"I greet you all, admirable ones!"
The voice was as sonorous as it was majestic, booming throughout the hall as the woman who stood before the potential students smiled heartily.
Wearing a long traditional black and purple robe and a slightly pointy hat, she quickly retained the attention of everyone present. Her icy blue hair, coupled with her bright violet eyes, gave her a charming allure.
She had an imposing presence, causing many to shiver upon looking at her.
However, her warmth was unmistakable.
Even though her voice was loud, the tone she used was gentle.
This caused faces to rapidly soften in the hall.
Soon, there was decorum.
No one spoke. They all keenly watched her, many even holding their breaths as they watched the woman who stood before them speak.
"My name is Ariana—the Head of this Dark Moon Historian Academy. I will be in charge of you all for the next three years that you will be spending here." She explained succinctly, her expression unchanging despite how serious her tone slowly became.
"Naturally, I can’t do everything on my own. That’s why the Academy has employed the finest people to impart everything you need in order to become a Historian."
As soon as the Lady Ariana said this, a brilliant door of light appeared right next to her, and several people began to walk out of it. The door was at least nine feet tall, but it merely had a thin layer and connected to nothing. Seeing people appear from it was nothing short of magical for the ones who watched, but they were only amazed not surprised.
After all, they all knew...
... This was a Historical Projection!
Doors of Light. Keys of Castles. Weapons of Destruction. Medicines of Healing; Historical Projections could take on the form of anything, whether it be objects or people.
The door slowly dimmed and eventually vanished, leaving seven people standing on stage.
One was, of course, Ariana, while the other six were the Academy staff that were summoned from the mystical door. They had different appearances, from old to young, male and female, and their personalities also differed from each other.
Ariana wasted no time in introducing all of them one by one.
"Old Smithers will be in charge of your Research Sessions. Miss Jaqueline will be supervising your Mental Training and Psychological Exploration. Miss Anastasia will be aiding you in studying Historical Records, especially regarding the previous Aeons. Lord Drakon will guide you on raising your Integration and familiarizing yourselves with Historical Projections. Sir Reginald will instruct you on the art of combat and physical fitness. Finally, Neron here will be directing the active use of your Historical Projections in combat and other dangerous affairs."
As she spoke their names, the instructors walked to the front and bowed slightly.
They each had their respective quirks.
Old Smithers was—contrary to his name—a young boy. He had a child-like appearance, though his white hair and monocle gave him an ancient feel. He was dressed like a gentleman, though his short build made his attire appear slightly oversized.
Miss Jaqueline, on the other hand, looked audacious and beautiful, with the demeanor of a model. She wore a long and colorful gown, showing off her curves to everyone present.
Miss Anastasia was the opposite.
She looked like a bookworm, with a long classical black robe, round glasses on her cute face and a hat that gently sat on her black hair. An interesting thing was how white strands of hair cascaded down her face, revealing a sharp contrast with the prevalent dark hue.
Lord Drakon looked like a charming prince, with a perfectly symmetrical face and blond hair. In fact, he looked far too perfect to be real. His eyes blazed with crimson light, and his fair complexion was sharply contrasted with his leather jacket and the rest of his fashionable attire. Merely looking at him caused many girls in the crowd to sigh in admiration. His playful grin and relaxed smile, even his winks at certain intervals, did not help matters.
Sir Reginald stood in sharp contrast to Drakon, having a sleeveless vest while folding his arms to properly display his perfect biceps. His bulging muscles and tall stature, nearing eight feet in height, made him have an imposing presence.
He also had a stern look on his face, with one of his eyes closed while a slash mark remained imprinted on it. His other eyes showed a deep gray color that reflected the vicissitudes of life.
Finally, there was Neron.
He looked a little scrawny, and his posture was a little bad for a teacher.
His white hair flowed gently as he kept his head down while standing motionless in the hall. His outfit was also quite ordinary, with a buttoned white shirt and dark brown trousers. His sleeves were rolled up and the shirt was tucked out, but he still looked neat regardless. Hanging loosely from his waist was an ornate chain that connected to an expensive gold inlaid black pocket watch. This complex mechanical specimen peeked out of the right pocket of his trouser, and its prestige sharply contrasted the rest of the man’s ordinary choice of wear.
