"Mm... Split into six payments... All equal... There you kids go." The tired man in the plain robe dropped the last gold coin in his palm into a brown leather bag in front of him. That made for six of these bags, all with equal amounts of coins.
"Payday! Alri-" Bif lunged forward for a bag, but bounced off the desk and whiffed his grab as the man suddenly pulled the bag away.
"I almost forgot. You six need to sign this. It's just a paper that confirms you got paid." The man sighed and pulled out a scroll, laying it out flat and placing a pen on top of it.
"Alright alright... Let's see..." Lylas picked up the pen and scanned his eyes over the paper. He nodded his head for, as far as he could tell, it was all in order... That is until he touched the tip of the pen to paper. "Hold on!"
"Is there an issue?"
"Yeah there's an issue! We're only being paid fifteen-hundred gold! Split six ways, that's-!..." Lylas stumbled over his words as he looked around and tried to come up with the difference in his head.
"Two-hundred and fifty pieces each."
"That's way too low for everything we did!" Bif slammed his fist onto the desk, grabbing the attention of anyone nearby enough to hear it. All six of them looked to Bif and the man behind the counter expectantly.
"I recommend we not get belligerent here." The man rubbed his temples. "The gold offered up for this contract seems quite appropriate on paper. Kidnapped children is obviously a high priority, but with it being listed low danger... I can only assume you ran into some run-of-the-mill bandits. If anything, this should be quite the steal for you all."
"But that wasn't what happened at all... There was way more danger than that." Avures raised an eyebrow and looked around at his friends who all seemed just as baffled.
"Well, then forgive my calculation of unaccounted risk from before. But, if it was that bad... You should have renegotiated the contract with the contractor." The worker behind the table shrugged and watched the six of them with lazy eyes.
"That was an option?..." Olicia seemed like she was in mental anguish.
"Yup. In fact, it's even promoted among most Lancers and Lancer agencies that you should actively negotiate a contract if you feel like you're being slighted. After all, you hold all the power and that's business."
"I'm... I'm at a loss. I didn't realize..." Lylas buried his face in his hands and groaned.
"Still... That doesn't feel like enough anyways by itself..." Rael shook her head and put her hands on her hips.
"Blame inflation. Anyways, you could always try and ask the contractor to pay you more before signing this..." The man put his hand on his end of the paper and started to pull it back slowly.
"That's... Not an option." Ventrix cringed and stole the pen out of Lylas's hand. "Let's just sign... How about it?"
"Yeah..." Lylas held a long, drawn out sigh as Ventrix, Bif, and him took turns signing the paper...
Meanwhile, as the other three waited for their turn... Avures, Olicia, and Rael watched the many Lancers in the building with them turn their attention towards the entrance. In walked a group of three heavily armor-clad people.
"Look!... It's Tirella and her group!" One of the Lancers called out with a cheery hurrah. The rest of the Lancers who heard watched on in awe. Some of them clapped. Some of them cheered. But not in the typical way that one would for a hero...
The three of them looked over with curiosity. Rael and Olicia, in particular, examined the woman head to toe. Rael beamed with wonder at first...
The woman had long, straight black hair. Her eyes were a purple color, and she wore a black shade of lipstick. On her back, a great-sword was sheathed. She wore steel-plated boots, and a metallic armored short-skirt that seemed to barely cover her legs. Her chest piece had a black cape on the back, and held a dark gray color. This piece seemed to at least cover her well enough... Except in the namesake area. Her chest-piece had a large opening with cups for her breasts, exposing the cleavage of her large chest.
In a single moment, Avures and Olicia both understood exactly why the cheers of the Lancers in the building sounded unlike the cheers for a hero, and more like for a whore.
"And Bif says I look like a whore..." Olicia crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow at the woman.
"I think it would be wrong to assume this is all for how she looks, but..." Avures shrugged and turned away from the scantily armored woman's direction.
"Eh? I look nothing like this woman..." Rael stood with her mouth agape in a bout of confusion as she watched Tirella receive the attention of every guy in the building. Rael then grabbed at the edge of her gambeson and plated skirt. "And my outfit goes down further than that... That woman was totally wrong!"
"I hope this Tirella woman leaves before Bif or Lylas see her... They'll probably drool all over themselves..." Olicia rolled her eyes and turned to Rael.
"Well... I'm sure whoever said you looked like her had the best intentions." A feminine voice caught Rael's attention. A black cloaked individual walked up beside her.
"They were probably calling you a whore." Olicia grinned and shrugged at the red-head.
"Eh?" Rael recoiled with shock. She started to twist and turn as she observed herself. "My outfit is nowhere near that revealing!..."
"No... I'm sure they didn't mean to call you a whore." The robed woman waved off Olicia's statement.
"Huh?..." Olicia tilted her head as she narrowed her gaze unto the woman. "You seem familiar. Do I know you?..."
"Mm... You do look like someone I’ve met..." Rael stopped in place and stared at the woman as well. Under the hood of her cloak she had a notable scar across her face and pink hair as well as emerald green eyes...
"Nope. I suppose you don't know me." Kataline pulled the hood from off her head and used her hands to fix her hair. "I'm just a stranger after all."
"Great. Could you go be a stranger somewhere else?" Olicia waved the woman off once more and stepped forward towards the desk. Avures followed in tow, only partially paying attention to the conversation anyways.
"Olicia!" Rael went wide-eyed as she felt the rudeness was a little unnecessary. "I'm sorry. My friend can be like that sometimes..."
"It's alright. I suppose I did sort of just butt in. I do have business of my own here as well..." Kataline held her hands together with her arms low as she looked to the desk.
"Oh? Are you a Lancer too?" Rael smiled as her eyes lit up, looking towards Kataline with a sense of wonder.
"Oh... No no... It's diff-" Kataline stopped right in her tracks as she heard something from the desk ahead of them.
