The Beginning After The End (Beckoning Fates Book 3) (5 page)

“Arthur, unlike the Student Council members
that are chosen on a broader criteria, the Disciplinary Committee is strictly
based on strength.
 
Your
responsibilities won’t nearly be as much as the Student Council and being in
the Disciplinary Committee gives you the chance to work with students, some of
which are also deviants, that are all strong in their own fields.”
 
Her arguments were getting stronger.

“You mentioned that the Disciplinary Committee
members are based on strength…” Before I finish my sentence, she cuts me off.

“No, Lucas Wykes will not be on the
Disciplinary Committee if that is what you are curious about.
 
Arthur, this opportunity is something
that other students would take as an honor.
 
I insist on you taking it.” She leans
in, her face a bit more serious now.

“…” My head is bent down as I think things
over.
 
On top of regular and extra
classes, I would have to do committee work, putting a big strain on my
individual training time, all of which I would have no idea where and when to do
it.

As if she read my mind, she threw out her final
offer.
 
“Since the amount of work
may be a bit too much, on top of self practice at who knows where, how about I
offer you access to a private training facility where you wouldn’t need to
worry about anyone intruding.”
 
She
points at my bracelet.

“Please, Arthur, I really feel like this could
be a good deal for the both of us in the long run.”
 
Her face softens a bit as she sows
sincerity.

I start thinking of how being in the
Disciplinary Committee would fit into my plans and finding no particular
detriment in agreeing to this, I answer. “Fine, I’ll agree to be a part of the
Disciplinary Committee.” My shoulder loosens as I let out a sigh.

“Good!
 
Since classes start tomorrow, I will give your new schedule to your
first period professor.
 
Here is
your new uniform I prepared in the case of good news.
 
The knife is just meant to be the symbol
of the Disciplinary Committee, but it is quite expensive so do take care not to
lose it.”
 
She gives me a wink as
she throws me a uniform fitted for me with a sheathed knife and strap.
 
It irritated me that she already had
this prepared when she came in, even if it was just in case.

It dawned on me that even with my previous life
and this life put together, both Grandpa Virion and Director Goodsky would still
be older than me; after all, I only lived until the age of late thirties,
around where it was getting past prime as a duelist.
 
I’ve been so caught up in the fact that
I had two lives that it didn’t occur to me that there are still people here
that are older.
 
Of course I still
had the advantage from traditional mages here because where I came from, the
‘magic’ usage was a lot more advanced.
 

The advantage that the older mages from this
world would have, however, would be that they’re used to the amount of mana in
the atmosphere here and have mastered it to a certain degree.

I guess even with two lives, there was still
bound to be someone wiser than you.

I involuntarily shake my head from my thoughts,
which causes Director Goodsky to tilt her head in curiosity.

“Now that the matter I’ve come to settle are
settled, I shall take my leave!
 
Enjoy your first dinner here and do please patch things up with my dear
Tessia as fast as you can.
 
I don’t
want my precious disciple to keep moping.”
 
She wisps away, leaving me wondering why she didn’t just enter here like
that.
 
It was probably to respect
our privacy or something.

As soon as Director Goodsky leaves, I see a
shadow loom over me as Elijah is looking down at me, his facial expression akin
to a demon.

“You’ve got some explaining to do.”
 
I swear I thought I saw pointed teeth as
he grinned evilly.

I couldn’t help but pat Elijah on the shoulder
as it looked like his soul was about to escape from his mouth.
 
There were shadows underneath his
lifeless eyes; his sunken cheeks making him look like a hollow skeleton.

“
There
there…” I
sigh.
 
Even Sylvie takes pity on him
as she hops off of my head and lands on his, biting the crown of his head to
stir him awake.

His ghastly eyes bore into me as he turns his
head.
 
“…
not
fair.”
 
He mumbles.

“What?”
 
I lean in closer to him to hear what he was almost whispering.

He leans in closer to me, his lips almost
touching my ears.
 
“IT’S NOT FAIR
GODDAMMIT!”

“AHH!”
 
I jump in surprise as my ears start ringing. “What the hell! Don’t shout
into my ear!”
 
I stir my pinky into
my ear canal to wipe away the stray spit that was launched inside by my bitter
friend.

