AnnouncementFor the Novice stage, I'm changing the two phases from initiate and neophyte to

  initiateAspirantAdept Novicethe other phases from the other stages will be coming soon. Thanks!

  Third Person POV:

  Farrington Academy.....

  A mature dy with a stoic expression walked down the hallway. Her long purple hair swung gracefully across her shoulders with every step she took, two furry ears at the sides of her scalp flickered about as they listened for new sounds; her tail swishing to and fro just as gracefully as she walked. She eventually stopped in front of a particur door before gently knocking on it.

  "Come in."

  She gently opened the door and walked in.

  Sitting in front of her, a ripe elderly man sat calmly behind an anciently crafted but clean desk. His looks indicated that he had just entered his fifties, but he was far older than that. He had short salt and pepper hair that was combed backwards in a neat manner. His onyx eyes calmly raised from the papers he had been focusing on as he turned his attention to the new arrival.

  "Ms. Lay, to what do I owe the pleasure?" Headmaster Eastwood inquired curiously.

  "We've just received the reports of the first year intakes from the Academy in Stoneshire. They also have some students that show promise," Lay elegantly reported as she handed a piece of paper to Headmaster Eastwood.

  Eastwood skimmed through the list of names, occasionally freezing on certain names for a bit before continuing his perusing. Nodding he pced the piece of paper on the side before sighing lightly.

  "Well? What do you think? Do they have potential?" Eastwood asked.

  "While I'm not completely sure, I do have a feeling that at least two of them could prove to be reincarnates. However, I'd have to meet them in person in order to have a proper analysis of them," Lay replied.

  The Headmaster nodded, agreeing with her analysis.

  "Things like this requires time and patience. We can't risk leaking such a forgotten secret simply because we made a bad guess," Eastwood remarked.

  "Should we have them sent to the Farrington Academy? It'd be easier to monitor their movements from here," Lay asked.

  "That wouldn't be advisable, although all five Academies are in cooperation with each other. They don't have an obligation to hand over their talents to us," Headmaster Eastwood refused, "don't worry too much about that. I know someone in Stoneshire who might be a great help to us when keeping tabs on possible targets. What about the other Academies?"

  "The Phaera Academy hasn't sent their list over yet, and I'm having a bit of trouble contacting the Zitia and Bavell academies," Lay remarked.

  "There's much more work to be done, keep trying to contact them. If they don't respond, we'll have to fall back and think up of another pn," Headmaster Eastwood instructed.

  "I understand, I'll keep trying to reach out," Lay responded.

  "What about our own students? Any of them look promising?"

  "Yes, two of them actually, one of them came from a countryside on the east of the Empire. While the other one is of noble blood, she's been raised into knighthood from a noble family in the south," Lay reported as she handed over their profiles.

  "That's fine, we have a lot of time to observe their behavior. Just make sure you put them in the same css, it'll be easier to monitor them from there," Headmaster Eastwood replied.

  "I understand Headmaster, but I can't help but worry whether we'll be able to get them ready in time? News coming from the Demon realm are hinting on the rebirth of the Seven Demons along with the Demon Lord," Lay asked ominously.

  "We'll have to work with what we have. That's the entire point of establishing these Academies," the Headmaster replied solemnly, "We need to be as prepared as we can for the next war."

  "I understand sir, I'll do my best," Lay commented.

  Headmaster Eastwood nodded at her before letting out a gentle smile.

  "How have your preparations been for your first day of teaching?" Headmaster Eastwood asked.

  Lay's fluffy ears twitched a little bit before she responded in her stoic manner.

  "I have already developed a proper lesson pn for the students, and I've already created a proper schedule for them as well," Lay reported.

  "Remember to take it easy on them, okay? they're still children at the end of the day. They need time in order to develop properly, and become the assets that we need them to be," Headmaster Eastwood reminded Lay lightly.

  Lay nodded her head before exiting the office, leaving the Headmaster to his own.

