《The World of Ilnolia: Elwyn's Journey》


 Chapter I : An unexpected visit

    It was around noon when, under a torrential downpour accompanied by fierce gusts of wind, a hooded rider sped along a country road that ran beside a river.


    For several days now, he had been galloping continuously, stopping only to allow his horse to eat and rest briefly. Despite this, the steed grew ever more exhausted from the mad ride. Fortunately for that brave animal, this day would mark the end of that long and arduous journey or rather, the end of that frantic dash.


    Indeed, the rider¡¯s objective was to deliver something important and fragile to a safe place as quickly as possible.


    Why so quickly?


    Because the rider was an extremely busy person perhaps even overly so. He needed to complete the delivery at once in order to return to his daily work, which had undoubtedly piled up during his absence.


    And that was indeed the case.


    _________________________


    Hour after hour passed relentlessly in the pouring rain. Luckily, the rider had been wise enough to take with him his large black cloak, which completely covered him and provided total protection against water and temperature fluctuations.


    His package could only be grateful for that.


    Alas, the cloak could not distract the rider from the boredom that weighed upon him during his journey. Moreover, his horse was gradually slowing down due to its increasing fatigue.


    Finally, late in the afternoon, the rider caught sight of Eriana, his destination.


    This small farming village belonged to the kingdom of Esthia and was home to about a hundred inhabitants, mostly humans. Yet a few notable figures also lived there, a family of dwarves running a forge, a talented half-elf shoemaker, and a captivating halfling bookseller. But the rider was looking for someone else in particular, a person presents in this rather insignificant village in the eyes of the world.


    At last, the rider arrived before the large wooden gates that served as the village entrance and dismounted. Two guards stepped out from their sentry post and approached him.


    Both men were clad entirely in leather armor and wore simple leather helmets that revealed only their faces. Each held a spear in his right hand, while a short sword hung from his belt. The only distinct difference between the two was that one bore more aged features and sported a thick beard reaching his chest, whereas the other was younger and completely clean-shaven.


    ¡ª Who are you here for? asked the older guard in a loud, guttural voice designed to be heard clearly amid the deluge.


    At this question, the stranger slowly raised his head so that the guard could see his face, and especially his eyes. The guard¡¯s reaction was immediate: he bowed at once.


    ¡ª Please forgive us, Professor.


    ¡ª I forgive you, the Professor replied softly and clearly.


    The guard then straightened up, and the Professor offered him the reins of his horse.


    ¡ª This brave beast needs a long rest, he added, patting the horse¡¯s neck, before resuming his journey under the astonished gaze of the second guard.


    ¡ª You haven¡¯t seen anything, and I was never here.


    The latter guard bowed as well and acquiesced to that request before turning toward his colleague, who had already gone to stow the horse in the nearest stable.


    Wishing to avoid getting muddy on the village¡¯s wet roads in the pouring rain, the Professor made purple plaques appear beneath each of his steps, levitating just above the ground.


    After several minutes of this levitating walk, he finally arrived at a large half-timbered house in perfect condition.


    ¡ª About time¡­


    Standing before the entrance door, he knocked three times with a ring-shaped knocker.


    Knock, knock, knock.


    A few seconds later, the door slowly opened to reveal a stunning young woman.


    She had short, dark ash-colored hair and beautiful blue eyes. She wore a long dress of the same blue as her eyes and a leather belt from which hung a long, slender case along her right leg.


    Not expecting any visitors in this foul weather, the young woman concealed her surprise behind a charming smile.


    ¡ª Good evening¡­ How may I help you? she asked politely.


    ¡ª Good evening, Oph¨¦lia. It has been a long time.


    The hooded man then slowly lifted his head to meet the young woman¡¯s face, and their eyes eventually locked.


    At that moment, Oph¨¦lia jumped in surprise, recognizing the individual before her.


    ¡ª Director Ogme? But¡­ what are you doing here?


    Ogme allowed a very slight smile to grace his usually impassive face.


    ¡ª Before I answer you, could you please let me in? I have just completed a long journey of several days to reach here, in this endless rain.


    ¡ª Ah! Yes, yes, come in. I¡¯m terribly sorry, I forgot my manners.


    ¡ª There is no harm.


    Slightly flustered by her awkwardness at this unexpected visit, Oph¨¦lia stepped back to let her guest enter.


    The entrance led directly into a long corridor spanning the width of the building, with a staircase leading to the upper floor at its far end.


    Once Ogme had crossed the threshold, Oph¨¦lia retrieved from her case a silver wand, the tip of which was set with a purple crystal about the size of a walnut, and pointed it at her guest. The purple crystal then began to glow softly, and within moments all traces of water on Ogme¡¯s black cloak evaporated.


    ¡ª Thank you, Oph¨¦lia. For a moment, I truly thought I would end up completely charred.


    The young woman pursed her lips slightly before replying to this slight barb.


    ¡ª Hmm! I have greatly improved since leaving the academy.


    For a second, Ogme¡¯s face displayed a very slight, satisfied smile.


    ¡ª And that can only please me.


    Thus, on that positive note, Director Ogme followed Oph¨¦lia into the living room, whose entrance was situated in the middle of the corridor, to the right of the front door and facing the dining room.


    The living room occupied half of the house and also housed the library, which extended along the wall opposite the entrance. A fireplace was located to the left of the entrance, centered on the wall, while a door and two windows led to the garden on the same wall¡¯s left side. Two V-shaped sofas faced the fireplace, with a coffee table between them.


    Upon entering the living room, Ogme noticed a man with striking large blue eyes, robustly built, with short brown hair, dressed in a simple beige shirt and brown trousers. This man was seated on the back sofa, polishing a fine-quality sword while enjoying the warmth of the fireplace.


    Seeing that her husband had not noticed the hooded man, Oph¨¦lia cleared her throat gently to call his attention.


    ¡ª Hmm! Volden, dear, we have a visitor.


    The man looked up toward his wife, then turned to the hooded man beside her.


    ¡ª Oh!


    Volden then set his sword aside and quickly rose to greet his guest.


    ¡ª Please excuse me, I wasn¡¯t expecting anyone, he apologized.


    ¡ª There is no harm done. After all, I did not announce my arrival.


    The two men shook hands in greeting, and once that was done, Ogme removed his hood, thereby revealing his face to Volden.


    This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    It turned out that the unexpected guest was an elderly elf, his long light-blond hair neatly styled behind his pointed ears. And, notably, this elf possessed almond-shaped eyes like a starry night sky, with white pupils that glittered like full moons.


    Seeing these unique eyes, Volden jumped in surprise, for he had just recognized his very special guest.


    ¡ª You are Ogme, the Deity of Knowledge and Understanding?! But¡­ what are you doing here¡­ on such an evening?


    The Deity smiled at Volden¡¯s perfectly predictable reaction before swiftly resuming his naturally impassive expression.


    ¡ª If I have come here, it is because I have an important request to make of you.


    A complete silence fell over the room, broken only by the crackling of the fire.


    Volden and Oph¨¦lia were in shock, for one of Ilnolia¡¯s six Deities had personally asked them for help. Moreover, it was Ogme, the Deity who rarely traveled and spent most of his time managing his academy and the Great Library of Agnos, the largest library in the world, the fruit of his divine work.


    Once they had recovered from their emotions, Volden wished to know more about the Deity¡¯s request, despite his hesitant manner.


    ¡ª And¡­ what can we do for you?


    In response, the Deity removed his black cloak that entirely concealed him, revealing his slender and elegant elven build, clad in a long dark-blue robe. The robe¡¯s sleeves were adorned with fine gold trimmings, and it was secured by a leather belt from which various pouches were hung around his waist. The robe was magnificent, accentuating the Deity¡¯s natural beauty.


    But the most striking element in the scene was the baby nestled against Ogme¡¯s chest, held in place by a white scarf.


    Both Oph¨¦lia¡¯s and Volden¡¯s eyes immediately fell upon the child, who slept peacefully as the Deity freed him from the scarf and offered him to Oph¨¦lia.


    The young woman gently took the baby, but the infant gradually began to stir, gazing at her before being returned to the Deity.


    ¡ª Is this¡­ yours? she asked, her voice tinged with hesitation.


    Ogme then adopted a slightly offended air.


    ¡ª Do you really think I have time to concern myself with such matters?


    ¡ª Uh¡­ on second thought, no. But¡­ if he isn¡¯t yours, then to whom does he belong?


    Ogme paused before replying.


    ¡ª He is the son of a close friend, but that person¡­ is unfortunately unable to care for him at the moment and the same goes for the father.


    At this, Volden broke his silence.


    ¡ª So, if I understand correctly, your close friend is a Deity and, therefore, this child is a Nephilim?


    The Deity kept his surprise to himself, for Volden had been entirely correct.


    ¡ª That is absolutely right. And if I have come all this way, it is to entrust him to you.


    That sentence sent an unpleasant shiver down Oph¨¦lia¡¯s spine, as she gently rocked the baby in her arms before coming to an abrupt stop.


    ¡ª Why did you choose us? she asked weakly, almost in a whisper.


    ¡ª In general, I try to keep an eye on my former students. And so¡­I recently learned that you had ended your career as an adventurer and had settled in a quiet place in order to have a child¡­


    Oph¨¦lia sharply interrupted the Deity.


    ¡ª To then take him from us and return him to his rightful parents when they have time to care for him!


    A heavy silence fell over the living room, only to be swiftly broken by Ogme, who replied to the young woman in a calm and measured voice.


    ¡ª That is not part of the plan. In truth¡­


    Ogme paused again as his gaze fell upon the baby, who was beginning to stir slightly in Oph¨¦lia¡¯s arms.


    Indeed, the child had awoken because the heavy atmosphere displeased him. It was only once he had been soothed by the gentle rocking that Ogme resumed speaking.


    ¡ª ¡­his parents are no longer of this world.


    At that most unexpected news, the couple¡¯s faces turned horrified, and many questions arose in Volden¡¯s mind.


    ¡ª But how¡­ is that possible? How can one kill a Deity? Who is powerful enough to do that? And why would anyone do such a thing? What could be gained from killing one?


    Ogme then answered in a monotone voice, carefully choosing his words and information.


    ¡ª As far back as I can remember, whenever a Deity loses their mortal body, an unceasing rain falls over Ilnolia for several days¡­ His mother¡­ was not a powerful combat Deity and¡­ she must have faced someone far superior to her and to her Guardian¡­


    A new silence settled in the room, a silence that spoke volumes about the current situation.


    The young couple had just learned that a Deity, a being capable of changing the world with powers beyond the reach of Ilnolia¡¯s inhabitants, had been slain. Such an event had not occurred for several centuries.


    Once this information was digested, or not, Oph¨¦lia broke the heavy silence with a worried air.


    ¡ª And the baby? Is he in danger?


    ¡ª Normally, no. His parents have ensured that his existence remains a secret¡­ Even I was not aware¡­ So, normally, we are the only ones who know of him.


    The young couple exchanged glances for a few moments before turning their attention back to the baby, who was slowly beginning to open his eyes toward Oph¨¦lia.


    The new expression he displayed was complex, yet neither hostile nor frightening.


    The Nephilim baby released his arms from the cover and slowly stretched them toward this new face, as if reaching out to caress it.


    It was then that Oph¨¦lia noticed the raven-blue, shiny hair and the silvery eyes of the baby, clear signs that he was indeed the son of a Deity and thus, a Nephilim.


    That simple, innocent action of the baby brought a broad, tender smile to Oph¨¦lia¡¯s face, and the baby, in turn, smiled with his mouth agape.


    Following this, the atmosphere in the room lightened, and the young woman turned to Volden, who also smiled. With a determined air, Oph¨¦lia then addressed the Deity Ogme.


    ¡ª Alright, we will take care of him.


    Ogme¡¯s face relaxed slightly, and he bowed before the young couple.


    ¡ª Thank you for accepting my request, and on behalf of his parents, thank you very much.


    Seeing Ogme bow, Volden wished to reassure him by confirming his wife¡¯s words.


    ¡ª Don¡¯t worry, Deity Ogme, we will take good care of him. By the way, what is this little fellow¡¯s name?


    Ogme straightened up before answering.


    ¡ª His parents named him Elwyn. He is two months old, and he was born on the fifteenth day of the second month of summer.


    Upon hearing his name, the Nephilim baby tried to turn his head toward Ogme.


    Noticing this, Oph¨¦lia called out to him.


    ¡ª Elwyn, are you alright?


    The baby then turned his head toward Oph¨¦lia and looked at her with an inquisitive expression, then stirred slightly.


    ¡ª That reaction impressed Volden.


    ¡ª He recognizes his name already at his age?


    Ogme then turned to Volden.


    ¡ª Indeed, his level of awareness is far more advanced than that of a human baby¡­ Incidentally, this reminds me that I have a few little things to give you, so that he may enjoy a better quality of life.


    Ogme rummaged through the pouches hanging around his waist and retrieved a small purse, which he handed to Volden.


    ¡ª This is a small financial compensation from me and his parents.


    Volden¡¯s right hand dropped lower than he had expected under the weight of the purse.


    ¡ª To each his own idea of ¡®small compensation¡¯¡­


    Oph¨¦lia smiled at her husband¡¯s reaction, while Ogme completely ignored it, too occupied with searching his belongings until he eventually found something after several seconds.


    ¡ª And I have something else for him.


    At that moment, Ogme produced from another pouch a rather ordinary bronze ring, which he handed to Oph¨¦lia.


    ¡ª What is that?


    ¡ª It would be much simpler if you gave it to him directly.


    The young woman complied, taking the bronze ring from Ogme¡¯s hand and bringing it closer to Elwyn.


    Once it was about twenty centimeters away from the Nephilim baby, his eyes changed color and turned blue. This sudden change surprised Volden, though not as much Oph¨¦lia.


    ¡ª It¡¯s a concealment ring! she exclaimed.


    ¡ª That¡¯s exactly it. As long as he remains within the ring¡¯s effective range, he can pass as an ordinary human in the eyes of most of the world.


    Volden then interjected on the Deity¡¯s words.


    ¡ª Do you really believe we can hide his true nature from the world?


    Ogme grew pensive.


    ¡ª The most important thing is that people do not, for now, discover that he is a Nephilim. So, if any doubts arise, we¡¯ll simply say he¡¯s just a half-Entity.


    ¡ª I see. And for his origins, what should we say?


    ¡ª The truth. You say that I entrusted him to you because he lost his parents and that you know absolutely nothing about them.


    Oph¨¦lia sighed slightly.


    ¡ª Pfft¡­ That means we¡¯ll have to spend our time lying about everything and everyone¡­


    Ogme¡¯s expression grew tense upon hearing the word, lie, as dishonesty is his greatest enemy as the Deity of Knowledge and Understanding.


    ¡ª Indeed, it is likely to be difficult to live with, but it is a matter of his safety, and yours.


    Volden then turned to the Nephilim baby.


    ¡ª And what about him? Will we have to lie to him as well?


    ¡ª It is impossible to lie completely about this matter. He is aware that he is a half-Entity. I have thus locked away a large part of his memory until he is ready to know everything.


    ¡ª And¡­ when do you suppose that will be? asked the young woman, with a certain curiosity.


    ¡ª When I deem it appropriate. In the meantime, I will come to see you at least once a year to monitor his progress and give you advice on managing his various powers.


    Oph¨¦lia regarded Elwyn thoughtfully.


    ¡ª That¡¯s true¡­ he possesses the powers of a Deity¡­


    ¡ª Yes, but there is no need to worry about that now. It will be several more years before he can do anything.


    A long silence then settled to allow the young couple to absorb all this new information.


    Meanwhile, Ogme looked out the window and noticed that it was growing late. He then decided it was time to depart and put his cloak back on before handing Oph¨¦lia the baby¡¯s travel scarf.


    ¡ª With that, I shall leave you with little Elwyn.


