Chương 42: Chapter 101: Awards And Moms

Ryland wasn't sure what to do about it just yet. Mostly because he didn't have any concrete information. He could only draw the conclusion that the Vestige was travelling with them on the skyship. A daring manoeuvre, if nothing else. Clearly, the thief believed they could escape detection. How? And why here? Why put themselves in such risk of discovery? Ryland didn't know yet. All he was sure of was that the Inscriptions he had laid down at every location indicated by the Fatehound were all for naught.

When the thief was flying so high up with him, the Inscriptions far beneath them on the ground would be ineffectual.

"I'm glad you joined us, Ryland," Academ Jules said. After Ryland's showing at the Manabreak mine, the man had become increasingly friendly.

"It is frankly an honour to have you along with us, especially when we are about to honour the best of us at the club." They were on the bridge of the skyship, which was open to the sky. Clouds raced past them, the chilly air of the high atmosphere repelled by the Inscriptions lining the skyship's fuselage. All around them, other students and skyship operators were getting things ready for the awarding ceremony.

"I'm happy to be attending, Academ," Ryland said with an appreciative nod of his head.

"Well, I hope you'll be happier to learn that we want to honour you too." Ryland blinked.

"Really? What ever for?" The Academ stared at him.

"Surely, you can think of everything you've done?"

"I can. But I don't think they're anything truly deserving of awards. In fact, I suggest against it, Academ, if you don't mind." Academ Jules frowned.

"Care to explain why, at least?"

"Certainly. As I see it, you're rewarding students for their efforts towards their magical growth, not just the performances they've displayed at the academy as part of the Excursion Club. That is why they're putting in the effort, after all. You aren't awarding yourself or any other Academ, are they?"

"Well, no…"

"The effort I've put towards any of my endeavours hasn't been because I intend to grow along the same lines. They're… different. Very much so. Maybe I'd be deserving of it had I made significant progress on my research or anything along those lines. But frankly speaking, my efforts weren't academic." Academ Jules frowned as he considered that, but his frown cleared up soon enough.

"I see what you mean. And you're right. We ought not to devalue the true purpose behind the awards for the sake of awarding everything we think deserves praise."

"Right. Exactly." Ryland was glad to keep up the good relationship with the Academ. Jules seemed like a good fellow. He had no intention of getting on his bad side by rejecting whatever kind of reward he had cooked up for Ryland out of kindness. It would be nice to get Jules's help on figuring out what was up with the Vestige. More than that, if something untoward occurred, it would help if the excursion leaders were aware of the issue.

Because Ryland still didn't fully understand the intentions of the Vestige thief, so if they were even a little bit similar to the Eliminators' goals, then prevention was absolutely necessary. Soon enough, the decorations were all done. The balcony was lined with golden streamers and Academ Jules stood on a glossy wooden podium to put the medals on deserving students. The actual ceremony went quite well. Ryland was all smiles when Acrypha was the first person to be awarded for her efforts throughout the semester.

Everyone cheered, Viren loudest of all, and the poor girl tried very hard not to flush. It was certainly odd seeing her feel somewhere between abashed and embarrassed when she always tried to be so calm and collected.

"Very well done," Ryland told her when she came down and left the podium space open for others to go after her.

"You've heard this far too many times already, but congratulations, Acrypha."

"Thank you, sir," she said quietly.

"Right!" Viren said brightly.

"Congrats, Acrypha."

"Yes, I know, I know!" Viren scowled.

"You were nice to sir!"

"I was." Viren just scowled harder. Ryland chuckled. They stood and clapped politely for all the other awardees. Different students received different recognitions. One student got a special award for receiving outstanding marks in a specific class. Another was congratulated for completing a unique project. Yet another student was acclaimed with loud applause and cheering for how many clubs he was a meaningful member of. One of the more surprising awardees was Alendra.

Though, should Ryland really have been surprised? She had risen high in a very short time, aside from doing well academically. She was also awarded for having the best duelling record among all the graduate students. It didn't surprise Ryland too much. After his displays on the first day, Ryland hadn't been challenged at all. And he certainly hadn't gone looking for more duels. As such, through the sheer number of duels she had fought, Alendra had quickly eclipsed him. Better yet, she hadn't lost once.

