Chương 7: All Talk and No Food

Thacea's return was marked by a similar reception I had just experienced not a few hours prior. However, instead of bewildered and confused expressions, what I mostly saw were looks of utter disgust and abject horror. It was as if they were staring at some unseen monster hovering above Thacea, rather than her actual form. Having seen behind-the-scenes productions of heavily CGI-laden films, it looked as if they were all staring at a monster or a ghostly apparition that would be added later in post.

Except this wasn't a film set, nor was it fiction. All of this, every second of every minute of this situation I found myself thrust into, was real. So I had to assume there was some reason behind them staring above her, rather than at her. Despite all of this I ignored the crowds and the rest of the room, as my whole world was once more squarely placed on the avian.

My first action as she sat back was to make sure she was alright as I reached out my hands towards hers, mirroring the same comforting gesture she'd done for me. There wasn't any sense of obligation, nor any sense of debt being repaid here. It was an outright sense of genuine empathy and compassion that just felt right to do.

"Thacea? Are you alright? Are you hurt?" I spoke, as my hands came into contact with her own. This clearly elicited some sort of a reaction as the avian's feathers puffed up for the briefest of moments.

"I'm quite alright Emma, please, there is no need to bring more attention to this situation then there needs to be." She spoke in that same polite, admittedly aloof tone that I'd come to expect from royalty after binging shows like Inside The Palace and The Crown IX.

"Are you sure, you're sure? Because I-""Princess." Thalmin leaned in close for a whisper, completely cutting me off, as he elicited Thacea's full attention. The princess cocked her head towards him in an almost pigeon-like manner in response.

"Your mana- miasma is showing. Please keep it under control while we are still in public." The Princess seemed to be even more visibly shaken by this as she nodded sheepishly, closing her eyes and clenching her fists tight.

"What-" I attempted to speak, but was shushed by the Lupine who continued to watch the Princess with great intent.

"Are you blind, Earthrealmer?" Ilunor suddenly snapped at me as it was clear there was something else going on here. Something that my radiation scanners simply wasn't picking up.

"I… I'm not following." I replied plainly, turning to Ilunor with an unamused frown hidden under my helmet.

"Play dumb, just play dumb Earthrealmer, it's sure to get you places." The lizard continued, prompting me to suppress any and all desires to punt him across the room.

"I'll bite, I'll appease this little game of innocence and wanton lack of situational awareness. The Princess, just look at her." He pointed to Thacea.

"Her mana-field, you see it, or heck if you're one of the lesser species, you can still feel it can't you? That radiance? The multicolored glow? Now, look above that, don't you see the darkness? The shadows? Yes Earthrealmer, look, look, you see it now? Do you feel the ice cold sensation on your skin when you stare at it long enough?" Ilunor's words were even more spiteful than before. It once again took everything within me to not ruin his day, or perhaps his semester for good, but self control was vital…

I had to empathize. The man did almost get soul-bound or whatever. There was latent stress here, so I got it. In fact, quite ironically, this was the most solid piece of intel I got so far on this taint situation. So maybe I had to thank the lizard for his blunt explanation. Not that I would of course. This was far from a thank you sort of situation. The IAS' self-control and situational awareness classes were really coming in handy now.

"Alright." I responded simply, nodding, without really expressing myself in any other way. Looking back at Thalmin and Thacea, the wolf seemed to be eying this invisible mana-field taint with great intensity. The princess, for what it was worth, seemed to be in deep concentration, her face similar to someone trying their best to calm down from a panic attack. I didn't want to interfere just yet, not when it was clear that both Thacea and Thalmin seemed to be in the middle of getting whatever this was under wraps.

So I shifted my gaze back onto the stage. Or rather, I turned on one of my helmet's side-view cameras, so that I could see both Thacea and the stage simultaneously. With no further names being called I had expected the faculty and professors to have shuffled away, but they didn't. In fact, they continued to remain on stage as it seemed as if they were preoccupied with the book. The book was brought to the very center of the stage and placed on a stark-white plinth which glowed brilliantly.

The professors quickly crowded around it in a perfect circle, proceeding to whisper amongst themselves as they discussed the pages in length, flipping through each one, pointing and violently tapping at a few. This seemed to cause Thacea increasing anxiety as evidenced by her shaking form, but I held my hand firm against hers, squeezing it gently.

