Chapter Twelve - Two oaths in one day Part 2

"Misters Mercury and Riot. Can you two explain to me why I can sense two different qi forces in this class that should currently have none?" asked Magus Hemingway.

Lucky and Maggie both paled at her words. Jim Mercury was stunned and failed to react immediately. This was the case for most of the class, as well.

Well, most of the class…

"M…Ma…Magus Hemingway did you just say…" Fatty Bruce Presly was shaking as he didn't believe his ears. He couldn't even finish his sentence.

"Can… Honored Magus Hemingway, can Kasino really release his force?" asked Aubrey Graham in shock. Typically only eighth level Hard Body Mystic Stage warriors could release force from their bodies. As such, even Aubrey thought Lucky was just showing off for Margot when claiming he could do so.

Aubrey felt inconceivably jealous at that time, so she didn't watch the fight. This was the principle of Inner Essence, Outer Force that defined this level. A seventh level warrior who could already release force from his body? This meant that his inner essence was already awakened. She didn't want to believe it even after she learned Lucky actually defeated Curtis Liverpool.

Lucky had True Essence!

This meant that his strength was already enough to condense mana!

Of course, Lucky Riot still had no idea about mana or how it was condensed. He didn't understand the true essence. Nor did he completely understand the concept of inner essence, in spite of possessing it. He was just worried because this busybody instructor had just leaked his hard kept secret. How would his professor punish him now? He truly felt that this teacher sucked.

"What an odd question. Obviously, he can, why else would I… Hm?" Seeing Lucky's countenance, as well as the shock of the surrounding students, Magus Hemingway seemed to realize she had spoken too much while trying to be imposing. She suddenly realized Lucky was merely a seventh level Hard Body. Her senior apprentice sister would surely beat her up for this! She cursed herself inwardly before continuing, "No matter Mr. Riot, as this was the first offense, I'll let you off with a warning. As for you, Mr. Mercury... after class, you are to stay and recite the Chant of Peaceful Light 700 times."

"!!!" Jim Mercury's face was distraught, while Lucky's face was one of schadenfreude. Jim Mercury gnashed his teeth but responded meekly, "Yes, honored magus."

The chant of peaceful light was able to soothe the spirit veins with the holy mana existing in the Advanced Academy. The Chant of Peaceful Light could set back Jim's training by quite a bit now that he had inherited that exercise from the unorthodox path.

While avoiding punishment was all right, Lucky still felt resentment towards this cruel secret exposing woman. However, with a motion from the instructor, the students returned to their seats.

"New students, today, it is time to take the oath. You must pronounce your full name and then announce before the heavens that you will not leak, share, or otherwise disclose any information related to magic and the study thereof that this academy provides you with. Nothing you learn in this academy can be taught to mortals, or you will suffer the wrath of the heavens. Then you must pinch a drop of blood and recite the following chant," commanded Magus Hemingway imperiously, as she then taught them the obscure four-word chant. Many male students competed to complete her instructions first. Several thunderous booming sounds rang in the room. When she saw Lucky hesitating and Margot looking at Lucky, her brows furrowed as she barked with irritation, "No exceptions. Do so now, or face a forced withdrawal."

Lucky pondered for a moment before making the oath and then pinching a drop of blood as well, "I, Kasino Shreya Riot, will never leak, share, or otherwise disclose information related to magic and the study of it that has been provided by this academy. May heaven bear witness!"

Ding.

The drop of blood transformed into a golden rune that zoomed into the clouds above, where nine loud thunderclaps could be heard.

Margot Frenzy immediately followed suit, "I, Margot Corinne Frenzy II, will never leak, share, or disclose information related to the magic academy. May heaven bear witness!"

The teacher furrowed her brows once more. Neither one of these brats had pronounced the oath correctly, whether by accident or by design. However, the changes were minute. Besides, these two were the direct students of her two senior apprentice sisters, she wouldn't quip with them. Who knows, maybe they were told to take the oath in this way by those two old witches, "Very good. In this class, we are seekers of wisdom. We deliver truths and search for the proof of more truth. We are philosophers and scholars. Wisemen and educators. Sages and Wizards."

The four students in the class who had been punished the years prior for altering the oath all grimaced, Jim Mercury included. Of course, they wouldn't dare to say anything to the Honored Magus.

"Many of you are aware of my next words. However, I will still say these words for those who have not heard them. We live in the era of the Magi. Due to the discovery of origin energy and its various applications, mankind has been able to catch up and compete with the other powerful races of the world... Yes, Margot?"

"Honored magus, what are the other powerful races of the world? I don't seem to have heard of this," Margot Frenzy had, in fact, long since heard about it. Merely, she feared that Lucky was unaware, so she asked for him. She knew that he was looked down on as bumpkin whenever he posed a question. However, who would dare look down on the little princess of the Frenzy Family? Lucky smirked a bit but didn't do anything to expose her play. After all, he truly wanted to ask this question but didn't want to endure more ridicule.

