Chapter 5 - Part 14 (Book 1 - Fantasy World)

"These walls are unique to Illumin, developed by multiple teachers that we are fortunate to have as members of our institution." Her smile beamed, removing all the terror she had displayed before. "With their ingenuity, it has become possible to create a safe environment for students to display their abilities within a controlled setting. Aside from this one, there are rooms several times larger and modeled after different environments that can be found on this continent. The details are to such a degree that it would be difficult to tell whether one was still inside a room." Raising a hand, she pointed at the wall that Han had touched, "The main benefit to these rooms are those tiles which will negate any magic directed at them. Mages in the Royal Palace of the Kingdom would fail to leave behind a mark. Even those from the Empire and directly under the Emperor would barely perform better."

Valessandria's chest was slightly pushed out as she stood straight with pride. Her chin lifted as a giant smile grew on her face.

"Though I know that you are powerful, this location will allow you to show me what you are capable of doing without placing anyone else in danger, unlike out in the main area."

Han's eyes flickered upon seeing movement behind Valessandria.

Figures shaped like humans slowly rose in a row, similar to what would be seen in a shooting range. But unlike what would be seen in a modern shooting gallery, there were no targets to show people where to properly aim in order to do maximum damage. Even without the indicator markings, the way the models emerged without anyone needing to set them up was still impressive and gave the impression that the Academy was an elite institution with plenty of funds supporting it.

Valessandria turned slightly, moving her arm to indicate the dolls that appeared, "Since we have our students participate in missions through the Adventurer's Guild, it should be no surprise that we have students demonstrate that they have the ability to attack enemies and monsters." Her eyes darted to look at Queen and Helania before quickly adding, "I do not doubt that you will be able to display great power, so this is merely a formality, M-My Lord." Bowing slightly to emphasize her words.

Not bothering to reassure her that he took no offense, Han approached where Valessandria stood.

"I will have you stand here, My Lord," Valessandria indicated with a hand to a spot several feet away from her.

Seeing the dolls lined up, in addition to knowing about the walls designed to prevent magical-based attacks from landing, a part of Han slowly felt a bubbling of mischievousness rise from deep within. He didn't know whether this sentiment was affected by what had happened earlier or if he was curious about what he could do with his abilities in an environment designed to withstand such punishment. Still, an immature part of him provoked him to cut loose a little.

All prior demonstrations of power were accomplished by his creations, so he had no opportunity to see the extent of damage he could do -- raising his inquisitiveness. So far, he has only constructed buildings, items, and his precious creations. The young boy inside urged him on.

"So you just want me to attack those dolls over there?" Han turned his head slightly and eyed the Lady Knight, trying to maintain his calmness and not reveal the excitement rising inside him.

Valessandria smiled slightly as though entertaining a thought from a problematic guest making a senseless demand. "There is no need for concern, My Lord. As I mentioned, even the highest-level magic users would need help to leave signs of their attack. Please feel free to release as much magic power as you would like. There is no pressure since you have already exhibited your proficiency earlier.

Hearing the slightly patronizing tone from the Lady Knight, Han couldn't help but grin. "You may want to step back a bit," Han said softly.

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As she watched the young master walk up to her after she had explained the purpose of the exam, Valessandria struggled a little to keep herself calm. From what she had seen earlier, it was clear that the young master hadn't learned to manage his powers entirely. While this may be typical for children from an impoverished family dynamic, she knew that the elite was strict about having their children learn to regulate their emotions and any aptitudes they manifested at an early age.

So not only was she shocked by the young master not having command over his powers, but what gurgled up from the back of her throat was a scream due to the sheer intensity she was witnessing -- exceeding anything that she had seen outside of the darker days of her past. Even now, memories of watching an enemy Elementalist carve out huge chunks out of their forces, the blood from soldiers becoming mist and creating a fog that swirled around the mage, seared into the back of her eyes -- never to be forgotten. The things she saw during those days clutched her mind to always remember that there were people far more skilled with inner and outer styles. Such a sight created by the young master made her imagine all the legends she had heard as a kid about beings beyond the mortal realm were not merely stories used as tools to frighten children into becoming obedient to their elders.

But deep inside her soul, a voice screamed that what she witnessed was nothing more than child's play for the boy.

Goosebumps crawled across the back of her neck, thinking how easily it would've been for all of them to be vaporized due to the young master's inexperience. She couldn't help but curse at the noble family that raised such a terror.

Closing her eyes slightly, she couldn't help but feel her mind was being crushed by all the events she had to crawl through.

