ALL NOVEL Libertas – Hoard of a Beast
Texas, The Lone Star State.
Here it is, Libertas, the worst Gem Holder Academy of all, four days before the start of the new semester. And it's also my birthday.
I got a gift from Seria because she's the only person who knows and cares enough, more than me even. Well, not that I care in the beginning.
I got myself a silver watch, not a God Slayer. I don't really need it since I can tell the time by just looking up at the Sun.
...
Yeah, that isn't healthy.
Anyway, Libertas is in the middle of nowhere, it is at least a thirty-minute drive from the nearest town. Built near Selen's Hoard, the Enchanted Rock.
It's like a fortress with two buildings, each with a thousand rooms, far from each other. Those are the dorms.
More on the fortress part, it is built like a U.S.A. military academy, big and intimidating and all of that jazz. Bet I can blow it up.
"Utopia, is there anyone welcoming me?", because the heat is getting to me, wearing three layers of clothes and all.
"[Yes, Your Highness. The Vice is waiting for you.]", he replied through my phone.
"Good.", I lifted the coffin and began to approach the building.
I soon approach the front gates, where I feel a strong presence of Relics, a lot of them. But the most powerful one... is the sense of Death.
I passed the gate, heading for the step leading up to the main building...
"Hello, Captain Sinclaire.", Francis greeted me.
Still, I can't believe the Herald of The Starlight Psychopomp, Death itself, is fucking Elizabeth the First.
"Hello, Francis. So... interview or something?", I asked.
I walked up the marble steps to get to her. Dark green hair with a green glow, her eyes are sunken, yet they still gleam a green light... yeah probably overworked. Wearing a dark green business suit that has black fog coming off of it, a clear sign she isn't normal.
"We'll skip the interview since there isn't a lot of time left. So just plan your study material and give it to me for review and approval, then I'll set up a schedule for your classes.", she explained, "So is there anything in mind?"
"Yeah, what will I be teaching anyway? Selen said I'll teach Philosophy, which is a pretty bad idea for your information.", I'm kinda an extremist.
"Yeah... we changed that, you will be in charge of—"
I cut her off, "Wildlife Expedition."
"That isn't it.", she scowled, "Defensive Combat, you will teach these young Gem Holders how to defend themselves without committing crimes."
I sighed, taking out a cigarette and smoke. Then I grinned.
"I'll book an expedition trip for those who want to experience what the life of a Hunter is like.", I suggested.
"You want to bring highly volatile teens and young adults out for a field trip?", she just gave me a look.
"They still refuse to give me that Leviathan Hunter License...", they are definitely holding me back.
Or the greatest bane of any governmental body, bureaucracy.
"So you want to use the students to get your license upgraded?", she crossed her arms.
"Either that or awaken Cthulhu. That will show them."
"I don't think awakening some ancient Dragon that is also the World's apocalypse button is not a good idea.", she shook her head, "Fine, think of this as a service from the former Queen of Britain. I shall grant you the ability to host a field trip."
"But...", a briefcase formed in her right hand, on it were two gold scythes crossing each other with a gold star above them, "If any of the students die or go missing, you will face the wrath of a Ghost Maker."
"Are you threatening me?", my grin grew wider, "I'll show you what a real threat is like."
I pointed to the sky, "Look up."
She turned her head up, and her eyes instantly widened. Up there is Utopia in his mecha form, looking down on us all.
"I have Utopia."
"Hah... I don't need more work.", Francis shook her head, "Come on, I'll show you your room and office. And have him move away, please."
We walked inside, the hallway was pretty much empty, apart from a few janitors doing maintenance. A few twists and turns here and there.
This place is pretty big.
"What is with that briefcase?", I start up a conversation. That this has a strong odor of Death...
"This?", she raised it up, "This is my Reaper Scythe, all Ghost Makers have one, which all look different from one another."
Reaper Scythe... right...
"Is there something in there that makes it a Reaper Scythe?"
"You are correct.", she nodded, "Inside is a Fae known as the Sluagh, or what is commonly known as - The Wilde Hunt."
I chuckle at that, "So you have a whole army inside it?"
"You could say that. What is a Queen without her Royal Guards?", she shrugged.
The Sluagh is a type of Unseelie Fairy, as categorized in the Hunter Encyclopedia, it is made of souls... no, souls cannot maintain themselves without a body or a mind.
Through my understanding of Alchemy, a human cannot exist without the three components, Body, Soul, and Mind. If one of them strays away, everything will collapse.
So the Sluagh is not made of human souls, but Imprints. Imprints are what all life leaves behind when it perishs, that is the simplest explanation.
So in that briefcase are Imprints of warriors, how many? I don't know, but it's a lot.
After some time, we got to an empty office. A pair of sofas opposite each other, separated by a coffee table. An office desk in front of the window overlooking the courtyard, a gaming chair instead of an office chair... it had RGB too, what the fuck. Two bookshelves on each side of the room.
Yeah, this is an office alright.
"If you need anything, just inform me or Doris. As long as it's just books and essentials.", Francis crossed her arms.
For Defensive Combat, huh...
"Krav Maga, Karate, Bajiquan, Mixed Martial Arts, Brazilian Jiujutsu, Boxing... what style should I teach the students?", I turned to Francis, "Your opinion?"
