The sixth floor of the Tower was indeed vast.
Cyril navigated his way through the endless corridors, a group of students trailing behind him.
Earlier, when they met once again, he just walked past the group without saying anything.
Cedric and his posse followed after him, whispering among themselves the whole way through.
“Just make them shut up.”
I will not.
It’s a waste of energy to do so every time.
Myra tried saying it was a misunderstanding.
No one believed her words, and it only served to make their gossip louder.
It’s just human nature.
They find entertainment in gossip, and fighting against it is counterproductive.
The best we can do is to let it die on its own.
The bored humans would eventually switch to something else.
“So that’s how you have such a magnificent reputation.”
“…”
“Sorry.”
Cyril glanced at Myra, who walked by his side.
The auburn-haired girl had a helpless face, but other than that, she didn’t look too concerned.
That’s that then.
Not giving much thought to the baggage behind him, Cyril focused on finding the auditorium they were supposed to meet in.
…
After close to thirty minutes, Cyril finally found it.
Inside, an attendant waited for him by the door, smiling from ear to ear.
“We hope your stay has been good.
Please, wait here until a member of our mage staff arrives.
In the meantime, you can fill out these forms at your convenience.”
The attendant shoved a paper into his arms with that same smile.
‘How would you rate the amenities in your room?’
Cyril briefly read through it and went to a random chair at the front.
Without any hurry, he filled out the form while waiting for this meeting to begin.
Sound isolation was pretty good.
“Also, I liked the hidden window.
Mention that for me, please.”
Sure.
Morpho stayed on top of the table, her insect eyes following his movements.
Myra casually took a seat by his side.
The other students also settled in, picking their seats a little distance away.
Finally, their irrelevant chatter changed to discussing the various conveniences they’ve experienced in their rooms.
At least, that was until another group of students arrived, the female half of the group.
The sound of gossip reignited with renewed vigor.
Rose, with a slightly confused face, walked towards Cyril, taking a seat to the side of Myra.
“You should’ve been on my floor as well…
Where did you go?” she said, curiosity in her voice.
Myra’s head lost its strength, then her back, and she slumped face-first on the table.
…
After a short while, during which Myra had an in-depth conversation with Rose about open-mindedness, another person walked into the half-empty auditorium.
It wasn’t anyone Cyril knew, nor was it anyone from their academy.
However, their face still appeared a little bit familiar.
It was a middle-aged woman in a white coat.
She had blond hair and sharp blue eyes, which was a rather common trait for the nobility.
The woman walked all the way towards a whiteboard and faced the students.
“My name is Elvira Arken.
I’ll be one of the mages here to guide you on your journey,” she said with a strict voice.
Arken?
Although Cyril’s face had no change, he felt surprised.
Recently, though not exactly willingly, he’s memorized that family name.
“Is this Leo’s mother or grandmother?” Rhamn sat on the desk in front of Cyril, staring with curiosity at the woman.
“Let’s assume mother.”
“Does she mind we broke her child’s arm?”
…I would assume so.
Then, on a whim, Cyril looked around the auditorium.
His fellow students sat with their backs straight, solemnly paying attention to Elvira.
However, one of them appeared particularly nervous.
Cedric tightly held the pen in his hand, as if about to snap it in two.
His eyes were glued to the woman, the meaning within them unclear to Cyril.
“Think we’ll see any drama today?”
Hopefully not.
Cyril briefly glanced at Myra.
She didn’t seem concerned with the matter this time.
At this moment Elvira cleared her throat, gathering everyone’s attention.
“Other mages, representatives of their field, will arrive here shortly.
They are currently held up by a few matters, but we can begin without them.”
She spoke professionally, with no apparent emotions attached to her words.
“I understand there are a lot of options, so don’t be disheartened if you don’t have an idea what to choose now.
Also, take note that astromancy is still unavailable.
They haven’t recovered from their little incident a bit over a year ago.”
Her gaze swept the students, as if judging each and every one of them.
“I will represent elemental spells, which is, if I do say so myself, one of the most popular schools of magic for a reason.”
