Walking down the hallway, Katachi was interrupted by a student with a buzzcut, holding a box of wooden tablets. He seemed to have something to say to Katachi, because he walked to his front from his back on purpose.
"Hey, new kid. Who're you betting for?"
K : "Huh?"
Katachi stared at the student blankly upon hearing the word 'betting'. The word 'betting' alone seemed to hold a lot of weight, so just uttering it in the hallway itself seemed surprising for anybody.
K : "W-What do you mean, betting?"
"Well, the tournament on Friday has a few competitors. You can choose which student would get the championship, and one of the teachers, Mister Mint, is going to treat the students who manages to guess the winner right to a feast."
Katachi stepped back slightly at the otherworldly piece of good news. Mother Rin would have normally rebuked at how gambling and the like was bad, but the strange thing about it was that Segus mentioned nothing about abstaining from gambling.
*Cozy's Notes : Oh, I don't know, CONSIDER THE HISTORY OF SEGUS. You will find that he was far too poor to worry about stuff like gambling in the first place, of course he would have no comments over something he couldn't even afford to do in the first place.*
(I might want to try it, but that seems a bit risky... They even dragged a teacher into this...)
K : "Isn't... Isn't that against the school rules?"
"Well, think of it as a personal bet. If the students manage to guess correctly by luck or chance, they would have a nice treat for free. But if the students managed to guess the outcome using actual magic, then the treat is a prize and a form of encouragement for them. It's a bit sketchy, but what makes it good is that it doesn't pay to make a bet. Why not give it a go?"
Katachi leaned against the wall slightly.
K : (If what he says is true, then it wouldn't be bad for me to participate, since it's not actually gambling. I would just have to guess the winner by random. Although, I really want to win to get that, but it would be better to step back a bit, and shake attention off myself. Besides, I wouldn't want to end up doing something against Mother Rin or Segus should anything happen.)
K : "Uhm... Who can I choose?"
"Well, there's last year's champion, Deku, and the guy who fought him for the finals, Cillian, the semi-finalists last year, the potential magi like Zul, or Jason, or even Djinnje, but if you're feeling lucky or magical, you can try anyone you think will win."
K : "I guess... I'll guess Cillian."
"Cillian, huh? Okay then, place this on your circle."
Katachi picked a tablet from the tray the student was supporting with both arms, and held the wooden tablet with the name Cillian engraved onto the magic circle on his left arm. It glowed slightly as Katachi's name formed on a small corner of the tablet, in fine print.
"Good, good. Well, I hope your guess is right, new kid. Good luck!"
The student quickly broke conversation and leapt towards another student eagerly, in a fashion that seemed like he was getting paid for collecting those votes.
K : (... Well, that sure was interesting. But to think an event like this is so big, that such means are imployed... Whatever it is, I have to practice a lot.)
*** ***
"All participants, single file! Queue here to order the weapon you will be using!"
The various participants lined up in a straight line, taking turns to place their wooden pieces into the order boxes in the waiting area.
There was a unique ordering system for the tournament that the students had to participate in, should they want weapons to use during the tournament. The tournament strongly promotes using magic, but there will be cases where physical weapons are needed, be it for channeling a medium or for blocking magical projectiles. Real weapons would pose a a big threat, so participants had to order their own wooden weapons to use in the tournament.
Each student would use a wooden piece they were given on their magic circle, engraving their name onto it, and place the piece into a box tagged with whichever weapon they desired, for example a sword, or a spear, or polearm, or even the custom box. The school will proceed to supply that weapon to them. It was a safe method of ensuring that nobody could cheat during the tournament, since everyone would be getting their weapons right before the tournament.
Katachi waited patiently for his turn, but someone in front seemed to be making a show of some sort.
A student was apparently angry at something.
"This is ridiculous! There's no option for a bladestaff?! How am I supposed to use any of my Ohde magic?!"
"Look, you have two choices. You can choose a physical weapon for pitiful self-defense, or you can choose a wand or stave to channel better and boost your magic. You don't HAVE to get a bladesta-"
"But my magic revolves around the wave cutter! How am I supposed to use my magic without proper equipment?!"
"SHUT UP AND LISTEN, YOU DAMN FOOL!!!"
The line of students all froze at the teacher-in-charge's outrage.
Students would often respect and obey the teachers in this academy strictly, because every teacher held the power to place a demerit seal onto a student. A teacher can place a maximum of 3 demerit seals on a student, and the number of demerits a student has would affect how others interact with them in school. To talk back to a teacher requires either bravery, or pure stupidity.
"There's a customs box here, specially made for whiny ass-wipes like yourself who have to use a specific weapon. You can put your vote in, then request for a special order. DO YOU UNDERSTAND!?"
The student nodded his head in fear.
"... Good. Now make your choice already. There's at least two dozen others behind you, and we don't have all day."
The student put his wooden piece into the custom box, and mumbled something to the teacher. He then walked towards the exit, ashamed.
"Next!"
That call had repeated for a good number of times before it was finally Katachi's turn.
Approaching the table, Katachi looked at the small wooden boxes once more intently.
The small boxes have labels on them to indicate which weapon was to be manufactured should the wooden piece be placed into it. It was a surprisingly simplistic system for such an advanced, magical place. Inside the sword and spear boxes were quite a number of wooden pieces already.
K : (A lot of people chose swords and spears, huh... I'm not very good with a sword, and it'd only trouble me if I use both hands for a spear... Hmm... Sword or spear?)
Katachi switched back and forth between the two, unable to decide which was better.
The others behind him were getting impatient at his indecisiveness, and began jeering and rushing him.
"Hurry up, idiot!" "Pick up the pace!" "How much longer do I have to wait?!"
K : (Not good... The people behind me are urging me to hurry... I better choose one fast.)
Out of panic, Katachi's eyes swiveled all over the table, looking at other weapons as well. The polearm, mace, flail, axe, there were so many options available that it was easy to become confused by the ideal weapon of choice.
Finally, one caught his eye as comfortable.
Out of pure instinct, Katachi shifted his hand over the empty box labelled "Dagger", and let go.
The teacher-in-charge stared at Katachi placing his wooden piece into the box nobody had so much as given a second glance to. The boy was not sure whether that stare was in doubt or in disbelief, or a mixture of both.
"... Whatever your choice is, I'll respect your decision, kid. I'm just saying, it's very brave of you to emphasize on speed rather than reach."
K : "Uhh... Thanks."
Taking a left, Katachi exited the area.
*** ***
The next morning, a small crowd gathered at the announcement board.
Katachi had already completed the assigned course within a single lesson, which means he was now completely free on every single day besides Tuesday, where he had a course on magic affinity. With time to spare on a Thursday, he went towards the board as well, out of curiosity.
K : (? What are they gathering for?)
The students were crowding at the strangely-shaped board that rested on a peculiar stand, or pillar. It made the board look like it was toppling over, but it wasn't. It had been slightly more than a week since Katachi arrived, so he was already used to a spectacle like such.
On the board showed the tournament participant layout.
It seems that the students will be divided into two divisions, which will then reconnect to determine one final champion. The information about the battle rules and judging system were also displayed to the right. After reading the judging system and the rules in battle, Katachi went down to the main topic at hand - His own placement on the tournament.
K : (... ! I'm in the same division as Cillian... Cillian de Vorsche... ?)
"Hey all you people, look, Cillian and Trug are already in the same preliminary division. We're in for a good show."
K : (Wasn't Cillian the guy I betted for?... Looks like I've picked a tough fight...
... Where's that Mafer person? Is he in here?)
Katachi glanced around at the divisions, and finally found Mafer's name - Right next to Deku.
K : (! He's going to fight last year's champion for the preliminaries? That's... That's a surprise...
... Is Bael in this tournament?)
