When I arrived at the academy, news about the war was a hot topic among students. This semester, the teachers were going to introduce us to magic enchantments. Magic enchantments could only be done with the corresponding elements. For example, I needed a wind affinity if I wanted to make a phone. Multiple students could cooperate if they lacked the affinity. I bet the reaper card I had must have been made by several mages.
"And so, that is the theory about magic tools. Next is about Runecrafting. Runecrafting is applying your magic to the tools you want to enchant. Here is the chart for symbols. Using magic ink, we could draw circuits from the feystone slot to the enchantments. Since I am a wind mage, here is a simple recorder tool," the professor started to explain after he gave us all magic ink.
Magic ink had six different elemental types. First, we had to draw a circle, and each circle could only serve one function. Consequently, we had to connect those circles. For example, the recorder that the professor used had two commands: the first command was to record the voice, and the second was to repeat the voice. After the circle was drawn, the mage needed to insert the command using their magic. This is the part where mistakes happened a lot. However, we could only connect two circles with this drawing. The three-command and the four-command circles would be taught next year.
"Good work, Elidranthia. Illusion staff. The command is to touch, then use this illusion on the touched. This might come in handy for knights." He replied. Although his words were kind, it was all lip service. His eyes were blank.
"Your eyes were mocking us," I gasped. I thought I said my thoughts out loud. It was the second prince who said it. He was being up- now. "Be honest, professor."
"Well, haha. I guess you nobles have some sharp eyes when reading facial expressions. Is that a new skill? Relax, I didn't demean you in particular. It was simply hard to be impressed by a twelve-year-old's work. I am a sixty-year-old with over forty years of experience in this stuff. It was hard to get me excited with this basic enchanting." He commented while laughing. He smiled, but his smile didn't quite reach his eye.
School teachers never had any training to be teachers in this world. The academy simply hired the best in their field to teach us, hoping they would impart all of their knowledge to us. The teacher certainly tried; however, as you can see, some of them were rather arrogant and hard to please. Now that I think about it, Alex, our teacher from two years ago who taught us the basics, was the same.
A light bulb popped in my head as a devilish grin crept out from me. I filled in my illusion staff with my mana. The staff was activated, and the magic was maintained. Then, I touched the professor's back with it.
"Hiyaa!" a funny yelp of surprise resounded within the class. A skeleton's head popped and laughed before his face. Of course, dark magic only cast an illusion on the victim, so only the professor actually saw the skeleton.
"Miss Eli, I must tell you that attacking a professor using magic is against the rules."
"It was an accident that you touched the staff. Besides, a dark magic illusion is not considered an attack by the magic duel professor." I made excuses. It was a childish excuse, so childish that some children giggled at my behavior. The boring professor, though, was now amused.
"Very well, I admit it was not an attack. Please be careful when handling magic tools, Miss Elidranthia. Magic tools are not toys."
"Why can't it be a toy?" I asked back.
"Well, because it is expensive? Why should we use feystone for children? Moreover, if handled poorly, feystone could cause a deadly hazard. Such as, but not limited to, explosion, combustion, mental attack, freezing damage, and lacerations," The professor answered. But I noticed a hint of uncertainty in his words. I have never heard of a magic tool exploding. But it was true that raw feystone could cause such a phenomenon if handled poorly, such as being struck with a hammer.
"Hmm, will it be profitable if I sell toys?"
"Hahaha, well. It might be. But who would spend 50 silver or more for kids just to play around? Moreover, you have to switch out the feystone regularly." The professor laughed. "Amusing idea though. Continue your classes, lads."
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The classes continued. Now that I am no longer skipping magic classes, the prince's ranking didn't climb as he wanted. I sometimes overheard him dissing me for my scores. I realized I might not be suited either as a noble or assassin. I couldn't keep my emotions from showing on my face.
"Greetings, Lady Elidranthia." Prince Ludwin came for me in the afternoon with smiles on his face. I was amazed that he was able to greet me so cordially when he just badmouthed me in the morning.
"Greetings, Prince Ludwin. May I help you?"
"I sincerely apologize that the tea party was delayed so much due to that Western country's fiasco. You must have been waiting for my invitation, and yet it never arrived. However, we have time for the aforementioned tea party tomorrow. Will you attend?"