    Surprised, Volden turned to Ogme.


    ¡ª You¡¯re leaving already? In this rain?


    ¡ª I¡¯m going to explain your current situation to the village chief and then head to the inn before returning to Agnos tomorrow morning. Hopefully, it will have stopped raining by then¡­


    ¡ª You know, we have lodging for you here if you wish.


    ¡ª That¡¯s very kind of you, but I have already taken enough of your time. And I think you need to come to terms with the situation you find yourselves in now.


    ¡ª If you say so¡­


    The young couple then escorted Ogme to the front door of the house and watched him depart in the rain before closing the door behind him.


    Volden and Oph¨¦lia then proceeded to the living room and sat on the sofa with their Nephilim baby sleeping peacefully in Oph¨¦lia¡¯s arms.


    Gradually, they began to comprehend everything that had occurred on that unusual evening.

 Chapter II : What is an Entity?

    The arrival of little Elwyn into the small family formed by Oph¨¦lia and Volden proved difficult for them. Indeed, they had not had time to prepare, either mentally or materially, for having a child at that moment.


    The first days were a whirlwind of errands: obtaining a bed and the appropriate bedding, buying baby©\sized clothes, preparing his room, and securing as best they could all the ¡°dangerous¡± parts of the house.


    Fortunately for them, Elwyn was not a crybaby or a fussy infant like many others; rather, he was an observant and calm baby who analyzed everything happening around him, trying to understand it.


    Thus, the daily life of the young couple was not drastically altered by the arrival of the little boy. It simply required that Oph¨¦lia take the baby with her while she performed her work as the village magician and healer.


    Meanwhile, Volden took care of the village¡¯s security, training the guards and assisting the hunters with his skills as an adventurer.


    _________________________


    When Elwyn reached the age of six months, he began to crawl on the floor and explore every corner of the house. He would pick up everything he found along his path and test both the taste and the durability of each object. Moreover, he loved listening to Oph¨¦lia read and enjoyed books in general, even though he did not yet understand their content. He was especially drawn to the drawings and illustrations, particularly if they depicted a majestic dragon.


    Another one of his pastimes was watching Volden practice with his sword in the garden through the living room window. He even mimicked his movements with his little arms.


    However, among all these daily activities there was one that was completely incomprehensible to the Ilnolians: the ¡°hunt¡± for Entities. And so, it sometimes happened that the little boy would try in vain to catch swirling, dark, misty strands fluttering about like flies.


    These supernatural beings are called Entities and are found in the Ethereal Plane, a perfect mirror world of Ilnolia.


    The Ethereal Plane is a world devoid of constructions and sterile of organic life; it is also completely covered by a thick, permanent purple mist called ether. Another peculiarity of this Plane is that the events and things occurring there are invisible to the eyes of Ilnolians, though not to those of the Entities residing in Ilnolia. Moreover, the Entities are capable of observing Ilnolia from the Ethereal Plane, since Ilnolia is superimposed onto it like a transparent overlay, but what they see is slightly blurred and intangible.


    Even though Ilnolians are unable to observe an Entity in its natural Plane, some people do possess the ability to sense the presence of one of these beings.


    Thus, being a half-Entity, Elwyn is capable of seeing what happens in the Ethereal Plane from Ilnolia. But in those moments, he no longer sees what is happening in Ilnolia. Sometimes, he sees events unfolding simultaneously in both planes, as if they were one and the same.


    However, since the little nephilim has not yet mastered his power, he frequently ends up bumping into various obstacles around the house because he simply no longer sees them due to an untimely shift in his perspective. This, of course, caused a great deal of worry for his adoptive parents, who had to keep a nearly constant eye on him, just in case.


    Apart from such accidents, Elwyn spent his days in peace and tranquility.


    _________________________


    Ten months had passed since the little nephilim arrived in the village of Eriana, and it was the fifteenth day of the second month of summer. Elwyn was now one year old, and it was on that day that the Deity Ogme was to make its first annual visit to the village.


    Oph¨¦lia and Volden welcomed the Deity in the early afternoon. Dressed in a long beige robe, similar to the one it had worn during its first visit, Ogme sported its belt adorned with multiple pouches.


    After greeting its hosts, the Deity settled on the first sofa in the living room, soon joined by Oph¨¦lia and Volden.


    It was then that Volden, who was slightly tense following the Deity¡¯s arrival, initiated the conversation.


    ¡ª So¡­ did you have a good journey?


    ¡ª By my reckoning, since it didn¡¯t rain on the roads this time and the weather conditions were good, I would say yes, I had a pleasant journey.


    ¡ª It¡¯s true that last time¡­ traveling was not so pleasant.


    ¡ª Indeed. Ogme then paused briefly before moving on to a more pressing subject. And tell me, how is little Elwyn doing?


    That very pointed question was the real reason for its visit.


    It was Oph¨¦lia who then answered.


    ¡ª Well, it was difficult for both of us at first¡­ and even for a while afterward, actually¡­ but now things are much better; we are managing Elwyn and his¡­ little problem.


    Ogme then assumed a more serious expression and directed its gaze toward Oph¨¦lia.


    ¡ª By ¡°little problem,¡± you mean that at certain moments, Elwyn does not perceive his surroundings correctly.


    At these words, the young woman¡¯s expression turned even more sorrowful.


    ¡ª Yes, that¡¯s exactly it¡­


    Seeing this, Volden gently took Oph¨¦lia¡¯s hand to reassure her.


    ¡ª Do not worry too much about it, Oph¨¦lia, Volden. This phase he is going through is only temporary.


    That single sentence from the Deity was enough to slightly reassure the young couple, who sighed with relief before bombarding it with questions, starting with Oph¨¦lia.


    ¡ª What exactly is happening to him?


    Ogme settled more comfortably on the sofa before answering.


    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡ª What Elwyn is currently experiencing is a common phase among half-Entities. His human side and his Entity side are in internal conflict, each vying to see which tendency will predominate within him. Unfortunately, this conflict triggers the activation of certain powers, including another one that will become even more problematic in the near future.


    Oph¨¦lia grew slightly pale when she heard the word ¡°problematic¡± from the Deity¡¯s mouth.


    ¡ª What do you mean by that?


    ¡ª For now, Elwyn simply has perception problems between Ilnolia and the Ethereal Plane. But after this, he will enter a higher phase where he will travel randomly between the two worlds.


    Upon hearing that, Oph¨¦lia covered her face with both hands, then exhaled in exasperation at this new information.


    ¡ª No way¡­


    Seeing his wife¡¯s exasperated face, Volden turned to the Deity with an anxious look.


    ¡ª What can we do to help him at that time?


    Ogme replied to Volden while looking at Oph¨¦lia.


    ¡ª It is precisely to address that problem that I entrusted the child to you. I know that Oph¨¦lia has reached a sufficient level of control over the ether to create extraplanar portals. Moreover, she possesses the gift of sensing the Entities in the Ethereal Plane.


    The young woman slowly lifted her head toward the Deity.


    ¡ª So, if I understand correctly, you¡¯ve calculated everything from the start, haven¡¯t you?


    ¡ª Indeed, I left nothing to chance. At the same time, his mother asked me to entrust him to competent and reliable people, in case things should go awry for her¡­


    At that moment, little Elwyn emerged from his hiding place. He was quietly settled, with his little articulated wooden dragon, just behind the sofa where his adoptive parents sat.


    Ogme turned its gaze toward the little boy, who noticed after a few seconds the heavy look fixed upon him.


    The young boy suddenly froze.


    Seeing that the Deity¡¯s gaze had shifted next to them, Oph¨¦lia got up to go see Elwyn, but when she saw his expression of frozen terror, she became slightly alarmed.


    Quickly, she turned to Ogme, who did not take his eyes off Elwyn, and it signaled her not to intervene.


    The little boy was confronted with a being of colossal power, whose mere look completely overwhelmed him, as if someone were simply placing a finger on an ant to immobilize it.


    The Deity then extended its right hand toward Elwyn and beckoned him to come closer.


    Instinctively, the little boy obeyed and crawled slowly toward the Deity, keeping his toy with him and maintaining eye contact.


    Once at the Deity¡¯s feet, the little boy froze, and Ogme gently picked him up and placed him on its lap, face to face.


    Upon closer inspection, Ogme noticed that Elwyn wore a short chain around his neck, to which was attached his bronze concealment ring.


    Meanwhile, the little boy continued to gaze into the Deity¡¯s eyes, which suddenly placed its right hand on his head and caressed it gently.


    Then Elwyn understood that this powerful being was not hostile to him at all, and he decided to offer his toy as a token of friendship and peace.


    The young couple, witnessing the entire scene, was astonished by what had just transpired before their eyes. Oph¨¦lia, who had wished to intervene, sat back down when Ogme signaled her not to step in, and Volden was left speechless in the face of this display of intimidation.


    The Deity accepted the little boy¡¯s offering and began to pose the wooden dragon in various realistic positions, while Elwyn watched in wonder. The wooden creature first assumed the pose of a leaping dragon ready to take flight, then transformed into that of a dragon soaring mid-air, before taking on the form of a dragon diving toward the ground, and finally it transformed into the shape of a curled-up, sleeping dragon, much like a cat.


    Following that, the Deity took the little boy back into its arms and placed him beside it while returning his wooden dragon. It then turned to Volden and Oph¨¦lia, both of whom were still dumbfounded.


    ¡ª Half-Entities often have difficulty integrating into any society. To compensate, they frequently resort to using, and even abusing, their strength and powers to establish a position of dominance. People tend to be very wary of them, even rejecting them outright, and it is important to show them from a very young age that there exist beings far stronger than they are. In doing so, they will find a more peaceful and intelligent way to blend in, rather than risk being crushed by someone who does not appreciate their methods.


    Volden then broke his silence.


    ¡ª That¡¯s a rather extreme method.


    ¡ª The human equivalent would be those stories about child-eating monsters for naughty children.


    ¡ª Yes, but those are just stories. We¡¯re not really going to summon a monster to punish them.


    ¡ª Different species, different customs. Entities and Ilnolians do not necessarily feel things in the same way. Look.


    Ogme pointed at Elwyn, who was busy playing with his wooden dragon and trying to mimic the various figures he had seen earlier.


    ¡ª Does he look shocked or traumatized?


    Volden looked at the little boy¡¯s face, which seemed more preoccupied with his toy than with his surroundings.


    ¡ª No, he even seems to have completely forgotten what just happened.


    ¡ª But no. What he felt at the moment I fixed my gaze upon him is now engraved within him, and that unpleasant sensation might serve as ¡°child-eating monsters¡± should he misbehave.


    Oph¨¦lia then spoke up.


    ¡ª Why not use a story instead of what you just did?


    ¡ª Because Entities are born from what lies at the very depths of the Ilnolian ¡°Heart¡±, whether it be a need, a wish, a desire, a very strong emotion, or a sentiment. We are not ¡°natural¡± beings of Ilnolia, and your monster stories cannot affect us if we take refuge in the Ethereal Plane. So, if you want to scare an Entity, you must make it understand that you can reach it even in the Ethereal Plane.


    The young woman turned her gaze toward Elwyn.


    ¡ª So, if I understand correctly, you only believe what you see.


    Ogme nodded.


    ¡ª That is precisely why I have so much work to do at the academy. I must constantly verify all documents, books, texts, and other writings before officially adding them to the library, even if I have already attended a several-hour-long presentation on the subject just before receiving the writings.


    ¡ª And you are only afraid of what can truly affect you, she added.


    ¡ª Exactly. Moreover, I omitted to mention one thing. Half-Entities can have fears related to their Ilnolian origin, like a fear of spiders or snakes, whereas pure Entities do not, except perhaps for the fear of their own ¡°destruction.¡±


    ¡ª I see¡­


    Silence fell over the room and all eyes turned toward Elwyn, who continued to play quietly with his wooden dragon, until Oph¨¦lia posed a question to the Deity.


    ¡ª Are all nephilim babies as calm and well-behaved?


    ¡ª What do you mean by that?


    ¡ª Well, because of his¡­ vision problems, he has already bumped into a wall, a chair, or a piece of furniture more than once, and each time, he did not cry.


    Volden agreed with his partner¡¯s remark.


    ¡ª It¡¯s true I haven¡¯t often seen him cry over an injury¡­ In fact, has he ever been hurt at all?


    Oph¨¦lia shook her head in negative.


    Noticing that his adoptive parents were watching him intently, Elwyn proudly showed them the new figure of his dragon, which was curled up like a cat.


    At that sight, both parents complimented the little boy, who then resumed his activity, and Ogme seized the renewed attention of his hosts to answer them.


    ¡ª Not all nephilim are crybabies; it simply depends on the individual, and as I have already mentioned, we do not feel things in the same way.


    Oph¨¦lia then followed up on the Deity¡¯s words.


    ¡ª So, could it also be related to one of his powers, then?


    Ogme grew silent for several long seconds before responding to the young woman.


    ¡ª I¡¯d prefer not to address that topic right now. Just know that his powers have no destructive capacity, so there is nothing to fear on that front.


    This important piece of information alleviated some of the burden for the young couple, and the conversation then turned to lighter subjects until it was time for Ogme to depart for Agnos.

 Chapter III : A Child Unlike the Others

    The days, months, and seasons passed quickly, and Elwyn reached the age of four.


    The little boy had evolved remarkably in so little time, largely thanks to his nature as a half-Entity.


    His physical development was that of a six©\year©\old, while his communication skills and intelligence were on par with a child twice his age¡­


    _________________________


    Over these past three years, I learned to speak, to stand, and to walk on two feet, which greatly helped me in my explorations.


    Even though so much time has passed, my vision problems persist. Fortunately, now that I can speak, I can call out directly for help¡ª¡°Mother-Oph¨¦lia¡± or ¡°Father-Volden¡±¡ªeven if the latter is less often around because of his duties with the village guard.


    As for Mother-Oph¨¦lia, I find her very kind and caring. She often takes the time to teach me new things, like reading adventure books that she used to read to me before.


    She also taught me how to use the magical engravings on the bathtub so that I could wash by myself. According to her, these magical engravings are very simple to use.


    All one must do is recite the incantation corresponding to the engraving you wish to activate. There are two for the bathtub in the house: one to create water¡ª¡°Water, come to me¡±¡ªand another to heat it¡ª¡°Water, warm yourself.¡± You simply say ¡°Water, stop¡± to end the incantation.


    It is important to know that only one engraving can be activated at a time.


    As for Father-Volden, I find him to be a reliable and serious person¡ªespecially when it comes to training.


    Of course, he encourages me to continue my ¡°physical and martial training¡± every day in the house.


    Moreover, not long ago, Mother-Oph¨¦lia granted me permission to join him in the garden under her supervision.


    Now that I can move with agility, flexibility, and balance, Father-Volden can correct my posture and movements.


    He even gave me a pretty carved wooden sword to practice imitating his sword movements as best as I can. Thanks to this training, I feel that books are becoming lighter in my hands and that my endurance increases over time, allowing me to train for longer periods.


    However, there is something I do not understand.


    After several training sessions with Father-Volden, one day he told me that I possessed extraordinary physical abilities.


    What is it that makes me so different?


    During my other daily activities, I love watching Mother-Oph¨¦lia prepare meals. She has great skill with a knife and a delicate finesse in her gestures and cuts.


    I also enjoy watching her do the cleaning, as it is one of the activities where she uses magic. Just seeing dust being sucked up by a whirlwind of air emanating from her silver wand makes the task seem so simple and quick.


    Magic, after all, is something that simplifies everyday life considerably. A mere wave of a wand can dry freshly washed clothes, or even levitate a piece of furniture so that one can clean right underneath it.


    Unfortunately, I am unable to do the same as she does.


