***The World***

***Angrod***

It was a relief that Tongord didn't come after us. We fled the training grounds and headed directly to the Art class.

“What's up, Angrod? You seem a little more than tired!” Celes asks while we are waiting for the teacher to show up, reading my mood perfectly.

“I just thought about something very disturbing regarding Tongord,” I mumble, a little downcast because of the revelation I had after our fight.

“Yes?” She tilts her head, waiting for me to explain while we are sitting among the other students.

I decide to present my train of thought step by step. “He seems to belong to a pure raccoon lineage.”

“Yes.”

“Today, We killed him at least a hundred times within an hour and it didn't even disturb him.” At least not as far as I managed to observe.

“Yes.” She nods, following so far.

“And Tanja said that his regeneration ability depends on his mana pool.” I spin the thought further.

“Yes.”

“How many times do we have to kill our own old geezer, who inherited the traits of his raccoon heritage and the strength and mana boost from the royal heritage?” I question. According to my mother, cases like Nicosar are rare. Normally, a child between people of two different bloodlines inherits the traits of either one or the other. Is it even possible to kill Nicosar if a normal raccoon is already nigh immortal? He may as well be the ultimate being in this world, aside from Seria.

Celes doesn’t answer immediately. Instead, she falls into a contemplative silence. Finally, ruffles her hair in despair. “We will never be able to take revenge! Aah! Why did you tell me this!” Celes starts shaking the disillusioned me.

“I didn’t want to be the only one to have his hopes crushed,” I reply, downcast.

Guger enters the room, noticing our antics. “Stop playing around and prepare for class! What's the The Insult still doing here?” She glares at me.

Why is she still calling me The Insult! I take out my painting from where it was stored beneath my desk. While everyone else continues working on their project, I just stare at my masterpiece. Why can't Jeniva appreciate what I want to give to this world?

Modern art is the holy grail for every artist. He or she doesn’t need any skill. They just have to put some dots and lines onto the picture and they get the big money for it. There’s no need for talent and just for five minutes of work, people call you the biggest artist of the century and throw money at you.

Maybe I am no big painter, but there is other stuff I can do! She wants something that looks real, so she will get something that looks real! I take my Rorschach painting of a stick-figure and start ripping the paper to confetti, then I mix it with water until I have pretty good mush.

Hehehe. Now I will create a sculpture of Jeniva, using telekinesis. No big artistic talent needed here, I just have to imagine her. An easy task for the great magician Angrod!

I just have to think of those legs and this stupid short skirt which almost shows off her panties! And those stockings of hers should be banished to the underworld! Those hip-movements should also be forbidden from school! She can't show off like that in front of children!

Then the tight jacket which emphasizes those humongous cow... things! I wonder how much milk she can give? I should write a thesis about this! She violates every law of physics by not losing to gravity. Hmmm, maybe she uses some gravity-defying underwear? I have already seen the strangest things in worlds with magic. Who knows what the women of this world get up to.

Then there is her hair, which she wears as a pony-tail, going down to her hips. The horsetail and horse ears are just a formality now.

Hah! Maybe the suit is a little bit tighter than in reality, but I can fix that! Yes, yes, that looks good! Very good! Very sexy, and close enough to the real-life model. “Hahaha!”

Now that I think about it, isn't it a bad choice to give her a figure of herself to redeem myself? Won't my intentions be misunderstood? Worst case, I come across as some horny boy who just visits the class because the teacher is sexy.

Suddenly, a shadow falls onto my figure and I look up, dread running down my spine at seeing Guger’s expression. “Hello, Mrs. Jeniva! Do you need something?”

‘Whack!’

۞۞۞

I open my eyes, groggily remembering that suddenly the lights went out.

Why is the world upside down? “What happened?” I ask, realizing that I am being carried on someone’s shoulder.

“Oh, you recovered your consciousness! Good. You can walk by yourself again!” Celes answers and sets me down on the floor.

“Oh... ahem... How long was I out!?” I try to stay upright, but everything is swaying.

