Educational facilities.

They can come in many different forms and most will inspire some measure of emotional reaction from those who have survived them. Some slip into sullen regret at opportunities that are now forever lost, some wear a fond smile as they think back on better times, and still others are just glad for the torturous hell to finally be over.

I don’t want the graduates of my educational system to recall their time here with regret, but instead with a distant smile and a few fond memories that last until they grow musty in hospice care. That’s the sort of schooling that I truly want but making such an institution is… challenging.

The last adjustments to our own cavern-sized academy are finalising as we prepare to accept the first round of students, and even with everything we’ve done, I’m certain we’re unprepared.

“This is the noble quarter of the academy,” the noblewoman spider-lady says, guiding us through the luxurious mansions, over the soft carpeted floor, with murals on every wall, and tiny little rooms hidden in the walls for the servants.

“It is close enough to the main facilities that travel won’t be an issue, yet far enough away that the commoners won’t cause any trouble no matter how big of a ruckus they make.”

“So, the nobles get their own little club?” I mutter, and instantly a few of the others in the tour group sneer at my attitude. “Let me guess, the republic has their own brand of luxury apartments?”

“Oh, no,” The guide says, shaking her head back and forth. “No, their children are all left to rabble together with the better apartments available to the most successful. A terrible attempt at developing students through competition, I’m sure.”

That’s enough to set off the other half of the tour group, who seem bothered at the idea of being ‘lesser’ than the nobility in any way.

While Arduelle isn’t around as often, the Grand Council meetings have continued, and our plans for an academy have been pushing ahead. Due to my careful dealings, I’ve gained power and influence over most of what’s built and taught here, but that comes with compromises.

The various different student’s quarters are a fine example, and each faction has gone all out to prove their superiority… or maybe this is just how the nobles are.

As the tour winds around to the student accommodation that I’ve prepared for my own people, I try not to take all the criticism personally.

The wide grey block apartment buildings are simple and functional, there’s enough room in each apartment to be comfortable, but not much more than that. It’s meant for sleeping, study, and privacy, so it’s not like they need a kitchen or anything.

Some rooms are larger and some smaller, but only to accommodate different scales of students. I wouldn’t make a giant try to squeeze into a rat house, even if it would do wonders for my construction budget.

“It’s functional, that’s all it needs to be,” Eshya says, trying to comfort me as she glares at the nobles and politicians making fun of us.

“It’ll look much brighter after the students move in and give it some colour,” Adler says appraisingly. “I doubt there’ll be anyone who’ll find issue with this.”

“Really?” Malea asks, walking apart from the rest of the noble clique as she marches beside us. “You don’t have to look very far, are you perhaps having some trouble with your eyes?”

“I mean to say, no one important,” Adler says more firmly this time.

With a few more exchanged barbs we move away from the incredibly simple, spartan homes that I’ve prepared, and entered into the area set aside for the republic.

Their homes are stuck somewhere between the nobility and my simple grey blocks, with rich and luxurious apartments for some few ‘deserving’ and massive barracks far worse than my own apartments for those ‘undeserving’.

No one seems surprised by this, and those of the republic even seem rather proud of it.

The end result leaves the republic and I with a comparable number of student positions while the monarchy only has room for a much smaller population. Understandable since they don’t want their commoners attending.

They grew rather stubborn on that point when I brought it up recently, and I couldn’t change their minds on it.

I set aside my wounded pride, with the small salve that my students will experience a much better standard of living, even if none of them get to experience the same luxury that the nobility and high-ranking republic students get to lounge in.

“This is the main building,” the guide says, directing us into a massive complex. It’s relatively simple, with just enough stonework outside to keep away any accusations of brutalist philosophy. At the same time, any decent graffiti artist would be itching to pull out the paints and get to work on the wide canvas provided here.

“It’s bigger than the one we went to,” Eshya says, looking into the wide lecture hall. There are enchantments around the room to ensure that the sound is clear, and there’s even a large screen connected to a camera to ensure everyone can clearly see the lecturer.