Squeezing his way through the crowd, Katachi looked and pondered for a good long 10 minutes - To no avail. Bael's name was not present at all amidst the 32 participants.
K : (Huh. She didn't participate. That trap she laid back then was actually pretty dangerous, she should have signed up for this if she was already that powerful. She might potentially win the tournament... But, then again, her not participating is good too, that's one less competitor to deal with.)
"Hey, new kid."
K : (?)
Katachi spun around, and saw a student with a buzzcut looking at him.
K : (The guy from yesterday...) "Oh, it's you again."
"Yeah. What name were you looking for? You've been staring and searching since I came, and I've been here for 5 minutes."
K : "Oh, er, nothing. I was just looking for the name of a friend."
The student chuckled a bit at Katachi's response.
"Worrying about someone else's safety before your own, new kid? You'd be wiped out early with that kind of attitude."
The student then left, leaving Katachi bewildered at the insult.
K : (... That guy... How rude! If I ever fight him, so help me, I will prove him wrong.)
With a new resolve burning within himself, Katachi forced his way out of the crowd, and towards the field.
*** ***
Having no lessons meant that Katachi was free to do anything he wanted in the academy. That included anything within the rules, as well as personal training sessions that normal students with jam-packed curriculums would never have the time for.
Katachi stood alone in the field, with the sun at the 9am mark. He was merely sitting on a sandy patch, meditating calmly.
The field was empty because lessons for students would normally start at 9am. The students' rituals they had to perform would take up a lot of time, to around a couple of hours at least, so the students were given leeway to perform their rituals at 6.30am in the morning. For those with short prayers, they could spend the two hours however they liked, but by 9am they still had to attend any lessons they still had.
Katachi felt happy and free, for he was not bound by this limiter at all.
He had pretty much completed his course on the first lesson, because of the specifics the Words of Power had. After all, there was an unspoken rule amidst the Scholars, people who wielded the Words of Power.
The Words of Power, when challenging each other, worked on a special and highly numerical system known as Precedence Levels. Because of such a deadpan, inorganic system, it was as good as suicide to teach another Scholar the meanings of their symbols.
K : (... The teacher had been smart to limit what he taught. Although it was smart, it's not quite good enough.
... I hope my trump card is still in effect.)
Katachi got up, and walked under a tree beyond the boundary of the open field. Picking up a branch, he snapped a stick off of it, and began fiddling and twiddling with the stick around his finger.
K : (The trump card aside, I have to make sure he doesn't get an advantage over me at all. The books from the library so far doesn't seem to be beneficial at all, but maybe... Just maybe...)
He began slashing at the air with the stick in his hand.
K : (In any case, I'd have to try to win the tournament as fast as I can. The first lesson itself is a hairline crack on the mirror just waiting to shatter and ruin it completely. I have to gamble everything at this one junction. Whether I succeed or fail... I'll have to plan for it only after I know the outcome.)
Practicing the simple parrying and stabbing techniques from an Ohde book, Katachi continually stabbed and slashed at the air, his mind and conscious completely separate from his actions.
K : (... I might need Bertund's help on that and that... Best not to assume this flimsy plan might actually work. I need to raise my precedence level as quickly as possible. That's my safest option right now, since it's the only way I'm ever going to beat Rekter...
... I'll go ask him after I finish practicing this.)
Sunday 30 December 2012
Friday 21 December 2012
Chapter 8 : Sneaky_Sneaky
The halls in the Sage Raufid Magus Academy were filled with a special redirectional magic.
It was a type of magic that could mentally control a person to move about the school without fear of getting lost and the like. It could also be modified into a magic that forces people to move away from a spot or zone, or to go to a specific zone, like the students' rooms and dorms themselves. This allowed rules and the like to be set - Students were not allowed to venture into the halls after curfew, and male students were not allowed to go towards the female bathrooms, and so on.
(恒定! Constant status - Self!)
And now it no longer affected Katachi.
Sneaking out of his room quietly, Katachi scurried towards the library at the same pace as he had left the room.
Because the magic was no longer affecting him, Katachi was allowed free movement in the school. But, being immune meant that he had to find the library via his own effort, which required actual memory work.
Katachi was not made for that memory work.
(I sort of remember it being up the stairs or something...? I went up, up, left, down, or... Wait, where is this?)
And so Katachi spent 20 minutes walking around the school cluelessly.
*** ***
Halfway on a blind search, Katachi stumbled upon a rather interesting scene.
There was a boy and girl sitting on one of the benches in the halls. Noticing them, he quickly hid behind a pillar, camouflaged by its shadows well.
K : (This shouldn't been possible - The curfew should be in effect! Who are those two?)
"This is so romantic! I've never done this before...What if we get found out?"
D : "Shh, shh, we won't get busted. I promise."
K : (!!! ... Dante? What's he doing out here?)
Peeking around the corner, Katachi saw Dante and the girl undressing themselves.
K : (... ! They haven't noticed me yet?... I am so glad I went barefooted instead of wearing my usual wooden sabots...)
In their hands appears to be some sort of wooden tag, that has 方針 carved onto it. As they attempted to undress themselves, they made sure to hold onto the tag tightly.
K : (... I don't know what the words on that tag means, but whatever it is, it must be responsible for letting them stay out here without being affected by the magic. They're clutching it tightly, so does it block the magic or something?)
D : "Show me that beautiful ass, Sherayal. I wanna see it reflect the moonlight into my eyes."
The girl proceeded to hook the panties with her pinkies, and slip her underwear off.
K : (That Sherayal girl is undressing? For Dante? What could anyone possibly see in him-... Wait, this is no time to be worrying about something like this!...)
Patiently, Katachi awaited for the two of them to drop their guard fully. As they got to the primed position of inserting their respective genitals...
K : (... ! Chance! 固定! Fixate position - Sherayal! Fixate position - Dante!)
A golden word formed on the girl's stomach and Dante's bare back.
K : (... Good! They can't move at all...)
Waiting for a few seconds to ensure that they really couldn't move, Katachi sneaked up behind them. They were both facing the same direction, so it was easy enough to do it unnoticed. Forcing the wooden tags to slip from the girl's hands was easy since she held it with three fingers, but Dante's gripping position was rather strong, so a little more effort was needed to take the tag out of his immobilized hand.
Keeping himself as silent as possible, Katachi made sure they could not see him at all, and left.
K : (... You two stay there. Whatever you did, or was about to do, is definitely not part of the school rules... I think.)
Hiding back to the same corner, Katachi made final preparations.
K : (Anyone can see those words if I just leave them on the stomach and back. I should hide them as well... 固定! Fixate position - Sherayal! Fixate position - Dante!)
The words on her stomach and his back faded off, and reformed around their ankles, where their own garments were hiding the words.
K : (Much better. Now, which way is it to the library...?)
*** ***
While walking aimlessly, Katachi observed the wooden tags he had just received.
(There are a lot of strange characters that look to be of an Anikan origin, and I can't seem to understand them at all... If only there was some sort of dictionary, or something... Ow!)
Katachi had walked right into a wall.
Having no redirectional magic to assist him meant there was no way to guide him to walk properly, and to avoid any obstacles, including walls. It was normal for inattentive students like Katachi to collide themselves against such obstacles.
K : "Ahahahaha... Huh?"
Rubbing and massaging his head, Katachi looked up, to see the Library entrance to his right.
K : (... I found it. What luck.)
Katachi headed into the library with haste.
K : (The Anik history section... It should be here.)
*** ***
Following the exact same route he took to the library, Katachi reached the junction where Dante and the Sherayal girl was.
Standing there, observing them, was a peculiar green-loving principal wearing a crisp green tuxedo and matching pants, with white gloves and a slime hat.
K : (...!!! Bertund?! But... It's not even 5am!)
