Chapter 50

Chapter 50

Chapter 50

Chapter 50

Episode 50

The academy is a kingdom in its own right, on a small scale.

Its state of isolation and the unwavering hierarchical order established among the student body possess an absolute character, frequently determined by each individual’s family influence and blood heritage.

Even in an environment that gathers direct descendants of the imperial aristocracy, rigorous distinctions are marked based on the category of noble titles, fostering the structure and fragmentation of diverse factions in a constant dynamic of pacts and enmities.

Taking this into consideration, Leonard Walter stood as the undisputed sovereign within the Imperial Academy.

As the firstborn of Count Walter, one of the venerable members of the Red Tower, he stood out as the most prominent student in the select group of the third circle.

Having just turned twenty, he already mastered the third circle to perfection and was on the verge of accessing the fourth, thus consolidating himself as the most promising youth figure in the entire institution.

Overcoming the imminent graduation test represented a simple procedural formality for him.

With a destiny firmly oriented toward integrating into the upper echelons of the Red Tower, Leonard personified a young prodigy in the midst of a meteoric rise to glory.

The expectations that his progenitor, celebrated under the nickname “Walter of the Burning Blood,” had placed upon his shoulders were of incalculable magnitude, to the point that the center’s own teachers exerted all their effort to preserve his favor.

Under the hegemony of Leonard Walter, the third circle of the Imperial Academy coexisted in apparent regulated harmony.

Such stability remained intact until the precise instant when Dale burst with force into Leonard’s domains.

A short time after having made his entrance into the capital.

Dale presented himself on the premises flaunting the role of guest student on the occasion of the “Exchange of Red and Black,” in addition to his status as successor to the Black Tower.

Inside the great hall where the institution’s teaching staff imparted their lessons to the members of the elite third-circle division, Dale took a seat surrounded by those young sorcerers who were finalizing details for their final evaluations.

The atmosphere was extremely uncomfortable, to say the least. One could see the solitary figure of the young heir of the Saxon family surrounded by thirty descendants of high nobility.

“…Consequently, it is an elementary principle that the elements of fire and water possess opposing natures.”

The academy professor, a skilled exponent of the fourth circle, continued with the development of his dissertation.

Although the distance between the third and fourth circles was equivalent to only one step, the real gap was impassable if compared to previous levels.

Consolidating the third circle and obtaining the status of formal tower mage constituted a remarkable feat; however, a considerable percentage of aspirants spent their entire existence without ever managing to touch the fourth circle.

For this reason, whoever held the third circle was recognized as a fully formed mystic, while reaching the fourth circle implied placing oneself “one step beyond the conventional sorcerer,” a frontier where numerous average talents saw their progress halted and ended up succumbing.

The subsequent rank, corresponding to the fifth circle, allowed for forging a reputation of weight within the tower…

And only upon accessing the sixth circle was it feasible to aspire to the position of elder of the tower, with barely a reduced number of mages belonging to the seventh circle throughout the entire continent.

Above all that, the eighth circle constituted the maximum summit that a practitioner of the mystical arts could pretend to approach.

The realm of magic was governed by a severe assessment of personal capabilities; however, contradictorily, family origin usually conditioned the status reached in a decisive way.

“Professor!”

At that precise instant, a student raised his arm suddenly, interrupting the teacher’s explanation. It was a young man with blond hair and highly attractive features who captured the glances of those present.

“Le-Leonard…”

The educator’s countenance lost color the moment Leonard manifested his interruption.

“Is there any doubt you need to raise?”

“No, not at all…”

Leonard performed a slight negative movement with his head in front of the teacher’s questioning.

“The explanation is extremely tedious to me. Would there be any inconvenience if I prepare to take a break?”

With a sprawling attitude, he placed his lower extremities on the back of the front seat, unleashing mocking whispers among the classmates who were nearby.

“Of course, proceed…”

“Isn’t it unusual that you would bow in such a way to the whims of a simple student?”

Leonard launched a new taunt loaded with disdain.

“Perhaps it would be appropriate for you to evaluate the ‘fundamental doctrine of the Red Tower’ again, don’t you think?”