"W-when?" I asked nervously. I hadn't been waiting for his invitation. In fact, the tea party had disappeared entirely from my mind.
"Here is a formal invitation for you to attend our tea party at our villa. As promised, my sister will also attend." The prince smiled. I turned toward Alicia. The prince's smile didn't falter.
"Alicia could come too as your handmaiden if you wanted."
"Thank you!" I beamed a smile back to him. With Alicia on my side, I wouldn't mess up too badly. She had better etiquette than me. Alicia, however, was not amused. A commoner from a random village entered a castle? This must also be a first for her.
"What's Ludwin's problem?" Alicia grumbled at lunch in the cafeteria. Together with me, Safira, and Nana, she spoke ill of Prince Ludwin and even forgot his honorific. I was slurping on the strawberry juice without a care in the world. It was fun seeing Alicia so animated like this.
"First, he badmouthed her with his friends, then now, he sweet-talked her to the tea party!"
"That's what nobles do. My dad often gossiped about unsavory customers behind their backs." Nana said. "He also often heard gossip about bad nobles too."
"Alicia, with the war that's been going on, Prince Ludwin must have been trying to secure cooperation from Eli's family. That's why he cajoled her." Safire, a baron's daughter, claimed.
"I know. I know. I know! But the way he approached seemed like he was interested in Lady Eli as a woman. You know! For romance! Not the business way. Curse be upon him if he used his honeyed words only to use Lady Eli."
"Maybe it was a chance? Being a prince's concubine was a prestigious title! Something that I could only dream about. It might even be better than my arranged marriage with a count's first son to become his third wife. He was already over thirty years old by now! It was almost the same as marrying my father." Safira, finally fed up with Alicia, let out her own complaint. She was a water mage with talent 7. Water mages and light mages were the most desirable elements since only both of them could do doctors' work. However, Safira had no intention of becoming a doctor. She wanted to become a patisserie, making cakes and stuff.
"All water and light mages above talent 6 must become a doctor, my ass! Moreover, due to my high talent, I was being watched by that lecherous son of a count! Eli! At least the prince was the same age as you and didn't look down on you directly, right! You have a better fate than me!" Safira started to diss me.
"Excuse me for a moment." I left them for a moment to water some flowers. My card suddenly sent a magical shock to me from my pocket. This meant R25B needed to talk to me. When I was inside the toilet stall, I wore the earclip and spoke to him. This reaper job was a hassle.
"R666, you are a noble child, right? Could you infiltrate the castle? I received a commission there." R25B went straight to the point. What a coincidence. Or was it?
"How do I get inside? And what do you want me to do? Does it have to be a child?" I asked many questions. "Do I even have to take it? Wait, why do you need to call me using the card anyway?"
"Let's see… a commission was put up. This is not a sure thing, but rumors about rebellion seemed to spring up in the capital."
"HUH?? A rebellion?" I almost shouted. Rebellion here? On my doorstep? Why? Wasn't the war in the western front or my county?
"Yes. You see, there was a lot of dissatisfaction between nobility, mages, and ordinary commoners. So, when Duke Bron planned to move royal guards out from the capital, they will spring an ambush."
"Huh? That's insane. What would they hope to accomplish from that?"
"We don't know that yet. There were several commissions looking for information. You will be paid handsomely if you do figure it out. Among my 30 reapers, only 7, including you, were inside the capital, but none of them were nobles. So, I could only rely on you.
"Ugh…"
"The commission was not clear. But don't be afraid. If your work has worth, we will pay you."
"That's not what I am concerned about. Rebellion in the capital? That means all of my friends were in danger! Besides, weren't there still half of the royal guards inside the capital even when the first battalion moved out?"
"We didn't know that yet. Want some more shopping? Your equipment right now is lethal. You need something for apprehending. Your priority will be information gathering. However, you might need to take some assassination missions."
"I think I need some of that paralyzing poison. How much does it cost?"
"40 points for a bottle plus its antidote. It's a high-grade, fast-acting poison. 10 seconds with a scratch on their limb, and your opponent will be immobilized. Careful though, if you apply it too near the heart or neck, you might kill your opponent."
"I will take it."
"Alright. I will keep you posted. Be careful; the royal guard will move out within two months. Your points will be deducted to 25P."