Ebony's Fable

Laika had a headache listening to Targot’s report. Her heart ached even though she hadn’t been there to listen to the kids cry in pain.

How was she going to explain to their parents?

She must have made a mistake playing along with Ebony but at the same time, there was nothing she could do. He was being reasonable in the beginning and now it was too late.

Mr Zephire might be the target of Ebony’s mana but she and Madam Wilcox could sense the horrid mana too. It was thick and heavy, unlike anything they’d felt. Having met a Duke of Elves once, she dare said that Ebony’s mana far surpassed what she sensed from the Duke himself in terms of the sheer power behind it.

The only weird thing was that both Madam Wilcox and she agreed that Ebony’s mana pool seemed extremely small for a mage of his calibre. It was as if he was just a Master or Great Mage. Since he wore an obfuscation jewel, they were not able to Identify his level or class.

“I’d suggest you keep your grandfather unaware,” Laika recalled Madam Wilcox’s advice.

“He’s too dangerous and we don’t know what he wants.” As the headmistress, she regretted backing down to the odd man’s request.

“You think too much, he’s just a curious child.”

“He could be older than all of us combined!” Laika didn’t understand how these old folks think either.

“I doubt that from our interactions. I wouldn’t worry too much if I were you.”

“I have to inform my grandfather at least…” Laika’s grandfather, the previous headmaster, was a very old man. He barely managed to reach the minimum requirement of 1.1 times skill level for his evolution to the ranks of a King for a 25% Fortification increment.

It was barely anything, but the purity of his mana increased quite drastically. The speed at which he could gather large amounts of mana increased. His mana capacity was able to increase slightly and his mental reach and sensitivity vastly improved.

Even the evolution from Master to Grandmaster has obvious changes that weren’t strictly defined by their Fortification percentages. Hence, the weak Fortifications were enough to put him above most Grandmasters. Most importantly, it increased his lifespan.

Be that as it may, she believed that her grandfather was still one of the strongest individuals one could find within the Capital. After all, he kept bragging about evolving to Grandmaster with a full set of 1.5 times requirement. It meant he had over two dozen skills reaching the heights of level 450 while he was a Master!

Laika was the same but only for her Class, with her Sub-Class and Profession only getting a 50% Fortification instead of 100% ones. The skill level requirement was just too high.

With her grandfather reaching the ranks of a King, it meant he managed to level his skills from 450 or so to 550 for the minimum evolution. With only his Core Skills reaching the 1.25 requirement and receiving a few 50% Fortification instead of a 25% buff. He even had one new Fortification for his Class and Sub-Class.

It was no wonder her grandfather could brag about having three skills over level 600 and a full set over 550 for centuries. Laika only wished that she could achieve the same feat in her lifetime. Dreaming about surpassing her grandfather could be left for Raika who was more talented than her.

“He’s hot-headed despite his age, it’s a pity if he dies at his old age.”

“What?”

“Hmm how about this, tell him there’s an interesting mage who likes to discuss magic and has a particularly unique view on mana manipulation basics. Give him an impression of a meet and greet instead of a fight.”

“Okay. but that aside, I’m still worried about the children.”

“I’ll take a look at their next practice.”

Madam Wilcox took her leave and Laika slumped onto her armchair.

‘As long as he doesn’t harm any of us…’ She sighed and took a strain relievers from a secret compartment in her drawer. Hoping her daughter doesn’t walk in and find out she fell back into the habit of smoking.

❅❅❅

Targot was stunned.

He wasn’t surprised his students didn’t have visible injuries. Ebony made sure to hit where they were clothed and there were plenty of medicines that could heal petty bruises.

He was more surprised that all those who attended the ‘secret’ training seemed energetic. Too energetic.

It was not his first year teaching children. Even energetic kids had limits, but this group seemed even more boisterous than usual.

When he tried to ask them as naturally as possible, what have they been doing they replied they’d studied or played hide and seek.

When he asked them what they were doing in the afternoon after lessons, those who had been to Ebony’s training session quickly made something up on the spot.

‘They were just crying earlier today…are we the ones underestimating our students? No way! Tia, Esme, and Penelope are not that strong-willed, they’ve never even dared to see their seniors aim lighting spells at each other.’ Targot couldn’t believe it.

With their senses, it was not hard to tell when children were lying or trying to hide something. They all seem excited for lessons to end, for them to run off somewhere.

After his lesson ended, he stepped out and left the door ajar.

“Why didn’t you come this morning?”