Magus Hemingway's eyes flashed in amusement, as she explained slow and deliberately while staring Lucky Riot in his eyes. It was as if he had asked her himself, "We are, in fact, not the only intelligent race in the world. Avaria is a fey territory. Therefore we humans are not even the majority."

"Fey?" Lucky Riot and many others all couldn't help but ask aloud. This word held a mysterious charm to what he subconsciously felt was his soul itself. Who are the fey? Could Lucky himself be a fey? He had met many other races, but his mother had never once referred to these people as fey. Is this what they referred to the mixed breeds as?

"This is no easy question. Fey are another race, yes. However, they are also our kin. Technically they are not much different from humans, for many of them have human blood in their veins. The ones who don't are referred to as fey beasts.

"So the fey are basically the mixed breeds of human descent," Lucky mumbled loud enough to be heard.

"Precisely. The fey and our appearances are completely similar most of the time. However, there are exceptions. Most fey possess great bloodline powers and muscular bodies. They have natural recognition of specific power formulas that are born from their bloodline. In this vast universe exists many wondrous powerhouses capable of amazing things. Among the full and bright stars, we humans are by far the weakest race from an individual standpoint. However, that was before the day the humans learned to utilize the magic of the divine creatures!

"The discovery of origin energy alone didn't change humankind. Although there were born powerful warriors capable of collapsing small mountain or taming minor winds and rain, mere warriors of humanity were far weaker than all the other races. Simply far weaker. Our only reason for survival is our outrageous repopulation rate. Ancient records indicate that we produce around 60% more offspring than the nearest foreign race in comparison."

"60%? That's crazy," the new students and even a few older students were all fascinated to hear such world flipping information. This wasn't just a small difference. Other races simply couldn't keep up with the population of humanity.

"No, ancient hieroglyphs depict that it wasn't until our forefathers made a bargain with a behemoth and a true dragon. Everyone thought they would lose horrifically, and they actually won! The true dragon taught our race the wonders of magic, and the behemoth taught us the wonders of the soul! Our Fallen Hero race went from being lower life forms to become a third rank race." Magus Hemingway spoke and moved with elegance and grace, "However, our puny bodies prevent us from competing with the powerful second and first rank races. To fix this issue, the hero race entered a treaty with the various breeds.

This agreement led to an arrangement that would take advantage of a human's most significant feature, our ability to reproduce with nearly any race! Eventually, they even lured in the declining Infinity Monster race, the first-rank race!

"Once there were various unions between human and divine monsters, they became known as a new race. Humans with bloodline powers on the divine level were no longer human by anyone's standard. Thus, they came to be known as the fey. Perhaps this is in honor of the Fairy Race, who were the first to copulate with mankind. Ancient Faries were once also known as the fey. Human-Fairy variations can be considered as the first fey, but not really. Fairy blood is not divine, after all."

Lucky Riot's head was blown wide open!

How could such an earth-shaking secret manage to remain undercover? This was completely irregular. The human race was so weak in comparison to the higher races? There was such a significant disparity? Even after learning how to control magic, they were still only third rank?

This was quite a blow!

However, Lucky seemed to suddenly realize something crucial, as he glanced at Margot Frenzy in front while murmuring to himself "Fey Race… Bloodlines… could it be?"

"That being said!" Magus Hemingway's voice boomed throughout the room, knocking all the students out of their thoughts, "There are two primary types of magic. Bloodline magic, or magic that can only be activated by the power in your lifeblood, and natural magic, or magic based off and activated by elemental powers. This class will focus on natural magic.

"There are six ranks for Magi at the mortal level. They are Rank 1: Apprentice, Rank 2: Novice, Rank 3: Junior Magus, Rank 4: Senior Magus, Rank 5: Grand Magus, Rank 6: Magus Guru. These ranks are further divided into sub ranks of bronze, silver, gold, and prism. At this school, our highest ranked Magus, the guru, is rumored to be a Prism Rank 4: Senior Magus. The guru in her title refers to her status as the number one Magus in the school."

"Honored Magus, this little one wonders what rank you have reached?" Craig Crack suddenly asked a bold question.

Magus Hemingway smiled at his inquiry, "I will, of course, offer you this knowledge, as you will need a goal to aim for. Your teacher here is a little lady of the Gold Rank 3: Junior Magus rank."

"Congratulations, honored magus, on successfully advancing!"

"Congratulations, honored magus!"

"Magus Hemingway sure is talented… she upgraded her strength to the third rank in less than 3 years, right? I heard this is rare among Junior Magi?"

"How should we know, didn't I just reach Bronze Rank 1? Gold Rank 3? That's way out of our league!"

…

The class broke out into another uproar upon hearing the news, but this time the instructor was not in a rush to stop them. She basked in the warm words of these fawning brats until she was sick of it, "Settle down, class."

"Magus Hemingway!" Lucky called out in his deep voice with his big hand raised high, drawing in everyone's attention, "A question for you."