The end-of-css dictation had as its sole objective to evaluate the level of writing, its quality as well as each individual’s comprehension.

  Since not everyone has easy access to learning how to write, the Agnos Academy offers interested and interesting students, who cannot write at all, the opportunity to participate in a six‐month learning course just before the academic term begins.

  The disparity in level between the csses was noticeable.The nobles, having easy access to a private tutor, know how to write all the characters in a legible and understandable manner. However, some of them did not benefit from this opportunity from an early age or on a regur basis and have a barely passable level. At the same time, it is easier for a child to see oneself as a hero vanquishing evil with a wooden sword than as a scribe drafting legal texts.

  The elves had a very high level thanks to their close ideological connection with the Domain of Knowledge and Understanding. The dwarves, on the other hand, encountered more difficulties, being more specialized in all kinds of calcutions. The gnomes, the halflings and the rest of the humans dispyed a variable level depending on their family’s finances or education.

  Arimélia and Elwyn had the highest level of their year. Having both learned and practiced this art very regurly since their early childhood, it was agreed for them no longer to participate in this course, except for an evaluation. As for Loyd, he dispyed one of the lowest levels, which surprised no one, while Syria, on the other hand, had a correct level, pcing her at an average level.

  — You had nothing else to do to get here, huh? asked Loyd, a little crestfallen, after comparing his paper with Elwyn’s.

  — It had been part of my morning routine since I was four. I also learned to read, to count and to calcute. Then in the afternoon I did physical exercise and learned to use my sword, my fists or even the bow.

  — Well, you were really busy in the end… What about your powers then?

  — I had a… certain problem… regarding that subject. I started to… learn… with some difficulty around my fifth year. And barely a year ago, I was finally able to begin using them to their full potential without difficulty, replied Elwyn, choosing his words carefully.

  Loyd then furrowed his brows at this strange revetion.

  — What kind of problem exactly? he asked in an oddly serious tone.

  — The kind that prevents me from being easily discovered by everyone and which comes from the benevolent intervention of a certain Deity, replied Elwyn in a low voice.

  — Can it really do that?

  — Apparently, yes. And the effects are even stronger than you imagine.

  — To that extent?

  In response, Elwyn simply shrugged his shoulders, before turning towards the board where the remainder of the csses seemed to be dispyed.

  — Well, now and for the next two hours, we are going to begin the following course: “General Knowledge”. This course aims to improve your knowledge about the world, its rules, its inhabitants and its history. You will also learn mathematics, the ws of physics and biology. It is therefore the most important course in the academy, along with the course on martial or magical competence, depending on affinities. I strongly invite you to take notes and not hesitate to inquire more deeply at the Great Library if certain subjects interest you more. If you have trouble understanding, do not hesitate to ask for help after csses from other members of the css, those in the special css, a professor or one of your elders. Any questions?

  No hand was raised and no sound was heard.

  — Very well. In that case, we will begin at the beginning. Who knows how the universe in which we find ourselves was created?

  One of the dwarves at the back of the css raised his hand.

  — Before creating our world, the Great Creator made in the ether the six Elemental Sources.

  — That’s very good. Who can now tell me who these famous Sources are?

  One of the halflings in the first row raised his hand.

  — They are the Source of Fire, the Source of Water, the Source of Earth, the Source of Wind, the Source of Light and the Source of Darkness. With these six, they created the Universe alongside the Great Creator.

  — Absolutely correct. How was this world shaped?An elf in the second row raised her hand.

  — The Source of Fire and the Source of Earth together created the core of the world, before covering it entirely with rock and earth. The Source of Water created the oceans and the clouds, while the Source of Wind created the marine and aerial currents.

  — That is correct. What about the rest of the nearby celestial bodies that surround us?

  A human raised her hand in the center of the css.

  — The Source of Light, the Source of Earth and the Source of Fire created the sun, illuminating and warming the world, while the Source of Darkness created the shadows of matter, darkening and cooling the world. The Source of Earth and the Source of Fire also created the twin moons revolving around each other and also orbiting our world, which itself orbits around the sun.

  — Exactly. What about the small details like mountains and rivers?

