Knight

-Now everyone, let's start our class.

*unguguhnnhugh… *

-Ops, sorry, I almost forgot. Starting today we will be having a new student. This is Bakh, Ashaka's brother. Ignore the fact that he is currently unable to talk, it's just because he had too dirty of a mouth and I had to seal it until he calms down. I think you all already know, but don't discriminate just because he is an orc. Go sit between Silvia and Annabelle. Having a cute boy between you two should help ease the tensions, right?

-"SENSEI!"

-Now now, there is no shame in it, plenty of man would want to eat him up too.

*middle finger pointing sound*

-Now, we will continue with our previous lecture on shadow magic. Please remember this overlaps with space and time magic, besides having great affinity with mind magic. Whatever you do, don't ever sleep with someone more attuned to shadow magic without knowing each other for long and having magical precautions, even after you marry. Any good assassin has a stored spell and actual mages have ways to ignore the cast time. I don't need to explain the obvious differences sexual precautions and trap precautions.

-Shadow magic normally functions as any other, with the difference that it's effects are easier to manipulate, and by sequence harder to notice. Say you were walking around and start sneezing or coughing mildly. Obviously you'd think someone is talking behind your back or you simply swallowed something the wrong way. A month later you get a cold and it passes, but latter you get it again. Then you'd need someone to remove the curse from a very deep part of your being.

-Some may think I am being overly serious, but that is the actually the standard way many people silence testimonies and commit murder at targets of rank 1 and below. Many of you should know how it is to always have a target painted at your back, or front in other cases…

-Shadow bolt!

-But the only real way to actual know when you are cursed is to train your senses to feel it. Some races can naturally smell a curse, mages with a certain degree of talent can see the flow of magic itself. Inversely, if your mana perception is high enough, then you should be able to discover the buff your opponent has.

-Now, obviously there are stronger and more subtle curses, but it's hard to say anything about them because they are usually tailor made for certain targets and occasions. I suggest looking into some of these books I've read on the academy's library for references, since many spells are based on a stronger version of themselves and shadow magic is not a exemption. You will do well in studying strong spell and deconstructing them in your free time, because that will not only count as study, but also help you counter many spells based of them.

-Back to the comprehensive part of the study, it's good to always keep in mind that the way you think and feel will affect the magic released, so even tho it sounds stupid as fuck, you got to feel the elements, be the elements. Embarrassing phrases aside, getting familiarized with all the elements allows for complex maneuvers and affects one's talent for such.

-While some may say this is a bad idea because it will thin yourself out, it is also fundamental to remember that right now you all are students and this can give you all a more solid foundation, such that on the later stages the time spent will reward you all with more than double the profit by half the amount of work. Yes, I know that is normally said backwards, but you got what I mean.

-Everyone, prepare for the shadow energy and steel yourselves, because again, it will not kill you, but definitely going to hurt at lot more if you lose focus.

(You may think that using violence against students is not the best way of teaching, but this is a lot more similar to the process of opening one's pores to perceive Nem than anything)

Light faded from the class and cold seeped into everyone's bones. Even if the light and heat had faded, this was actually a controlled environment which was maintained at -25 degrees Celsius. Perfectly survivable for rank 1 humans if not for too long a time.

Of course, only half the people here were humans. From the seven present, Aki, Agatha and Annabelle were the only defacto humans. If you actually get a little more meticulous, then you'd notice that Annabelle is part angel and Aki is a douch bag.

Sung was a dog-kin (male) and Ming was an elf (male) so they were actually having it worse, and so did Annabelle. But Silvia, a demon who is also a shadow mage, took it as nothing but a bath in hot water. Agatha was almost the same as Silvia and Bakh was also nailing it.

…

At the same time, at the city gates.

-Li'er, can you feel it too?

-Yes sister.

-To actually have such an understanding of the shadow law, it should be a master at the sixth, no seventh rank. This is a lot different from the info we got. The shadow devils should still be behind us by several days. You are going to the bunker now.

-Sister, without me you won't be able to go home safely.

-I am sorry my prince, but it's my duty. *crack*

…

-Okay everyone, don't panic, but there is a rank four coming and you all should ran for your life's while I deal with it. Or just meditate and…

(Ok, ok, I will stop, put that down first and let's talk like… *undiscredible sounds in the void*)

What actually happened was that the female Knight felt nothing while… (Ite! It's not my fault the phrase sounds like something that would start a hentai!)...  getting into the city and the young prince safely slept like a log when seeing his bed.

The class ended with everyone learning some basic shadow spells, even if they couldn't use it or it wasn't that useful, so Aki had lunch before helping the alchemy department until 6PM and left to do his thing.

What is it that he does at night? He goes to the red light district, obviously. Unfortunately, junior still got a long way before seeing some action.

