...I have been wrong.
For killing an Ant +0.5 EXP
I have been very wrong.
For killing Ants(4) +2 EXP
I have been terribly. Horribly wrong.
For killing a colony of Ants(43,508) +21,754 EXP
For killing a colony of Ants(17,143) +8571.5 EXP
For killing a colony of Ants(356,224) +178,112 EXP
I am sorry, System. This Fenric confesses his love to you so please marry me!
For killing a supercolony of Ants(3,908,416) +1,954,208 EXP
You have leveled up! +5 SP
You have leveled up! +5 SP
Why have I never thought of something like this? Was I mentally handicapped previously? A wise old man once said that "Bruh, if you ain't got quality then go for quantity!" Oh wait, I think that was me! Yeah, bravos for Fenric the Wise!
Why should I face the smart and dangerous wolves when I can simply trample on creatures that are below me? For example, insects. Find a colony, snap my finger, burn the entire habitat with my flames, and voilà. Just 675,341 EXP from earlier sent me straight from level 5 to level 12!
Eh.
Come on, come on. Why are you doing this to my, System? Have I wronged you before? I have killed millions of ants and I have not even gotten a single Title? Not an Insect Hunter, Insect Slayer, Bug Repeller, or Natural Enemy of Insects?
Do I seriously have to do something that is acknowledged by others to receive a Title?
Oh, where am I, you ask? Ants don't like living in Germany? Yeah, I'm not in that frosty country anymore. I have already traveled to the Far East since I left the Eternal Fortress to 'procure' a gun.
Yes, my old home, the Leiqritus castle is called the Eternal Fortress. They really do like fancy names, don't they?
No, I'm not running away from home. There are so many knowledge on Magecraft back at the fortress and I'll not let them go. "I want to see more of this world!," was what I told my dear father and he just nodded before letting me go while only telling me to be back within a year. Who lets a child go free like that? Crazy Mages.
Nevermind, it doesn't matter since it benefits me. My Magic Circuits have fully matured, and I can even defend myself against a battalion of soldiers. Not such a 'child' anymore, am I? Well, my father doesn't have to know about that.
Hmhm, wasn't there a supercolony of ants with estimated millions of nests and billions of workers in Southern Europe? It was discovered decades later, but there should already be a few billions in it. Let's pay it a visit during my return trip. Wait for me my dear friends, Fenric will come find you soon.
Oh look at where I am right now!
China is a beautiful country, you know that? I love the ancient atmosphere and the abundant nature it has. Mountain ranges, Oriental structures, exotic animals, I do really appreciate these fine little things in life.
Let's see, what did that article say?
China is an ancient civilization aged more than 5,000 years old. The Chinese culture features an abundance of the material and spiritual values, unchanged over millennia. In spite of the influence from outside and numerous foreign invasions, the nation have managed to preserve its individuality and unique identity.
Thanks brain. Well, I do really like the country... considering that they invented paper and... gun powder. Come, simply look at this beautiful yellow river beside me, what a stunning sight it is. Hang on, let me just flare up my Magic Circuits, and-
For beginning floods and extending its period, you have indirectly killed 3,958,273 humans +197,913,650 EXP
You have leveled up! +5 SP
You have leveled up! +5 SP
You have leveled up! +5 SP
You have leveled up! +5 SP
You have leveled up! +5 SP
You have leveled up! +5 SP
Yes, I love China.
I am not laughing. I might be a cold and ruthless person, but I am doing it because it is needed. Massacres, genocides, I'd execute them with a smile if it's necessary for my own gains, nonetheless, I will not enjoy the scenes of carnage nor will I smile before death for I am not a psychopath.
The 1931 China floods killed many, and many deaths meant a massive amount of experience points. I merely encouraged and manipulated the rivers a little bit and it went 'boom'. Although the System message may say that I have extended it, the floods will at most be lengthened by one or two days.
It's funny how the death estimation is actually on the higher-end. Sure, I might have played a tiny part in it, but in the end, numbers do not lie... at least not before you involve the supernatural.
Unfortunately, it seems that you only gain 10% EXP if you indirectly though deliberately causes someone's deaths. I'd like to slaughter more for experience points, but that will affect the history too greatly.
The Spanish Civil War... let's leave that alone. I do not know much about it and it might backfire on me. Despite having eidetic memory, I can't remember what I don't know in the first place. I am not a historian after all.