When passing Cyril, she looked at him for a few seconds longer than the others.
Then, noticing the red butterfly, her eyes momentarily narrowed.
“Used as much in everyday life as they are in battle, elemental spells are a staple of any self-respecting mage.
Since we have the chance, let me share with you a few tips that knights-in-the-making like you would find useful.”
“I am sure you are well aware of the common fireball spell.”
She raised her hand, creating a magic circle on the top of her palm.
It stayed there, complete in a single second, for the students to see.
“The magic circle allows us to configure its behavior in ways mages of the past could only hope to achieve after decades of learning.”
As she spoke, the circle collapsed in on itself, transforming into a bird made of fire.
It flew around the room, going over the students’ heads before returning back to Elvira’s hand.
It perched there, as if alive.
“Undoubtedly, the magic circle is a miracle of human ingenuity.” She flicked her hand, and the bird dissipated into thin air.
“However, there are a few benefits to discarding it.”
Elvira suddenly motioned to Cyril.
“I will require a volunteer, please.”
Cyril suddenly felt a lot more exhausted.
“And why does she bother you?
Why not Cedric?!”
It is what it is.
“If she does anything to Morpho-”
I won’t let it happen.
He got up from the chair, eyes of his classmates on him.
As he walked towards the whiteboard, Myra quietly raised a fist at him, as if to say, ‘Go for it!’
Morpho too fluttered her wings, sharing her energy.
Giving them a single nod, Cyril stood in front of Elvira, flatly staring at her.
“Please stretch your arm forward and move your mana as if you are trying to cast a fireball.
However, do not create a circle.”
Cyril aimed at the seating area, moving mana into his palm in a certain manner.
The students took a quiet gulp, observing the fireball aimed in their direction.
Suddenly, Elvira touched Cyril’s arm.
“…!”
He felt foreign magic crawl onto his palm, interfering in his casting.
His palm burst into flames the next moment.
He didn’t feel any pain.
His hand appeared as if wearing a glove made entirely out of fire.
“Oh,” Rhamn breathed a sigh of relief.
“I thought she went crazy for a second…”
Cyril curiously waved his arm in the air.
With each swing his palm made arcs of sparkling embers.
“This is what we call a touch spell,” Elvira proudly explained.
“By discarding the magic circle, a mage can cast spells almost instantaneously.
Even if they lack distance and power, I’m sure you’ll agree such simplicity would be extremely useful in the right moment.”
The students stared at Elvira with stars in their eyes.
Rose smugly peeked at Myra for some reason, although the auburn-haired girl ignored her.
The excited response caused Elvira to raise her head just a little bit higher.
“This principle can be applied to any school of magic.
If you choose elemental spells as your subject, I would be glad to show you much more than this,” she said with a subtle smile on her face.
Cyril dissipated the flames, staring at her in thought.
It seems Elvira is more professional than I gave her credit for.
After all, how could a high-ranking mage be so petty as to seek revenge on a student?
“We should ask Margaret that when we see her.”
He walked back to his seat, greeted by Myra’s and Morpho’s quiet cheers.
Elvira continued her lecture as they waited for the other mages.
She briefly touched on what they could expect from her, further brightening the stars in the students’ eyes.
Even Cyril was tempted to pick her as his guide.
In the midst of Elvira’s speech, a light lit up inside of her white coat.
She politely apologized, then took out a small medal, shining in a vague light.
She brought it up to her ear, as if listening to something.
“My apologies,” she said as she brought it away.
“The other mages are still not ready.”
Her face still had a slight smile.
“However, I am.
Those who choose me as their guide can depart with me now.
No use wasting your precious time here, right?”
“So, raise your hand if you are interested in what elemental spells are capable of.”
Seven out of ten students immediately raised their hands, eager to learn.
However, despite Elvira securing the majority, her confident smile twitched.
She glanced at those few who resisted her charms.
“Cyril Thorne, Rose Briar, and… Myra, you three want to wait?” Elvira slowly said.
“Honestly, I wouldn’t know how long it would take for them to show up.”
