K : "... Ugh..."
Pouring the last of that brown syrup from the cup into his mouth, Katachi swallowed hard at the slimy brown liquid. Its texture and viscosity was preceded only by its amazing healing effects, but the taste itself would not forgive its utility. It was therefore favoured not by the nobles, but rather the commonfolk.
Experiencing the taste again firsthand, Katachi can only worry for Deku, whom has promised the students that he would be drinking this brown syrup for a whole month. It was worrisome in that he would have to gorge down this disgusting syrup for a whole month in replacement for water, but at least he would not have any tiny cuts or superficial injuries on his body since they would have been healed.
Katachi placed the wooden cup into the bin and headed towards the exit, but he was interrupted halfway by a senior he is familiar with. A senior with four blonde braids, and a dynamic body.
Ba : "Ahh, Katachi, you're over here?"
K : "... ? Bael?"
Ba : "Congratulations on defeating Deku back there, Katachi! I didn't know you were, uhm..."
K : "... were... what?"
Bael's face reddens, and turns away in embarrassment.
Ba : "... That... Powerful..."
Bael's eyes reflected a strange light, one Katachi couldn't quite word it. That light was similar to disbelief, though. Far, far too similar. She probably didn't expect Katachi to actually be powerful enough to beat Deku. Doubting his combat potential was bad on her part, which made her speaking awkward.
K : "Oh, er, not... Not really. Deku didn't fight at his fullest, so it wasn't that hard to beat him."
Katachi, on the other hand, has always stuttered with his words and so it has become sort of a bad habit on him - It wasn't surprising to see him trying to cough his own words out.
Ba : "... Katachi, it's not good to lie..."
K : "... About what?"
Ba : "I know Deku for these past 3 years. He may be foolish and childish to play bets like that, but that's because he uses those as a motivation to win. He wouldn't want to lose on purpose. If you didn't beat him at his full power, then it's probably either you have a power that can restrict him, or you somehow forced him to lose."
Katachi's palms turned sweaty at "power that can restrict him". It was a clear, accurate description of what exactly happened - She had obviously seen the match. Did they see it? Did they notice the two golden words glowing at the top of the mound of sand? They didn't catch on to it during Deku's first attack, did they?
Ba : "... What were you using back there?"
Katachi had to think fast. Being confronted directly, he had to come up with yet another convincing argument.
K : (Come on... Think... Think... ! Deku mentioned something called the Light prism back at our little conversation...) "Uhm... It's called Light Prism. It's... It's using sunlight to seal off the movements of the golem."
Bael's eyes widened slightly, since she hadn't heard of Soltak's Reincarnate Art being capable of that before. It was convincing not because it fit the description of what happened; Rather, it was believable because the records on Soltak's Reincarnate Art were so scarce, that it was often easier to trust the person explaining it than some author who didn't know it thoroughly.
Ba : "... That sounds cool."
K : (... I think she bought the lie. That's a relief.) "Uhm, Bael, listen... I... I'd need to sketch out the map you lent to me, so I'm in a... uh... kind-of in a rush..."
Ba : (He's worried about that?) "Oh, that? You don't need to rush that. You can return me the map anytime."
K : "Yes, bu- but I would feel like I'd be... imposing on you..."
Ba : (Imposing on me? How cute... He's like a little puppy, wanting to love me in the only way it knows how! He's just... So... ADORABLE!!!)
K : "... Bael?"
Ba : (Haa... I'm imagining him with puppy ears, arf!-ing at me! I'm so excited!!!)
K : (... She's in a daze again, looking at me all funny. Is that my cue to leave?... I'll leave...)
Katachi scuttered quickly out of resting area, leaving a googly-eyed Bael in a daze.
*** ***
Be : "Come in, mister Kotsuba, come in."
Without even knocking on the door, Katachi was invited into the office, this time by the creepy, smiling green-attired principal with the slime hat still on his head. The other lady, Shelly, seems to have gone off to work on other matters, because she isn't there anymore.
K : "... How do you guys even know that I'm outside the office in the first place? Did you two apply some form of see-through magic on the door?"
