The Beginning After The End (Beckoning Fates Book 3) (16 page)

“Hey, Dad.”
 
I smile back as Sylvie ‘kyus’ in
greeting before hopping back up next to me.

Taking a seat, my father catches me
up on everything going on at home.
 
We talked for quite a bit of time and I realized how comfortable it was
to talk to my father.
 
Family sure
was different than anyone else.
 
The
fact that he didn’t have any ulterior motives, no plan, no secrets, was
comforting.
 
He just wanted what was
best for me.

After a brief period of silence, I
ask him something that’s been bothering me.
 
“Hey Dad.
 
How come Mom never really uses her
magic?
 
I mean, she healed small
wounds for me when I was little and stuff, but that was about it.
 
I remember you telling me how great of
an Emitter she was.”
 

Looking at my father, I’m surprised
that his usual bright face turns a little sullen.
 

“Your mother, she carries a lot of
weight in her heart.”
 
Letting out a
deep sigh, he continues.

“I know you’re mature enough to
know this but I want you to be patient.
 
She’ll tell you when she feels ready so I want you to wait for her to
tell you directly.”
 
He scruffs my
hair as we change the topic.

“How’s everyone doing at home
anyway?”
 
It hasn’t been that long
but it still feels like it’s been a while since I’ve spent some time with my
family.

“Oh, you know, your mother is busy
mingling with her friends.
 
Your
sister, though, she’s becoming quite a handful.”
 
He chuckles to himself.

“Maybe we had it too easy raising
you, but I sometimes just don’t know what to do with Ellie.”
 
Scratching his head, I notice some
wrinkles that he hasn’t had before.
 

“Just give her some space.
 
She’ll come around.”
 
Patting my father’s arm weakly, I
reposition myself as I feel my body cramping up.

“I should let you rest, Son.”
 
He pinches my nose softly and quietly
leaves through the door, leaving me wondering what could possibly have happened
with Mother that she became too traumatized to use her powers.

“Kyu?”
 
Sylvie asks me what I’m thinking of and
I just shake my head.
 
“It’s
nothing, Sylv.
 
I hope.”
 

“Easy… take it slow.
 
There you go.”
 
Elijah supported me back up.
 
It’s been exactly one week since I’ve
gotten injured and also the last time since I’ve walked.
 
Even with mana circulating throughout my
body, strengthening my limbs, I still felt weak.

“Kyu…” Sylvie looked at me with as
close of a concerned face she could have for a fox-like mana beast.
 
She was walking besides me instead of
curling up on top of my head, afraid that I won’t be able to hold her up.

Elijah came over to my hospital
room as soon as first period was over.
 
I would be starting off my day as a Professor in the Practical Mana
Manipulation class and I wasn’t so eager in my current state.
 
With my legs giving out every couple of
steps and my back and sides burning, I barely had the strength to get to class,
let alone teach it.
 

After slowly getting used to
walking, I stopped leaning towards Elijah for support and used Dawn’s Ballad as
my walking stick.
 
I couldn’t help
but chuckle because of the ill-humored irony.
 
I remember how I thought that this sword
was nothing more than a walking stick instead of priceless sword.
 
I shake my head at the fact that my
assumption back then was actually foreshadowing my current situation.
  

Elijah wrapped the handle and
sheathe in a white bandage both for comfort and for safety from suspicious
eyes.
 
Here I was, a
twelve-year-old, already using a cane to support myself from falling.
 

“Are you going to be okay by
yourself?
 
Maybe I should at least
help you out in between classes for today?”
 
Elijah had a concerned look on his face
as he stuck close by me, ready to catch me if I stumble.

“I’ll be okay.”
 
I don’t have the confidence to say that
I won’t fall, but I didn’t want to make Elijah constantly be by my side.
 

As we arrived in front of the
classroom, Elijah still had his brows furrowed underneath his glasses and I
knew he was hesitant to let me go by myself.
 

“Arthur.
 
Let me help you.”
 

I turn my head around to see
Princess Kathyln run toward me, away from her group of friends.
 