    And it is not for lack of trying¡­


    One day, when Mother-Oph¨¦lia was napping, I borrowed her wand without permission, but no matter how many times I tried to mimic the gestures I had seen countless times, no magic came out¡­


    Otherwise, over these three years, I have seen the Deity Ogme at each of my birthdays. It is an Entity endowed with unimaginable power, yet it is not mean. And at each of its visits, it gifts me new books.


    They are generally writings about the various species that populate the world and the monsters that inhabit it. But among all these books I have received, my favorite remains the first one it gave me. That one is devoted entirely to dragons and their variants and subspecies. Even though I still struggle to read on my own, the different illustrations, drawings, and detailed sketches help me understand certain things.


    For Mother-Oph¨¦lia, these three years were very eventful. At the same time, she is the only magician and healer in the village.


    Moreover, to prove her role and level of mastery in healing magic, she wears a silver pendant representing a tree of life.


    In addition to healing people, she uses magic to help with the village¡¯s daily tasks. For example, she has made it rain over the fields during dry spells. Or she has repaired valuable objects that were accidentally broken or damaged.


    And finally, she takes care of me. I accompany her every day in her work, since Father-Volden handles matters far too dangerous for me at the moment.


    But from what I understand, he is in charge of the village¡¯s security and helps train the guards. He also hunts the monsters in the vicinity and sometimes assists the hunters in tracking game.


    _________________________


    For some time now, I have noticed a change in the general atmosphere of the house and the village.


    Personally, I find that Father-Volden has grown much closer to Mother-Oph¨¦lia than usual. He leaves for work as late as possible and returns as early as possible. Moreover, the villagers behave in a much warmer and friendlier way toward Mother-Oph¨¦lia, and I even sometimes hear phrases like ¡°Congratulations,¡± ¡°When is the big moment?¡± or ¡°I will pray to Deity Akeso for you¡± when we pass by an acquaintance or a patient.


    And sometimes, after such phrases, people look at me with a big smile and congratulate me.


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    Yet, I do nothing to deserve such words¡­


    I feel that something is happening with all these messages, but I do not know what¡­ Perhaps, I think, Mother-Oph¨¦lia is waiting for the ¡°right moment,¡± as Deity Ogme so aptly puts it.


    ¡ª Some things require patience. Others, a certain maturity of mind. And finally, some require a certain openness of spirit. To acquire knowledge, one must respect all of this, for some information requires that its possessor be ready before sharing it with others. Of course, some also require that the listener be ready in order to hear and accept it. But the most important thing in all this is the words used to convey the message, because each word carries its meaning, its sense, and its power over people¡¯s minds. One must choose one¡¯s words carefully to be understood properly and to avoid any misunderstanding or misinterpretation. And so, the ¡°right moment¡± comes when all of that is in place. So, be patient a little longer, Elwyn. Grow up; you have all the time in the world before you truly understand. And once you have acquired that knowledge, you will have even more time to learn much more¡­


    I remember he told me this after I asked him for information about my real parents.


    I suppose I will have to wait a little longer¡­


    _________________________


    The days, weeks, and months passed, and I noticed that Mother-Oph¨¦lia¡¯s belly had begun to grow larger and larger, and with that, I saw her making fewer and fewer trips as time went by.


    Then one day, when she was lying on the sofa with a book in hand, I wanted to know what it was that she had not yet told me, hoping that the ¡°right moment¡± had finally arrived.


    ¡ª Mother-Oph¨¦lia?


    The young woman with short ash-colored hair recognized my voice and set her book against her chest, sitting up slowly before turning her head toward me with a big smile.


    ¡ª Yes, my darling, what is it?


    I, the little boy with crow-blue hair, stood straight facing her, my face showing a rather serious expression.


    ¡ª Mother-Oph¨¦lia, may I know what has been happening to you for some time now?


    Mother-Oph¨¦lia looked at me with a slightly confused expression. At first, she did not immediately grasp the meaning of my question.


    But once she understood¡ªafter a few seconds of thought and a certain persistent glance at her belly¡ªshe smiled amusedly.


    Indeed, it was rare for me to display such a serious expression, and the fact that I was worried about her, despite my very young age, made her very happy.


    ¡ª Oh! Elwyn, you¡¯re worried about me?


    I nodded affirmatively in response.


    Then Mother-Oph¨¦lia took the book from her chest and set it on the coffee table before settling comfortably on the sofa, motioning for me to sit right next to her.


    I obeyed and sat just to her left, and then she began her explanation.


    ¡ª You see, Elwyn, when a man and a woman love each other very much, sometimes they decide to have a child.


    I looked at her with a puzzled expression.


    ¡ª So¡­ you¡¯re going to have¡­ a baby?


    Mother-Oph¨¦lia smiled warmly and then gently took my hand and placed it against her belly.


    ¡ª You see, for now, the baby is here, in my belly. It is warm and safe, just as you once were.


    I gently caressed her belly in small circles with my hand.


    ¡ª Will it be okay?


    ¡ª For now, yes, and I hope it will remain so until the very end.


    I stopped caressing her belly and stared at it intently.


    ¡ª Do you know when it will come to us?


    Mother-Oph¨¦lia thought for a moment before giving the answer that seemed most fitting.


    ¡ª Oh¡­ I would say there is at least a quarter of a year left for it to develop in my belly before coming into the world.


    At that response, my eyes widened in surprise.


    ¡ª That much time?


    ¡ª Yes, it must take its time to develop and grow properly.


    ¡ª I see¡­ Do you already know if it will be a boy or a girl?


    ¡ª Oh no, not yet. And besides, I would like to keep it a surprise for the big day, she replied with a broad smile.


    ¡ª I see¡­


    For a moment, I lost myself in thought before being interrupted by a question from Mother-Oph¨¦lia.


    ¡ª But tell me, what would you prefer? A little brother or a little sister?


    I stared fixedly at her belly for several seconds before answering as honestly as I could.


    ¡ª I don¡¯t know. I think¡­ I have no preference¡­


    At these words, a long silence fell over the room before being broken by a question that had been nagging at me since the beginning of our conversation.


    ¡ª Mother-Oph¨¦lia, may I ask you a question?


    ¡ª Of course, my darling, go ahead.


    ¡ª You said that when a man and a woman love each other, they might decide to have a child.


    Mother-Oph¨¦lia looked intrigued, for she did not quite see where I was heading with this.


    ¡ª Yes, I did say that. What is the problem?


    I then looked her straight in the eyes and fixed my gaze on her.


    ¡ª What does ¡°to love¡± mean?


    At this unexpected question, Mother-Oph¨¦lia¡¯s face slowly fell apart.


    At the same time, I had asked her this question eye-to-eye, and she could see that the words were sincere.


    However, I suppose that one of these questions was bound to come someday, for Entities are known to have great difficulty in understanding the feelings of others and in expressing their own. And this is even more pronounced in those whose governing Domain is not directly linked to a sentiment.


    Seeing her expression change drastically, I began to worry.


    ¡ª Mother-Oph¨¦lia? Did I say something wrong?


    Mother-Oph¨¦lia quickly regained herself and hid behind a smile, in order to reassure me.


    ¡ª No. You said nothing wrong. It¡¯s just that¡­ I did not expect such a difficult question.


    My gaze then turned inquisitive.


    ¡ª Difficult?


    Mother-Oph¨¦lia nodded.


    ¡ª Yes, it is very difficult to precisely describe what ¡°love¡± is to someone.


    I looked at her, perplexed.


    ¡ª ¡°Love¡± and ¡°to love¡± mean the same thing?


    This question surprised her once more, but she managed to remain as composed as possible.


    ¡ª Yes. Well, in a way. They are both words used to define the same feeling, but not with the same intensity¡­


    My questioning gaze persisted.


    ¡ª ¡­ We use ¡°to love¡± when we mean that we are attached to something, for example, flowers. I love flowers. Whereas we use ¡°love¡± to say that we are very attached to someone. For instance, I am in love with Volden.


    This explanation created a brief moment of reflective silence on my part.


    ¡ª Mother-Oph¨¦lia, I¡¯m sorry, but I still do not understand.


    Those truthful words nearly brought her to tears, though she managed to hold back her tears, even if her facial expression betrayed her sadness.


    ¡ª Mother-Oph¨¦lia, are you alright?


    She nodded, trying to wipe away the sorrow from her face.


    ¡ª I am fine¡­ it¡¯s just that¡­ it is very difficult to convey with words a feeling that is experienced deep within one¡¯s soul¡­


    ¡ª Why is it so difficult?


    ¡ª Because love is a feeling that is lived. When one is in love, the experience is different for everyone. If you will, we can say that everyone loves in their own way.


    This answer left me even more puzzled.


    Seeing this, Mother-Oph¨¦lia gave me a tender smile before taking me into her arms and holding me tight to reassure both of us.


    ¡ª You know, Elwyn, I am sure that one day you will understand what ¡°love¡± is. I am convinced of it.


    ¡ª I hope so too¡­


    This conversation allowed me to realize that I was not yet mature enough to understand certain things in life and that I had gaps in my knowledge on subjects I should already know or understand¡­

 Chapter IV : What Is a Domain?

    The days, weeks, and months passed like the wind, and the long-awaited day of Oph¨¦lia¡¯s delivery finally arrived.


    For this grand event, Father-Volden had called upon Martha, the village elder and midwife.


    She was about sixty years old, dressed in a dark blue dress, and her graying hair was tied up in a bun.


    Given her age, this lady had assisted with many births. So it seemed only natural to have her oversee this one. Of course, she was assisted by her granddaughter Livia, who hoped to follow in her footsteps.


    This young woman ¨C in her twenties, with long brown hair tied in a ponytail and wearing a light blue dress ¨C was also present.


    Obviously, today was also the day Deity Ogme had planned to visit us¡­


    I suspect he must have arranged with Father-Volden and Mother-Oph¨¦lia to take care of me during the delivery.


    And me, who wanted to help¡­ even just a little¡­


    Today is the sixth day of the second month of spring, and the afternoon began amid the anguished cries of Mother-Oph¨¦lia. Meanwhile, I was confined to the dining room with Deity Ogme, who was seated right in front of me.


    This time, as a gift, I received from him a simple instructional book for learning to write.


    Since I apparently had some free time, I took the initiative to read it. However, Mother-Oph¨¦lia¡¯s cries made it impossible.


    Each of her cries was like a tear ripping inside me.


    It was as if someone were holding two pieces of the skin on my belly and pulling them in opposite directions¡ªsplitting me in two¡ªand then grabbing my intestines to tie them into tight knots that were untied and re-tied even more tightly, over and over again¡­


    And all I had to do during that time was simply to wait patiently¡­


    I just had to wait for it all to be over¡­


    Seeing that the little boy could not concentrate for even a single second, Deity Ogme closed his eyes and focused to channel his energy.


    Suddenly, a gentle wave of energy emanated from the Deity and swept through the room, and then not a single sound could be heard from outside.


    It was now calm¡ªvery calm.


    This sudden action startled Elwyn, for he had never before witnessed any Entity magic, whatever its form.


    ¡ª Now, you will be able to concentrate on what you are doing.


    Once he recovered from his surprise, the little boy began to stare at the Deity with a questioning look.


    ¡ª I have just isolated this room from all external distractions. This is only one of the abilities of my Domain.


    Having received the answer even before asking his next question, Elwyn then resumed his usual neutral expression and posed another question.


    ¡ª Teacher, what is a ¡°Domain¡±?


    Ogme adopted a serious expression before replying.


    ¡ª Since time immemorial, Entities and half-Entities have been categorized by what we call a ¡°Domain.¡± This classification tells us both the function and the type of power an individual possesses. For example, I, Ogme, am an Entity of the Domain of Knowledge and Understanding, and furthermore, I currently hold the title of Deity because I am the most powerful Entity in this Domain. As for my function, I collect all forms of knowledge and understanding that the beings of this world possess and preserve them in a vast library created with my powers. In short, I am the current guardian of all the memory of the world of Ilnolia.


    This sudden revelation made the little boy understand why his adoptive parents were always so surprised and tense when Deity Ogme visited them.


    ¡°Deity Ogme is someone truly very important and very busy. And despite that, he spends part of his precious time here, with me.¡±


    Once he recovered from this new surprise, Elwyn asked another question, this time with a hint of reservation.


    ¡ª Teacher, can you tell me which Domain I belong to?


    At this important question, Ogme cast a heavy, thoughtful look on the little boy and, for several long seconds, did not take his starry gaze off Elwyn.


    Then a slight smirk appeared on Ogme¡¯s usually impassive face.


    ¡ª You know, Elwyn, an Entity devotes its entire existence to its Domain, and the same is often true for half-Entities like you. So, if I were to tell you now what your Domain is, you would no longer be able to escape your destiny¡­ And furthermore, you would easily discover who your parents were, since one of them was a known Entity.


    This answer did not surprise the little boy in the slightest. Meanwhile, Ogme kept his information about Elwyn¡¯s biological parents very carefully to himself.


    ¡°If I understand correctly, it¡¯s not yet the right time¡­¡±


    ¡ª Indeed, it is not yet the right time. You know, I do all this not to tease you but to protect you, nothing more. One day, you will know the whole truth, I promise you.


    ¡ª All right¡­


    And the little boy immersed himself back into his reading.


    The calm and silence of the room made the little boy increasingly nervous as time passed.


    Two hours had now elapsed and nothing¡ªnot even the slightest sound from the outside.


    ¡ª Elwyn. Worrying won¡¯t change what is happening outside this room.


    ¡ª I know, but¡­


    ¡ª But nothing at all. You are supposed to be a child still living in a protective cocoon, unaware of the harshness and cruelty of this world. So, you are simply going to copy the first character, as indicated on the first exercise page, as neatly as possible and forget the outside world.


    ¡ª All right, I¡¯ll try, said the little boy with little conviction.


    ¡ª Very well, then¡­


    The Deity then produced from one of his pouches a block of paper and a small, ornately carved wooden box.


    Inside the box was a black ebonite pencil, its body adorned with a fine silver mesh, exquisitely crafted, as well as a pen of the same style, with a silver nib.


    The Deity placed the box directly in front of Elwyn, and the little boy opened it carefully, marveling at the craftsmanship of these two writing instruments.


    Meanwhile, the Deity took the pencil and held it between his thumb and forefinger, without them touching, with the tip pointing downward.


    ¡ª This is how you should hold your writing instrument.


    The little boy then took the pen from his box and positioned it between his thumb and forefinger.


    ¡ª That¡¯s good. Now, gently place the nib on the paper and trace the character. But be careful¡ªthe nib is very fragile. If you press too hard, you risk bending it and rendering it unusable.


    Elwyn obeyed and attempted to trace the first character.


    ¡ª Go a little more gently; you are still pressing too hard on the tip. Be gentle, like the caress of the wind on skin. Let your pen glide, as if you were sliding your finger over a freshly waxed table.


    The little boy then relaxed his grip so as only to hold the pen between his fingers and began to let it slowly glide across the paper, retracing the character.


    ¡ª That¡¯s much better, but go faster with your stroke. You might create ink smudges if you leave your pen in one spot for too long.


    Elwyn started over, this time moving faster.


    ¡ª Keep going like that, you¡¯re on the right track.


    The character Elwyn traced was far from perfect. It was uneven, with irregular strokes and occasional ink stains scattered about. However, his grip on the pen was good, and that was all that mattered at the moment.


    Encouraged by the Deity, the little boy began tracing the character repeatedly, trying each time to make it smaller and more precise, much like the characters in his book.


    Four hours passed in this manner.


    All that time went by without Elwyn noticing. At the same time, he was completely under the influence of the Deity¡¯s ¡°study aura.¡±


    And yet, during this period, he had to refill the pen¡¯s reservoir several times, clean the ink stains off the table, and¡ªof course¡ªhave his hands tapped when he attempted to grab the book with ink-stained fingers.


    Nevertheless, the little boy had managed to trace many different characters, and the sheets began to stack slowly on the table.


    ¡ª You know, Elwyn, if you continue working like this, you will eventually assist me at the academy.


