93-94

The night after that annoying banquet was…

Interesting.

Each woman had expressed her desire to have me, so Jahi came up with a…

Solution.

I was bound again and carried to each girls room like an offering, and once they were finished with me they allowed the next to take me to their room.

Suffice to say, the next day was one that started off feeling incredibly sore, incredibly happy, and sufficiently filled.

Nothing a little water magic couldn't fix…

After that, I made us a quick breakfast before setting out for the Academy, where Vice-Headmaster Bijilo taught us more about the fundamentals of magic, mana, and where it comes from.

However, when we entered Professor Xiant's lecture hall, I was pleasantly surprised to see that the lesson for today was actually interesting for once…

It was on the Labyrinthian, that mysterious, gigantic landmass in the center of this already large continent.

The Empire was on the north western border of the Labyrinthian, which is why the Asmodia's were so valued; March Asmodia was on the Empire's south eastern section, directly along a good portion of the Labyrinthian.

However, there was little about the Labyrinthian inside the Asmodia Library, or at least the sections I was allowed to peruse.

That stayed true for most public libraries; you could find basic information there, like how it was the largest spawning ground of monsters in the world, how it was a gigantic, naturally formed stone maze that sprawled over land twice the size of our Empire, which was already on the larger side of the various Kingdoms and Empires of the world.

From what I had read, the Empire was a gigantic 7.5 million square feet, which was just under double the size of Europe, and around two thirds the size of Africa.

Giant.

Now imagine two of those put together, and you have an insane area filled to the brim with long stone corridors, giant stone walls, and monsters as far as the eye could see…

Honestly, it was pure nightmare fuel, since the monsters inside were also much, much stronger than those out here.

In fact, the ones inside Zhu-Rong Cavern's deepest pit, namely the Drakes, Wyverns, Lava Giants, and more were barely the top of the weaker monsters inside the Labyrinthian.

That's how insanely powerful and deadly the Labyrinthian can be.

So, as I sat down at my desk, I stared at the board with interest, wondering what the Academy would teach us compared to the books available to the public.

Leone plopped into her seat beside me, her face paler than normal as she gave me a quick glance.

Raising a brow at her, I held in a chuckle as she grew flustered, likely recalling how long she had 'kept' me last night.

As for Jahi and Anput, the two women were already almost dozing off, only to jump awake as my foot collided with their chairs.

Both turned to glare at me, only to turn back to stare at the board as Professor Xiant let out a cough.

"Alright, today we'll be touching on the Labyrinthian. As you are all likely aware, the monsters we can find around us inside the Empire all originated from the Labyrinthian.

Drakes and Wyverns are the diluted versions of the Hydras that call the Labyrinthian home.

The Labyrinthian is, like it's name would suggest, a giant labyrinth, all naturally made. The stone walls and paths inside the Labyrinthian's borders are all older than anything we've ever seen in this world.

The first and only Time Magician, Saturna Vera, even appraised the outermost walls of the Labyrinthian millennia ago and deduced that they were eons old. Far older than even the beginning of us Mortals walking this earth.

Besides its age, it also holds an untold amount of natural treasures, like various immeasurably powerful ores and alchemical materials, large chunks of mana crystals, and so much more.

Now, for today we'll discuss the outer regions of the Labyrinthian; what you need to enter the Labyrinthian, what you'll encounter, and what rewards might be laying around for you to grab."

Tapping the chalkboard behind him, Professor Xiant said "Whenever a group of people officially enters the Labyrinthian via the Guild, from a decree from the Royal Family, or when sponsored by two Noble Families of Count rank and above, they are called Exploration Teams.

The standard makeup of such a team is a Support, a Damage Dealer, a Defender, a Mage, a Tracker, and a Scout.

Now, some roles can be combined; Support and Mage is common to be found in one person, as well as Tracker and Scout.

These roles are self explanatory, and if you need me to explain it to you, please just leave this class; you're taking up a spot for someone who deserves it.

Anyways, the outer most ring of the Labyrinthian is filled with monsters such as Ogres, Elemental Tortugas, Lamians, and more.

Low level monsters here, like Goblins or Ghouls, do occasionally make an appearance inside the Outer Ring, however it is only as what we call an Outbreak of those monsters.

Hundreds will appear at a time during an Outbreak, and should they manage to make it to the exits of the Labyrinthian, they will flood out into the wider world.

Back before the Empire was truly founded, these Outbreaks were the reasons for the tribes to migrate so often; you couldn't create permanent settlements when hundreds, if not thousands of Goblins were roaming the countryside."

Scribbling something onto the board, Professor Xiant tapped it as he continued.

