Chapter IV.VI (4.6) - Return to Academy

  “Expand,” Wakino demanded. “Your mind needs to fully process your objective. Without a clear and concrete goal, you will fail. Choose the locations you want and use your spell to adhesively pin them down.”

  Kizu did his best to follow her instructions. His hands shook as he cast the spatial spell, trying to expand the space between two bamboo trees. He’d performed the spell before, but on a much smaller scale, just between his hands. And that had only ever been held for seconds. What Wakino demanded was for him to condense the space of over three meters into a single stride.

  “You’re losing focus.” Wakino didn’t even look at him. Instead her hooded figure stepped between the bamboo trees and a severed hand flicked one of the trunks. The tree wobbled and he nearly completely lost control of the spell. “You need to think about this in more than a single dimension. Dimensionalism is about opening your mind to the endless possibilities of space in order to condense and expand what exists in front of you. Space bends to your will. You are a manipulator of reality itself.”

  Kizu really wished he felt like the manipulator of reality. He just felt a bit woozy.

  “Can I,” he gasped out, “Can I try with enchanting wards? They were in the book.”

  “No.”

  She didn’t explain further. Kizu knew that had been unlikely to work. Wakino made it clear she considered ward schemes a crutch to be used only for convenience after mastering a magical discipline. A lot of mages felt the exact same way about wands and staves as magical conduits. It made sense, but sense didn’t make Kizu feel particularly better at the moment.

  It took another grueling hour before he managed to stabilize the spell for a significant amount of time. When Wakino finally nodded her approval, he collapsed on the courtyard ground.

  “This is powerful spellcraft,” she lectured him. “There is an important balance you must navigate between exhausting your blood supply and still training enough to see any significant improvement. I suppose you will also need to take into consideration the blood used at that academy of yours. You likely need to use it for your other studies.” She paused, then as an afterthought added, “What is your schedule for the year?”

  Kizu rolled over and stared up at the sky. He’d been reviewing his schedule the previous night in preparation for the semester. “Politics F, Combat F, Rejuvenation and Restoration F, Divination B, Illusions A, Conjuring F, and Numerology F. I also have private lessons a few times a semester with the music professor.”

  “A very lopsided education,” she commented.

  “I am aware.”

  “However, it does allow you opportunities in which to practice spatial spells. Politics should cost no blood whatsoever.”

  Other than the bloody tears shed by having to be in the same room as Krimpit. But Kizu didn’t add that.

  “And,” Wakino continued. “At that low of a numerology level you will not need to use blood either. Numerology requires a great deal of knowledge before it truly can be applied magically. You can spend that hole in your blood cost on spatial spells. Make certain to allot your spending carefully.”

  Wakino talked about blood like his parents did with coins. As far as Kizu knew, there was no way to perfectly map out the exact expenditure of spells. He opened his mouth to comment on that, but Wakino talked over him.

  “I will visit your campus at the end of the semester. Gain an adequate understanding of my craft, and I will teach you again.”

  And with a pop, Wakino disappeared from the courtyard. Though it was a pretty weak pop, from Kizu’s experience. He suspected that most of the spatial mage hadn’t even been present during his lesson. It was impossible to tell just how much of her was under that cloak of darkness.

  —

  “We’re going to a magical academy!” Mae bounced from foot to foot as she looked around the nearly empty transportation room.

  Taroe loomed over in the corner, a foul mood spread across his face. Kizu had caught the tail-end of a conversation right before they set out between the Elite and Wakino. His former wife had not forgiven him for something. It sounded serious and Kizu had turned on his heel before hearing anything more than a dozen strong words.

  The doors sealed shut and Kizu sat back as the room began traversing through the World Dungeon.

  “Wait, are we going already?” Mae asked. “Where is everyone? Are you the only students from Kyonaka?”

  “It’s a security precaution,” Kizu explained. “After recent events, the nobility and Hon Parliment decided that the royals needed further protection.”

  Unfortunately, the room wasn’t quite as empty as Kizu might like.

  Lounging on a couch on the other side of the room, Prince Inari Akira read from a leather tome. Or, at least, made a show of it. More than once Kizu caught the prince staring intently at him. As if his cold eyes could bore through Kizu’s skull to the secrets within. It made him shudder.

