chapter 11

James had travelled through the streets alone the next day. He had scheduled with his comrades to have them stay at the centre while he stays at the academy. He had decided not to have any retainers. The streets were calm as usual though he did see an unusual number of knights on the streets. It would have been a perfect setup for having him eliminated. He saw a lot of street vendors coming towards him as if to call him towards their business and also many of the knights stopping them. It seemed as if the knights were kind of making a path. James reached the academy without any further constraints. There was no resistance from anybody at the gates pf the academy as he had expected.

The first thing James did was to go to his room and check whether it was the same. Even though he was able to take any book from the academy library as the academy provided, it did not specify that it stopped the others from interfering the system. After all the academy was run by people. They could easily remove particular type of books and also make sure the cooks were not making proper food for the students.

He then went over to the corridor where he had last entered the office of the headmistress. The door seemed not to be there. He started checking around there. Not much time had passed when there appeared a door and the headmistress was visible in the room.

James entered the room and bowed before the headmistress. The headmistress indicated with her hand to have him seated. He sat on the chair on the other side of the desk. He observed that where the door was now wall, as of the door had vanished.

Yokino: The door is not present in a particular position of the school. The room keeps on changing the position as to ensure my safety.

James: What if anybody wishes to meet you?

Yokino: The wristband informs me and I decide whether or not to answer the call. I might as well as act as if I did not receive the signal and can have the people always waiting for me.

James: You actually make the royals wait!

James now had a profound respect for the lady in front of him. She was one of the few who talked in a proper manner without shouting kill all the men.

Yokino: No, they leave their servants through the hallway. Why did you search for me?

James: I killed the dragon. I just came to inform you.

Yokino looked as if it was nothing but daily business. She looked at James with mixture of contempt and sadness.

Yokino: A child of strength but shall die in the fight for glory. Yes, I know that you had killed the dragon. Did you know that you were supposed to take the help of the people under you? They did expect you to die in the mission and I did help them but that does not mean you're supposed to make it really easy for me.

James: It seems like you wanted me to survive and blame you for everything.

Yokino: No matter how strong you are, males shall always be hunted for glory.

Yokino's eyes were a slight shade of red as though she was crying. She looked as a weak child having had to face the trauma of seeing death of a near one.

James: I cannot simply lie and take all the strikes aimed at me, now can I?

Yokino pulled herself together and controlled herself. She seemed to be okay now. James did not care for the headmistress and did not pay much attention except to the fact that he just had to finfish the formalities and had to return to his room. He wanted to learn to use magic without the need of the spells and no book was going to help him. No mistress would be able to teach him. He had to do the same thing he had done during he had developed himself after his mother had passed away. Self-reflection. Basically, to conduct research form within and understand it. Just as it is said that the person who carries a sword on his hand all the time would be able to use the sword properly, he had to do the magic continuously. It was not something that could be done in a day or two. It would take him a little more than a month to learn it and a lifetime to master it. He wanted it so badly.

James collected himself from the flow of thoughts and looked around him. It was as if he was bewitched. He looked at the pouch that was placed in front of him.

Yokino: Twenty gold coins. The price for having slain a dragon.

James: I had to pay that much for a hairpin!

Yokino: That might be a real blunder.

James: I am speaking the truth.

Yokino looked at him and noting the serious tone decided that he was a fool for having paid that much for a hairpin.

Yokino: Usually the spoils are divided into four quarters and you are supposed to receive one of the parts. One is supposed for your family matron, one for the academy and one for the queen. But as it happens that there was not a corpse where the hunt was conducted, it is impossible for such a thing to happen.

James: And I am supposed to believe you without any proof.

Yokino: You do not have any power to question. The truth is what I decide it to be.

James: Fine. I am okay with it. I would like to leave now.

Yokino: I would like you to meet somebody.

From the side to the headmistress a door appeared and beautiful lady appeared. She sat down next to the headmistress and looked at James from head to toe. After a few seconds she spoke.

Eleanor: I am Eleanor Senviness, the second princess of the state, the next in line to the throne.

James did not stand or bow to the newly arrived. He sat there and slightly tilted his head and as in show of respect. To his astonishment, the princess bowed her head too in respect.