    The little boy then looked up at the Deity with a questioning expression. In response, Ogme pointed to the window right behind Elwyn, and the little boy saw that the sun had set.


    ¡ª Already this hour!


    ¡ª Yes, time really flies when you¡¯re having fun¡­ If only the days could be longer, or the nights brighter¡­


    Elwyn then turned his head toward the entrance of the room.


    ¡ª Are they finished?


    Stolen novel; please report.


    ¡ª No, not yet. They would have told me if they were. But well, I¡¯m going to go check, to see how things are.


    The little boy seized that opportunity.


    ¡ª May I come too?


    ¡ª No. You, you stay here and continue writing.


    Ogme¡¯s response was direct and uncompromising.


    Elwyn then reluctantly stayed seated on his chair, while the Deity left the room, leaving the little boy alone with himself.


    Once outside the dining room, Ogme was immediately bombarded by the everyday sounds¡ªno longer enveloped by the lingering effect of his aura. And so, before even moving toward the living room, the Deity listened to the sounds and surveyed the atmosphere to get a sense of the situation.


    From what he could hear, there were cries; however, they did not belong to an adult but rather to a baby. There were also labored breaths, which likely came from a woman, no doubt Oph¨¦lia. And the overall atmosphere carried a certain heaviness, accompanied by a slight trace of fear and panic.


    This final sign alarmed the Deity.


    ¡ª All of this does not bode well¡­


    The Deity then knocked on the living room door to announce his presence before cautiously entering the room.


    Inside the living room, Ogme quickly assessed the situation.


    Seated on the second sofa, near the fireplace, was midwife Martha, whose arms were occupied with a bundle of laundry she was gently rocking¡ªpresumably the baby. In the center of the room sat Oph¨¦lia, almost unconscious on the floor, beneath which a growing pool of blood had formed. Right behind her was Volden, holding her in his arms with a panicked expression, and in front of him stood Livia, in a state of panic as she tried to stem the bleeding.


    The Deity then calmly approached Livia and crouched down beside her.


    ¡ª Can you tell me what happened?


    The young girl turned to Ogme, her eyes brimming with tears and her jaw trembling from stress and panic.


    ¡ª E-e-everything was fine, and then, she¡­ she¡­ she started bleeding, and it wouldn¡¯t stop¡­


    ¡ª I see.


    The Deity then turned toward Volden, who was trembling like a leaf.


    ¡ª Volden, calm down and listen. Take a deep breath, and once you are calm, tell me where I can find the nearest healer.


    Volden complied, keeping his eyes fixed on Ogme, and took a long, deep breath before answering, his voice trembling.


    ¡ª There is one in the town of Alina, to the south, but¡­ it¡¯s too far¡­ She won¡¯t be able to¡­ she won¡¯t be able to hold on until then¡­, he said, as tears began to form on his face.


    Seeing the gravity of the situation, the Deity began rubbing his face, trying to find a solution.


    After several long seconds, that much-desired solution finally came to him.


    In fact, it had almost leapt to his face¡ªarriving just as he removed his ink-stained hands from his face.


    Ogme then lifted his head toward Volden, who saw in the Deity¡¯s reaction a glimmer of hope, albeit a bitter one.


    ¡ª I might have a solution.


    Quickly, Ogme left the living room and rejoined Elwyn in the dining room, where the little boy had remained quietly seated, still tracing characters on his sheet.


    When the Deity opened the door and entered the room, the little boy turned toward him, eyes alight with hope.


    ¡ª So, how is it going?


    Ogme approached the little boy, took the nearest chair, and sat down beside him.


    Adopting a grave expression, the Deity looked the little boy in the eyes and explained the situation.


    ¡ª To be honest, things are not going well.


    At this, the little boy¡¯s face grew equally somber, though he said nothing and did not appear too unsettled.


    ¡ª Oph¨¦lia is in critical condition, and there isn¡¯t a healer close enough to help her. However, the baby is fine.


    ¡ª I see¡­ That¡¯s something at least¡­ What can we do to help Mother-Oph¨¦lia?


    Then, the Deity placed his hands on the little boy¡¯s shoulders and looked him straight in the eyes.


    ¡ª Elwyn, the current situation forces me to turn to you, even though you are absolutely not ready.


    ¡ª Ready for what?


    After a brief pause, the Deity replied:


    ¡ª Elwyn, you are going to use your Entity powers and heal Oph¨¦lia.


    At this, the little boy froze in astonishment.


    ¡ª Pardon?


    ¡ª You heard me well. You are the one who will heal Oph¨¦lia. You, and only you.


    The look in the Deity¡¯s eyes left no doubt¡ªhe was extremely serious and had no time for further explanation.


    ¡ª Understood.


    ¡ª Very well. Now, I will unlock a certain part of your memory so that you can easily use your power.


    Elwyn looked at the Deity with a questioning expression.


    ¡ª Unlock my memory?


    Without further comment, the Deity quickly placed his right hand on the little boy¡¯s head, and suddenly, a jolt of energy surged through Elwyn¡¯s entire skull, causing him to feel nauseous and suffer a particularly acute headache for a brief moment.


    Once he had fully recovered, Ogme nodded to the little boy, signaling that he should remain focused, and they left the dining room in silence to join the others in the living room.


    When Elwyn entered the room, he felt heavy and oppressed by the prevailing atmosphere.


    That feeling was most unpleasant; he tried to dispel it by closing his eyes, taking a deep breath, and exhaling slowly.


    Once done, the unpleasant sensation completely lifted, and with a clear and calm mind, Elwyn calmly approached his adoptive parents.


    When Volden saw the little boy coming toward him and Oph¨¦lia, he did not understand his presence and instinctively retracted his right hand.


    ¡ª Elwyn? What are you doing here? Get out of this room! A child has no business here!


    At these words, spoken loudly yet tremblingly, the little boy stopped immediately, and Livia¡ªstill trying to stop the bleeding¡ªfroze and turned toward Elwyn, her face completely panicked and trembling.


    Then the little boy turned to Ogme, who approached him and stood right beside him.


    ¡ª Volden. At this moment, Elwyn is the only one capable of saving her, so let him do his work.


    Volden lowered his hand, still looking at the Deity in confusion.


    Meanwhile, Elwyn resumed his steps, sat down next to Oph¨¦lia, and gently took her hand¡ªshe, who was nearly unconscious¡ªand caressed it softly.


    From what he could see, Oph¨¦lia had lost much blood and her complexion had become very pale. Moreover, her breathing was slow and irregular.


    Once he understood the situation, Elwyn then turned to the Deity.


    ¡ª What do I do now?


    Ogme approached the little boy and sat beside him.


    ¡ª Before we begin, know that Entities use their powers instinctively, so there is no precise manual on how to use them. However, I can offer you some advice and information.


    ¡ª What kind of information?


    In a voice low enough that only Elwyn could hear, Ogme replied:


    ¡ª As you must now know, your powers belong to the Domain of Life. This means you have the ability to heal living beings.


    The little boy confirmed this new knowledge.


    ¡ª Indeed. What else?


    ¡ª To heal her, you must maintain physical contact with her.


    The little boy held her hand firmly.


    ¡ª Understood. And then?


    ¡ª You must completely empty your mind, just as one empties a full glass.


    Elwyn then closed his eyes, took a long, deep breath, and once his lungs were full, exhaled slowly.


    Using this method, he cleared all unnecessary thoughts from his mind, just as he had done upon entering the living room.


    When his mind was clear and empty, the little boy slowly opened his eyes and saw that he was now in a white room.


    Scanning the room, Elwyn saw that in front of him, on a table as white as the room, lay Oph¨¦lia¡ªunconscious and frozen like a statue.


    ¡°Where am I?¡±


    At that moment, a dazzling emerald light appeared above him, illuminating the entire room with its presence.


    This emerald light exuded a warm and comforting aura, like a pair of arms ready to embrace and warm the coldest heart¡ªeven to the point of melting it.


    The little boy¡¯s gaze remained fixed on this light, which began to take on a humanoid form.


    Once formed, it then settled on the opposite side of the table, directly facing Elwyn.


    ¡ª Who are you? the little boy asked.


    ¡ª I am you. Or rather, your power.


    The voice of the emerald light was soft, warm, and feminine.


    ¡ª Alright, I see¡­


    Noticing that Elwyn seemed troubled, the humanoid light extended its right hand above the table.


    The little boy watched it pass over Oph¨¦lia, and once her form was still, he moved toward it and slowly extended his hand to grasp it.


    However, just before their hands could meet, the light¡¯s hand pointed its index finger toward Oph¨¦lia.


    ¡ª Wouldn¡¯t you have something more important to do right now?


    Elwyn then turned his gaze toward Oph¨¦lia.


    ¡ª Yes, but¡­ How? How do I save her?


    ¡ª It¡¯s very simple. However, since you do not yet know¡ªor rather cannot yet properly use¡ªyour power, you must follow my instructions to the letter.


    ¡ª If you say so¡­ Then, what must I do?


    The being of light took Elwyn¡¯s hand and placed it against the young woman¡¯s belly. Suddenly, her clothes disintegrated into particles of emerald light exactly where the little boy¡¯s hand touched.


    ¡ª What¡¯s happening?


    ¡ª Everything is fine. Look.


    The being of light then slid Elwyn¡¯s hand along the length of the young woman¡¯s belly; her clothes disintegrated where his hand passed and then reformed after each pass.


    ¡ª This is just so you can see the external injuries that need healing.


    ¡ª I see¡­ And then?


    ¡ª Well, since she has no external wounds, we must now address an internal injury.


    The being of light then guided the little boy¡¯s hand inside the young woman¡¯s belly, and at that moment, Oph¨¦lia¡¯s flesh completely vanished, leaving only her skeleton and internal organs visible.


    This internal view of the human body did not disturb the little boy at all; he was waiting for one thing only¡ªthe next instructions.


    Understanding this, the being of light moved Elwyn¡¯s hand until it was above the young woman¡¯s uterus.


    ¡ª Look.


    With its left hand, the being of light showed the little boy a small piece of torn membrane inside her uterus, which was gradually filling it with blood.


    ¡ª She is losing her blood.


    ¡ª What must I do to stop this?


    ¡ª You must detach the remaining piece of placenta, purify the spilled blood, return it into her body, and finally close the wound.


    ¡ª All right¡­ I will¡­ try¡­


    ¡ª Do it. You must do it.


    Elwyn then made a pinching motion with his right thumb and forefinger to delicately detach the remaining piece of placenta.


    ¡ª I have detached the piece of placenta. And then?


    ¡ª Place your index finger on the bleeding area. Then, imagine that the blood spilled outside is returning into her, like a river flowing back to its source. Of course, the blood must pass over your finger to be cleansed, like a fishing net separating the fish from the water.


    This vivid and explicit explanation from the being of light made the procedure straightforward for Elwyn, who proceeded with the actions without pause or question.


    ¡ª And now?


    ¡ª Finally, slide your finger along the bleeding area, imagining that it closes up.


    Elwyn complied and slowly ran his finger along the hemorrhaging edge, as one would apply an ointment to a wound, while picturing the torn edges gradually sealing, like a book being closed.


    Once the operation was complete, the being of light lifted the little boy¡¯s hand away from Oph¨¦lia.


    ¡ª There, you have just completed your first healing. Congratulations.


    ¡ª Well¡­ thank you¡­ I think¡­


    ¡ª With that, good luck for what lies ahead and a speedy recovery.


    ¡ª Pardon?


    At that moment, the being of light emitted a blinding emerald flash, forcing Elwyn to close his eyes for several seconds before reopening them in the living room, where he was seated.


    When he became aware of his surroundings, the little boy felt extreme fatigue, and suddenly, an unbearable pain shot through his lower abdomen¡ªsimilar to the tearing sensation he had felt hours earlier, but magnified tenfold.


    This excruciating pain caused Elwyn to collapse backward, and he fell unconscious.


    Fortunately for him, Ogme saw that the little boy was on the verge of collapsing and caught him just in time in his arms.


    The Deity of Knowledge and Understanding had seen everything that had happened¡ªor rather, everything that was visible.


    When the little boy had closed, then reopened his eyes after focusing, his irises had changed color and began to shine brilliantly.


    Indeed, the concealment spell on the ring he had been given¡ªwhich he wears around his neck¡ªhad been overcome by his powers, revealing its natural silver color.


    At that moment, Elwyn no longer seemed part of this world. He had become impervious to all forms of external disturbances.


    He was in his own bubble, alone with himself.


    Oph¨¦lia, meanwhile, appeared to have peacefully fallen asleep when the little boy activated his powers.


    The only visible sign of healing to the outside world was the movement of Elwyn¡¯s hands on the young woman¡¯s body, and when he inserted them inside her, like a ghost. Then, a few minutes later, he regained consciousness of the outside world and immediately collapsed again.


    During those few minutes in which the healing took place, Oph¨¦lia regained her color, and her internal bleeding completely ceased.


    ¡ª Congratulations, Elwyn, you have done well. Unfortunately for you, I must make you forget a large part of what happened¡­


    Ogme then turned his head toward Volden, astonished by what he had just witnessed, and signaled to him that everything was alright.


    In the end, the entire ordeal had gone well today. Oph¨¦lia was in good health, and the baby, too.

 Chapter V : Decide How to Use Your Tool

    Two days was all it took for Elwyn to regain consciousness, and upon waking, the little boy had completely forgotten what he had done after his writing lesson with Deity Ogme.


    Fortunately for him, the Deity, who had remained in the village until then, told him what had happened.


    Of course, he did not remind him that a part of his memory was locked away along with the Domain to which he belongs. However, he did explain that he had used his powers, without going into further detail.


    ¡ª I¡¯m sorry, Elwyn, but you are not ready yet. You possess a power that, at the present moment, is far too great for you. And as proof, look at the state you¡¯re in after just one use, not to mention the worry you caused Volden and Oph¨¦lia when you fell unconscious for two days.


    These words, ringing with truth, allowed the little boy to truly understand and accept the Deity¡¯s warning, and so, Elwyn did not press further for details.


    Of course, Ogme had requested that midwife Martha and Livia keep silent about what had happened that day in order to spare the little boy any further trouble.


    Once Elwyn was able to move again, he finally met his newborn little sister, Le?na.


    Le?na was a baby who appeared a bit undernourished, yet that did not diminish her energy or good health. Her chubby face was marked by two large blue eyes, much like Volden¡¯s, and dark ashy hair, identical to Oph¨¦lia¡¯s.


    Strangely, the arrival of this little being in the family did not provoke a strong reaction from Elwyn.


    The only feeling he experienced was a certain curiosity toward this tiny form of human life.


    Nonetheless, the little boy was glad that this entire ordeal was finally coming to a happy end.


    _________________________


    Days, months, and seasons continued to pass peacefully, and Elwyn reached the age of five.


    Five years is when many things begin to change in a child¡¯s life, for in ten years he will be considered an adult.


    Thus, it is time to slowly begin preparing him for that.


    To that end, during the training session the day after his birthday, Elwyn received from Volden a proper short sword forged by the village¡¯s dwarf smiths, to mark the occasion.


    ¡ª For now, this weapon is still far too heavy for you. However, it is your responsibility to learn how to use it when you become an adult.


    ¡ª Why? For what reason?


    ¡ª Because the world is not safe and a monster can appear in the village at any moment. You must at least learn to defend yourself, as well as those who matter most to you, so you won¡¯t regret it later.


    Elwyn drew the weapon from its leather sheath and set his eyes upon the well-crafted blade.


    The bluish gleam reflected by this shimmering sword was tinged with a note of melancholy.


    ¡ª Father-Volden, I think that¡­ I really don¡¯t feel like learning how to kill¡­


    That unconscious desire in the young boy not to want to kill was not trivial. Indeed, since he belongs to the Domain of Life, taking a life without cause was unthinkable to him. Moreover, killing without a valid reason according to the precepts of his Domain is punishable by death by the Entities of that Domain.


