Do you prefer bigger chapters, which takes more time to be released or smaller ones being released more frequently?

And do you need an indicator for knowing who's speaking?

Next week I need to prepare for a lot of exams. I will try to write as much as possible, but I'm afraid you have to wait until the 25th for more frequent updates.

With this chapter the prologue ends and the School/First-Dungeon Arc begins! Thanks for holding out!

I post this chapter before intensive proof-reading, will catch up on it tomorrow.

Enjoy!

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“The Holy Kingdom of Gewain lies in the heart of the Theran continent. It's a rag rug of many territories, ruled by nobility, boards and clergy. The most influential circles decide the next King. But only high nobility has a chance of becoming royalty. The Gewain Council, lead by the royalty, is settled in the Capital of Gewain, Alessor, and supervises the kingdom.

But the Councils power was limited. Brawls were common. Most of them were fought to get or retain control over dungeons. There are just a few of them, but the resources they provide are enormous.

It's said that those who control the dungeons, control the country.

The Guild was founded in order to keep a balance of power. Every dungeon in Gewain was set under supervision of the Guild. It's institution needs to be comprehensible and monitored. The cities above those dungeons are free of affiliation and self-governed. It doesn't matter now, if a person is a farmer or from upper nobility. Each citizen has the same right to access a dungeon. Of course they have to register first, then proof they have the required potency for the respective dungeon.

Many have been using this chance to make a living from raiding dungeons. Those were called Adventurers. Nowadays every person registered at the Guild and labelled as active is also referred to as Adventurer.

Without the constant brawls over dungeons and free access, more manpower has been diverted to dungeon-exploring and raiding. The whole country prospers since the establishment of the Guild."

-History Tuition for Beginners, by Xander Mathews.

***Aeron***

It's different seeing the mansion through your own eyes. The mansion is huge! High ceilings with expansive looking chandeliers and old suits of armour are adorning the interminable hallways. After about a minute we arrive in front of a heavy double door. He guides us in and closes the door in one fell swoop. The windows are barred, there's no escape. Steeling my self I turn towards Mia's dad.

Instead of his grim look, he has a thoughtful expression now.

Shortly after there's a knock and a 5,3 feet tall, wise looking man enters the room, followed by Lily. His white, long beard rivals Santa Claus' and conveys an old age. Together with his long, blue robe he portrays a stereotypical wizard. A pointed hat would be the cherry on top, though you shouldn't make too great demands.

He's breathing heavily, as if he joined a marathon, and offers a small, crystal clear shard in a box to Lord Kingsley.

“Thank you Leonard, but please think of your age, don't rush every time I call you.”

“Yes Milord!” With a reverent bow he places himself at the wall.

Mia's dad inspects me thoughtfully, hands the shard to me and tells me to hold it. In my hand it begins to glow weak at first, but it quickly grows into a lucid, almost transparent, faint pale blue. But it's not the whole shard, just a small pattern within, which shines. It looks like a 2. His thoughtful look is replaced by an astounded one. Just for a split second, but I don't think I imagined it. From behind him I can hear the old wizard, I mean Leonard murmur: “Oh, how uncommon... should be a wind-affiliation? Rare, though the weakest element. But a level 2... remarkable for a fledgling.”

This puts a big smile onto my face. Fledging doesn't sound that nice, but if my guess is right, it should signify that I'm able to learn magic. Even though a weak element, it's still magic! Taking one glance at Lord Kingsley and my smile is gone. What can I say, first impressions are crucial and I'm pretty sure I failed this one beautifully. He tells me to give the shard to the still meek Mia.

It slowly begins to shine as bright as in my hands, but the light patterns a crimson red 2.

“Milord! I-impossible!”

This time even Lord Kingsley can't hide his perplexity.

“Dad? What's the matter?”

Ignoring her he turns towards Leonard and asks: “Was she really level 0 this morning?”

“Yes Milord. A crimson red 0. An enhancer, just like your highness. Helen saw it, too.”

His gaze rests on me. Gaining 2 levels seems uncommon. Does it has something to do with me? The summoning? Or our blackout?