Elongated fingers crawled and crept inside her mind, unwilling to be forgotten and taking advantage of her weakened cognitive state. Each finger touched bubbles of thoughts that floated in her head. The enormous pyramid shrouded in darkness materialized before her as though her mind was forced to relive that night. Just standing in front of the structure caused her body to feel as though it was being pulled closer to what lay behind it. The base was enveloped in fog with shadows that flashed with visions of undulating tentacles that threatened to drag her towards them with a plan of never releasing her ever again.

A slight shiver ran up her body as she tried to fight back the memories. Valessandria took a deep breath, focusing on the job at hand as she relied on techniques she'd learned back in the past to calm her thoughts before turning her attention to close up the penetrating memories from that day which continued to try and bury themselves deeper into her psyche. Ripping the fingers from her mind, the thoughts she wasn't ready to handle were beaten back, eventually allowing her to return her focus to the aberration in front of her.

"Once you attack the dolls, I will be able to determine which classes you should attend to help you better reach your goals at this institution." Despite her instincts warning her otherwise, Valessandria attempted to smile and present a calm and professional exterior facade to the future student.

Her eyes flickered to the servants of the young master, not enjoying how the one with white or silver hair had a slight smile. Something about the enigmatic servant made her think that all of them were aware of something she was not. Even when she had first encountered them, there was the constant atmosphere of her not being privy to critical information as she accepted the funds. The interaction felt like a Faustian Bargain.

"Lady Knight, if you could, I think it would be better for you to step back." The young master's confident voice called her back to the present.

Valessandria couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. She opened her mouth to tell the young master that there was nothing to worry about...

"Burn."

A hurricane of searing heat crashed into her, nearly flinging her off her feet just from the sheer pressure. Her flesh recoiled as though it were being cooked. The area in front was a swirling inferno. The flames were like water as they rolled and pressed against the walls that shimmered with distress. Beneath her, the floor rumbled to such a degree that Valessandria feared it would collapse, and they would crash into the ground floor, the structural material pulverizing any unfortunate student below them.

Despite the few seconds that passed, Valessandria raised a hand in front of her before she quickly channeled internal energy as she chanted under her breath; there was a slight glimmer similar to the walls. The searing air quickly dropped to being comparable to the air flowing through a desert. Her skin still felt like it was drying, but it no longer felt charred. Breathing deeply, focusing the internal energy on the shield before her, Valessandria cursed at herself.

"Outer style was never my strong point." She gritted her teeth while her eyes were half closed, fearful of any damage caused to her eyes from the heat.

Valessandria trembled as she felt her feet slowly starting to slide back.

As she was being pressed back, her heart sank as she felt cracks beginning to form along the surface of the physical shield she had created with her internal energy. Closing her eyes, more effort was placed into reinforcing the shield and slowly mending the fractures. But with the added internal energy devoted to the magic, it was apparent how quickly she was depleting her internal storage of energy. The crisis was how, if she let up even slightly, her mind imagined the shield shattering into pieces.

"With my energy, I will defend and protect against all threats standing in my way. I am the Lady Knight, a defender of my students, and able to overcome all challenges. Against all threats, I shall triumph and bring peace to all who rely on me." The words silently flowed out of her mouth as she mouthed them, desperate to keep her senses focused on continuing to feed the shield that was likely the only thing keeping her alive.

Time felt as though it stretched into an infinite space as she focused on the shield. Her mind couldn't help but sense the strain being placed on her only protection. Even with her fortifying the shield, microscopic cracks formed as though they were screams from the pain it was experiencing. Out of desperation, diverting thoughts were brushed aside.

With one hand for the shield, she used her other and placed it on top of her bosom, over her heart, which pumped furiously in an attempt to do its own job of keeping her alive. Sweat coated her forehead, whether due to the heat or the strain was beyond her.

Half fearfully, she forced herself to see what was happening before her. But slowly, as her eyes endeavored to interpret the horrors, the scene that was taking place slowly reached her mind like the poison from a venomous serpent; her eyes flew open as her heart fell. The blood drained from her face due to seeing the walls liquefying due to being turned into magma. Any signs of the dolls were wiped clear, whether due to the magma or from the initial attack. If she had the capability, a scream would've run through her throat, but only a whimper could be summoned with what little strength she could afford.

Due to the heat from the flames, the air swirled about like a hurricane, her hair whipping around.

Deep inside her body, the reservoir of energy continued to leak out the necessary power that allowed her to stay alive. But with how much effort was placed into maintaining a shield quickly failing, the pool was now a puddle on the edge of drying up. Her years of training screamed that something needed to be done, whether ending the threat or escaping from it.

"Young Master!" Valessandria endeavored to speak but ended up dry coughing, her voice stuck in her throat due to how arid the air had become. Spittle dangling from her lips.