    But he did not yet know that, or rather, not for the time being.


    Volden then knelt and placed his hand on the young boy¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡ª Elwyn, I¡¯m not asking you to learn to fight so as to kill, but to fight in order to live. If you choose not to kill, that is your decision, and I respect it. But you must know that in a real situation, it is very difficult to put that into practice.


    The young boy looked up and met Volden¡¯s eyes directly.


    ¡ª Then, how can I do that?


    ¡ª Well, you simply must keep training again and again until you can master your strength and measure it in every blow, so that you can neutralize your opponent.


    ¡ª I see¡­ In that case, wouldn¡¯t it mean I should learn to use my fists instead of the sword?


    ¡ª Ah, really? And if so, how do you plan to face someone who is armed? Hmm? Will you block their attacks with your arms? Or perhaps use your head to deflect them?


    Elwyn shook his head firmly.


    ¡ª That would be a bad idea¡­


    ¡ª A very bad idea indeed. Listen carefully, Elwyn. A sword is just a tool made to help you face danger. You can use it to protect your own life, but you can also use it to save someone else¡¯s, or to take a life. You can decide to wield it openly, or keep it sheathed so as not to cut. It is up to you how you choose to use your tool in each situation. Do you understand?


    The young boy then pondered these words.


    ¡ª I understand¡­ Well¡­ I think I do.


    Volden withdrew his hand from the boy¡¯s shoulder and placed it on his cheek.


    ¡ª Thank you, my boy. You know, I¡¯m not asking you to do this to burden you, but simply to help you. And¡­ always remember that one day¡­


    Volden sighed softly.


    ¡ª ¡­Oph¨¦lia and I will no longer be here for you¡­ nor for Le?na¡­ So you must learn to manage on your own¡­ to face any situation. Do this for us. Do this so that we have no regrets when that moment comes.


    ¡ª Alright, I will. For you and for Mother-Ophelia.


    Volden then embraced Elwyn.


    ¡ª Thank you, Elwyn, you are a good boy. You know¡­ Oph¨¦lia and I love you very much, even though you are not our own child?


    ¡ª I know, Father-Volden, I know¡­


    That response from the young boy was partly colored by the fact that it came from an idea residing only in his head and not in his heart¡­


    Later, Elwyn was allowed to join Volden on his patrols, during his training sessions with the village guards, and on hunting trips.


    Oph¨¦lia, for her part, offered him the chance to improve his reading and writing with Uvina, the halfling who ran the village library.


    Uvina was in her thirties and stood less than one meter tall. She had light gray eyes, short pointed ears, and her beige hair was long enough to be styled with a black scarf. She was usually dressed in a dark purple dress whose sleeves were embroidered with white threads.


    Moreover, during their first meeting, Elwyn did not, in any way, mention or mock her small stature.


    After all, halflings, as a race not exceeding one meter in height, are often the subject of teasing by the Tall Ones.


    The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    At the same time, it was not uncommon for a human to make a dismissive and condescending remark toward someone from a race deemed inferior.


    Of course, the excuse used to justify this is that the human race served as the basis for the creation of all other humanoid life forms in Ilnolia, by the Great Creator.


    Which is true, but well¡­


    They are not perfect, however¡­


    Thus, the young boy¡¯s lack of any such remark demonstrated his open-mindedness, which greatly pleased Uvina and made her very eager to teach him many things.


    In the cumulative tales of problems over time, it is noted that now Elwyn has reached an age where a new problem related to his Entity origins begins to appear.


    An extraplanar problem.


    Indeed, his vision problems between worlds had calmed considerably over time, but now a new issue makes him travel randomly between Ilnolia and the Ethereal Plane.


    Fortunately for him, Deity Ogme had already informed Oph¨¦lia and Volden of this delicate moment so that they could manage the problem effectively together. Or rather, just Oph¨¦lia, because only magic allows for the creation of extraplanar portals to retrieve the young boy when he becomes trapped in that vast, empty world.


    However, there was a certain advantage for the young boy in traveling between the Planes, even randomly: he could finally catch the Entities he had always seen. And once he managed to grasp them, they would be absorbed into his body and disappear forever.


    In the end, despite this new problem piling on top of the old, Elwyn greatly benefited from this newfound freedom, and his days became very full.


    In the morning, he trains with Volden in sword combat, hand-to-hand fighting, or with a short bow, as well as on his physical condition and endurance.


    During part of the afternoon, he continues his reading and writing lessons with Uvina, who is very kind but strict about work. Still, she allows him access to her library¡¯s works whenever he wishes.


    And for the rest of the day, he rests and takes care of his little sister until the evening, when he helps Oph¨¦lia with the meal.


    _________________________


    One fine day, during Elwyn¡¯s lesson in Uvina¡¯s modest library, the young boy received a package from her.


    ¡ª I have just received this book for you, my little Elwyn. It comes from Agnos. More precisely, from the Great Library of Agnos.


    The young boy, who was about fifteen centimeters taller than her, gently took the package she handed him.


    ¡ª Thank you.


    Uvina held on tightly as Elwyn took the package.


    ¡ª You know, my little Elwyn, not everyone can receive a book from that place.


    ¡ª Oh really?


    ¡ª Yes, indeed; there is only one copy of each book in that library, and the only way to get one is for Deity Ogme to make a copy himself. So, tell me, how did you manage to obtain one, even though you aren¡¯t even a student at that prestigious academy?


    The young boy was puzzled by this unexpected question, and by the ensuing interrogation.


    ¡ª Well¡­ Deity Ogme is a friend of my current parents, so¡­


    The librarian interrupted him.


    ¡ª Your current parents? Do you change parents often? she teased.


    ¡ª No, no, that¡¯s not what I mean. I was adopted by Mother-Oph¨¦lia and Father-Volden, and just before that, my real parents entrusted me to Deity Ogme so he could find me a family to take me in¡­ that¡¯s all.


    Uvina then became pensive.


    ¡ª I see, I see¡­ But¡­ wait a minute, does that mean your biological parents knew Deity Ogme well enough to entrust him with such a request?


    The young boy replied hesitantly.


    ¡ª Indeed, they were¡­ friends. Well¡­ I suppose.


    For several long seconds, the librarian studied Elwyn¡¯s face to verify his words.


    ¡ª Hmm¡­ I believe you. But that still doesn¡¯t answer my question. How did you obtain a copy from the Great Library?


    Elwyn then became thoughtful.


    ¡ª For me to answer your question¡­ wouldn¡¯t it be best if I opened the book to see its subject?


    ¡ª Not a bad idea¡­ Go ahead, open it.


    Once Uvina released him, Elwyn unpacked the book and revealed its title.


    ¡ª ¡®Know and Master the Basics of Your Entity Powers.¡¯


    At that evocative title, the librarian raised an eyebrow and took the book from him to flip through its pages.


    ¡ª Ah! It¡¯s a training book for half-Entities.


    The young boy then peered at the book¡¯s contents, glancing over Uvina¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡ª I see¡­ So, Deity Ogme thinks it¡¯s time for me to learn how to use my powers.


    ¡ª What?! You¡¯re a half-Entity? the librarian asked, feigning surprise and shock at this revelation.


    ¡ª Uh¡­ yes, indeed. That¡¯s why I received this book. Deity Ogme surely wants to ensure I don¡¯t cause trouble with my powers, replied the young boy, not realizing that the librarian was teasing him.


    This answer made Uvina pensive.


    ¡ª Hmm¡­ That makes sense. If one of your parents was an Entity, that would explain his connection with Deity Ogme. But regarding your powers, the book is titled ¡®The Basics of Your Entity Powers.¡¯


    ¡ª And? asked Elwyn, not seeing where she was going with this.


    ¡ª And what? You aren¡¯t aware?


    ¡ª Aware of what?


    Uvina began to laugh softly.


    ¡ª You are a half-Entity, and you don¡¯t even know that you possess powers beyond your Domain.


    Elwyn was surprised by this revelation.


    ¡ª Ah¡­ At the same time, I don¡¯t even know my own Domain, and Deity Ogme refuses to let me know for now.


    At this frank response, the librarian grew serious again.


    ¡ª Oh¡­ I¡¯m sorry. I did not know.


    ¡ª It¡¯s alright.


    ¡ª In that case, you must know that Entities and half-Entities possess common powers in addition to the powers derived from their respective Domains.


    ¡ª I see. And do you know what these famous common powers are?


    Uvina thought for a few seconds before showing him the four sign with her fingers.


    ¡ª I only know four: ethereal vision, ether control, extraplanar displacement, and bodily reinforcement.


    Elwyn felt relieved upon hearing that.


    ¡ª Ah! I believe I already know two of them.


    ¡ª Oh really?


    The young boy nodded.


    ¡ª Sometimes, my vision of the world changes and I see another, a lifeless, barren world completely covered by a light purple mist. And more recently, I have been involuntarily sent to that world, only to return later without knowing how.


    ¡ª Indeed, those are two abilities you possess. However, judging by how you describe them, you do not control them at all.


    ¡ª That¡¯s exactly the case¡­ And it is quite problematic for me and for Mother-Ophelia, who must create a portal every time I vanish for too long¡­


    Uvina sensed disappointment in his voice and moved closer to gently stroke the young boy¡¯s head.


    ¡ª It must not be easy every day.


    ¡ª It is¡­ but I¡¯ve gotten used to it.


    The librarian continued to caress Elwyn¡¯s head for a few more seconds before withdrawing her hand and handing him his book again with a smile.


    ¡ª That¡¯s true¡­ But now, you have the means to handle it without too much fear.


    The young boy then looked at the book, then back at Uvina, who still smiled, and finally took the book in his hands.


    ¡ª You¡¯re right. And to succeed, I will have to work even harder.


    Uvina sighed softly.


    ¡ª Pfff¡­ In my opinion, you are already doing too much.


    ¡ª I know, but¡­ I still have a lot to learn.


    With an amused smirk, Uvina took her disciple by the arm and led him to his lesson for the day.


    _________________________


    ¡°Know and Master the Basics of Your Entity Powers.¡±


    This book, written and given by Deity Ogme to Elwyn, is meant to inform its reader about the common abilities possessed by half-Entities and how they function.


    By reading it, the young boy discovered that he could control the surrounding ether, as if it were a kind of malleable, sandy substance that can take any desired shape. He also discovered that he could manage his well-known vision problems as well as his spontaneous extraplanar journeys.


    But for that, he must learn to control his internal ether flow, which, like the bloodstream, permeates every cell of his body.


    Once that is mastered, he must then learn to intensify the flow, then reduce it, and finally direct it precisely to any part of his body. In this way, he can use bodily reinforcement, an ability that allows him to enhance his physical performance.


    Of course, he can also control the flow to his eyes and thus adjust his two current little issues. According to the book, the eyes of half-Entities are portals that allow them to travel between the two worlds, either to glimpse what is happening in one world, or to see both worlds superimposed.


    However, this training is not as easy as the book suggests, which is perfectly normal.


    Indeed, Entities and half-Entities use their powers and control their internal magical flow instinctively, just as living beings breathe without thinking.


    Unfortunately for Elwyn, since Deity Ogme had sealed off the part of his memory containing his innate knowledge and Entity instincts, he must relearn everything from scratch, with great effort and willpower.


    But despite this inconvenience, the young boy worked hard every day, for he no longer wished to be a cause of worry for his adoptive parents.


    At the same time, since the arrival of little Le?na, the house had become much noisier and livelier than before. Because of that, Volden and Oph¨¦lia no longer knew where to look, and they soon realized how lucky they were with Elwyn, who had been a very calm and wise baby.


    Furthermore, speaking of the young boy, they discovered he had a hidden ability that allowed him to always calm little Le?na down. To do this, he only had to take her in his arms and rest his head against her chest. This very useful ability prevented several nervous breakdowns when the little girl refused to settle or sleep.

 Chapter VI : A Wild Boar Appears

    Time continued to pass peacefully, and Elwyn reached the age of eight. Over these three years, the young boy had made tremendous, almost superhuman progress in his various trainings and lessons.


    On the magical front, my daily training in controlling my internal flow now allows me to direct it anywhere in my body.


    Thanks to this, I can use bodily reinforcement for about ten minutes.


    But most importantly, I am also capable of intensifying the flow in my eyes and opening the portals within them, allowing me to travel between Ilnolia and the Ethereal Plane at any moment. Moreover, having experimented with several levels of intensification, I can also manage my vision of the worlds as I wish.


    Physically, I have become quite proficient in handling my short sword during training with Father-Volden and, with the help of the village hunters, I have also learned to use a short bow.


    Thus, I was able to help out a bit during the hunts before winter.


    In terms of combat, my leg movements and agility have become faster and more supple than before, and I now know how to maintain an upright, stable posture.


    Regarding my knowledge, I can recognize and write almost every letter of the alphabet, as well as all the numbers, thanks to Uvina¡¯s lessons.


    Now, all that remains is to keep my handwriting fluid, uniform, and straight, a continuous duty for anyone for whom writing is at the heart of their world.


    And finally, on a social level, I do not hesitate to ask questions or request information from people in a respectful and courteous manner.


    Meanwhile, my interaction with children my own age is virtually non-existent. Elwyn is far too advanced for his age, and the other village children struggle to include him in their group.


    But despite this lack of peer relationships, the bond he shares with his little sister Le?na is entirely different.


    The four-year-old sees her big brother as both an ideal to aspire to and as a comforting pillow with which to sleep soundly. It was not uncommon for her, at night, to sneak into Elwyn¡¯s bed to fall asleep peacefully after a nightmare or during a storm.


    As for Elwyn, the young boy sees his little sister as a human being in full growth and evolution, with whom he tries to understand and learn those elusive feelings and emotions he so sorely lacks.


    However, the way he views his little sister is far from cold or distant. They often spend time together in the village, and sometimes the young boy even spends his time combing her hair under Oph¨¦lia¡¯s watchful eye and guidance during quiet evenings.


    __________________________


    On one beautiful sunny day, Elwyn and Le?na set out together into the nearby woods. They were in search of blueberries so that Oph¨¦lia could bake a homemade pie to celebrate Volden¡¯s birthday.


    To do this, Elwyn equipped himself with his short sword, as Father-Volden had instructed when they went hunting, and a small wicker basket to collect the fruit. The young boy was dressed in a brown shirt and trousers, along with a short-sleeved leather jacket.


    His little sister, for her part, wore a long, fir-green dress gathered at the neckline and cuffs, with a simple leather belt around her waist. Her dark ashy hair was styled into two braided pigtails that met at the back of her head.


    Once they were ready, the two children set off in the early afternoon and arrived at the edge of the woods after a good fifteen minutes of walking.


    Upon entering the woods, the little girl turned toward Elwyn and a big smile began to light up her angelic face.


    ¡ª The last one to find blueberries will do the dishes for a week, she declared carefree, before dashing off through the woods.


    ¡ª Le?na, be careful where you step. You might trip over a root and hurt yourself, Elwyn cautioned.


    Ignoring her brother¡¯s advice, the little girl sprinted off in search of blueberries, which made Elwyn sigh in exasperation.


    The young boy watched as his sister disappeared behind a bush and then decided to search on his own, hoping to finish this challenge, which he would later call perfectly ridiculous and childish, as quickly as possible.


    As he began to carefully observe his surroundings, he noticed that in certain parts of the woods the trees were spaced far enough apart to let plenty of light filter through.


    It was upon seeing this that Elwyn remembered Oph¨¦lia¡¯s trick for finding blueberries.


    ¡ª Blueberry bushes are small shrubs with tiny, oval, finely serrated leaves. They grow in places where the sun does not shine too harshly and where it stays cool.


    Elwyn then decided to inspect those clearings in the woods where there was enough space between the trees to allow sufficient light, yet not so much heat.


