Beyond?
Page 17
There isn't even an issue with money! I just have to bring her a shovel of Ghost's poop and tell her to make some iron for me. Or whatever else it is I need at the moment.
I look out for our parents, but they seem to have an important conversation, not paying attention to anything else.
Stella takes my hand and pulls me off the stage. “Azir, lets dance!” She points at the dance floor in the middle of the hall.
I nod. On our way to the dance floor we are intercepted by Annice and Olivia.
Annice is the first one to speak. “Well played. I have to bow my head, Stella. No wonder that all of my later advances failed. You took the position as the cute, innocent childhood friend. I should have thought about that. On top you hid your identity, so I didn't even realize that you were a threat!”
I smirk at Annice. “So you will finally stop pestering me? I told you that it won't work out when we first met.”
Annice's eyes widen and relax again. “So you remember that. Probably I blew my chances that day already. Looks like I have to search for another target. Have you seen Louise somewhere? She always fed me with interesting targets to distract me from you.”
I point to my left. “I saw her somewhere there when I was on the stage.” I doubt that Annice feels anything more about this than having lost the chance to get her hands on an interesting toy.
“I see.” She turns to Stella. “Make sure to keep a good eye on him. If the chance arises I may worm my way between you two.” Annice walks off and leaves us behind.
Stella mumbles. “I am not into threesomes.”
I turn my attention towards Olivia, who seems like she wants to say something to Stella.
She clenches her fists. “Of course I knew that you would win since you beat me up. That freakish strength of yours is nothing to laugh at. But it still bugs me that you hid your true identity. Since the magical contract you forced on me is finally lifted I can ask you now. Why did you do it?”
Stella scratches her chin. “Because my mom only allowed me to stay at the university as long as I am not found out.”
Oliva curses and walks away. “If I had found a way to tell anyone about her!”
I smile at Stella. “So you were the culprit after all. I suspected it. Which contract did you force onto her.”
Stella tilts her head while trying to remember. “Don't talk to me. Don't talk about my true identity. Don't give any information about my true identity away in any way. Find an excuse if someone thinks your behaviour is strange. Keep your distance from me. Don't point at me. Don't confirm or negate anything about me... and a few more redundant formulations.”
“More? You were very thorough.” We finally reach the dance floor and start dancing.
Stella nods. “I learned that this has to be done right when I found the dents in the contract between my mother and me.”
That's right. Magical contracts can't be set up complicated enough. That's because they are like a programming language. “So what about the strength she mentioned. You already demonstrated outstanding physical power. Next time I'll enhance my strength before I attack you.”
“~Nooo.~ You'll attack me again tomorrow? I was twenty minutes late because of that.” She hugs me a little tighter. “That's just a little trick I found when I played with my ability. Since my ability works by infusing my mana into objects I tried to manipulate the flow of mana within myself to enhance my strength. And it works quite well. If you concentrate your mana in certain areas you achieve a considerable boost in power.”
That's really neat. “Sounds interesting. You have to teach me. When I remembered about Olivia's injuries I already thought that you transmuted her or something like that.”
“Sure. And no. You can't transmute living beings in a combat situation since you would have to infuse your mana into them. The normal reaction of someone who is attacked is to force the enemy's mana out of your own body. Though it would work if the target relaxes and lets it happen.”
She leans closer and whispers into my ear. “We could try to switch roles next time.”
“Hahahaha... No.”
“It was just a suggestion.”
“You already told me how dangerous it is and you want to transform the whole body? Count me out. There are better solutions to achieve something like that.” I shake my head.
“Oh?” She grins. “Which ones?”
“I won't tell. That's forbidden territory.” And not in just one way. I won't step onto that ground.
“Cheapskate! So we do it normally tonight.” She giggles.
“There are still a many positions we haven't tried.” I whisper into her ear.
“Sister!” Our dance is suddenly interrupted by a silver haired beauty in her best years. I find some similarities with Stella, but the new arrival has an even leaner face which doesn't harm her appearance. Her dress is frivolously showing off her bust to the point that I fear that they could burst out and free themselves from their shackles at any moment. Her horns are arching upwards from her forehead and curve then backwards around her head like a crown. They are silver like her hair. I assume that she manipulated them with her ability.
The dress is a tight gold and silver gown with many open segments, showing off her legs and hips while still hiding most of it. Stella's outfit is tight and revealing too, but compared to this woman Stella is moderate and restrained.
Stella sighs and we stop dancing. “May I introduce you. That's Sola Gejene, my older sister by four years and nine months. Sola, that's Azir, he belongs to me! So stay away.”
“~Ahn!~ How cold. What did I ever do to my little sister to deserve this. Imagine my surprise when Mother told me that the black duck of our family turned into a white swan and got herself a guy. All that practically overnight.” She looks at me and pulls at her lip. “He is still a little young, but would you mind lending him to me? I would need just ~one~ night.”