...Talking about genocides as if I'm on a happy lunch break... At least the System hasn't given me a Genocider Title.
Am I calm right now? Yes, I am. If not for the help of [Absolute Composure], I would be vomiting my lungs out right now. I did swore to do anything for my goal, but I am still an ordinary human. Magus or not, the species does not change.
How pathetic.
Hmm... Thinking about it. Don't I need a philosophy? I mean, the reason, the beliefs, the ideology of a villain.
What? I need something to say during my final evil antagonist's soliloquy so that the hero can unlock his potential and breakthrough his limits. He will then refute me on what motives I have no matter how true and right it is just because I am the bad guy.
Ah, sometimes I think that this is merely a bad dream. Someone who was a common man in his previous life have just massacred millions of innocent people. How many families have I just murdered? How many dreams have I just trampled on? Have many promises have I just forcefully broken?
It's funny how no matter who they are, an elder, an adult, a child... a baby. As long as they are unarmed, harmless, and not hostile, all civilians are worth 500 EXP. Five hundred fucking points. That's the price of a human life?
I might be the one who have killed millions, however, I still think that lives are worth more. Everyone will die one day, but is decades of life only worth five hundred points?
I do not, and will never justify the acts I have just done, because it is my intents. It's all for my benefits.
As for my philosophy? Let's just imitate Kiritsugu while toning his ideals down a little bit. I don't want all the salvation and utopia bullshits to start sprouting from my mouth after all. Let's go with: "One life for many. The minor for the majority. At the end of the day, someone has to sacrifice himself." Sounds great! Now I only have to-
Sigh.
...I am truly a monster, aren't I?
Look at these rushing waves. The river shall drown all sorrows away. The farmlands, the natures, the people, their memories, all shall be drown in this yellow river. One day, just one day... I will hold onto that immortality.
So for that day. Please die.
For reaching level 20, the [Quest] option has been unlocked!
"And thank you, nameless ones, for your assistance. You have my eternal gratitude." I lowered my head towards the flooding river and distanced myself from the place. I can't have someone seeing me there. It might potentially blow up my cover.
Reinforcing my body, I jumped onto a large tree branch and glanced at the new option available.
Quest: The Third Holy Grail War
Objective: Be victorious
Rewards: A wish, 200 SP, 100,000,000,000 EXP, $5,000,000 US Dollars
Failure: None
Do you accept? Y/N
I immediately chose yes. There's no reason not to. I will win, and there's no punishment for failure. It might sound foolish of me to declare my victory this soon, but I know the truth and strategies behind the Holy Grail War. I also know the identities of some of the participants so it will work in my favor as well.
However, let's focus on becoming stronger for now. My target of getting involved in the 1931 China floods have been accomplished. I will return to the Eternal Fortress since I already spent a few months traveling and practicing Magecraft.
Oh, I haven't forget about those ants in Southern Europe...
"Thank you for today's lesson, father."
I gave Reinhard a noble salute. He merely nodded and left the room, leaving me alone, again. Despite us being father and son, we are not really that close to each other. In addition, I still have to pay him the minimum amount of respect because he is the patriarch of our clan.
The year is 1936, and I am now 17 years old. Little Fenric isn't little anymore.
The experience points required has also crossed the billionth line. Excluding the few ant supercolonies I have destroyed on my way back, I have not made much progress with my levels at all.
However, my skills in Thaumaturgy have increased by leaps and bounds. I have recently mastered Mental Interference, and I am near the end of our family's specialty, Curses. Of course, my father and the other members do not know of that.
[Magecraft]
Rank: B
The skill on knowledge about modern Thaumaturgy.
At this rank, many branches of Magecraft have been grasped as advanced spells are created and learned.
[High-Speed Incantation]
Rank: C
The skill to speak magical incantations at an accelerated speed.
At this rank, incantations of Five-Line spells can activated instantly while Ten-Count spells can be cut down.
My Alchemy has been improved by a lot and I gained the Skills [Item Construction] and [Enchant] when I combined all my knowledge of creation to make my own Mystic Code.
[Item Construction]
Rank: D
The skill to manufacture magical items, from implements of war to items for daily use.
At this rank, basic yet useful magical items and Mystic Codes can be created.
[Enchant]
Rank: D
The skill to endow concepts to items.
At this rank, average functions can be added to items with sufficient Mystery.