"Congratulations to you too, Alendra," Ryland said when the clapping and cheering had died down and Alendra had descended from the podium.

"Good work." Alendra shook her head.

"Again with the patronizing. But at this point, I think you can't help it. So, thanks." Ryland wasn't sure where the patronizing had been, but he figured she probably wasn't entirely wrong. That said, he was significantly older than her and he was now a teacher to boot, so she'd need to excuse him as well. Which she had, thankfully.

"How did you manage to ascend to such a high-ranking position within the Excursion Club?" Ryland asked.

"Usually, first-time students at the academy need some time to get their bearings. Which of course makes your achievements all the more impressive. Especially considering your other accomplishments academically and on the field." Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. Alendra shrugged with a haughty look.

"What can I say? They're just good at recognizing my talents here at the Excursion Club." She proudly showed off the medals she had been given. Ryland chuckled.

"I know what you're thinking," she said with a low warning, clutching her medals.

"Now that you're at the club, the world is going to once again bend to your will and make you king. Well, fat chance of that while I'm here. I've got a lead on you that you'll never be able to make up for."

"I have never once thought such a thing." Alendra pretended not to have heard him.

"The Excursion Club is mine, Ryland. Here, I am the empress! Here, what I say goes! And there isn't a thing you or anyone else can do about it!"

"Um…" She blinked a few times, then realized that everyone nearby was staring at her. Alendra quickly grinned at Ryland.

"I'm just joking with him. Keeps him on his toes, you see." Ryland just shook his head.

"Don't let it get to your head," he murmured.

"Though at this point, it might be too late." Alendra grumbled at seeing her excuse of joking not being received well by anyone still looking at her. Once the formalities of the awards were over, they could all relax and enjoy the rest of the ceremony as they saw fit. This was mostly just getting all the refreshments on offer while chatting on the bridge, the Inscriptions allowing a modicum of the external chill to reach them without it becoming tremendously cold as it normally should have been.

"Sir," Acrypha said, sipping a vivid green drink.

"Didn't you say you were from Gildharbour?" Ryland finished his puff pastry and wiped the crumbs off his hand with a napkin.

"I did."

"And it was just a small town back then?"

"It was little more than a fishing hamlet, yes. I hear things have changed greatly."

"They have." She eyed him.

"Wonder how you'll feel when we get there." Ah, right. Ryland had been too consumed by the fact that their excursion was following the same route as the foretold one of the stolen Vestige. The end of their journey would be taking them to a spot not that far out from Gildharbour. Which meant Ryland could actually return home. That was certainly a strange prospect to consider. He hadn't even visited there when he had arrived on Vyrd.

"You know," Ryland said.

"Visiting my parents was one of my motivations for learning the Soul Glyph of Rift."

"Meeting your parents, sir?" Viren asked. He was clearly intrigued to hear about it. If he felt odd or sorrowful or anything of the sort, since Viren's parents were no longer living, he didn't show it.

"Yes. As you can see, there is a great distance between the academy and Gildharbour. And back then, we didn't have trains or skyships or things of the sort." Ryland smiled at his fond recollections.

"My journey to the academy was actually via a carriage that Arcoryx had sent out. It was horseless and meant to gather all the attendees from the local area."

"That's…" Acrypha struggled to find the right words for a moment.

"Very rustic, sir." Ryland laughed.

"Indeed. It was quite the trip." It was nice reminiscing about his past with his pupils. He told them that the way his ma used to fry the fish that his da caught was one of his chief reasons for wanting to visit all the time. Even now, he missed it. He probably would never stop missing it, no matter how old he grew.

"What about your parents?" Ryland asked as he led them back towards their rooms. His reason for asking then was they could always escape if things got too awkward for them.

"My parents are…" Acrypha hesitated. She was never one to reveal much of herself, and now, she was clearly struggling.

"They were great heroes. I didn't know them very well. I think they were nice enough, when they had time to spare for me. But…" She tutted.

"I'm not quite sure, sir." Ryland needed a moment to realize he had a question. The were was hanging heavy over them all.

"Not quite sure of what?"

"I don't know how well they knew me. Or tried to, I suppose. Before… they passed away. Maybe that's why I wasn't as sad as I should have been." That was both a heavier and more complicated topic than Ryland had expected it to be. He didn't blame Acrypha for turning things that way. And he was also glad she had been so open with them. Ryland decided to focus on the positives without denigrating the gravity of her circumstance.