“We can’t lose face for our instructors.”

“It won’t look good if all our seniors and instructors win but every single one of us loses.”

Targot heard his students cajole others to join their secret training.

‘It seems like we’re the ones that underestimated our students. Maybe, harsher methods aren’t unsuitable…Mr Ebony’s not just an amazing mage, he clearly understands close combat too. He’s a grandmaster, I should ask him for a duel and see if I can tell why these kids have such a sharp and sudden change in persistence. If it works, perhaps I should ask for permission to let them use their mana for these training sessions.’

Targot suddenly got worried about his match. The Arcane Warriors were good, their Masters who were similarly instructors like him were people he knew. They were in the same district and interacted a few times before. He was even old friends with one of them.

‘Urgh, I can’t lose if they have so much confidence in us. Got to get the senior years to buck up too.’ Targot went to the faculty office and told whoever was present about their students’ confidence in them.

It set off a wave of motivation to put in a few more hours of practice.

❅❅❅

“Yeah, I’m pretty sure my mana’s affecting all of them. This is the first time there’s a noticeable difference in other’s stamina regeneration and not just mana. Then again, meditation helps regenerate both.” Ebony wasn’t overconfident enough to think that he changed the kids in one morning.

He was far more convinced it was how susceptible unclassed children were to the effects of their surroundings. Namely, his mana and general aura.

He even went as far as to hypothesise that his thoughts, his Will, affected them.

Umar was his indicator.

During the session, he thought, ‘oh they’ll start to love training’ and before long Umar got slightly more energetic. His facial muscles shifted from one of pain to one of excitement.

The rest of the children reacted to a lesser degree.

Although he didn’t want to say they were his guinea pigs, that was how it appeared. He was almost certain that his Will’s connection with his thoughts was strengthened.

What he thinks, will be.

Having it more compelling seemed to affect the targets of his thoughts and his mana being soother calms people down more. The mana and stamina regeneration effect for whom he spreads his effects seemed to be a lot stronger than before his evolution. It used to be insignificant and not to be relied on but from the looks of it, it was possible to compare him to some calming pearls.

‘Children are too easily influenced, they’ll catch my…dullness. I’ll stop when their competition’s over.’ Ebony had to be rather careful with how he affected other people.

He read in the Academy’s library while the lesson was going on.

“Mr Ebony, would you like to join a tea party I’ll be hosting? I’ve invited a few of my old friends, some senior imperials from the mage association are invited too. It’s an academic meet so to speak.” Near the end of his reading session, Madam Wilcox walked in and found him. With the size of the library, ‘find’ was a stretch.

“If you don’t mind my presence, I’ll be glad to join. Thank you for the invitation.” Ebony did not expect a tea party invite. The old lady had some connections and he was more than glad to listen in on an academic meet. Hopefully, he wasn’t going there for small talk.

“Alright, it’s in ten days at the Mystic Morsels Pavilion in the tenth hour. Let me write you the address.” Madam Wilcox carried pen and paper everywhere she went.

The Mystic Morsels Pavilion sounded like some kind of cafe. It was quite far away, the south part of the Central District so still within the inner walls. Ebony probably has to leave an hour or so before the meeting time.

He nodded in thanks for the invite and went home for the day. There was still some time before his classmates’ lessons ended. He waited for the construction team to arrive to let them in. In the end, only two people came. A Grand Earth Mage and a Grand Architect.

He assumed the construction would take days at minimum so Ning Xin leaving was good timing if she didn’t want to have her sleep or cooking disrupted. After listening to their exact plans, he allowed them to get started and created a new Model that was specifically to watch the house and prevent theft. He let it use most non-lethal ice, gravity and sealing spells.

His piano was scheduled to arrive later at night.

Ebony wanted to see how many of his classmates quit but none of them seemed like quitters after they began to stand up and fight back.

When the chime hit, he made his recorder transform into their bully and knocked on their door. Fetching them to come to play with him.

The chaos in the classroom ensued when those who’d never seen Cerise simply thought it was him, the ice big bro who was playing around. But for those that’d been beaten the whole morning, some of them flinched, others fell down in shock.

Faelk already jumped out the window while carrying a girl in each arm. The only one with a good fight-or-flight response. He helped his unaware classmates out of the window one by one while Bilal rammed his entire body into the ice sculpture, sending both him and the sculpture rolling into the corridor.

Ebony used a little gravity manipulation so that the sculpture still weighs roughly the same as the actual person despite the higher density of his Model. The only injuries Bilal sustained were a hard knock into his bruised body.

