2-5 Mage’s Hall

Stahlia Ten Years Old, Second Month of 947

I followed Gustav out of the headmaster’s office, with Rowell following behind me a few steps back. As we walked, Gustav thankfully did not pester me with more questions about my math, though I knew I would have to come up with something quickly. He led me out of the central building and towards the eastern side of the Academy grounds, where the Mage’s Hall was located. The mages hall was a tall building shaped like a six-pointed star. Each point was dedicated towards its own school of magic, while the center hexagon was used as a practice area for applied magic as well as having administrative facilities on the upper floors.

We cut around to one of the points and he let me into the building through a door at the very tip. While from the outside each point looked uniform to the others, once I got inside the atmosphere changed. The point we had entered was likely the one dedicated towards red magic, as the interior color scheme was red. The carpet, wall décor, furniture, everything was some shade of red. It was to the point of being garish and hurt my eyes. Gustav seemed to notice me squinting as the color assaulted my vision and chuckled with a wry smile.

“Welcome Stahlia, to the Red Wing. Kell wanted to incorporate open flames into the décor, but the other professors complained about the smoke, so he had to settle for a simple color scheme instead. This is where Red Magic is studied and taught. Since you’ve been enrolled in the fourth-year classes your classes will be on the second floor. That being said, are you actually capable of using Red Magic already? Bear in mind that we teach magic via chanting here; skills and talents will not qualify you for lessons, even as a Special Student.”

Apparently, my tutoring results from back in Ris hadn’t been spread. What a failure of the kingdom’s information departments. Mages are so highly regulated in this country, and yet my tutor didn’t report my successes? And Percius seemed so well informed about me as well… I nodded. “Yes, I have learned the chants for all of the basic Red Magic Spells through a tutor in my home village, I actually acquired a Fire Magic Talent by using the chants, though it only lets me cast Ignition at the moment.” Gustav got an excited gleam in his eyes again; he really was easy to predict.

“And you have enrolled in all schools of magic? Did your tutor neglect to explain affinity to you?”

I shook my head no. “He did explain them, and even tested mine; I have no affinity to speak of, I am equally compatible with all schools of magic.” Gustav stopped walking, his eyes were starting to bug out of his head now, and I could swear I saw him salivating. I reflexively stepped back.

“I-I must say… if that is true… Mathematics, Alchemy, Magic, you are incredibly gifted. If you do not mind… I would like to run the affinity test here once as well, just to ensure there was no mistake. You have so many talents, I would hate to think of you wasting time because of the wrong information.”

As much as I wanted nothing to do with that suggestion, I could only imagine he wouldn’t let me escape so I mournfully agreed. Gustav led me quickly through the halls of the Red Wing and into the central area. The first floor was a massive open space, made entirely out of Mythril. Presumably, this is where practical lessons would be conducted, the Mythril would prevent damage to the building due to its innate resistance to magic. Though it pales in comparison to the two levels of the city itself made from Mythril, this room must have cost an exorbitant amount in its own right. The silver sheen is pretty though… We ascended to the second floor where the administrative offices were located, and Gustav led me to a room with his name on the door.

“Wait here Stahlia, I will fetch the necessary equipment and be back shortly.” With that said, Gustav spun on his heel and practically raced out of the room. I looked around his office, surprisingly, due to his brusque personality, the room was very tidy. I had imagined his space would be strewn with papers and failed experiments. I selected a seat for myself and sat, waiting for his return.

Gustav returned after about half an hour, carrying a box and accompanied by another man. Unlike Gustav, who was dressed the part of a Noble, this man was clearly a mage of some variety. He was wearing a long red robe complete with a pointy hat. “Stahlia, this is Kell. He teaches the classes in Red Magic. When I told him you were here, he insisted on observing the attribute test; He is skeptical you would be able to learn Red Magic at your age and still be capable of learning others.” I glanced at the aforementioned Kell. Incapable of learning…? It’s not like having one element makes its opposite impossible to learn though… I had a feeling Kell was looking down on me for some reason, or perhaps he simply didn’t believe what he had been told about me, it was pretty outlandish, to put it mildly.