"Hey, it's fine. It's over alright? Your magic thing probably did the trick, I'm sure of it." I spoke, confident, yet clearly lacking in the ability to really say anything for certain. This seemed to calm the Princess down somewhat, as her feathers flattened, and her expression softened. Thalmin moved away for a moment, his eyes narrowing just above Thacea, and nodded.

"Alright, you're fine. I can't see any more of the taint." He eyed me, then Thacea, and seemed to do a quick double-take.

"Just don't let the Earthrealmer become your anchor, Princess. I suppose this is just a coincidence but, I'd recommend personal due diligence." Thalmin spoke with a certain level of concern, as the Princess reciprocated with a heady nod.

"I have my own training, Thalmin, thank you. There's no need for speculation or over-analysis. This was just an outlier of a situation, and it's now over. Let us focus instead on what's to come." The Princess gestured at the stage, yet made no effort to remove her hand from my own.

"Anchor?" I parroted back, garnering a masked look of embarrassment from Thacea as she moved to speak but was cut off by a loud, booming voice from the stage. The professors were clearly done deliberating, and the book now placed back into its unassuming container.

"With the rites of scholarship completed, and the ties having successfully been bound, it is time for orientation to commence." Mal'tory spoke, taking a few steps back further and further into the crowd of professors, before disappearing entirely from view. A spike of mana-radiation proved that something mana-related had happened, what I would assume was some sort of a teleportation spell. The Dean finally stepped forward after being in Mal'tory's shadow for most of the ceremony.

He stood tall, confident, unshaken by the recent turn of events and maintained that reassuring smile he held throughout everything.

"With the recent unexpected developments involving the ceremony, it will be reassuring to know that scarcely anything has changed for the orientation. So let us begin. This great day of matriculation marks the first steps into your grand adventure into the world of the magical arts. As is customary however, a grace period of five days is provided between the moment you pass through the portals and the day your first classes start.

The Academy is nothing if not concerned about the health and safety of our students, and we understand that with the disparate mana-potentials of each realm, a period of adjustment is required before we begin any magical studies in any meaningful capacity. So consider your next five days a period of respite."

"Mana-sickness exists, no matter what your parents have told you." The Red robed professor piped up from the back row.

"There is no richer concentration of mana than the Nexus, so your mana-fields will need time to adjust. Common symptoms of acute mana-field adjustment sickness include nausea, vomiting, dizziness, intermittent loss of consciousness, and profound precognition. But this should pass in about 3-4 days. You are after all, the best of the best. That's why your realms sent you. So your mana-field resilience is not in question. Still, I recommend none of you treat this as a competition.

There is no great honor in comparing mana-field adaptability. Any activities which misappropriates the Academy's on-site mana-pool for the purposes of childish escapades will be punished severely. Now, I'll let our great Dean continue."

"Thank you, Professor Belnor." The Dean nodded graciously at the red robed professor.

"Now, onto more pertinent matters. As all of you may already know, we have a total of 4 houses within the Academy, and unlike what most may claim, every house is on equal footing to win the Annual House Cup. So do not be discouraged on which house you are assigned to. House sorting will commence within the end of the 5-day grace period with a series of trials which shall be specified within the coming days.

After which, you shall remain in your assigned house until the end of the academic year, where you have the ability to change houses should you wish to do so. Now, each House consists of 5 peer-groups. Each peer-group consists of 4-5 individuals per group. Those seated at your tables will be your peer-groups for the entirety of your 5 years at the academy. This will not be changed, barring exceptional circumstances." The Dean took a moment to clear his throat, before continuing.

"With House matters out of the way, let us move to matters of accommodations and quality of life. Each peer-group shall be assigned a single dormitory, each dormitory shall consist of at least 2-3 bedrooms. Dormitories are assigned at random per peer-group, and students are encouraged to arrange matters of in-dorm room assignments on their own. The faculty respects the right to personal autonomy and decision making of all students after all."

I couldn't believe I was hearing that from the mouth of a man who had just soul-bound a quarter of the students in the room. The fact he was saying it with such… sincerity as well bothered me more than it should have. Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

"You can expect no less than 3 meals a day, you may choose to eat in the dining hall, or choose from a selection of room-serviced partial course meals with the exception of weekday lunches. Additional food services however shall be available around the clock, such is the privilege expected for the best and brightest in the Nexus and Adjacent realms." Now this was certainly an upgrade from what I expected of college life…

"Now onto academic matters. As Year 1 students, your curriculum is primarily focused around magic-theory. However, practical application is still expected, and will be part of your passing criterion on your tests and examinations. As first-years, your classes shall be taught in the Grand Lecture Halls, as all students will follow the same schedule and core subjects.

