Amelia Thornheart

Chapter Forty-Nine: Aether Addict

After grumbling and complaining about their tardiness, Grandmaster Shun spent no less than half an hour drilling the pair of them about how they should conduct themselves around the students. Well, it seemed he was drilling the pair of them, but Amelia felt she was the target of most of his instructions and warnings.

From what Amelia could decipher, any trouble they caused would reflect badly onto him. As the head of a famous academy Empire-wide, where Cascadian nobility and other wealthy patrons sent their sons and daughters to receive the very pinnacle of military education, there were enormous expectations and pressures placed upon the staff to fulfill their roles flawlessly.

Both of them had additional warnings laid out. Most instructors were Speakers, and being Speakers, they not only represented the academy but also the class of society that was looked upon as being divinely chosen. The existence of a Speaker meant they measured up to the expectations of a god, and it wouldn’t do well for them to betray the significance of that. Furthermore, unlike most instructors, Serena was in active service, so her conduct reflected Eastern admiralty more than her colleagues did.

Amelia, on the other hand, was human. Not only was she human, but she was also the singular human on the academy grounds. Many of the students would have had limited contact with her race so her actions would be an essential experience for the trainee officers. Since she was a known Speaker, this effect would only be magnified.

“My brother informs me you’re talented beyond your years, Assistant Instructor Thornheart,” grunted the grandmaster. His gruff voice sounded oddly familiar to Amelia’s ears as it was absent of the subtle Manwese accent she’d grown used to from Grandpa Gu. “As long as you don’t harm your fellow instructors or the students under your care, I suggest you don’t hold back that talent.”

“Why?” asked Amelia, making a mental note to, despite the instruction, hold back quite significantly. She hadn’t been in her transformed Asclepius form long enough to truly get a grip on her power, but in general, she figured her wards were as powerful as a native’s ward that was two, or even three, circles higher. First-circle wards could typically be expected to resist or outright defend against small-arms fire. However, Amelia’s casting of Igni’s Barrier was more akin to a third-circle ward, only being breached by the Vengeance’s terrifying tungsten penetrator rounds.

“Because most of our students have grown up on the assumption that humans are weak,” the grandmaster explained, turning his palms outwards. “Which they are, of course. At least, if we compare your standard human soldier to their demon equivalent. We can carry more weight, run faster for longer distances and take more punishment on the battlefield. However,” the demon leaned back in his chair, closing his hands together. “That doesn’t matter much when aura and wards get involved. I don’t care how strong a soldier is. If they cannot manifest aura, they’ll lose against a human who can.

“Most of our students don’t have the experience or the instincts to recognise the power a Speaker such as yourself holds, Assistant Instructor Thornheart. You being so young, as well as a human… and female.” He sniffed, clicking his tongue. “Those highborn fools will look down on you. It’s one thing being told someone’s a Speaker, but another to experience it. If I remember,” he turned his head slightly, raising an eyebrow towards Serena. “You had your fair share of suitors thinking their orange could crack your yellow, wasn’t there?”

“Aye,” answered Serena. “Took a few broken ribs and a couple of flattened noses, but they got the message eventually.”

The grandmaster raised a finger. “Communion only began a thousand years ago. Men’s instincts are far older. Despite being told they couldn’t possibly measure up to you, a Speaker, they will feel they can. As I said, don’t be afraid to show your talent. I believe Instructor Inoue plans to have you duel some of the troublemakers in her class. It might be worth putting you against some of our more ambitious warriors as well. Some of them think just because their orange aura is turning a little yellow they can challenge a Speaker.”

“Understood, Grandmaster. Don’t hold back.” Amelia nodded her head, affirming the instruction.

Must hold back, she thought to herself. Turning her head, she saw Serena’s expression. Judging by the slight wrinkling of her brow and tension in her jaw, her girlfriend was thinking the same thing.

With a few more nuggets of advice from the demon, they were dismissed. In the hallway, Amelia faced Serena.

“Breakfast?” she asked.

“Breakfast.” Serena nodded. “Follow me,” she began, leading Amelia through the corridors. “Remember, don’t sit with the students. Even if you think it’ll help demon-human relations, it’s better to maintain a certain distance from those who you’ll be teaching. If you get too close, it’ll create… complications,” Serena muttered.

As they got closer to their destination, more and more students appeared. Many of them saluted Serena earnestly, only for their expressions of admiration and respect to turn into shock and surprise as they saw a human instructor. They then spread their confusion to their friends as they gossiped, perhaps not knowing Amelia could easily make out their hushed whispers.

“A human? Here?”

“She’s dressed like an instructor. Yellow belt…”

“Father told me about her. That’s Amelia Thornheart. They said she…”

“Did you catch her eyes? They looked as red as a highborn demon! Is that normal for humans?”