Be : "Oh, not really. It's quite simple, really - When someone steps on the carpet outside, this flap unclips itself and drops down."
Pointing at a flap on the wall, Bertund demonstrated its function by pulling the flap out and closing it back in. It squeaked and made a solid sound when the leather strips are stretched to its fullest allowed, further demonstrating its usefulness.
Be : "It's pretty easy to tell if someone is outside the door, just loitering around, or has just arrived. This is so useful that we've learnt to automatically close it and call people in whenever it opens."
K : "... Huh. Interesting... construct."
Be : "I should say. I'm glad this was implemented. So, I've heard from Shelly just now - You wanted to discuss something with me? Is it about adding yet another course to your curriculum?"
K : "... Yes. !! I mean, no! No. Uhm... Missus Shelly couldn't teach me any water magic at all, because she isn't good with it. So, I was... I was hoping you'd teach me water magic."
Hearing that, Bertund maintained his creepy smile, and stood up silently. He walked towards the bookshelf in the room, picked up a book, and began flipping through its contents.
Be : "That is an interesting offer, mister Kotsuba. But, the thing is, I don't teach magic for free, you see. If you were to request for a normal teacher to assist you in basic spells and the like, it would be fine and free of charge. But, as the principal of this school and a head figure for the aspiring magi, I cannot simply teach someone a spell."
K : "... Why not?"
Bertund paused the flipping and looked at Katachi, with a slightly wider smile on his face.
Be : "Because, mister Kotsuba, when I teach magic, that is a 100% guarantee that you will not just learn, but master it."
K : "!!"
Be : "I can teach anything and everything about whatever magic I've managed to learn myself. And that is the reason why I am the principal, not a teacher - If I simply allow a mere, talentless student to study under my supervision, they will quite literally become a second me. The elemental affinities, the limitations of astrology and lore, even the most advanced spells, all of the tough reading and researching, the construction of mediums and weapons, all of that can be negated under my proficient teachings. That wouldn't be nice if everyone is as powerful as the principal now, would it?"
K : (... From the way he phrases that, I'm guessing that anyone who studies under him will learn everything his way... Does he have a kind of magic to transfer his knowledge to others, allowing them to master the spells as well as he does?) "..."
Be : "That is why I cannot afford to teach a student for free, unlike the free education the other teachers here provide. This academy is, after all, a place to nurture, ripen and foster the power of potential magi. It is not a factory for producing Sorceror-class magi. If you wish to learn a certain spell, you would have to pay."
K : (... Pay? Isn't this an academy that doesn't require payment?) "... Pay? Pay in what terms?..."
Be : "As you probably have guessed, my favorite food, is roasted newt. My favorite hat, is slime. And my favorite color, is green. If you wish to learn a basic spell, offer me something green. If you wish to learn an intermediate spell, fetch me a slime, or a slime-related by-product. If you wish to learn an advanced spell, you would have to actually catch and roast a newt for me by yourself. Those are my terms."
K : "... Why the funky currency?"
Bertund's smile faded a little, and he began reading the book he was holding.
Be : "... There are children around who rely on their parents' money, in order to obtain fame, fortune, status and power. I despise those who would use gold for bribery - And you may have noticed, but about a third of the students here are rich. Some of our students here have families rich enough to purchase this entire academy. That would distort the fair, balanced learning environment this place is supposed to be, would it not? Is that not defying the wishes of Sage Raufid himself?"
K : "... I guess you're right..."
Be : "... So, mister Kotsuba. You now know what you need to do. What have you to offer me?"
K : (... I'll go get a newt then.) "... I'll be right back."
Katachi exited the room silently, with a determined look in his eyes.
*** ***
Two and a half hours later, Katachi arrived at the principal's office once again.
K : "Bertund? Are you in there?"
Be : "Come in, mister Kotsuba."
Opening the door, Katachi was greeted by Bertund, and another teacher in the room. This teacher looked familiar, to say the least - His upper torso was bigger than his lower torso, and he looked like a gorilla human.
Be : "Well, Yorn, let us discuss this some other time- ..."