“I’m just here to fetch you.” He poured cold water over their enthusiasm. Using his own voice so that he didn’t scare them any further. His classmates scolded the ones who overreacted to their big bro’s spell.

Mentally, Faelk, Bilal and Umar got plus points. Umar was the only one who whipped his wand out and even managed to start a spark of lightning. He would intensify their training.

To his surprise, the number of his classmates that showed up was more than in the morning. But there were two that didn’t show up, Atticus and Fabian. The excuses his classmates gave for them were strict curfews and personal family training.

‘Fabian has training? Maybe more on the magic side or theory studies.’

The midday session went smoother than the one in the morning. They didn’t see it as training and each other’s presence made it like a normal class.

“Big bro, when are you going to teach us some secret moves?”

“What secret moves?”

“You know, to beat the arcane warriors.”

“You don’t need any secret moves…why don’t you ask when you can dodge consistently.” Ebony could understand why they assumed he was going to teach them some skill.

Even if their opponents trained for two or three years at best, they would not catch up in a few weeks regardless of how intense the training was.

“All we’ve been doing is dodging!”

“Mmhmm. That’s all you need to beat someone of her calibre. Your assignment throughout these few weeks is to beat this Model just by dodging. Tip, understand balance and centre of gravity.”

“What is gravity?”

Madam Wilcox who sat at the same spot where Targot had been in the morning cleared her throat.

‘I guess I’m not supposed to teach them some things…’

The kids yelped when Madam Wilcox walked out of the refraction screen he made for her.

“Perhaps you can demonstrate what you mean Mr Ebony. That would surely be easier than explaining when they don’t understand the words.”

Ebony nodded, he would’ve demonstrated but using his own Model against himself might not bring the point across since they might think he was controlling his Model to fail instead.

‘Should I find someone upstairs…’ The Quest Hall and underground training and duelling grounds had plenty of people. Even finding one or two people at level 400 wasn’t impossible but maybe not every day.

“What are you thinking about Mr Ebony? These kids can’t see us moving too fast, I shall suffice.” Madam Wilcox seemed to read his mind.

“Oh right. Then,” Ebony gestured for the old lady. She was a head shorter than him, an average human female height. With some grey in her blond head of hair. Her skin began to wrinkle, rather rare amongst Grandmasters and a sign of her old age.

She stabbed her walking stick into the ground and the whole staff crackled with lightning before she lunged at him with a slash.

There was nothing to write home about when both of them were moving slowly enough for the children to observe.

Ebony didn’t take a single step and leaned back ever so slightly, letting the blade of lightning swing past him. Weaving around the continuous strikes, he was just surprised by how smooth Madam Wilcox’s swing transitions were. She was actively aiming to break his flow of evasions.

When he finally took a step forward, he timed it when Madam Wilcox’s feet lifted off the ground to move forward to attack him. Placing his feet in the quarter point of her path caused her to trip but he respected the old and caught her before she fell to the ground.

He didn’t explain what he meant, allowing them to come up with their answers and ideas. Hopefully, they won’t overthink it. Tripping someone was all it took. It didn’t require much strength. Just looking for opportunities and understanding when their opponent was least balanced.

Since they were more mage-focused, just learning how to dodge and react to melee attacks was good enough as a start.

“Mr Ebony.” Madam Wilcox called him out before she walked her students home or back to their dormitory.

“Just Ebony is fine.”

“You’re a warrior.”

“I know my way around close combat.”

“Can you train our Instructors? Targot and Raika especially. Just against warriors.”

“How can I teach instructors. I was just lending a hand to my classmates.” Children and adults require completely different approaches.

It wouldn’t take any more of his time since he could do both at the same time but he didn’t feel like it. There was no benefit for him except an additional data set for how his new Will affects Masters. Helping children grow stronger felt good but watching how terrible adults were didn’t.

Ultimately, Ebony didn’t reject Madam Wilcox. He might not stand to gain but he didn’t have anything to lose. Controlling the Models and watching every one of their fights didn’t require too much of his mental effort so he could multitask. It was a good chance to check out what lightning spells were commonly used. More importantly, she invited him to a tea party and he felt bad rejecting her when it didn’t require any effort on his part.

Ebony returned home to see the hard-working constructing duo discussing the sewer pipeline’s redirection. The construction was estimated to finish when they continued the next day. It was just a 50 metre rectangular dig so the complications were only with the pipings and structural problems with soil and earth.

The leisure days continued.