A Brother's Concern

The Lunar Academy was built on the magical Forests of Elara, just outside the City of Lunaris. The Forests grow deeper and denser as it nears the northwestern reaches of the continent. It goes further below to encompass the mystical forest of Western Aerim. No one exactly knows when the Forests of Elara end and when the mystical forest begins, but it's not like it matters all that much. Both forests are mysterious in similar ways.

I mean, the Academy itself is surrounded by pink-leaved trees, but no one has ever even seen any pink-tinged forests in the continent before. Inwardly, I believed that we were already in a realm separate from the normal world.

Trumpets blared, announcing the arrival of the head professor. The old man sauntered into the hall from the central doors, opening it up without lifting a hand. He was wizened in age, and glowed brightly in his white robe and hair. His eyes were a icy, frozen blue. Students, both young and old, made way for the man, and the chatterings from before all dwindled down into silent whispers.

The head professor floated up onto the platform on the far middle of the wide hall, faced forward, and gazed at his awestruck audience with a unfocused stare. For a moment, I thought he had stopped his inspection as we met eyes, but it happened so fast that I doubted it had even happened.

"Di-Did he just look at us?" Joren asked in a harried whisper. I could only shrug while Albert tugged at the boy's sleeves to shut him up.

Then, the head professor finally opened his lips. "Often does the moon wane, and the flowers wilt, but as the silver light reaches full circle, tides are higher and greater, ready to decimate the very shores, wiping out all decay."

I had to take in his words as a few confused murmurs came from my other batchmates. Joren, in particular, had a very troubled expression. "Moon? Tides? What's the old man talkin' about? Has he gone senile?"

I was glad Albert had slapped him on the head first for I would have done it instead. The black-eyed boy muttered angrily, "Don't call the continent's best mage a-a senile person, you dolt. He meant that our generation will easily take over the older ones."

"Hah?" Joren simply stared at the boy openmouthedly.

"He means," I uttered out. "... that the younger group of people can become even better than the adults. It means we can transcend and become stronger."

"Ohh..." Joren said with a smile. "You could've just told me that, Al. I would've understood with no problem!"

Albert sighed in apparent exhaustion, and I turned my gaze back towards the old man, hiding my own chuckling. It was a surprise, however, to see the old man gazing at our group fondly. He then cleared his throat, and continued his speech, "For years, the Academy has gone through numerous names, countless head professors, and even more students, yet our goal remains the same."

He paused for a moment, and turned towards our left side, where the older students stood in various clusters. Immediately, as though it was all planned, the whole room started to synchronously recite, "Oobra-thama, Kiipayapa, Dakalaman."

I noted how Albert said the weird words under his breath, his eyes shining in excitement, and I also noted how Joren simply flinched in shock. I, too, was in a state in between those feelings. The words were foreign and quite weird, but I didn't feel any malice from them either.

'What do they mean?' I thought in wonder. I didn't have to wait long for an answer.

"Do what's right, keep the peace, and strengthen our knowledge," the head professor said solemnly. "Very few information has been made known about this ancient institution, but these are the only mandates that holds true and keeps our identity throughout the years. We do what is right. We ensure that peace remains in our world. And we continue to research and widen our scope of knowledge.

"To the students who have returned for another year, I invite you to keep hold these words deep inside your heart," he continued, and then looked at our smaller group. "And to the new arrivals, our fresh, new blood, I welcome you. The Lunar Academy for Special Mages isn't an easy school to enter, so I salute all of you for braving the tests. But keep mind these words: Oobra-thama, Kiipayapa, Dakalaman. Remember these words like your own name, and by then, you will be called true students of this school."

For a moment, we were speechless. There was a certain majestic element to the old man's words. He stood tall despite his obvious taller age, and his eyes, although seemingly unfocused, looked as though he saw all there is to see. I found myself gaping at him in awe.

"That is all, dear students," he finished. "Let this school year be bountiful as well!"

Without missing a beat, trumpets blared out yet again, even though I couldn't see who made the sound. Music surrounded the hall and paper planes started to zip around as though they were wild animals suddenly let loose. In the sudden chaos, I turned back to look for the head professor, only to find that he had disappeared. The older students didn't seem to mind, and a party-like atmosphere filled the hall yet again. This time, though, the clusters broke apart, and some of the older students even came to our side, introducing themselves and welcoming us all.

A dark skinned girl came to my vision, but I had to remind myself that it wasn't who I thought it would be. That would be too much of a coincidence... Besides, when I looked for her again, she was already gone.

"Hey!" a girl's voice called out to our group. We looked back to find a certain, two-pigtailed girl. I remembered her as the girl who had called us over from her carriage when we were lined up outside the city gates. She was grinning at us widely. "So, you passed! We all have our tokens!"

I began to smile as well, glad to see the girl again. "We only managed to see your examination from a distance away, although I'm sure you did well based on the crowd's maddening cheers. I guess we all did good by managing to pass."

She snorted. "Oh, I dare say that both of you passed quite with flying colors, and more! What was up with that flying magic? Or was that only elemental magic? If so, you guys are really good!"

Joren blushed a little after recognizing the noble girl with the brown pigtails. "Oh, ya're that girl on that carriage! The talkative one."

She pouted at his comment. "I'm not that talkative. My name's Kendra! Kendra of House Braun."

"Braun?" I muttered out unconsciously.

She smiled at me. "Well, we're a pretty new noble family, so I wouldn't be too surprised if you don't know of us. Just got granted our title a year ago."