“We don’t have a wide selection of teachers,” I explain. “I’d prefer smaller classes, but we’ll have to use study groups to try and make up for the poor student-teacher ratio.”

Already I can feel the experts raging at me from the future, and a few from the side. We can adapt when we have more to work with, but for today we can only do what we can with what we have. Besides, the support devices and Skills provide a wonderfully useful educational crutch, so it’s not as if any of the kids is going to be left behind.

“So, are we going to come back to school for our own classes?” Vii asks, poking at one of the seats. It’s simple but should prove comfortable enough that it’s not a distraction when studying. The rest of the tour group is instead discussing how they’ll bring their own seats, but I try to ignore them.

“We didn’t properly graduate,” Vii continues. “What will people think of us? Deadbeat moms who never even finished their education, and we go out and pick fights with everyone. The whole neighbourhood will spread rumours about us, think of what it’ll be like for our kids.”

She bounces around as she jokes.

“I do have a mature student program,” I explain, shrugging at her antics. “It would be a good idea to show our faces every now and again, prove to people that this place is worth visiting. That anyone can come here to learn something new, or to master a new Skill, or something like that.”

“Huh, it doesn’t sound so bad when you put it like that,” Eshya says, her smile returning to her. “Can we see the training grounds?”

“Might as well,” I say, pulling us aside from the tour group.

It’s only a short walk away, almost everything is here with how it’s been laid out. I don’t need the students getting lost and stressed out from some overly complicated design.

The stone grounds extend before us, slightly modified since our last visit. Several carefully laid out arenas cover the floor of the open cavern, some are covered in ice, some earth, some stone, and one which is essentially just a deep pool.

“A few different battlefields here,” Eshya says approvingly, as she treads on the ice. I half expect her to slip, but of course, she doesn’t, easily walking over the slippery surface.

“It’s so that they can learn to fight in different situations and conditions,” I say, dipping a foot in the pool. The water is lukewarm but not at all unpleasant, I’m willing to bet that it’ll see more use for leisure than war.

“I don’t mind the idea of coming here for a break,” Eshya says. “It’s all the same battles on the surface, fighting the same monsters in the same red muck.”

“Or taking down flying bastards as they swoop down at us,” I say, still frustrated at the last surprise attack that the blue-skinned angels hit me with. They were weak enough that they couldn’t kill anyone on the team, but it could have ended much worse than it did.

“We haven’t fought very many of the fliers,” Eshya says, shaking her head. “They’re still a little terrifying to me, fighting in the air is so much more difficult.”

“When you don’t have any flight abilities, yeah, you scare me too,” I say, punching her shoulder. She lowers her head, blushing a little at my words. Fighting together and bleeding together has done wonders for our relationships, not to mention the nights we spend alone.

Her relationship with Nel has conversely suffered because of our long hunts, which I’ll have to look about getting resolved. Life would be much simpler without this ‘harem’ but I wouldn’t want for it.

“So, what’s different here from the academy we escaped from?” Adler asks, looking around suspiciously. “I heard a whisper of something new, something you brought from your home world.”

“Science,” I say, nodding slowly. “It’s about investigating the nature of reality. The Unified States might have dug up every secret in existence and stored it all away in some grand library somewhere, but we don’t have access. We have to start from scratch, and science is the process of figuring out all the answers. That and making new tools and techniques.”

“Like those ‘computers’ and the ‘guns’?” Adler asks. “I can see why you would want to train people in their construction and use.”

“Not just that, get them making their own crazy new things,” I say, with a smile.

My scientists have already managed to use their knowledge in materials to help us produce more useful alloys of steel. When doused with mana, the product is obviously better than a raw iron comparison. While mana density still determines which is stronger, it still makes a small difference to the final product.

“So, this is it?” Eshya asks. “No secret corridors, or underground hideouts?”

“No, I mean, look how that ended up for our last school?” I ask. “No monsters under the academy, the only beasts here are the ones we’ll bring in for lessons.”

