Chương 8: Chapter 7

An unfamiliar room, an unfamiliar mirror, an unfamiliar outfit, and an unfamiliar face. Unfamiliar, he'd found himself using the word more and more these days. It was getting tiresome. He inspected the figure staring back at him. He watched it follow his actions as he scratched his chin. At least the itching had subsided, even if he didn't think he'd ever get used to this. Didn't have to, he reminded himself. His body's regeneration was very subjective. One thing it did not like was any alteration to his person.

Which meant he couldn't lose his head on this mission. Lest he return to his old face. Clothes were fine though; funnily enough, they came back without issue. He examined the uniform he wore. It was only slightly stifling. Really, it was the red tie he'd had the most issue with. He reached up, adjusting it slightly. Thankful that its function was similar to what he remembered long ago, it saved him the indignity of having to ask someone else for help.

The rest of the ensemble struck him as more practical than what he presumed an Academy catering to nobles would offer. A pair of dark brown boots and black slacks with a matching dress shirt. It was finished with a dark red blazer. Apart from the colors, it looked remarkably similar to the Federation suits. The blazer was where the differences were more apparent. The symbol of the Empire rested over his heart with the family crest on his right shoulder.

The buttons looked handcrafted, with emblems intricately carved. The feel of it as well; it was smooth, but that only hid the surprising toughness it displayed. Not that he tried too hard to test it; showing up the first day with a ripped blazer didn't seem the wisest of actions. A knock sounded.

"Young master, it's time to depart," a maid's voice said. The title made his skin crawl. He didn't bother correcting her. He'd already tried to get them to stop calling him that, and his pleas fell on deaf ears. At least they listened when he told them to stay out of his room; perhaps Claire had convinced them of that. He walked towards the door before taking one last look at the residence that had served him the past three weeks. It was a large space, with the king-size bed not looking out of place.

Curtained windows spanned the wall and gave him a good view of the training grounds. There was a desk, sofa, multiple dressers, bookshelves, and the aforementioned full-length mirror. Aside from an internet connection, it had everything he needed. With any luck, he'd never have to return. Shame about the bed though; he rather liked it. Maybe he'd finally learn how to fill out a requisition form and get one himself.

He reached for the door handle; his belongings had already been transferred, so he did not need to carry anything. Coming into the hallway, the maid stood a little to the side. He nodded to her once and then made his way towards the entrance of the manor. He had the opportunity to see a bit more of it in his short stint here, mostly being dragged around for lessons. Mercifully, despite the size of it, the manor's layout was rather simple, so he had no issues traversing the halls.

He stopped at the top of the staircase, seeing the happy family gathered in the foyer. The Lord and Lady were dressed up more than usual. The former wore a blazer that seemed a size too small, while the latter wore a long green dress. Alice herself somewhat matched him but swapped the pants for a skirt. Her boots were also longer, being knee-high. There were some other additions to her blazer, cuff links, some pins, and patches. They didn't look to be just for decoration, so they probably meant something.

One of them must have been askew because Claire was fiddling with it. Someone said something, and laughter rang out. He chose not to augment his hearing. Slowing his descent, he tried to grant them more time.

"There you are." Claire noticed him first, having finished the adjustments she was making.

"I was worried I'd have to fetch you myself." This past week she hadn't commented on what he had said in the garden, and their interactions largely remained the same. He couldn't say the same for Alice. While they hadn't spoken since that day, their silences had changed in quality. Claire walked up to him, eyes racking up and down. Looking for flaws. She nodded, finding none.

"Excellent, you wear that well. Now come along, everyone; we must hurry. The children have a long drive ahead of them." She ushered them all out of the foyer and onto the front steps of the manor. The sun shone brightly, just above the horizon. At the base, he found the car he'd ridden in before; in front of it sat a tripod with a butler standing nearby. Cal walked off to the side as he took the stairs down.

"And where do you think you are going, young man?" Claire wasn't the first one to notice his movement, but she was the only one to call it out.

"This is a family tradition; now come. Children center, parents up a step and behind." She directed the group. Alice had already schooled her features. The Lord looked ready to argue before being silenced by a single look from Claire. Cal struggled internally for a moment, ultimately relenting. He didn't fancy his chance any better than the Lord's and so dragged his feet towards the spot he was being pointed to. The butler called their attention, keeping his gloved hand in the air as the flash went off.

They stayed still for some more flashes before the hand lowered. Cal made his way to the car, leaving the family to say the rest of their goodbyes. Seated inside, he fiddled with the star in his pocket, wondering what Millie was up to right about now. His lips quirked up, thinking of Gerald trying to talk her out of running some experiment of hers, only to be sent on another inane task so she could do as she pleased. The door opened and Alice took the seat facing him.