I have not expected this, but I am a genius. Although I am not a genius of Magecraft, I felt incredibly comfortable when I have a gun in my hand. Yes, looks like I'll become an Archer if I were to die, boys. No, just joking, I'm not going to die.
I am not on the level of Billy the Kid, no I should say that I am not like him. Unlike Billy the Kid who can fight with a gun in close ranges, I am a genuine Arche- No, let's just clarify here first, that the Archer-class is the class of Servants that uses projectile-based weapons, alright?
After I discovered that I was a natural with guns, I practiced again and again and again in the snowy forest. Five years of unstop training in a forest full of tiny and camouflaging animals landed me multiple skills.
[Marksmanship]
Rank: A
The skill of all-round shooting techniques, which includes quick drawing and trick shooting by means of small arms.
At this rank, targets can be accurately hit from 7 kilometers away.
[Eye of the Mind (True)]
Rank: C++
The skill of a heightened capacity for observation, refined through training, discipline and experience. A danger-avoidance ability that utilizes the intelligence collected up to the current time as the basis in order to predict the opponent's activity and change the current situation. This is not a result of talent, but an overwhelming amount of combat experience. A weapon wielded by none other than a mortal, gained through tenacious training. So long there is even a 1% chance of a comeback, this ability greatly improves the chances of winning.
At this rank, analysis of the opponent with absolute calmness is possible. The skill is greatly boosted by [Absolute Composure].
[Clairvoyance]
Rank: D+++
The skill that connotes superior visual perception and dynamic occipital capture, such as to supplement the long-range aiming of projectile weapons.
At this rank, keeping track of fast-moving object within a range of two and a half kilometers is possible. Due to a limitless body capacity, when Reinforcement is used on the eyes, the range can be greatly extended.
[Presence Concealment]
Rank: D
The skill to hide one's presence.
At this rank, it is possible to hide oneself in the shadows. However, it is possible to be detected through supernatural means.
It's a massive power-up... However, I am not happy at all. I'm not using a bow that can mow down buildings. I am using a gun. A modern weapon that can be easily shrugged off by Servants. They are invulnerable to physical attacks, so I have to upgrade my weapons.
With the resources available to me, I managed to get my hands on some ancient wood and blessed metals. After a month of hard work, sacrificial rituals, Mystery gathering, reinforcing and enchanting, I have created my first specialized Mystic Code.
Desperate
Rank: -
Type: -
Classification: Mystic Code
Effect: Bullet acceleration, elemental imbuement, sound and light dampening.
Prerequisite: Only Fenric von Leiqritus
Description: A bolt-action rifle based on the Karabiner 98 kurz. It is made out of ancient materials with great Mystery and reinforced to level that it won't break down even after suffering a direct artillery barrage. Muzzle flashes will be hidden as all bullets fired from the gun will be muffled, accelerated by the wind, and then enchanted by lightning, causing its speed to massively increase while anyone hit by it will be temporarily stunned. Its effective firing range is 6,000 meters and its maximum firing range is 28,000 meters. Its enchantment can be switched on and off through the influence of its wielder's Od.
Yes. I named the Mystic Code Desperate because I actually am. I am not Billy the Kid, I am talented at hitting an object from a long distance away. It is perfect for me since I don't want to get up-close-and-personal in the first place.
I'm will just lie down, and aim for someone's head from far, far away. Erect a simple Bounded Field that decreases sound in addition to my Mystic Code's sound dampening, and they won't even see it coming.
I am a coward, and I know that. Will you rush into a battlefield knowing that your opponent can easy kill you with a slap? Not me, no thank you. On the worst-case scenario, I can take care of close range combat with my sword and try to escape with Magecraft.
Oh? I have not mentioned that I picked up the sword? Good, you don't need to know because I'm mediocre with it at best. It's a sabre to be exact, and I am not good with it at all. Sure, I can probably reach the level of a swordmaster in decades and the level of Sasaki Kojiro after a few hundred-
Yup, definitely not worth it.
I can deal so much damage, yet I'd die even if a Caster-class Servant were to slap me... I am the definition of glass cannon, aren't I? And um, a sniper looks cool in movies but don't they get taken out every time...? Did I just-
Ahem.
Lastly, I have finally spent my Status Points on something.
