Outside Eleanora pointed back at the administration building. “The first and second floor are administrative and faculty offices, the third, fourth, fifth, and six are classrooms, and the seventh and eighth stories are the main library. Behind the main building is the medical wing, and beyond that is the training field. On the left and right of the main building there are six dormitories on each side. Each dormitory is names after a weapon, I think it fitting you will be housed in the short sword residence.” Eleanora grinned at her joke.
“You think you are so funny! I am only five! I well get taller!”
“Well you cannot get any shorter!”
Emily huffed. “When I am a giant I will remember this!”
Eleanora reached out and patted Emily on the head. “There there little one.”
Laughing Emily pushed the hand off her head.
“Okay getting back to the tour, there is a kitchen on the first floor of each building; Havardr Academy also paid for the expanse of having every floor a shared washing room with enchanted camber pots, and showers’.”
This was a big expanse, only the wealthy and nobles could afford magical devices. In this world there were a verity of diverse ways to magically imbue items but the two major rival magics were enchantments, and runes. Most felt that runic devices were the better of the two but unfortunately runic devices were the more expansive of the magical items.
Training to become a high level Tier 2 Runesmith was more expansive in time, effort, money, and education thus enchantments were more prevalent in common items, such as camber pots and showers.
The poor had to get by with wells, heating water on wooden stoves, taking baths in copper tubs, and emptying camber pots in the sewer. In the Empire’s defense they did have a good sewer system. The sewer system would funnel the sewerage water into large underground pits and enchantments would magical annihilate the waste every time the enchantment gathered enough mana.
That was the downside of enchantments, if you actively used enchantments to create or destroy something the mana would drain out to power the magic and need time to recharge. Enchanted swords usually had several charges before they needed to recharge, there was an alternative if you did not want to wait, if you were a mage you could recharge the item yourself or pay a mage instead. Bags of holding spatial enchantments on the other hand were passive and gathered enough mana to be self sustaining.
“That sounds wonderful. Havardr Academy was the right decision.” Emily enthused.
Eleanora smiled at her excitement. “Yes, we only get a few nobles here, usually it is the fourth of fifth son kicked out of house to make their own way, but each has been happy to hear we are not barbarians.”
Emily did not correct Eleanora misconception of her status as a noble. Emily did see how a noble that grow up with such luxury as an enchanted toilets would be dismayed at the way commoners lived.
“Moving on, past the training field along the north wall is our production buildings, smithing, alchemy, tanning, monster harvesting. There is also a gate with a short corridor that ends at another gate into the Emperor’s court district, both gates are locked and the Emperor’s gate is heavily guarded. No one is allowed passed our academy’s gate without special permission. If you somehow manage to sneak through the academy’s gate the Emperor’s court gate guardians will not be amused.” Eleanora warned sternly, all joking aside.
Emily stated seriously “I will not try to break into the Emperor’s court district.”
Studying Emily intently Eleanora finally nodded. “Good, and here we are.”
They had walked to the left side of the main building and had arrived at the middle of the three buildings that backed up to the training field. There was a large courtyard were the paths to three building behind Emily in the south and the three building in front of her meet. Students were sitting on wooden benches chatting, doing school work, and eating, large central courtyard seemed to be the main hangout.
Emily followed Eleanora inside short sword dormitory. Inside they meet with anther lady this time a light elf.
“Emily meet the house mother Aveline.”
Emily smiled and gave a small bow. “Nice to meet you house mother Aveline.”
Aveline gave a stern look to Emily. “In short sword we follow the rules. No fighting, no weapons practice, no alchemy practice, your room will be kept neat and orderly, you can have food in your room but it must be stored properly, the shared wash room will be scrubbed clean weekly by you and your floor mates, clothing will be collected and cleaned weekly by the staff, food is served in the dinning room three times a day, there will be snacks available at all times, do you understand the rules miss?”
Nodding solemnly. “Yes house mother.”
“Good. Room 502 is unoccupied. It is on the fifth floor up those flights of stairs.” Aveline pointed to a staircase other kids were walking up and down on.
Emily listened and nodded. Turning to Eleanora she said her goodbye. “Miss Eleanora thank you for all the help today. I have a feeling I will be seeing you soon about my schedule. Have a good day.”