  Syria then raised her hand.

  — The Elemental Sources, created to accomplish a task of very great magnitude, engendered the elementals, less powerful and smaller than they are, so that they could shape the world in detail, creating rivers and streams, fttening, digging or raising the level of the nds and boring galleries in the rock.

  — That is correct. What about life on our world?

  A gnome in the third row then raised his hand.

  — Once the world was finished, the Great Creator created pnt life, and much ter, organic life. Even today, the Great Creator continues to develop and evolve all the forms of life that he created, alone or with the help of the Sources.

  — Very good. What did the Sources do after that?

  Lorian then raised his hand.

  — They shaped their own Pns, called Elemental Pns, where other forms of life that they created with the help of the Great Creator live. One species from each Pn lives in Ilnolia. The Ondins in the water, the Oreades emerging from the earth, the Ifrits bathing in fire, the Sylphs floating in the wind, the Celestials hiding in the light and the Demons crawling in the darkness.

  The face of Professor Sylvia then appeared fully satisfied with what she had heard.

  — That was perfect. The oral transmission of our history has been perpetuated for many centuries, regardless of the region. It is important to know where we come from in order to know our pce in this world. We are not its owners nor its masters, we are merely its passengers. One day, perhaps, we will disappear completely to make way for an entirely new form of life. That is why we must fully enjoy our existence, for we will not have a second chance.

  A slight thought then crossed Elwyn’s mind.

  “No second chance…”

  Right beside him, Loyd’s hand suddenly rose.

  — What about Bahamut and Leviathan? They are indeed the most powerful creatures in Ilnolia, aren’t they?

  Professor Sylvia raised the question of the nephilim of War with satisfaction.

  — Indeed, what about our two Great Guardians? Can anyone provide an answer?

  Arimélia raised her hand, albeit a little hesitantly and stammering at the beginning of her answer.

  — To… prevent any massive extermination of living beings… by a dominant species, the Great Creator gave birth to Bahamut, the original dragon, Great Guardian of the sky and the earth, as well as Leviathan, the great serpent of the seas, Great Guardian of the seas and oceans. These two majestic beings have the mission of preserving the bance between species across all the Pns.

  At this expnation, Professor Sylvia nodded approvingly.

  — That is absolutely right. Our vast world has been under their protection since the first forms of animal life and they continue even now to watch over it despite the passing millennia.

  Following these words, a small thought for her grandfather then came to Arimélia’s mind.

  “He spends most of his time sleeping, waiting for the next mission from the Great Creator or for a major catastrophe to occur…”

  A human suddenly raised his hand to ask a question with a certain apprehension.

  — What then about the Entities and Divinities? Didn’t they appear at the same time as the Great Guardians?The professor did not have time to react to the question before an elf in the first row answered almost immediately after the end of the sentence.

  — Do not ask a stupid question, the Entities were obviously created well after the Ilnolians.Following these remarks, the young boy then lowered his head and blushed with shame, and Sylvia, outraged by this scene, immediately shot the elf a gre.

  — I ask you not to show condescension towards your cssmates. Even if the remarks seem stupid to you, is that clear? she replied firmly, her tone sharply contrasting with her usual attitude.

  The elf, surprised by this change in tone, then lowered her head and her long ears blushed in turn with shame.

  A heavy silence then fell over the cssroom, and no one dared to speak again, except one. Elwyn then raised his hand.

  — To conclude the expnations on the origin of the Entities, after having observed the humanoids of this world and discerned their needs and desires, the Great Creator materialized the aspects he defined as characteristic of the most complex form of life he had ever created. The Entities were then born to help and guide the Ilnolians, but to maintain a certain bance of forces, he also created Entities charged with testing them, or for some, even harming them. The Domains charged with helping number six, each with an associated Deity. Currently, the Domain of Knowledge and Understanding is represented by Ogme, the Domain of War by Asagar, the Domain of Peace by Erzissa, the Domain of Justice by Thésynaria, the Domain of Love by Sephirel or Zéphir, and the Domain of Life by Akeso. As for the Entities that may pose problems, they do not have a representative Deity, but there are many linked to negative or deemed problematic feelings, typical of living beings endowed with a form of moral consciousness.