Name: Fenric von Leiqritus, (No Title)
Level: 25
EXP: 1,509,318,738/3,355,443,200
Strength: 2.3
Endurance: 2.6
Agility: 3.4
Od: 330/330 (330)
Circuit Quality: B (1.5)
Circuit Quantity: C (22)
Circuit Composition: Dynamic
Origin: Limitlessness
Elemental Affinity: Fire, Earth, Water, Distortion
Sorcery Trait: Divine Chant
Innate Talent: [Infinite Potential], [Absolute Composure]
Skills: [Analyze], [Magecraft B], [High-Speed Incantation C], [Item Construction D], [Enchant D], [Marksmanship A], [Eye of the Mind (True) C++], [Clairvoyance D+++], [Presence Concealment D]
Status Points: 85
I was planning to go all cool and give myself the Death Element, but then I realize that I didn't even know what I can do with it. Something about adding instant-death effects to my spells? Nope, I don't have enough knowledge for that.
On the other hand, I knew of one Element that is incredibly, no, insanely compatible with the Leiqritus clan's specialization.
Distortion.
What a frightening thing. Frankly, I was horrified and ecstatic of my own ideas. I truly wasn't prepared for what I was going to create at all...
Do you know how lethal and severe it is when you add Distortion to Curses?
There are many types of Curses. I'd classify them into two types: direct and indirect. A direct Curse will be something like the Scandinavia Curse, Gandr. You have to actually hit someone with it in order for its effect to take place.
The indirect Curses are ones that you don't have to hit them with. Say, a voodoo curse doll or a cursed Bounded Field. You only need materials for the curse doll, and you can just erect a barrier and wait for someone to come into.
Then, what happens when you add the Element of Distortion to a Bounded Field?
...You not only distort someone's senses, but you distort their perception of reality. The Bounded Field I created is on the level of an alien world where there is no escape. A limitless world of endless confusion.
I'm not good with names, so I named it Distorted World.
When reality itself is distorted, they won't be able to understand or even theorize what is going on. They'll be trap in it indefinitely. Their sense of reality, time, and space are all unknown and constantly changing. Perhaps their own personality will also change, and it will continue for all eternity.
However, it is not as strong as you think it is. In fact, it's quite fragile when compared to a Reality Marble.
If the enemy is strong enough and does not need to rely on wisdom, they can simply escape by destroying the entire Bounded Field using an attack that is strong enough to directly overpower the barrier and crush it from inside.
Nevertheless, this will be very effective against Mages and even Servants of the Berserker and Assassin classes. In addition, I can extend and reinforce the Bounded Field, though that'll require an immense amount of magical energy, which I do not have.
...But what will happen when I lay my hands on Heaven's Feel?
---
Shlick. Cut. Cling.
"So this is the Aorta?" I put down the beating heart and glanced at the largest artery of human body in my bloodied hand. "It's smaller than I expected."
Congratulations! [Human Anatomy Understanding] has ranked up!
"Oh, a-"
Look at what you're doing, Fenric. Look at that sea of blood. That messy surgery table. Those severed heads and limbs. The terrified faces of those innocent villagers. Look at what you're doing, Fenric-
I know what I am doing.
Is it worth giving up your humanity and your emotions for eternity?! It's easier said than done, but just look into the mirror! That is you-
It is worth it.
I am not wrong.
I have finally turned 18.
Thanks for gaining a great amount of Skills recently, I have decided to start experimenting with them. The results were quite... intriguing. You see, Skills are basically powers that enhances the abilities I already possesses. I can throw a dagger? With a projectile throwing skill, I can also throw a javelin with equaled mastery.
I discovered that Skills won't be created unless I wanted it to. I don't have an all-knowing System that will grant me any Skills I can have. In addition to that, Skills that are useless to me won't be created.
For example, [Calm and Collected], [Eternal Arms Mastership] and [Unyielding Will] are completely useless because I have [Absolute Composure] so they can't be gained no matter what I do. Then, what did Fenric the Wise do? He relocated some of his time spent on Magecraft and training to widening his Skills repertoire of course!
Here are the results of one year of effort:
[Presence Concealment]
Rank: A+
The skill to hide one's presence.
At this rank, it is possible to disappear completely and become almost impossible to be detected, even against a Servant's perception. However, efficiency will decrease once preparations to attack are taken.
The Element of Distortion... I literally distorted my own existence from the world. I don't think even the Counter Force can find me if I were to try my hardest. Using my Bounded Field's power, I can even approach the EX-Rank mark.
[Territory Creation]
Rank: B
The skill to build a special terrain that is advantageous to oneself as a magus, such as for the purpose of collecting mana.