Katachi was holding a cage in his hand.
Y : "... ! ...Well, if you would excuse me. I will take my leave now."
The teacher Yorn slowly edged his way out of the room, avoiding collision with the furniture and Katachi.
With the door closed behind him, Katachi could openly discuss with Bertund on his issues again.
Be : "... Well, I was expecting a roasted newt, but you actually went and caught a live newt?"
K : "... Segus forbids killing."
Be : "Right, of course. I believe Mother Rinnesfeld mentioned something along those lines in her recommendation letter?"
K : "... Yeah. Specifically, though, she... She mentioned that the church, which, well, we lived in, served Segus, so it wasn't... very... clear..."
Be : "It's fine, because the message got through. *observes newt* This newt... Yes, yes, this is good. Not quite an adult yet, but it will be one very soon."
Bertund nodded in approval to Katachi's gift.
Be : "So, you wanted to learn an advanced spell?"
Katachi placed the cage on the desk, and sat on the chair opposite the principal's seat.
K : "... Yes. A-and I'd like to learn one that can accustom to me and my needs properly."
Be : "... Yes, well, mister Kotsuba, I've noticed your combat patterns today, from the observation deck. But, are you sure you want an advanced spell? It might not be of great use to you in the tournament."
K : "? It won't?"
Be : "No, not in the slightest. The Young Magus tournament has rather specific limitations, where you are only allowed the wooden weapon you have with you, as well as any magic you are able to cast with your weapon, or by yourself. Even if, say, I do teach you one, it would require a rather large magic circle made entirely from, say, sand. You would have to draw the circle in the sand while avoiding the attacks from the other magi, and stopping the opponents from disrupting the circle. Unless, of course, the circle requires your opponent to be in a specific position. That's not an easy maneuver to perform neither, especially without practice. And, pulling tricks like that are often to force the opponent to move and counter before you can pull it off, or to lure them into a bigger trap. If you'd like to learn a bigger trap to go along with it, that would require another newt."
K : "..."
Katachi's head drooped a little at the news.
Be : "... Don't worry. You've presented me a newt anyway, so I shall teach magic of value equivalent to this offer. How about a couple of useful, fast-casting, basic spells, and some advice?"
Katachi's spirit raised upon the mention of 'fast-casting'.
K : "... I guess that's not too bad..."
Be : "Very well. Let's begin with the advice then - Every little bit helps, does it not?"
K : "... I... I guess."
Be : "Okay. Did you know, that your 定 is actually capable of 锁定, which means 'lock'?"
Katachi was taken aback at the sudden, random trivia.
K : "... I thought we were learning water magic!"
Be : "Ahh, but I said 'some advice', did I not? I did not specify what advice I would give. Besides, an advice on your own Word of Power is far greater than any advice I can give on magic you don't even know yet."
K : (... Bertund makes sense... 锁定, huh... That sounds really good.) "... I guess... That is nice to know, but why would knowing this be good for me?"
Be : "Because knowing that allows you to use your 定 to lock other objects, to lock chests, doors, and... Well, that's a hint big enough for you. You can figure out what you want to do with this knowledge."
K : (... That's really good to know. Locking, huh... So, if the bamboo scroll is right, basically, I can lock anything that is below the word's raw precedence level...) "... Okay...? So, can we touch on water magic now?"
Be : "Very well. I understand how important water magic is to you as an alternative, so just relax already, mister Kotsuba."
Katachi leaned back against the chair's backrest comfortably.
Be : "Just one last thing before we begin, mister Kotsuba. Let's review your strategy for battling - You like to head in for close-range combat, and clash at the magi in that uncomfortable zone. That's a good strategy against magi, if I may say so myself. Did you learn that somewhere beforehand?"
K ; "... Yes. There were these bamboo books laying outside one of the Mielfeud townsfolk's house, so I picked them up and carried them to the library to read... One of these... One of these books was about how people have generic fighting styles and how each could be countered in that fashion. For war- Warriors, pacing about and dodging their strikes, or out... Out- Outranging them was best, and for magi, it was, uhm, well, to get into a close range, and have them focus on their immediate space so they...So they stop supporting their team-mates and try to survive."