"Hm... That name seems familiar... "Avures Kovar"..." The tired man observed the name of the black-haired boy. Avures placed the pen down on the table. Rael turned her head around and saw that she was the only one left.
"Excuse me!" Rael bowed her head to Kataline before rushing up to the desk and swiping the pen. Kataline could only stare ahead as she felt her feet practically mold to the ground.
"Kovar... Kovar..." Kataline's vision affixed to the back of Avures's head. "That deep black hair... And that hairstyle... There's no way..."
"Let's see... Ah. Avures Kovar. Someone put in a contract specifically asking for you." The man yawned as he pulled out a piece of parchment paper with a full contract printed out.
"What? People can request specific Lancers?" Avures put his hand to his chin as he observed the writting.
"Those arms... That spatial black... That's just like-..." Kataline clenched her fist as her arms began to shake. It was as if a whirlwind of heat and steam began to build up to her chest. A mixture of extreme emotions and nerves rose forth in her. "That has to be... But how?"
"Some Lancers become well-known for specialties and other things. So, sometimes a contractor will seek out a particular Lancer for their job. However, you only just completed a single job and you're still a student... How strange..." The man pulled the contract away from Avures's eyes and looked over it himself. He scoffed for a moment before sighing. "It seems this contract was drawn up by a "Korkolo Dunis"... Do you know them?..."
"Huh? I can't recall anyone with that name." Avures scratched his head.
"Korkolo?... What's he got to do with this kid?..." Kataline unclenched her fist as her eyes went wide. "Unless Meius is-..."
"Well. Let me grab this..." The man reached for the finished contract and looked over the signatures. All six were accounted for... The man pushed the six bags of gold over to the teens. Bif hurriedly lunged for his, pulling it close to his chest and giggling to himself. Rael followed suit in a similar manner. As the rest of them grabbed their reward, Avures looked at the tired man again.
"What's the contract for?"
"It seems here..." The man filed the finished contract, shoving it away in another envelope before taking a look at the newer print. "Archeology? An excavation it seems. Low danger... A huge reward for it though..."
"Excavation?... What excavation?" Kataline cooled her temper with the sudden onset of confusion.
"Let's do it! Let's do it!" Rael shoved herself into Avures and got close to his face. "Please?"
"Ah!... Well... Lylas?" Avures lightly shoved Rael away from his face as he looked to the leader.
"Sounds kinda boring." Bif crossed his arms and sighed.
"Well, after the last contract...." Lylas's eyes moved away from the group as he weighed their options... "It could be a nice break. Sure."
"Okay. Here..." Avures reached for the pen once more... But the man grabbed it first and put it away along with the contract itself.
"Nope. Sorry, but you have silver badges. You're students. It's legally required that you wait at least a week until you can undertake another contract." The tired man plainly gazed at them. The faces of the students all dropped as they moaned and sighed.
"That's fucking stupid..." Bif kicked the bottom of the desk and turned away.
"Well... I'll take the downtime. I could use some relaxation." Lylas outstretched his arms. He grinned as he gripped the bag of gold tighter. "Let's go back to the Academy..."
And just like that, the six students all made their way out of the office and walked along the street...
This wasn't good enough for Kataline, who carefully watched the six of them all vacate the area. Afterwards, she took their spot and rested her arms on the desk as she stood on the other side from the man. The two of them stared at each other for a few moments before the man sighed and rolled his eyes.
"Can I... Help you?"
"The contract for that kid... You said Korkolo Dunis put it in?" Kataline's eyes honed in on the man's expression.
"Confidential, ma'am. You can eavesdrop, but specially requested contracts and associated information are privately kept." The man was completely unfazed by Kataline's tone and stare.
"I'm just trying to verify. Is he still here?"
"Confidential, ma'am. You can eavesdrop, but specially requested contracts and associated information are-" The man stopped in the middle of his repeated sentence as Kataline rolled her eyes and plopped a brown bag on the table in front of him. The jingling of coins caught the man's attention. A short pause ensued. The man reached his arm around and swept the bag under his desk. "No. A confidant put in the contract on behalf of him. This "Korkolo Dunis" never came here."
"A confidant? Who?" Kataline watched the man closely as he brought his arm up and coughed in his elbow...
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Though Lylas had mentioned relaxation... Among the six of them... There was a quiet agreement. They had their usual back and forth as they returned to the Academy, but from their first contract was a small seed planted inside of each of them. From the sudden assault from Yuval, to the devastating fury of Patchwork... The six of them knew that the world was dangerous, but they never could have anticipated something so strong waiting out there for them.
Thinking back on Grula's words...
"The most dangerous thing about a contract isn't what's written on there...but what's left out..."
Much like a child dismissing the words of caution from their parents... They had quickly learned the truth of the real world. It was dangerous out there. And at any moment, their life could be ripped away from them. The strength those two people had boasted were beyond anything they had experienced or seen before.
They all knew that there was no time to waste. An agreement was made between them for them to take the contract in a week. And even if it was described as low danger, there was a high chance that it wouldn't be the case. So, they were going to prepare for it in the best way they could... By finding any way to become stronger...
As soon as they made it back to the Academy, they shaped up to do whatever it would take to get an edge. They went their separate ways (for the most part), and would reconvene when the time came...
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Avures sighed and closed his eyes as a stinging sensation in his left arm made him want to pull away. Though the clerics had done their best, he still hadn’t recovered full mobility in that arm since that attack Patchwork used on him. So, he had approached the best healer he knew…
“Jeez, you need to be more careful. How are you gonna weave mana and cast magic if you can only move one arm?” Zen shook his head as he held the student’s arm with one hand and used Healing magic with the other.
“I don’t need both arms for that. I’ve learned how to weave without movement for the most part.” Avures winced as the magic directly caused a burning sensation at the tearing point.
“Talking back? From you? That’s unusual…” Zen looked at Avures' face. His face was turned away from his teacher, and his eyes remained close. “Something wrong?”