B : "I've had reports from teachers that their tags went missing. You know, I wouldn't find it surprising if you were behind it, Dante, but of all people to do it with, it was you, Sherayal?"
The principal shook his head. While doing so, the funny slime top hat he was wearing swayed along with his head's inertia.
B : "... It pains my heart to know that even a marvellous student like you can be shaken by bestiality. You two should know clearly the consequences for illicit sexual relations and activities in school. Thievery, violation of curfew and illicit sexual activity... That's three strikes in one convenient package."
The principal's right glove glowed yellow, and the slime top hat changed its shape to a viscous wizard hat with a crooked top.
What Bertund did next had been simple.
He patted the magic circles on the left arms of both Dante and Sherayal with his glowing right hand.
The magic circles on their arms glowed yellow, and faded off. Dante and Sherayal froze there, still unable to move.
K : (... Oh, right! The words are still on them...)
The words on their ankles wore off silently.
D : "Huh? What... What happened? I couldn't move at all?"
S : "D-D-Dante, look at what you've done! I'm expelled now! You liar, you had better take responsibility for this!!!"
B : "You two, come with me. Right now."
Bertund signaled the two stude-... ex-students to his side, and stormed off.
The two, dressing themselves hastily to cover their revealing parts, quickly followed the principal.
K : (... That was close. Bertund didn't seemed to have noticed me.)
Katachi sighed in relief as the three turned a corner.
K : (That was really cool, though. His hat can actually change its shape like that...)
Satisfied with that night's outcome, Katachi rested on the bench Dante was at, and waited for the 5am chime. He placed the tags still with him onto the bench, in false pretense that the two left it on the benches accidentally.
The curfew would be lifted for students to prepare and dress themselves up at 5am. If he can avoid being detected for that long, he could pretend that he just woke up and was heading towards the bath to wash up.
Just a few minutes later, the bell rang. It's 5am now - Katachi was officially safe to be outside, and no teacher could accuse him for defying curfew.
Removing the Word of Power hidden on his chest, Katachi headed for a nearby bathroom naturally, as if nothing of the sort happened.
It was a type of magic that could mentally control a person to move about the school without fear of getting lost and the like. It could also be modified into a magic that forces people to move away from a spot or zone, or to go to a specific zone, like the students' rooms and dorms themselves. This allowed rules and the like to be set - Students were not allowed to venture into the halls after curfew, and male students were not allowed to go towards the female bathrooms, and so on.
(恒定! Constant status - Self!)
And now it no longer affected Katachi.
Sneaking out of his room quietly, Katachi scurried towards the library at the same pace as he had left the room.
Because the magic was no longer affecting him, Katachi was allowed free movement in the school. But, being immune meant that he had to find the library via his own effort, which required actual memory work.
Katachi was not made for that memory work.
(I sort of remember it being up the stairs or something...? I went up, up, left, down, or... Wait, where is this?)
And so Katachi spent 20 minutes walking around the school cluelessly.
*** ***
Halfway on a blind search, Katachi stumbled upon a rather interesting scene.
There was a boy and girl sitting on one of the benches in the halls. Noticing them, he quickly hid behind a pillar, camouflaged by its shadows well.
K : (This shouldn't been possible - The curfew should be in effect! Who are those two?)
"This is so romantic! I've never done this before...What if we get found out?"
D : "Shh, shh, we won't get busted. I promise."
K : (!!! ... Dante? What's he doing out here?)
Peeking around the corner, Katachi saw Dante and the girl undressing themselves.
K : (... ! They haven't noticed me yet?... I am so glad I went barefooted instead of wearing my usual wooden sabots...)
In their hands appears to be some sort of wooden tag, that has 方針 carved onto it. As they attempted to undress themselves, they made sure to hold onto the tag tightly.
K : (... I don't know what the words on that tag means, but whatever it is, it must be responsible for letting them stay out here without being affected by the magic. They're clutching it tightly, so does it block the magic or something?)
D : "Show me that beautiful ass, Sherayal. I wanna see it reflect the moonlight into my eyes."
The girl proceeded to hook the panties with her pinkies, and slip her underwear off.
K : (That Sherayal girl is undressing? For Dante? What could anyone possibly see in him-... Wait, this is no time to be worrying about something like this!...)
Patiently, Katachi awaited for the two of them to drop their guard fully. As they got to the primed position of inserting their respective genitals...
K : (... ! Chance! 固定! Fixate position - Sherayal! Fixate position - Dante!)
A golden word formed on the girl's stomach and Dante's bare back.
K : (... Good! They can't move at all...)
Waiting for a few seconds to ensure that they really couldn't move, Katachi sneaked up behind them. They were both facing the same direction, so it was easy enough to do it unnoticed. Forcing the wooden tags to slip from the girl's hands was easy since she held it with three fingers, but Dante's gripping position was rather strong, so a little more effort was needed to take the tag out of his immobilized hand.
Keeping himself as silent as possible, Katachi made sure they could not see him at all, and left.
K : (... You two stay there. Whatever you did, or was about to do, is definitely not part of the school rules... I think.)
Hiding back to the same corner, Katachi made final preparations.
K : (Anyone can see those words if I just leave them on the stomach and back. I should hide them as well... 固定! Fixate position - Sherayal! Fixate position - Dante!)
The words on her stomach and his back faded off, and reformed around their ankles, where their own garments were hiding the words.
K : (Much better. Now, which way is it to the library...?)
*** ***
While walking aimlessly, Katachi observed the wooden tags he had just received.
(There are a lot of strange characters that look to be of an Anikan origin, and I can't seem to understand them at all... If only there was some sort of dictionary, or something... Ow!)
Katachi had walked right into a wall.
Having no redirectional magic to assist him meant there was no way to guide him to walk properly, and to avoid any obstacles, including walls. It was normal for inattentive students like Katachi to collide themselves against such obstacles.
K : "Ahahahaha... Huh?"
Rubbing and massaging his head, Katachi looked up, to see the Library entrance to his right.
K : (... I found it. What luck.)
Katachi headed into the library with haste.
K : (The Anik history section... It should be here.)
*** ***
Following the exact same route he took to the library, Katachi reached the junction where Dante and the Sherayal girl was.
Standing there, observing them, was a peculiar green-loving principal wearing a crisp green tuxedo and matching pants, with white gloves and a slime hat.
K : (...!!! Bertund?! But... It's not even 5am!)
B : "I've had reports from teachers that their tags went missing. You know, I wouldn't find it surprising if you were behind it, Dante, but of all people to do it with, it was you, Sherayal?"
The principal shook his head. While doing so, the funny slime top hat he was wearing swayed along with his head's inertia.
B : "... It pains my heart to know that even a marvellous student like you can be shaken by bestiality. You two should know clearly the consequences for illicit sexual relations and activities in school. Thievery, violation of curfew and illicit sexual activity... That's three strikes in one convenient package."
The principal's right glove glowed yellow, and the slime top hat changed its shape to a viscous wizard hat with a crooked top.
What Bertund did next had been simple.
He patted the magic circles on the left arms of both Dante and Sherayal with his glowing right hand.
The magic circles on their arms glowed yellow, and faded off. Dante and Sherayal froze there, still unable to move.
K : (... Oh, right! The words are still on them...)
The words on their ankles wore off silently.
D : "Huh? What... What happened? I couldn't move at all?"
S : "D-D-Dante, look at what you've done! I'm expelled now! You liar, you had better take responsibility for this!!!"
B : "You two, come with me. Right now."
Bertund signaled the two stude-... ex-students to his side, and stormed off.
The two, dressing themselves hastily to cover their revealing parts, quickly followed the principal.
K : (... That was close. Bertund didn't seemed to have noticed me.)
Katachi sighed in relief as the three turned a corner.
K : (That was really cool, though. His hat can actually change its shape like that...)