I stood and introduced myself to Kell. “It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance Sir Kell, I am Stahlia von Ris. I look forward to being in your care this year.” As Gustav did not introduce him with a title I could assume he was a commoner; however, due to his position as a teacher, he still outranked me. At least in the Academy anyways. Finishing my greeting with a curtsy, Kell looked me over once before nodding. He did not return the introduction. A difficult personality huh? Well, I suppose that just means he must have the skills to get away with it.

“Gustav, enough dithering. Administer the test so I can get back to my work.” Scratch that, he’s being outright rude. I glanced at Rowell to make see if he was going to do or say anything. Thankfully it seemed he had opted to let this affront slide; I wasn’t sure how strong Kell was, but Rowell was most likely a shadow making him just as strong as my Jacqueline.

“Now now Kell, I imagine she is going to surprise you. She certainly surprised everyone else she’s met today.” Kell rolled his eyes and shifted his weight onto his heels, crossing his arms, and shot Gustav a withering glare.

Gustav glared back but went about removing the equipment from the box. When I had been tested in Ris, I had been tasked with filling a specific crystal with mana. These crystals were cheap; technically they were the byproduct of refining magic stones. When grasped, it would suck out mana and change color according to your affinity. My crystal had remained the same color as before I grasped it. What Gustav removed from the box, was a small contraption.

It had a wide circular base, into which were set six magic stones. Each Magic Stone was colored one of the six colors of magic and was completely opaque. Rising out of the center of the base was a long rod, presumably a handle for me to grip. Setting the device in front of me, Gustav indicated for me to grasp the rod. Reaching out, I took it in my dominant hand. Nothing happened.

“Gustav, was this device supposed to do something?”

“Yes, when you send mana into the rod, the stones will glow if you have an affinity for that color of magic.” Ah, so unlike the crystal test, I have to actually send mana myself. Easy enough. I channeled some of my mana into the rod through my palm. Immediately, all six stones lit up and began emitting six bright lights in their respective colors. Gustav actually fist-pumped when this happened, and Kell uncrossed his arms while leaning forwards.

“Unbelievable…”

“I told you Kell, is she not completely outside the realm of common sense?” Kell was shocked, and Gustav was triumphant. Continuing, Gustav elaborated on what had just happened.

“See Stahlia, I suspected as much. Your tutor presumably administered a crystal test. Those are usually fine, but I was suspicious when you said you had no affinity. It should be impossible to acquire a magic talent without an affinity for that element. This tool is fairly rare; the only one in the Academy belongs to Kell, hence why I had to bring him along. The crystal test will only be effective if you lack an affinity since it changes colors to match the ones you do have. This device will simply display the presence of an affinity. In short, you do not have “no affinity” you have an affinity for all six colors.” Gustav was over the moon with himself, practically shaking from giddiness. Kell was less enthused.

“Gustav. Do not ignore the Orc in the room. She should not have been able to activate the tool in the first place. Doing so requires Blood Magic.” Blood Magic? Where have I heard that term before?

Gustav shrugged and nodded. “Yes, well I just assumed she probably could, after everything else I have seen today.”

“You just assumed?” Kell sighed and then addressed me. “Stahlia, what do you know about Blood Magic, and how long have you been able to use it?” Me? Using Blood Magic? All I did was move mana like when I use my physical enhancements… Right! Blood Magic, Jacqueline said that term once as well, back when I first told her about my enhancements! Jacqueline told me not to tell anyone I could do it, but I thought she just meant for me to keep it as a trump card, is it actually that special? Stil can use it now, and my understanding is that most adventurers can use physical enhancements…

“Um, well, I have been able to enhance myself with mana since I was… five, I think?” That was a lie, It’s been since I was two, but I get the feeling I shouldn’t say that…

Kell gave me a very stern look at that answer. “Who taught you?”

I gulped. “Is, is “Blood Magic” forbidden? I um, well I sort of taught myself…” Something about Kell’s demeanor was compelling me to answer more or less honestly. Gustav stepped in on my behalf.

“Come now Kell, can you not see? You are scaring her. No Stahlia, Blood Magic is not forbidden. You could think of it as the seventh color, it is just very very rare is all. I just assumed you could use it because most all prodigies throughout history could.” I see, so I was able to do it all the way back then because of my Prodigy skill. Like a hidden effect or something? I wonder if it has any more hidden effects? Or if any of my other skills have “Hidden Effects” Blessing of winter outright says it has one, though by virtue of saying it has one it may as well not be hidden… Then again, is it really an effect of prodigy?

