(Alex, 17)

Mondays are variable days at university, and today, we are studying ancient weapons. The lesson is actually Magic Weapons, though the last few lessons of it have focused on ancient enchanted weapons. Personally, I think it's because of the Spear of Chaos being found, even if it hasn't been shown to us like some of the other ancient weapons.

This lesson is unusual by itself in that it's not just one class taking it. We're in a massive lecture hall with two other B-Class classes.

Today, there's a backedge sitting on a rack, blade facing up. Those are unusual weapons, as everyone uses either a spear or a double-edged sword. The weapon is clearly made of godsteel, and it's not in any records I've found. I've been studying enchanted items lately, especially weapons, for ideas for a new weapon.

That makes its presence interesting for me, as it means I might actually learn something new.

As I pass by the rack on my way to the seat, the sword talks.

"Hello, there!" It says in the ancient tongue. "Forgive my not knowing your language yet, I just came from the east, and haven't been in Varil before. How do you do, Leviathan? I am Horal. You and Lord Ethan are my fathers."

"Uh… you're a sword," I tell it in the ancient tongue. "How could I be your-wait."

It recognized me as a Divine Beast and says that I'm its papa. If Prince Jacob and I are its papas… then it was born by a mixing of our essences.

"You seem rather cheerful for a god bound into a sword," I tell it as some of the classmates give me curious looks.

While word has spread I'm one of the Magi, I don't think they realize I'm speaking an ancient, mostly-dead language.

"Oh, it's not a punishment, like with most of the others the Dragon put into items!" Horal tells me. "I asked him to do this! I asked him to place me into a sword so that I could serve humanity without influencing them with my divinity. I know that you twelve were intending for no divine influences to continue, which is why I decided that. Could have been an amulet or ring, but figured a sword would be more suitable. I'm a god of combat, by the way. If you ever want some tips on fighting, let me know. Lord Jason explained the reincarnation situation to me, and I'll be happy to help you Magi until your skills and memories are back! And maybe even after!"

"You can understand it?" The lesson's professor asks, having come in as we conversed.

She's a woman in her thirty, a former Royal Guard who retired after taking a rather nasty injury that wasn't mended in time. Now, she teaches about magical weapons here at the Royal Knight University.

"He's speaking in the ancient tongue," I tell her. "I might not have all the memories of my old life, but I have enough to have learned the language again as I grew up."

"He's been talking nonstep since Master Jeshema loaned it to us this morning," she informs me. "We can't figure out what he's saying, though he went silent about half an hour ago."

When did Jason get the sword? He didn't mention it during our date last night, and he usually tells me about his random adventures. I suppose he wanted to surprise me by letting me find out about it when I came here today.

That, or he loaned it to them on a whim and had planned on surprising me with it by sparring with me with it at some point. Or by pulling it out during the training group. I could see him doing that, too.

"He greeted me," I tell her. "Then was explaining something to me about himself. It appears the King of Magic forged him."

"I did know that," she nods. "Master Jeshema included that on the papers he wrote regarding the weapon."

"This lady you are speaking to," Horal tells me. "She handles me quite carefully, almost as if she is afraid I am going to bite her. I suppose they have had issues with talking weapons before? I've never met one, but I wouldn't have put it past Dragon to bind other gods into weapons."

"He bound one into a crown," I tell Horal.

"I heard about him!" He laughs. "Sucks to be him! Dragon was always a fan of irony, and it seems he extended that into some of the punishments, too!"

"I need to take a seat," I tell Horal. "We can talk… later. I visit Jason's pretty often, we're courting now."

"Oooh!" He exclaims. "You and Dragon always did have a thing for each other! I'm glad you decided to finally confess your feelings! Enjoy your seat!"

Rolling my eyes, I take my seat. It's still a few minutes before the start of the lesson, and one of the girls in here moves to sit beside me.

"So the rumors are true, then?" She asks. "You really are a Magus?"

"Yes," I nod. "Though I ain't anywhere near the level of what actually made us the Magi."

"What made you the Magi?" She asks.