James: I suppose the first princess is now the current queen.

Eleanor: Yes, though she is a hundred and sixty years old.

James: The magic of longevity. So, you must be nearly of the same age.

Eleanor smiled a charming smile and spoke.

Eleanor: No, I had elders but they died and hence I was able to attain the title of the second princess, heir to the throne.

James: nice to hear so.

Eleanor: I have heard that Ruby approached you. My secret sources said that you had denied being in servitude with her.

James: If it is pass judgement the holy family wants, I have nothing more to speak of.

Eleanor: Speak properly child. Had it been in the presence of any knight you would have lost your tongue.

James stood and bowed to her and sat again.

Eleanor: I had gotten this information from the new knight of hers. She is my spy. Not only do I have to attain a title, I have to make sure I am able to keep it for a long time.

James: So?

Eleanor: It was my knights that secretly protected you from the attach of Ruby. You might have survived it but not without having had to go to the gaol and back.

James: Thank you my lady.

Eleanor: What if we have a better agreement. Different families support the queen though the military families are a bit untrue to the cause of internal affairs. Why don't you join me in an alliance? You can help me attain the crown and I will make you a one-star knight. You can even become a general not that you are not one now.

James: It is treason that we are speaking.

Eleanor: This meeting never occurred to the outside world.

James: What if you betray me after you achieve what you wanted?

Eleanor: I cannot turn back after this. Just play neutral now. Join me or not, be my friend.

James: Sure.

Eleanor rose and looked at James. She did like men being powerful as long as they were beneath her.

Eleanor: I would like to meet you in the annual royal meet. See you then. You can leave now.

James stood and left the room. He knew that he had escaped unscathed from the mouths of a serpent due to utter luck. He wanted to be ready completely.

Two months had passed since the last date with the headmistress. James had mastered the art of controlling the magic with sheer will. He had thus also developed multiple new spells that had not existed. He now was able to do many things he was not able to in the past just by analysing the situation and thinking in the logic of magic.

The thoughts of the friend he had made on a lonely day returned to him. Now having had developed the field he wanted to be a master in, he was nearly busy even with the thoughts. Being free he looked at the window, which could be easily opened by sheer force. He magically empowered the exits and made the room fireproof.

He called the name Agni in his mind. He called it again and then again. After some time there appeared a small spark of fire in front of him and there appeared Agni in front of him. She had appeared now less benevolently as though she was being controlled.

Agni: Have to control myself when I move into close quarters. Greetings master.

James: Greetings Agni. How is the construction of the castle going on?

Agni: It was over a long time ago. It is even well fortified.

James: Why didn't you tell me. And how were you able to create a castle in such short a time.

Agni: You did not ask me to tell you when it was over and well, I am supposed to be a being of magic. Why don't we go to the castle?

James: I don't think so. I will get there when the time is right. Now it doesn't seem to be such a time.

Agni: As you say so.

James: I think you should go to the castle.

Agni: When are you going to wage war against this country?

James: Not until it is necessary.

Agni: Are you going to summon another elemental? Let me tell you a secret. A demon summoning infused with the summoning of the shadow elemental can help you attain a servant that is both flesh and magic. A true servant as you would have it.

James: True, but I am not interested in summoning anything now. I am going to be spending some time with these people learning more stuff.

Agni: I thought you were interested in being a dark lord.

James: Yes, a dark lord that is alive for a long period of time. I don't want to be dead the moment I become one. I want to know the power of the beings I am going to face in battle.

Agni: Okay, At least let me stay with you. Do you know how boring it is to be in a castle alone?

James: How about a few more years. I cannot have a new retainer without showing the source of where she came from.

Agni: I can be inside your head.

James sighed a sigh of being tired. He knew having someone in his mind is something he wanted to happen.

James: I am sorry Agni.

Agni was furious with James but having worked with humans before she knew that he will change later. She bowed before him and went into the air and vanished. James looked at where Agni was standing before and sat on his bed. He rested for a few minutes by laying down on the be.