“Jeniva broke her pointing stick on your head, then she confiscated the perverted figure. I thought it would be a waste of time to carry you to the infirmary. You would have been alone there with Margerie. She doesn't seem to be in her right mind at the moment, so I took you along to the next three lessons and dropped you into your seat,” Celes explains.

“My innovative art got confiscated? But it was as close to reality as I could make it! I think I will never manage to pass this lesson. I guess I have to be lucky with Samarin's question at the end of the year.” I drop my head.

“Strangely enough, she gave you a positive evaluation on your first art. Maybe I should change your nickname from stupid hermit to perverted hermit!” Celes answers.

“Really!?” Oh, thank you Jeniva, maybe I have some talent after all.

“She still said you would have to learn to paint one way or the other. Otherwise, she won't let you pass.” Celes has a sarcastic smile on her face.

Ugh. Not good. I am not a painter. “Sooo, which lesson do we have next?” I ask. “We will have rune magic,” Celes answers with a displeased expression.

Good, hehe. If I have problems with a subject, she should have them too! So we will see teacher Mirgurd Salar again. He seemed to be the boring type, with nothing but magic circles in his head.

Mirgurd is a young, but sick-looking fellow with angel wings on his back. He is the first person I met who has such a drastic trait. I mean, come on. Wings? When any decent magician can use levitation to fly, wings are nothing but in the way. They can’t even function as a second set of arms.

During our first lesson, Mirgurd did nothing but recite an introduction to his lesson’s contents.

Rune magic is all about the correct use of runes to create the desired effect. It’s possible to combine multiple runes into a design that, once supplied with power, creates an energy matrix that casts a spell. Boiled down to the basics, it is really nothing more than a simple programming language.

We enter the classroom upon arrival and find pure chaos there. Mirgurd has papers all over his desk and on the floor. It looks like he is searching for some documents.

As we enter together with other students, he looks up and counts us. “Good, good. Everyone here. No injuries!?” he asks into the room.

“Why should we have injuries?” Some random student asks while we take our seats.

“Haven't you heard? There was a terrorist attack on the schoolyard this morning! Multiple students and four teachers were paralysed with a strange new weapon! They couldn’t move for over an hour! Everyone is in an uproar. Nobody knows why anyone would test new weapon technology on the campus. Because there is not the slightest hint of its development, people are saying that a political party must be involved,” he explains excitedly.

I try my best to keep my expression as neutral as possible. Celes also refuses to give away our knowledge of the whole case. Thankfully, the teacher doesn't go deeper into the matter and starts handing out some sheets instead.

“I have a difficult problem here, two incompatible runes which are to be combined via multiple connection patterns. If you paid attention yesterday, you should be able to solve it.” Mirgurd hands out the sheets and immediately takes up his searching activities again.

It seems like he is the type who drowns his pupils in work so that he can spend time on his own interests. I look at the sheet and ponder over it for a moment, then I scribble the answer down and draw the required circuit. No big deal. It’s the same as connecting two variables over a few logical commands.

Having solved the question, I turn to look out of the window to my left. Unfortunately for Celes she is sitting to the left of me and I notice that her eyes are not where they belong. I grin like a devil and lean with my elbow onto the desk to cover my sheet.

She looks up at me with a grim expression.

Suddenly I get poked in the ribs by something pointy. While I twitch away from her tail, she snatches my paper and starts outright copying it!

“That is cheating,” I whisper. It's unfair; why can't I cheat in Art class? Should I snitch on her? But she hasn't done anything really harmful to me since the contract. Wouldn't that be a violation? Seeing a god of Order cheat is also quite surprising. Celes might not be as rigid in her ideology as her former self.

I am not against cheating per se. Cheating is not against the rules as long as you don't get caught. Yes, that's my opinion on the matter.

Suddenly Mirgurd looks up from his sheets, taking the decision of whether I should snitch or not from me. “Miss Celes, this practice is not meant to copy the work of another student!”