“Isn’t that a little mean?” Eshya asks. “Let the kids have some fun, give them an adventure! Some hidden ‘ancient’ puzzles to solve, or terrifying beasts to fight!”

“If they want something interesting, they can make a sports club,” I say. “I do not want our kids running around in dark tunnels getting themselves hurt, just to give them an adventure.”

“They need to learn how to be independent somehow,” Eshya says.

“They’re not even born yet!” I shout, “I think we have some time before we worry about that.”

“What about our other kids?” Vii asks, “Our invisible, adopted kids?”

“They’re having enough fun stalking people around town,” I say, before calling out into the surroundings. “Aren’t you?”

One of our little four-legged insect kids steps out of the darkness and comes closer, waving his limbs around in excitement. I don’t give them as much time as they deserve, but I haven’t forgotten them either.

“Do you want to go to school?” I ask. “Learn a whole bunch of new Skills? Actually, what do you want to be when you grow up?”

“I want to be a Slayer!” The little guy shouts. “Leon is sooo cool, and he beats up all the bad guys and brings home all the meat.”

“Eh? I’m not as cool?” I’m taken aback by his reply but quickly find my feet again. “Besides, that’s so dangerous, don’t you want to do something safer? Maybe you could be a chef?”

He shakes his front limbs back and forth, chittering a quick reply.

“No way! That’s not exciting at all!” He says. “Besides, no one wants a sneaky chef. When I visited the kitchens, they nearly threw me into the ovens, they said I’m not allowed in there anymore.”

“And what were you doing in the kitchens?” I ask.

The little bugger sinks into the background, hiding from me.

“No more stealing food from the kitchens,” I tell him. “It’s not like you’re living on the street anymore, if you just ask, the food will be delivered to you.”

“I have to practice sneaking!” He replies, stomping back into sight. “The food is ours anyway, so no one is too grumpy if I take it. You said I can’t steal things, how else can I practice?”

“Have you already found and stolen all the easter eggs I’ve hidden around the place?” I ask.

“No, the others found them all and I didn’t get any,” he says, kicking at the ground.

“Fine, if you agree to stop stealing food from the kitchens, I’ll prepare some more for you,” I say, shaking my head. “I’ll hide some special shiny coins around the place. Find them and take them without getting noticed, I’ll be watching so try your best. Does that sound fun?”

“… maybe,” he says, fading back away.

“Promise you’ll leave the cooks alone?” I ask.

“Promise,” he whispers, disappearing completely. I can still see through his eyes, but that’s not enough to find him.

“So, you do love them,” Vii says, chuckling to herself. “I don’t see you playing with them much.”

“They’re not the sort of kids who like to play in the open,” I say. “They’re more the kind of kids who play hide and seek only to disappear for a month and come back with a broken leg.”

“I’m not sure you’re ready to be a mom,” Eshya gives me a harsh glare, but when her own eyes turn in search of the little bastard, she’s having just as hard of a time finding him.

“School will be good for them,” I say, looking through the arrayed facilities. “They can make a ‘hide and seek’ club, or something.”

“Well, it seems like it’ll be fine, right?” Vii says. “It’s got all the things a school should have, and a bit more. Is there anything you can see that’s missing? I’d like a garden, or somewhere to just have some calm.”

“I’ll have to have that added,” I say. “There are some rooms for group activities, a few different eating spaces, but yeah, we could do with some gardens, hot springs, lava flows, or whatever. I’ll have to consider the nature of our students first.”

“When is the first class?” Adler asks, “Soon, isn’t it?”

“We’ll have the first students moving in this week, getting them familiar with the grounds before class starts,” I say. “We do need to worry about cross-cultural conflict too. Nobles don’t get special treatment, and they need to know it.”

“That’s going to cause some trouble,” Adler says, looking back over towards their mansions. “Are you ready to deal with all that?”