At this rank, creation of a 'Workshop' becomes possible.
It's just the Skill for creating workshops. There are so many textbooks on this one. I'd be ashamed if I were to received it at below C-Rank considering the Servants who possesses this Skill at C-Rank are failures at this branch of the Craft.
But to reach A-Rank, I'll have to find a way to make a 'Temple'. That'll take some time.
[Familiar Creation]
Rank: C
The skill that allows the user to create a familiar and control it from a distance.
At this rank, creation of ordinary Magus familiars becomes possible.
It wasn't hard to learn this Skill at all, though I'd probably need to make something like a synthetic beast to level this up.
[Presence Detection]
Rank: E
The skill to detect other Servants and local mana sources.
At this rank, it is possible to detect anything within 1 kilometer via total magical energy output. If used on things at close range, an equal or lower rank of Presence Concealment can be nullified.
I do not want to talk about this... Okay, I'll admit it, I went naked and spent a long time in the snowy forest to try and gain this Skill. I failed... Then I had the brilliant idea of trying to sense things through the natural Mana in the air... Sigh.
[Human Observation]
Rank: E
The skill of the technique that observe and understand people.
At this rank, it is possible to observe basic human behaviors.
I got it after spending two hours a week to observe the people in my castle. I think I creeped out most of my clan members from staring at them constantly since I received a word of warning from my father.
This will be easy to level up seeing that all I need is to analyze more people. I have an eidetic memory after all.
[Human Anatomy Understanding]
Rank: A
The skill that allows one to have a grasp of the inner workings of the human body, like a piece of precision machinery.
At this rank, all actions intended to heal through Skills, Magecraft, etc, are improved. One is able to target enemy vitals with extreme precision, and all damage inflicted is increased. In addition, all damage received by the user is reduced.
Two words: eidetic memory... and some agreeing volunteers from the nearest village who all willingly sighed up and were transported by Fenric himself!
...Yes. It was my first time performing human experiment... and it was also my first time directly killing a living human being.
I am not proud of it, but I am grateful for the opportunity.
[Torture Techniques]
Rank: B
The skill that represents one's possession of outstanding torture techniques.
At this rank, plus modifiers are added when using torture tools to deal damage. Because it strengthens bloodshed and agony, further damage is continuously added after the ordinary damage.
Do you know how great my family's library is? But do you know that some weirdo misplaced 'A Complete Guide to Torture' from volume 1 to volume 8 in the children's section?
Also, I swear that I didn't practice this Skill on animals.
I didn't lie.
I practiced it on humans after all.
[Protection from Arrows]
Rank: C
The skill to deal with projectiles, an increased defense against ranged attacks by predicting the projectiles' trajectories through exceptional means, such as hearing the sound of air being cut, or sensing the killing intent of the enemy.
At this rank, it is possible to deal with projectiles that do not depend on Magecraft by tracking them down with eyes alone.
I got this awfully easily thanks to Eye of the Mind and Clairvoyance. But I've got to ask... how to hell do I deal with bullets when I'm not even fast enough to deflect them? Do I have to use Reinforcement every single time? Am I even fast enough to deflect bullets?
[Projectile]
Rank: E
The skill for the destructive power of throwing projectile weapons.
At this rank, projectiles are thrown at five times faster than an average major-league fastball.
The speed of an average fastball thrown by a major league pitcher is 90 mph. I can throw a dirk, a dagger, a javelin, or even a frisbee at at 425 mph. Hey... is it possible to throw a pitchfork at the same speed as well? I've got to research into that later.
[Poison Resistance]
Rank: C
The skill that makes the user resistant to poison.
At this rank, it is possible to naturally invalidates average poisons while being resistant to the lethal ones.
Consuming poison is not fun. I'll repeat that. Consuming poison is not fun- Ahhh, no. I have to start ingesting lethal poisons to rank this up further. Dear god...
On the bright side, I gained 9 Skills and significantly improved one of the older Skills in only 1 year! Now I just have to focus on refining them while continue delving into the secrets of Thaumaturgy. And to do that I need to-
"We have arrived, Sire." The driver notified me politely. I glanced at my wristwatch and breathed deeply. The year is 1937, and I am currently in London, England. Yes, it's time for Fenric von Leiqritus to enroll into the Clock Tower.
...
The Clock Tower.