Has the guy got eyes in the back of his head? He stands up and walks to our desk to take my sheet.

After a short nod, he puts it back down in front of me. “It's wrong anyway. Next time, copy from someone else.” He shakes his head.

“Huh!? Angrod wrong with magic? Is the end upon us?” Celes asks, furrowing her forehead at the paper with my solution.

I arch an eyebrow and take another look on my sheet, inspecting it closely, but I find no mistake.

“Um, can you explain what I did wrong?” I ask Mirgurd.

The teacher sighs and answers, “You mashed both runes into each other. They have to be put beside each other and then you properly connect them with connection patterns.”

“Why should I do something stupid like that!? You would have to create an interlacing connection pattern around both runes to make sure that the energy flow doesn’t affect the spell matrix. Each connection would have to be calculated individually. What a headache! It is much faster to connect the runes directly, fold them over each other, and then use some minor correction patterns to fix the two remaining open connections!” I blurt out before I can think.

Mirgurd looks at my sheet again with big round eyes. “You can fold runes?!” he asks and starts mumbling to himself.

Oh? It seems nobody had this idea in this world. Damn! Fucking backward civilisation! I lost money again!

Celes tugs at my elbow, perfectly reading my expression. “Don't worry. If you hadn't spilled it, I would have. It's such a basic idea, even I know that much.”

Should I worry or be happy that Celes seems to understand me better than I do her?

The rest of the lesson was used up with finding a believable explanation for Mirgurd on how we made the most important discovery ever – by misunderstanding his teachings. That was a real pain in the ass, especially because he tried to make it look like it was originally his idea!

I wanted to strangle the stupid fucker more than once in the process of it. At least Celes and I will now be known as the creators of a completely new way to draw magic circuits.

The last lesson of the day turned out to be mystic arts.

We enter the classroom and are greeted by Margerie, Stephen, Sven and Samarin.

At least there are not so many people here.

“I already heard that you guys slipped another piece of important knowledge!” Margerie states when we sit down next to her.

“Yes, that's two times within a month!” Samarin joins the fray.

“You two are sure that you know nothing about gods?” Stephen follows.

Even the timid Sven confronts us with a curious look.

“Nope! Nothing we can do! We already explained that it was a pure misunderstanding. Mirgurd is a failure as a teacher, so we misunderstood him,” Celes explains.

I nod and take a seat. “What are you doing here anyway, Margerie? I think you should sleep!” I complain.

“I have slept enough! Here! Sign this!” Margerie deposits a big bundle of papers in front of me.

“What's that?” I ask cautiously and start reading. It seems to be some kind of contract.

“To summarise the whole juristic nonsense, half of everything I gain from the knowledge which you shared with me is your property. The same is true for every discovery you may help me with in the future. I would feel bad if you don't sign it,” Margerie explains, sounding very generous.

“No need, Margerie. I already paid him!” Celes smiles. “You will need it all to advance further in any case.”

“Ho? I want to know those plans in detail?” I quip. Normally, I would sign in a heartbeat, but Celes is right. It’s better to have her in my debt, and I can always use my otherworldly knowledge to make money.

“It is simple. You will further Margerie's family in any way you can. They have the facilities to carry out the necessary research. In their names, we will raise the technology of this world to the needed level, so no more resource problems! No contracts needed. I have already talked to our parents about everything. The people here already know about your talents with magic, so there are no security problems. Dad has already checked everyone.”

I look at the others to make sure that Celes meant everyone in the room, but it seems like I didn’t misunderstand her.

“What an honour. To be in the eyes of the royal family. It's like I am suddenly much more than a simple teacher.” Samarin claps his hands together.

He shouldn't be that happy about having his background investigated!

“You sure are starting to take big leaps here. When did you set all this up!?” I ask Celes. And what makes her think that I am okay with it?

“I have more than enough time to make plans while you have your nose inside a book. Creating the necessary infrastructure won't happen overnight anyway, so we have to start as early as possible. If we are lucky, all our problems will be solved by the time we are twenty, or a little older.” Celes pumps her fists, nodding to herself.

