"Science is amazing, science is powerful, but science is also immoral. We are the ones that give it meaning, the ones that can either make it the most maleficent evil, or the most gracious good. Remember that, and remember it well. It is one of the founding principles of science, and all types of actions and thoughts." – a scientific philosopher
The academy of Irkshire, known as the Irkian academy, is one of world renown, and one that sponsors the practice of rogue magic.
Just five days before Alex goes to the police station, class is in session at the Irkian academy.
In that academy, a single classroom fills with third-year students who amble to the open seats, bags dropping to the ground once they find one. In this way, the back of the room to the front is filled with students. After being seated, they stare aimlessly with their bag-lined eyes, no doubt from one day to many of all-nighters.
A taller, older man enters. His mutations make him stand out, his pointed ears, and bulbous nose, clearly being unnatural to his original design. This man walks in with a cart, and then leaves it and walks up to the podium. He starts speaking in a nasally voice.
"Class, today you will be taking your first step on the path to becoming true mages. This is the class of the bio-mage, not like that nonsense you take in the 'standardized' or 'mage' classes, no." The professor shakes his head and then slams his fist onto the podium, "Today, my students, you shall experience your first taste of the mixed power of biology, magic, and science that makes the bio-mage so powerful." The man exclaims his hand raised up in a dramatic pose, while the students' attention is drawn to the noise and teacher, "You shall experience the power that makes rouge mages so feared, and how they are able to continue existing despite how most the world detests them." The man exits from behind his podium and walks closer to the front row of students, "Normally, to get this kind of education, one would have to apprentice themselves to a rogue mage, enduring horrifying experiments when the other subjects would run out. That's how I got these right here." The man points to his unnatural features, "Bio-magic is not something to play around with, that being said I'm here to guide you, and because of the contract with the school I signed, and the large sum they paid me, you can skip getting unwanted deformities."
The man takes a deep breath.
"Even though I am here for your studies, don't pay attention at your own risk. I can only fix so much stupidity after all."
The man smiles, and the class laughs.
"For our first lesson we will be absorbing the essence of an organ, those who feel squeamish should leave the class now, you should know it will only get worse from here," this turns the students' faces grim, "Can I ask for some volunteers to help hand them out?"
For a moment, the classroom is silent, and then two students raise their hands. The man looks at them for a moment before laughing, "Two volunteers, eh? Well, you two probationary teacher's pets, get down here." This causes the two students in question to blush in shame while the rest of the class laughs, as they descended the stairs.
"This should be a lesson to you all when dealing with rogue mages. Never volunteer, you're less likely to get an unwanted deformity."
The class gets quieter.
"Okay, you two, let's get on with it. Make sure to pass out each package to the student with the corresponding name, got it?"
The students nod.
This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
As the students start calling names and passing them out, the professor continues speaking, "They will be passed out in accordance with class rank, the better your rank, the better the part."
Once the packages are passed out, some students look eager to open them, others less so, "Before you open them, we will need to go over a few things. First, they are covered in a perpetual freezing spell, which is feeding off the energy in the organ. So, when you open them, they're going to be cold, now that you're warned, I don't want any squealing. You're not pigs, you're mages."
The professor waits for affirmation, and the students nod.
"What you do with these is pretty simple, you do something similar to what you would do with a magic stone, except organs are much cheaper and common. You've all had an absorption class, so you should have no trouble there." The eccentric professor continues without waiting for a response, "One last thing before you eager youngins can open them. All of these are sourced from death row inmates as according to the law, does anyone know the reason why this is? If any of you need a hint, it's the same reason why a person can't per se, sell part of their liver for the purpose."
A hand raises from the left-back of the classroom. The teacher takes off his shoe and throws it at him, and it hits the poor student in the face. The rest of the class goes silent except for a few snickers, which are quickly met with the hard gaze of the professor.
"What did I tell you all about volunteering. Don't do it unless you want to get killed in this profession. Since you already have, would you mind telling the rest of the class your conjecture? Once you're finished, please return the shoe as well."
The student rubs their nose, which is now red and swelling, and starts talking in a nasally voice matching the teachers, probably caused by the recent shoe, "It' imple, it due to the magic interference."
"Ding Ding Ding, correct. If we intern magic from a creature that is still living they can use it to control us to an extent, even if we fully merge it. This is why this method isn't used on magic beast products, and those that do are called beast knights who are forever tied to the beast in question as a slave to their master. There are some rumors that the nobility started that way, but I doubt it. They probably committed to a contract which is a tad different, but that's not important right now. It's also one of the two different ways to acquire a mutation, bio-magic being the other, of course. We don't want to be slaves, so we don't do it. The only way the flesh of beasts is used is for concentrating devices nowadays, and some mad experiments. Oh, and Able, you might want to get that looked at."
Able gives the teacher a harsh glare, before throwing his shoe back at him. The teacher catches it and gives a smile and a nod to the student.
The teacher returns to the podium, and starts tapping it with his fingers, "Is there anything else I need to mention, oh yes! The parts are distributed based off of your class rank. Have I already said that?" The teacher looks pensive for a moment, and the students uncomfortable. No one raises their hand or said anything though, they had already seen what happens when they do. None of them wanted that stinky shoe in the professor's other hand in their face. "Well, it doesn't matter. Well, open them up, and I'll start explaining the hierarchy of organs."
The students do so, and their faces scrunch in displeasure at the sight. The teacher notices this and glances at them, "Organs are never pleasing to see out of the body, but if you're going to get far in this profession, you're going to have to get used to them."
Students start poking their organs.
"Well, the hierarchy is the brain, the house of the soul, heart, the house of courage, and the second-highest place of magic concentration, the bone marrow and liver have a fair bit. Everywhere else has lower concentration, except for a few key exceptions which we'll get to later. For now, you just need to know that different parts can be used for different rituals, and the magic within them is 'shaped differently'."
The students start writing notes, the organs beside them on their desks.
"Now we get to the fun part, you, my friends, will get to increase your internal mana concentration today without going all barbarian and shutting down your pores! First, hold your respective organs in your hands and circulate." The class was in apprehension, and then the professor smiles, "It's as easy as that."
Some of the class gets started, while another portion starts poking their respective organ.
When one student raises their hand, clearly not having learned their lesson, and asks, "Professor Bernhart, the organ keeps collapsing, could you help me?"
The teacher starts laughing and holds his shoe up in his left hand while approaching the student.
Able looks at the brain on his desk and feels disgusted as it collapses a bit making a squelching noise.