Time had passed uncertainly for James. He had woken up from his rest. He had entered the shadow realm and it was really hard to navigate through there. He now was back in his body. He got out of his room and went forth to take a book. He found the book names "Demon: What are they made of" and brought it back in his hands. He had read the first few paragraphs of the book when there came a knock on the door. He arranged everything and answered the door to see a knight dressed completely in blue standing before him. He knew from the dress that they were the knights in servitude of the academy.

He was given a letter which he read that had contained the message of asking him to be on the first floor near the staircase, as was signed by the headmistress. He had gotten ready and had left for the first floor.

There he saw three ladies and their respective knights waiting at the same place. He reached there and stood at a respectful distance away from the ladies. He saw that the one at the centre was Ruby. One of the knights of the either of the other ladies came forward and looked James in the eye.

Knight: What are you doing here ser?

James looked at the knight and the coat she had been wearing. It was clearly visible the knight was weak though she had been guarding a powerful person.

James: I am going to take a hunch and say it's none of your business.

The knight removed his sword form its sheath and pressed forward with it. James produced a boundary of fire as a warning with just a thought. The others looked at him serenely. Ruby said calmly.

Ruby: Leave him alone ser. He is not worth fighting to.

The knight sheathed her sword and stood besides her lady. James pulled in the flames and the layer vanished. They waited for some more time without talking to anyone. After some time, a new door appeared and Yokino was visible at the other side. The ladies entered the room and the knights were not allowed to enter the room, except James. The three lades stood as one over to one side and James at the other side.

Yokino looked at the unravelling situation and laughed at the mystery of fate and the circle of life. They were supposed to meet again and again until one kills the other. A bloody war.

Yokino: A new assignment has come. It a sea serpent and you shall go to the south as a team and kill the serpent. Its length is predicted to be of fifty meters and it's said to have a width of three meters. The mission was first given to second tier students and they had failed the mission. Now you shall have the assignment. If you fail the military will have to intervene. You are not supposed to have any help while completing the task. You only fail when you die and you are not allowed to quit. You four shall work as a team. Any questions.

Ruby: Am I supposed to work with this man?

Yokino: Yes. Any other questions. Good. James these are Stella Arachne and Natalie Michane. They are wizards. Stella and Natalie, this is James Rookwood, a to be general of the army.

To give to their credit, none of the wizards present there showed any signs of having heard the voice. They stood there without even moving their head to look upon James.

Yokino: You shall leave right now. There is no time to spare. Now get out of my office.

James had gone directly to the stable without waiting for anyone. There he had found his horse and gotten on it. He was waiting for the other three when he saw them arriving in a chariot. They did not wait for him and continued movies. He followed them silently, as no matter what, he would be the one to be blamed. He did note the number of knights that had surrounded the carriage. It did not take them much time before they had arrived at the docks.

He got down from his horse and walked towards the ladies. Seeing him Stella passed a comment and the others laughed hearing it. He got towards them and asked.

James: Where is the sea serpent supposed to be?

Natalie: We do not know peasant boy. You are the one who is supposed to have grown up in the F block.

James did not like the comment given by the lady and walked away from them. He began walking for a few distance whence he saw a stall of one of his favourite delicacies which he had had when he was a child. He had stopped having it ever since the death of his mother. He looked at the beautiful fishes grilled on a stick and paid for in copper and brought a few of those. He ate them heartily and was satisfied with it.

He turned around to see that the other supposedly members already had a boat ready and had begun traveling. He remembered that the last time he was able to locate the dragon was because Agni was able to feel the presence of a beast of fire. He was pretty sure there was no way he would be able to pull that trick once again. He looked at the wristband and noted the map. Navigation in the sea was much easier as it showed the dots of where he was and where the monster was. It even showed where his comrades were.

He looked at the shopkeeper who was a man and asked.

James: Do you know of any ships nearby?

Shopkeeper: Why do you want a ship?

James: I am one of the few who had come to kill the sea serpent.

Shopkeeper: Wouldn't a boat be of much better use.

James: Where will I find a boat then?

Shopkeeper: You can choose any of the boat from there. They had been abandoned since the arrival of the sea serpent and no one will mind you taking one.