Hah!? Could it be? The muscle brain was not only setting up a plan to change the world, but is also already in the process of putting it into motion?

“Uh. I haven't heard anything from my parents, but if it’s in accord with the royal family, I can't voice any complaints.” Margerie puts away the documents.

“So what do you know about the gods?” Stephen keeps pestering me.

Having had enough, I turn around and snap at him, “They are all bastards! You create a little havoc and they throw you into hell! Explanation enough!?”

He leans away from me, surprised by my outbreak.

Celes pats my head to calm me down. Then she gives Stephen another evasive answer. “I am sorry, but it seems like you will have to stick around and wait for Seria to show up. Maybe she will answer your questions.”

“Hm. In any case, let's start the lesson!” Samarin gestures for the class to calm down.

While Samarin, Stephen and Sven join a conversation of their own, Celes starts editing her strange new list of ‘Things to do’. I know that I ordered her to burn the notebook because it was just too detailed, but I can hardly forbid her from making any plans at all. Actually, having someone who takes care of the boring stuff could turn out to be nice.

Margerie holds out a writing pad and a pen. “Write down everything that’s in your head!” she orders with a strange fire in her eyes.

I sigh and take the pen. “What do you want to know.”

“Everything!”

Everything! Like I could do that. Even I am not entirely certain what I can do. Most of my inventions aren’t memorized solutions. I have to reinvent a lot of things when I draw upon my memories. Knowing the basic principles doesn’t help with designing a computer – for example. I doubt that I could pull a laptop out of my pocket.

“We will concentrate on the stuff which reduces the strain on resources for now. Please point out which economical areas cause the biggest problems. I suppose transportation is a big factor?” I don't want to waste my time here.

***The World***

***Celes***

Another successful day of school finished! As we approach Rose who is already waiting at the school gate, I check another point from my list of ‘Things to do’.

Our maid curtsies, presenting her new black and white dress to us. “How was your day, my little masters?” she asks and smiles while opening the car's door.

“We had to run away twice!” I reply. “Nice dress! Did you commission a new design from the royal tailor?”

“Yes!” Rose answers with a satisfied chirp in her voice, throwing back her white-blonde hair. “It’s nice of you to notice. Wearing always the same design became boring, so I ordered a few different ones to switch things around.”

“I gave away ‘many’ precious things!” Angrod grumbles while he enters the car.

“How generous,” Rose answers and rolls her eyes while closing the door. “I want to see him laugh, at least once.” She winks at me while I walk around the car to enter from the other side.

Once everyone is inside, Rose gets into the driver’s seat and starts the car. I take a look out of the window as we leave the campus and yawn, tired from the day’s work. Then I return my attention to my list and tick off a point which I missed earlier.

Angrod was more cooperative than I expected him to be, but I probably shouldn’t push him too far, or he might lock up and consider active resistance.

Deciding that it’s time to build some kinship, I scoot over and lie down, using his thigh as a pillow. I feel him tensing up, so I poke an acupuncture point to force him to relax.

“Celes?” he asks with a brisk voice.

“Yes?”

“There has to be some distance, for comfort!” he states with an expressionless mien.

“Endure it. I do it too,” I reply, making myself comfortable and fake falling asleep.

Unexpectedly, he starts stroking my hair, giving me at least some hope that turning him to my cause isn’t entirely impossible.

“When we are at home your parents want to speak with you two,” Rose speaks up.

“About what? Do you have an idea?” Angrod questions her.

Rose shrugs while turning the wheel, steering the car through a roundabout. “I am not sure, but apparently it has something to do with the plan which little Celes put together.”

Angrod doesn’t prod any further and we spend the rest of the short drive in silence. Once we arrive at the embassy Angrod shakes me and I stop faking, a little miffed that he did nothing but touch my hair. I gave him a perfect chance to have a little fun and he didn’t take it.