You see, the reason Aki is hunting down criminals, besides the money, drugs and other materials, is that everytime he comes around this area, someone rank 3 or more tries to pick a fight with him.

Since even the people who try to rape him are men, he tries fervently to run away from a certain rank 4 okama and has a "battle to the death" with the rank 3 ones.

Sorry, that sounded like he simply didn't like the okama right? No, there was no cute tomgirl, so Aki didn't consider it either.

What I mean is that thanks to his countermeasures, most of the tactics used against him were useless and he simply started another head on fight with the assailants.

Even the assassins couldn't run, and the guy who knew nothing but Stealth was actually one of the harder ones to kill.

Also, speaking of countermeasures, obviously those people also had them, but Aki fighting style is…

-Ten thousand blossoms! Gum! Monkey robs peach! Slip! Yi, fourth sun's ascension! Forest's bane!...

To those that did not understand, those were respectively a Lance technique, a magic, a martial art, a magic, a bow technique and Axe technique.

Sorry, but even if I want to stretch it, there is no one that can adapt to and fight against all those styles. At least least not near Aki's level.

By now you should have noticed, but Aki is more focused on  his magic aspect than his physical one, so when people look at him, most don't even think that his mid and low distance fighting style are based on the use of cursed items forged by himself.

Considering he can always cast buffs on himself and change it or fight back in that specific situation…

…

-DIEEEEE! *THUNK*

-Who said you can cut me in half with such a weak blade!

And so he went on fight while taunting his enemies while with an Axe striking out of his chest, where his right lung should be. Of course, it was fake, since he had broken the blade that penetrated him with his internal muscles and teleports it away while healing himself, and the talking was done through Vibrations in the air.

Please do remember that anyone who is rank one and above is naturally able to understand and manipulate their muscles and body to a certain extent, but healers are actually even more capable to do so. Since Aki is also a berserker, using his muscle contraction to break steel is not impossible even if that gets metal shards into his flesh.

…

The actual problem now is…

-So, won't you come with us and let this big sister release your stress?

-Yeaash…

… the person being seduced here is not Aki...

-YOU BITCHES KIDDING ME!

So he decided to bitch about it.

*Threauck, or whatever the onomatopoeia of flesh and bone breaking is*

-I've been rounding this place for days, and only man have approached me, yet this damn newbie gets to be seduced by succubus the moment she gets into town?!!!? I will fucking murder you so badly your soul image will represent yourself as something which needs to be censored because you're too ugly! The elephant man would call you ugly! A troll would call you ugly! Your master is going to vomit until he dies because you're too ugly!

(You may add as many profanities  as you want, because the process took two hours and he actually didn't stop talking at any moment.)

-Urrrggg…

(He would've continued hitting her, but the female Knight finally woke up. No one came to the side street because of a spell to diffuse attention and the succubus was having her connection to hell interrupted in a way that made her stuck in her temporary body. Yes, that means that her face was actually being punched until her soul.)

-Uh? Ops. Clean up. Water ball. Are you okay miss?

-I think so. I was going on a walk when I suddenly got called out, but…

-It's ok, I don't mind you not telling me what you were doing before you got charmed by that succubus. Just buy me a night there and you're forgiven.

-I am sorry but I…

-Yeah, ok, that was forced, right? Let's go for a drink and I will see if I can sell you some info. I only know that you are the female Knight protecting a young lord who recently came to town, so let's get by with introductions first. Name's Aki.

-Ria. Thank you for rescuing me, but I am afraid I can't simply trust you to buy information.

-I see, so you're a pro or also interested in shotas. Good to know. Anyway, here is a magical contract, I don't mind giving you such thing. I am not really into the info or assassination business, just in a good mood and talking to a pretty lady. Last chance.

It took a while for her to read the contract, but she ended signing it after some consideration. Since Aki had already signed it up, the contract burst into flames and disappeared.

As a small smile appeared on his face because he used a contract made by himself for the first time, Ria started having second thoughts.

"They could've got any information they wanted by letting me get caught by that succubus, but even if it is another group, they either won't have the strength to enter the struggle or they would have captured me and disposed of the prince."

-There is a spell here to make it so that none can notice us already, so if you want to talk here I don't mind, but you will have to pay for the protection fee. Though there is a bar with private cabins right there, so if you pay the bill…

-Let's go to the bar. I have a trinket for creating a sound barrier, so don't bother.

-So cold, though I was expecting it.

Getting to the bar, she refused the attendant, but Aki said he'd like one of their fruit wines and got a expensive one with two cups. In the room…

-So, what would you like, wine, gold or sex?

-I'd prefer the promised info.

-Relax, I just thought you'd look cute when you frown. The first question is free. Choose wisely.

-If that is so, then I'd like to know a secret way out of the city.