"A combination of our skills, magic, and magical power," I answer. "Plus a little extra oomph that we all had to our techniques. Even before becoming the Magi, we could perform ten-step spells and enhancements as easily as most could perform a one-step spell or enhancement. My combat construct? That water leviathan ya guys have seen me use? That ain't a simple spell. The most basic version of it I have needs something like eighty steps, I think."

The number changes every time I examine the spell. It's that complex, and because of my familiarity with the spell and innate talent for the magics used in it, it's easy to not realize I'm skipping steps in the chanting or examination.

"If I made it fully?" I ask. "At the level I used it back in the war? Over two hundred steps."

Her eyes are wide with shock at that, though I can tell a couple of the other students don't believe me. No matter, ain't like they need to. I'm sure some of them are going to try it on their own. Some of the S-Class students might actually succeed.

Like Eden. Damn is that guy talented, to make his own without being taught. I can see why Prince Jacob ain't wanting his talent to go to waste.

"By the way," she tells me. "I'd like to apologize about my cousin. We aren't all as rude as her."

"Your cousin?" I ask.

"Yes," she nods. "You worked with her a lot while you were working as a guard temporarily. My whole family lives in one house, so I got to hear her complaining about 'that stuck-up noble boy introduced to the captain by a Royal Slayer captain'. Were you really there to spy for Prince Jacob?"

"No," I answer. "I was there for other reasons. Mostly to see what it was like to work as a guard in the city rather than be attacked by them for being a street rat."

"Oh," she says. "Yeah, my cousin wouldn't hear anything I said about you. She didn't believe me that you were a street rat, even with the way you talked."

"Prolly 'cause she was too blind to her annoyance at me to see the truth," I shrug. "Her fault, not mine."

"Yeah," she smiles. "I know you're a part of Jason's training group. I tried out for it back in the autumn, but didn't manage to make it in. I heard he made the requirement stricter this term."

"He's planning on doing that every term," I nod. "Since we ain't as weak as at the start of the term. Everyone in the group at the end of last term exceeded the requirement for this term by a bit, but even those who barely make it in'll probably exceed the requirement for next term's joining."

"Why is he raising the requirement?" She asks.

"It's like how the universities do," I tell her. "To ensure that those who join are at the level of the group, or able to catch up to it. Since it's a training group founded and run by an S-Class, he's permitted to make the requirement to join harder each term, as long as it's not impossible for those outside of the group to enter."

"Oh," she says. "I guess that makes sense. The S-Class students tend to work with the best."

"Yeah," I nod. "And Jason is the best."

"He has the most memories of the old life, right?" She asks. "From what I heard happened, he's the High Magus?"

"Yeah," I nod. "Jason ain't weak in any way. He could probably conquer all the world on his own with the power he has now, and he ain't even close to how powerful he was at the end of the war."

"That sounds terrifying," she tells me. "I'd love to learn under someone like that, though. With the knowledge and talent there to teach. But as I said, I don't make the requirements. I was wondering if you'd be willing to help me with that?"

"No cheating allowed," I tell her.

"I meant training," she shakes her head. "Not having an in or something. I was hoping that since you were in the training group, maybe you could help me get up to par, so that I can join by the end of term? Or if not this term, next term?"

"The group runs late," I tell her. "And I got passed on my papa's title when he stepped down, since I had Heir's Rights, so I'm a bit busy trying to deal with that mess-"

"Your papa's title?" She asks.

"My papa was Baron Amarxik," I nod. "Though when he stepped down, he took the company with him, so I ain't Baron Amarxik, but Baron Levirar."

"You've met King Zachary?" She asks, and I remember that everyone knows land name changes go through the king himself.

"Yeah."

"Wait, hold on," she says as I realize others are looking at us, listening in. "You went from street rat to baron? When?"

"I was illegitimate," I say. "Richard Amarxik was the man who sired me. Grew up on the streets, then he claimed me as his full, legitimate child before winter break. The way he claimed me made me his heir, since I'm older than Connor. Since he'd had me illegitimately, it was a stain on his name, so he decided to step down over the weekend and pass the title on to me. Took the company with him when he left, and the family was named after the company, so His Majesty renamed the title name from Amarxik to Levirar."

