knight.”
Gray: “But I’m already a knight! Why don’t the rest of them have to do this?”
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Ryo: “Edward already went to school. Al taught him basic studies while he went to The School for Knights. But you can go to whichever. You can order a teacher, or go to classes, though going to classes gives you much more to work with, than the school itself! You can go to a Basic Education center, which is a school for all ages! There are a few around the nation, but then there’s The School for Knights! There are only two, one in Walgonia’s capital, which is inside the castle, or one near the Ever-Lagoon.”
Gray gets up, rummaging through Ryo’s bookshelves, which are made into the wall.
Gray: “I don’t want another teacher! I don’t need school! I’m already a knight, I’m being taught and have been taught by the best in the world! I’ve already gone to school. The history classes I took might be useless, but the science, a bit of English, and math are better than this world!”
Ryo floats up to Gray, trying his best to convince him.
Ryo: “Well for five months you can learn a mix of them all! History, how to read, write, do basic math, and science, and learn the customs and basics of the world. I know this world has limited sword styles, but you could learn one!”
Gray: “Musashi told me that the Knights sword style is the best. And you told me all of his nonsense about the water, fire, earth, and airstyles was bull.”
Ryo: “Well that was, but it is a bit different between the contents, and a bit within the countries. Musashi trained himself with the mix of them all, refining them into a simple learn knight style, but it’s still useful. There is a school of magic. There is one in Walgonia, Valatrositce, And Ravoria. It’s for learning magic. All of the mages in the armies have or will go to one, learning healing magic to become a doctor, learning the basics of elemental casting, and learning how to become a mage! Everything.”
Gray: “But I don’t need it! You told me about me having a defensive affinity and only that. I’m practicing healing magic and my higher level skills of the spells I’ve already learned! But you won’t tell me the names of any spells, nor will you let me use my higher level one.”
Ryo: “Because I’m not fit to teach you. I went to Valor’s School of Magic in Ravoria. For five years they taught me spells, basic studies, and how other forms of magic around the world work. But according to your logic, since I can only use offensive spells, I shouldn’t know about any other thing right?”
Ryo turns to Gray, smirking at him. Gray walks into the kitchen, and puts a minuscule amount of mana into a water crystal, creating a stream of cold water to flow out of the sink. He fills up a metal pot, puts it over the stove, flows mana into the oven to get the correct flow of heat, and puts mana into the energy crystal to keep it going.
Gray: “See? When I got here, if I put a little bit of mana into magic crystals, they would overreact. When I lived in the mansion, I kept spraying water everywhere, but now I can do it just fine. I know how affinities work, you see what element you have, and what level of spell you can use, and learn them. I’m already immune to low-level spells or creations made by spirits, and If I focus I can disrupt low-level elemental magic now too! You told me that’s unheard of, and that you can hardly do that!”
Ryo: “That’s because you have defensive mana. It is a passive ability, the same passive I have stronger mana than you. Jong went to Valor’s School of Magic in Walgonia! He has a mid-level affinity for water, which means he can use ice spells. He already went to Wagonia’s school for knights, and a basic education school, but he wanted to learn more. He learned how to properly use his water magic, and how to better the size, shape, and overall power of the spells. He even learned how to use less mana while doing it. He made a friend there that was from the seas, and she used her runic magic to empower his naginata, letting him use it like a magic staff!”
Gray grabs some tea leaves from the top shelf, putting it in a cup. While he slowly pours the hot water into the cup, he watches the trees blow from the summer wind. The bright green leaves, the rustling in the grass, and the scolding sun, it’s all very peaceful.
Gray: “I hate school. I don’t like teachers. I don’t like homework. I don’t like classmates. Peter has been talking about going to a school for basic education, and Soku may go with him. Rosemary’s already gone to one, or I guess she was more home-schooled while she was with the Golden Knights. And Edward was taught by Al when he was growing up. If they go…I might go with them. But I’m not going by myself, I’m not going back to school…”
Ryo: “Well just go with them! Learn more spells! Get real teachers! Make more friends! Grow. You’ve been tumbling through all of this, training with random but great teachers, you need some structure. Learn what you’ll have to go up against, all the different spells, anything! They know more about the spells you could learn as well! You’re a prodigy, you’d blow through everything fast!”
Gray goes to sip his freshly made tea, but he slams it down when he processes what Ryo just said. Then he hits Ryo with an aggravated reply.
Gray: “GIVE ME A BREAK! I’M NOT SOME DAMN PRODIGY! MY BODY HEALS, AND SO DOES MY MIND! I’VE JUST GOT ALL THIS STUFF I DIDN’T WORK FOR! MUSASHI JUST FOUND ME RANDOMLY, THEN YOU, AND NOW LINCOLN! DAMMIT, I’M NOT GOING TO SCHOOL!”
Ryo frowns but accepts Gray's answer.
Ryo: “Gray. I didn’t have this life. I grew up in Ravoria, and when they found my affinity, they threw me into the world. I learned from the best and went to the best schools, but I could have a life. They sent me teachers, and the only time I went out was when they sent me to learn with the monks before they were attacked. But I’ve done all of this, mastered the sword, mastered the spirits, learned all of the spells I could, but I’ve yet to truly connect to the world. Musashi was able to connect to the world without wanting it, and so was Lincoln. I have not been able to, it’s like I’m too centered around the spirits, because they’re my longest friends. But you aren’t connecting to this plain of existence like you’re not from it. I believe you could be the only spirit arts user to learn the Truth of the world.”
Gray stops himself from leaving, sits down, turns to Ryo, and begins sipping on his tea.
Gray: “Could those monks do it, did they learn the truth?”
Ryo: “No, at least most of them. If they did, they were extremely old. It seems that when you’re connected to the spirits, your mind becomes strained. Lincoln and Musashi have the normal person's amount of mana with no affinities, and all they do is train. They worked every day to grow, growing with the world. They learned it, but I’m stuck. I am a false spirit knight because I don’t use all the spells I can, I don’t want to kill spirits. I can’t use a staff either, I don’t even have a magically enhanced weapon, other than my weapon of Alfheim of course.”
Gray: “What are you talking about?”
Ryo: “You have drifted through the world, but haven't gone through the basics. You can either take your time, go with a friend, or take the downsized version. Even Musashi did the five-month version, and Kioshi did the five-year version, along with Edward. I know you have your issues, and I want to help you.”
Ryo reaches out for Gray, but Gray does nothing. He finishes his tea, not caring about the temperature, and sets it in the sink. With a grim look in his eyes, he’s able to make them spring up. He puts his hand in the air, pointing to the sky, and then points to himself.
Gray: “MY NAME IS GRAY KYOJIN! HERO OF WALGONIA! AND I WOULD LIKE TO GO TO SCHOOL AT SOME POINT! But not in a while…I don’t wanna go to school yet. But if I did, I’d like to go to Valor's School of Magic with Soku. You said they teach basic education too right?”
Ryo smiles, letting his body dissipate into the astral plane.
Ryo: “Yep, you have been listening. Basic Education for only learning, School of Knights to learn the basics of fighting, weapons, and customs alongside your studies, or a school of magic for magic and your studies. Pick with great care! And next weekend I’ll teach you another spell!”
Ryo vanishes, reentering his body in Walgonia, leaving Gray by himself. Gray walks into the living room and sits down on the carpet. In just a few seconds, he takes in his surroundings, entering the spiritual state, and trying to maintain control for as long as possible.
Fin