    Thanks to this method, it took him less than ten minutes to find his first shrub, and about fifteen more to fill his basket nicely.


    ¡ª Alright, now that that¡¯s done, we need to find Le?na. I hope she hasn¡¯t gotten lost along the way¡­


    The young boy then turned around and decided to return to the entrance of the woods to retrace his little sister¡¯s path.


    To do this, Elwyn entered the Ethereal Plane, so as not to have any obstacles in his way, and, of course, he activated his Ilnolian vision.


    To his great luck, or misfortune, his search for Le?na was made easier, after switching Planes once he reached the edge of the woods, by a piercing cry that echoed through the entire forest.


    However, since this cry was not reassuring, the young boy quickened his pace toward it, using bodily reinforcement on his legs.


    He eventually arrived, after less than a minute of running, next to the little girl, who was lying on the ground.


    Le?na had just fallen, and her face was filled with terror.


    Indeed, she was standing right in front of an enormous boar.


    The wild beast measured more than two meters long and at least one meter wide. It had small, piercing blood-red eyes, and its tusks were sharp, as was its dorsal crest.


    Seeing that the giant boar was facing Le?na, Elwyn slowly moved closer to his little sister, all the while maintaining visual contact with the wild animal, which began to snort powerfully from its snout, causing dead leaves to be blown about.


    Once he reached her side, the young boy placed his hand on Le?na¡¯s shoulder to get her to respond to his presence, but she remained frozen in place.


    Elwyn then had to force her to stand up, and once she was on her feet, he positioned himself slowly between her and the giant boar.


    ¡ª Le?na, get home immediately and go fetch Father-Volden, he whispered.


    Le?na looked at Elwyn, who was placing his basket of blueberries right beside him, then turned her gaze toward the wild animal, which had begun to scratch the ground with its feet.


    ¡ª Le?na, back up slowly, and if it starts charging, run between the trees.


    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    The little girl then grabbed her brother¡¯s right sleeve to get his attention.


    ¡ª And you¡­ what are you going to do? she asked, trembling.


    The young boy slowly turned his head toward Le?na while keeping an eye on the giant boar.


    ¡ª I¡¯ll try to distract it while you run away.


    This answer did not please the little girl, and she frantically tugged at her brother¡¯s sleeve.


    ¡ª No, stay with me. You must stay with me. You promised Mom you¡¯d protect me, she pleaded with tearful eyes.


    To reassure her, the young boy placed his hand on hers and gently stroked it.


    ¡ª That¡¯s exactly what I¡¯m doing, so please, go home. I¡¯ll catch up with you later.


    ¡ª Promise?


    Elwyn nodded firmly.


    ¡ª Promise, I¡¯ll come back.


    Le?na then reluctantly ceased tugging at her brother¡¯s sleeve.


    After that, the little girl looked at the wild boar, which now seemed about to charge.


    Seeing this, Le?na completely let go of Elwyn¡¯s sleeve and began to back away.


    ¡ª That¡¯s good, Le?na, keep going. I¡¯ll attract its attention, he said, unsheathing his short blade from its sheath and pointing it toward the giant boar.


    It did not take long for the wild beast to decide to charge toward the two children.


    Hearing the sound of the giant boar¡¯s heavy steps, Le?na began to run as fast as she could in the opposite direction, trying to keep an overhead tree for protection.


    At the same moment, Elwyn leaped to the right to narrowly avoid the charging beast and struck its right flank as it passed, but without effect. The young boy¡¯s blade failed to cut into the boar¡¯s thick hide and merely slid off.


    ¡ª Tsh, grumbled the young boy.


    The wild animal abruptly stopped and turned to locate its target again. However, this maneuver gave Elwyn just enough time to switch Planes and vanish completely from the boar¡¯s view, and snout, as it searched frantically in all directions.


    From the Ethereal Plane, the young boy calmly observed and analyzed the giant boar for a while.


    ¡ª What are you? Where do you come from? How did you get here without the hunters noticing? Judging by your size, you¡¯re not from around here. You¡¯re far too big and dangerous for anyone to let you wander so close to the village. And your eyes, they aren¡¯t a natural color for a boar¡­


    Unable to find its prey, the wild boar expressed its frustration with loud, shrill howls.


    GRUIIIIIIIIK GRUIIIIIIIIK GRUIIIIIIIIK


    Once it''s frustration subsided, the giant boar began to search for the scent of the other target that had fled first.


    ¡ª I see what you¡¯re trying to do.


    For several minutes, the young boy continued to follow the wild boar from the Ethereal Plane, until they arrived not far from the edge of the woods.


    ¡ª I¡¯m sorry, but I must stop you from leaving these woods.


    Elwyn moved quickly until he was at the right flank of the giant boar.


    ¡ª If my mere strength does not scare you, then I will have to take it up a notch.


    The young boy then used bodily reinforcement on his arms and legs before launching himself toward the wild animal, swiftly tracking the trail of Le?na.


    Once the giant boar was within reach of his short blade, Elwyn shifted to another Plane and slashed at its flank, with success this time.


    Once the tip of his sword penetrated the boar¡¯s thick hide, the cut along its right flank was deepened, and the young boy managed to slash extensively along the beast¡¯s right side, though not enough to completely neutralize it.


    The giant boar, wounded, then writhed in pain and let out powerful cries that echoed throughout the woods and beyond.


    GRUIIIIIIIIIIIIIK GRUIIIIIIIIIIIIIK GRUIIIIIIIIIIIIIK


    ¡ª You shall not touch her, Elwyn declared, slightly out of breath, positioning himself in front of the wild boar and pointing his bloodstained blade at it.


    The giant boar¡¯s blood-red, piercing eyes fixed on the young boy, and in them, he saw pure rage.


    With that look, the wild animal made its decision.


    It wanted to destroy him first.


    The giant boar charged once more toward Elwyn, and the young boy leaped to the right to narrowly avoid it. Unfortunately, the wild animal anticipated this and delivered a powerful headbutt to his left, propelling Elwyn against a tree several meters away.


    Crac


    That was the sound of the young boy¡¯s back striking the tree violently.


    Elwyn lay face down on the ground, still conscious, his breath short and his back broken.


    He could no longer move, nor regain his breath, and was on the verge of losing consciousness.


    Meanwhile, the giant boar cautiously approached its now immobilized, harmless prey.


    After several seconds of complete stillness and excruciating pain along his spine, Elwyn slowly regained control of his body. The pain gradually subsided, like a candle flame dimming slowly under a glass dome, allowing him to slowly turn his head toward the wild boar.


    The young boy was utterly exhausted and disoriented by the shock, finding it difficult to move or breathe properly, but at least he was intact.


    At the same time, the giant boar stopped after finding an angle facing Elwyn and began scratching the ground, before resuming its charge toward him.


    ¡ª I¡­ I feel really terrible¡­ he managed to say, gasping for breath.


    As the wild animal charged, it was suddenly struck on its left flank by a sphere of compressed air, which sent it hurtling about ten meters away, crashing into a tree.


    ¡ª Elwyn! Are you okay? Oph¨¦lia asked, hurrying over to the young boy.


    Elwyn turned toward the young woman and saw that she was accompanied by Volden, his long sword unsheathed.


    ¡ª Mother-Oph¨¦lia? Father-Volden? I¡¯m¡­ fine¡­ I think. How¡¯s Le?na? asked the young boy, completely disoriented by exhaustion.


    ¡ª She¡¯s fine, don¡¯t worry, replied Oph¨¦lia as she knelt beside him.


    Meanwhile, Volden slowly approached the giant boar and observed it intently.


    ¡ª Oph¨¦lia, this is indeed a creature of chaos.


    The boar straightened up and turned toward Volden, who was blocking its path.


    The chaotic boar let out a howl of pain and frustration.


    At the same time, the blow it had just received broke a few of its ribs and worsened its wound on the right flank.


    GRUIIIIIIIIIIIIIK GRUIIIIIIIIIIIIIK GRUIIIIIIIIIIIIIK


    Without much thought for what might follow, the chaotic boar suddenly charged toward Volden, hoping he would step aside so that it could reach its true target, Elwyn.


    The chief of the village guard of Eriana was determined to hold his position and brandished his two-handed sword toward the sky.


    ¡ª Air Blade! he shouted, before delivering a sharp downward strike.


    At that precise moment, the engraving on the pommel of Volden¡¯s sword lit up with a purple glow, and a whirlwind of air formed around his blade before being rapidly projected at the charging boar.


    The chaotic boar collided head-on with the air blade and was completely sliced in two along its entire length, before disappearing, after a few seconds, into a dark violet mist that rose and then dissipated into the sky.


    Volden then sheathed his sword and joined his companion and his adoptive son.


    ¡ª Is he alright?


    Oph¨¦lia held Elwyn in her arms, and the young boy seemed to have lost consciousness.


    ¡ª He¡¯s fallen asleep.


    ¡ª I see. And his back, how is it?


    ¡ª He¡¯s¡­ fine. His back and spine had reformed by the time I reached him. I didn¡¯t have time to treat him.


    ¡ª In that case, leave him to me; I¡¯ll carry him home.


    Volden then took the young boy in his arms and helped his companion to stand.


    ¡ª And you? Are you okay?


    The young woman shook her head.


    ¡ª No, I¡¯m not alright. Our daughter and our son nearly died today. I should have been there. I should have accompanied them¡­


    She clenched her fists in anger and helplessness.


    ¡ª Oph¨¦lia¡­ You know as well as I do that no one can predict the location or the opening of a chaotic portal. It could have happened at any moment during their stroll around the village. Don¡¯t blame yourself. Breathe. Everything is alright.


    She sighed.


    ¡ª I know¡­ It¡¯s just that¡­ it could have ended so badly¡­


    ¡ª But it hasn¡¯t. Elwyn fought well. He even managed to wound a creature of Chaos at an age when one can barely handle a deflated goblin, and he bought enough time for Le?na to run away and alert someone about the situation. They are both safe, and we arrived in time so that the worst did not happen.


    ¡ª That¡¯s true¡­ you are right. They both reacted well.


    Volden then smiled with satisfaction.


    ¡ª And all of that is thanks solely to me.


    ¡ª What do you mean, ¡®solely¡¯ thanks to you? asked Oph¨¦lia, pouting at this incongruous remark.


    ¡ª Well, it¡¯s me who trained Elwyn in combat and told him to keep his sword with him when leaving the village.


    ¡ª Oh, really? Then can you remind me who taught Le?na to ask for help in case of trouble? Who also told Elwyn to protect her and take care of her when they leave the village?


    ¡ª That¡¯s true, you are right. It¡¯s also thanks to you, admitted Volden.


    ¡ª Just wait, it¡¯s me who takes care of the children most of the time while you play soldier.


    ¡ª Hey, it¡¯s because I play soldier that the village hasn¡¯t had any monster problems for a long time, replied Volden, outraged by her words.


    ¡ª Now you see what it¡¯s like to be put in second place regarding your own family, replied Oph¨¦lia with a hint of sarcasm.


    For several seconds, a long, heavy silence settled between the two spouses until they both burst out laughing at the absurdity of the situation, for in the end, it was indeed thanks to both of them that everything had turned out well.


    It was only after they had recovered from their emotions that they returned home, allowing Elwyn to rest and recover from this harrowing ordeal. I


    In fact, once the young boy was confined to bed, little Le?na decided to stay by his side during his convalescence, which lasted an entire day.

 Chapter VII : Half Plus Half Makes One

    One day, one month, one year, then two passed, and Elwyn reached the age of ten.


    Ten years marks the end of the second third of his childhood, before he becomes fully an adult, according to human custom. It is from this age that a child¡¯s future begins to be determined.


    What kind of work will he do as an adult?


    Will he go study at an academy? And if so, what kind of studies will he pursue?


    Will he train directly under a master craftsman? And if so, in which trade will he specialize?


    Will he become an adventurer? A soldier? A court magician?


    Does he already have an idea of whom he might marry?


    ¡­


    All these questions will start to arise at that time, though not necessarily all at once.


    However, for Elwyn there are a few little matters to settle within himself before anyone even begins to ask about his future. And to address this, Deity Ogme took the opportunity to have a serious discussion with him the day after his birthday celebration.


    The Deity and the young boy sat together around the kitchen table, exchanging silent looks.


    The room was under the influence of the Deity¡¯s aura, making it perfectly soundproof.


    ¡ª Elwyn, you have now reached the age of ten. Do you know what that means?


    ¡ª Yes, I must begin to think about my future.


    The Deity nodded in agreement.


    ¡ª That is indeed so. However, you find yourself in quite a peculiar situation.


    At these words, the young boy¡¯s expression hardened slightly.


    ¡ª What do you mean?


    ¡ª What I mean is that you are not yet whole enough to be able to make any decision about your own future.


    Elwyn¡¯s gaze shifted, now filled with questioning.


    ¡ª What are you implying? Does this have something to do with my ¡®Heart¡¯?


    The Deity sighed softly and rose from his chair to sit next to the young boy.


    ¡ª Elwyn, I must confess something to you. The day your mother entrusted you to me, I sealed away a certain part of your memory with my powers.


    This revelation left Elwyn astonished, though he still awaited further explanation.


    ¡ª Elwyn, before I restore your lost memory, I must first apologize for having had to do that to you.


    ¡ª Alright, but¡­ for what reason? Why did you do it?


    ¡ª To protect you, and to protect everyone around you.


    ¡ª From what? the young boy pressed insistently.


    The Deity did not answer immediately but instead drew closer and gently placed his right hand on the boy¡¯s head.


    Elwyn allowed it, and suddenly a jolt of electrifying energy surged through his entire skull, leaving him nauseous and with an especially acute headache for a brief moment.


    Once he recovered, Elwyn¡¯s expression had changed. It had become like that of the Deity before him, empty of expression, devoid of humanity. And for long minutes, the young nephilim seemed elsewhere, as if disconnected from the world and unresponsive.


    ¡ª Elwyn? Are you alright?


    The young nephilim blinked rapidly, a sign that he had returned to himself, and then fixed his gaze on the Deity.


    ¡ª I¡­ see¡­ I am¡­ now¡­ complete, Deity Ogme of the Domain of Knowledge and Understanding.


    Ogme sighed.


    ¡ª Indeed, you are. But you, Elwyn, belong to the Domain of Life.


    The young nephilim sighed again.


    ¡ª And tell me, for what precise reason did you do that to me, Deity Ogme?


    ¡ª Because of your power. You are the only one, along with your mother Akeso, the Deity of Life, capable of healing all forms of life from any malady. The other Entities in your Domain are very few compared to those in other Domains, yet they surpass all the healers of Ilnolia. However, they cannot match the gift bestowed upon the Deity of Life, and now, that gift, that power, resides solely in you, because the Deity of Life disappeared shortly after she entrusted you to me.


    At this revelation, Elwyn showed no sign of reaction. He simply listened intently to what Ogme was saying, without even flinching.


    ¡ª I see¡­ And what about my father? Is he dead? he asked calmly.


    The Deity nodded in agreement.


    The young nephilim sighed.


    ¡ª Elwyn, I am sorry, said the Deity, his tone edging toward compassion.


    ¡ª Sorry for what? You are not responsible for what happened to them, are you? One only apologizes when one has something to atone for, replied the young nephilim simply.


    Ogme settled more comfortably on his chair and grew pensive. He was contemplating just how fitting that remark was a reflection worthy of an Entity. Elwyn, now fully complete, standing before him, had little left of his human side except his appearance. The young nephilim had become the very definition of an Entity.


    He had become a cold, discerning, and pragmatic being.


    ¡ª Deity Ogme? Elwyn inquired.


    The Deity then resumed his composure.


    ¡ª You are right. I had nothing to do with what happened to them; it was simply done for the greater good.


    The young nephilim then sat back down on his chair.