It is the current headquarters and main branch of the Mage's Association. The departments that composed it as well as the workshops of its members, which are mainly underground facilities, are located in London's British Museum. However, some affiliated buildings and institutions are known to be located elsewhere.
From the outside, Clock Tower appears to be an appealing and welcoming place, but the truth is not so bright. Actually, the inner workings of the place are ruled by the power struggles between several factions of Magi.
The Clock Tower is currently under the control of a pseudo-aristocratic elite called the Lords. Each Lord holds great political power within the Association just by himself, and there is also those who associate themselves to other talented Magi or an important Magi lineage in a sponsor-sponsored relationship so to increase their influence.
Maybe due this elitist background, preconceived and discriminatory behavior is somewhat widespread inside Clock Tower. Rune and Witchcraft Thaumaturgy are not very popular in the main branch, the latter not being taught as an academia at all.
Admission of new members also involves exams to test one's knowledge of Magecraft, but it is possible to bypass this through letters of recommendation or if one is the successor of a distinct lineage of Magi.
And I, of course, have a letter of recommendation. I may not be the heir, but I am still a Magus from a long line of lineage. Fortunately, I also received an individual room in the dormitory.
The Clock Tower has three major factions: Barthomeloi - the Aristocrat faction, Trambelio - the Democracy faction, and Meluastea - the Neutral faction. My family, the Leiqritus, is a member of the Meluastea faction. I'm glad that I don't have to get too involved with the politics. Well, at least for now.
The city is divided based on faculty and department. The architecture varied depending on the district. The Mage's Association divided mysticism into 12 departments. In other words, this city reflected the specialties of each faculty.
The Twelve Faculties were ruled by the Twelve Lords. The majority of the Magi studied General Fundamentals and then enter the Faculty that is associated with the lineage.
Magi might also enroll in other Faculties as associates to help further his studies in his own Faculty. Also, there was great unity within each dormitory. If an outsider stepped into the college, it was not uncommon for interpersonal conflicts to evolve into inter-college wars.
This is a bit of a digression, but there is a distinction between what are called the big and small Lords of the Clock Tower. The big sense, referring to the Twelve Lords, probably doesn't need explaining anymore.
However, there was also the small sense, referred to as the Noble Lords, most of whom belonged to the Three Great Families. Of course, the second sense was an entirely unofficial one. My father Reinhard is in a sense, a Noble Lord.
The twelve departments of mysticism include: General Fundamentals, Individual Fundamentals, Spiritual Evocation, Mineralogy, Zoology, Anthropology, Botany, Celestial Body, Creation, Curse, Archaeology, and Modern Magecraft.
Although there is a thirteenth department, known as Policies, or the Faculty of Law. It was open to those who wish to pursue politics as it was a social science rather than a discipline in the pursue to mysticism. As a result, it was not included in the Twelve Faculties.
Luckily, I do not have to spend five years in the Department of General Fundamentals since I already learned the common magical knowledge, sympathetic Magecraft, contagious Magecraft, leyline studies, and Mana studies they taught.
Now, what do I choose? Hmhmhm~
...
"Good morning, Lady Iris." I set down my textbooks and gave the woman beside me my iconic smile. No, it's not the gentle smile I show Charlotte, but a friendly smile I have practiced for everyone else.
Her name is Iris Loei Animusphere, the current heiress of the Animusphere family and most likely the grandmother of Olga Marie Animusphere. What a coincidence, I got extremely lucky when I was chosen to sit next to her during our assignments.
It's college and you shouldn't be forced to sit in the same seat, you say? Well, go and ask the stubborn Magi. I heard that not all faculties are like the Celestial body department, some are stricter, and some are more lax.
I decided to enroll in the faculty of Animusphere because I am particularly interested in Astronomy. I'd like to know how I can apply the power of the stars and planets to my spells. Something like: "I am Fenric von Leiqritus, champion of justice! On behalf of the cosmos, I will right wrongs and triumph over evil, and that means you!"
No, don't take me seriously. But it'd be great if I can use the powers of the celestial bodies as a form of offensive Magecraft. Summoning meteors and calling down beams powered by the stars would be awesome.
I have also been attending the lessons of Astrology and Planetology during my free time. Screw Divinity though, I'm not going to learn about the gods and religions. Nope, definitely not for Fenric- Argh. Fine, I do have to learn about Divination if I want to further my progress with a new set of spells I'm developing... Haah.