  Ryad POV:

  I quietly followed the boy into the carriage before promptly sitting across from him. The boy seemed to been focusing his attention on me the entire morning; almost as if he was concerned about something. As a matter of fact, he had told me that I was going to be riding on the same carriage as him the morning he came to pick me up.

  "Oi, when we fought, I couldn't help but notice that you didn't use an ounce of magic. Do you know how to channel mana?" The boy asked.

  "I wasn't taught how to use any, so I don't know how to use magic as well," I replied calmly.

  The boy let out a frustrated sigh as he rubbed his left temple lightly.

  "Just great," the boy grumbled, "Do you even know what element you're compatible with?"

  I shook my head. Earning another frustrated sigh from the boy instead.

  He immediately had the carriage driver stop the carriage before getting off; I followed him out as well.

  "You're going to be useless if you can't qualify for the Academy, so I'm going to teach you the very basics of magic," the boy stated as he stared at me with a solemn face, "if that's not enough for you to get into the Academy, then you're going to be useless to me."

  He approached me and pressed his index finger on my forehead.

  "Focus on the sensation that is going to be running through your body starting from here, let me know when you begin to feel it," the boy stated.

  At first, I could feel a cool, faint sensation streamline from my forehead down to my heart and then to the rest of my body.

  "I can sense it," I replied.

  "Good, now focus on try circuting that sensation all around your body. I'll help you for a little while, but you're going to have to do all the work by yourself," The boy replied.

  I kept focusing on recycling that sensation in the same manner that he had shown me previously. The more I kept repeating that cycle, the more I found it easier and easier to do so.

  "Good, now I-" The boy pushed me aside before he could finish what he was saying.

  An explosion immediately engulfed the area that we were in immediately after. The smoke blocked my vision, but I still heard multiple figures nd around us.

  "Assassins!! Protect Lord Wenthaiss!" I heard a soldier said as the others immediately readied themselves for battle.

  As the smoke cleared, I had began seeing the scenes of battle. There were about twenty assassins that surrounded us; outnumbering us 2:1, four assassins were facing the boy. He seemed to be holding his own, but looking at the assassins' movements, it was clear that they were aware of the capabilities of the boy; along with how they were going to deal as much damage as they could to him without risking so much.

  At this rate, it wouldn't be long until the boy would fall to the assassin's hands, soon leading to our deaths as well; that boy was our best shot of getting out of here alive.

  I immediately got to my feet and rushed at the nearest assassin that had been attacking the boy.

  "The fu-?" The assassin, almost caught by surprise, easily evaded my attempt to attack him.

  I ended up standing between him and the trio that continued to attack the boy. I wanted to distract him as much as possible and give the boy enough time to at least take out one of the three.

  "Get out of my way kid, I can tell that you're not even an Initiate Novice. Your death will not stop the end result," the assassin advised coldly.

  I didn't say anything, instead, I lowered my stance and prepared for the incoming ass kicking I was probably going to get.

  The assassin kicked the ground and appeared in front of me in a matter of seconds, ice slowly beginning to cover his foot as he aimed for a roundhouse kick to my neck. Instinctively, I lowered my head to dodge the kick before I grabbed the foot he had been using to root himself to the ground when he performed the kick; intending to disrupt his bance and perform a basic takedown.

  However, the assassin was stronger than he looked.

  "Crafty little one, eh?" I heard him growl before I felt something solid hit the crown of my head with incredible force. I almost passed out due to the force of the impact, but I didn't relent, and I kept trying to lift him and take him down.

  "Let go of me!" His hits got harder and harder. I could feel something warm begin to trickle down on my head, but I didn't stop, I summoned all the strength and slowly began to lift his leg up.

  The assassin kicked the ground with his other leg to reestablish bance, and kept bashing my head over and over.

  I couldn't hold on any longer, my vision was beginning to tunnel, and my grip of his leg was getting weaker and weaker the more he kept hitting me.

  Eventually, my vision went bck.