Doing her best to ignore them, Amelia and Serena stepped into the breakfast hall. Of all the things she expected, she didn’t expect to see such an orderly system in operation. Perhaps her expectations were tainted from her experience of serving lunch on the Vengeance, where she had to practically fight off hordes of ravenous demons climbing over each other to be the first to bribe her for an extra piece of sardis.

Here, everyone neatly lined up with a tray in hand, going past several food stations where they could freely pile their plates with a selection of vegetables, fruits, meats and sauces. Feeling a little self-conscious, Amelia stuck close to Serena, not paying that much to what she was putting onto her plate. Thankfully, Instructors and Assistant Instructors had their own set of tables on a raised platform above the students.

Approaching the Instructor’s area, they were waved towards a pair of open seats by familiar faces that had welcomed them last night. Amelia sat next to Instructor Kawas, the mage who’d guided them through the pouring rain and mud. Whether it was her nature or if she was making a special effort for Amelia, Kawas was rather chatty, making comforting small talk. 

Across the table, Emalina Honda, the head of the Department of Medical and Battlefield Care, kept jumping into the conversation, poking and prodding at Amelia’s healing capabilities. The senior instructor didn’t seem to fully believe Amelia when Amelia responded that yes, she could grow back a lost limb. Amelia eventually shrugged and told the woman if she wanted proof, she could chop off a limb here and now, and Amelia would happily demonstrate. That earned her a few chuckles from the other instructors, most notably Ryosuke Yamamoto, the Head Instructor of Leadership and Ethics.

“Don't doubt her, Emalina,” Instructor Yamamoto said, wagging a finger. “I once took the sword arm of a human Speaker, only to find myself crossing blades with him the following week. Guess what? Whole new arm! Rather unfair, don’t you think?”

Looking around, Amelia couldn’t see any instructor fitting the description Serena had given of Katalin of Driss. She did, however, see Mel across the hall. The young demon was in a quiet discussion with other students. At least she seemed to have found some friends. 

“Where is Katalin of Driss?” Amelia asked the table. “I’ve looked forward to meeting her. Grandpa, uh, Grandmaster Gu from the Kenhoro Academy spoke highly of her.”

“The elusive swordmaster eludes our company,” Sarafina Nakajima, the Head Instructor of Intelligence and Security, intoned softly. “She’s probably training right now. I don’t think I’ve ever seen her eat in the two weeks she’s been here. She’s quite the enigma…”

“I met her this morning,” Serena said between mouthfuls. “She’s as skilled as the stories say. I fear I would be helpless if she got serious.”

Instructor Yamamoto nodded. “That’s how I felt as well. My spear couldn’t reach her. She offers a group training session every Wednesday and Saturday at first light. For Instructors only. About two dozen of us go. I expect you’ll be making an appearance, Instructor Halen?” Seeing Serena nod, the man turned his attention to Amelia. “I’ll be very interested to see how she teaches you, Assistant Instructor Thornheart. I’m sure we’ll see you there if there are no conflicts with whatever Lunaria demands of you.”

Speaking of Lunaria Inoue, the instructor whom Amelia was supposed to work under was absent. When Amelia asked about her whereabouts, she was informed the Instructor was a bit of an oddball, often so focused on her magic or aether experiments she forgot to eat. 

“She’s been a bit… erratic recently,” Instructor Honda said thoughtfully. “Think she’s excited about you, Assistant Instructor Thornheart. Having a human subject- sorry, a human Speaker to experiment, I mean, practice on must, uh…” the woman trailed off.

“Oh dear…” Instructor Nakajima raised a hand to her mouth, giggling.

“What Instructor Honda is trying to say,” Instructor Yamamoto said, “Is that Lunaria is a bit single-minded regarding magic. Some of her colleagues call her the Aether Addict, given her relentless focus on harnessing greater and greater amounts of aether, both for herself and her experiments. She’s rather friendly, all things considered.” He shrugged before continuing with his meal.

Aether Addict. How nostalgic! It was the same nickname Amelia’s guildmates gave her from the game, earned through Amelia’s relentless grinding of stats and achievements, all to max out her aether capacity and regeneration. If the elusive Instructor Inoue possessed the very same nickname, then perhaps they would get on just fine.

Breakfast continued and Amelia continued to chat away with the instructors. Some were a little wary at first, but after she put extra effort into her smiles, they opened up. After some time, a broadsheet was passed around the table, eliciting chuckles from those who read it.

“You and your big mouth…” muttered Serena upon reading the headline. “Look at you, you’re famous now.” She passed the papers to Amelia. “Here, read it out loud for us.” 