“Have a great day too, Emily it was fun meeting you. I feel you are right about the schedule”
With that Emily started walking towards the stairs and her new home.
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Finishing the climb to the fifth floor Emily found her room right by the stairs. There was a large brass key in the lock. Turning the key until the lock clicked, Emily opened the door to her room. When the door fully swing open she saw a small room that had large windows on two walls, one across form the door that look out onto the practice field and one window on the left. A single bed was on her right and a small desk with a chair was on the left under the window facing west. It was bare but the windows let in warm sunlight that light up the room.
“You got a corner room!” A dismayed someone shouted behind her. Emily turned and saw a dwarf girl barely above 60 centimeters standing behind her.
“Hello.”
“How did you get a corner room? I have been asking for ages yet the head mother refuses!” The girl complained.
“Just lucky I guess. I am Emily Warden. Say do know any cheap smiths that would make armor and practice weapons for me?” Form her reading in the count’s library dwarf’s seemed to like smithing and chose smithing classes.
“What just because I am a dwarf you think I know all about smithing and smiths!” The girl put her hand on her waist and glared at Emily.
Emily tried to apologize. “I am sorry, I meant no offense. I am new to Harfordian City.”
The girl kept glaring for a second then smiled. “I am Golda Ostberg. There is master smith the school has an agreement with. As a master smith he always has new apprentices so he sends them here to get practice smithing students order. Be warned that some of the apprentices work is less than perfect. ”
Emily felt there was more to this. “And you know the master smith?”
Golda’s smile grew. “Somewhat well, he is my father.”
It was Emily’s turn to glare. “What was that outrage about knowing smiths?”
“Well it is just everyone assumes all dwarf are smiths.”
“Well are not a large percentage of dwarfs smiths?”
This time the glare was back and Golda actually stomped her foot. “That is not the point! No one should just assume a dwarf is a smith.”
Not used to dealing with people and failing to see the logic in Golda argument Emily tried to change the subject somewhat.
“So when is your father of his apprentices visiting?”
“Tomorrow father well send Durvak here to take orders.” Golda relented.
“Thanks for the information now I am going to the library.” It was barely afternoon and Emily could not wait to dive into the school’s library.
Golda looked confused. “But you just arrived. Do you not have to unpack?”
Emily shook her head. “No I did not bring much with me.” Emily shrugged her left shoulder to indict the pack hanging there.
“Well in that case it was nice to meet you Emily.”
“It was good to meet you too Golda.”
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Walking into the library Emily fell in love. The library started on the seventh floor and she could see they cut out the middle of the eighth floor so it overlooked the seventh. The place was packed with bookshelves almost groaning with books. Emily had to suppress a squeal of glee.
Now the age old question, should she start at the top and work her way down, or start at the bottom and work her way up? Emily hated such tough decisions. What decided her was the eighth floor seemed less crowded then the seventh floor. With that Emily started on memorizing every book in Havardr Academy.
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The days started to blur together, a stream of weapons practice for ten hours a day, to reading in the library anther ten, with four hours of deep meditation to fully refresh herself.
Emily bought a full suite of heavy armor modified for flexibility. She wore it every time she exercised. Emily was able to strike a balance of her stamina regeneration and exercising, pushing herself just hard enough that stamina was not completely drained.
At first she was extremely clumsy in the armor and guard Cedric wanted her to wear leather armor or failing that light armor. Emily was determined to wear heavy armor. The reason? There were Monsters out there! How could anyone not want to be heavy protected as they could be? So Emily persisted in using armor and as her skill in Basic Heavy Amor Proficiency leveled up she found herself more and more comfortable wearing heavy armor.
As she got more comfortable in heavy armor Emily started to practice gymnastics. At first basic forward rolls, then Emily did progressively more and more complex gymnastics.
Basic Tumbling L6
Skill
Allows a person to perform complex jumps.
One thing about doing gymnastics in heavy armor, it accelerated your skill level. Doing excises and gymnastics also increased her stats and she saw them grow quickly as she threw herself into studying swordsmanship and knife fighting.