It's been two months since I have started my college life in the Clock Tower, and I've got to say, this place is amazing. They teach you pretty much anything from the specialty you chose, and you can switch to another faculty when you are done with your current one.
As for the teachers and students, they are just like what you'd experience in a more famous and private university, albeit dangerous since any one of them can gut you at any moment.
The atmosphere here changes depending on the department and their faction. The ones involved with the Aristocratic faction are filled with solemness. The students there all seemed to have sticks up their ass.
The Democracy faction is more open, and they are quite friendly to people like me who is not from the Aristocratic faction. And lastly, the Neutral faction... To be honest, they are basically just a bunch of guys giving the vibe of 'I don't care, so please don't waste my time.'
The Animusphere is surprisingly a Neutral family. I've always believed that they are with the Aristocratic considering Olga Marie's attitude. Perhaps it was changed during her father's rule?
There is also a massive library. It's the same one Waver was in during the first episode of Fate/Zero. Books filled with Magecraft knowledge from all ages and category can be found in it. This heaven on earth is where I have spent most of my free time at.
The first thing I did was to find information on Memory Partition and Thought Acceleration. It took a whole day until I managed to dig up an old tome containing the knowledge on the both of them.
Was it was a lost book from the Atlas Academy? Well, it might not be seeing that the Three Great Branches weren't always far from each other. Atlas could have donated that to the Clock Tower a long time ago.
Memory Partition is the ability to partition one's thoughts to form multiple independent thought processes. While normal people can only have a single 'room' in their brain and focus on one thought, partitioning adds partitions to the one room to create multiple rooms.
As for Thought Acceleration... Well, it's in its name. It accelerates your thoughts. Simple yet helpful.
I have only formed another room with Memory Partition at the moment and it is processing the knowledge I have memorized from reading every book on Magecraft I can find within the library. To be honest, it feels like I am cheating. Sure, someone like Sion Eltnam Atlasia can manage seven partitions, but I have an eidetic memory.
I can simply scan through a book, and it'll forever be archived in my brain. Then while my primary self is paying attention to my everyday life, my other thought will be constantly operating and understanding the books I have read.
"Good morning to you too, Fenric." Iris' white hair swung to side as her orange pupils gazed at me mirthfully. I nodded at her and took my seat. A few minutes later, a professor who has a head full of grey hair stepped into the classroom.
What? Just because she's a Magus and the heiress of one of the Twelve Lords doesn't mean she can't be cheerful. Did you perhaps imagined Mages as inhumane creatures that hole themselves in their workshops everyday? It's not like that. Magi are also human, you know. It's only that their senses of value is distorted from the norm.
If you ask an ordinary person and a Mage: 'What is the value of a single life?' The ordinary person will probably tell you that a life is priceless. But the Mage will ask you for the identity of the life's owner... If they deemed that its even worth their time to answer the question, of course.
The person's history, appearance, education, wealth, etc. Are they also a Magus? If no, then they might say it's worthless while some might go deeper and analyze their true value as an ordinary human, or perhaps the quality if they were to be used as a human sacrifice in their experiments.
Magi are not emotionless. They are logical, and will be ruthless when necessary. So during their daily lives, they can be as happy and as mad as every other ordinary human out there... Though you might find some of their lunch break conversations hair-raising.
I am not particularly close with my seatmate. We are more like acquaintances. Greeting each other when we meet and have small talks during class, simple things like that. She'd ask me questions from time to time, and in exchange, I'd ask her questions that I can't find in the library.
I'd avoid advanced topics that we are not supposed to know yet, and went for the more uncommon ones that a heiress like her would know while not being puzzled by the unusual inquiry.
The clock steadily ticked by and soon the class was over. Seeing that the time's up, the second-class instructor quickly took his belongings and rushed out of the class.
"It's like he's avoiding us as if we are a plague." I picked up my textbooks and voiced out.
"Yes, he probably dislikes me. It's because of my father that he was not able to become a first-class instructor." Iris giggled... Did she just say something that scary while giggling? I take back my opinions on Magi, they are- "Just kidding. Don't be so stiff, Fenric. Well then, see you later!"
She retrieved her bag and stood up for the room's exit. "A joke, huh?" I sighed as I watched her receding figure. "I'm not sure that was a joke, Iris." I'm pretty sure the guy did have his promotion blocked by your father since he's a member of the Barthomeloi faction...
Hahaha.
I fucking hate politics.