Without giving me a chance to respond,
she places her arm around my waist as her other wraps around the hand that I
wasn’t holding my walking sti…sword with.
  

“Uhh… okay.
 
Thank you.”
 
I shrug at Elijah, whose body was
frozen, and carefully make my way inside my room.
 

“I heard our new Professor was
finally coming today!”

“Oh really?
 
I liked Professor Glory though.”
 

“Anyone should be better than
Professor Geist, right?”
 

“You never know, we might get an
even more dangerous weirdo this time.”

“Hey, isn’t that the Disciplinary
Committee officer that beat Geist?”
 

“He looks hurt…”

The various discussions that the
students were having all changed to murmurs about me as soon as I walked in.

“I’ll be fine now, Princess
Kathyln.
 
Thank you.”
 
I ease my arm out of her soft hold.

“You need help up the stairs…” Her
expressionless face didn’t match the concern in her voice.
 
I just shake my head and motion her to
go on first.

Sylvie followed close behind as I
walked to the middle of the room as she took small hops towards the moveable
podium that was placed in the center of the small stadium.
 

“Whew…” I let out a deep breath in
relief as I put all of my weight on the podium that was a little too high for
me.

I look up to see Feyrith in one of
the desks with a curious expression on his face.
 
As soon as Kathyln reached her desk, I
spotted her looking back, trying to find me.
 
She also gave me a confused look when
she realized that I never went up the stairs behind her and instead came to the
middle of the room.

By this time, the conversations
amongst the classmates that centered around me diminished as more and more of
the young mages began wondering what I was doing leaning against the
professor’s podium.

“I’m not sure how many of you know
my name, but I believe that most know at least who I am.
 
My name is Arthur Leywin, a Disciplinary
Committee member, the only son of two wonderful mages, a doting brother, and your
new professor.
 
Let’s get
along.”
 

I counted down in my head in
prediction of when the class would erupt.
 
Almost exactly in sync, the noble brats that filled the classroom stood
up in disbelief and some in anger as they shouted to stop kidding around and get
back up to my seat.

“You expect us to believe that a
brat like you is our new professor?”
 
One of the second years that is either retaking this class or is taking
this class for the first time exclaimed.
 

“Stop fucking around and get back
up here!
 
Who do you think you are
?!
”
 
One short
first year barked.

Wow… such vulgar language coming
out from a twelve-year-old.

“Sigh…” If I could teach this class
while lying down, I’d honestly do it at this point.
 
I’m too tired and hurt for this.

This would be a lot easier if
Professor Glory or Director Goodsky let the class know that I would be teaching
beforehand.
 
She should have at
least given me an official document to prove that I was the Professor.
 
I wonder if Director Goodsky did this on
purpose.
 

This seems like something she would
do.

“Mmm… would you guys believe me if
I said that Director Goodsky appointed me to be the professor for this class
for the remainder of the semester?”
 

“Get real!”

“Stop joking!”

“Shut up!”

Another round of protests resounded
within the room as the students were growing rowdier.

Looking at Feyrith and Kathyln, I
see Feyrith’s handsome face filled with a mixture of incredulity and doubt,
while Kathyln’s face was also that of slight shock.

“Don’t get so cocky just because
you beat the old professor!
 
Do you
think you could’ve won if Princess Kathyln and Feyrith didn’t tire him
out?”
 
A different second year
jumped down and landed on the stage with a loud thud.
 

He had a pretty big build, and
judging from the poor circulation of mana in his body, he’s probably at the
level of being able to augment only some of his body.

He took big strides towards me,
preparing to carry me off the stage if he had to.
 
Feyrith was preparing to jump off the
stage as well to stop the big guy but I just shook my head at him.

“You shaking your head at me
now?
 
Who do you think you
are?”
 
I guess this buffoon thought
that my head gesture was directed mockingly at him.
 

Half of the students were a bit
nervous, not wanting to get caught up in another drama during class, while the
other half was cheering Mr. Brute here, on.
 

“Sit.”

*THUD*

The entire room vibrated slightly
as I directly bombarded him with mana, making him fall back on his butt.