“Dad! Speak with me!”

“Dear, do you know how long it takes to gain your first levels? It takes months of combat to reach level 2! And it doesn't include the time for learning the skills needed. Not to mention the time you would need without combat!”

“Miss Kingsley, if it was that easy to raise your life-force, the whole population would do it. But it's arduous and time consuming, the very reason nobility emerged.”

Listening to Lord Kingsley and Leonard I conclude it has to be either the summoning or the blackout, perhaps induced through our bond? After all I can't remember being in any combat so far. Even Mia isn't able to make head or tail of it.

Lily, being reticent until now, steps forward: “I believe the situation is closely linked to Aeron and we can look forward to even greater achievements. Sending both of them to the academy could solve the issue concerning Mia's engagement? It could either help Mia gaining enough strength to be independent or help shaping Aeron into a suitable fiancé. There's a chance for him to perish, too.”

“My engagement?! What are you talking about?”

“Fiancé... me?! I'm just 11!” I couldn't hear Lily's last sentence, which was whispered to Lord Kingsley and made him think. Mia reacted slightly quicker than me. It's not as if I don't like her. I really do. We get along wonderfully, like best friends! But we are talking about getting married! I still haven't had my first kiss, let alone experienced a crush!

Lord Kingsley brooded over Lily's conclusion, then gazed confused at Mia: “Dear? We spoke after your party. The big dispute we had? You need to look for a suitable fiancé in Griffon Academy or I have to choose one. But Lily has a point, too, I nee...”

“Wha....”

“Mia Fiora Anabelle Kingsley! Interrupting is bad etiquette and not tolerated in this house. Though I need to consult with Helen afterwards... Lily, arrange everything for Aeron to accompany her to Altos. It's not possible for him to join Griffon Academy in Altos, but maybe we can get him into the Adventurer Academy. By the way, you are departing with them. It's your job to oversee them, don't disappoint me!”

“Yes Lord Kingsley.”

“Now dad, what on earth has gotten into you? Suddenly talking about me getting engaged?! I will become a powerful Adventurer, strong enough to explore the dungeon and find the truth, never something like a dull, chained housewife! Are you nuts fo...”

“How are you talking to y...”

Lily is pulling me out of the room, while shaking her head, followed by Leonard, leaving back two raging persons. He bids us farewell and leaves in the opposite direction. Lily guides me through the unending corridors until we arrive at a luxury looking guest-room. Main focus is a massive canopy bed and an extravagant wardrobe. She tells me to use the clothes inside the wardrobe.

Wearing a playful smile she then asks me if I need help getting changed into a pyjama. After pushing her out of the room she wishes me a sweet night, winks and leaves.

I'm a sulky that my opinion and point of view was neither asked nor considered. But all in all I think the outcome is acceptable. I get to help Mia and above all I get to learn magic! Though I have a really bad vibe about being send to Altos with Lily as overseer.

***Lord Magnus Kingsley***

One of the worst nightmares of every father is to find a boy in your daughters bedroom. When Lily knocked on my door and spoke rapidly, I could only make out scraps of her monologue like summoning, boy, bedroom and Mia. Immediately I rushed to my daughters chamber and forced Lily to report calmly in the meantime.

After Mia's birthday party we had a big quarrel. I know it was a bad timing, but she had to know about it before she leaves tomorrow. Our family counts to the upper nobility. The very fact is reason enough for that pack of power craving hyenas. They are trying to arrange an engagement with my little daughter. But I would never trade her in. All they see in her is the right to participate in the battle for the crown. It's not as our current King is going to die anytime soon. Those with plenty of life-force have a very long span of life.

Until today I was able to refuse all of them comparatively easy. Aura and mana develop during puberty and with it they are official considered as part of the society. Enchanted shards are used to measure aura and mana. Our shard showed a reaction to Mia this morning. It's something worth celebrating, but all I could think of are those hyenas, who will pressure anew with much more vigour. Our house lost lots of its power years ago.

Luckily the new school term starts in a few days. It's expected from nobility to send their children to one of the academies after their coming-out. There they will cultivate their powers in order to protect the country and the people within. Noblesse oblige, but most of them have forgotten. They see the tradition as convenient for their power struggles.