  Akira hadn’t spoken to Kizu since the wake, but, based on the scrutiny he now received from the prince, Kizu doubted that would hold for long. He now had to decide whether he should try confronting Akira or ignoring him. Ignoring him, the easier of the two options, won over his decision making. Akira didn’t seem like someone to back down from a confrontation. Based on their past interactions, he’d probably find it amusing. The best thing was to be boring and hope the prince lost interest. There were plenty of more interesting people at the academy, and doubtlessly soon the prince would be overwhelmed by the millions of new things pulling at his attention.

  “No! Don’t touch that!”

  On the other side of the room, Kon had gotten his paws on a bone. The white fox darted away from an outraged Aoi, bone clenched firmly in his jaws.

  Aoi leapt to her feet to give chase to the Kitsune, abandoning the pile of skeletal remains she’d been sorting through.

  Every member of their party had been given some gift from the Emperor as a result of their service in stopping the Death Party. While Kizu had been gifted the crone’s broomstick, Aoi had been given a barrel full of bones from executed criminals and materials seized from past necromancers. Both Kon and Mae had been eyeing the pile of bones ever since Aoi had dumped them out to start sorting through them.

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  Basil was likewise absorbed in his gift. A small, unassuming copper banded ring. An artifact from the World Dungeon that allowed the user more control over body modification spells. While used by a normal human, it was pretty subpar as far as artifacts went. The growth of an inch or increase of a couple kilos. Before it had been used a couple times by balding nobles looking for an easy and quick means to create hair growth. But when coupled with Basil’s Ooze nature, it granted him significantly more control over his body. He’d always struggled with truly altering his mass and replicating more unique races. He was currently focused entirely on his hand, making his skin mimic the quills of a porcupine like a Kemon.

  Ione had returned home to visit her family a day earlier and would meet them at the academy, but she’d been given special chalk designed to be used on any surface and to never run out. Kizu had seen her demonstrate it by drawing a summoning circle across the surface of a pond. The chalk marks would fade after about an hour, but Ione needed less than a minute to complete even her most complex summonings.

  Instead of an object, the Emperor pulled favors to get Mitsuko specialized weapon training with some of the best fighters in Hon. Kizu hadn’t even seen her before they left, she’d been down at a dojo in the city. It was hard to picture the beautiful village girl as a fighter, but the last time he’d seen her she had seemed genuinely excited to get started.

  And finally, Anata had been gifted with a new eyepatch to cover her scarlet eye. This one not only had properties that allowed her to see through it, but also let her look through solid objects. It was a premium artifact used by Elite spies while infiltrating other nations or to assist them in monitoring suspicious individuals. Not something Kizu was particularly thrilled about Anata gaining access to, but his niece adored the little bit of fabric. She refused to take it off even while bathing or sleeping. Which was fine, since being waterproof was amongst its many qualities, but that was hardly what concerned him. Also, he wasn’t certain Emperor Sasaki had gotten permission to take that from the Elite’s vault. Taroe had frowned in Anata’s direction several times since she started wearing it. But that could also just as easily be the grumpy man’s natural disposition.

  By the time Aoi managed to wrestle the bone out from between Kon’s teeth, Mae had snuck over and snatched up a bone for herself and escaped without being spotted by the princess. That was likely their plan from the very start. Kizu and Taroe exchanged a look, having watched the deception play out, but neither bothered to alert Aoi to it. The necromancer returned to her pile of bones in a huff and resumed sorting through them while Mae giggled behind a couch.

  Kizu decided to spend the rest of their travel time practicing a bit of magic. He’d fallen behind in his studies. He went through some of his old warm up routines, casting small elemental cantrips and enhancement techniques. He took out an empty potion vial from his ring and practiced an enchantment to harden the glass and keep it from scratching. Then he stripped the enchantment and redid it. It was a nice little project to pass the time and keep him occupied.

  When the room finally arrived on campus Taroe exited first and checked outside the door before allowing them to follow after him. That small action surprised Kizu. What did Taroe expect? An ambush of attackers? The room should arrive right at the base of the academy without any issues. Or was the World Dungeon acting differently from normal? Something to consider.

  Thankfully, Akira went off in a separate direction from them. Somehow he apparently knew the academy well enough already to not need a guide. Not having the Inari family watching his every move let Kizu relax a bit.

  “Woah!” Mae gaped as she stared straight up. “Kon, look! The hallway’s ceiling has foxes on it! They look just like you!”