“I’m just…” Avures felt a strange, nervous tingle rise up from the bottom of his stomach. Though his expression never changed to match, he recognized this feeling. Guilt, uneasiness… Avures looked directly at his teacher, opening up his eyes to be greeted to his master’s concerned look. “What do you think? Am I cut out for this?”
Avures had been particularly bothered by the way everything went down with the final fight. Despite the happy ending, and the cheerful camp out they all had, only Avures really knew how close everything was to collapse. And he felt that the blame for that mostly fell on him.
“Well…” Zen felt the boy’s muscle in his arm reform. It seemed as if his magic ran its course, prompting him to let go of Avures’s arm. Zen crossed his arms and sighed. “I think you’re a smart kid. You have a way of learning and adapting to new things that takes form in a methodical approach. It’s useful in some Lancer work. But, if we break it down… Lancer work is about ten percent investigating, learning… Mental work, you know? Another ten percent is sometimes just labor. But, the other eighty percent?... That is combat.”
“I see…” Avures clenched his jaw.
“Lancers come with a pedigree of strength and skill. If people wanted to hire a detective, they would most certainly do so. Lancers are employed with the idea that combat is almost unavoidable. So, it stands to reason that a Lancer needs to be able to fight. This idea is clearly your antithesis.” Zen lowered his glance to the floor and closed his eyes, not bearing to look at his student.
“You’re saying I can’t fight?”
“I’m saying you don’t fight well. Combat doesn't seem to be your strong suit. Mostly because you overthink things to the point of detriment. The reason I’m going to keep stressing to the six of you that you should all work together… Is more for your safety than anyone else's. You’re my student, so it would be deeply saddening to me if you never returned back from a contract. I rest a little easier knowing you’re with the other five.” Zen lifted his head once more to meet his student’s eyes.
“Am I holding them back?”
“No. I’m sure you fill a role among them. Just… Not really combat-wise. So, when you eventually graduate, I’ll recommend you to a position here or something. That way, you don’t have to be in harm's way.” Zen smiled, but Avures’s expression didn’t budge. His tone seemed to drop as the conversation went on. It felt like he was ripping the boy’s heart apart.
“But why?... Can you tell me what makes me different in such a bad way?” Avures narrowed his gaze. He was prepared for the answer…
“To me, it is very obvious that your brain is wired in a different way from most people. The plainness, lack of expression, and the ability to calculate quickly all indicate that. Mentally, you differ from everyone I know. Thus, it seems that you’re unable to hone in and focus in a form that is suited for combat. And, when you do manage to put all of your thinking into combat... It's incredibly inefficient because you're overthinking the situation.”
“You’re saying my mental edge isn’t sharp enough for a fight… But, how do you see it? Spare me the details of the book, I’ve read it before. What exactly does it take?” Avures’s glance seemed to hold and give no indication of wavering. Zen looked baffled at the sudden change of direction. If anything, he felt some excitement. He hadn’t anticipated Avures having this sort of resolve.
“So, you have read the work of the second Magi… It is the standard at which all master combatants hone themselves. Fine. If you want to know…” Zen kept his poker face, but on the inside, he felt a tremendous feeling boiling up within. Though, he needed to make sure the boy’s determination would hold. “During the festival tournament… You were so focused on trying to keep your balance and avoiding using too much magic and getting hit and… Yada-yada. Truth be told, I’d rather have seen you get disqualified for using too much magic instead of that display everyone saw out there.”
“I know that was pretty bad.”
“Oh, but you don’t get to wave it off and dismiss it, Avures. Because then, you threw a fit. But granted, the display you showed after it… That was what piqued my interest. You’ve occasionally had these impressive showings where you are strong, fast, and decisive… But they are few and far between. Your mind races way too fast when you just need to act. So, if I had to say, you just don’t have that instinct. Sure, you can sharpen your mental edge, you can fight with more intensity, but your focus still lacks…”
“Tch… That doesn’t tell me anything I don’t already know… Everyone says it, but I don’t get what that means.” Avures rolled his eyes and looked away from his teacher.
“You don’t have to understand… Because I do, Avures. I was once there as well. And now, I’ve decided that I’m going to help you fix that in the best way I know how to.” Zen pointed to himself and grinned… "It's gonna be a bit of a struggle though..."
"How hard do I have to work in order to be ready in one week?" Avures turned his gaze back towards his teacher and narrowed his eyes on him.
"One week?" Zen's cheerful and confident tone dropped in a single moment. Though, he looked more baffled and dumbfounded than anything else. "Why one week?"
"In a week from now... We're taking another contract. It's supposed to be a low danger contract... It specifically requested me. I don't know why... But I just get that feeling it's going to be as dangerous as the first one." Avures dropped his vision down to his right arm. He clenched his hand into a fist.
"Another contract... Wait. You said you were requested. By who?" Zen's confused look quickly turned serious as he knew something was off.
"Some person who goes by the name Korkolo Dunis. He wants me for some archeology job, and everybody wants to come along. We plan on going as soon as the one week rule is over." Avures cast his gaze up at his teacher once again. The tone of Zen's expression seemed to take the shape and form of something Avures had never seen before. A feeling of raw intimidation overcame Avures as it emanated from his teacher.
"Could it be... That you're one of the traitors, Avures?" Zen continued to stare at his student with an intense, but quiet, fury. "This Korkolo guy is one of the main people behind this conspiracy. And he has directly asked for Avures... Is he supposed to be the special help? Though, if I suppose Avures is in on this, they wouldn't have had to specifically contract him out, right?..."
"Uh... Mister Zen?"
"Avures... Would you happen to know a person named... Avura?"
"Mister Zen..." Avures's expression noticeably dropped, even with his consistently plain demeanor. "That's the name of my sister... But, she died when I was just a baby."