Ten minutes later, we are both in front of our parents in the embassy’s living room. They are in highly official regalia and seem a little stressed to me. Nicol and Arthur are even wearing their crowns, telling me that some important meeting must have occurred today.

“We have to inform you two to be more careful in school from now on. Try not to let people know that all this new knowledge comes from you. We are already trying to cover it up as much as possible,” Nicol informs us with a grim expression.

“What’s the problem?” I ask, turning concerned at their demeanour. It’s not like I got Angrod to reveal new technology without speaking about it with our parents. If it turns out that there is a setback, despite notifying our parents beforehand, it would be highly disappointing.

“The problem lies with those who don't like the idea of reduced needs for rare resources! I heard you have a class together with the Meltheim twins? And a Tulhelm is there too?” Arthur questions us and I nod. Sarda and Senda Meltheim, as well as Iris Tulhelm, share Special Combat classes with us.

“The Meltheim and Tulhelm families are the biggest providers of rare elements. They have big stakes in several of the largest mining companies. It’s one of the reasons why they belong to the pro-war faction. If their respective countries gain control of the mountain ranges on the central continent, they would be first in line to reap the benefits. The publication of the new design for a levitation device by the Cygnus family put a real dent into their finances. Not only will it undercut their argument for war, but they will also lose money if the economy is less dependent on those resources. They will still own the market, but the yearly demand will go down for sure,” my mother explains. “Eventually, they will also lose their political power.”

“So if there are more inventions of that sort, they will try something to stop it,” Angrod concludes.

Ireth takes over, smoothing her dress. “They are already moving materials and equipment around in disturbing ways. It smells like they are up to something. We also can see that they are coordinating their actions, trying not to get in each other's way. They both control a big area of the northern part of the central continent. Together, they have a problematic amount of control. We lack influence in that geopolitical area.”

“But… the Meltheims are from Stricc… and the Tulhelm are native to Tirna. If they are strong supporters of their respective war-factions, it would make no sense for them to team up.”

Nicol lets out a long sigh. “Celes, it would be nice if politics were that easy. Our political enemies are faced with the unification of both Tirna’s and Stricc’s royal families. It has taken some time, but Arthur and I expected them to team up at some point. So please, be more careful at school. It’s more likely than ever for them to go after you. I don't think they are ready to try something at this point, but it is better if we don’t underestimate their determination.” He ends the explanation with a grim expression.

“Have you taken a closer look at Teacher Tongord from the Special Combat class? I don’t trust him.” Angrod narrows his eyes.

Arthur nods. “We had to cut a few corners, but we’ve traced his family connections. His line is related to the Tulhelm. I know it’s bad to judge someone by blood relations, but in this case, it’s better if we are safe rather than sorry. I will push the school to put someone else in charge of you, though I can’t promise that it’ll happen quickly, if at all. We can only apply pressure through the Cygnus family, but they themselves are only owners of the university and can’t give direct orders to the school’s administration.”

After everything is said and done we have dinner together. The mood is a little dampened, but that’s only to be expected when you are told that someone is after your life.

Having eaten, our parents return to their work, leaving Angrod and me behind. As usual, the hermit avoids striking up a conversation and picks up one of his books, then he saunters over to the couch and makes himself comfortable.

I don’t understand his attitude. How can he be so relaxed in a moment like this?

Approaching, I try to get him to talk to me. “It sure is the same wherever you go. There are always those who aren't of the same opinion.”

“That's the way it is. Don't tell me you ever found a world in which there wasn't some sort of conflict?” he replies without looking up.

I search my memories, but there is nothing. There are peaceful places and lives in my memory, but even in those, I heard about a war on another continent. There is no world which is a hundred per cent peaceful. “No. You?”

“I stopped counting a long time ago.” He shrugs as if the matter doesn’t concern him.

“How old are you?” I sit down next to him, trying to find a topic for conversation.