Kell muttered something and rubbed his temples before speaking up again. “Whatever. Stahlia, Blood Magic is incredibly rare. Theoretically, anyone can learn it, but for most people, it takes years of training in other schools of magic before you can freely manipulate your own mana. In this Academy, Gustav and I are the only instructors who can use it. You are most assuredly the only student. I would recommend keeping this information to yourself so as to not spark the jealousy of High Nobles.” With that said, Kell collected his magic tool and swiftly made his departure.

Once he was gone, Gustav smiled. “Well, there you have it. Now, since we are already in my office, please, have a seat over here-” he indicated a chair in front of his desk “-and using this paper, do explain how you solved that question.” I grimaced, but with no alternative, I took my seat.

“Lord Gustav, what do you know about dimensions?”

Gustav frowned and tapped his forehead with his index finger. “Dimensions? You mean like space?” I nodded before continuing.

“Indeed. We inhabit three dimensions, possessing both Length, Width, and Depth. The question assumes this as well; at its core, it was asking for a solution of volume; a measurement of three-dimensional space. However, given the omitted information designed to make the question “impossible”, solving it as a volume using geometry was impossible. All I did was, rather than solving a single problem of three dimensions, I solved an infinite number of problems that occupied two dimensions.”

“Two dimensions? Infinite Problems? But the answer required an answer of the third dimension, the volume of the region targetable, and I fail to see how you had the time to solve that many problems unless you mean to tell me you can manipulate temporal magic as well.”

Wait, temporal magic? Is that a thing?! I’ll have to look into it later, it sounds really useful. I smiled. “Yes, but you can translate a two-dimensional region into three dimensions with a bit of logic; it really is fairly simple once you think about it.” He motioned for me to continue.

“I simply imagined all the possible angles the fireball could be shot in on a flat plane, then translated the plane into three dimensions by spinning it.” I used the paper he gave me to sketch three examples; namely, the knight firing the fireball slightly behind him, to his side, and slightly ahead. If he fires behind him, because the wyvern is flying forwards, the fireball will still be traveling forwards just much slower. Therefore, it will be carried into the part of the plane that it could have gotten to by being fired to the side. As such, we can ignore the scenario in which the knight fires behind him. This leaves us two situations; he fired ahead of him at an angle, or straight to the side.” Gustav furrowed his brow, it was clear that he understood what I was saying, but he wasn’t grasping how the two dimensions would translate into three.

Continuing on, I kept up my explanation. “Assuming he fires straight to the side, we can predict the interval the fireball will travel over the three seconds; like so.” I sketched three points onto the paper and then drew a line connecting them. “We can use these three points to find an algebraic formula that expresses the maximum distance the fireball can travel as it relates to the time traveled.”

I shaded in the region below the line and above the wyvern’s flight path. “Next, we need to determine another set of points, for if the fireball is fired ahead of him at an angle. This can be done by simply adding the speed of the wyvern to the speed and angle of the fireball, fractionally according to the angle it was fired at.” I sketched out three more points, one for fifteen degrees, forty-five degrees, and seventy-five degrees. “This was easy since fireballs do not suffer air resistance, or the effects of gravity, being magical phenomena, they simply burn mana to counteract those forces and then dissipate once their battery is exhausted. It would have been much harder if he shot an arrow or threw a spear.”

“Now we calculate a second algebraic equation for the line passing through these three points.” I shaded in the region for the second line. “On a two-dimensional plane, the fireball can wind up anywhere within the shaded region, do you agree?” Gustav nodded; I could see he was starting to realize what I had done. “The last step is to transform this two-dimensional plane into a three-dimensional space. Imagine if these lines, while preserving their slopes, were rotated around the line formed by the Wyvern’s flight. You would be left with two cones.” Gustav was now watching me very intently.

“And then you just find the volume of the cones. But how did you establish the radius?” I smiled at him.

“If you can imagine a cone as an infinite number of circles stacked on top of each other, each circle is slightly smaller than the one below it. If that is the case, then the Radius for any given circle would be the equation of the line. All you have to do is solve that equation an infinite number of times, once for each circle, and sum the results.” I drew the formula for the area of a circle, pi was a known quantity in this world, due to the math being somewhat advanced relative to the apparent time period. Substituting the line formula for the radius, I then performed an integral of the resulting equation and solved it for the relative regions.