Cedric was amazed at how fast she was leveling up her fighting skills. Emily did not have the hart to tell him that she cheated and used her deep meditation to practice. Emily could create a dojo in her mind then accelerate her thoughts so she subjectively had more time then actually passed in the real world. Her four hours of meditation felt more like twelve and she spent the time practicing her skills and slowly read books she rushed to memorize.
Eight months flew by when she got another notice.
Dedicated Scholar
A Dedicated Scholar is a person that is not afraid to pursue knowledge. No matter how many books, scrolls, or manuscripts the person needs to read.
Emily stopped and looked down at the book she had just read. Doing a quick search of her memory she counted the books she had read in Havardr Academy’s library and adding it to the books she read in the counts library.
‘Wow I just read fifty thousand books.’ While startled at this number, a more melancholy thought entered. ‘It does not count all the books I have read in my past life.’
Emily was grateful at least she received some skills form her past life and if she received a mage class she could actually use them correctly, not just for breaking into buildings.
She had read that titles could unlock new classes and wondered just what all her title would unlock. Emily sighed at having to wait another four years to find out.
***************
Like that two years want by in a blink. Emily had raised numerous weapons skills to level 9, the maximum level one could attain without a class, and the list of every skill was quite extensive.
Basic One-handed Swordsmanship L9, Basic Two-handed Swordsmanship L9, Basic Shield Proficiency L9 Basic Knife Fighting Proficiency L9, Basic Ax Fighting Proficiency L9, Basic Blunt Weapon Proficiency, L9 Basic Spearmanship L9, Basic Hand to Hand Combat L9, Basic Heavy Amor Proficiency L9, Basic Running L9, Basic Sprint L9, Basic Climbing L9, Basic Tumbling L9, Deep Mediation L9, Basic Mental Constructs L9
The combined skills Deep Mediation and Mental constructs synergized extremely well. It may have been two years in the real world but mentally in had been closer to four. When resting she would enter Deep Mediation and retreat into her mind. She used Mental Construct to create weapons that were perfect matches for the real world counterparts’. In her mental Dojo she could practice for hours without getting tired or need water or food. It actually took stamina to work at these mental speeds but Emily’s stamina regeneration, even without the buff Deep Mediation gave, was able to exceed the stamina used. Deep Mediation without the Mental Constructs took almost no stamina at all. Sometimes Emily would take a break and just mediate, embracing the feeling of being one with universe and at peace.
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She was eating with Golda, who had become her best friend in this world, when house mother Aveline walked up. “Emily there is someone here to see you.”
Looking up at the house mother Emily asked. “Who would that be?”
Emily did not know anyone outside the academy and in the two years she had studied her she had never left. Everything was provided for her here and it was the safest place in the world until she got her first class.
“I do not know dear. The main office just sent a note to say you are requested to go to room 114 in the main building.”
Nodding Emily quickly said goodbye to Golda and got up to throw her reminding food away and place the plate and utensils into the wash tray. Walking towards the main building Emily kept going over who could possible want to see her. Emily had made friends with a lot of the professors, especial the guards who taught weapons. Maybe one of them wanted to see her for something?
Walking in Havardr’s main building she waved at Eleanora who was helping a student. Eleanora waved back and continued helping the student. Emily had memorized they layout of the building so she took the right hallway, then turned right again at the first intersection. Offices where on either side of this hallway and Emily passed several doors before she found room 114.
Opening the door she walked confidently into it then stopped dead.
“Well hello young lady you owe me over a hundred small gold coins.”
“Fuck!”
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Emily was deciding if she should flee or not when she noticed an imposing guard in full armor standing next to the door she had just barged through. A crest with a rearing station was painted on his chest armor proclaiming him a Knight, meaning Emily had zero chance of getting away.
Sighing Emily walked to the empty chair face Count Edmund Swift, the same count whose house she had broken into and stolen twelve large gold coins form.
Count Swift continued to talk as if Emily’s outburst had not happened.
“I came to the Capital for the noble gathering and much to my surprise the servants reported missing food and clothing. I was farther surprise when I realized the books in my office have been disturbed. When I check my desk you can imagine my dismay when I realized a significant amount of money was missing.” The count recounted calmly.
‘That is a joke’ Emily thought while, yes, the amount of money was a lot for normal people, for a count it was pocket change. Unless the count was a lot worse off than Emily thought possible. Nobles did get into financial trouble form time to time but usually the lender just used it as leverage to blackmail nobles.