"Oh!" I let out a small sound. I remembered that there was indeed a surge of noble families after merchant families came into power. It was a strategy the Crown used in my past life's younger years: to bring in the merchant families into the nobility rank, so that the hierarchy would remain in power. Problem was, it wasn't exactly effective. In fact, it only caused more complications in the future. Although I did write that down in my letter to the second prince, I do wonder what my brother planned to do with that knowledge...

Almost like I had called him with magic, Prince Clement soon arrived by our sides, a serene and polite smile on his face. All four of us, including the new noble Kendra, bowed as he approached. "Please, be at ease. From now on, I would only ask that you treat me as a classmate rather than anything else," my brother said.

I immediately straightened up with a smile, although the others moved slowly due to confusion. This was probably the first time they've ever been in the presence of high royalty, as young as they were. I, though, was already quite used to these royals themselves, and more often than not, they get maddeningly angry or bored when they see their peers cowering before them. So, I took the initiative to speak, "Your Highness, Second Prince, may I address you as Prince Clement?"

My brother smiled, his azure eyes twinkling. "Of course, Eleftheri-on. I would not even mind you calling me by Clement alone, but alas, that would be quite inappropriate in our society, wouldn't it?"

He winked at me, and I was now fully sure that he had really recognized me. Keeping my smile just the normal size, I bowed my head shortly and said, "Thank you most graciously, Prince Clement."

I had to control myself or I would just jump on him and hug him tightly. I've never realized how much I've missed him until now!

"Ah! Then, please, if you would allow me, too, to call you by your name and title?" Albert flustered out with a shaking demeanor. I fought to keep my laughter back.

"Me too, Prince Clement!" Joren shouted, and then blushed in embarrassment. "Ah, but I already called you that..."

"M-Me too, please, dear prince," Kendra mumbled at the side, unexpectedly looking quite bashfully at the young man.

Prince Clement first looked at the scene with surprised eyes, but then immediately mellowed into laughter. He had probably seen the innocence in my companions' words, surprised that they all just wanted to befriend him and not make use of him.

I was a pretty good judge in character, and I knew with full certainty that Albert and Joren were good and honest people, and even I had good impressions on the new girl, Kendra. I watched with a satisfied smile as my brother greeted each of them with his polite tone. Looking at him like this, talking with his peers like a normal child...

I wished that he would get a good glimpse of the freedom I had tasted from Malaya in his stay here in the Lunar Academy. I perfectly knew how busy his real life could be, and I also knew that him being here wasn't merely for education at all. But, even so, I couldn't help but wish for my brother's happiness.

No matter what his reasons are for choosing to go to school here, no matter how politically laden all his moves were, I vowed that I would help make it a wonderful experience for him.

Grinning, I draped my hand across Joren's shoulder and placed a soft hand on my brother's. He looked at me with slightly raised brows. "Well, now that we all know each other, let's go find food."

I brought them towards the sides of the hall, where I had gotten a glimpse of food from before, arranged in a buffet style. Joren immediately found the plates and had began to scour for meat. I laughed at him as he started to bite at a chicken leg with relish. I, too, began to fill my plate. Buffet style dinners were hardly used by nobility, as balls and dinners were usually held in separate halls, but in this school, it seemed like there were hardly any traditions and customs. People were holding onto their plates and eating while walking around. A few were sitting down properly on long tables that filled up the center of the hall. Others weren't even eating and only stood around or danced around. The chaotic feel of the place reminded me dearly of Malaya, and I suddenly longed for the floating Isle.

Unconsciously, I had held up a spoon to my mouth, ready to take in some kind of mystery meat that still looked delicious. However, I was suddenly stopped by a hand. Prince Clement was standing beside me without a plate on his hands. He was looking at me worriedly and then whispered something to his attendant. The silent man immediately nodded an affirmation and stepped away like a shadow. I looked at the prince in confusion, and he whispered down at me, maintaining his normal expression, "I'll have the food tested first. You shouldn't eat it yet."

I simply stared up at him in mild surprise. 'Doesn't he know I'm not bound by those stupid rules anymore? Who would try to poison me anyway?'

Seeing the worry behind his calm façade, I laughed it off. "It's fine, Prince Clement," I whispered back. "I mean, why worry about a commoner, anyway?"

He flinched. Then, he whispered back with a slight glare, "You aren't a commoner, Eleftherion. Now do as I say."

My face paled, and then blushed in anger. Just to spite him, I bit into my mystery meat, right before his attendant had returned with a plate of food, saying, "Your Highness, the meal is clean."

I grinned up at my brother, smiling as I took another bite with my bare hands. "It's delicious, Prince Clement. Why aren't you eating?"

He glared down at me for a while before sighing in defeat. I watched as he began to walk towards the tables, his straight-faced attendant following right behind him. He then whispered to me behind his shoulder, "At least eat at the table."

I saw his troubled look, and I knew he only meant well, so I replied, "Then, I'll take you on your offer, Prince Clement."

He smiled before walking away, his secret attendants following after him from the sides. I knew our hushed conversation was heard by many ears, but I also knew that there wasn't anything particularly off about it, although it did seem weird to have a prince become so concerned about a noble-turned-commoner. Maybe the gossipers would make some sort of story, that my family was once a close friend to the royal house, or something? I'd trust my brother would make something up along the way, so I didn't worry too much. After all, I was just a simple commoner boy.

I found Albert and Joren a few moments later and herded them towards the table. I inwardly laughed as they began to act awkwardly after they learned we would be dining with the prince. I simply adored how different Albert was from my brother, even though they held the same princely titles and ranks.

For a long moment, I simply enjoyed my time with my new friends. I exchanged a few pleasant small talk with my brother, in the guise that I was only a concerned citizen who had been away from the Kingdom for too long. And so, the night passed by uneventfully but quite memorably, and it lasted long after the midnight bells had struck.