“By transforming the equation like so, you can solve infinity with only one operation. I cannot explain why it works, I just know that it does. I must apologize for that.” Gustav followed along with what I was doing while stroking his chin deep in thought. After a moment, he jumped up and grabbed a piece of paper. Furiously sketching out numbers and equations, I blinked in surprise while watching him. After a half dozen minutes, he spun around, grabbed my hand, and exclaimed.

“Lady Stahlia, not only alchemy, but I feel like you may have revolutionized mathematics as well! This method of yours is easily ten, not twenty years ahead of the greatest scholars of our age. Not only does this work for cones, but by applying the same principles to other shapes, the necessary calculations for magic can be drastically reduced, not just magic, I imagine this would have applications in industry and economics as well!” I mean, yea, calculus would do that… ten to twenty years though? Algebra was developed in the ninth century, but Calculus took until the 17th back on earth… Honestly, it’s just surprising that calculus is where this world’s math stopped… the logical jump to go from two dimensions to three via rotation isn’t all that large… I know I’m going to regret this, but not explaining how I solved that problem would have been an even worse idea; I can’t afford to have the teachers suspicious of me cheating or something. I would rather deal with the fallout of my ballooning reputation than have to put up with my instructors constantly second-guessing me.

While he was shaking my hand, I suddenly heard a loud DING and had a series of notification windows display themselves.

“[Prodigy II] Experience has reached the required threshold. [Prodigy II] has leveled up. [Prodigy III] Acquired. As an effect of acquiring [Prodigy II], the Prodigy Roulette has been spun.”

“Acquired [Eidetic Memory I] as reward from Prodigy Roulette”

“Obsolete Talent [Memorization II] has merged with [Eidetic Memory I]. [Eidetic Memory I] has leveled up. [Eidetic Memory II] Acquired.”

Wait, this leveled-up Prodigy? I was less than halfway to Prodigy III! I spent so much time getting experience by making new alchemy recipes and techniques, and you’re telling me that simply introducing calculus was able to accomplish the same amount of experience in just a few hours?! I knew exactly what I had done as well, presumably because of Eidetic Memory, my memory was now crystal clear; even things that had started to fade over the past ten years, like my Earth Mother’s face, were now back in full clarity. I even had memories from my childhood on Earth restored in detail.

The sudden rush of memories caused me to groan and rub at my head. Gustav quickly let go of my hand, conveniently misinterpreting my distress. “My apologies Stahlia, it seems I have startled you. Still, this truly is remarkable, I cannot wait to see what else you will come up with during your time at the academy.” Glancing at the clock, he made note of the time. “Dear me, it seems we have spent far too much time in my office; we must hurry and finish your tour or the headmaster will be quite cross with me.” Thankfully, despite the fact that I was overwhelmed with the sudden restoration of old memories, Eidetic Memory was still working, and recording information in detail during my tour, so despite my dazed state, I was later able to review everything I had been shown.

According to my recollections, after leaving his office I was then rushed around the Mage Hall’s remaining wings and introduced to the various instructors for each school of magic. I was not shown the wing for Red Magic, as I had already met Professor Kell, though given how the only major difference between each wing seemed to be the scheme of the decorations, I could presume that it was very red, and likely had a lot of fountains. Professor Clarice was the White Magic instructor. She was a bookish woman, very slight, with wispy frazzled auburn hair, and an incredibly large pair of very thick-lensed glasses. She greeted me affably when Lord Gustav introduced me as one of this year’s Special Students and said she was looking forward to having me in her classes next year.

The White Wing reminded me a lot of the temple back in Ris Village, only a lot fancier. Indicative of the religious connotations of white magic in this world, a large statue of the goddess of light dominated the center of the main foyer, and statues of the twelve gods were arrayed around it. It was a bit confusing since White Magic was distinct from Miracles; as far as I was aware, you didn’t need to hold strong beliefs to cast White Magic, and thanks to my now exceptional memory I was sure I had not ever heard anything to the contrary.

Professor Diggory taught green magic. He was a giant, bald man. Standing nearly eight feet tall, with an incredibly muscular build one would not typically expect of a mage. He was very quiet and said few words, simply acknowledging my introduction and giving his own, polite, noble greetings. According to Lord Gustav, he believed that to grow as a Green Mage, one should endeavor to exhibit the strength of the earth in the way they lived. So he’s a taciturn muscle head?