-Flip the touch in your left when you go to bed and it will connect with the line the City lord uses to navigate inside his residence. You can guess why you had one by yourself. The map itself will cost you a drink with me.

-Why?

-Because I promised it'd be free. Drinking with a beauty has always been one of my dreams, you know?

(Ashaka actually slept after their toast, and you actually got that he meant)

-If that is so I shall accept.

-Great, let me serve you.

"Uh? What is this treatment?"

-Is half a glass ok? Moderation isn't exactly my forte.

-It's more than enough.

-I understand, than you may have mine.

-Thank you.

And so they sipped in silence for some time. In the purple small room, there was only Aki, a comfortable brown sofa in U form, and a refined beauty with her silky blond hair tied in a ponytail. A lean figure, modest breast, a thin waist and strong arms.

Even  while being more than a head (around 20 cm) shorter than Aki, she did not lose in fierceness.

*Pahh*-I am not much of a drinker, so I don't a good base to judge it, but I think this is the best drink I ever had.

-Is that so?

-Of course, if you don't believe me you may just think of it as a fetish from a perverted man. Now, if you want something else from me, we will have to discuss a price. For example, if you want me to distract those people following you for some time, a massage, information about them, assassination services…

-Wait, what did you say?

-The massage? My mother had a problem on her back and I learned to help ease…

-No, about the people following me. Do you really have information about them?

-I swear by the heavens and earth that I know the weaknesses of the master of the demon that was attacking you before, and to say the truth about it.

As a light shone around Aki, showing that his oath was accepted by the world, Rica was very surprised.

-Oh, I also swear that all the information I will tell you is the truth and that I did not know these people before interacting with you.

-So you really aren't lying. I was expecting to have to force the information out of you, but it seems I was wrong.

-Between helping someone that is escorting a prince and a demon related sect, I will chose the one that gives me more benefits in the future, of course. Now, cheers for our new parcery!

Ria's expression, that had relaxed by now, started showing a deep frown. While Aki was gulping down more wine, she had already put her sword in his throat.

-I swear by the heavens and earth that I just found out you are protecting someone you consider a prince because of your reaction and a conjecture I had based on stories about a female Knight protecting a young prince. Besides the fact you appeared in town with an adorable boy.

With a small blush on her face, Rio sheathed her sword.

-Now you see why I'd want to drink with a beauty? Nope, it's not that I wanted info on you, I can just take that out of your pursuers, I just wanted to see you making a mistake and acting cite because of it.

*Ding,  or whatever you hear when two metal blades collide*

-How much do you want to distract then?

-Five hundred gold.

-I don't have that much! *bang*

-Them give me a hundred gold and a way to contact you.

-That…

-I can also not ask for money at all if you let me meet with the prince. Of course, I still want something to contact you with. Please, keep in mind that I have full access to the city lord's residence, so this is already a show of good faith.

"Good faith your ass, but…"

-I understand, I will inform the young master of the meeting and you may come to the garden in the morning. It won't be long, and I can't guarantee that he will want to stay though.

-Haha, you don't have to mind something like that. Now, since we are at this, would you like me to "scout" the road ahead for you too? By the way, I know that you won't be using a normal mean to travel, but you should understand how my actions would help you.

-And for that you want me to serve you for the night?

-See, you are getting me now, jokes are always good to loosen up on such situation. Though I normally wouldn't mind your proposition, I actually want a weapon from your arsenal.

-I can't accept that. It's too much for a distraction.

-It's good to know you have such pride in your weapons, then I can understand the situation better. (A person with too much confidence wouldn't be sent to protect someone important, nor would an underequipped one.)

Ria felt like face palming, for even her didn't understand what this man implied now.

-How about some explosives, daggers and other consumables of similar value to compensate the difference. Of course, everything inside it's own holding bag.

(You have obtained a rank 4 sword! Or more like, if he didn't stop there, she would have even exchanged her panties after drinking a lot because of the mental fatigue, but Aki was a gentleman and took her to her room in the city lord's mansion)

(There…)

"Isn't this boy too cute? It's like someone right out of an anime! I better take him to his room as well."

(And so the night ended with Aki having a deathmatch with the master of that demon from before.)

…

(Ok, I was kidding, the guy was focused on re-summoning his demon to get info and Aki could very easily pass through his alarms and barriers because they had a lot of loopholes.)

(Of course, summoning demons normally doesn't require much time at all, just part of your mana reserves and they will be there until killed or dispensed, but after Aki did a number on the succubus face, she didn't answer her manager, so he couldn't contact her to ask anything or summon her at all for the matter.)

(Aki wasn't so innocent as to believe this man didn't have a fail safe in case of capture installed on him, so he just killed the guy after searching a little and disabled the bomb on his kidney by throwing it out of the window. On his robes were all his belongings.)