Satisfied with that night's outcome, Katachi rested on the bench Dante was at, and waited for the 5am chime. He placed the tags still with him onto the bench, in false pretense that the two left it on the benches accidentally.
The curfew would be lifted for students to prepare and dress themselves up at 5am. If he can avoid being detected for that long, he could pretend that he just woke up and was heading towards the bath to wash up.
Just a few minutes later, the bell rang. It's 5am now - Katachi was officially safe to be outside, and no teacher could accuse him for defying curfew.
Removing the Word of Power hidden on his chest, Katachi headed for a nearby bathroom naturally, as if nothing of the sort happened.
Friday 14 December 2012
Flyin' off to Taiwan.
Heading over to Taiwan and 義大世界
until the 21st of December, so have fun with the double chapter this week! :D
until the 21st of December, so have fun with the double chapter this week! :D
Await next week's chapter. :D It's going to be one hilarious chapter. XD
Well, for Katachi, anyway, since he's not the one getting in trouble. <3
Much love to the people who've stuck with me thus far on this record of history.
Signing off, gotta fly to Taiwan and meet that big ol' blue rhino! :D
- Cozy and T.W.
Chapter 7 : Healer
"Alright, class, today we are going to start on something more practical today. We are going to actually use affinity testing to determine your field of magic."
A lady, Miss Lea, stood before the class. She was of a rather small stature with black hair indicating her Ohde origin, wearing an amber blouse and a long, maroon skirt reaching the floor, both obviously made of a high-grade cloth. Her face, a petite smile formed from her tiny lips, with those widely opened eyes, brought out a strangely feminine charm from her. Comparing her attire to the plain, crisp uniforms of the students, it created a strange atmosphere because the clothes didn't match the atmosphere of a classroom at all.
Katachi's fingers turned cold and numb.
K : (I've never considered it this far, but if the curriculum happens to have some way of discovering my secret, this could turn out pretty ugly. I need to avoid those risks at all costs.)
Focusing on the teacher's back, he imagined her without her blouse, showing her bare back.
Though it was a disturbing thought, it had to be done. Had he applied the Word of Power on the blouse itself, the entire point of using it despite the risks would be absolutely foolish.
K : (... 设定! Set thought pattern - Avoid detection of Curse Words!)
A faint 定 glowed on the teacher's back, but because her shirt was thick nobody in class managed to notice it.
K : (... I really hope the word works this way...)
L : "As you all know, the most common method of distinguishing a person's magic affinity, and any curse or form of magic afflicted on him, is to use a Lotz crystal, like this one here."
Tucking her right hand into a glove, Miss Lea reached into the purse on the table and picked up a translucent crystal.
K : (Oh God... Please don't tell me we're using that. It's as good as being busted...)
L : "However, Lotz crystals are incredibly expensive, and they must be handled with care. Also, Lotz crystals can only glow the color of the magic applied onto you, or present within you. It cannot clearly distinguish your magic specialty. Sad is to say, the legend of Lotz was his desire to see the world as it was through his color-blind eyes, and yet what he perceived as color was magical energy itself. Therefore, although useful for confirming foul play, it is not quite as practical."
K : (... Is that a 'We're not going to use this stone' hint?... This teacher's not very good, sidetracking and making me confused and all... !)
Katachi didn't quite understand where the talk was headed, since it jumped to Lotz's history all of a sudden, but he was more nervous as to whether anyone has seen the crystal actually glowing a very slight golden. The weather outside the classroom was sunny, with students sitting near the windows squinting to look forward. Maybe the glow camouflaged well with the surroundings, or maybe it was just the surroundings itself reflecting light into the crystal giving Katachi a false impression.
But, having the Lotz crystal glow, regardless of the cause, was something he had to be extremely wary of. Lotz crystals were not supposed to glow naturally without direct contact with magic, yet the one resting on Miss Lea's hand is.
The Word of Power could most likely be detected through that Lotz crystal.
According to the bamboo book in the church at Mielfeud, the Words of Power were created not too long ago, roughly 40 years ago, in an event caused by 292 great sorcerors. Lotz existed at a time far before that, around 4000 years ago, according to a biography in the library here at Sage Raufid. Technically, since event magic didn't exist during Lotz's time, the Lotz crystal should be unable to detect any of the 292 Words of Power.
But image power is a scary magic to behold.
Image power could reinforce a branch so it can be as durable as a bar of steel. Image power could create things, objects, even weapons out of air. Image power, the greatest sin of every human magus, is the reason why Reincarnate Arts are so powerful, for in the midst of challenging the Gods' reincarnates, they have come to fear the Gods and the power worked against them, and that reinforced the Reincarnate Arts even further. Image power had been an influential power that has rocked the entire course of history prior to its discovery.
With image power, one could probably reinforce a Lotz crystal so it can detect any forms and traces of magic. The Words of Power were classified as a supernatural event, and thus can be considered magic, so there is a certain risk that the Lotz crystal could have been reinforced by image power to detect the Words of Power - In said case, it has, and the only saving grace rests on the fact that the room was already bathed in radiant light.
K : (I'd have to make the teacher put the cryst- ? What's she doing?)
The teacher placed the crystal back into the bag.
L : "Therefore, we shall be doing something more fun today! We are going back to the past, to how the magi of the old detected magic affinities without using the Lotz crystal! Class, form yourselves into pairs of two!"
Half the entire class heaved a sigh, almost as if in disappointment, while the other half of the class turned their heads and chatted excitedly with their friends, or rather, acquaintances in the class.
K : (... This is one really strange classroom. It's divided in such a weird fashion...)
Regardless, Katachi sighed in relief, and perked his ears up.
K : (I still don't know if that Word of Power took effect. I'd have to try it at some other place, or something else. The result from this is too vague.)
"Hey, new kid?"
K : "?"
Katachi turned to his right, to see a spiky-haired boy looking at him in enthusiasm. Wearing the uniform supposedly gave students a similar identity, but looking at this boy gave one the impression that he was different. He had passion in his eyes that would have anyone retract their heads slightly, in a subtle cry for personal space.
He was just that assertive.
M : "I'm Mafer. You don't seem to know this class very well yet, so I'll help you."
K : "Oh, uh, thank you. But I'm afraid that I'd drag you down, Mafer. I... I'm not too used to this class, you see..."
The boy widened his eyes a bit and nodded his head slowly, as if understanding the scenario.
M ; "Don't worry, kid. I don't need to find these kinds of affinity because I believe in Croxa."
K : "... ! Oh! A Croxa believer! I... I see." (But, if that were the case... Why is he attending the class, then?)
Katachi nodded in response.
Knowing one more person in this school could help his chances in winning the Sage Raufid Young Magus Tournament by just that bit, but Katachi would need everything he can get should he harbor any intent to secure that.
K : "Please... Please take care of me."
M : "Oh, pssh, spare the formalities! What's your name, new kid?"
K : "Katachi."
Mafer's head jerked back a bit.
M : "That name... It's from an Ohde descent, right? No wonder you're so polite."
K : "Uhh... Yeah?" (Technically, he asked if the name was a name of Ohde descent. He didn't ask if I was from Ohde, so it's still the truth... I think.)
M : "I knew it! Did you come here to, oh, you know... Spy on your fiance or something? Is it Miss Lea?"
It was Katachi's turn for his head to jerk back.
K : "... I... I- I- I don't know her... I really don't. I just came here for the lessons."
M : "Hoho, well, I'll leave you to your thing. Right now, we're partners."
Mafer grabbed an empty seat and sat next to Katachi.
L : "Alright class, first, I want one of you to form your fingers into a number '7' for both hands, and place them into the shape of the Tetear of Axia, just like this. Be sure to place your mouth over the medicine fingers and the pinkies. Also, make sure your thumbs are stretched to a right angle, or as close to it as possible. Image power will rectify that for us if it's wide enough."