Written in block capitals across the top of the paper was a familiar quote: I LOVE DEMONS. Underneath, her face was plastered in black and white, taking up most of the page. It was one of the photographs taken while she was waving outside the carriage the previous morning. Cringing slightly at the headline, Amelia skimmed the first few sentences of the front-page article.

“The mysterious Amelia Thornheart, recently sanctioned as Lord-Prospect, offered little conversation upon stepping upon Asamaywa soil. However, as her carriage raced away from our journalists, she offered one definitive answer…” Amelia read out loud quietly, feeling a groan forming in her stomach. “...her radiant golden hair and highborn crimson eyes left many onlookers stunned at the human’s natural beauty…” the groan was making its way up her throat. “One young and ambitious demon, perhaps overwhelmed by the sight of the enchanting Speaker, loudly declared he would marry the human, before fainting- ahh!” The groan manifested, and Amelia crumpled the paper into a tight ball.

Her actions caused the table of Instructors to laugh, loud enough that many students glanced their way. Amelia saw Serena red-faced as her girlfriend tried to stifle a laugh. Their eyes met, and Amelia’s attempt at a disapproving glare had the opposite effect as Serena burst out laughing.

“I told you not to answer any questions,” Serena said, wiping tears from her eyes. “The hacks love getting statements from Speakers. You’re lucky they went for that approach. They’re trying to stroke your horns, see if you’ll open up for an interview. Which…” Serena leant in with a sparkle in her eye. “...I suggest you don’t do. Unless you want half of Asamaywa at your door, fighting to propose!”

Amelia rolled her eyes as the table giggled again.

These idiot demons!

She finished her breakfast and she and Serena prepared to leave. Instructor Kawas told Amelia where she was most likely to find her superior, Instructor Inoue. Instructor Kawas offered to guide her, but Serena raised a hand, stating she would take her. The pair left the breakfast hall to more hushed gossip from the students.

“Do you know anything about this ‘Instructor Inoue’,” Amelia asked as they navigated the twisting corridors of the academy. 

“I haven’t met her personally,” Serena answered, “But the name rings a bell. Nina’s worked with her before in Centralis. Who knows, perhaps you’ll be able to make use of your mathematics here.”

That was an idea! Amelia had formally studied mathematics in her old world, where the field was centuries ahead compared to here. While the demons had discovered calculus, it was still in its early stages. Amelia was sure she could at least scratch out a few dozen mathematical proofs of the more advanced topics. Even if she couldn’t remember them perfectly, she knew enough to point the mathematicians of this world in the right direction.

“Here we are,” Serena said. “Speaker Room Two.” She tapped the heavy wooden door before pointing to an insignia hanging from a peg. “That’s House Inoue’s insignia. Instructors place their house’s insignia, or instructors’ badge if they don’t have a noble house, onto the pegs. It’s a quick way of saying, ‘Don’t come in unless you have business with me’. Want me to come in with you?”

Amelia shook her head. As she became more comfortable being in demon society, she felt more and more confident in tackling new things by herself. She didn’t want to rely on Serena for more than she had to. “I’ll be fine,” she said.

“I know you’ll be fine,” Serena replied, tapping her foot and crossing her arms. “I’m more worried about Instructor Inoue. These Speaker Rooms are enchanted. Their walls are strengthened using the ancient art of Writing. They may be designed to be Speaker-proof, but that doesn’t mean they’re Amelia-proof. Try not to blow the academy up, alright?”

Amelia puffed up her cheeks but had to quickly unpuff them as some students appeared around the corner. Rolling her eyes, she reassured Serena she would do her best not to destroy the Asamaywa Academy. Not wanting to be lectured further, Amelia pushed open the door and stepped inside.

The first thing her senses picked up was the tremendous amount of aether the woman inside was churning through her body. The demon was hovering in the centre of the large room, pulsing her aether against the floor. It could be none other than Instructor Inoue. At first glance, she appeared to be a relatively young woman, perhaps thirty years old. However, something was off about her appearance and with a bit of focus, Amelia’s perception saw through the glamour, revealing the much older demon beyond.

“Nice glamour,” Amelia complimented. “Kanaxai would be proud.”

“Merely practice,” Inoue replied. “Foolish is the woman who clings to her lost beauty.” The mage turned and peered at Amelia, who couldn’t help but reflexively flare her cloaking spells. “However, you appear to be the age you look. How old are you, human?”

“Twenty-five,” Amelia answered.

“So they say.” Inoue’s aether hummed, and the woman gently lowered herself. The amount of aether flowing through her made Amelia suspect she was perhaps the second most capable mage she’d encountered in this world, behind only the Eastern Overlord.

And herself, of course.