James thought about the implications of having to choose an abandoned boat. There were chance that such a boat would be damaged and he could even be arrested if the boat happened to be owned. He looked at the shopkeeper and asked.

James: How much do you think this horse is worth?

Shopkeeper: Three silver max.

James: I will give you ten silvers if you keep the horse until I return.

James took a gold coin and showed it as a way of showing his credibility. He then handed the reigns of the horse to the shopkeeper and walked towards the boat. He looked and many boats and almost all of them seemed to be deceased. He finally found a well to support boat and used his magic to repair it to a maximum possibility. He then got in the boat, threw the boat into the water. The boat had fall upside down and he thought he would need to get a new bought.

He used the powers to control the water and turned the water upside down. He controlled the wind and slowly descended himself to the boat. He then controlled the water to push the boat forward. Slowly, the speed of the boat started increasing. James looked at the wristband to find that his comrades had already engaged with the serpent.

After some time, James reached where the battle was going on. Stella was firing a lot of fire spells while Natalie was striking with lightning after a few intervals. Ruby seemed to be praying and she was able to do nothing. James approached his boat near the bigger yacht and enter the yacht.

Stella: Do something Ruby.

Ruby: I am trying. The latent power of the crown takes time to word.

Natalie: If you can give me some time, I can summon a thunderstorm.

The sea serpent with its tail attached the person on the top, Natalie. James jumped high and blocked the serpent with his bare arms. He was thrown backwards but due to keeping balance on the yacht, he retained standing on the yacht while the yacht was pushed further away with terrible speed. James sensed the magical aura around the yacht stopping it from flipping aside.

He could see the serpent approaching on the surface of the water. The moment it had its head out a little further away from the yacht, James summoned the firestorm he had in him. The sky turned red and a tornado of fire was at the base of the hand of James' which he had pointed to the sky. He released the whirling fire and it landed on the snake and snake was sucked into it. Later a whirlpool was formed and the water began enveloping the fire tornado and the fire was consumed. There appeared a really big snake with its skin and a lot of muscles burned.

James pulled out the sword from his extradimensional space and used the air to make him levitate. He balanced on the air and rushed forwards towards the snake. The snake opened its mouth to swallow the oncoming target but James twisted in mid-air and cut the side of the mouth of the snake. He landed on the water and fell into the sea. The serpents body began entangling him and he began to strive to reach out for more air. There was a lighting strike on the snake and the hold on James was released. James willed the water to elevate him and he laned back on the yacht to see three surprised ladies and covering knights behind the door.

He looked at the sea serpent to see it muscles regaining and the scales re-growing. Supreme regeneration. The serpent looked at them and went away turning back. James looked at the approaching princess who came to him and smacked his face. He was surprised that he failed to react at all. Stella and Natalie came rushing towards him. He readied him arms in a combat position but they both bowed to him.

Stella: Thank you ser for intervening and saving our lives.

Ruby rose in fury and slapped Stella in the face. Natalie caught the wrists of Ruby and slapped the face of Ruby.

Natalie: Without him we would all have died. Remember that the serpent is not dead. We need his help.

Ruby: Did you forget the holy oath of the lady?

Natalie: No, but we have to accept his potential, even if we hate him.

Natalie looked at James and extended her hands. James accepted the handshake.

Natalie: I would like to formally request you on board of this ship. We have a lot of rooms. And let also discuss battle tactics later.

James bowed his head in respect.

James: I would like to thank you for the hospitality. I hope we can discuss the tactics before the sea creature is ready to attack.

Stella: It will take at least two days before the beast attacks. Even though its body would have regenerated, its man will still be less.

Ruby understood the gravity of the situation. She looked at James and bowed.

Ruby: I humbly apologise for my behaviour. Captain, change the mode of the boat to ship mode.

The small yacht became really big. Different sections started unfolding until it became a proper ship. He went inside to see a lot of crew the size of the market. The ship was as big as a fortress now.

James was showed to his cabin by one of the knights as per the request of Lady Natalie Michane. The cabin was of proper size with well furnished items as per his requirements which was not what he expected, being a male.

He pulled out the book about demon and continued reading it.