I might had similar thoughts, but after loosing my oldest son Silvius, I couldn't care less about them.

Sending her as fast as possible to one of the academies will lend us some time. That's why my wife Helen missed most of the birthday party. She departed early afternoon to arrange everything meticulously. I would have done it, but I know better than to mess with Helens decisions.

Yet postponed is not abandoned. Mia was excited as we told her about sending her to Griffon Academy. It's the most renowned academy in the western territories. Famous for their swordsmanship. It's the same academy Silvius attended.

Mia is clever and far ahead of her age group. Diligent, but not interested in much more than training and reading. Perhaps I sheltered her too much. And I tried to slow her down, to no avail, though. In the end I even taught her some swordsmanship.

However the academy isn't for her to seclude herself in training. You need to have a noble origin in order to be accepted at Griffon Academy. Hence it's the perfect place to find a suitable fiancé. Woe to those who doesn't treat her right!

But how do you tell your 11 year old daughter that she has to find a suitable fiancé? I messed up.

I lost temper as she was talking back and even brought up her imaginary friend again. It's not normal to still have an imaginary friend at her age. I told her to stop the idiocy and never mention him again. I was right, wasn't I? The next year is crucial for her. It will decide her future. She's smart. She will succeed, though she's just 11... I will send Lily with her. She's manipulative, but loyal to us. Especially to Mia. Hopefully Lily can cope with being back in Altos.

Listening to Lily's report I get to know that Mia spend the whole evening trying a summoning. However summoning isn't something you can learn in a few hours and first of all, her mana has just begun to develop this morning. I get a bad vibe about this: “Lily, what have you done?”

She may look like an adorable, innocent young girl, but don't get yourself fooled. That's a strong life-force for you. She was Silvius' junior and one of his closest friends, taking care of Mia since the incident.

“There is no way I could have summoned him... but I... may... have shown her how to... but it's not right to force her! There's still hope. The bond... Aeron exists... He's real! And bound to her. Mia can't be given to them, after all, it's their fault in the first place!”

“Stop it Lily! Don't bring it up.”

She nods weakly and for a second her mask crumbles. But instantly, as if it was just an illusion, her typical impish smile dominates again. “Please knock, Lord Kingsley. I left them alone a short while ago an..”

I can't help it and frown, the situation is dire, even without her interference. I need to reconsider, though first I have to verify the situation and check w-what they are doing. It has nothing to do with Lily's talk, nil...!

*bam*

Opening the door gently I get a glimpse of Mia jumping up. Almost raging I glare at the weird clothed boy lying beneath her. Looking at Mia my mood improves slightly, but I need to verify, still all I can say while pointing at him is: “Who.”

“That's Aeron! I told you about him!... I'm not whimsical...”

So that's him...

“It's nice to meet you. My name is Aeron Evans.”

At least he knows etiquette. I'm not a magician, still I recognise the advanced summoning-circle beneath him. I need time to rethink the whole situation. Hold on, Evans? Could it... No, impossible.

“Both of you, follow me. Lily, call Leonard. Tell him to bring the shard to my working-room.”

***Lily Ravenstein***

Oh, soooo cute! Aeron was red as a tomato when he pushed me out of the guest-room, how innocent! Of course there's no way I would do a thing.

After turning at the next corner, I can't help it anymore and perform an embarrassing victory pose. What can I say? I love it when a plan comes together. And this one worked better than I could hope for.

I struggle not to skip on my way back to my room. I can't let anyone notice this affective side of me. I have a duty to fulfil at all costs.

Bback in my room, I'm going to get ready for bed. After all I have to arrange some things before leaving tomorrow.

Laying my necklace carefully onto my bedside table, memories of him are emerging. Trying to fight back my tears, I remind myself that it's not the time to indulge myself in the past. I need to get some rest.

Instead I now have to think about Aeron, I did something horrible today.

Atonement isn't something I can hope for, but I can make his new life memorable.

Yes, I will make his new life 'interesting'.

With a playful smile, I finally fell asleep.