    ¡ª In that case, I thank you for your concern over my fate. And I ask you now: what happened to my mother? Who killed my father? And finally, what does my future hold?


    Ogme then raised his eyes to the ceiling for several long seconds before retrieving from one of his pouches a small piece of cloth that appeared to conceal a little round object.


    The Deity unwrapped the object carefully and placed it delicately on the table between himself and Elwyn.


    The object was a gold necklace, with a round pendant about the size of a walnut, depicting a tree of life with leaves finely carved in emerald.


    The young nephilim¡¯s gaze was lost in this magnificent jewel, whose design clearly reminded him of Oph¨¦lia¡¯s, but this pendant was made entirely of silver.


    ¡ª Elwyn, I think that for the rest of our discussion, we should call upon Oph¨¦lia and Volden.


    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    The young nephilim did not respond, his attention entirely fixed on the jewel.


    ¡ª Elwyn?


    ¡ª Yes. Well, provided that their presence does not prevent you from telling me everything, finally replied the young nephilim after managing to divert his gaze from the jewel back to the Deity.


    The Deity then rose from his chair and went to fetch the two adoptive parents, who were in the living room.


    Once everyone was gathered in the kitchen, while Le?na was occupied with her writing lesson with Uvina, the real discussion could finally begin.


    Oph¨¦lia and Volden sat side by side at the table, facing Elwyn and Ogme, respectively.


    It was Deity Ogme who initiated the discussion, while Oph¨¦lia tried to understand why Elwyn¡¯s face had, in a way, gone blank.


    ¡ª Oph¨¦lia, Volden, I have called you here so that we may discuss what I was unable to say on the day of my first visit.


    Volden was, as usual, tense in front of the Deity, while Oph¨¦lia kept her eyes fixed on Elwyn, who continued to gaze at the gold necklace on the table.


    ¡ª The day Akeso entrusted Elwyn to me, she had earlier sent me a letter via an ethereal messenger to quickly explain her situation and to designate a meeting place.


    Ogme produced from one of his pouches a letter and placed it on the table.


    Ogme,


    I am sincerely sorry to disturb you at work, but I need your help, my friend, my brother.


    It appears that I am being sought by one of our own.


    I would like for us to meet in ten days at the entrance of Balimar so that I may confide something important to you.


    Akeso


    Once everyone had read the letter, the Deity continued his explanation.


    ¡ª Once there, she entrusted me with her son and her gold necklace, while her father entrusted me with his writing tools, in case anything happened to them.


    ¡ª Of course, something did happen, added Elwyn.


    ¡ª Unfortunately, indeed. Tristian died in battle and Akeso disappeared at the same time.


    Volden then interjected.


    ¡ª Disappeared? How can a Deity just vanish?


    Ogme sighed.


    ¡ª It¡¯s very simple: no one in Ilnolia has heard from her since, and no Entity of Life has become a Deity to replace her. So ¡®disappeared¡¯ means she still exists somewhere, but no one has seen her since.


    ¡ª I see¡­ Volden sighed, dismayed by the news.


    A heavy silence settled for several long seconds, and then Elwyn, in the utmost calm, spoke.


    ¡ª Deity Ogme, that still does not answer my question about who is responsible. We only know that it was a Deity, but we have neither her name, nor her Domain, nor even the reason for her actions, he said, looking directly into the Deity¡¯s eyes.


    At these blunt words, Oph¨¦lia turned pale, and her blood seemed to freeze instantly.


    The coldness with which Elwyn spoke and reacted to the entire discussion was inhuman, evoking sadness in the young woman.


    ¡ª Elwyn, I see what you are trying to do, and I will say nothing. You are not yet capable of standing before a Deity, replied Ogme calmly.


    ¡ª I know, but I believe I have the right to know what happened and why, replied Elwyn equally calmly.


    ¡ª In that case, I can only tell you that I still do not know the reason for her actions and that you will have to wait a little longer for her name.


    ¡ª I see¡­ just a little longer¡­


    In those final words there was no trace of impatience, nor anger or frustration.


    There was only acceptance.


    It was as if he already knew something that would allow him to endure, and Ogme had understood that, he even knew what it was about.


    Throughout this exchange, Volden kept glancing from one speaker to another, feeling as if a knot had formed in his stomach, while Oph¨¦lia trembled with fear over the words spoken and the manner in which they were exchanged in this surreal discussion.


    This mix of negative emotions then created a heavy and oppressive silence in the room.


    It was only by reflex, in response to the negative atmosphere, that Elwyn¡¯s gaze finally turned toward his adoptive parents, whose eyes he had avoided since they entered the room.


    Seeing the great discomfort on their faces, Elwyn tried to dissipate it as best he could, speaking as reassuringly as possible.


    ¡ª Do not worry. I will not attempt anything foolish until I am sure of myself and my abilities. I just need to understand why my life has been so turned upside down and plunged into an absolute secret.


    The pallid face of Oph¨¦lia then shed a tear, then another, and finally the young woman broke down in sobs.


    That time, it was too much for her.


    Even though everything that had been said so far was true, there was no emotion in it. Since regaining his memory, Elwyn had become an empty shell. He felt no consideration for the parents he had lost. Nor had he shown any regard in his words about killing a Deity, which is simply impossible for him and would only lead to his downfall.


    And worse yet, he could no longer truly express any emotion on his face or in his eyes, despite his desire to do well.


    Volden then took his companion in his arms and tried to comfort her by gently stroking her ashen hair.


    ¡ª Mother-Oph¨¦lia¡­


    The young nephilim then wondered what he had done wrong and what he could do to make it right.


    At that moment, Deity Ogme placed his right hand on Elwyn¡¯s shoulder and made it clear that it was best for him to remain silent for the time being.


    The young nephilim obeyed and waited until Oph¨¦lia regained her composure, at least until he remembered something from his sealed memory.


    Among all his sealed memories were those of his Entity powers and his Domain of Life. And among these, he attempted to use his aura, a power that can be employed in such situations.


    Elwyn then concentrated and shifted his internal ether flow to his heart, releasing gentle discharges synchronized with each heartbeat around him.


    With every slow, very regular beat, a soft wave of soothing warmth and reassurance spread around the young nephilim, a sensation of being held in the arms of a loved one.


    With each beat, Oph¨¦lia relaxed a little more and gradually calmed down.


    With every beat, a certain drowsiness began to settle over both Volden and Oph¨¦lia.


    With every beat, Elwyn recalled the feeling of having been cradled in his real mother¡¯s arms.


    With every beat, Ogme saw his sister Akeso superimpose herself upon Elwyn.


    After a minute of this treatment, Elwyn ceased his aura before Volden and Oph¨¦lia eventually fell completely asleep and he exhausted all his energy.


    In the next moment, Volden chased away the remaining traces of fatigue, and Oph¨¦lia did the same, though she rested her head against her husband¡¯s shoulder.


    Deity Ogme then spoke.


    ¡ª I see that the situation has completely gotten out of hand, and I apologize for that. I would also like to add that Elwyn¡¯s mind has not yet recovered from its unsealing, so it is natural that his behavior is very¡­ different at the moment.


    At these words, Volden continued to stroke Oph¨¦lia¡¯s hair, and she sighed softly at this somewhat reassuring statement.


    ¡ª Anyway, I think it¡¯s best for everyone if we change the subject and move on to the question regarding Elwyn¡¯s future, added the Deity.


    Volden nodded.


    ¡ª I think so too.


    Oph¨¦lia and Elwyn then followed suit.


    ¡ª Perfect. In that case, Elwyn, I propose that you join my academy next year, for the next four years.


    ¡ª You want me to join you at Agnos?


    ¡ª Indeed. That will allow you to meet people from all walks of life and from different species. Not to mention, you will have access to the Great Library, as well as the most competent teachers on the continent. You can also continue to improve your vocabulary and grammar, learn biology, physics, mathematics, hone your combat skills, not to mention your Entity abilities, and much more.


    Although all these explanations were very enticing to Elwyn, he did not immediately reply. Instead, he turned toward Oph¨¦lia, who had once been a student at that academy, and awaited her reaction.


    The young woman then turned to Ogme, who did nothing to urge her to influence Elwyn¡¯s choice.


    She then decided to turn to her husband, who did not seem inclined to take a stance, or rather, did not oppose the idea.


    Oph¨¦lia then found herself alone in this difficult situation, for things had become quite complicated during this discussion.


    The fact that the Deity of Life had disappeared almost ten years ago and that its unique power now resided in Elwyn made it difficult to take a clear position.


    But she had known from the beginning that caring for a half-Entity would be challenging and that, at some point, he must be allowed to leave and spread his wings. They must experience their power and their Domain in the world, as well as understand their role in it all. And above all, they must also experience the various hidden emotions within them.


    Thinking of all this, the young woman subconsciously rested her hand against her belly and recalled the day of her childbirth.


    She remembered the gentle warmth that had washed over her when she was at her lowest.


    From those two caring and reassuring little hands


    From those two magnificent, bright, silver eyes, like stars filled with hope and serenity watching over the dark night.


    Remembering this, she also recalled her work as a healer, and her gaze then turned to that magnificent and unique gold pendant studded with finely carved emeralds.


    The unique pendant of the Deity of Life.


    The pendant of the fifth rank.


    The pendant unattainable for mere mortals.


    In that moment, the young woman understood that she could not keep it for herself.


    She then turned her gaze toward Elwyn, who was still waiting for an answer.


    Oph¨¦lia took a deep breath to summon some courage.


    ¡ª Elwyn, I think that¡­ going to the Academy of Agnos is a very good thing for you. Perhaps you will see a dragon or even someone connected to one, or maybe even other half-Entities. In any case, one thing is certain: you will meet a sylph.


    At these sincere words from her, the young woman noticed that the young nephilim¡¯s eyes began to sparkle with excitement.


    At those heartfelt words, she understood that she had made the right choice.

 Chapter VIII : First Journey - Part I

    The books about dragons, their variants and subspecies, those concerning the creatures and species that inhabit Ilnolia, and, of course, those concerning the newly received Entities. The little wooden, jointed figurine representing a dragon, the finely sculpted wooden sword, and the small, intricately carved wooden box containing a pencil and a pen.


    All these items, along with a change of clothes, made up the entirety of the luggage that Elwyn took with him to Agnos Academy. Of course, he attached his short sword to the right side of his backpack, just in case.


    Indeed, the young boy did not need much more, since the academy provided everything, its occupants required. Once there, he would receive a uniform, lodging, access to a communal dining hall, and most importantly, the materials and resources necessary for work and study.


    Elwyn is now eleven years old, and it is one week before spring and the start of the school term at the academy. Thus, once his bag was packed, the young boy left his room after casting one last look inside, before heading down to the living room where everyone was waiting.


    ¡ª Elwyn, have you gathered everything you need? asked Volden.


    ¡ª Yes, Father-Volden. I have everything I need.


    ¡ª Good. In that case, let¡¯s go; the coach will be here soon.


    It must have been mid-morning, and the small family gathered to head toward the east entrance of the village. Along the way, Elwyn thought about greeting every villager he encountered, even though he had already said goodbye to everyone the day before.


    Once they reached the large wooden gates, Elwyn and his family began to wait for the coach that would take the young boy to the port of Estal. From there, he would take a boat to the small town of Erana and finally another coach to Agnos Academy.


    ¡ª Elwyn¡­ began Oph¨¦lia.


    The young boy then turned toward the young woman, who was beginning to cry softly.


    ¡ª Elwyn¡­ Promise us that¡­ you will be good and not get into any mischief once you¡¯re there. Promise us¡­ that you will make lots of friends and work hard. Promise us also that¡­ you will write to us at least once a month.


    Elwyn then gently took Oph¨¦lia¡¯s hands in his and looked her straight in the eyes.


    ¡ª I promise you, Mother-Oph¨¦lia.


    A tear began to slowly roll down the young woman¡¯s face.


    ¡ª Even though it seems hard to me¡­ added the young boy.


    ¡ª I know, my dear¡­ I know¡­ replied Oph¨¦lia, her throat choked with emotion.


    With those last words, the young boy was referring to the fact that he must continue to keep the secret of his origins even within the academy. He had to always keep his bronze concealment ring with him, keep his Domain a secret, and not use his powers recklessly, lest his silver eyes betray him.


    In the end, the only thing he could say was that he was just a half-Entity, and that was all.


    Elwyn knew that such a heavy secret could weigh heavily on any relationship. He also knew that friendship is built on a foundation of trust.


    So, is it possible to become friends even if you know almost nothing about the other person? Or rather, is it possible to become friends even if everything you know about the other is just an entanglement of half-truths?


    For now, these questions remain unanswered.


    Then it was Volden¡¯s turn to say his goodbyes.


    ¡ª Well¡­ I don¡¯t have much more to add beyond what Oph¨¦lia just told you. Except maybe¡­ that you shouldn¡¯t overdo things once you¡¯re there.


    The young boy then turned to Volden, who had taken an oddly serious look when he said that.


    ¡ª What do you mean by that? asked Elwyn, intrigued.


    ¡ª Elwyn, ever since you learned to walk, you¡¯ve been doing too much. You work too hard, you practice too much, and you think too much. There are times when I even wonder if you ever sleep¡­ Anyway¡­ I think it would be better if you thought about yourself and¡­ took some time for you. You could, for example¡­ I don¡¯t know, go for a walk in town or to the market, visit the shops and other boutiques you come across. In short¡­ what I really mean is that it would be healthier for you to open yourself up to other horizons rather than just focusing on becoming the strongest or the best. I sincerely believe that one day you will achieve your goals, but¡­ I don¡¯t think you should rush it, at the risk of isolating yourself from others.


    At this advice, Elwyn became pensive for a long moment and tried to grasp the essence of what Volden was conveying.


    ¡ª If I understand correctly, ¡®everything in its own time¡¯ and ¡®the right moment¡¯ both imply that you shouldn¡¯t rush into things, risking poor preparation and therefore failure in what you undertake.


    ¡ª That¡¯s the idea. Don¡¯t confuse speed with recklessness, Volden added.


    Elwyn then gave a slight smile, showing that he had indeed understood.


    ¡ª Very well, I understand now. In that case, I¡¯ll be more careful with myself and take more breaks during the day.


    Volden sighed with relief, for the young boy had understood even if he had tangled his words.


    Finally, it was time for Le?na to say goodbye to her older brother, as the coach¡¯s sound was gradually being heard from the village.


    The seven-year-old girl had stayed with Oph¨¦lia and was clutching the left side of her mother¡¯s blue dress. She was not at all happy that her older brother was leaving so far away for such a long time.


    The young boy then stepped in front of his little sister and knelt down to be at her level.


    ¡ª Le?na, I¡¯m sorry to leave you like this, but I have to go. I have to discover the world with my own eyes.


    At these words, the little girl began to sniff and cry softly.


    ¡ª I don¡¯t want to. I want¡­ you to stay¡­ with me.


    Elwyn then extended his arm toward Le?na and gently took her free, slightly trembling hand in his. He then softly stroked it with his thumb to comfort her.


    ¡ª Le?na¡­ I can¡¯t stay here forever. I must leave and take my future into my own hands¡­


    Elwyn paused briefly.


    ¡ª ¡­ If my departure is hard for you, what about Mother-Oph¨¦lia and Father-Volden?


    The little girl then turned her gaze toward her parents¡¯ faces and saw that they were just as saddened as she was, before looking back at her brother, who, as usual for the past year, appeared calm.


    ¡ª Le?na, I need you. I need you to be strong. You must be strong for Mother-Oph¨¦lia and Father-Volden once I¡¯m gone.


    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    Surprised by this sudden request, the little girl calmed down and even stopped crying.


    ¡ª Is it¡­ true? You¡­ need me?


    ¡ª Yes, I need you. You must make sure that Mother-Oph¨¦lia and Father-Volden stop crying after I¡¯m gone and that you continue to support them in my place.


    For the first time, Elwyn asked Le?na for help.