Miss Lea shaped both hands so the thumbs and forefingers extended, and the rest retracted. She then placed the hands together, with the pinky fingers colliding into each other on the side. Positioning her hands onto her face, she demonstrated the actions necessary by extending the middle finger to indicate the lack of contact between the lips and the middle fingers.
Some discussions on who should do it arose between the groups, but soon enough, half the class followed suit.
L : "Next, the student who is not using Axia's Tetear should grab a pencil or a piece of charcoal, and place it between the two forefingers, like this. Once you do that, you can put it back to its original place."
A piece of charcoal floated in the air, and hovered between her forefingers pointed towards the sky.
The students followed suit.
M : "Just hold still now..."
Mafer placed the charcoal between Katachi's forefingers for a bit, and moved it away.
L : "Excellent. Now, the final part. Exhale through your mouth, into the gap between your pinky fingers. It should reveal your magic affinity!"
Katachi gently blew onto his fingers, and words formed between his fingers.
Words made from the dust of charcoal saying "Water (Healing)" formed before his eyes.
Katachi had an affinity for water magic.
Healing water magic.
A gentle magic that could prove to be his boon, or his bane.
M : "You're a healer, huh."
Mafer looked at him, still enthusiastic as before.
M : "You know, healers like you often become the nursing staff in this school. If you can learn to heal super fast, I bet you'd get a solid job in this place."
K : "I'll take my chances. Thanks, Mafer."
Katachi let go of his hands, and the dust before him fell onto the table.
*Cozy's Notes : Basically, that's the medieval age version of a personality test. Considering how magic in the story is frmed, it's pretty logical.*
*** ***
B : "Hey, Baka~"
Katachi ignored the annoying voice that belonged to a woman named Bael.
B : "... Baka?"
K : "I have told you that I refuse to engage in a proper conversation and remain unrelated to anything related to you calling me 'Baka', should you call me by that name."
B : "... You meanie. You're probably my only other form of actual entertainment around this school besides studying medicine and torturing others, and you're denying me of even that? I am heartbroken."
K : "Well, stay heartbroken. It's... ?"
A figure dashed past the corridor. It was fast, and hazy, but it looked like a brown-haired female student. It was strange how someone could even run in these halls controlled by directional magic, but that person must have used image power or something to overcome a simple obstacle like speed limit.
B : "?"
K : "... It's not like I see you romantically in any way or anything."
B : "Meanie."
Bael's eyes turned half-closed.
K : "Sorry to be mini-meanie me then."
B : "Anyway, I heard you entered the Young Magus Tournament."
K : "Yes, I did. What about it?"
B : "You've not even enrolled for 10 days and you want to join the tournament already? Talk about being overconfident."
K : "Judge me as you like it, but I'm going. That's final."
B : "It's useless, you know! You'd probably get wiped out even before the second round!"
K : "I don't mind~!"
Katachi walked into his room, and closed the door. Since it was a zone only males could enter, Bael was naturally barred from entering the room, in a similar fashion that males were barred from the females only zones.
And so Katachi escaped Bael for the day.
K : (I can't have her bothering me while I read... It may be against the curfew, but I guess I will have to go to the library at night.)
A lady, Miss Lea, stood before the class. She was of a rather small stature with black hair indicating her Ohde origin, wearing an amber blouse and a long, maroon skirt reaching the floor, both obviously made of a high-grade cloth. Her face, a petite smile formed from her tiny lips, with those widely opened eyes, brought out a strangely feminine charm from her. Comparing her attire to the plain, crisp uniforms of the students, it created a strange atmosphere because the clothes didn't match the atmosphere of a classroom at all.
Katachi's fingers turned cold and numb.
K : (I've never considered it this far, but if the curriculum happens to have some way of discovering my secret, this could turn out pretty ugly. I need to avoid those risks at all costs.)
Focusing on the teacher's back, he imagined her without her blouse, showing her bare back.
Though it was a disturbing thought, it had to be done. Had he applied the Word of Power on the blouse itself, the entire point of using it despite the risks would be absolutely foolish.
K : (... 设定! Set thought pattern - Avoid detection of Curse Words!)
A faint 定 glowed on the teacher's back, but because her shirt was thick nobody in class managed to notice it.
K : (... I really hope the word works this way...)
L : "As you all know, the most common method of distinguishing a person's magic affinity, and any curse or form of magic afflicted on him, is to use a Lotz crystal, like this one here."
Tucking her right hand into a glove, Miss Lea reached into the purse on the table and picked up a translucent crystal.
K : (Oh God... Please don't tell me we're using that. It's as good as being busted...)
L : "However, Lotz crystals are incredibly expensive, and they must be handled with care. Also, Lotz crystals can only glow the color of the magic applied onto you, or present within you. It cannot clearly distinguish your magic specialty. Sad is to say, the legend of Lotz was his desire to see the world as it was through his color-blind eyes, and yet what he perceived as color was magical energy itself. Therefore, although useful for confirming foul play, it is not quite as practical."
K : (... Is that a 'We're not going to use this stone' hint?... This teacher's not very good, sidetracking and making me confused and all... !)
Katachi didn't quite understand where the talk was headed, since it jumped to Lotz's history all of a sudden, but he was more nervous as to whether anyone has seen the crystal actually glowing a very slight golden. The weather outside the classroom was sunny, with students sitting near the windows squinting to look forward. Maybe the glow camouflaged well with the surroundings, or maybe it was just the surroundings itself reflecting light into the crystal giving Katachi a false impression.
But, having the Lotz crystal glow, regardless of the cause, was something he had to be extremely wary of. Lotz crystals were not supposed to glow naturally without direct contact with magic, yet the one resting on Miss Lea's hand is.
The Word of Power could most likely be detected through that Lotz crystal.
According to the bamboo book in the church at Mielfeud, the Words of Power were created not too long ago, roughly 40 years ago, in an event caused by 292 great sorcerors. Lotz existed at a time far before that, around 4000 years ago, according to a biography in the library here at Sage Raufid. Technically, since event magic didn't exist during Lotz's time, the Lotz crystal should be unable to detect any of the 292 Words of Power.
But image power is a scary magic to behold.
Image power could reinforce a branch so it can be as durable as a bar of steel. Image power could create things, objects, even weapons out of air. Image power, the greatest sin of every human magus, is the reason why Reincarnate Arts are so powerful, for in the midst of challenging the Gods' reincarnates, they have come to fear the Gods and the power worked against them, and that reinforced the Reincarnate Arts even further. Image power had been an influential power that has rocked the entire course of history prior to its discovery.
With image power, one could probably reinforce a Lotz crystal so it can detect any forms and traces of magic. The Words of Power were classified as a supernatural event, and thus can be considered magic, so there is a certain risk that the Lotz crystal could have been reinforced by image power to detect the Words of Power - In said case, it has, and the only saving grace rests on the fact that the room was already bathed in radiant light.
K : (I'd have to make the teacher put the cryst- ? What's she doing?)
The teacher placed the crystal back into the bag.
L : "Therefore, we shall be doing something more fun today! We are going back to the past, to how the magi of the old detected magic affinities without using the Lotz crystal! Class, form yourselves into pairs of two!"
Half the entire class heaved a sigh, almost as if in disappointment, while the other half of the class turned their heads and chatted excitedly with their friends, or rather, acquaintances in the class.
K : (... This is one really strange classroom. It's divided in such a weird fashion...)
Regardless, Katachi sighed in relief, and perked his ears up.
K : (I still don't know if that Word of Power took effect. I'd have to try it at some other place, or something else. The result from this is too vague.)
"Hey, new kid?"
K : "?"
Katachi turned to his right, to see a spiky-haired boy looking at him in enthusiasm. Wearing the uniform supposedly gave students a similar identity, but looking at this boy gave one the impression that he was different. He had passion in his eyes that would have anyone retract their heads slightly, in a subtle cry for personal space.