"Then that means... Avura Kolisti is surely an alias. But what's really concerning is the proximity of this name's meaning to Avures. If I am to assume that this "Avura" and Korkolo are working together... Could it be that they're targeting Avures? But for what reason?..." Zen noticed the face of his student seemed to grow more concerned. For now, he'd have to shelf his investigative thoughts. "Sorry about that, Avures. But I've come to a new conclusion..."
Zen's statement floated around the air for a bit as he eyed the student in front of him once again. He observed and analyzed every part of him. While Avures had not been much of anything to note when he first got here... He was now stronger than before. He used to not know magic, or how to fight. And though his understanding of this all was still flawed, Zen had watched the potential flow out from him. As far as Zen could see, Avures had only shown a small portion of his potential. Every new trick the student gained, every new discovery, it seemed as if it opened up another path.
However, the sincere truth of Zen's earlier analysis still clearly showed. Avures's brain was just wired differently. Concepts that couldn't be logically shown with numbers, science, or visible reason seemed to flutter out of his grasp. His biggest limiting factor was a lack of understanding that clearly bled over into his personality. And, as Zen could figure it, this stemmed from a personal indifference and a tendency to completely overthink. But, whether the indifference was just a byproduct of the lack of understanding, or an inherent personality trait, was a mystery to Zen. However, one thing was clear. Avures... Was just like Zen.
"Avures... You are going to be my protege. I am going to make you the most powerful magic user alive. You are now my student more than any other. And I will be your master." Zen approached his student and placed his finger upon Avures's chest.
"W-what do you mean?"
"Normal Lancer Academy guidelines state that teachers should follow a balanced teaching regiment. However, past the first year... It doesn't matter. It's become clear to me that under the teaching of both Grula and I that you won't experience any growth. So, I shall take you solely under my wing instead." Zen pulled his finger away from the kid and grinned as he walked away from him. "This can't all happen overnight, or really a week from now... But, I promise you this... If you follow through on all this with me, by the time one week passes... You'll be at least three times as powerful as before... What do you say?"
"Mister Zen... I don't want to fall behind any more. What do I need to do?"
"Well first... You could start by calling me master instead..." Zen put his fist over his mouth and cleared his throat. He stopped in place and looked back at Avures.
"Eh..." Avures raised an eyebrow at his teacher and stared. Zen coughed again, closing his eyes. He would then reopen them to see Avures still staring at him. Avures sighed and rolled his eyes as he gave in. "Master Zen... What do I need to do?"
Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
"I'm glad you asked, my pupil!" Zen skipped back over to Avures. As he stood in front of him, he stealthily reached into his pocket... Avures darted his eyes around as, to him, it seemed that Zen had no intent of moving away or doing anything, but instead wanted to just stand right in front of him. This moment lasted a few more seconds before Zen retrieved just what he was looking for.
"W-.... What are you-" Avures had grown fed up with this and was about to step back, when Zen grabbed his wrist and placed something in the palm of his hand. The object seemed to be round, but oddly shaped. Zen let go of his wrist, and Avures brought the object up to his eyes.
"Egg." Zen nodded his head and grinned ear to ear. Avures was affixed to the egg, too baffled by why Zen just carries around an egg in the first place to understand what was going on.
"Egg...?" Avures lowered his hand and inquisitively stared at his master, keeping hold of the egg.
"Yup. Egg." Zen crossed his arms and smugly closed his arms. Looking at his student again, he could see Avures had bemusement written all over his face. "Your first lesson and test... Is to keep that egg from breaking."
"So... I just don't drop it then? For how long?"
"It's a little more complicated than that. Inside the center of the egg is a portion of my mana. Every moment, that little piece of mana is going to grow bigger and stronger until it makes the egg explode. Then, the mana will revert itself and the egg back to the starting point. If you can keep it from exploding for one whole hour, it'll dispel itself and you will pass." Zen knew this would be more than enough of a challenge to Avures. Though the student's uneasiness about it lifted, deep down, Zen knew that this would attack the student's biggest weaknesses.
"So, that's it then..." Avures cupped the egg with both of his hands. With a quick pause and sensing... He found it. Right in the center of the egg, just like Zen had said, was the tiniest piece of mana. But, Avures could also tell just how rapid its growth was.
"Oh. Obviously you can't dispel it yourself. That would be cheating. And lastly, you can't push your magic through the shell, whites, or yolk while the egg is intact. You also fail if the eggshell cracks." Zen wagged his finger at Avures as he added on the restrictions.
"Then... All I can really do is put a Protection seal around it..." Avures felt a surge of uncertainty as his options became limited.
"Mm... You shouldn't even need to use a type for this. If you do it right, you'll only need mana and mana alone." Zen turned away from his student and began to walk towards the exit of the room. He was about to stop and say something else... But then, he felt a tug. Someone was sensing him out. That could only mean one thing... "Anyways, come find me when you're finished. That's when the real training begins. Gotta go for now. Best of luck to you, Avures..."
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"Hm... Is someone trying to skip out on their meditation?" An old man in a dark blue robe approached me. I could recognize the bald head, the gray eyebrows, and that thick gray mustache that covered his lips. He always wore a smile on his face, visible from even under his facial hair.
"Father Gin... I'm so bored of meditation... Of all of this..." I sighed and lifelessly threw my arms around.
"Ah ah... Now now, young master, you were brought to this monastery to achieve your destiny. Your path therein lies here. The moment for you to do what must be done will come... But until then, you must meditate in preparation." Father Gin put his arm around my shoulders. He pointed over to the outlook of our temple next to the end of the stairs to get up here. "Come. Hear out some wisdom and consider your place in the world."
"Fine..." I closed my eyes and slapped my face. Whatever it would take to get the old man off my case. We strolled over to the outlook and sat down upon the large, rectangular stone that lay there. From there, we could watch the sun rise and set. It was early morning, so the sky was still somewhat orange.