Be : "From your description, I'm guessing the book's name was Gnote's Findel Guide to Paganism Survival?"
K : "!! Yes, that's the one!"
Be : "I see. So, you already know that much. But the book isn't dedicated to magi, or assassins, or warriors, or anybody besides pagans like Gnote himself. It won't help a whole lot, but it certainly did improve your strategic thinking.... Hmm..."
K : "... ?"
Be : "... Very well! I'll start teaching you water magic now. You're going to LOVE these - I guarantee it."
*** ***
A long day of battling finally simmers down into a peaceful night.
Katachi put down the chalk and charcoal in his hands. He folded up the two maps, and placed them neatly on the side of the small desk.
(... I'm finally finished with the map...)
Looking up at the moonlit sky, a half-moon shone across the scenery outside his window.
(Tomorrow's going to be a big day, huh... The semifinals and the finals together on the same day. And I sure as hell hope I don't have to fight him at all.)
Staring at the night sky, Katachi immersed himself in his own thoughts.
(Well, if all else fails, I'll rely on the Word of Power then. But that should only be a last resort. If I can, I want to settle the battles with the rest of them as soon as possible with these new techniques... But what will they think? If they truly believe that I am using Child of Sun, won't it be very strange to suddenly know water spells?...)
The smell of sand, soil and the uncomfortable itch and stickness across his body broke him out of his trance - He hasn't bathed yet. For the whole day, he had been running around, rolling, tumbling and fighting on the sandy dunes of Cosmatral Tlod, dug around Cosmatral Neud and hunted for a newt, and by the time he realized the dirty uniform he has, it was already night.
(... It's almost 9... The curfew begins in a short while. I should use this time to bathe instead.)
Walking towards the door, Katachi took off the sandy jacket and headed towards the bathroom.
*** ***
The bathroom wasn't exactly a bathroom - It was essentially a huge bathing space. There were many outlets for water to flow through, but they were all connected to a single source - A single tank enchanted with an Urdythari's unending tears spell.
(... I'm surprised how nobody's here at this hour! Maybe it was because there's no actual lessons today that the students can bathe at their own time, so they chose to do it early?... Huh. I guess not all students want to bathe late in the night.)
Katachi undressed his uniform, neatly unfolded his towel, and hung them on the racks.
(For the uniform, well... I'll probably have to wash it another day, because I won't have enough time to bathe if I don't... Or, I could simply use the cleaning spell, but it's costly...)
Katachi was debating over whether to wash the uniform himself, or to have it cleaned by magic.
(There's no one around... I guess I'll use magic to clean it this time.)
Grabbing a tiny piece of gold, Katachi took advantage of the fact that he was the only one in the bathing space.
(恒定! Constant status - Gold!)
A tiny 定 was placed over the small piece of gold. Katachi placed that piece of gold in the center of the magic circle, and the shirt began to move on its own. The sand and the stains were all expulsed outward forcefully, and it was clean in an instant. Grabbing the gold from the magic circle, the shirt began falling down and Katachi grabbed it before it landed on the wet ground.
Katachi repeated the process for all of his other garments, while washing his own body. When it was all done, Katachi removed the Word of Power on the gold, and placed it into his gold pouch. Glancing around the empty bathing space, Katachi smiled to himself silently.
(... Excellent... Nobody's around to see it.)
Dressing into his sleepwear, Katachi was suddenly forced to walk out of the bathroom with all of his items. He just barely managed to pull his pants up in time before he exited the bathing area.
(! It must be time for curfew now... Well, at least I got the clothes clean.)
Katachi walked back to his own room, whether he wanted to or not - The curfew was in effect. Folding the clean clothes properly, Katachi placed them aside and prepared for bed.
(... Mother Rin... I don't know when I can visit you, since I'm not even sure myself how long I'd stay in this school, so I don't think I can keep the promise of visiting you every few lunar cycles... Please stay safe, Mother Rin.)
Slowly, Katachi dozed off into a light sleep.
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