Coughing some more, even attempting to breathe, became a struggle, causing her to force her attention to focus on maintaining the shield that was the only thing keeping her alive. A safeguard that already showed cracks that refused to heal.

The edges of her vision slowly darkened as she felt parts of the shield chip away and likely shatter in a few seconds.

Something in the back of her mind accepted her fate.

There was only silence as her body weakened.

Her knees gave up.

Before Valessandria collapsed onto the ground, the roaring of the flames and howling of the hurricane ceased. At that moment, as one of her knees touched the ground, the shield shattered with the solid energy dancing on the training room floor with the same sound as a wine glass exploding into hundreds of small pieces.

Whether it was because the young master could sense how much distress she was in or due to exhaustion from the amount of internal energy required to maintain the inferno, the fires began to die down rather quickly.

In the hush and from where she knelt, no longer feeling the pressure of the flames, Valessandria reflexively breathed a sigh of relief. Due to the slight dizziness felt in her mind, she took a moment to regain her bearings and understand the situation.

Hungry for air, Valessandria took slow and long breaths, making sure not to breathe too quickly, understanding that, for some reason, she had been unable to get enough air. But as she continued to take deep breaths and attempt to think clearly, her eyes saw the utter destruction ahead. Before she was trying to fight off the inferno, only witnessing the nightmare as though living through a dream, but now that she was awake, her mouth opened slightly.

"What in...," The words stumbled out of her mouth.

Nearly the entire wall was turned into a pile of melted rocks, with parts shimmering slightly as though it were a mirror. Her mind attempted to cling to anything sensible. Still, it inevitably ran away from reality as she wondered if she were experiencing a nightmare and would awaken at any moment. The dreadfulness experienced during the countless battles she participated in didn't come close to what existed before her eyes.

"Young Master, what have you..." She jerkily turned her head towards the boy.

The young noble casually raised an eyebrow as he directed his attention towards her.

"Watch your tone," a voice hissed venomously at her.

Compared to the fiery inferno she had barely survived, the familiar cold darkness that rushed towards her like a shadow hungrily searching for life was like being doused in freezing water. All thoughts of anger directed at the young master immediately fled from her thoughts as she turned her head to look at the white-haired woman who appeared as though she would prefer being inside a cemetery with her pale skin similar to a corpse.

"Please be calm. Our Master was merely testing his abilities after you challenged him."

Valessandria turned to observe the black-haired servant, who had been silent for most of their interactions. She had even wondered if the servant was interested in what they had discussed, seeming to be lost in her own matters likely related to her duties towards the young master. Even if it wasn't as intense as the other servant, the woman had a strong voice. But even though there wasn't any of the murderous intent laced in the servant's words, it was clear that the black-haired woman expected that her words be listened to and consequences would follow if disregarded.

While Valessandria had experience dealing with difficult servants, the servants of the young master were beyond anything that she had experienced in the past. The way the woman spoke reminded her of that day when she first talked to the young master, learning that the black-haired woman was in charge of handling all the affairs of the young master.

Whether due to how she had been disrespectful or some other matter, the head servant seemed slightly cold towards her compared to when they first met. It caused her to curse under her breath, not wishing to make the young master an enemy, considering what she had witnessed upon their first encounter and after the young master had displayed his terrifying control of magic.

Sighing, "This is what makes dealing with nobles so difficult. One of the main reasons why they come to this Academy is to network with other nobles, not completely needing the educational aspects of what we provide. Though the training facilities are nicer than what they could gain access to, the fact remains that they are not like other students who lack the resources needed to tap into their abilities." Valessandria was careful not to voice out her thoughts.

Even though she felt frustrated by how nobles acted within the Academy, as though it was their own private backyard, the fact was that Illumin needed to be connected to the nobles from the various nearby powers. If they were to lose any of the major groups, there was the real possibility that they would either be swallowed up by the Kingdom or Empire.

Valessandria knew better than to assume that Illumin was safe from the Empire because they existed within the Kingdom.

But at the same time, even with her limited understanding of politics, she understood that the influence of the Lunar Empire was also why Illumin was able to retain their autonomy despite existing within the Helios Kingdom.

She carefully studied the servants of the young master. After their meeting inside Leaf Village, the things she saw were beyond anything she had seen. Shuddering slightly to herself, images of what the young master had created with not just the flames but also the lightning made it clear that his family had far more secrets than the typical noble. Deep inside her chest, she even wondered whether the young master was stronger than those from the Empire.

A voice inside her wondered what it would mean if that was the case and what kind of an impact it would have in the surrounding area.