"Just go with whatever you are comfortable with.", she said, not understanding the prospect of why I listed them...
"That won't do.", I shook my head, "My style of martial art is... Pankration mixed with Muay Thai."
Francis widens her eyes after hearing that. These two aren't like most martial arts, since more display strength through refined movements, while Pankration and Muay Thai display refinement through sheer brutality.
A martial art that involves maiming and beating your opponent to a pulp, and one that was made specifically to fuck your opponent up.
There is beauty in brutality. Both start with 'b' too.
"Yeah... that won't fly in this place.", Francis agreed with me, "I'll get books on the subject you mentioned."
"Thanks, I'll make something out of it.", I snap my finger, summoning a cup of coffee and taking a sip, "Oh, by the way, how much do I have to hold back against these kids?"
"Well, just don't break their bones or bruise them too badly. This is a place of education and discovery."
"And democracy.", I added with a smug.
"That too.", she sighed, "Why the hell did I decide to work here in the first place?"
"Why indeed.", I shrugged, "Well, I'll bring some of my stuff here later. Let's get to my room."
I got enough of the academy tour anyway.
"Sure.", she nodded.
=0=0=
We headed outside, going toward the teacher's dorm, which is opposite side of the main building, separated by a courtyard the size of two football stadiums, the non-American kind by the way.
"Your room is on the fifth floor, room 506.", Francis said, "And by the way, are you bringing that God Slayer with you?"
"Yeah, I have to stay with my God Slayer at all times anyway according to the law.", I look at Ouroboros Omniscia, "But I have more."
"How many is 'more'...", she narrowed her eyes.
"This.", I pointed at my chestplate - Incognito Zero.
"This.", then my trench coat - Ars Goetia.
"This.", I summoned Fallen Starlight.
"This.", next was the Emblem of Monte Cristo, along with some coins, swapping my rifle out.
"This.", the Emblem was replaced by Agápi kai Pólemos.
"I don't know if this counts...", I replaced the knife and coins with Quirinus, "I have Quirinus, the Lance of Humanity, previously known as Rhongomyniad."
"Rhongomyniad?", her eyes widen, "Where did you find it?"
I can't explain why my alternative future self gave it to me, "Long story short, it's in the center of the Earth. Surtr helped me."
"Is that even allowed?", she wondered.
"Humans violate the World on a daily basis, pretty sure it has a kink for that.", I sent Quirinus back onto the ship with a flash of electricity.
"Oh, and I also have two Relics.", I pointed at my glasses.
"And this.", I pulled out Galatine.
"How the fuck did you get so many...?", she was stunned.
"I am the Records of Mankind, I have my ways.", I just shrug, "So... when do I need to send my schedule?"
"If you can, in the next two days. And give me a concrete plan of the field trip while at it.", she pulled up her sleeve to look at her watch, "Hmm... anything else I should know?"
"Yeah, I can use Alchemy.", with Galatine still in my hand, "Deconstruct."
The gun deconstructed into unrecognizable pieces, holding together in the air.
"Reconstruct.", and the pieces reformed into a golden longsword.
"Is that... Galatine?", she asked with amazement.
"Yeah, but it is a Replica I got from The World Border.", I stab the sword into the ground, "Can I introduce myself as a Hunter and an Alchemist?"
"Care to give a brief explanation of Alchemy? Because all I see is a gun turning into a sword.", she was skeptical about it.
I can't blame her, it's an undeveloped field of science and philosophy.
"My Mind is like a supercomputer, calculating everything I see, hear, and touch. What I just did was highspeed quantum computation, I know precisely what to do and—"
"Stop.", Francis held her hand out, and she clutched her forehead, "Stop using big words, please."
"The Queen can't handle big words?", I teased, "Your education must be lacking then."
"So let me dumb it down a bit for you.", I put the coffin down and spread my arm, "All of creation in the vicinity of eighty meters is under my grasp."
"Are you sure you don't have a god complex?", she stared at me with a deadpan expression.
"No, but I do have a superiority complex.", I smiled.
"Hah... sometimes I wish Death didn't take away my tiredness.", she turned her back to me, "Well, I'll be going now. There are a lot of things to do so you are on your own now."
Well, so this began my life at this academy. After a year of freedom, causing unrest on the high sea with uneventful things like almost making the ASEAN unite to burn down China by crashing Utopia into one of the Chinese bases on the South China Sea, unleashing an ancient Japanese god, Australia, making Haiti worse, ending Somali piracy. Uneventful.
With my current quest being hunting down Theia, being here is definitely a demerit. But what can I do when Roko and Theia's location is unknown?
But I can tell they are planning something big.
Getting into my room, which had what you would expect of a 4-star hotel. It is nice, but not fancy enough for me.
I hopped onto the bed after taking off my clothes.
Whatever they are planning, I will respond in kind. Not just with my own arsenal, but with humanity. Forty-eight Hammers of God, all the world's ICBMs, and countless weapons made to destroy the world.
We, humanity, the race forged in this death world of conflict and strife. Even if the world itself is our enemy, it will know the taste of what it created.
For we are the Children of Order and Judgement. Our might make right, our madness consumes all, our salvation comes in destruction, and our ambition burns all.
We are humanity.
I am Charlotte Silvi, I am Humanity.
And I shall grant Finality.