"Took the company?" The boy in front of me asks. "Wasn't Amarxik Toys the only source of income for the Amarxik family, other than land taxes?"

"We can make do without," I tell him. "Levirar Toys is releasing its own products soon. Richard lives more on the family legacy than his own talents. Sure, he brought the family up from earl to baron, but he ain't the one who did most of the work on that. Connor and I? We've got our own talents, and I've got my own toys."

Further discussion is halted there as our professor begins the lesson, so we turn to face the front and listen as she begins talking about magical weapons. We're a few minutes into the lesson when I realize I never really did give her an answer on if I'd train her or not.

Well, if she brings it up again, I'll just tell her no. I'm a bit busy with family stuff, training, my crew, Jason, and figuring out what other toys Levirar Toys Company can produce for money that ain't just the same thing everyone else does with a slight variance.

Now that I think about it, I'm perhaps the only person not a Sage, Jason, or under a magical oath regarding how the stuffie golems are made. And I know a little bit more about them than the enchanters who produce them for Sageson Toys, too. Some of what I know ain't something they'd find with a short bit of research, either.

I've witnessed Jason enchanting different types of golems. Perhaps we could do our own version of them? I'll need to make sure that I what I do doesn't use Jason's patent, but I might be able to come up with something.

Will need to do some trial runs of products first, though. I might be able to help make enchantments, but my skills ain't even average for an actual enchanter.

(Jason, 16)

Alex mentioned in his date last night that he wasn't looking forward to another boring lesson about magical weapons he already knows about, so I decided to do something different. Originally, I'd planned on surprising the Magi and my other students with Horal during the training group today, but since Alex has the lesson on magical weapons on Mondays, I decided to loan Horal to them for the day.

Maybe I'll ask Fox Alpha to sneak in and let me see his face when Horal decides to greet him?

Nah. I'll just wait for his expression when he comes to the training group. I'm sure it'll be amusing.

I leave the Royal Knight University after dropping off Horal and telling him to behave with his comments, then make my way to the Royal Mage University. I head to the appropriate office and wait to be seen. It only takes a few minutes, and I look at the Attendance Director I talked with back when I ended up not showing up early.

"Are you here," he asks. "To inform me of a business trip relating to your family business, Master Jeshema?"

"No," I answer. "Actually, I'm here about Niko sul'Mar. He was injured while visiting his home over the weekend. The injury is rather bad, and while the worst of it was dealt with by Mama Elena, his papa and mama are making him stay until he recovers the rest of the way. Mama Elena would have healed him all the way, but even with the changing attitude of Mar, they still need time to fully adjust, and her simply healing him entirely might have caused some more problems. He'll probably be out for a week to two weeks. We're hoping for one, but his mama and papa might delay it a little past when he's recovered."

"Thank you," he tells me, pulling out a paper and starting to write. "Madam Ruwel from your class is absent for a few days as well. I was preparing to send a messenger to your instructor, but since I trust you're heading there now, would you mind taking it for me? I'll write one up for Master sul'Mar as well."

"Yes, sir," I tell him. "Regarding Niko's absence, would it be permitted for me to take work he's missed to him so that he doesn't fall too far behind while his mama and papa worry over his health?"

"That won't be a problem," he tells me. "Just ask your instructors for extra copies if you need it, though I trust you'll already know which things are needed as you'll be covering them yourself."

"Yes, sir," I respond.

He hands me the notes and wishes me a good day, then I head to my first lesson, the professor already waiting for us. I hand him the notes from the Attendance Director, then take my usual seat. This is going to be fun, because I know Niko hasn't contacted Lina. He's turned his comm plate to silent mode, so no one can reach him.

Well, other than me, since I know where he is. Once Papa Samuel finds out Niko is missing, he'll probably assume my friend is in Garoyal, since he knows about the place. Other than that, I think only Aiden sul'Mar might be able to figure out where Niko is.

Here's hoping Niko recovers soon. But until then, I'll continue to support him.

Lina shows up a few minutes after me, looking stressed. Were she not nobility or royalty, I'm sure her hair would be messed up from her haste. But she has a handmaid who helps her with her hair, so it's fixed neatly.