“I will keep your words very much in mind.”

Dale contemplated with deep disapproval how a fourth-circle teacher, whose work consisted of instructing and straightening the students’ path, bowed his head submissively to Leonard’s insolence.

It gave the impression that that entire space constituted an extension of Leonard’s lands.

Not even the bond between teachers and students was spared from this dynamic. In reality, the condescension shown by the faculty responded to a “deliberate pedagogical directive” implemented by the Red Tower for the purpose of highlighting the weight of authority and power.

The Red Tower worshipped order imposed through physical and magical supremacy, and the Imperial Academy operated as a smaller-scale replica of the imperial environment destined to burn this conception into memory.

Those devoid of strength are stripped of everything, while those who possess power take ownership of the totality. The Imperial Academy functioned essentially as a center of indoctrination to mold the empire’s ruling castes under this premise.

The victory of the strongest represented the nation’s core identity.

“……”

Ignoring the jocose whispers around him, Dale averted his gaze. His eyes met directly with Leonard’s for a brief space of time.

“Wow, look who we have here.”

Leonard performed a highly theatrical gesture with his shoulders the instant their pupils crossed, completely disregarding the fact that the academic explanation continued its course.

“None other than the famous ‘Black Prince’!”

“……”

“Is the rumor true that you have consolidated the third circle at your young age? And that you rose with a memorable triumph in the Black and White Tournament, overcoming an entire ‘Orc War Chief’ individually!”

Dale opted to maintain silence in the face of Leonard’s direct provocations.

“Without a doubt, a worthy successor to the Saxon lineage!”

He simply preferred to take refuge in a serene isolation. Those lands did not correspond to the northern regions. And however fearsome the reputation of the Saxon surname might be among the metropolis’s aristocracy, in that environment, they were seen as nothing more than a lineage confined to the ends of the north.

Those who found protection under the sovereign’s shelter and the Red Tower’s insignia considered they had no reason to be intimidated. In fact, the pride that their status as “illustrious sorcerers of the empire” instilled in them made them reluctant to bow easily.

It was an approach lacking maturity. However, pretending that a group of youths who barely touched two decades of life would act sensibly resulted in an excessive demand.

“Boys of this age usually conduct themselves like that.”

From Dale’s perspective, they were nothing more than infants who lacked proper emotional growth.

“Chronicles tend to be adorned with too much ease.”

He turned his face in another direction, preserving his quietude and showing himself completely alien to the clenched features of Leonard at his back.

The mystical-natured subjects contemplated, as was logical, the development of combat practices. And it was precisely in the course of one of those evaluations when the initial altercation originated.

“Is it true that it is imperative to go to such extremes?”

“Are you indicating to me with that, that you do not plan to support my directives?”

“N-no, not in any way, it’s just that… targeting the successor of the Saxons seems like an act…”

Leonard tilted his head to the side, causing his interlocutor to bow immediately, prey to deep agitation.

“Precisely for that reason is that you must execute it.”

Leonard let out a laugh at the scene.

After a few instants, the students proceeded to group themselves in pairs for the purpose of performing combat simulations focused on fire magic. Dale, who lacked specific instruction in said flaming aspect, contemplated the movements stationed at a certain distance.

—Professor!

Leonard required the teacher’s intervention again, causing him to startle and swallow saliva in a gesture of evident nervousness.

“In view of the fact that the heir of the Saxon house has seen fit to integrate himself into our activities on the occasion of this bond between the Black Tower and the Red Tower…”

He expressed his words with a tone that denoted an almost uncontainable amusement.

“Wouldn’t it be ideal to celebrate a ‘mystical confrontation’ that is up to the level of his lineage?”

In such a scenario, a mystical confrontation entailed only one possible interpretation.

“Or perhaps it represents an excessive risk to Lord Dale’s integrity?”

“Agreed.”

Dale showed no intention whatsoever of evading the manifest challenge. On the contrary, he stood up on his feet, resolved to provide a correction to that petulant boy.

“Therefore…”

Just in that fragment of time.

“I will assume the role of opponent!”