He was just that assertive.
M : "I'm Mafer. You don't seem to know this class very well yet, so I'll help you."
K : "Oh, uh, thank you. But I'm afraid that I'd drag you down, Mafer. I... I'm not too used to this class, you see..."
The boy widened his eyes a bit and nodded his head slowly, as if understanding the scenario.
M ; "Don't worry, kid. I don't need to find these kinds of affinity because I believe in Croxa."
K : "... ! Oh! A Croxa believer! I... I see." (But, if that were the case... Why is he attending the class, then?)
Katachi nodded in response.
Knowing one more person in this school could help his chances in winning the Sage Raufid Young Magus Tournament by just that bit, but Katachi would need everything he can get should he harbor any intent to secure that.
K : "Please... Please take care of me."
M : "Oh, pssh, spare the formalities! What's your name, new kid?"
K : "Katachi."
Mafer's head jerked back a bit.
M : "That name... It's from an Ohde descent, right? No wonder you're so polite."
K : "Uhh... Yeah?" (Technically, he asked if the name was a name of Ohde descent. He didn't ask if I was from Ohde, so it's still the truth... I think.)
M : "I knew it! Did you come here to, oh, you know... Spy on your fiance or something? Is it Miss Lea?"
It was Katachi's turn for his head to jerk back.
K : "... I... I- I- I don't know her... I really don't. I just came here for the lessons."
M : "Hoho, well, I'll leave you to your thing. Right now, we're partners."
Mafer grabbed an empty seat and sat next to Katachi.
L : "Alright class, first, I want one of you to form your fingers into a number '7' for both hands, and place them into the shape of the Tetear of Axia, just like this. Be sure to place your mouth over the medicine fingers and the pinkies. Also, make sure your thumbs are stretched to a right angle, or as close to it as possible. Image power will rectify that for us if it's wide enough."
Miss Lea shaped both hands so the thumbs and forefingers extended, and the rest retracted. She then placed the hands together, with the pinky fingers colliding into each other on the side. Positioning her hands onto her face, she demonstrated the actions necessary by extending the middle finger to indicate the lack of contact between the lips and the middle fingers.
Some discussions on who should do it arose between the groups, but soon enough, half the class followed suit.
L : "Next, the student who is not using Axia's Tetear should grab a pencil or a piece of charcoal, and place it between the two forefingers, like this. Once you do that, you can put it back to its original place."
A piece of charcoal floated in the air, and hovered between her forefingers pointed towards the sky.
The students followed suit.
M : "Just hold still now..."
Mafer placed the charcoal between Katachi's forefingers for a bit, and moved it away.
L : "Excellent. Now, the final part. Exhale through your mouth, into the gap between your pinky fingers. It should reveal your magic affinity!"
Katachi gently blew onto his fingers, and words formed between his fingers.
Words made from the dust of charcoal saying "Water (Healing)" formed before his eyes.
Katachi had an affinity for water magic.
Healing water magic.
A gentle magic that could prove to be his boon, or his bane.
M : "You're a healer, huh."
Mafer looked at him, still enthusiastic as before.
M : "You know, healers like you often become the nursing staff in this school. If you can learn to heal super fast, I bet you'd get a solid job in this place."
K : "I'll take my chances. Thanks, Mafer."
Katachi let go of his hands, and the dust before him fell onto the table.
*Cozy's Notes : Basically, that's the medieval age version of a personality test. Considering how magic in the story is frmed, it's pretty logical.*
*** ***
B : "Hey, Baka~"
Katachi ignored the annoying voice that belonged to a woman named Bael.
B : "... Baka?"
K : "I have told you that I refuse to engage in a proper conversation and remain unrelated to anything related to you calling me 'Baka', should you call me by that name."
B : "... You meanie. You're probably my only other form of actual entertainment around this school besides studying medicine and torturing others, and you're denying me of even that? I am heartbroken."
K : "Well, stay heartbroken. It's... ?"
A figure dashed past the corridor. It was fast, and hazy, but it looked like a brown-haired female student. It was strange how someone could even run in these halls controlled by directional magic, but that person must have used image power or something to overcome a simple obstacle like speed limit.
B : "?"
K : "... It's not like I see you romantically in any way or anything."
B : "Meanie."
Bael's eyes turned half-closed.
K : "Sorry to be mini-meanie me then."
B : "Anyway, I heard you entered the Young Magus Tournament."
K : "Yes, I did. What about it?"
B : "You've not even enrolled for 10 days and you want to join the tournament already? Talk about being overconfident."
K : "Judge me as you like it, but I'm going. That's final."
B : "It's useless, you know! You'd probably get wiped out even before the second round!"
K : "I don't mind~!"
Katachi walked into his room, and closed the door. Since it was a zone only males could enter, Bael was naturally barred from entering the room, in a similar fashion that males were barred from the females only zones.
And so Katachi escaped Bael for the day.
K : (I can't have her bothering me while I read... It may be against the curfew, but I guess I will have to go to the library at night.)
Tuesday 11 December 2012
Chapter 6 : A_New_Direction
Katachi dipped the dusty cloth into the bucket, and twisted it hard, forcing the water out of it. With the cloth at a suitable moisture, he continued wiping the chandelier in the main atrium.
B : "This is stupid; Don't you have lessons or anything? Surely you didn't come here to be a janitor or a caretaker?"
At the bottom of the stepladder Katachi was standing on was a blonde girl with her hair tied into four braids and a chest the size of Mount. Gigraceldi, reading a book on catalysts used to improve one's magical efficiency and focus. Leaning on the wall next to the stepladder, she seemed annoyed that the young man atop the stepladder appeared so carefree.
B : "It's been five days! Five days! You've spent EVERY one of those days on cleaning! And of all days, you're cleaning the school on a Sunday! They're not even paying you to clean this place, so how could you even enjoy something like that?!"
Katachi paid no heed to her, and continued cleaning.
B : "I sometimes don't know if, if you're retarded or something! How could ANYONE stand cleaning the school faculty without pay or any form of benefit?!"
K : There is a benefit to cleaning."
The blonde girl named Bael seemed taken aback at his sudden response.
K : "For one thing, cleaning makes the place healthy and habitable. Mother Rin has always emphasized on cleanliness, and it's agreeable. Cleaning helps one to keep in touch with their inner self, devoting oneself to the environment. It's the same as accepting the environment as your personal space, and allows one to train themselves for inner peace. Just as how people would not disturb you for passionately studying your field of magic, your personal space, this act of cleaning is a form of cleansing for both the area around you, and within yourself."
Bael rolled her eyes at the mere mentioning of Mother Rin.
B : (Doesn't this guy give a break or something? For every day I've met him, he's mentioned this name at least once. Who is she, his lover?) "Uh huh. Yeah, sure."
Katachi put extra strength into the cloth to scrape off a resilient stain which looked like it wasn't getting off any time soon.
K : "That's a hidden benefit of cleaning only those who have done it actively would learn of."
B : "I would much rather laze around than waste my energy in cleaning then."
Bael continued reading the last few lines of a healing herb on her book, and flipped a page.
K : "It's also a rather personal thing, but I'll leave it at that... What are you reading?"
Bael looks up at Katachi in interest, finally finding some form of what can be considered casual conversation with him.
B : "It's a book about herbs and the like, about how certain spices and wild plants can be used to enhance the mental state and the body. I'd need every bit of information I can get to preserve the reanimated parts for as long as possible."
K : "Sounds interesting. Does it contain the dangerous, poisonous types of plants?"
B : "Yeah. The book's pretty extensive."
Dipping the cloth into the bucket, Katachi squeezed and twisted it to adjust the water content in the cloth.
