“I never said no.” Faluel shook her head. “Let’s call it a maybe. I’ll take you in and treat you as my Harbinger, but I’ll not perform the ritual. I expect loyalty and sincerity from you. Consider it probation. You can quit and I can kick you out anytime.
“Yet beware. If by the time I make my decision you have yet to show the proper resolve a Harbinger requires, I might be forced to kill you. I can’t give off my secrets for free, so the more you learn from me, the greater the danger you are in.”
“Thank you, Faluel. I will not let you down.” Friya gave her a deep bow, smiling from ear to ear.
“Don’t thank me, thank Lith. I gave a lot of thought to the speech he gave in front of the Council and I think he is right. They can’t blame him for finding talented people.
“If the Council really wants to widen the gap with fake mages, we Awakened need to learn how to work together as our competition does instead of quarreling all the time.” Faluel said while the Ernas sisters and Solus stared at Lith.
“Consider my humble abode as an Awakened academy, but with more strict rules and no sex. Fail me and you get expelled, killed, or worse. We’ll work day and night because I’ve more important things to do than waste years teaching you lot.
“The non-Awakened must work until they faint while the Awakened must use Invigoration until it stops working. Only then will you be allowed to take a break. Are we clear?” Faluel’s words made them all swallow a lump of saliva.
More than an academy, it sounded like a dignified prison camp.
“Am I interrupting something?” Nalrond asked.
“Child, you’re on time, which means you’re late. Always arrive early in sign of respect for my time, got it?” Faluel said.
“Yes, sorry master Faluel.” He gave her a deep bow.
“What do you mean, master Faluel?” Lith asked.
“Just like your human friend here, Nalrond was impressed by my procedure to save Rena’s child and has offered me a deal. He’ll teach me Light Mastery and in exchange, I’ll teach him Healing Magic. As simple as that.” Faluel said.
“Now, before we start, let me evaluate your level so that I can tailor fit your individual lessons.”
The Hydra used Invigoration on one of them at a time, taking a few notes when necessary.
“Nalrond, your two cores grant you double the mana, but you can only use one life force at a time. To avoid getting injured during your apprenticeship, you must train both your bodies and switch between them often, otherwise the mana flow might kill you.” The Rezar looked at his thin limbs in embarrassment.
Having the body of an Emperor Beast had always made physical exercise look like a waste of time to him.
“Phloria, I have no idea how Lith managed to make you survive Awakening, but your body is a mess. It was refined from the red core to the blue in one go, making it highly unstable.
“The process didn’t give your body the time to adapt to your new mana flow. You are akin to a weapon that has been forged but it’s still being tempered. Put too much strain on it and the weapon will break.
“I forbid you to use any breathing technique until I say otherwise. I’ll treat you as a non-Awakened and have you follow their same schedule.” Faluel said.
“What about me? I’ve got two bodies and I’ve recently experienced a breakthrough as well.” Lith asked.
“You’re a completely different case. Your two bodies are like two sides of the same coin. You can’t train one without training the other. Nalrond, on the other hand, has two bodies and two cores because he’s two different creatures at the same time.
“On top of that, with your perfect body refinement, the moment your core recovered from the breakthrough so did your physique. You might as well achieve a purple core right now if it was possible, but that’s a story for another day.”
A clap of her hands made six chairs and desks appear.
“Six? What about Protector?” Lith asked.
“Having a family of four and a newborn at that requires time and sustenance. With Nalrond here, he’s forced to either help his wife or work for money. Keeping two houses at the same time costs a pretty coin.
“Unlike you, he is in no rush. He can join us anytime the moment a non-Awakened is too tired to keep up.” Faluel said.
“Besides, since you are all painfully ignorant in the ways of Mogar, today I’ll teach you things that are considered common sense in the Awakened community. Solus, at your desk. I don’t want Lith cheating and relying on your memory. If I see a mind link, I’ll kick both your asses.”
Solus attempted to protest, but Faluel’s glare scared her too much. Solus was so used to the Hydra’s gentle nature that her smallest frown looked utterly terrifying.
Faluel then explained to her students about the Awakened Council, how it worked, and its laws.
“At first, only self-Awakened existed and the death of a single one of them meant losing an amount of knowledge that is irrelevant by modern standards but was priceless millennia ago.
“Also, Awakened have always been few in numbers, making them torn between the need to hide their nature and the natural desire for company, be it platonic or otherwise.
“The Council was created as a place to exchange knowledge, seek for heirs for an Awakened’s legacy, and to protect ourselves from being exploited by the other races. Only over time, it became our self-governing unit tasked with enforcing our laws.”
“Why Awakened didn’t conquer Mogar or simply rule their own country? Wouldn’t it allow them to live safely, protected by their own army?” Phloria asked.
“Conquer Mogar?” Faluel laughed at the idea. “To what end? You’ve seen how hard it is to control a group of a few people, do you think you could rule a country and develop your magic?” Faluel asked, obtaining a no as a reply.
“You can’t do everything at the same time, no one can. Awakened love magic because it’s the only power you can trust and because effort will never betray you. A king, on the other hand, has to be wary of all his high officials and has to make sure that the very power he builds isn’t used against him.
“Even if Awakened are powerful, we still need food, clothes, and ingredients. To acquire them, we need to move but outside of of our homes, we are vulnerable. Without the Council, naturally powerful races like Emperor Beasts or the undead could easily overpower one of us once they discover our location and extort the secret of Awakening.
“An Awakened King would be nothing but a target, and even putting a strawman creates a weakness that can be exploited. That’s why only Guardians can do such a thing.” After that, she explained to them the existence of Guardians, their identity, and their role.
“Royal Constable Tyris Griffon is a Guardian?” Except for Lith and Solus, everyone was flabbergasted.
The Ernas sisters because they knew her and Nalrond because he found their reaction idiotic. He had been taught as a child that a Guardian could look like however they wanted, just like any powerful mage. Only idiots would judge a book from its cover.