A peculiar aspect was how he remained motionless on stage, as though he were dead. His eyes were closed and his head hung low.
This gave him an air of mystery to most students.
Most...
’Is he sleeping right now?’
Lazarus silently gasped when he stared at the man who would be one of his teachers.
He wanted to say something, but quickly held himself back.
’Why is he sleeping during such an important orientation?’ Lazarus couldn’t help but grow agitated almost immediately. ’How shameless can this person be?’
As though sensing his thoughts, one of the teachers closest to Neron quietly nudged him.
This snapped him awake, and he slowly raised his head while pretending like he had always been conscious.
His golden eyes were beautiful, but they appeared clouded by a fog of distraction. Not too long after he raised his head, he slowly reached for his pocket and brought out his watch.
After staring at it for a few seconds, he returned it and resumed his earlier posture.
A few seconds after, he was unmoving yet again.
’What a strange man...’ Lazarus sighed and decided not to focus on him. Instead, he returned his gaze to Ariana, who had proceeded on with her long speech.
"... To be a Historian is to be a guardian. Throughout human history, there have been Seven Aeons, and the past six were all ended by the same cause—The Nameless." Her expression turned dim, and so did the rest of the students.
Many had heard of this term before.
It was well-associated with the nightmares that lurked in the mind or those creatures who hid in the dark.
Beyond a doubt, they were the most frightening existences of this world.
"Just as we have light and darkness, right and left, good and evil, we also have those who exist, and the ones who don’t. We call the latter the Nameless. They are the bane of all existence and the antithesis to life." Ariana paused for a moment, her deep violet scanning the solemn audience in front of her before proceeding. "Just as existence can be interpreted in many ways, so also can the Nameless. Those who closely resemble and target humanity are called Nameless Entities."
A quiet terror spread among the hundred plus students.
Many even gulped.
However, Ariana continued regardless. "At the end of the Sixth Aeon, our ancestors found the best way to deal with these horrifying entities. That is, with information directly gotten from the Celestial Library. Using this knowledge, humanity was now able to battle the Unknown, which all Nameless emerge from."
This led to the start of a new age for mankind—the Seventh Aeon.
"As Historians, it is our duty to protect mankind by safeguarding history and eliminating all the Nameless Entities that seek to destroy it. We use Historical Projections to battle them, borrowing from the endless knowledge that exists within the Celestial Library. Thus, during your stay in the Academy, you will learn how to tap into this power and also summon your own Historical Projections. Alongside this, you will learn how to optimally use these Projections and also develop other skills that will be useful in taking down the Nameless."
Ariana went on to explain the roles of each class.
The Research Sessions were meant to let students obtain the corresponding knowledge which would help them understand respective Historical Projections and summon them.
Mental Training and Psychological Exploration dealt with the Mind’s World. It was essentially geared towards the necessary exploration of the Mind’s World, controlling one’s Astral Body, sensing corruption, and so on.
The Historical Records study, was also crucial for all students and future Historians.
After all, it was essential to learn about past Aeons to discover peculiarities and even discover Historical Projections within those eras. In addition, this knowledge would prove immensely useful when exploring Fables as Historians.
The importance of Integration and Historical Projection Familiarization went without saying.
Historical Projections were the main tools Historians used in battle.
Integration also ensured a Historian would be able to summon stronger Historical Projections while also increasing in Rank. As such, bonding with one’s Historical Projection, learning their habits, and building a stronger connection with the Celestial Library was a very important component of learning in the Academy and even beyond.
The Art of Combat and Physical Fitness was meant to place the Historian in an optimal physical state and also improve their coordination with their respective Historical Projections.
Not all Historical Projections could fight autonomously.
Some required direct control.
Imagine summoning a sword as a Historical Projection.
No matter how powerful such a weapon was, it required a swordsman to properly utilize it.
This was why such seemingly mundane training could not be overlooked.
Finally, Battle Lessons using Historical Projections...
This was the last and arguably most important part of the academy’s curriculum. After all, of what use was all the knowledge and training if a Historian could not actually use their Historical Projection in battles against The Nameless.
’But why is this important course in the hands of such a person?’ Lazarus couldn’t help but glance at Neron again.
Once again... the man was fast asleep.