It didn't help that I was sick of living here. And seeing my exit... The long staircase to enter our temple... It only made me yearn for so much more. That wasn't to say I hated Father Gin or any of the other monks, but this lifestyle was not for me.
"Young master, what bothers you so?" Father Gin crossed his legs and watched out towards the sky. I followed suit a few feet away from him.
"You all keep saying my time will come eventually... But I'm also one of the most important people alive... So, how could my time not be now?" I turned my head towards Father Gin.
"Self-importance must be held in silence if it is to be of any worth to you or anyone else." Father Gin didn't physically budge as he spoke.
"There was the groal infestation, right? Can't I take care of that?" I threw my arms out to the side as I pleaded.
"For your violent actions to mean anything... For it to hold weight... For it to bring forth change... You must temper it with outward and inner peace." Father Gin kept his stoic outlook towards the sky for a moment, but then side-eyed me. "Besides, we have already hired professionals."
"But-... But I can handle that! It feels like I'm wasting away here! My time feels meaningless..." I tilted my head to the side and looked out to the sky with a defeated sigh. "I can do so much more..."
"Mm. You think about things too directly... You blow it out of proportion by dwelling on it too much. So, take heed to my own observations, young master... You will miss these moments if you keep looking ahead."
"Hm...?"
"Everything exists in cycles. Look at the sun. It rises and sets everyday. It does the same thing all the time. Is it wasting its time away? Is it not fulfilling its duties and potential? How about the moon?"
"I guess it's not wasting away or anything..."
"Mm. It's all a matter of perspective. What makes the sun and moon doing the same thing every day so different from you?"
"I'm a human being. They’re just big circles in the sky."
"Sure, that's mostly right. But to answer the question... The difference is that they exist in the moment while you only keep looking ahead... Everything exists in cycles. Moments become temporary when you can only look ahead. Time will pass, and you will forget. However, when you allow yourself to live in the moment without worry for the future or past, each moment will last forever."
"That doesn't make sense.”
"What I mean to say is... Of course time will feel meaningless when you're stuck thinking like that. Take, for instance, this moment right now. If you find a reason to take it all in, you may see the sun in this same exact spot during another cycle and remember our talk here. You'll find that the peace in these moments will be worth reflecting on... Because I guarantee that your future will be harsh..."
"Heya!... I'm here to fix the infestation problem!" A loud, female voice called out from behind us. We both turned our heads to find the source of the sudden call. As I gazed upon the origin... I found myself stuck in place.
She had sharp, light green eyes and a dark brown skin complexion. A single scar spanned horizontally over her nose. Her frizzy hair was a light brown color and pulled back into a ponytail. She wore a full set of steel armor with a red gambeson underneath a short metal skirt. At my first glimpse of her... I felt my heart flutter in a way that was completely foreign to anything I had ever felt. She was pretty... And perhaps a part of my brain had also associated her with my desire for adventure...
"Oy!... Is he okay?" The girl walked up and pointed at me while looking towards Father Gin. He said something... But I couldn't hear it...
"Hey!... Hey!" The girl snapped her fingers in front of my face... But I didn't budge. "Hey!"
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"Hey! Zen! Wake up!" Grula snapped her fingers repeatedly directly under the downward cast face of Zen.
"Huh?... Oh... Sorry." Zen snapped his head up and looked around. He was leaning against the wall of one of the hallways right outside of Xilvas's office.
"Were you actually asleep?" Grula crossed her arms and grinned as she leaned on the wall right next to him.
"No... Just reminiscing, that's all." Zen smiled slightly as he looked back at Grula. "So, it's time?"
"Might be the best chance we get to do some digging... They should be here in a couple of minutes." Grula cast her gaze down the hall. She peered past the turns and looked straight to the staircase. She anticipated seeing two figures rise up. "So, I saw the kids come back."
"Mhm. Don't get too cozy with them back. Avures told me they plan on going out for another contract as soon as the seven day rule is up."
"Already? Jeez..."
"However... Some new developments came to my attention because of this. It makes this whole situation all the more dire."
"In what way?... Zen..."
"In short, details about what job they were taking... It's given me a way to get some information out of this meeting. But, the severity of the moments to come are increased tenfold. We'll discuss it later."
"Looks like we have to anyways..." Grula nodded her head towards the staircase. Zen peaked over and saw Xilvas and Meius both climbing the stairs. They all interlocked gazes as the two approached Zen and Grula.
"Grula. Zen. Let's step into my office." Xilvas walked past the two teachers and opened up the door to his office. He gestured, and everyone piled in. After everyone walked in and took seats, Xilvas followed, shutting the door and taking a seat behind his desk. "What is it we are discussing?"
"I just want to touch base and talk. Does it all strictly need to be business?" Zen relaxed back in his chair and eyed Xilvas.
"I really hope Zen wasn't kidding when he said he had something he could use." Grula watched on patiently.
"I suppose not. But, I feel as if it could be better discussed over a drink at the bar instead of here." Xilvas placed his arms on his desk and balled his hands together over top of his mouth.
"So, the new year is here... New students... Those rumors popped up again... Ya know, about just having one big class. I was just curious if that was true or not." Zen shrugged as he blankly looked around the room.
"I'm considering it. Meius is about fifty fifty from what I understand." Xilvas gestured to Meius who nodded in response. "For a long time, we've done special work to keep these groups of students separated. It's hard to forget the instances where these kids would kill each other, but I'm considering the sheer skill difference as well."
"How so?"
"The festival opened up our curriculum to some criticism. Namely, the tremendous skill gap between your class and Fraythorn's class. There were two fights that ended way faster than the others. Calvas versus Olicia, and Bif versus Iola. The rest were slugfests, and not in the most fair way either."
"Well. Consider this. The backgrounds of all Fraythorn's students were that of kids who could already harness power to some degree. We had a kid who wouldn't use magic until we forced him too, and then Avures and Rael who were absolute beginners."