“No, but I can’t delay any longer,” I say. “It’s time to open up the gates and see things started.”

“What about our war?” Eshya asks. “We’re not just giving up on the surface, are we?”

“I can fight a war and run a school at the same time,” I say, laughing to myself gloatingly. “In fact, I left the best part for last, come take a look at the head of our school. I’m sure you’ll love her.”

“Oh god, she picked up another one,” Eshya groans with a small laugh.

I walk them up to my office without saying a thing.

“I don’t think so,” Adler says. “It’s another one of those crystals, isn’t it? Like you’re throne?”

“Better,” I say, stepping into the room and waving at the figure sitting in the chair. Long red hair is draped over her shoulders, her eyes deep and dark, but reflecting the light of the room.

“I’ve hired a few roboticists from Earth, and while it took some time to figure out how to make it all work with the magic and enchantments. We have our very first working model.”

Mechanical joints aren’t so different from Barry, who served as a valuable design base, (We didn’t take him apart), while a pliable layer of soft rubber works as skin, there are large chunks of diamond beneath the surface, containing dense mana stores in case I need to throw down with a few rebellious kids.

Its face is a genuine work of art, using a variety of mechanical and magical musculature to imitate the movements of a face. Dark crystal eyes shine bright, but can’t actually see anything. I’ll need to rely on my Skill to see for me.

“Look at me!” I say, standing the mechanical puppet. “I’m in two places at once!”

They’re all taken aback, but Vii is already leaning in to poke at it with a wing. I reach out and hug her with my robotic arms.

Adler shakes her head in amazement.

“So insanely wasteful,” she whispers, rubbing at her brow.

“Hey, if I want to be here for my kids, then I want to be here even when I can’t be here,” I say. Puffing up my mechanical chest. “I can even build an army of myself… when I can spare the mana and resources…”

“I’m sure Nel will be very happy with you,” Adler says, looking rather unimpressed. “I’m not sure whether you should get our kids attached to a mechanical facsimile of you, however.”

“I don’t know, I like it,” Eshya says, wrapping an arm around my waist. “I think I want one.”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Stats and Skills

~Mana Form:

Current mana crystallisation:

-0.4% at 78,231 (Stage 2)

-99.6% at 60,892 (Stage 1)

Current mana volume: 30,304 / 30,304 shards

Mana volume at Stage 1 crystallisation (Max. mana volume):

Kyra: 30,271 shards

Kyra’s armour: 20,777 shards

Kyra’s throne: 1,109,298 shards

~Forms

Mana Canon

-Annihilation Heart (Adapted)

-Blood Fuel (Adapted)

-Bone Magic Storage (Adapted)

-Nail Shifters (Adapted)

Dancer

-Flash Nerves (Adapted)

-Quick Perception Mind (Adapted)

-Burst Reflex Muscles (Adapted)

-Layered Space Muscles (Adapted)

Turtle

-Rebinding Tissue (Adapted)

-Catalyst Sweat Glands (Adapted)

-Repulsive Skin (Adapted)

-Prehensile hair (Adapted)

-Fatty Tissue Blood Storage (Adapted)

Investigator

-Wide eyes (Adapted)

-Wide ears (Adapted)

-Sharp nose (Adapted)

Misc.

-Clean bowels (Adapted)

-Mana Drive (Adapted)

~Favourited Skills:

Magic:

-Annihilation Magic (Customised)

-Fire Magic (Functional)

-Space magic (Broken)

-Force magic (Functional)

-Ice magic (Broken)

-Wind magic (Broken)

Movement:

-Hand-to-hand casting (Mastered)

-Mana surge movement (Customised)

-Stealth (Functional)

Senses:

-Eyes of an Empire (Customised)

-Combat Awareness (Mastered)

-Watchmen (Functional)

-Hidden bug (Mastered)

-De-tagging (Mastered)

-Anti-stealth sight (Mastered)

Special:

-Spirit Transformation (Broken)

-Conformity (Broken)

-Training mana form (Functional)