This woman is a Bitch! A real Bitch in a matriarchal country! And she is the successor of the country's leader! “Nice to meet you, I am Azir.”
“Oh, wow. I am Sola, nice to meet you.” She looks at Stella. “He is looking into my eyes. Not many men do that. What do you say, Sis? You can have him back afterwards. Originally I thought about getting him for myself once his clan is ready to negotiate, but you beat me to it. Sneaking in like that was a little underhanded of you. I could offer you a favour in return.”
Stella's face turned into a smiling mask. “What about 'He is mine.' and 'Stay away!' was hard to understand?'”
“Aw. Fine. The offer still stands if you need something.” She looks past us and sees something which draws her attention. “Katarina! Long time no see.” Without bothering with us any further she strolls off.
I follow her departure in silence, those swaying hips, the rolling gait! She is the personification of a B...
Stella pulls at my cheek. “Don't look like that, your eyes will fall out!”
“No... I just thought...” For a moment I consider if I should convey my thoughts, but it shouldn't be a problem since Stella doesn't seem to like her sister. “... what a Bitch! Is she really going to be the next clan head?”
Stella lets go of my cheek. “You think so? Well it fits her. For a moment I thought you were smitten by her.”
“No. Your clan is in trouble. I hope you realize that.” I shrug my shoulders.
Stella snickers. “Unfortunately it's not that bad. She may not seem like it, but she has a brain between her ears. Otherwise my mother would've used all possible means to return me to the palace as an insurance.”
“So... since I got to know your sister, how about introducing me to your father?” I ask a little frightened. “Are there more surprises for me?”
“Unfortunately my father is on a diplomatic mission through the southern borderlands. He won't come back before next month. Fortunately my sister is the only strange one in the family.”
“So... how about sneaking away before your sister returns?” I pause
meaningfully. “Preferably a place where we are alone.”
Stella tilts her head. “That might be a good idea.”
29. ~Tutor?~
“Magical contracts are on the boundary to dark magic since they are able to enslave the contractor and rob him of his free will. Many magicians voiced the wish to ban them throughout the years, but since they are so convenient to ensure that someone holds his word, their use is still widely spread.
They originate from the arts of mind magic and manipulate the contractors' mind in a way which forces them to adhere to the contract. There isn't much difference between a magical contract and an enslavement spell. The only difference is that a contract affects both parties who agreed to it. The objectors of magical contracts are right when they say that there is no difference between a one sided contract and enslavement.
While useful, someone has to be careful with setting up magical contracts. That's because the nature of their magic makes their implementation very literal minded. A contractor can circumvent his contract when it isn't set up properly.
The punishment or effects for breaking the contract can be set by the contractors. The possibilities range from a simple notification to all parties that the contract was broken, to a forced action, to pain and to death.
A contract is set up between two parties by infusing their mana into each other and casting the required spell while adhering to the contract. That's the reason why contracts aren't seen as black magic, since both parties have to agree.”
-Papyri magicae.
Free City States of Nict, Capital
Azir
It's been a week since my betrothal to Stella was announced. We live like a newly wed couple and let our hormones run amok. Well, we are practically already wed. It works well between us and I can't imagine anything that would change our relationship. On top I finally got a decent laboratory for my hobby. I believed my life to be heaven... until now!
“I won't become a tutor!” I shake my head vehemently while looking at Professor Agate Eddin. We are in her class and she just confronted me with the fact that I need to spend at least five hours per week as a tutor if I want to graduate.
“There isn't much choice. The curriculum dictates that a graduate of the magical university shows that he can implement what he learned and teach that knowledge to others. It's right here in your curriculum. Didn't you read it?” Agate looks at me questioningly.
I take the sheet she is waving at me and read for myself. After the incident which threw us to another world I thought that she had finally given up on pestering me. At least she stopped annoying me with her stupid tests. But now it seems like she found a new subject to pester me with.
Indeed, there is a sentence like that in the curriculum. I don't remember reading it at the beginning of the year?
Agate takes the sheet back. “Since we are on the same terms now, here is your schedule and the locations where you hold your lessons. And about your subject, I'll leave that choice to you. Be careful to attend your own lessons, I'll drop in from time to time to take a look.”
“Can't I take some kind of test instead. I've my own stuff to do.” There are tons of experiments on my list. And I have to repair the little device which I brought with me from my old world.
“It can't be helped. So which subject do you choose?” Agate takes a pen to note down my choice.
“They can ask whatever the fuck they want. I don't care.” Is she serious with her question?
Agate sighs and notes down 'General studies course'.
“One question. What happens if there are no students in my lesson to tutor?” Do I have to there and wait for someone to arrive?
“Then you can go home.” Agate shrugs her shoulders.