Electives are commonly started in the second year and are not recommended for First Years, however, should you believe yourself capable, you are free to inquire about the addition of electives anytime during the first semester. First years will have a total of two teaching blocks per day, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. Though an extra third teaching block for night-time magic lessons will be necessary for a few classes.

There are ten subjects you will have to master in your first year: Magic Theory and Mana-field Studies taught by Professor Vanavan, Nexus and Adjacent Realm History and Politics taught by Professor Articord, Potions Theory, Potions Crafting, and Healing Magic taught by Professor Belnor, Mana-Field Perception and Light-Magic Theory taught by Professor Mal'tory, and finally Physical Education taught by Professor Chiska." The Professors in question stepped forward. Vanavan I'd already met, the blue robed professor.

Same went for Professor Belnor, the red-robed professor. However Professor Chiska and Articord were new. Articord looked to be a fox-like creature, as far as I could tell at least given her robes covered most of her snouty face. Chiska however was… honestly what I expected of a magical PE teacher. First of all, she was a literal cat-person. Secondly, her robes were tailored in such a way that she could easily jump from the stage and straight up to the chandeliers if she wanted to.

In addition, she was also the only professor present to be beaming out a wide, welcoming smile to all the students. Vanavan smiled too of course, but his was too polite of a smile to be compared to the likes of Chiska. I liked her already.

"It will not surprise most of you to know that the Academy does not allow you to return to your respective realms over the Summer or Winter holidays." The Dean continued, eliciting a few tired sighs from the crowd that were quickly silenced by a short shush from the red-robed professor.

"You will, however, be able to return for a total of 3 weeks in the transition period between end of Year 1 and the start of Year 2. Provided of course that you do pass the course. If not, you shall remain here for remedial courses, but that shall be a topic of discussion for another time." The Dean paused as if to emphasize his point, before moving on just as quickly.

"Your summer and winter holidays shall instead consist of community service. As graduates of the Transgracian Academy we pride ourselves not only in the understanding of the fine arts, but likewise its practical implementation in real world situations. We must understand the people we preside and rule over, and as a result, we require at least 200 hours of active service in the guilds and adventuring halls in the lands of the Nexus.

Here, you will put into practice your theory and training amongst the honorable, chivalrous, and reputable heroes which grace our lands. There are no restrictions as to the utilization of your magical arts during these 200 hours. We wish to see students demonstrate their magical and martial potential to the best of their abilities. Nothing is off limits, save for loyalty to the crown of course, but that goes without saying." The Dean paused, as if waiting for one of the professors to interject.

To which the excitable Chiska, did without any prompting.

"And I'll be in charge of the community service and outreach program! So if any of you kids want to get a head-start, feel free to drop by my office! I have a large portfolio of guild halls, adventuring parties, and more, scattered across at least 2700 out of the 3579 Kingdoms, Duchies, Principalities, Leagues, and Empires of the Nexus! So there's definitely something for everyone! Ever wanted to sail the 900 seas to slay a great leviathan of the waves? Now you can!

Ever wanted to do the Crown's work and eliminate a rogue wizard gathering forces for a rebellion? Well here's your chance! Ever wanted to just slay a dragon?" The whole room went quiet at that, a few students even admonishing this very notion amongst themselves.

"I'm serious, it's been over 2000 years since our last dragon slayer, and I'll be damned if I end my tenure without presiding over at least one more!" The Professor continued.

"It takes a special person to slay a dragon, and I can name all of the 98 alumni who have, off the top of my head. Each of them have become legends not just within the Academy's walls, but beyond. So if you want to join the gilded alumni of the Academy, this is also your chance!" The professor's attitude remained that same jovial, excitable one throughout, only pausing just for a moment to lower her voice in a clear attempt to emphasize this next point.

"Also, if you're in a bit of a tough spot with your grades, this may just be the thing to pick it up, just saying…" She spoke with a wink.

"Anyways, the possibilities are endless! So if you ever want to get a head start on your summer and winter outreach programs, feel free to drop by my office anytime!" The cat spoke, or rather, shouted, brimming with infectious energy.

"Thank you, Professor Chiska. Your enthusiasm for our community outreach programs have never been in question, so please, there is nothing to prove now." The Dean finally interjected, as he cleared his throat.