The car was rather spacious, so they didn't have to bump knees, a blessing given they'd be stuck for the next seven hours. Their travel would represent crossing half the Empire, with the Ardere lands located on the Great River bordering the Federation, while their destination was located midway through the country and slightly further east, closer to the Waste than most found comfortable. Alice's hand reached out, holding something out to him.

"Mother insisted you receive a copy," she offered in way of explanation. He took the small piece of glossy paper. They really did good work on his face; if he hadn't known better, it would look like a normal family picture, with the exception of the mother being the only one smiling. Bitterly, he noted this may have been the first portrait taken of him in this world, and it wasn't even him. He closed his eyes, content to let his trance pass the time.

"Did you just kick me?" He asked the girl opposite him after being brought out of his trance.

"No." He stared at her harder while rubbing his leg.

"You weren't waking up. It's of no consequence. We have matters to discuss." His now bruised shin said otherwise.

"Do we have to? We're in separate years. Once we get on campus, we can just stay out of each other's way." He felt it was a fairly reasonable plan. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. She looked out the window, watching the scenery while still addressing him.

"Things at the Academy are not as simple as you may believe." He sat up straighter, suddenly more interested. Ever since his chat with Millie, he'd decided to take this mission more seriously, and this seemed to be the lead-up to a clue.

"What do you know of our house?" Precious little. The first he'd heard of them was in the info packet he'd been given.

"It's a Count house with lands on the border of the Great River. As most border houses, we're known for our martial abilities. We don't date back to the founding, but we're near enough. In terms of the current political environment, we're under Duke Procellaes' faction." He recited what he knew. She motioned for him to continue. He shook his head in response.

"That's all?" Her lips pursed together.

"I expected Father, but for Mother as well..." The Lord and he had not spoken of anything of substance, and Claire had never broached the subject, so he was ignorant to whatever she was alluding to.

"Very well, I suppose it falls to me then." She seemed to brace herself for something "Our house has seen better days. You've no doubt noticed the queerness of the manor?" He shook his head again, wondering what she was talking about.

"Right, commoner. Well, a manor and house of our size would traditionally be inhabited by a great many others. I won't dwell on it, but there was a tragedy that dealt a great blow to us, leaving only our father to inherit." The Lord grew shadier in his eyes.

"Since then, we've gradually lost influence. Both political and economic. As it stands, we have been frozen out of Duke Procellaes' circle for some time." He wasn't aware of what all that meant, but it sounded bad and wholly not relevant to him or demons. He slouched back again, still paying attention but less concerned.

"There are those who covet what we still possess. Some of them are of the unscrupulous type, they may try to use you to further their goals." He mulled over her words. It did seem like a half-decent idea. Get your claws into a newly legitimized hick and use him as a pawn to sow trouble in a rival house. Then ditch him as soon as he loses his worth.

"I'm not interested in politics, and I'm not so fresh as to trust anything they tell me." He tried to head off her concerns.

"Should their honey fail, they will try more forceful methods. All students are afforded the same protection, but they can and most likely will pressure you into duels." So they were going to bully him into kicking their asses? That could be fun.

"These duels are not games. They can have serious consequences on our house and future. As heir, I ask you to pay no attention to their taunts."

"Wouldn't beating them up look good?" It would certainly feel good. She rolled her eyes dismissively.

"And are you so sure you have the ability?" She arched her brow at him as he lifted a finger and lit a small flame. Bringing it to her face, he moved it back and forth. She slapped his hand down.

"What are you doing?"

"Checking if you have a concussion." Seeing her confusion, he elaborated, "Cause you don't seem to remember the outcome of our 'fight.'" Her face darkened, and he watched the ends of her hair, waiting to see if she'd light the leather seat on fire. She didn't.

"I admit you have some skill, but do not fool yourself into thinking you are my better. I was not in the best state. In my top form, I would prove a much more able opponent." She had been a bit worked up. That didn't excuse the mental gymnastics going on to ignore the sheer disparity in ability.

"There are other considerations; as I said, we are not in an enviable position. Others, now content to watch us wither, may take action should you prove capable." Politics, alien to him as ever.

"So damned if I do, damned if I don't."

"That is not a saying I'm familiar with. However, it does fit the situation well. That being said." Her nose wrinkled.

"Mother spent some time teaching you proper language; please use it." She'd called him a cretin before. He was pretty sure that was worse.