A student, whose countenance reflected an undeniable dread, postulated himself voluntarily to measure forces with Dale, raising his arm with visible doubts.

“I understand, now I see how this works.”

Upon realizing the strategy implemented, Dale suppressed an ironic smile. It was a highly vile maneuver.

Looking at it from a certain angle, it constituted a mechanism of personal preservation, derived from the dread that the dark celebrity of the Saxon lineage instilled.

Said pusillanimous attitude made the panorama even more despicable in his eyes.

—Lord Dale, I assume that you are aware of the guidelines that govern sorcery combats, is that correct?

The professor inquired, receiving an affirmative gesture from Dale. Both contenders would alternate offensive and defensive positions to subsequently permute their functions. It was a methodology that Dale mastered to perfection.

“Is it required that I put on a vital containment device?”

Dale questioned, accompanying his words with a movement of his head.

“A vital containment device?”

Said object consisted of a protective jewel in charge of fostering a magical barrier, fragmenting completely the instant a “direct impact” of fatal consequences was registered.

As a general rule, the student body dispensed with the use of such protection. In the face of any grave setback, a highly qualified sorcerer would intervene immediately to redirect the situation.

“In the event that one of those involved suffered damage of extreme gravity or perished in the course of this confrontation…”

“…?”

Dale inquired, wearing his dark garments, while he adjusted the folds of his “Shadow Cloak.”

“Upon whom would the obligation to answer for the consequences fall?”

“…”

“Am I permitted to channel energy with the firm purpose of taking away existence?”

From the shadows projected under his footwear began to structure a blade forged in darkness, whose sharp edge flashed with a highly intimidating bluish tone, giving the impression of being predisposed to execute a slash in any millisecond of a second.

“Professor, do you possess the absolute certainty of counting on the skill required to neutralize my offensive if the scenario demands it?”

“N-no! Stop, under no circumstances did I intend to suggest something similar!”

The student who had postulated himself to confront Dale yielding to Leonard’s pressures turned completely livid because of the fright.

Not all of those present contemplated Dale with the contempt that Leonard manifested. In reality, the totality of this event found its origin in Leonard’s lack of audacity, who harbored suspicion before the somber renown of the Saxon lineage. Although their self-love prevented them from verbalizing it, a great part of the students gave full credibility to the terrifying chronicles linked to the “Black Prince.”

Added to that, the academy instructor, in his condition of fourth-circle scholar, saw himself unable to overlook the dense energy of oppression that was released from Dale’s figure.

The bad fame and the implacable character of the “Black Prince” were far from being mere popular inventions.

“N-no, in no way is it about that…!”

The teacher, visibly shaken, began to shake his upper extremities in a chaotic way.

“The motion presented by Leonard remains totally discarded! It is annulled at this instant!”

“How…?”

Leonard experienced a sudden paralysis upon contemplating the teacher’s direct negative toward his person.

“What is it that you just exteriorized…?”

“I have determined that Leonard’s motion lacks validity! I ask it of you earnestly!”

The teacher, whose habitual conduct dictated showing submission before Leonard, modified his attitude completely to implore Dale vehemently. Leaving Leonard aside.

Asserting his fourth-circle rank, the educator possessed the sensitivity necessary to calibrate the power of the object that Dale held between his hands. Such a load of negativity exceeded by far what a conventional student found himself capable of tolerating. To tell the truth, it represented a magnitude of force that not even the teacher himself saw himself in conditions of subjecting.

And in the event that Dale caused some damage of consideration, the legal and ethical repercussions would fall inevitably upon the figure of the teacher.

Despite the fact that his habitual routine consisted of seeking Leonard’s complacency, the current panorama exceeded the limits of the permissible.

The teacher’s retreat did not find its cause in a direct fear toward Leonard himself. The real motive resided in the progenitor of this one, Walter the Crimson, a dignitary of the Red Tower and possessor of the sixth mystical circle.

“P-please, let us proceed as if said initiative had never been formulated.”

The instructor found himself practically in a posture of absolute pleading before Dale.

“Agreed.”