K : "Are the plants described within all local, or is it all around?"
B : "This book was made by Irving Daniel, a book-keeper who's lived in Anik. I'm guessing that unless he's a travelling guide or a merchant's tabs keeper, it would most likely contain information about the plants found in Anik. It's quite interesting to know these kinds of things, nonetheless."
Katachi frowned a bit upon hearing Anik.
K : "Are you planning to migrate over there or something?"
B : "No, silly. What I meant was, if Anik is going to have herbalists who are coming over to Yhorfe, that would be wonderful. I could make more unique drugs and medicine that other apothecaries can't copy, and maybe even discover new effects to them."
Katachi nodded slightly in agreement as he continued wiping the glass beads dangling from the chandelier.
K : "I guess, that's an interesting idea to have market-wise."
B : "Yes it is, and I'd rather you spend your time doing something more constructive for your future like this instead of wasting all this time cleaning every spot in school."
Bael retorted with a spiteful accent, but Katachi replies her calmly, as if he had anticipated such a reaction.
K : "My original course ended on the first lesson itself for some reason, and I don't have any lessons in particular until Tuesday. I might as well spend time meditating like this since I have nothing I need to rush."
Bael's eyes widened.
B : (Tuesday? But... He said his lessons were on Wednesday and Thursday!) "Tuesday? But your lessons are on Wednesday and Thursday, aren't they?"
Bael felt like she was left in the dark, as if he had held back some information from her.
K : "Yeah, but I asked Bertund yesterday, and he helped me sign up for an additional course to discover my affinity of magic."
B : "Wait, wasn't what you had on Wednesdays and Thursdays a lesson oriented on your magic affinity?"
It was not normal for a student to attend a magical course when they had no affinity for it. It was like telling a fish that can only swim to spontaneously grow two legs and walk on land. So, what exactly had Katachi attended for only one lesson?
B : "... Did your previous course end on the first lesson because it wasn't a magic you had an affinity with?"
K : "Uh, well, you could say that, and yet you really can't, but... It's a bit hard to explain, but you can consider it like that."
(Katachi's wording it weirdly. He could have just agreed with me, but he didn't, so could that mean the lesson on Wednesday was a type of magic that didn't involve elemental affinity?... A Reincarnate Art?)
B : "Reincarnate art?"
K : "Ahh-aah-aah-aah-aah! Ahh! Ahh!"
Hearing that, Katachi was taken aback slightly, and he gripped onto the chandelier with his free left hand. He had lost his sense of balance, which caused the chandelier to be tugged at quite strongly. Katachi desperately tried to regain his balance, which, fortunately, he did. It was quite a miracle since the chandelier did not seem to fall off the ceiling despite being tugged at by such force.
B : (Hoho, that reaction. Perhaps I'm on the right trail?) "I hit a nail, didn't I?"
K : "... I won't answer that question."
Bael smiled ever so slightly on her face, but her heart was leaping all over the place.
(Haha! That reaction is so cute! He's never talked about the magic he's used before, but I guess I have a rough idea now! He must be using some form of Reincarnate Art!- ...)
Thinking that far, Bael's face stoned into a daze.
(... There are quite a handful of Reincarnate Arts... Which one is he using? Dardicel? Ilpoh? Soltak? Croxa? Most of these Reincarnate Arts don't require any form of prayer or such, which would fit nicely because of his lesson schedule... Arrgh, guessing is a pain... I wish I had more details to work with...!)
B : "Hey, Katachi, which God are you worshipping?"
K : "None."
B : "Come on now, don't be like that! There must be some God or legend you're worshipping!"
K : "Segus."
(Segus? Is he serious?!)
B : "Are you serious!? Segus?! That's not even worth it! He's just a pacifist Legend who can't even fight for himself!"
K : "He's respectable because he loves all life. I pray to him at the church back at home. Mother Rin also says that loving all life is important-"
B : "Enough about Mother Rin, sheesh! Also, you're lying, Katachi. Segus lessons are at noon, to express kindness towards plant life, insects and animals!"
Katachi, finally finished with the chandelier, dropped the cloth into the pail, and carried it down the stepladder made of floating stones and axis magic that locked it in place.
K : "I mentioned that I do indeed worship Segus. However, I said nothing of me attending Segus magic courses. I didn't even know that Segus magic courses existed, had I known I would have chosen it for an additional course over Affinity Discovery."
B : "What?! That's not-"
K : "This conversation is over. I have to clean these up in the back, and you don't want that book to get wet, do you? It's a paper book, and those are expensive."
Katachi gently pushed one of the stones upward, and the entire stepladder floated up. He then placed his hand onto a stone step, and dragged the stepladder through the air, to the back of the school.
B : (Ugh... He's a hard nut to crack, despite being so candid...)
Bael could only pout and frown at Katachi, who was perhaps the only other student in school not to be entranced by her chest.
B : (... That's not fair... He never answered my question.)
*** ***
Event magic.
It is a new type of magic recently coined, which is the most unique, and perhaps the most powerful form of magic in existence. It is a type of magic that forces things to happen.
Eggs that have just been laid can be forced to age until a chick is birthed in a matter of seconds. Ice found on the lakes can be forced to stay frozen even in the heat of summer. One could force a person to utter the truth, against his will. Mountains can be worn down into rubble in an instant, food can stay fresh forever, and people could even become immortal, or take on a bizarre form that allows them to live forever.
Magic related to time, space and the like, previously believed to be the strongest, pale before this type of magic.
That's the classification of the Words of Power - An absolute event magic that would make even the frailest cowards and the weakest beggars triumphant over a king.
(...)
Katachi could not afford having his secret leaked.
If anyone knew of his Word of Power, it would be over. He would be treated as an outcast, and leered at by everyone in school for having such an unfair, ridiculous and powerful magic.
So, until that happens, something must be done about it.
Katachi picked up a flyer resting on the table.
K : (The Sage Raufid Young Magus Tournament... The winner is allowed three prizes, which can be anything that is within the school's power... I have to secure that as soon as possible.)
Katachi picked up a wooden tablet, and placed it on the magic circle attached to his left arm.
The magic circle engraved his name, "Kotsuba Katachi", onto the tablet, and he dropped it into the participation box.
K : (I'll have to get first place in the most subtle way available. I'd have to end every match in the shortest time possible. The longer I stay out of battle, the lower the chances of me being detected is. It's wishful thinking, but I hope I don't have to fight any strong opponents until the final round.)
B : "This is stupid; Don't you have lessons or anything? Surely you didn't come here to be a janitor or a caretaker?"
At the bottom of the stepladder Katachi was standing on was a blonde girl with her hair tied into four braids and a chest the size of Mount. Gigraceldi, reading a book on catalysts used to improve one's magical efficiency and focus. Leaning on the wall next to the stepladder, she seemed annoyed that the young man atop the stepladder appeared so carefree.
B : "It's been five days! Five days! You've spent EVERY one of those days on cleaning! And of all days, you're cleaning the school on a Sunday! They're not even paying you to clean this place, so how could you even enjoy something like that?!"
Katachi paid no heed to her, and continued cleaning.
B : "I sometimes don't know if, if you're retarded or something! How could ANYONE stand cleaning the school faculty without pay or any form of benefit?!"
K : There is a benefit to cleaning."
The blonde girl named Bael seemed taken aback at his sudden response.
K : "For one thing, cleaning makes the place healthy and habitable. Mother Rin has always emphasized on cleanliness, and it's agreeable. Cleaning helps one to keep in touch with their inner self, devoting oneself to the environment. It's the same as accepting the environment as your personal space, and allows one to train themselves for inner peace. Just as how people would not disturb you for passionately studying your field of magic, your personal space, this act of cleaning is a form of cleansing for both the area around you, and within yourself."
Bael rolled her eyes at the mere mentioning of Mother Rin.