"Fine, I won't accept any." In no way did he pout. It was probably the better call anyway. People paying attention to him was the opposite of what the job called for. No, he'd try to fly under the radar so he could move less impeded.

"Do not worry, I have avenues not available to me before. I shall explore them and then plan our next move. In the meantime, should someone challenge you, merely say you need your house heir's permission." Being included in her plans? Hopefully, they wouldn't be too affected when he disappeared. That did make him wonder how this would all be explained to her when the time came. It would be one jarring revelation for most. At least her family was being compensated for this; well, he assumed so.

Either the Empire or Federation had to be paying the Lord off in some way.

"Moving on to less serious matters. Have you put any thought into what you would study?" She asked with a slight tilt of her head.

"Whatever is easiest?" He ventured. Rather than be upset, she looked pleased at his answer.

"Wise of you to not overreach. The Academy is the most prestigious place of learning in the world. Given your background, you possess disadvantages to those who've already had schooling in the Junior years and no small amount of private tutors. If I may, would you like my recommendation?" It seemed like she was going to give it with or without his approval, so he just nodded along.

"Transitional years allow you to take up to four courses each semester from the Senior years without restriction to concentration. Most students use it as a way to decide the future course of their studies. You, however, cannot afford to gain poor marks. That being the case, your best choice would be those from the administration concentration. The coursework is surprisingly light, a result of the Academy favoring subjects dealing more directly with magic." It sounded like business.

Boring, but if it was easy, he'd take it.

"Should it still prove an issue, I have an acquaintance who may be convinced to assist you." And a tutor on tap as well. It was promising, he'd see what they had on offer before deciding. Before he could respond, he heard a buzzing sound. Reaching into one of her blazer pockets, she retrieved what looked to be a smartphone. His eyes widened slightly; the Empire was behind the times, and it was the first sign of advanced technology he'd seen here.

"She must have heard me speaking of her," Alice muttered as she typed.

"Apologies." Her gaze rose, and she noticed his stare.

"Oh, yes, this should be rather new to you. I confess they're a rather recent innovation of the Academy. Much better than the older models, that'd let you only call and text. That is, send messages to one another. A pity the network does not yet extend to our lands." Innovation? That was totally a cheap knockoff. Probably stole the original off a Federation corpse; that was his thing! She mistook his look for something else.

"Worry not, all new students are issued one. We can trade numbers once you get one. Take care not to damage it; they're rather expensive to replace." Expensive coming from the girl living in a house with over twenty rooms meant quite a lot. That was believable, given he wasn't sure they were all too common outside of top Federation forces. Their being ubiquitous at headquarters was a side benefit of Millie's presence. Her phone buzzed and stole back her attention as she buried her nose in it.

Having a phone again would be a welcome distraction, though he'd have to be careful with what he used it for. Behind the curve they may be, but it would be foolish to think they didn't have some monitoring going on. He'd dealt with that before, and while it was fun to freak out whoever watched his activity with increasingly bizarre searches, this situation called for a more subtle approach. Seeing her still engrossed, he fell back into a trance for the remainder of the journey.

When he again became aware, he was slightly hunched forward. His hand grasping a boot. It did not take a genius to figure out what it was doing before he subconsciously stopped it. He released it and gave the offender a look. She didn't even have the decency to look embarrassed.

"We're nearly there; look, you can see the city." She pointed at the window to her right, and he scooted closer to get a better view. It was an urban sea, buildings of countless designs stretched as far as the eye could see. He augmented his eyes but still couldn't see the end.

"It's rather breathtaking." She spoke with some wonder in her voice. He moved to the side a little, sharing the window and admiring the same scenery.

"It's the largest city in the Empire, over two million call it home. This is my favorite part of the drive. It's the highest elevation the road gets to before dipping into the city." It was large, maybe the largest he'd seen in this life. It was tough to tell as he hadn't been to many and those he did were visited at night, making it harder to judge their size. She nudged his shoulder with hers.

"Over there, see? The walls are coming into view." He did see them, though they were still small on the horizon. He pushed his augmentation further, and more details came into focus. They were large; using the surroundings, he estimated them to be nearly forty meters tall. Their color was black, but not to the level of the cabin. They gave off a different sense as well. While the cabin warned all to stay away, these almost seemed to be goading him in.

He cut off the connection, not comfortable with what he'd been feeling. It felt too close to mind magic. He looked back to the city, remembering the details he saw when his vision was still boosted. The buildings tended to be on the smaller side, and he didn't see anything over three stories. That was where the good news ended because the city itself was still massive. And somewhere out there, jackasses were planning to unleash the forces of the hells.