  Kizu glanced up. He’d never noticed it before but, sure enough, stone animals were carved into the stone overhead. And there was, indeed, a fox among the grotesques. He caught its eye and the statue moved its head slightly, startling him. But it took him only a moment to realize all of the stone animals could make minute movements. His eyes passed it over and quickly scanned the others. Most were familiar, but several he’d only ever seen in books. An elephant, a penguin, an armadillo. He knew of those from old potion ingredient tomes the crone had owned. And there were a few animals that looked unlike anything he’d ever seen before. A giant worm with a mouth on either end, a hunched over lizard, and an almost humanoid looking rat creature. Those kept his attention until Anata tugged on his sleeve and he realized the others were moving on. Still, his mind remained on the stone grotesques as he wondered what sort of potions he might be able to brew out of those types of animals. He assumed they must be nonmagical creatures, as the others were, but maybe that assumption wasn’t founded. After all, the worm had been the only bug out of the entire group. And the lizard the only reptile. Who was to say one or more of them weren’t also oddballs that were magical?

  “I have arranged special housing for you three,” Taroe said. The first words Kizu had heard from the Elite since his earlier argument with Wakino. “You will be staying under my protection.”

  “Which three exactly are you referring to?” Aoi asked.

  “The children.” Taroe paused, then corrected himself. “The young children.”

  “We don’t need you as a babysitter!” Mae protested. “Anata already told me about our new home for while we wait for Mother to return. It’s a boat down in a secret cave that nobody else knows about! She even drew me a picture! There are skeletons!”

  “You won’t be staying on Owl’s Respite,” Taroe replied. His voice brook no argument. But that’s not to say Mae didn’t try.

  The Kitsune girl went through several stages as they walked up and into Shinzou Academy’s halls. First she denied his authority over her. Then she switched over to reasoning with him but the Elite didn’t even acknowledge her. Then onto begging him to reconsider. Finally, she grumbled, defeated and accepted her fate. Her good mood now soured. And Kizu didn’t blame her, he was also irked that Taroe had decided to take custody of Anata without consulting him first. He was about to say something about the Elite overstepping when he was cut off.

  “Let us stay on Owl’s Respite.”

  The sound of Anata’s voice got a reaction out of Taroe, but only a surprised look. Despite her best efforts, she couldn’t harness her glamour to affect humans.

  “You’ll be well taken care of at the house I’ve bought,” Taroe said. “You’ve also now all been signed up for school with the other village children. A note has been sent to allow Kon to attend. They are under the impression that he is Mae’s familiar.”

  “You can’t just sign Anata up for school without my permission,” Kizu snapped at him.

  “Yes. I can. Attendance to an education system is mandatory by law on Shinzou Island. Unless you have certificates excusing the youth due to special circumstances. Your negligence has been noted by me, if no one else. Be grateful that the Emperor signed documents excusing your irresponsibility or your niece would be on her way to an orphanage.”

  “He has a point, Kizu,” Basil said. “You really should send Anata to classes.”

  “Your input is not appreciated right now, Basil.”

  Anata looked to him with pleading in her uncovered eye. He quickly scrambled for an answer. Some way to regain control of his guardianship of Anata. Taroe showed no signs of budging on the subject. There must be a middle ground.

  “Fine,” Kizu said. “I’ll let Anata stay with you. But I’m leaving my Enchanting C final project in your house.”

  Taroe glanced at him. “That portal you used to sever your leg?”

  “It doesn’t normally sever limbs,” Kizu said defensively. “I purposely misused it to do that.” Then he turned his attention to Basil. “And you are going to finally finish your part of the project.”

  Basil blinked. “Ah, the trigger mechanism. I–”

  “Thought I’d forgotten? This week, Basil.”

  Aoi laughed at Basil’s sudden fascination in the ceiling. She wrapped an arm over his shoulder. “I’ll help you with it, babe.”

  “If you develop a portal I deem safe and secure, I will allow it to link to your ship,” Taroe relented. “But I want all three on a strict curfew. People will be under the impression that Anata is my daughter. It will hurt my reputation.”

  That was as much of a win as Kizu could hope for.

  “You’re trying to use Anata as an example!” Aoi blurted out, clearly satisfied to have pieced together a puzzle. “Wakino was scolding you about neglecting your children. Now you’re out to prove yourself.”

  Oh. That made a lot of sense. And it did nothing to soothe Kizu’s irritation. But he held his tongue. Better to not poke and lose what he’d gained.

  Mae, however, was not so tactful. She complained loudly about not being considered his daughter and being subjected to the same treatment. Thankfully, Taroe didn’t even bother addressing her concerns.

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