“So all I have to do is to shoo them away.” I nod satisfied.
Agate looks up. “I hope you realize that you'll fail your tutorship if someone complains about you.”
I click my fingers and excuse myself. Looking at my schedule, I find out that my first lesson is already in half an hour. For a moment I consider ditching the whole university issue, it's just a title after all. But when I consider how much time I invested into this...
The least I can do is to take a look. So I walk to the indicated classroom. It takes me some time to get there since the classes for the younger students are located in another building.
Arriving there I find out that the door to the classroom is slightly open. So I push the door and step inside.
From one moment to the next my vision darkens and I feel cold water splashing down my body. I hear snickering from several young people.
Slowly I raise my hand and take the bucket from my head. There are two boys and ten girls in the classroom. All of them are from different semesters as far as I can tell.
All of them were grinning when I took the bucket off, though some of them stopped when they recognized me.
“So you guys like to play games?” I smile and close the door behind me. “I'll play a game with you.”
★
I have my legs on top of the desk and smile while reading a book. Agate enters the classroom and takes a curious look at my twelve students. All of them are lined up in front of me and hastily solving some complicated formulas or answering a tricky question.
Agate whistles and corrects her glasses. “This is the first time that I've entered a tutored lesson and the students are actually working. What did you do?”
I shrug my shoulders. “You just have to give them the right motivation.” All of them look up, but a single glare of mine sends them back to their work.
Agate nods and checks a box on her notes, then she leaves again.
My gaze wanders to one of the boys. “You have to write faster, Martha. I can't switch you back if you don't solve your question or until the lesson is over.”
One of the girls farther left looks up. “But that's my body! And I am almost done with my question!”
My gaze turns to the girl. “Poor Frederik, the world isn't fair. This is a punishment for the whole community. Maybe you'll learn something from this experience. And isn't it cool to belong to the stronger gender from now on?”
The boy shrieks and starts writing faster.
★
In the end I switched them back to their original bodies when the lesson was over. If it hadn't become so late I could have enjoyed it more.
I yawn as I walk down the alleyway towards the park and my house. It's already dark and the university changed to its typical night-time atmosphere. Probably I should reintroduce electricity and proper street lights.
The magically fuelled candlelights which are spending light leave much to be desired.
Suddenly something small blinks up under one of these candlelights in the alleyway ahead of me and I raise one hand in front of my face. My reaction was an unconscious act.
The blade embeds itself in my opened hand. Hadn't I raised my hand it would've hit me in the eye. I start gathering mana from my environment and slap another throwing knife out of the air, using my already wounded hand.
I am rewarded with a nasty cut and it finally occurs to me that standing under one of the magical candlelights might not be so smart. Despite activating my mana sight I can't sense the offender.
So I point one finger at the street lights and destroy them with small bursts of concentrated mana. I press myself to the left wall of the alleyway, evading another knife. Feeling for the mana around me I realize that there isn't much to gather.
There are areas on university grounds which are very rich in mana, it takes almost no effort or concentration to gather power there. Of course the opposite is also true. And my enemies seem to know that. Or are they simply lucky to attack me here? I doubt it.
Finally my efforts to gather some mana from my surroundings pay off and I force the gathered mana into a thin layer around my body. A third throwing knife is reflected by my new protection. The attacker threw it with unerring accuracy despite the bad light conditions.
Pulling the knife out of my hand, I infuse mana into my legs and jump up to the left wall of the alleyway, pushing myself off once again I travel all the way up to the roof of the house to my right. Stella taught me this neat little trick and I really like it because it's easy and fast to accomplish.
I summon five arcane lances and set everything that appears in front of me as a target. My attackers follow me within moments and the first who pulls himself up the roof dies without a sound.
His head rocks backwards as one of the arcane lances travels right through his brain, spraying a fine mist of blood and tissue onto the people behind him. My mana vision enables me to see in the dark, but the attackers aren't less proficient.
They didn't even twitch when their comrade died. The second attacker barely evades the same fate, but the third catches one of the spears in his chest.
I see fire gathering between the hands of the hooded person who made it onto the roof and fire all three of my remaining arcane spears into him. He loses control of his spell and I throw myself to the ground as he disappears in a huge explosion and a large part of the roof is blasted apart.
The mana, which is gathering around me, is slowly increasing. The longer this continues, the better for me. The nature of my ability increases my defence and offence over time. Even in an area without much mana.
Getting to my feet I realize that it's not only dark, but there is also dust and smoke around me. I cough and sense something approaching from above. This time I use my own mana and cast an area effect magic, adding speed to the movement of all physical objects within the area.
Being very careful not to overdo it I move very slowly to step out of the way. Someone crashes into the roof where I stood a moment ago and I hear bones breaking when the enemy penetrates the roof. A scream from farther away tells me that at least one more opponent got caught by my buff.