"Your feelings are valid no matter what they are," Ryland said.

"Although, I admit I am not well-versed in the topic. My own parents passed away while I was gone during my… intransient state. I think everyone you meet is a mixture of lessons and blessings. At the very end of the day, it's worth appreciating both for what they are." Acrypha took a moment to consider that, then nodded.

"What?" Viren asked after a while, suddenly defensive.

"Why are you looking at me?" Ryland realized Acrypha had at some point joined in staring at Viren pointedly.

"We just bared our Realms-blasted hearts, Viren," Acrypha said exasperatedly, like she couldn't believe she was having to explain herself.

"Where's your sob story?" Viren sputtered for a moment.

"I should have been the one asking you that. You didn't have to go and show me up!" Ryland laughed softly.

"It's alright, Viren. You don't have to talk about it if you don't wish it."

"No fair," Acrypha protested. Viren huffed a little.

"I didn't know my parents at all, if I'm being honest. They either died, or I was abandoned. Nobody is really sure. The people of Sunstile helped look after me for a bit when I was young but I never really stayed in one place."

"And some random street kid with no experience did well enough on the academy's external tests to get invited to Arcoryx itself?" Acrypha asked dubiously.

"I managed to pick a few things up here and there," Viren said.

"There was this old mage in Sunstile who used to blow glass as a profession. He taught me a lot of things, and he was from the academy too, so I knew what to look out for on their tests." Since Arcoryx Academy didn't want to become merely a place where all the richest could gather, they made it a point to send out examiners all over Vyrd every year.

Their purpose was to look out for magical potential and test the populace to find those among the general public who would benefit greatly from the academy's education or just had tremendous potential. It wasn't surprising Viren had acquired his entrance through those means. Ryland himself had done the same. He decided they'd have a nicer, happier chat the next time. For the time being, Ryland saw to their rooms and decided he'd spend the rest of the day figuring out what to do about the Vestige.

The first thing he did was inform Alaric.

"This is concerning," he said.

"There are too many students on board. I'm of half a mind to haul them back to the academy right this instant."

"Let's not be hasty," Ryland said. He was in the Headmaster's office again.

"It may be dangerous, but without truly knowing the thief's intent, we're working blindly. That said, the chances are indeed very high that it will be dangerous. I will take care of it. A subtle barrier spell should be enough to prevent anyone from getting hurt even if the skyship explodes."" Subtle," Alaric said." Explodes."

"Mere precautions. I don't want to scare them with a giant Fatehound, and I'm not even sure Castigor would find anything, so I haven't asked him to investigate the skyship directly yet." Alaric looked like he was trying to find the right thing to add. He was stumped. Then again, so was Ryland.

"The thief is smart," Ryland said.

"We can't risk offending everyone and upending the excursion by launching a forceful investigation to find the stolen Vestige."

"You seem awfully unworried about this," Alaric eventually said.

"It's less a matter of being unworried and more that recent experiences have given me a healthy appreciation for being prepared for anything. Intensively prepared." Alaric only nodded after a moment. His eyes proclaimed he was thinking of the same thing as Ryland. That whole debacle with the Eliminators had left a sour taste in both their mouths. Everything might have turned out fine, but it should never have devolved to that state to begin with.

"Don't worry, Headmaster," Ryland said.

"I am on the case. As such, nothing will happen that you'll need to worry about."

"True. When you're there… I can certainly rest easy. Right up until a parade of angry parents assault my front doors for letting things get potentially dangerous in the first place." He sighed.

"But that's for me to worry about. Thank you, Ryland. I can at least rest easy that under your purview, no one will come to harm." Ryland nodded before rifting back to the skyship. The moment he arrived, he found that everyone appeared to be quite fascinated with something. People were pointing and staring. An aura of fascination had gripped the whole skyship. It didn't take long for him to make out that they were all staring at something in the distant sky. He frowned."

[Omniscience]," he incanted, taking a look directly. It was dragons. Enormous ones. Lesser Archdrakes, if he wasn't misremembering. And they were… They were chasing after one of his Golbirds." [Translocate]," Ryland incanted before disappearing entirely.