“…”

Hobbling over to the student that was
sitting down confused and stunned on his ass, I felt like an old master of some
sort, teaching a rebellious young disciple the true way.
 

“Don’t ask me why, but Director
Goodsky didn’t bother giving me any special documents proving that I am your
new professor.
 
Taking a quick
glance at all of you, though, with the few exceptions, I can’t see how any of
you can even call yourself mages yet.”

I deliberately step over the still
shaken Mr. Brute and make my way to the other side of the silent room.

“Do you think that, because you’ve
formed your mana core, you can call yourself a mage?
 
I can tell you right now that this cute
little fox here, yeah, she can take on any of you.”
 
I pick up Sylvie below her armpits and
show the entire class.

“Any of you students that feel like
they need proof or don’t even want to bother attending this class, go find
Director Goodsky or lie down and make angels in the grass outside.
 
For those of you who are even a tiny bit
curious as to what I’ve got to teach all of you, feel free to stay.”
 
I wait a couple of seconds, but whether
it was because of my little trick with Mr. Brute or because they were too lazy,
none of the students left.
 

“Now...
 
If you’ll please go back to your seat,
student, I’ll begin my lesson.”
 
I
gaze down at the second year that jumped down, eager to show off his limited
ability.

“Uhh...” Quickly getting up, he
made his way back to his seat, a look of embarrassment etched onto his
face.
 

I walk back to the center of the
stage as I lean on the podium that Sylvie was curled up on.
 

“Since this is a Practical Mana
Manipulation class, I’ll ask a practical question.
 
What is the best way to utilize mana in
the surrounding atmosphere?”
 
I look
around and almost
instantly,
a nerdy-looking girl with
ponytails shoots her hand up.
 

“Mana is best utilized by absorbing
the mana naturally formed in the atmosphere into the mana core where it can be
condensed and purified for use when spells or techniques are cast.”
 
She gives me a satisfied look, as if she
was proud of her own answer.
 

“Good.
 
Now.
 
As you all know, the difference between
Augmenters and Conjurers lie in the fact that Augmenters use mostly the mana in
their cores via their mana channels while Conjurers directly absorb mana from
the surrounding atmosphere via their mana veins.
 
So… Why do both types of mages have to
meditate and absorb mana if only the Augmenters actually utilize the mana that
they absorb into their core?”
 
I
quiz, not looking at anyone in particular.

“…” The nerdy girl’s confident hand
shrinks down as she thinks about what it.

“While Augmenter’s incorporate mana
into physical attacks, thus reducing the amount of mana used, Conjurers
manipulate the space that the spell is casted in directly, consuming more
mana.
 
Because of that, Conjurers
use the purified mana in their mana core as a reserve to avoid backlash.”
 
Kathyln answers, her face unchanging as
she remains seated.

“Correct!
 
Then the last question of the day… Is
the color of a Conjurer’s or even the Augmenter’s mana core a truly accurate
way of measuring the level of the mage’s power?”
 
I lean forward, shifting my weight from
my left leg to my right.
 

“…” I hold in my chuckle as
Kathyln’s usually composed and vacant face scrunches in deep thought.
 
“That’ll be your homework for
today!
 
Everyone come down to the
stage and line up!
 
I want the
Conjurers to my left and Augmenters to my right!”

After a few grumbles of complaints,
eventually, everyone makes their way to one side of the stadium, all lined up
side by side faced towards me.
 

“For this exercise, I want everyone
to initiate the most basic spell of your affinity.
 
Conjurers, no wand.”
  
I state.

For Augmenters, the most basic
spells that they’re taught all come in a very similar form.
 
For fire affinity Augmenters, it would
be Fire Fist, which was igniting a small ember covering their fist.
 
For wind, it would be Whirlwind
Fist.
 
For water, it would be Aqua
Fist, and for earth, Boulder Fist.
 
After mages are able to manifest their elements, the Augmenters’ first
step is learning to integrate their element into their hands, which are the
limbs that they’re most accustomed to using.