Still, the Green Hall was impressive. If not for the roof and walls, I would have thought we were outside. The floor was dirt, with grasses and small trees growing here and there. It gave off the impression of being in a small sparse forest or copse. There was even the sound of birdsong, though I could not spot any of the animals, so whether or not they were really there, or the sound was a magical phenomenon was impossible to determine.

The instructor for Yellow Magic was an incredibly handsome man, even I could tell. He was well built but not to large, with perfectly chiseled facial features, and thick lustrous blonde hair. His appearance made sense once he was introduced as His Highness Lord Hector, which would make him a distant relation of the crown. What someone of his pedigree was doing teaching magic at the academy was beyond me and I knew better than to question it, even if I had been in the mental state to do so. He seemed entirely absent from our meeting, likely weighed down by some other matter that was commanding his full attention; even Lord Gustav, as capricious as he seemed to be was able to pick up on this fact and cut our introduction as short as possible before rushing us out of the Yellow Hall.

As for the hall itself, the Yellow Hall was strange. It was very quiet. To the point that simply standing in it, I could hear my own heartbeat. It was empty as well, cavernous and barren of seemingly any furniture. Of all the halls, I found this one the most uncomfortable.

Lastly, I was introduced to Professor Flit. Flit oversaw Black Magic. Despite the ominous sound name of his station, he was a cheery individual. Black Magic was not after all, inherently evil, it simply had the capacity for evil much like any other power. He was somewhat on the short side for a man, and fairly plain looking. He greeted me warmly, more outwardly friendly than any of the other professors had been, save for Lord Gustav, however, I could see me getting along with Professor Flit much more easily than Lord Gustav. This was due to the fact that, while Lord Gustav was exceedingly friendly, he was also exceedingly energetic. In contrast, Professor Flit seemed incredibly well adjusted and easygoing.

The Black Hall stood out in how it did not stand out; whereas each hall seemed to be an eccentric take on the idea that “magic should look magic”, the Black Hall seemed like your average school building or university lecture building. It was well organized, with clearly marked classrooms, study areas, and even a library. I had half a mind to go back to Percius and request to be put into Black Magic this year as opposed to next. All in all, the professors, except Flit, seemed to be a collection competing over the title of “Kingdom’s biggest weirdo”, and their respective Halls were a reflection of this.

At the conclusion of our tour, the Academy Bell Tower was signaling the time as nearly 5:00pm, and Lord Gustav escorted Rowell and me to the exit of the Mage’s Hall. Waiting for me by the entrance of the hall, were Giogi and Dominic. Giogi looked somewhat disgruntled and shot a glare towards Sir Rowell. I had to imagine he had been told about his being more or less replaced. For his part, Dominic was nonplussed. Sir Rowell gave a bow towards Giogi. “I must imagine you are the Knight-in-Training Giogi. I am Sir Rowel, I will be guarding our lady at the academy and I look forward to working with you.” Giogi’s mood visibly improved and he introduced himself with gusto.

“Lady Stahlia, how did you find the Academy?” Dominic had observed my guard’s interaction but now turned his attention to me.

“I found it thoroughly engaging, I am greatly looking forward to my time here. Are we to head straight back to the Estate now?” He gave me an amused nod.

“Indeed, it seems my sister has done something… unique with your pet cat, and mother is beside herself…”

Uh-oh… What on earth has Elienor been doing with Pet?! It’s not even been a full day!

★★★★★★

We traveled back to the estate via carriage. Upon arriving Dominic escorted me down from the carriage and I was met with the sight of Elienor and Pet standing side by side. Pet had been dressed in a small maid uniform and had a pink bow tied onto the end of her tail. Elienor gave her a firm nudge, and Pet stepped forward. After taking a deep breath and exhaling once, She picked up her skirt slightly and executed a near-perfect curtsy.

Excuse me what? Pet was living in a literal cage until yesterday, how in the world…? I looked back at Elienor. “Lady Elienor, what did you do?”

Elienor shook her head and flashed a smirk. “I have no idea what you mean, I merely taught her to give a greeting; she’s a surprisingly quick learner.”