  Once the expnation was finished, the professor turned towards Elwyn and resumed her cheerful air.

  — That is absolutely correct. Moreover, certain species or nations of our world have an affinity with certain Domains. For example, the elves and the dark elves are more inclined towards the Domains of Life and of Knowledge and Understanding, while the humans of the Northern Lands are closer to the Domain of War.The second elf in the first row then raised her hand.

  — Do you know anything about what happened to the Deity of Life? It’s been more than ten years since she disappeared.

  Sylvia shook her head negatively.

  — Unfortunately, no. No one has had any news in all that time. The only thing known is that a terrible battle took pce and that the Guardian of the Deity was found dead.

  The elf, responsible for the previous altercation, clicked her tongue in frustration.

  — Tsk. Weak incompetent human, she murmured.The professor’s gaze hardened once again in front of this elf.

  — Do you have anything to add, Miss Linariel, or would you like a warning on your very first day of css?

  — Professor, the role of a Guardian is to ensure a form of comprehensive communication between the Deity and the Ilnolians, as well as the protection of the tter. The Guardian of the Deity of Life has failed in his role as protector and even today, we pay the price of that failure. How many lives has the world lost because of his absence? How many people will still disappear tomorrow? This failure is unprecedented and its long-term consequences as well, argued Linariel to defend her point of view.

  The professor did not fall into the ease of anger, even if the subject concerned a person she had known in the past, and opted for a firm tone.

  — Miss Linariel, how can you make such remarks when you know absolutely nothing about his Guardian?

  — What more is there to know? He was a simple human. Even the blessing of the Deity was not enough.

  Even if it did not appear so, Elwyn listened to this conversation attentively. He knew little about his parents, so even a tiny morsel added to his family tree was enough for him. Even the defamatory remarks made against his father did not affect him in any way.

  — Stop. Speaking. Defamatory. Remarks. With. No. Complete. Knowledge. of. This. Subject, the professor replied, stopping on each word with a firm tone.

  — But… , Linariel began to protest.

  Sylvia suddenly struck her desk with the palm of her hand, the sound resonating throughout the room and startling a few students, creating a new silence.

  A heavy atmosphere slowly settled and the students began to stir. The remarks made by Linariel did not gain unanimous approval within the css and a few discussions broke out on the subject.

  Amidst all this, Loyd, disturbed by the situation, turned towards Elwyn. The tter had completely detached himself from the subject since the professor had silenced Linariel. No further pertinent information could emerge from the cmor of the students, for they knew nothing.

  “Only Professor Sylvia could possess pertinent information, but that bang on the table served as a means for her to calm down and avoid revealing any more…”

  Seeing that things still did not seem to calm among the students and that the professor was just regaining her composure, Elwyn used the physical reinforcement in his hands to cp them loudly enough to restore calm in the css and capture everyone’s attention, before continuing.

  — I propose to put an end to this sterile discussion. No opinion or remark will change anything. The Deity of Life has disappeared, that is a fact. The Guardian of the Deity fell in battle, that is another. Defining the responsibility of the Guardian or of the Deity regarding the tter’s choice will strictly change nothing about the facts. The dead cannot be brought back to life, judged or punished. The only worthwhile thing to do is to find the lost Deity, so that she can resume her functions and minimize the consequences of her disappearance, he decred, with his calm tone and his usual impassive face.

  This sudden intervention by Elwyn surprised the entire css, but his reasonable and thoughtful remarks met with no objection. Loyd, for his part, was mostly surprised by his own detachment from the situation, as it was, after all, his own father, even if he had not known him very well.

  — Thank you, Elwyn, for your intervention, the professor replied humbly, having partly lost control of the events.

  — It is part of the Entities’ duty to arbitrate, he replied simply.

  — I would also like to apologize for having lost my temper, but this event is still too recent for me. The Deity of Life and her Guardian used to visit us for several days and gave lessons, before leaving for another tour of the world. They were both very appreciated and loved by the teaching staff… But well, we must continue to move forward, even if it is difficult, that is what they would have wanted. In short, let’s resume the lesson, it is not over yet.