“I summoned the runesmith that installed the security devices and demanded an explanation. Do you know what he said?” The count looked questioning at Emily.
Emily decided to play innocent, though her outburst walking in gave lie to that. “No I have no clue what the runesmith said, although if someone did break into your house you should probably find a better runesmith.” Emily answered sweetly.
There was a choked off laugh behind Emily. The count sent a glare over Emily’s shoulder.
“Yes well the runesmith reported and I quote, ‘Whoever broke in was a barbarian who used a rock as a lock pick, I have seen giant trolls with more finesse, whoever did this should be hanged for being so incompetent.”
The mention of hanging did not make Emily feel better. The count could easily have her killed for theft.
“Well that seems harsh. Someone did make it pass the security he installed, so maybe he is a little biased?”
Another choked off laugh erupted behind her.
“Well he was smart enough to recreate the mana signature added to the security device, and you can image my surprise at finding out it is a six year old without a class.”
“Hey now, I am seven!”
The guard could not hold it and burst out laughing. The count shot a seething glare to his knight. “Yes well I do not care how old you are, I am here to get you to sign this document or the city guards will arrest you.” So saying he pulled out a document form his bag of holding and handed it to Emily.
Emily took the document and quickly read it. “Hey this says I need to repay three hundred small gold coins!” Emily shouted shocked.
“Yes that is double what you stole and an added fee for the aggravation of having me personal come to this place. I would have sent a letter but I did not want you to flee.”
This told Emily several things, that the count could not abduct her at the academy, that the count did not want to send a servant to talk to the academy’s administration about the theft, and most importantly, that the count did not want to make this public. Given a nobles reputation was dearer to them than any amount of money, Emily had a small chance to negotiate, a very small chance, minuscule even.
“Well, and I am not saying I broke into your mansion, but hypothetical, if someone did break into your house, are you not relieved it was someone not out to hurt you? And it showed you a weakness in your security to get fixed, so if someone who did want to hurt you next time, that person will be thwarted trying? I dare say you should pay the person who pointed this security flaw out to you.”
This set the guard off in another fit of laughter. “Shut up Edger.” The count snapped as he glared at Emily. “That is the most asinine speech I have ever heard and I have to listen to my fellow nobles all day at the noble gathering.”
“Milord she does have a point. A point I routinely bring up to you.” Knight Edger interjected on Emily’s behalf.
“Yes, yes, that I should not relay on runic security wholly and need more guards beside you.”
Emily waited as the count thought. “Fine I will graciously lower the amount to two hundred small gold coins.” Emily did not want press her luck but decided to push a little. “But Milord as Knight Edger pointed out this proved you needed better security. Is the not worth something, say another fifty small gold?” Emily asked letting a small plea enter her voice.
The count was not amused. “You break in my house, steal my food, steal my clothes, steal my money, and want to repay barely more than you stole?”
Emily decided to try using another approach. “But Milord, my mother was murdered just a week before the breakin, the day of the breakin, I was assaulted and badly beaten, the church of the sun can attest to my almost dying. What would you have a poor homeless little girl to do?” Emily tried to put the most woebegone expression she could on her face.
The count’s glare did not weaken, if anything it deepened. After long seconds dragged out, finally he sighed in frustration. “Fine one hundred and fifty gold and not a gold less!”
“Thank you Milord. You are very kind, understanding, and the paragon of nobility!”
Before he could respond Emily crossed out the three hundred gold and replaced it with one hundred and fifty gold, then stabbed her finger with quill tip and pressed the bloody finger onto the contract. A bright flash showed the contract was made.
To Emily’s benefit everyone was considered a child until they received their first class. The contract could not be enforced on a child, according to the Empire’s laws Emily had found out. This meant the contract gave her a two year leeway to repay the count and did not start until after her first ascension ritual. She wondered if the count realized that.
Emily had been able to send repayment to the church of the sun, and with her purchases since, had forty-seven small gold, leaving her to come up with just over a hundred small gold. There were ways to borrow the money, some better, some not so good, that she could try. It all depended on her class.
With that Emily stood up, said goodbye to the count, and made her escape.