"Now, again, the Labyrinthian is a labyrinth; the walls and corridors form a maze that can lead to dead ends, other exits, or deeper into the labyrinth. This is where a Tracker and Scout are absolutely needed to enter the Labyrinthian; those who are trained in tracking and observation can lead a group not deeper into the perilous Labyrinth, but out of it. Without someone who knows how to follow tracks, you could join the thousands of dead trapped inside those walls.

This is why the Empress has set up Outposts outside every known entrance; to check and clear any Exploration Teams that wish to enter for a Tracker and or Scout. We simply can't afford to allow people inside if they have no chance of returning."

Turning back to the board, Professor Xiant wrote another word, saying "however, the Labyrinthian is still a mystery. It has more mana in the air than any other location known to us, and for some odd reason, it is capable of opening doorways to itself around the world, called Gates.

Gates are similar to teleportation ritual circles, except they can appear anywhere, at anytime. Even in areas that have heavy anti-magic ritual circles; the most notable one in history was the Gate that appeared in the Empress' Throne Room a few decades back.

Now, should a Gate ever appear before you, make sure to inform the proper authorities of the area and DO NOT attempt to enter it. They can drop you into ANY part of the Labyrinthian, and should you be alone, well…"

He drew his finger across his throat, making a few students shiver.

Chuckling, he stared over us and added "Gates appear once every year inside the Empire, so the likelihood of you ever encountering one randomly is low. They remain open for different lengths of time; the shortest was open for just an hour, and the longest was open for a year.

The reason I tell you to inform the proper authorities as soon as possible is because, unlike a Teleportation Circle, which connects point a to point b, but not b to a, a Gate goes both ways, meaning monsters can use them as well.

That Gate that was open a year? That caused the Vineatian House to crumble completely, as the monsters razed the land they owned, killed their populace, and killed the next heir. Gates are dangerous, and it doesn't just affect you; it affects us all."

Moving over to his chair, Professor Xiant plopped down and opened his textbook, saying "Now let's get some work done, hmm? Read pages-"

What followed was a lot of annoyed groans as Professor Xiant made us read a dozen pages and write him an essay on the Labyrinthian, before completing another quiz on all the things we had done prior to this lesson.

During the remainder of his class, I noticed that Jillian was glaring over at us whenever she got the chance, the Elf's face twisted with anger.

When we exited his lecture hall and made our way to our Combat Class, all four of us were watching Jillian as she stormed ahead, Jahi chuckling as she said "I bet she's a little pissed about yesterdays parting words, huh?"

Covering her lips, Leone nodded, adding "I think it's more than just a little. Though, we should be a little careful today… who knows what crazy thoughts are running through that deranged skull of hers…"

—

Might get one more out today, might not, we'll see.

—

Walking into the familiar cavern that housed our Combat Class, we moved off to the racks right away, since Liako had told us we were getting right into training today.

Our professors were standing in the center, and I glanced at Hawn, who wore a slight frown as he looked between Jillian and I.

I wanted to believe that maybe, just maybe the older Elf wasn't aware of the twisted, deranged woman that Jillian was, but considering how noble families tended to be, I was airing on the side of caution when dealing with him in the future.

Grabbing a wooden dagger, I stared at it and thought about the new one that the Countess had sent me.

𝐢𝖓𝓃𝒓𝒆𝒶𝙙.𝑐𝗼𝙢

It was a broad dagger, roughly half of my palm and a little longer than my forearm, and the weight was perfectly balanced just above the hilt.

I wanted to get some practice in before enchanting it, but I was excited to eventually learn some really awesome enchantments to inscribe on it.

Coming back to reality, I stood beside Jahi and the others as we waited for everyone to filter in and grab a practice blade.

Thorn was chuckling as he stared at everyone, while Liako wore her signature stoic expression.

The only one who was different was Hawn, as a small frown graced his elegant features.

Waiting beside the others, I heard Jahi whisper "Wonder what they want us to do today? Think we'll be blessed enough to get matched against Jillian?"

Anput smiled slightly, her ears twitching as she whispered back "If we do I'm breaking her nose. Last night pissed me off a bit."

Leone just giggled, but contrary to her warm expression her eyes were cold, more like embers than the normal fiery warmth.

I remained silent, but I had to agree with Anput; if we were lucky enough to match against her, I was willing to 'accidentally' give the deranged Elf a bloody nose…

Once everyone got their weapons, Thorn stepped forwards and said "Alright, listen up! So far you've all had one on one practice, which is nice and all, but the real world ain't a kind place. So today, we're doing group fights, and eventually, one versus two.

To start, pair up with someone, and wait for us three to pick your pairs. Choose whoever you want; weapon doesn't matter today."

Hearing that, Jahi and Anput grinned at one another, only to pout as Liako said "Lady Asmodia, Lady Sera; you two will be sitting this one out so everyone has a fair chance."

