Wearing Power Armor to a Magic School (131/?) WiP 1

Author’s Note: Hey everyone! Here is the Work in Progress for Chapter 131 I hope you guys enjoy! :D

The Trasgracian Academy for the Magical Arts. Betreyan’s Hall. Local Time: 2200 Hours.

Vanavan

Few places existed that granted me the peace of mind, strength of confidence, and sense of security that should have come naturally to a man of my station and pedigree. 

Fewer still did such places exist in public spaces, let alone rooms intended for the audience of many.

Betreyan’s Hall was perhaps the one and only such instance where the particularities of fate aligned precisely enough to fulfil these three sensibilities. 

For the Hall was the ultimate expression of my newfound life — an identity forged by my own two hands away from the circumstances of my heritage and upbringing. 

Yet all of that changed today.

For today, I found my sanctuary assaulted, assailed and deconstructed to its core by the arrival of an individual I’d first interacted through quill and ink from this very room. 

The armored woman arrived with the uninvited air of Mal’tory’s intrusiveness, the authoritative aura of the dean, and the finesse and fiery spirit of Chiska. 

Her presence inspired an instinctive fear that burned within the heart of all nobles, especially as one’s eyes landed on the coat of arms present on her armor.

I felt my defenses fall, wall by uneven wall, as she stepped down those steps and towards my lectern. 

“I concur, Professor Vanavan.” Captain Frital announced abruptly, her steely eyes having hooked my gaze into its reel. “Your… blue knight, is most certainly befitting of the first descriptor you assigned her.” The golden-haired elf paused, coming to a stop at the level of my desk, her figure towering over my seated form. “Exceptional, in more ways than one.” 

“I-indeed she is, Captain Frital.” I managed out politely, before gesturing to a chair I carefully levitated towards her. “And might I say, what an unexpected yet pleasant visit! Please, allow me.” 

I quickly set down the chair in front of the desk. However, instead of eliciting a polite smile or a semblance of reciprocal hospitality, I was rebuffed; the armored woman choosing instead to stare disinterestedly at the chair before returning her gaze squarely towards me.

“She is sharp, and impressively resilient. Indeed, I can imagine her resilience serves her quite well on and off the training grounds.” The Captain spoke casually, as the allusions sent shivers down my spine.

She couldn’t have.

We covered all loose ends at the warehouse. 

There were no witnesses, and she told no one.

Unless—

“She truly is the perfect candidate for the Quest for the Everblooming Blossom.” The goldthorn promptly continued, studying, inspecting, and peering at every minor emotive shift as if each was an article of confession. 

“Yes. I can imagine the skills she has demonstrated on the field of sport, will translate quite well into the rigors of prime adventuring. A rather audacious undertaking for a newrealmer, but she’s demonstrated her ambitiousness several times over now, if I do say so myself.” I offered politely. 

“Indeed. And quite the ambitious spirit she is.” The Captain continued ominously. “Did you know she has quite the interest in flight?”

That question prompted me to narrow my eyes, my mind wracking itself for exactly where she was going with this.

“I can’t honestly say, Captain. I don’t remember mentioning such a specific interest in my reports to you.” 

“No, you have not.” The captain replied bluntly. “But I’ve had the unexpected pleasure of meeting her myself earlier this week.” 

My heart sank once more, as I tried everything I could not to show signs of anything other than polite conversational interest. 

“Oh? I had thought your affairs would have taken you off the path of most students, Captain.” I countered.

“It just so happens that your Blue Knight was wandering where most students were not expected to be, Professor.” She sniped back, her eyes not once letting go of my gaze. “The Apprentice’s tower, to be precise.” She just as quickly added, once more testing me, prying me for a reaction. “She was there for some… extracurricular discussions of some such, a flying club if I recall.”

“Ah.” Was my only response. That, and the thin smile I wore.

“It’s in rare instances such as those that I am reminded of exactly why you left the crownlands, Lord Vanavan. For life here is just far, far more accommodating to the pastoral and bucolic mind.” The captain continued on a new trajectory, one that I was nervous to follow. “I perhaps owe you an apology that my presence disrupts such an idyllic life. But alas, if things continue on their current trajectory, I cannot guarantee that my presence will mark either the end, or perhaps merely the beginning of an entirely unprecedented chapter in the Academy’s history.” 

The inner guardswoman paused, her form tensing, as if out of some mixed sense of pity and genuine concern. 

“We find ourselves in… interesting times, Professor Vanavan.” 

I shuddered, as that word carried with it far reaching implications the likes of which many others would’ve completely disregarded. 

For uneventfulness was perhaps the strongest measure of the Academy’s successes, save for those rare few times where eventful happenings were triggered at the behest of the Crown. 

…

My heart skipped a beat, as my eyes widened.

This break in my otherwise calm and composed body language prompted the Captain to raise a brow, as if she was finally reeling in her catch by the act of mere sight alone.

“Interesting, but not of my choice nor insistence, Captain.” I replied, ensuring I cemented my place and stance on this topic before it had a chance to become twisted and spun at the hands of the web weaver.

A small moment of restrained pause soon loomed over us, as the Captain regarded my words with a twinge of darkened interest. 

“No, of course not.” She responded soon after. “Though I wonder… if not you, then who?” 

I raised a brow at that question, and the unexpected trajectory the conversation had taken.

“I’m afraid I don’t follow, Captain.” I offered, causing the woman’s piqued interest to soon devolve into one of disappointment. 

“Have your social muscles atrophied at the behest of dusty Academia, or are you simply playing a fool, Lord Vanavan?” 

The aggression was palpable, though not immediately obvious to any who might be listening.

To the untrained ear, there was naught but a slight gap in civility, evidenced by a slight clip of her tone of voice.

However, to those at the highest rungs, this was a warning — a test by any other name.

“No, Captain.” I decided to stand my ground for once. “You should know that the blue robed offices hold little in the realm of weight of both tangible influence and palpable authority. My place is that of the facilitator of the Academy’s stated aims, nothing more, and nothing less. I willingly left the court life behind for such a role, for the sake of Academia for Academia’s sake.” I leveled my eyes at the Captain, calling every ounce of strength in me not to flinch. “The decision and responsibility of this newrealm induction was never once within my purview.”