In front of the supplications manifested by the teacher, Dale nodded maintaining total serenity. The dark currents that danced around his feet stopped their march.

For a space of time, Leonard remained motionless in the spot, keeping his hands closed in a fist while a slight tremor traversed his body. Dale, showing absolute impassivity, proceeded to withdraw.

The blade of darkness vanished once more entering the somber confines of his vestment.

The dense load of hostility that writhed in that space was undeniable.

With the simple action of deploying his “Shadow Cloak,” the totality of those present could perceive the danger. After all, all of them dedicated their lives to the study of mystical currents and figured among the most gifted minds of the nation. It resulted impossible for them to ignore such a manifestation.

The fact that Leonard had avoided performing a direct call to a duel toward Dale constituted an internal acceptance of the existing “gap of capabilities.”

That did not represent a force feasible of being controlled by an average mystic. However, upon witnessing the looseness with which Dale governed that artifact of darkness as if it were a prolongation of his own being, a single thought took root in the mind of the spectators.

The chronicles that circulated around the successor of the Saxon lineage could well lack falsehood.

It resulted in something inconceivable.

The first lights of the day began to appear and, in the vicinity of the Royal Academy, Leonard Walter uttered shouts surrounded by the females who frequented the night entertainment zone, ingesting alcoholic beverages in large quantities.

“That damn miserable wretch!”

“Aaah!”

He was discharging his fury with blows against the student who should have assumed his place in the sorcery duel before “Dale of Saxon.”

“P-please, grant me your mercy!”

“Mercy? You piece of scum!”

Thump!

Leonard discharged a kick on the body of the student who lay battered on the floor, showing absolute disinterest before the dread of his classmates and the discomfort of the female companions who put their best effort into conserving calm.

Walter the Crimson. A dignitary of the Red Tower, a sorcerer of the dark arts belonging to the sixth circle and an aristocrat invested with the dignity of Pfalzgraf. Leonard constituted his firstborn descendant.

Within this territory, absolutely nobody possessed the audacity to plant opposition to him. Or at least, that was the established norm.

“The blade of shadows that the successor of the Saxons exhibited makes one think that the comments were true!”

“It is understandable, treating itself of the offspring of the Black Duke, it is very feasible that he represents the most formidable talent of the entire nation.”

“It is true, even Leonard himself experienced excessive suspicion to proceed impulsively.”

“Maybe Leonard does not possess the genius that was attributed to him. With everything and being the descendant of the elder…”

“Well, his capabilities are seen limited upon confronting the successor of the maximum authority of the tower.”

The academy’s facilities were saturated with comments linked to the incidents that happened during the day. Even the members of the faculty, who previously oriented their efforts to keep Leonard happy, now manifested a marked suspicion around the figure of “Dale of Saxon.”

“Damn all of you!”

It resulted intolerable to him.

Counting on twenty years of age, he boasted the condition of expert of the third circle and situated himself at a scarce distance from consolidating the fourth. A first-order mystic.

From his early stages, the totality of his environment praised Leonard’s aptitudes, which led him to assume with absolute certainty that he embodied the most gifted mage of the entire empire.

Until the moment in which, in a sudden form, the denomination of “Dale of Saxon” started to gain strength from the separated northern territories.

Turned eight years old, he structured his initial ring of energy, at nine he consolidated the second, and upon reaching ten years of age, he had already taken ownership of the third circle.

With every period that elapsed, the novelties referring to “Dale’s aptitudes” gave the impression of invalidating completely Leonard’s achievements. Due to that, he insisted on rejecting him vehemently. He resisted giving it as true. No, he refused roundly to accept it.

They were nothing more than excessive narrations propagated by individuals prone to gossip.

It resulted in a chimera that an individual of such young age possessed the capacity to consummate such feats. The position of most brilliant sorcerer of the nation corresponded legitimately to Leonard Walter.

“…That place belongs to me.”

Leonard interrupted the sequence of physical aggressions and articulated words with the tone proper to an intoxicated person.

“I represent the authentic prodigy of this empire.”

Seeking desperately to validate his own relevance before the world.