"Jason," Lina sits beside me, as usual. "Do you know what Niko's doing? I attempted to call him on the comm plate last night and received no answer. I stopped by the mansion this morning, and Eli informed me that Niko had yet to return from visiting Mar. I called Henry, and he said that Niko never visited Mar over the weekend, despite both you and Niko saying he would be there."

"Niko didn't go to that home," I tell her. "He has several, such as the one he came from as Benjamin."

"Right," she says. "I forgot you two found out the Moon Folk still exist. You think he went there?"

"What I know," I say. "Is that wherever Niko went, he got hurt and is recovering. He doesn't want to draw attention to his injury, which would get spread around if he went to a healer, so he's staying where he's at until it heals. I guess he didn't tell his mama and papa before he turned off the comm plate."

I still need to figure out how Niko discovered that function. I'm the only one who should know how to actually do that, even if the others know mine contains it. None of them were informed theirs can go into silent mode.

"The official story," I lower my voice as I tell her the story that I gave to the Attendance Director. "But as I said, it's really that he doesn't want to draw attention to the injury. It's pretty unique and identifiable, and he's feeling rather embarrassed over receiving it because it was from a stupid mistake on his part while training."

"So he'll be out for a couple of weeks?" She asks quietly, and I nod. "He didn't want you to heal him?"

"He said," I tell her. "That he'd rather deal with the injury and let it heal on its own than suffer the humiliation of his instructor mending an injury said instructor had warned him against receiving multiple times. He feels humiliated enough just having me know about it."

Let's see how Niko deals with his reception when he returns here. No one will know about his arm, but they'll know he received some injury he feels humiliated about. I'm going to warn him as soon as Gargoyle Alpha lets me know he's returning so that he doesn't panic and think they know about his arm, but his reaction will still be amusing. Or maybe I should warn him today, so he has time to prepare himself mentally?

Speaking of Gargoyle Alpha, I hope Niko is okay with me making him. I just need to do a few more things to finish him, and the stuffie golem will be ready for action.

Hopefully, everyone's response to knowing about a 'humiliating injury' will help him feel more comfortable with his arm and leg around others. Especially Lina, as I know she's going to accept them without issue. None of the Magi would ever take issue with something like that.

Tasha arrives as I finish telling Lina this, and she's looking amused for someone who showed up right before the lesson began. There's got to be a story there, especially with the look she gave me.

"Alright, students," the professor says as soon as the lesson begins. "Just to let you all know, you're having a free period for this lesson. My third-year students had essays they turned in on Sorday, and I need to finish marking them. You are all a little ahead, so we can take the break without issue. Feel free to talk or study, just don't cause a scene or leave the room. You know the drill."

Immediately, Tasha turns and looks at me.

"Jacob caused an Origin?" She asks.

"He did what?" Lina asks in shock, so I explain about the griffin cub.

"I was almost late because of him telling me," Tasha tells us. "Jacob called me a little before the lesson began to inform me about the little guy. He knew it was almost time for lesson, but still wanted to talk with me before it started, and we almost lost track of time as he was telling me about the cub's antics."

"Speaking of grey-level beasts," Lina looks at me. "Where is Zevenas?"

"Around here somewhere," I answer. "He's wearing his amulet."

All of my students know about the amulet, and Uncle Zach had some rather stern words about me making it. He also asked Papa Jared and me to please not share how it works with anyone, for us to keep it a secret.

We weren't planning on telling others. The amulet's purpose was purely for Zevenas. I can weave together the spell myself, so I wouldn't need it, anyway.

Plus, I already figured out how to get into the royal vaults without setting off any alarms. Mama Alyssa and I are working on a stronger magical security for them, though she's doing most of that, since I'm busy with my projects, university, training, and everything.

I hope Niko returns soon, though. I've bought him two weeks to adjust, but I fear it might take him longer than that, knowing his current mental state. He might be resistant to leave Garoyal entirely now that he knows there's a place that accepts him with his gargoyle limbs.

What can I do to help him recover?

(Niko, 16)

"Benefactor," one of the elders approaches me, kneeling.

He holds a wooden box in one hand, and an object wrapped in cloth in the other. The elder presents both to me.