Sighing, the two battle junkies moved off to the side, sitting down against the wall as they prepared to watch the ensuing fights.

Glancing towards Jillian, I saw her frowning as she looked over the available people, only to sigh and approach one at random.

Leone and I stuck together, and while I knew that, in this group fight, she would be more of a liability than useful, I much preferred having her than someone random.

I also didn't want some idiot attempting to get close to her, and I reckon she was thinking the same thing.

Standing beside me, she sighed as she whispered "If I could use magic, this class would be much easier…"

Letting out a quiet snort, I said "If we could use magic, this class would serve no purpose; we both know that."

Nodding, she sighed again as she whined "Still, I hate up close fights; they simply don't do anything for me…"

Pursing my lips, I remained silent, however I could tell she knew I disagreed immensely with that, considering-

"Murderpuppy…"

Hearing her murmur that, I glanced over at her, only to narrow my eyes as she smirked, saying "I think it's rather cute, and it could definitely be worse. Bloodhound is right there you know."

"If any of you call me 'bloodhound', I will stab you."

Her melodic chuckle swam into my ears, but I still glared at her, only to turn back to the professors as Liako started speaking.

"Like Thorn said, we will be placing groups against one another, meaning you need to work together to fight and win against another team. How you do so is up to you; will you engage one on one? Or maybe have one member take the hits while the other tries to surprise your opponents? The choice is yours.

Now, each of us will be overseeing three fights, meaning twelve students per professor. If we don't call on you then you will move off to the side and wait until it is your turn. Understood? Good."

Each professor made their way towards the students, and Liako approached us first.

"Miss Zara, Lady Presa-Ash. You will be up first."

Leone and I nodded, and we moved to the designated area.

Sadly for us, Jillian was picked by her cousin, which meant we were fighting…

Standing across from us was a grinning white haired Dragonkin and a tall blonde maid; Draka and Poshka.

Giving Liako an amused look, I turned back to see Draka pursing her lips as she stared at Leone, saying "We're in the same boat huh? Terrible swordplay, incredible magic…"

Leone nodded, only to nod again as Draka asked "So wanna let those two go at it? Spar one another?"

Looking at Poshka, I tilted my head slightly as I stared at her, watching as the tall blonde chuckled, her expression relaxed.

"Then I guess we shall spar, hmm? Come; I'll tell you about Fresca while we exercise."

We moved off to the side and swiftly launched ourselves at one another, holding back as we talked.

She told me that Fresca was already getting slightly cranky every once in awhile, and she had started craving dark chocolate at random points in the day.

We talked for a while about the brunette maid, and eventually Liako had to come over and tell us to stop as we were 'evenly' matched the entire time.

As for Leone and Draka, the two were panting slightly as they sat against the wall, their bodies glistening with a thin sheen of sweat.

Noticing that, we both went to our Mistress' side and used magic to clean them off, much to their enjoyment.

Our next fight was a more interesting one, as Countess Aurim and Greselda stood opposite us.

Countess Aurim waited behind Greselda as the adventurer launched herself at us, swiftly pushing Leone away from me and keeping me from Leone.

Greselda had also managed to split her attention between Leone and me, using herself to keep Leone in between herself and Countess Aurim, forcing her to be wary of any attacks against her back.

I managed to overwhelm Greselda eventually, landing a well placed kick on the woman's midriff and making her skid away a few feet, only to grunt as her dagger slammed into my ribs moments later.

She charged at me, her hands empty.

What followed was a rather intense up close and personal brawl, as my dagger attempted to land on her muscled body, only for her to redirect my arm somewhere else, using my momentum against me.

Leone and Countess Aurim were almost evenly matched, but the Countess showed more experience in fighting as she managed to disarm Leone, making the Vampire forfeit.

Seeing her move to approach me, I let my dagger drop from my grasp, holding my hands in the air.

Just like that, Leone and I lost our match against the Countess and her friend, much to Jahi and Anput's amusement.

Rejoining them off on the side, Leone pouted as Jahi chuckled, her face slightly red as the Demoness whispered "Should I give you some more… 'lessons' on how to better handle your 'sword', Princess~?"

Anput joined in on the teasing, a smirk on her lips as she added "A more 'hands on lesson' would be best I think… but maybe you learn by being the target of the 'lesson', hmm~?"

Watching as the Vampire grew more flustered, I chuckled slightly before sitting beside them, watching the matches unfold.

—

So whenever I do these double upload days, the second chapter will always be shorter than normal, since I usually have other things I need to write, or games I want to play lol.

Anyways, I might keep this up for a bit, but who knows?

But yeah, I got y'all another chapter today, your welcome