“I wonder if that’s true,” Inoue murmured. “Or does your healing slow, or even reverse your ageing?” The demon seemed lost in thought for a moment before suddenly exclaiming, “Well! Come over here then. Can’t get a proper look at you if you hide by the doorway!”

“Ah…” Amelia ensured the door was firmly shut before walking towards the senior instructor. As she did, Amelia took in her surroundings. The room was enormous and spacious. It was like a giant, empty warehouse. There were no windows. The room would be pitch black if it weren’t for a few dim aetherlights. The floor, walls and ceiling were covered in a dark sponge-like material. Behind this material, Amelia could sense distortions in the aetherfield that formed repeating patterns everywhere she looked. She’d never seen the ancient Writing Serena had talked about. The humans had somehow inscribed the runic script upon the torpedo that struck the Vengeance, allowing it to do so much damage. It was one of many subjects Amelia planned to investigate while spending a semester at the academy.

“Hmm…” Inoue tilted her head slightly as Amelia stood before her. “Impressive. Very impressive. I see potential. Excellent aether reserves. You’re cloaking yourself, aren’t you?”

Amelia nodded. At all times, Amelia maintained several cloaking spells to hide her true power. After returning from Speaking the Second Word, she’d found her body was able to process truly titanic amounts of aether, even without Speaking. The more she used aether, the more her new body seemed to adapt and become even more efficient at moving the stuff around. Her cloaking was getting better by the day, but some still leaked through. As far as she could tell, she presented as an above average Speaker to most mages or warriors observing her. However, more powerful people, like Grandpa Gu or Greatlord Oshiro, seemed like they could perceive through her cloaking magic and catch a glimpse of her actual capabilities.

The question was, how much could Instructor Inoue see?

“Good, good…” Inoue tapped her foot on the spongy floor. “And wards? I can sense at least one on you. Something from Aseco, right? There’s more…” The aged mage leaned forward, peering at Amelia in a manner some might call offputting. Amelia had the odd sensation of being studied and examined like a creature in a science experiment. “You’ve got demon wards on you, is that right? I can smell Igni and Taranis on you. How unusual for a human to dabble in demonic spellwork.”

More than dabble, Amelia thought.

“Well,” Inoue said, straightening up. “If you’re maintaining that many wards and that many cloaks, then your aether will be fit for the job. Although…” the demon brought a fist to her mouth, lightly coughing. “You wouldn’t mind me verifying it, would you?”

“Verify?” Amelia questioned, feeling a subtle tension form in the air.

“Just a little duel, if you please, young Assitant Instructor Thornheart. Would you be amenable to that? These walls are built to withstand bursts of aether. I daresay you can flare as much as you please.”

“Are you… sure?”

“Is that a yes?” The instructor’s voice took on a note of eagerness. Hopefully, this mage wasn’t some kind of battle maniac. Amelia did a quick mental check of her wards. She was extremely confident in their strength, but even so, Inoue would likely be the most skilled opponent she would have faced so far.

“Yes, we can duel,” Amelia replied. She figured that even if she was utterly out-skilled and her natural affinity failed her, she could simply tank whatever Instructor Inoue could throw at her until the woman was bored or exhausted.

“How eager!” Inoue broke into a broad smile, stepping forward and reaching out her hand. “Where are my manners? I’m Lunaria Inoue, Lord of House Inoue and Head Instructor of the Department of Aether! It’s a pleasure to meet and work with you, Assistant Instructor Thornheart.”

“Call me Amelia,” Amelia said, taking Lunaria’s hand into a handshake. Amelia wondered if this demon was from Centralis, as shaking hands was typically less common in the East.

“Then call me Lunaria. Are you sure you’re ready to start, Amelia?” Inoue asked, not releasing her grip on Amelia’s hand.

“I’m ready,” Amelia answered.

“Truly?”

“Truly.”

“Charming,” Inoue said, her face wrinkling in mirth. “Then, if you don’t mind…” her aether frothed and churned, forming into a familiar structure.

A Word.

“Igni”, Spoke the demon, blasting everything in her surroundings, including Amelia, away.

Amelia flared her aether, forcing her to slow down before slamming into the wall. As she came to a stop, she formed her own Word, wrapping the ethereal substance into the required shape.

She had permission to use the demonic Words now. The very same Words she’d spent thousands of hours using in the hospital. The ones that earned her the title of Dreadmage Thornheart. Amelia knew she could probably only Speak no more than two First Words, lest she cause more problems on the political stage.

Then, she had to pick carefully. The choice was obvious. Why not start with her most reliable Word? The one she’d by far spent the most time with playing the game. She couldn’t help feeling a grin creep up her face. She might not be a soldier, but this was thrilling!

“Taranis,” she Spoke, invoking the demon god of storms.

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