"We located the remains of your arm," he tells me. "We thought it best to ask you what you wished for us to do, rather than simply destroy it immediately."

Better to get rid of it than keep it. It is bad enough to have my arm a gargoyle's limb, it would be even worse to have what is left of my arm either rotting in a box or preserved through magic as an additional reminder that I am no longer a whole man.

"Burn it," I tell him. "There is no point in keeping it, so turn it to ash."

"Yes, milord," he responds. "We also recovered your ring. By a miracle, it is whole."

That should not be possible, but when I accept the cloth and open it up, I find the ring Lina gifted me in it, whole and undamaged. Something about it feels strange to me, and I try to read the magics making it up.

Training my ability to see and sense magic is something I have worked on recently. Jason does it naturally due to his heritage of being one of the Delvarkari, from being of the Dragon Clans, but any truly powerful mage – any who reached violet in magical power – can also read or sense magic. At least, they are at the point where it is a given that they may.

So I am training my sense for it right now. Jason knows I began doing so, as anyone of any magical power level can, as long as they train the sense. It just becomes easier at higher magical power levels to do so.

As I try to sense the magics of the ring, I notice a touch of divinity. Not woven into the ring, so it does not come from the forging. The ring itself was not enchanted in its crafting, Lina made that clear. It was just a simple, plain ring.

Yet a touch of divinity surrounds it. The feel of it is different from the divinity of the god who attacked me, though. Was there another god around? One who protected my ring from damage, but not my body?

If not, then why was my ring protected?

It is strange that I can sense the divinity as well, as I have yet to develop my sense for magic. So why can I sense the divinity?

The elder leaves as I examine the ring. Right now, I am alone. Kyron is with his family at the moment, and I am in a sitting room, where I was relaxing and attempting to avoid people for a little while. It appears they found me anyway.

Half an hour passes, then the door opens again, and this time, Jason walks through. Oh, right, it is past dinnertime now, which reminds me that I should probably send for a servant to bring me food. Judging by the time, the training group ended two hours ago. Jason likely ate and did some other things before coming here.

"Hey, Niko," Jason says as I slip the ring onto the middle finger of my right hand. Well, my gargoyle hand. "How are you feeling?"

"Horrible," I answer honestly. Even if the Garoyalans accept me, that does not make me any less damaged than I am. "Though a little confused."

"Confused?" He asks, and I tell him about the ring. "May I see it?"

I slip it off and hand it to him, and he examines it, murmuring under his breath in some language I do not know. After a minute of this, he hands the ring back to me.

"I know which god protected your ring," he tells me. "And why they did not protect you."

"Because I am already a broken man?" I ask.

"You aren't broken, Niko," Jason says. "Yes, you have injuries, but you have adapted to that. It's rather impressive, actually. And keep in mind that your true self is an actual gargoyle. Not just any, though – the first gargoyle. The one who makes gargoyles."

"It is difficult," I tell him. "To think of myself as the Divine Gargoyle, Jason. I am Niko sul'Mar, Third Prince of Mar. I am Benjamin of Decay, the Magus of Curse. Those are the memories I have. While I know my true self is a gargoyle, I am not a gargoyle. And I am damaged. I am missing two limbs, replaced with the limbs of creatures rather than man."

"Niko," Jason says. "Your arms are gargoyle limbs. Those are limbs fashioned after a divine being's mortal creations. Not just any divine being, though – the Divine Gargoyle. The Divine Beast which chose not to be one of the four kings when I jokingly suggested that you, Leviathan, Thunderbird, and I be the kings of the basic elements because we were the most powerful from each of our elements."

I look at him in shock. The Divine Gargoyle is more powerful than the Divine Griffin?

"Yes, Niko," Jason smiles. "Your true self is more powerful than Jacob's. By about six hundred thousand times, give or take a little. You aren't weak. You chose not to be one of the kings, which isn't even an official thing, just something I did for fun while rearranging the cosmos of this universe. It doesn't even apply to the other universes, I just wanted something fun for the stars. You are the second most powerful Divine Beast there is in our true forms. And again, an actual gargoyle."