“Looks, talent, and even luck with girls!
 
Why do you have everything?”
 
He places both of his hands on my arm
and concentrates.

Confused by this seemingly random action, I
ask, “What are you doing?”
 

“…Trying to see if I can absorb some of your
Arthurness.”
 
He mumbles, still
concentrating.

“Are you dumb?”
 
I shake my head as I wave his hands off
of me.

We were on our way to the dining hall a bit
down from the dorms.
 
I explained
briefly to Elijah about how I met Tess (he really hated how I called her that)
inside the Forest of Elshire.
 
The
whole time I was telling him the story, whether it was living inside the
Kingdom of Elenoir’s Castle with Tess or learning mana manipulation from her
Grandfather, I could almost see my words pierce through him as his life slowly
drained from him.

“Do you know how attractive Dwarves are, Art?”
 
He leans in a bit too close for comfort
while the both of us kept walking.

“H-how much?”
 
I peel my head back from my overly
emotional companion.

“NOT-AT-ALL” He says matter-of-factly.
 
“The sense of beauty that dwarves hold
is the complete opposite of humans, Art!
 
I may have been raised in their Kingdom but there will never come a day
when I can empathize with definition of ‘attractive’.”
 

I laugh at this because I can almost imagine
what an attractive female would look like to the dwarves, but I ask anyway.
“Haha!
 
Elaborate for me how
devastating
your life was.”

“When I turned 8, my grandfather, the elder who
took care of me, introduced me to whom he hoped would be my future wife.
 
The whole week prior, he was going on
and on about how beautiful and elegant she was.
 
When she showed up, I swear I thought I
was looking at a man, Art.”
 
His
body shivers from the thought of recalling his past nightmare.
 

“Her name was Helgarth and I swear she made me
fear for my chastity.
 
Her square
jaw, her trunk-like, veiny limbs, her long, thick nose…She had
a
s-stubble on her upper lip, Art.
 
She had FACIAL HAIR at the age of 9,
Art!”
 
Elijah was shaking me at this
point, as I couldn’t stop laughing.

“Okay, okay I get it!
 
You were a very deprived young boy who
started going through puberty way~ too early for his age.”
 
I shrug my palms up while trying to calm
my fit of laughter.
 

“YOU spend your childhood filled with masculine
woman who go around showing off their bulging arms around and see how you turn
out to be when you see normal girls.”
 
He shakes his head, returning back to his lifeless self.

“Well… You are in the most prestigious school
as a Battle Mage Student, and you’re probably at least a full stage ahead of
anyone our class, so just show off your skills.
 
You’re bound to land someone,
somehow.”
 
I say, optimistically.

“Your pity is hurting me.”
 
He exaggeratingly clutches his chest
making the both of us laugh.

“I personally like your new uniform
better.”
 
Elijah mentions as he
studies me.
 
“It makes you seem more
strong and unapproachable somehow.”
 
He nods in agreement at his own statement.

The new uniform I received from Director
Cynthia wasn’t too different in terms of looks from my Scholar Mage
uniform.
 
It was composed of a white
dress shirt with a single black stripe on the mid arm, above the elbows and a
light gray vest.
 
Both the new vest
and dark gray pants were made from a different material though, with special
engravings on the inside that made me suspect that it had protecting qualities
to it.
 
In place of my pocket watch
on the breast pocket, however, was a strap that went across my chest and
snugged in around my shoulder, holding my sheathed, silver knife over my heart.
 
A gold string replaced the red string
that I had tied around, underneath my collar, giving my whole attire a more
royal look.
 

I looked down and let out a sigh.
 
I had to admit that the uniform did look
good, but I didn’t like gaudy clothes like this.
 
There was also an outerwear piece that I
was supposed to receive later when it was properly fitted for me.

“So what are you going to do about the
Disciplinary Committee?”
 
Elijah
asks me a bit more seriously.

I tilt my head, not knowing what he was
implying. “What do you mean?”

Shrugging his shoulders, he looks forward,
realizing we’re almost at the dining hall.
 
“I mean, I know you’re already part of this new committee and all but
are you going to really take it seriously and stuff?
 
It sounds like a lot of work.”

True.
 
The Director wanted me to be a part of this new Committee but didn’t
really specify what exactly I had to do.
  