"And yet it seems that the adopted daughter of George is a natural. And that Bif won his fight with great control over a Felsta. I'll excuse Avures, who seems to be average... But if anything, it reinforces the idea of needing to merge the classes. There's an old saying... Iron sharpens iron..."
"But that makes the structure too... Congested." Zen crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow.
"You all know as well as I do... That the structure is arbitrary. Or, have you all been coddling your students too much to remember that the system is made to be broken?" Xilvas slammed his conjoined hands onto his desk, shaking all of the contents sitting on top.
"..." The room was filled with a heavy silence.
"In order to produce truly remarkable Lancers and powerful beings, one cannot stay within our system of teaching and learning. The entire Academy is built upon giving them the key to power, and then making them realize there are millions of locked doors to which this simple key won't open. They're meant to seek out individual masters! They're meant to seek out forbidden magic! They're meant to seek out the secrets of the world! Because without that initiative!... They stay complacent and die!" Xilvas shot up from his desk, grabbed a glass cup, and threw it at the wall to his right. The glass completely shattered and fell to the ground in pieces.
"But doesn't that also open them up to some... Unsavory individuals?" Grula tempted the heavy silence with her own two-cents.
"Indeed it does. However, that plays into our favor too. Never forget. We aren't just an institution... But a business too." Xilvas's tone did a complete turnaround as he sat back down in his seat and sighed. "No, we won't be merging classes for now unless something comes up."
"Great... Also, speaking of Avures." Zen turned his head to look at Meius, who was practically almost asleep in his chair. As soon as he noticed, Meius perked up and returned his gaze. "Meius, I know you happen to be a lot more involved out there in the world than any of us three. Would you know of anyone who might be targeting Avures?"
"Targeting him?" Meius leaned forward with a concerned look on his face.
"Yeah..." Zen's eyes got serious, as did Meius's own.
"It begins..." Grula shifted her own vision between the two of them.
"Damn..." Meius scratched his head as he looked to be deep in thought. "Not that I can think of..."
"Okay... What does Xilvas think?..." Grula turned her vision directly to Xilvas. He seemed to be side-eyeing Meius... But looked calm in temperament. "Must be the truth..."
"He was telling me about a contract where someone specifically requested him." Zen leaned forward as he explained further. "He's been on only one contract previously... The one he just came back from. The way I see it, Avures is only known by a small handful of people outside of the Academy... I believe someone might be after him, and it might be within our network. Would you know anyone like that?"
"The only thing I can think of..." Meius rested his cheek in his hand. "Is that they might have gotten the wrong person?"
"See, that could be true... But, there's an issue with that. There is no one alive with a similar name to him that is also a Lancer. They asked for a "Kovar". His father, Avuran, never came to the Academy and died around fifteen to sixteen years ago. The only other person who had a similar name to him would be his sister." Zen put his left hand over his mouth as he tried to formulate what to say next.
"That wouldn't be Avura?... Would it?" Grula darted her eyes between Meius and Zen. "She was supposed to be in our class... But then we never heard mention of her again..."
"Well, yeah that m-" Meius chuckled for a moment, but was interrupted by the next thing Zen said.
"Then... Do you know of an Avura?" Zen locked his fierce gaze onto Meius's own. Meius's eyes indicated a level of disbelief and shock, something Zen had personally never witnessed. It was emboldening. "I've finally got him... It's a four-pronged trap. Taking these questions passively is going to backfire spectacularly. No matter what he answers here, I can expose something. If he states he doesn't know of "an Avura", I can reveal the knowledge of the letters. Not to mention, the fact that the response in of itself is contrary to what he just agreed with. If he states he does know of one, I can still reveal the knowledge of the letter while revealing Korkolo and asking about a connection..."
"Why are you prodding me?" Meius huffed and stood up out of his chair.
"I'm asking you a simple question. Answer it." Zen shot up from his own as well.
"Good fucking grief..." Xilvas sighed and pushed himself out of his chair.
"Are you accusing me?" Meius clenched his hand into a fist.
"Yes..." Zen kept his eyes frozen onto the Deputy-Headmaster.
"Unbelievable... I'm outta here." Meius rolled his eyes and stormed off to the door... But Grula grabbed his wrist off of the door handle and clamped down. Meius struggled, but Grula's physical might was too much.
"Are you two out of your minds?" Xilvas watched as Zen grabbed onto Meius's other wrist.
"Let go of my hands!" Meius's face twisted into one of pure rage as he furiously tried to free his wrists.
"Zen! Grula!" Xilvas's voice overpowered any other sound within the room and brought all attention to him. The three staff froze in place as they looked at him. "Enough of this! We're getting to the bottom of this right now! Zen!... For what reasons do you have to accuse Meius and lay suspicion on him?"
"Hm..." Zen and Meius simultaneously locked eyes for a moment. A mixture of fiery anger and mistrust sifted between them. Zen sighed and looked back over to the Headmaster. "The truth is... Nothing adds up the way it should. I would love nothing more than to know that he's innocent... But the more things have come up and happened, the more I think Meius is a two-timing traitor..."
"Preposterous. Godan incriminated himself during my hunting down of him. And Xilvas's Shade differentiates lies and truths through the actual brain memory and thoughts." Meius's tone was sharp and full of malice. "There's no way to lie to him. That alone clears my name."
"Then just answer the question... Do you know of an Avura?"
"God... Just answer the question, Meius." Xilvas face-palmed as he watched the ordeal.
"Yes... Obviously. She died before she could attend. Are you satisfied?" Meius sighed and let his arms go limp.
"Good answer. Now what about the other one?" Zen's grip tightened up further.
"Other one?” Grula and Xilvas were both taken aback by such a proclamation turned question.
"Let me go. I answered your question." Meius's demeanor took a cold turn.