I was about to retort when Lady Margeritte came out of the house. “Stahlia dear, do come inside and join me for tea. I wish to know the circumstances behind this slave.” She wasn’t smiling, but her tone and eyes seemed neutral. I don’t think she’s mad at me. I chanced a glance at Dominic and he gave me a knowing smirk. You asshole. I’ll bet you know exactly how this happened! Hell, you probably put her up to it!

“Very well Lady Margeritte, allow me to accompany you.”

We separated for a time to allow me to change out of my school attire and into a different, but equally annoying to put on, dress. When I reconvened with Margeritte and Elienor Jacqueline had returned from her trip into the city and was attending me, while Lucy served tea to everyone. Technically, since one of the servants assigned to me is the one doing the serving, doesn’t that mean I’m the host here?

Fortunately, Margeritte didn’t seem to think so, as she quickly took a sip of her tea before addressing Elienor and me. “Now, what exactly is going on? Lady Stahlia, Dominic had informed me that you had taken a liking to a young slave when the two of you went out, I was not expecting a cat though. And you Elienor, why are you dressing up such a filthy creature?”

I grimaced internally. So she isn’t at all wondering about the manners Pet learned in a single morning and afternoon but is instead surprised that Pet is a beast-kin? Elienor seemed to agree with me, however, unlike myself, she wasn’t as keen on hiding her internal thoughts. “But mum, isn’t Pet just the cutest little thing? Especially with that bow in her tail!” Ok yea, and Elienor isn’t much better… am I the only one who has noticed just how damn strange it is to have learned manners so well so quickly?

I frowned. First I had to set the record straight; I hadn’t “taken a liking to a young slave”, that was her son. As I was preparing to set the record straight, I recalled the nauseating experience shortly after re-enabling my Empathy. Thanks to my new [Eidetic Memory II] having rendered my existing memories into 4k Ultra HD, I was intimately reminded of exactly how I had felt looking at Pet without the capacity to feel Empathy. I swallowed my objections and grit my teeth.

“Yes Lady Margeritte, while I was accompanying Lord Dominic into the city we briefly stopped so that he could fulfill some business for Lord Nikolaus. While there, when I saw Pet, I was overcome by memories of my late sister. You were never blessed with the opportunity to meet Lady Rosial. Apart from the ears and tail, Pet is the spitting image of my late sister. I impulsively asked Dominic to acquire her for me.” I paused my bullshit to gauge her reaction before continuing. Seeing that she was listening attentively, I put on my full power little girl’s eyes while banking on [Blue Blooded] and my own innate charm.

“I must admit that I find it comforting to have her in my presence, due to that similarity. If it would cause you no trouble might I be permitted to keep her in the guest house?” I closed my mouth and formed my lips into a soft smile while tilting my head ever so slightly. After a moment, Margeritte broke out into a smile of her own.

“Oh, how could I say no to a request like that? I had heard how close you were to your late younger sister; if this cat helps you to deal with such a hole in your heart then I will permit you to keep her by all means. However, do try to keep Elienor away from her; I fear that animals can be a bad influence.” I mean, Pet’s manners are better than Elienor’s from what I can tell… As if to prove my point, the young lady in question saw fit at that moment to announce her discontent with her mother’s decision.

“Buuutttt Mooooaaam!”

“No buts, Elienor. While Lady Stahlia has a decent enough reason, you have none. A young noble lady should not be interacting with a beast person for no good reason.”

At this point, the tea party devolved into an argument between Elienor and Margeritte. I used my stealth talent to somewhat hide my presence in order to avoid drawing either of their attention while I sipped my tea.

★★★★★★

That evening, finally released and back in my room, I came up with an excuse to send away Lucy and Frieda so that the only remaining occupants were Jacqueline, me, Stil, and Pet. Jacqueline and I were accomplices, so I could of course trust her, and Stil couldn’t talk in the first place. Even if he could, he was fiercely loyal to me so I felt he could be trusted. This left Pet, who I had only known for a couple days. I’m going to hate myself for this…

Jacqueline handed me a cup of tea while I mulled over how best to approach the new issue. “Pet.” The young catkin looked up at the sound of my voice, her eyes were slightly fearful; my tone had been a bit steely. “Pet, this is an order; you will not share any information discussed here tonight with anyone not already in this room. Is that clear?”

She briefly tensed up and flinched. I could see a faint glow coming off her neck and from under her clothes near her heart; proof that the contract magic had been invoked. “Pet understands mistress.” Ah right, that was a thing.