B : (Doesn't this guy give a break or something? For every day I've met him, he's mentioned this name at least once. Who is she, his lover?) "Uh huh. Yeah, sure."
Katachi put extra strength into the cloth to scrape off a resilient stain which looked like it wasn't getting off any time soon.
K : "That's a hidden benefit of cleaning only those who have done it actively would learn of."
B : "I would much rather laze around than waste my energy in cleaning then."
Bael continued reading the last few lines of a healing herb on her book, and flipped a page.
K : "It's also a rather personal thing, but I'll leave it at that... What are you reading?"
Bael looks up at Katachi in interest, finally finding some form of what can be considered casual conversation with him.
B : "It's a book about herbs and the like, about how certain spices and wild plants can be used to enhance the mental state and the body. I'd need every bit of information I can get to preserve the reanimated parts for as long as possible."
K : "Sounds interesting. Does it contain the dangerous, poisonous types of plants?"
B : "Yeah. The book's pretty extensive."
Dipping the cloth into the bucket, Katachi squeezed and twisted it to adjust the water content in the cloth.
K : "Are the plants described within all local, or is it all around?"
B : "This book was made by Irving Daniel, a book-keeper who's lived in Anik. I'm guessing that unless he's a travelling guide or a merchant's tabs keeper, it would most likely contain information about the plants found in Anik. It's quite interesting to know these kinds of things, nonetheless."
Katachi frowned a bit upon hearing Anik.
K : "Are you planning to migrate over there or something?"
B : "No, silly. What I meant was, if Anik is going to have herbalists who are coming over to Yhorfe, that would be wonderful. I could make more unique drugs and medicine that other apothecaries can't copy, and maybe even discover new effects to them."
Katachi nodded slightly in agreement as he continued wiping the glass beads dangling from the chandelier.
K : "I guess, that's an interesting idea to have market-wise."
B : "Yes it is, and I'd rather you spend your time doing something more constructive for your future like this instead of wasting all this time cleaning every spot in school."
Bael retorted with a spiteful accent, but Katachi replies her calmly, as if he had anticipated such a reaction.
K : "My original course ended on the first lesson itself for some reason, and I don't have any lessons in particular until Tuesday. I might as well spend time meditating like this since I have nothing I need to rush."
Bael's eyes widened.
B : (Tuesday? But... He said his lessons were on Wednesday and Thursday!) "Tuesday? But your lessons are on Wednesday and Thursday, aren't they?"
Bael felt like she was left in the dark, as if he had held back some information from her.
K : "Yeah, but I asked Bertund yesterday, and he helped me sign up for an additional course to discover my affinity of magic."
B : "Wait, wasn't what you had on Wednesdays and Thursdays a lesson oriented on your magic affinity?"
It was not normal for a student to attend a magical course when they had no affinity for it. It was like telling a fish that can only swim to spontaneously grow two legs and walk on land. So, what exactly had Katachi attended for only one lesson?
B : "... Did your previous course end on the first lesson because it wasn't a magic you had an affinity with?"
K : "Uh, well, you could say that, and yet you really can't, but... It's a bit hard to explain, but you can consider it like that."
(Katachi's wording it weirdly. He could have just agreed with me, but he didn't, so could that mean the lesson on Wednesday was a type of magic that didn't involve elemental affinity?... A Reincarnate Art?)
B : "Reincarnate art?"
K : "Ahh-aah-aah-aah-aah! Ahh! Ahh!"
Hearing that, Katachi was taken aback slightly, and he gripped onto the chandelier with his free left hand. He had lost his sense of balance, which caused the chandelier to be tugged at quite strongly. Katachi desperately tried to regain his balance, which, fortunately, he did. It was quite a miracle since the chandelier did not seem to fall off the ceiling despite being tugged at by such force.
B : (Hoho, that reaction. Perhaps I'm on the right trail?) "I hit a nail, didn't I?"
K : "... I won't answer that question."
Bael smiled ever so slightly on her face, but her heart was leaping all over the place.
(Haha! That reaction is so cute! He's never talked about the magic he's used before, but I guess I have a rough idea now! He must be using some form of Reincarnate Art!- ...)
Thinking that far, Bael's face stoned into a daze.
(... There are quite a handful of Reincarnate Arts... Which one is he using? Dardicel? Ilpoh? Soltak? Croxa? Most of these Reincarnate Arts don't require any form of prayer or such, which would fit nicely because of his lesson schedule... Arrgh, guessing is a pain... I wish I had more details to work with...!)
B : "Hey, Katachi, which God are you worshipping?"
K : "None."
B : "Come on now, don't be like that! There must be some God or legend you're worshipping!"
K : "Segus."
(Segus? Is he serious?!)
B : "Are you serious!? Segus?! That's not even worth it! He's just a pacifist Legend who can't even fight for himself!"
K : "He's respectable because he loves all life. I pray to him at the church back at home. Mother Rin also says that loving all life is important-"
B : "Enough about Mother Rin, sheesh! Also, you're lying, Katachi. Segus lessons are at noon, to express kindness towards plant life, insects and animals!"
Katachi, finally finished with the chandelier, dropped the cloth into the pail, and carried it down the stepladder made of floating stones and axis magic that locked it in place.
K : "I mentioned that I do indeed worship Segus. However, I said nothing of me attending Segus magic courses. I didn't even know that Segus magic courses existed, had I known I would have chosen it for an additional course over Affinity Discovery."
B : "What?! That's not-"
K : "This conversation is over. I have to clean these up in the back, and you don't want that book to get wet, do you? It's a paper book, and those are expensive."
Katachi gently pushed one of the stones upward, and the entire stepladder floated up. He then placed his hand onto a stone step, and dragged the stepladder through the air, to the back of the school.
B : (Ugh... He's a hard nut to crack, despite being so candid...)
Bael could only pout and frown at Katachi, who was perhaps the only other student in school not to be entranced by her chest.
B : (... That's not fair... He never answered my question.)
*** ***
Event magic.
It is a new type of magic recently coined, which is the most unique, and perhaps the most powerful form of magic in existence. It is a type of magic that forces things to happen.
Eggs that have just been laid can be forced to age until a chick is birthed in a matter of seconds. Ice found on the lakes can be forced to stay frozen even in the heat of summer. One could force a person to utter the truth, against his will. Mountains can be worn down into rubble in an instant, food can stay fresh forever, and people could even become immortal, or take on a bizarre form that allows them to live forever.
Magic related to time, space and the like, previously believed to be the strongest, pale before this type of magic.
That's the classification of the Words of Power - An absolute event magic that would make even the frailest cowards and the weakest beggars triumphant over a king.
(...)
Katachi could not afford having his secret leaked.
If anyone knew of his Word of Power, it would be over. He would be treated as an outcast, and leered at by everyone in school for having such an unfair, ridiculous and powerful magic.
So, until that happens, something must be done about it.
Katachi picked up a flyer resting on the table.
K : (The Sage Raufid Young Magus Tournament... The winner is allowed three prizes, which can be anything that is within the school's power... I have to secure that as soon as possible.)
Katachi picked up a wooden tablet, and placed it on the magic circle attached to his left arm.
The magic circle engraved his name, "Kotsuba Katachi", onto the tablet, and he dropped it into the participation box.
K : (I'll have to get first place in the most subtle way available. I'd have to end every match in the shortest time possible. The longer I stay out of battle, the lower the chances of me being detected is. It's wishful thinking, but I hope I don't have to fight any strong opponents until the final round.)
Friday 7 December 2012
No chapter this week
Sorry for those who've found this mildly interesting (or not), I'm having my tests in a few days. I'd therefore be postponing this week's release to next week's. In return, you'd get a double chapter next week. Look forward to it.
- Cozy and T.W.
- Cozy and T.W.
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