Cyril nodded, not budging in his choice.
As tempted as he was, he already made up his mind.
“…Can I ask what subject you would be choosing?” Elvira said.
Cyril replied without a trace of doubt.
“Demonology.”
While elemental spells would directly improve his combat ability, Knights were a group originally established to battle demons.
Even in most stories, the most common villains the Knights face are the powerful archdemons.
Every kid liked to read about the earthshaking battles against them.
Any aspiring Knight should know their enemy as well as possible.
Cyril nodded, more convinced than ever in his life.
Elvira weakly glanced at the two girls to his side.
“Me too,” Myra said.
“…I’ll choose demonology as well,” Rose replied a second later.
Elvira silently gazed at them for a moment, the meaning in her eyes unclear.
She looked over the other students, regaining her smile.
“In that case, let’s do this: my assistant will come guide you while I will help them in the demonology department.”
“Eh?” someone exclaimed.
“That would be fair.
Let’s not waste any more time and go now.”
While the students were recovering, Elvira motioned for Cyril to follow, then immediately moved towards the exit.
…That works, I suppose.
A moment later, Cyril stood up and went after her.
Soon three more people got up and did the same.
The other students could only observe their backs until they disappeared.
They were left all alone in this cold auditorium.
“What just happened?” another student said.
All this enticement by Elvira, only for her to bait them in the end…
…
The group followed after Elvira in silence.
They walked through the white corridor towards the elevator.
“Why did you choose demonology?” Myra casually whispered to Rose on the way.
“…Are you really interested?
Don’t waste your chance by choosing something only because we chose it.”
At these words, Cyril turned to look at Myra, his blue eyes empty.
Myra, somehow discerning what he meant, innocently raised her hands.
“What?
Not like I claimed to be a mage.
It’s fine if I do that.”
“I see.”
Rose looked like she didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, but at least her grip on her sling bag lessened a little.
She shook her head with a slight smile.
“Actually, I was always interested in magical beings…
probably came from my parents.
And demons are the most mysterious beings that humans know of.
Where did they come from?
Why do they want to kill us?
How come they are so varied in form?
Who knows, maybe I’ll be the one to answer these questions, haha.”
Rose wistfully tapped on her bag as she walked, a hint of shyness coloring her face.
Myra nodded as realization dawned on her.
“I didn’t know you were like that…”
While they were talking, Cyril glanced at another student walking with them.
Cedric suddenly chose to join them in the demonology department.
And why is he here?
“Why do you think?
Not a hard riddle to crack.”
At this moment Cedric seemed to gather all the courage of the world on his face as he took a deep breath and approached Elvira Arken.
“Miss Arken, I have a question- uhm, what will this demonology lesson entail?” he stuttered as he talked, his voice as cautious as it could be.
“Ha!
Look at him!” Rhamn pointed with glee at the nervous boy.
Cedric’s smile never looked as shaky as it did now.
Elvira answered after a short pause, not even glancing at him.
“We will go to the underground levels, where the captured demons are held.
I suppose there will be at least an autopsy and a test involving live subjects.”
“Oh, how- how interesting, haha.” Cedric scratched his head, giving the most obviously fake laughter Cyril had heard yet.
“Hahaha!
It is indeed very interesting!”
With such an atmosphere, they proceeded into an elevator.
Although Cedric would ask many questions from time to time, Elvira answered all with professionalism and nothing else.
Eventually, he gave up and just silently walked with his head hung a little lower than usual, much to Rhamn’s amusement.
I think we should be more concerned with why Elvira decided to accompany us.
“Maybe she is just such an earnest guide?”
Hopefully.
They rode the elevator down into the underground level.
Elvira led them through a few automatic doors, arriving in a vast hall.
Many mages in white coats walked back and forth.
Some conducted experiments in front of lab benches, and some observed the ‘cells’ lining the walls of this vast hall.
In the many cells, behind the no-doubt-durable glass were demons.
Some cells only had a single ghoul, others had many all clustered together.
They walked on all fours, stumbled on two legs, or just lay on the ground with their bellies up.