"Meius!... What's going on here?" Xilvas stomped over to his subordinate and stared him down.
"There... There is another. Let go, and I will explain everything..." Meius's cold words turned neutral as he sighed again and closed his eyes. After an exchange of a few nods, Zen and Grula both released Meius. They then meandered back over to their chairs and plopped down in them. "There is a woman who goes by the name of Avura Kolisti. And she is an asset."
"And what's her relation to the man who contracted Avures? The one who you talked to in the alley that one night where Grula saw you... The one named Korkolo Dunis..." Zen sat down in his seat and pressed further.
"Where did you get all this information?" Meius perked up at the mention of Korkolo.
"I pulled some strings. Figured out that the three of you were connected. So, now that we've got this all out of the way... Let's hear it." Zen relaxed back and watched Meius carefully.
"This is giving me such a headache..." Meius buried his face in his hands and sighed. After a few moments, he slowly slid his hands off of his face and spoke. "Korkolo, like Avura, is an asset."
"Meius was called "Flow Priest"... And this Korkolo mentioned Ozix rejoining the living... No matter what, Meius knows that we know of this now for sure... And we're still holding onto those statements themselves if we need to leverage Xilvas's Shade into this... But what will Meius even say?..." Grula grabbed at her knees as she felt beads of sweat start to come down her face.
"What I said about Godan is the absolute truth... This is verified. However, that's not all there is to it. In an attempt to strike deep into his dealings... I joined in his ordeals to serve the Cult of Ozix." Meius's eyes went cold and blank as he stared at the wall past Zen and Grula.
"What?!" Xilvas shot up from his seat again. The air around all of them grew thick and oppressive as Zen and Grula began to find it hard to breathe.
"Let me explain further." Meius put his hand up to Xilvas as he seemed unaffected by the change in the atmosphere. Xilvas's rage tempered if only for a moment. "While infiltrating the cult, I made connections with Avura Kolisti and Korkolo Dunis. Using their expertise and help, I was able to put Godan on the outs and create a situation that would allow me to eliminate him with proper permission from Headmaster Xilvas. In return, I would create a situation that would allow them to rise in power and status within the cult. Hence, the battle held outside of the forest."
"So, then that battle feeling so... Pitched in our favor... Rigged from the start... That was your scheme from top to bottom?" Grula pulled her hands off of her knees as she stared at Meius with shocked eyes.
"Indeed. And to say it was a massive success in our favor... Would be an understatement. An absolute gigantic portion of Ozix and Woe cultists were killed alongside their leadership." Meius cupped his hands together as he bent forward. "And pulling the strings on that took a few sacrifices... A lot of setup... And dealings that were extremely risky."
"Risky? In what way?" Zen narrowed his eyes on Meius as what he was hearing felt polarizing alongside the way Xilvas's face seemed to say it all... It was the truth.
"Using some... "Information", I was able to convince a particular witch to part with those cultists. I won't delve into those details as they really don't have any meaning anymore. And that... Is due to the last deal I made." Meius bowed his head and sighed.
"Last deal? Elaborate." Xilvas's tone had taken a deep dive into a form of anger that neither Grula or Zen had seen.
"Grula, you mentioned "unsavory individuals"... This would be one of those people... In order to fully deal with the Woe Cult, I set upon them one of the world's strongest warrior immediately after we made the deal for their forces. Using the cover of the Ozix Cult, I hired out The General to wipe out the witch." Meius peered his gaze up and stared at the floorboards ahead of him.
"Are you mad?!" Xilvas's gaze lit ablaze as he was taken aback by the fact that his Shade indicated Meius was telling the truth. "What were you thinking?"
"Well... If there is anyone I know of that could destroy the weakened cult and kill the witch, it would be him. The General is not as picky as to whom he deals with compared to the others." Meius kept his tone as he sighed.
"Meius... Do you have any idea what kind of forces you're dealing with? If word got out about who The General made a deal with... Or if he died during this job... You surely must know that will put everyone here directly in danger of them. God forbid, even worse, they hold a summit."
"I'm well aware. This is all a calculated risk."
"Come to think of it... How did you even get in contact with them in order to hire him?"
"Hey. I'm missing something here." Grula looked confused as she turned between Meius and Xilvas. "Who is "they"?"
"You may have never heard of them... But I've seen one of them before. Grula, what they are referring to is an organization of extremely powerful people who are rather reclused until they find a reason to become active again. Their motives are nothing short of destroying the Lancer system and Cultists alike. And they will indiscriminately target any group of people who slight them. They call themselves the Forsaken." Zen's hands curled into tightened fists, turning slightly white.
"The reason I was able to contact them in the first place... Is that I have also infiltrated them as well." Meius rose to his feet and took a deep breath in as he closed his eyes.
Zen and Grula stood up as well. Everyone in the room froze. All eyes were trained on Meius. Xilvas, Grula, and Zen were completely still. The latter two had no idea what was going to happen next. Their hearts raced as they caught a glimpse of Xilvas's face. The old man had his eyes narrowed down on Meius, and his face held a disgusted look as his brow furrowed.
"You mean to say... You are not a two-timer... But a three-timer?... I should kill you where you stand..." Xilvas's face returned to a normal expression as the pressure in the room increased again. "What do you have to say for yourself?"
"I admit that my methods and actions are shady. That they are not the most morally righteous... However, the truth is that I am doing this all for the safety of the Academy and its students. Not only that, but the safety of all people too." Meius's arms crept into the air as his palms faced open.
"And yet... Should your actions be uncovered by the wrong individuals... You'd doom us all."
"But yet, that is why I wished to keep this all secret..." Meius's gaze locked onto Zen and Grula. Though it was not full of hateful intent... There was a glimmer of annoyance. "There is no denying that if these groups are left alone... Should good men not stand in the face of evil and stop it in its tracks... They will have their way and kill us all. I present that my situation and position is a unique one. Will you hear me out?"