“Right, yea no. When it’s only the people in this room, you don’t have to call me that, you can call me whatever you want. Of course, when there are other people you need to call me “Mistress” as Dominic told you, in order to avoid problems.” Pet paused with her mouth open. After a moment she smiled and stood up before giving me another near-perfect curtsy. “Thank you, Nee-san!”

"Huwa?!" I had just been taking a sip of the tea Jacqueline handed me, and wound up doing a spit take. Nee-san? Like, the weeb thing? what the hell, doesn't that mean something like "older sister"? How the fuck did a weeb term from Earth wind up in this world, is it just a beast-kin thing? There's also her manners being so perfect all of a sudden, I need to figure out what the hell is going on with that.

I grimaced, but I wasn’t about to get irritated about what she chose to call me so soon after telling her she could call me whatever she wanted. I gave Pet the food I had prepared earlier and turned my attention to Jacqueline, who I caught watching us with a warm expression. Noticing my gaze and raised eyebrow, she quickly wiped the expression off her face and returned to a look of business professionalism.

“Ahem. I take it you are ready for my report then, my lady?” I nodded and prompted her to get on with it. “Right. [########]. Regarding the matter spoken of by Aaron in Fess, I haven’t found very much. Only some references in a journal I found in the main house, to a certain adventurer being close friends with the Francois’ eldest son Nietzsche. As far as the Order facilities in the city, I visited the ones I could get into freely that I had a plausible reason for stopping by; there are others, but they will have to be infiltrated so it will take me more time. Regarding the ones I did visit, there were no signs of Lady Rosial.” I nodded, I hadn’t been expecting a sudden break so soon after arriving. Though I couldn’t help myself from turning gloomy. As if picking up on my mood shift, Jacqueline was quick to continue.

“That being said, it was not entirely fruitless; I did find a document in a military supply depot the Order uses as a front for moving questionable materials. It was dated the month after Lady Rosial was taken and references a shipment of two hundred thirty-six Mountain Lilies, three hundred eleven Blood Roses, and five Kingsbane.” She was beaming me with a reassuring smile as if that nonsensical report was supposed to cheer me up.

Why would that document have been anything important enough to report to me? Sure Kingsbane is rare, but Mountain Lilies and Blood Roses aren’t particularly special… Kingsbane was a virulent poison in its own right, and when alchemically refined it was one of the main ingredients of Grave Oil; something I already knew the Order used in large quantities.

Mountain Lilies, on the other hand, were incredibly common. As were Blood Roses, which could be harvested anywhere a large amount of blood had been shed, such as the numerous old battlefields that dotted the militaristic Kingdom of Drakas. Mountain Lilies could be used in the production of face cream, perfume, and other beauty products, young girls would often stick them in their hair as an ornament… And blood roses are collected by boys out exploring battlefields in search of treasure or odd trinkets.

I opened my eyes wide in realization. Jacqueline nodded. “I thought you would figure it out. Indeed, “Mountain Lilies” is an Order code word meaning “Young Girl” while “Blood Rose” means “Young Boy”. “Five Kingsbane” is the obfuscated signature of Five. In other words, that supply manifest really means that the Order is accepting a shipment of two hundred thirty-six girls, three hundred eleven boys, and it was all authorized by five.”

“Jacqueline, did this report say where they were being taken to?” She nodded.

“A building in the slums of the capital, I did go and check it out briefly but it has since fallen into disrepair and is no longer in use.” I clenched my fists. On one hand, I was ecstatic; after two years I had a lead. On the other hand, it looked like it had already turned into a dead end. Still, it does prove one thing; Rosial was here. Jacqueline shook my shoulder to get my attention.

“One other thing to keep in mind, Lady Stahlia… Those numbers are extreme… In any given year, the total number of initiates is less than a hundred combined, boys and girls. Something might have happened to cause the Order to need a lot more recruits… If that’s the case, I normally would have been informed…”

I gulped at the possible implications of Jacqueline having been left out of the loop. “Right, and I have something to share with you about the Academy. I think they’ve assigned another Shadow to watch me there. A young knight who calls himself Rowell.”

Psycholor

Plus, the ending felt really good, with Jacqueline's implication coupled to Stahlia telling her about the suspected new Shadow... It just comes off as a really good "BAM" moment to end a chapter on.

Pet's scene will be the opening of next chapter.