They moved like wild, mindless beasts.
Their shapes were deformed, and in seemingly random places on their bodies grew various animal characteristics, be it tails, horns, paws, or hooves.
Cyril stood still for a moment, finally observing demons in person.
“This is where we’ll be conducting the lesson,” Elvira explained as they stood still.
“The Tower has several underground levels, and this one is used exclusively by the demonology department.
Here is where they study less dangerous samples and where you will be spending the majority of today.”
After saying that, she looked around the vast room, searching for someone.
“That should be your welcome.”
From the direction she looked, a mage in the same white coat was rapidly approaching with a polite smile.
“Group from Ailanthus, you are here!
Forgive me for not meeting you sooner.
Somehow I didn’t expect anyone would-” The mage froze midway upon noticing Elvira.
“Magister Elvira?
I thought Dawkins was responsible for leading the students…?”
“It is me now.
Do you have a problem with that?” Elvira replied with narrowed eyes.
“Of course not!” The mage broke into a cold sweat immediately.
“We welcome your presence here!
I was just surprised, that’s all.”
Perhaps to escape her gaze, the mage looked over the students, on his face an awkward smile.
“It’s good to see so many young people interested in demonology.
And here I thought we would get none this year as well.”
However, upon looking at Cyril, particularly at the butterfly that stayed quiet on his shoulder, the mage frowned.
“Is that a monster?
Why was a monster allowed here?” he uttered, forgetting all his previous fear.
“Does even the Tower treat demons as a joke now?
Who knows what effect an unknown monster would have on them here!
Demons should be treated with utmost caution!”
He raised his voice, his face reddening in anger.
Even other mages in this room noticed the commotion, staring at the group with curiosity.
And most of them, upon noticing the butterfly, would frown with disapproval.
What a headache…
Cyril slowly looked around him.
He raised his hand to shield Morpho from their view, his gaze becoming colder.
Morpho’s wings twitched a few times as she lowered herself.
“Morpho, don’t be scared of human filth like that!
Remember, you are worth far more than a hundred- no, trillions of humans.
Don’t let them scare you!
Keep your head higher, move your wings wider!”
With this pep talk, Morpho raised herself and spread her wings to the side.
With renewed energy, her insect eyes defiantly glared back at the humans around.
“Good job!”
Cyril slowly lowered his hand, regaining his composure.
This is nothing dangerous, just annoying.
“Why do we have to deal with this?
This little tour would’ve been so much nicer without these pesky humans around.”
However, before Cyril could say anything, Elvira Arken stood forward, drawing the mages’ attention to herself.
“Shut up!” she yelled, her strict voice silencing the complaining mage.
“Has lack of sunlight made you go feral?
Behave yourself, or I’ll make sure this department’s resources will plummet lower than this filthy hole you call a laboratory!”
As if she had uttered some magic words, the majority of the mages immediately wiped any semblance of displeasure from their faces.
They quickly pretended to not hear the commotion, going back to their own matters.
However, the mage in front of them could not do that.
With a pale face, he stood straight and quickly bowed at ninety degrees.
“My apologies, Miss Elvira!
Lack of results made me more irritable lately.
Of course, since the monster is here, then it must have been allowed!”
Elvira scoffed and then waved with her hand, as if shooing away an insect.
“Then scram!
Get here someone more pleasant to look at.”
Without any complaints, the man left, as swift as the wind.
Elvira looked at him, the sharp glare on her face immediately replaced by a smile.
“Forgive this place, Thorne.
Sometimes, the people here forget how to interact with a civilized world.
Don’t worry about your butterfly.
I already made sure it’s allowed here.”
Cyril stood still in the same pose, completely confused as to what just happened, though it was hard to tell from his expressionless face.
She helped me?
She seemed to… like me?
He knew he sometimes struggled to understand humans.
But surely this would be weird to anyone else in his place.
Not getting revenge is one thing.
But since when do mothers reward the assault on their children?
“Maybe she thinks it, like, disciplined him?
What doesn’t kill you and all that.”