"Proceed..."
"My hesitation to inherit the Headmaster role is due to my ideal future of this place. Because my current role as Deputy-Headmaster is very fluid and nondescript, it has allowed me to step out of the normal boundaries of our operating cycles. I have served as a substitute teacher, a doctor, a spy, and even an assassin for the Academy. But I have also taken initiative in supporting our institution and agenda. I have infiltrated the Cult of Ozix, the Forsaken, and have nearly wiped out the Cult of Woe. I promise to you a projection I have... That in around two years from now... None of those groups will be around to threaten anyone anymore, and that achievement will solely belong to Lancer Academy. Not only that, Lancer Academy will no longer have any worries or instability." Meius turned himself towards Xilvas and placed his hand over his heart, his eyes locking with Xilvas's own. Zen and Grula both took long, heavy breaths as Xilvas sat one Meius's words. The air felt more dense and thick with every passing second. Zen felt like his body needed to throw up as he gagged a single time. As he did so, Xilvas took notice of this and sighed. Suddenly, the pressure in the room returned to normal. Grula felt relief all over her body as she checked on Zen.
"Hm... If this is really your aim... And if you've gotten this far without getting implicated... I suppose there's a good chance you may succeed. Though you've crossed several lines, your words speak of your intent truthfully. And I must agree, it does sound like an ideal future. Meius, you may proceed." Xilvas put his hands behind his back and stepped over to his office's window. He scanned the field outstretched to the side of the Academy.
"I do wish to make a couple of requests related to this." Meius lowered his face.
"What might they be?"
"I wish to hold off on inheriting the Headmaster role. It's in my personal best interests, along with the best case scenario for this plan, if I remain flexible. Therefore, it would be asking you to postpone your retirement..."
"Granted."
"Also, I would prefer if we stop prying into me and spying on me." Meius turned his head to the two teachers with a bored look on his face. "I, personally, like my privacy... And it would be very troublesome if any of you got tangled into the danger I'm putting myself in."
"Also granted."
"Meius... I promise I won't snoop around like that anymore..." Zen cast his gaze away from Meius's face with a slight bit of shame.
"I apologize for all of this. Perhaps I should have been more transparent with what I've been doing... But I'm also sure you understand why I kept my secrecy in the first place." Meius bowed to Zen.
"I still do need to know... What is going on with Avures's contract? From what I understand, this Korkolo is a cultist and he requested Avures's help. Are my kids in danger?"
"This contract is for an archeology dig site out to a small village to the east. It's around three to four days out, give or take. There should be zero violence as long as they don't overstep or antagonize. I made it clear to my asset that no one is to be harmed." Meius stood straight once more and smiled at Zen.
"I still don't understand why he wants Avures specifically... Or why you're letting them have their way here." Grula crossed her arms.
"The truth is, I actually recommended Avures. This is because of his left arm. If I'm not mistaken, he has somehow inherited the power of his late sister. The power to see the past. At least, that's what Avuran's letter indicated all those years ago. This would be a very useful ability in a dig site. I'm sure you understand that." Meius turned his head to the side slightly. "As for why I'm letting them have their way... I have to give them some leeway to keep them under my control. I wouldn't truly give them the key to something important regarding Ozix."
"It makes sense..." Zen crossed his arms and sighed. All of this suspicion... All of this effort... It felt wrong, but when adding up Meius's answers here to when they were all questioned before... He wasn't technically lying. Zen thought back on it for a moment…
"Only a small handful of privileged individuals know that I am endowed with the knowledge of Ozix's death site. This information was a birthright from my ancestors who slew Ozix. It's very reasonable to assume...one of the individuals I have made reference to, has tipped off the cult." Xilvas squinted his eyes.
"I'll ask the question to everyone at once. You will answer as I look at you. Whoever does not pass...you all know what to do." Xilvas stood up from his seat.
"Who tipped off the Cult of Ozix?"
"Not I." Meius firmly stated as Xilvas looked at him.
"Using their expertise and help, I was able to put Godan on the outs and create a situation that would allow me to eliminate him with proper permission from Headmaster Xilvas. In return, I would create a situation that would allow them to rise in power and status within the cult. Hence, the battle held outside of the forest."
Zen's eyes widened as he made a confusing realization. A realization which made his vision tremble and sweat start to trickle down his face. How he did it... Zen had no idea. But Meius had just lied right in front of Xilvas. Granted, Xilvas may not have immediately remembered that meeting, but Meius's statement earlier and his assurance from before contradicted each other. Had no one else remembered? Had no one else realized it? Did Meius even take notice of his own slip-up?
The more Zen thought about it though... The more it could just mean that he set up the battle, not tipped them off. In fact, if this was all to be believed about Godan, it seemed that the traitor was already nicked. Still, all Zen could feel now was uneasiness.
"Anyways... I have to go now. Important business... I'm sure you understand." Meius scuffled over to the door and went through, shutting it behind him. A few moments passed... No one moved or said anything. However, after a minute, Xilvas turned back towards Zen and Grula.
"You have my permission to still watch him. That is, only you... Grula." Xilvas didn't make eye contact. Instead, he was staring at his desk.
"Whew... I was going to say... Something rubbed me the wrong way." Zen breathed an air of relief as he heard Xilvas's uncertainty formed in a sentence.
"I know you're not partial to stealth... But being as it is right now... As a Lakentos, your inherent ability leaves you as the only person who can keep watch over him. Consider this a personal request from me, Grula."
"Xilvas... I'll do my best..." Grula gave a thumbs-up as she contemplated everything that she had heard from Meius.
"His actions so far do speak for his intentions... But something isn't adding up in my mind. As for you, Zen..." Xilvas turned back to the window. "Prepare those kids... Point them in the direction of power. Recommend people to learn from other teachers if needed... Those kids need to be strong enough to handle themselves over there. If any one of them dies during this... Meius is a dead man."