“I’ll try my best.
 
I might as well give it my all since
I’ve decided on going through with it right?
 
Besides.
 
Ellie is going to be attending this
academy in a few years.
 
I need to
do my best to pave a path for her so when she does come, it’ll be easier on
her.”
 
I open the door, being
welcomed by students’ indistinguishable conversations and the aroma of what the
dining hall was serving tonight.

As the both of us stepped in, the hall turned
quiet and I could feel the stares of the students as they studied us.
 
Ignoring the glares and the occasional
curious glances, we made our way into the line and got our food, situating
ourselves in a back corner.

“Looks like you’re already popular, Art.”
 
Elijah smirks as he picks up a piece of
roasted meat with his fork.
 

“What can I say?” I give an arrogant hair flip
and the both of us start laughing.

“Ah!
 
Don’t forget that we have the club rush tomorrow morning!”
 
Elijah says, his mouth full of meat.

I let out a sigh at this.
 
“Oh yeah… I have to go to the auditorium
pretty early tomorrow.
 
The
Disciplinary Committee is being officially announced before the club rush
starts tomorrow.”
 
I play around a
bit with my vegetables before trying to give it to Sylvie, who promptly rejects
it.
 

Director Cynthia left me with a note with a
couple instructions along with the new uniform she handed me.
 

“That mean’s you’re going to meet the rest of
the Disciplinary Committee!
 
How
exciting.
 
Wake me up before you
leave then.”

“Will do.”
 
I pick up a piece of roasted meat for myself but Sylvie steals it before
it reaches my mouth.

We conversed about what club Elijah should join
and what classes we had.
 
The
Disciplinary Committee met every morning, which irked me.
 
Looks like I’ll finally break my poor
sleeping habits.
 

Besides that, my daily class schedule consisted
of:
 
Fundamentals of Mana Theory
Practical Mana Manipulation and Basics of Artificing.

After lunch was when my upper division classes
would start.
 
Those classes were
Deviant Magic Theory I, Team-fighting Mechanics I, and Spell Formations I.

During the
Fall
semester, there were a lot more upper division classes for Battle Mage students
while for Spring semester, the classes consisted of a wider variety for Scholar
Mage students.

Most students only took 3-4 classes a semester
but I was essentially loaded with double the classes, my last class ending at 7
in the evening, not leaving me any time for clubs.
 
As for Elijah, we only had Fundamentals
of Mana Theory together; his other classes being comprised of Basic
Chain-casting, and Mana Utilization I.

Clubs geared towards upper-division students
met before lunch, since their classes were all in the evening, and vice-versa
for underclassmen.
 
“Maybe I should
join a hand-to-hand fighting club.
 
I heard that more and more Conjurers are trying to become at least a bit
adept at close range fighting just in case.”
 
He ponders while shoving another piece
of meat into his mouth.

“Mmm yeah I’ve heard of that from my
father.
 
He’s been telling me that
there are some conjurers that wants to be recruited to learn close-ranging
fighting, though I don’t exactly know how that’d work.”
 
I was wondering why I don’t feel full
even when my plate was empty, but then I realized that I didn’t eat almost any
of the meat thanks to Sylvie, who was now ‘kyu’ing in satisfaction on top of my
head.
 

During our meal, the both of us could tell that
people were conversing about us, looks being shot every now and then from
random people.
 
However, none of
them actually came up to us until now.

A group of students, all with Battle Mage
uniforms, walked up to our table.
 
Completely acting as if I didn’t exist.
 
The leader of the group, a tall male
with wavy brown hair that was parted in half stuck his hand out to Elijah.

“My name is Charles Ravenpor, the 2
^nd
born from the famous Ravenpor family.
 
I’m sure you’ve heard of it right?
 
I couldn’t help but notice you spending time with someone beneath you
like a Scholar Student.
 
I’m being
especially courteous today in letting you be in our group.”
 
His chin sticks out, confident that
Elijah would take his hand.

“You should be honored that you get to be part
of the Ravenpor group.”
 
One of the
groupie echoes in the back.

“The Ravenpoop family?
 
Never heard of a family named after a
bird’s feces.
 
Have you Art?”
 
Elijah looks at me with a very clueless
look, making me laugh through my nose.