"Now, I understand that some students are on the less adventurous side of things. We have local outreach programs to our neighboring town of Elaseer, where less adventurous opportunities such as bookkeeping and skilled apprenticeship opportunities are plentiful." Ah, so there it is. The easy way out to the more posh and spoiled of the student roster. I guess I half expected that. The Dean glanced back towards Vanavan, nodding once before turning back to the crowd to continue.

"All students are reminded that despite classes not officially starting until the end of the five day grace period, that there are still tasks that must be completed beforehand. A letter detailing all of these tasks shall be handed out to you shortly. However, I am pressed to inform you that tomorrow shall be the titular weapons inspection day.

So for those of you who have crossed the portal dressed in ceremonial garb armed with ceremonial weapons, you have until the stroke of midnight tomorrow to declare your weapons and have them assessed by the school's armorer." A genuine sense of concern flooded me at that announcement.

Whilst the IAS' plan did include divulging the existence of my sidearm as a ceremonial weapon, the extent to which I had to explain, or perhaps even demonstrate it was not discussed in the sparse instructions we received from the Academy before my arrival. Indeed, like most of the intel we were fed from the Nexus, it was written with no elaboration. I guess this was where my personal initiative came in. This concludes the orientation.

All students shall now be permitted to retire to their dorms as they please, or stay for the late-night banquet!" With those parting words, the stage simply vanished, there wasn't even a goodbye, a bow, or anything. What was once a solid structure of marble and granite simply disappeared, replaced by the same bare walls and large floor to ceiling windows that had been there prior to its apparition.

I could review the logs, see if my sensors corroborated what I saw, but at this point I couldn't give another fuck about this place's shenanigans. I was tired, and I could feel the last of my brain cells starting to fade into nothing as I felt as if an entire edition's worth of DnD of material had been crammed down my throat in a matter of hours. Food sounded great at this point as I saw platters of cloch-covered dishes arrive at our table in a grand display of opulence.

Each domed cloche was polished to perfection, so much so that I could see my reflection off of all these surfaces. A quick scan revealed no magic was involved, so this must have taken some serious work to prepare. With a swift removal of each of the cloches by the likes of Thalmin, whose maw had begun to hang open wildly, we were greeted to an array of dishes that belonged not just in a Michelin star restaurant but an honest to god actual state dinner.

From a beautifully seared sea bass with crispy skin drizzled in herbaceous chili oil, to steaks that had been beautifully cut and seared to perfection dripping in a mixture of its own juices and some red-wine reduction, to the centerpiece of it all… a massive turkey whose skin was browned to perfection. A verifiable garden's worth of grilled vegetables marinated in the turkey's juices surrounded it like a work of art. Each vegetable hung on its own little tiered platter and spun slowly in place.

I instinctively took in a deep breath, expecting to take in the familiar and new aromas, my mind expecting the cold evening nights just before Christmas with those roast dinners, or the family gatherings on Thanksgiving with the sumptuous smells of root vegetables, herbs, and turkey blending together… I expected so much. But all I got was filtered air, the same filtered air I had been breathing since I put on the suit. My heart practically dropped.

I felt my whole body violently rejecting what I was sensing as I felt the olfactory equivalent of vertigo. I was seeing the food in front of me, but I couldn't smell any of it. I took another deep breath out of spite, and smelled that same filtered air, the same air you'd find within the pressurized hull of an aircraft or a space-plane.

I stared at the food once more, this time in a fit of anger and frustration, as Thacea seemed to have taken it upon herself to serve me a sampler platter of all of the bountiful masterpieces right in front of me. I looked down in utter dejection, holding a fork in my hand, and picking up that delectable slice of turkey, only to place it back down on the table.

"Is the food not to your liking, Emma? I understand sometimes cuisines from other realms may be quite different."

"It's not that." I answered back meekly.

"Oh? Is it- Ah…I… My sincerest apologies Emma I-" The princess suddenly caught on to my situation. Probably remembering what I casually told her about my… condition. I couldn't blame her though. It's not like she had any social training for table manners with a human wearing power armor to a magic school.

"It's fine. It's fine… It's not your fault." I tried to reply back politely as I rummaged through one of my pouches, producing a small tube of nutripaste that I glared with a level of disdain I'd never felt before in my entire life.

"I packed my own dinner…" I could really go dragon hunting right to relieve some stress right about now.