He purses his lips, considering the question. “I don't know exactly. It doesn't make much sense to count years. Most worlds have their own flow of time. The most you can do is to count your lives. There is also the little fact that we aren’t in possession of all of our memories. Who knows how old we truly are?”

“Oh, so I have lived about 1230 times until I became a god and you?” I press the topic while I try to think of something else to say.

He sighs and finally puts down his book. “Maybe a little bit more, maybe a little less. I really don't remember. There was a time when I got mad at the multiverse and tried to destroy my soul in every way I could think of. It seems like the memories will always come back after a few years. In the end, a soul always slowly recovers, even if it takes time.”

“I had a similar time once.” I massage my chin in thought. “Everyone goes through phases like that. Seria helped me get over it and thanks to her training I got stronger and reached godhood. Unfortunately, the Council became aware of me and gave me an occupation.” I huff. “Which led to all of this. Sometimes I wonder what would have happened if I had stayed a simple immortal.”

“Hrm.” He grunts and picks up his book again.

Leaning over, I use his thigh as a pillow.

“Not again!” he complains.

“Yes, again!” I mumble grumpily, deciding that we should at least get used to each other’s presence.

Closing my eyes, I try to sleep.

It doesn’t take long until he slowly wriggles out from under me. Wondering what he will do, I keep playing dead. Unsurprisingly, he retrieves my list out of my pocket to read it.

I bet he expects some kind of murder plan, but he will be sorely disappointed. My list only includes actions and steps which should allow us to experience a proper life!

Trying my hardest not to smirk, I imagine him reading the sheet of paper which includes things like furthering the technological advance, making peace and starting a new life, leaving old grudges behind, using him as a lap pillow, sleeping together, and doing some… naughty stuff.

Damn, I almost drooled. Why does it take so long to grow up? I hope he doesn’t judge me, but a girl needs some romance in her life. I am not a nun.

He harrumphs. “Those are all cliché romance situations… she messed up her head… must have gulped down too many bad smut romances, comics, cheap movies or whatever she did!”

Huffing, he returns the list to my pocket. “Today, I will have to lock my room or I won’t be able to find any sleep.”

What!? Any other guy would be happy to find a girl like me!

He leaves the room silently so as to not wake me up.

Sitting up, I glare at the door through which he left the room. He promised that he would play along and try to make this work. Maybe I have to become a little more proactive. I start planning everything I need for a raid on enemy territory.

So it happened that – exactly at eleven p.m. – clad in my nightgown and armed with a pillow and blanket, I stepped out of my room and tiptoed over to Angrod’s quarters. The embassy was dark and I had to rely on circulating some mana through my eyes to enhance my vision.

Arriving in front of his room, I try opening the door, but the bastard really locked himself inside his room! I put down pillow and blanket to remove a set of lock picks from my pocket. Kneeling down, I start fiddling with the locking mechanism. It will take some time since I am not exactly proficient at this stuff, but as I often say, with time comes training and with training comes skill.

I am at it for over a minute, biting my lower lip, when there is a noise behind me.

“Ahem!”

Turning around, I look up at a dark figure who is looming over me. Palm pointed upwards, the figure casts a Lightglobe to illuminate the hallway, forcing me to cancel the vision-enhancing effect on my eyes.

Squinting and trying to shield my eyes from the light, I recognize the figure. “Hi, Mom.”

She doesn’t answer. Instead, Katrine looks down at me with a judgmental expression.

Looking down at myself, clad in a flimsy nightgown and trying to break into a boy’s room, I realize how this must look like. “This isn’t what it looks like. I wasn’t trying to kill him or anything like that. We were just planning an innocent little sleepover…” I realize that I am babbling and decide to shut up.

“You are ten!” Katrine whispers. “Even if Angrod and you are promised to each other, that’s not the proper age to sneak into a boy’s room! What if Ireth found out about this!? I would die of shame!”

Raising her hand, she casts some spell and brings it down on me with a mighty slap…

Despite putting up a hasty defence, I feel myself spinning comically and then the lights go out.