"I know," I look down. "But it is still difficult. I do not see myself as a gargoyle. I do not remember being one. I remember being human. With a human body. I am a human in mind. And I am broken in body, missing two limbs."

Jason lets out a heavy sigh, then hands me the ring back. I study it for a moment before slipping it back on.

"The god who protected your ring," Jason tells me. "Was none other than yourself, Niko. That's why you can sense the divinity, too – it's your own divinity. Your real divinity."

"But we cannot access our divine powers," I tell him. "We are in mortal form, not divine."

"That's the norm," Jason shrugs. "Remember at the end of the war, when I manifested my true self for a few moments? I could do that because of how powerful I was and the pure rage filling me. However, each Magus can, under the right circumstances, tap into a fragment of their divine power.

"When you were attacked," he tells me. "You subconsciously tapped into it to protect the ring, to protect the gift from Lina which you cherished. I can recognize the divinity because it has the same smell as you."

"The same smell as me?" I ask. "What does that mean?"

"I have a refined nose," Jason grins, tapping his nose. "I can distinguish the scents of people rather easily. This is partly because of my status as a grey-level mage, partly because I'm one of the Delvarkari, and partly because of who I truly am. All of those gave me a unique sense of smell."

"What does my, I guess divine magic, smell like?" That is disturbing, but I am curious.

"It's an earthy smell," he tells me. "Like stone worn by wind, rain, and the ocean. That's the best I can describe it."

An interesting scent. Not one I have smelled before, but maybe I should go somewhere that has a cliff facing the ocean and smell it? But it would also be polluted by the smell of the ocean.

"I know you're still healing," Jason opens up his spatial storage and pulls out some papers, which he sets on the table, though he does not close his spatial storage. "Those are the assignments for today from university. I know you don't want to think about university right now, but I thought I'd collect the work for you, so you can work on it in your own time and not find yourself behind everyone else upon returning."

I am not planning on returning, but I do not wish to tell him that yet. Jason will be disappointed, and it might worsen the depression he hides to know that one of his friends will be far away, even if he can travel by gate to meet up with me.

"And yes, I know you aren't planning on returning," that plan just fled. "But I'm still hoping you do, and everyone was worried about you. The official story is that you're injured and recovering in Mar. That Mama Elena took care of the worst injuries, but because of the mindset of the people in the northern kingdoms, even as they accept magic, it was best to only handle those because your parents want you home for a little bit. I've bought you two weeks in case you change your mind.

"Part of the reason," he pulls something else out of his spatial storage. A basket full of snacks, flowers, and two bottles of wine. "That I did not come as soon as the training group session was because Lina asked me to wait so she could have something arranged. This is from her. A get-well basket."

Jason sets the basket on the table as I stare at it.

"By the way," Jason tells me. "The unofficial official reason you're out is that you hurt yourself doing a spell I'd told you to be careful doing and are feeling rather humiliated by the injury, and don't want anyone knowing the mistake you made, nor to be healed by the person who told you to be careful. So you're sulking in humiliation as you recover from the injury on your own, alone. I told Lina the 'truth' I created."

"Why would you say that?" I almost yell at him. "They-"

"Niko," Jason interrupts me, holding up a hand to tell me to stop at the same time. "Stop. I didn't tell her the injury is permanent, just that it'll take you a couple of weeks to finish recovering from it to the point where no one else will see what you did. This basket was meant to make you feel better as you recovered, to brighten your mood. Lina doesn't care that you feel humiliated, and she was actually a little hurt that you thought so little of her that she'd make fun of you or look at you badly because of the injury."

If she knew the truth, she would not think that. She would see me as a lesser man, because I am no longer whole. But the basket does lift my spirits some anyway. It is a gift from Lina. That makes it difficult to not accept.

"Thank you," I tell Jason.

"You're welcome," he smiles. "Now, one final thing before I return and listen to Mama Elena scold me for suddenly disappearing – would you have an issue with me setting Gargoyle Alpha to guard duty? You can use him to communicate with me even with your comm plate off, too. If you accept, then I'll only come by on Sordays to drop off your schoolwork. If you decline, I'll be here every weekday."