    Even though this request might seem insignificant, for the little girl it was not.


    For the first time, this big brother, who seemed capable of anything, had acknowledged his own powerlessness.


    For the first time, this big brother turned to the little girl, who had followed him like a shadow, never quite catching up, and asked her for help.


    For the first time, she saw herself as his equal.


    That is why Le?na agreed.


    It was to show her older brother that he was not mistaken in placing his trust in her.


    It was also for that reason that the little girl¡¯s face began to harden, taking on a resolute expression.


    ¡ª Alright¡­ I will do it. I will be strong.


    ¡ª Thank you, Le?na.


    The coach finally arrived at the East entrance.


    Elwyn then let go of his little sister¡¯s hand and gently patted her head in farewell, before turning one last time to his two adoptive parents and bowing slightly before them.


    ¡ª Mother-Oph¨¦lia, Father-Volden, thank you for taking such good care of me since I came into your home.


    The young boy then straightened up.


    ¡ª Well, it¡¯s time for me to go. So, I say goodbye and take care, he added, looking one by one at the faces of each family member.


    Having done that, Elwyn turned and went to join the coach driver, who was waiting for his client.


    The man in question must have been in his fifties, with a black beard and mustache, slightly graying, well trimmed. He was dressed in a long, thick black cotton hooded coat, along with boots and gloves of the same color.


    The young boy showed him his travel contract, which he had received from the Divinity Ogme, to go to the small port town of Estal. Once the document was verified, Elwyn boarded the coach, and they set off.


    From his window, the young boy bid one last farewell to Oph¨¦lia, Volden, and Le?na before disappearing along the country road heading east.


    _________________________


    The journey to Estal took five days by coach, and they encountered no obstacles along the way.


    At the same time, the road passed through Rina, one of the three major cities in the country, and then connected to Esthia, the capital. The security on the road was thus very good, which allowed Elwyn to fully enjoy his journey and the landscapes.


    He saw vast fields of grain and flowers stretching as far as the eye could see, as well as various orchards during pruning season.


    ¡°How different things can be depending on the species? In any case, it takes a lot of arms to manage all that¡­ How long did it take humans to develop the methods of cultivation they use today?¡±


    He also noticed large pastures where he saw various animals such as sheep, cows, horses, pigs,¡­


    ¡°I hope the animals are well treated and fed. I wonder what they think of their living conditions. I hope they are at least satisfied.¡±


    Of course, during this journey the young boy spent an evening in the large city of Rina.


    The city, with roughly ten thousand inhabitants, had two sets of walls. One on the outside, built of cut stone, and another on the inside, whose stones appeared to have been cut, smoothed, and polished like glass.


    According to the coachman, inside this splendid wall lay the district of the nobles and wealthy citizens of the city, which meant that outside that wall was the, poor district.


    This infamous poor district was rather dirty and damp¡­


    Even in the village, things were less dirty when it rained.


    Apart from the main streets, the others were dark, narrow, and winding. The houses were mainly made of wood, and those closest to the first wall were in poor condition and inhabited primarily by non-humans.


    In a country that is primarily human, locals are favored over foreigners¡­ Why do foreigners continue to live here when they are not treated equally with the inhabitants?


    But strangely, the closer one got to the central wall, the better things became. The streets were wider, paved, better organized, and well lit. Most of the houses were half-timbered, like the one in which I grew up, though less well maintained.


    Unfortunately for the young boy, access to the wealthy district was guarded by soldiers in full metal armor and was not accessible to people without a pass. Moreover, for a reason unknown to him, the walls leading to that district are blocked by the Ethereal Plane. In fact, this invisible wall takes the form of a dome and prevents the young nephilim from crossing it, though it fails to block the Entities that appear as a misty trail.


    Overall, the impression of this visit was rather mixed for Elwyn.


    The city may be large and populous, but that does not prevent it from feeling uncomfortable. One feels oppressed by all these houses and narrow alleys. There is an unhealthy social hierarchy: if you are poor, you will have a dirty, rundown house, your life will be difficult, and even your health will suffer¡­ I much prefer my life in the village.


    And there was another rather problematic aspect, the significant presence of mist-like Entities in the city, especially in the poor district. If he had been able to stay longer, he would have done much more cleaning than what he managed during his night in the city.


    Furthermore, some of the humans he passed on the street gave him the impression that he did not belong there.


    _________________________


    The afternoon had barely begun when the coach arrived near the entrance of Estal, a fortified borough of a few thousand inhabitants.


    Once the gate was passed, a smell that had been faintly perceptible for a while fully asserted itself in the young boy¡¯s nostrils.


    A clear, fresh, and invigorating smell.


    A salty smell.


    The smell of the sea.


    Leaning his head out of the window, Elwyn was able to see the entire borough below and the sea.


    This vast and splendid azure expanse of salty water stretched endlessly into the horizon, its depth as unfathomable to mere mortals as it was mesmerizing.


    After recovering from this impressive and sublime view, the young boy realized just how vast the world was and how the beauty of its landscapes could never be fully described. No word in a book, no illustration, not even the account of a traveler could capture even a fragment of the reality seen with one¡¯s own eyes.


    This thought fueled his thirst for discovery, and he immediately resumed his observation of the world around him.


    Despite its rural aspect, based on his very brief experience in Rina, this borough resembled a rather affluent small town. The streets were wide, paved, well organized, and maintained.


    This is because Estal is a trading hub through which many resources and raw materials pass between the kingdom of Esthia, the artificial island of Agnos, and Aelynthi, the elven kingdom located just north of Agnos.


    Most of the houses in this borough are larger than those in the countryside and much sturdier, as they are built with wood and cut stone. Of course, there are still some poorer areas here and there, but these are minor, and life is generally very good thanks to the abundance of work at the port.


    ¡°It¡¯s much more welcoming than Rina. The scenery is more beautiful, natural, and bright. And it¡¯s much cleaner too. Do they use magicians to take care of the cleaning?¡±


    After a few minutes of strolling along the streets of the borough, the coach finally stopped right in front of the docks. The young boy stepped off and faced a large building with a stone tower positioned atop an open book displayed as a symbol on its fa?ade.


    It was the symbol of Agnos.


    ¡ª And here we are, my little guy, we¡¯ve arrived at a safe haven, so to speak. All that remains is for you to enter this building for what comes next.


    Elwyn then bowed slightly to the coachman.


    ¡ª Thank you for bringing me here.


    ¡ª You¡¯re welcome, little one. I¡¯m paid for this, the coachman replied, before heading back to the relay station.


    The young boy then turned toward the large building and pushed open its door.


    Gling Gling


    The sound of a small bell resonated in the entrance hall.


    Elwyn paused at the entrance and surveyed the surroundings.


    From the back of the room to its center, and including the side walls, there were countless shelves and libraries overflowing with books and parchments of all kinds. He could see scholars retrieving documents, reading them, taking notes on parchment, putting the documents back, and then starting over with others, before finally transcribing their notes into a large book. In the center of the room, just past the shelves, stood a reception desk manned by a young woman with brown eyes and short brown hair.


    ¡ª Welcome to the Agnos delegation. How may I help you?


    Elwyn approached the reception desk, rummaged through his belongings, and produced a paper which he handed to the receptionist.


    ¡ª Hello, I¡¯m here to join Agnos Academy.


    The young woman quickly scanned the letter ratified by the Divinity Ogme before returning it to the young boy.


    ¡ª Everything is in order. I welcome you among us. You¡¯re in luck, the ship bound for the island of Agnos has just returned to dock, right in front of this building. You only need to wait a little while before it departs again.


    ¡ª Thank you for the information.


    ¡ª If you wish, you may stay here and read a book while you wait, or you can take a walk outside and return before the ship leaves.


    ¡ª I¡¯ll take a walk around the area before boarding the boat.


    ¡ª Very well. In that case, I wish you a pleasant time in the streets of Estal.


    Elwyn politely bid farewell to the receptionist before leaving to begin his small tour of the neighborhood.

 Chapter VIII : First Journey - Part II

    Once outside, the young boy cast a quick glance at the port and noticed that a large ship was moored at the dock right in front of him.


    This ship was about twenty to thirty meters long and had two square-rigged masts. Looking all the way up the tallest mast, he saw its flag, a dark mauve rectangular flag with, at its center, a stone tower resting on an open large book.


    ¡°Thus, this is the ship to go to Agnos.¡±


    When he looked more closely at the dock, he noticed that dockworkers were busy unloading the ship¡¯s cargo onto carts, then sending everything to a warehouse a little further away to load a new batch.


    Among these dockworkers lifting heavy wooden crates was a magician. He was using a levitation spell on the most imposing crates, to make unloading and loading easier for the others.


    After a few long minutes of observation, Elwyn resumed his path and decided to walk along the docks to reach the nearest beach.


    It was only when he arrived at the outskirts of the town, after about ten minutes of walking, that the young boy reached his destination.


    A vast stretch of yellowish-beige sand spread out before him for roughly a hundred meters.


    When he touched the sand with his right hand, he noticed it wasn¡¯t particularly warm, but rather cool. After all, it was still winter, and even though the end of the season was near, the weather by the sea remained rather cool.


    Following that, Elwyn began walking on the sand, his feet sinking slightly as if he were treading through thick snow, and he headed toward the vast expanse of water that lay ahead.


    ¡°So, this is the sea¡­¡±


    Every step he took toward the sea was accompanied by the cry of seagulls flying just above him, a birdcall completely unknown to Eri but one he had begun to notice since arriving near Estal.


    Each step brought him a little closer to its infinite horizon. Indeed, while gazing out at that endless horizon, the young boy noticed a few small boats in the distance.


    ¡°These must surely be fishing boats.¡±


    Once he was about ten meters from the sea, Elwyn removed his shoes and socks, rolled up the cuffs of his pants to mid-calf, and set his luggage on the ground.


    Ready now, he resumed his determined walk when suddenly an enormous wave crashed heavily onto the edge of the beach. It managed to reach both his bare feet, completely engulfing them in cold water, before slowly receding.


    The young boy stifled a cry and resisted jumping back from this sneaky, though predictable, attack by the sea on his now freezing feet.


    ¡°Cold! Too cold! The sea is far too cold this season.¡±


    After recovering from the shock, Elwyn stepped back and went to retrieve his belongings left behind.


    ¡°It¡¯d be better to come back during the warm season.¡±


    Once he reached a non-sandy surface, the young boy took the time to brush off all the sand clinging to his feet before getting dressed again and picking up a stone along the way toward the port.


    Back at the port, Elwyn saw that the ship was still being prepared for its expedition.


    ¡°Well, it seems I still have some time on my hands¡­¡±


    The young boy then made his way to the mooring post where the ship¡¯s stern was tied and sat there. Once settled, he took a long, deep breath and, when his lungs were full, exhaled slowly.


    When his mind was finally free of all thoughts, he placed the stone, he had picked it up earlier, in front of him and extended his right hand toward it.


    Elwyn concentrated, focusing all his thoughts on that stone as he attempted to move it using the power of ¡°ether control.¡±


    This power, typical of the Entities, allows one to manipulate the surrounding ether to shape it as desired simply by will.


    Of course, for the young boy, knowledge of this power had only been accessible for a year, when the Deity Ogme unlocked his memory.


    And so, Elwyn spent the rest of his time practicing this basic exercise, repeating it again and again, striving to be ever more precise in the movements and in the amount of surrounding ether used.


    About fifteen minutes later, a deep voice was heard right next to Elwyn.


    ¡ª Excuse me, little one, but we¡¯re about to weigh anchor.


    The young boy let go of the stone he had been holding at chest height and turned toward the man on his right.


    It was a sailor.


    The sailor wore a black cap and was dressed in a beige shirt and trousers fastened with a woolen belt. Over his shirt, he wore a brown woolen drape jacket.


    ¡ª I see. Thanks for the heads-up. I¡¯ll board immediately then.


    ¡ª To board, I need to see a document certifying your entry to Agnos Academy, if that¡¯s indeed where you¡¯re headed, he added, after witnessing a brief demonstration of ether control.


    The young boy then produced the letter ratified by Ogme and showed it to the sailor, who quickly glanced over it.


    ¡ª Everything is in order. Welcome aboard, little one.


    Elwyn tucked the letter away in his luggage and headed toward the pier where he boarded the ship.


    Once he set foot on the deck, the young boy noticed that the ground was unstable and swayed slightly in all directions.


    ¡ª Assure me, you don¡¯t get seasick? asked the sailor who had accompanied him from the docks.


    ¡ª No, I don¡¯t think so. In any case, I don¡¯t feel ill.


    ¡ª Good, that¡¯ll mean one less thing to clean up, he said before going off to take his post.


    Elwyn called out to him just before he disappeared from view.


    ¡ª Excuse me, where can I settle during the journey and how long will it last?


    The sailor stopped and began looking around while scratching his chin.


    ¡ª You can settle at the bow.


    ¡ª The what?


    ¡ª The bow. That¡¯s the front of the ship, replied the slightly annoyed sailor.


    ¡ª Alright¡­ and how long is the voyage?


    The sailor took a few seconds to think.


    ¡ª Since it¡¯s a little past early afternoon, we should arrive around early evening.


    ¡ª I see. Thanks for the information.


    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    The young boy then made his way to the bow of the ship, where he sat on a crate and gazed at the horizon as the ship maneuvered for its departure toward Agnos.


    __________________________


    The boat journey from the port of Estal to Erana takes a little over three hours.


    During part of this time, Elwyn simply observed his surroundings.


    He saw the sea stretching endlessly, left, right, in front, and behind.


    Above was the sky; below, the sea.


    Water was everywhere around him, on a surface he would describe as infinite, and this impressive view made him feel utterly insignificant.


    He felt overwhelmed by the vastness of his environment, for which he was not naturally suited or equipped.


    After all, he is not a fish.


    Furthermore, while looking at the sky, he saw birds diving steeply into the water and emerging with a fish in their beaks.


    This sight deepened his sense of insignificance, as it introduced him to the notion of depth. Yes, the sea is immensely vast in surface area, but also in depth, just as the land is, with its towering mountains.


    He then wondered what the total surface area of the sea was compared to that of the land, as well as the area taken up by the floating islands. All these magnitudes he tried to imagine quickly gave him a slight dizziness, which disappeared as soon as he shifted his thoughts.


    When the young boy¡¯s gaze turned once again toward the sea, he remembered something: his encounter with Deity Ogme and the gap in power between them.


    A gap as vast and immense as the sea.


    Elwyn sighed.


    ¡ª Pfffff¡­ I still have a long way to go¡­


    The young boy then took a book from his luggage and removed a sheet of paper that he had placed right after the cover, fixing his gaze on it intently.


    The sheet was the size of a book page, but thicker and with a surface as smooth as a waxed table.


    On it was an illustration depicting three people.


    The figure on the left was a sublime, angelic, and smiling young woman, whose skin was perfectly fair, smooth, and entirely free of any blemishes. Her long, shiny, golden hair was styled in a braided ponytail draped over her right shoulder, and her magnificent almond-shaped eyes were set with sparkling emerald pupils. She was dressed entirely in a rich pine-green travel robe with long sleeves trimmed in gold, along with a green and gold belt. Proudly, she wore a gold pendant around her neck shaped like a tree of life with leaves made of finely cut emeralds.


    This was Akeso, the Deity of Life.


    To the right of the Deity stood a relatively tall and well-built man in his thirties. He had short, spiky raven-blue hair and large, slightly amber-tinted brown eyes. He wore full leather armor with a chainmail shirt underneath. At his belt was attached a long sword on his left side, and a dagger protruded from his back, its hilt set with a purple crystal. On his left forearm was affixed a perfectly smooth metal shield.


    This was Tristian, the Guardian of Deity Akeso.


    And finally, there was a baby sleeping in Akeso¡¯s arms, drawing the attention of both the Deity and her Guardian.


    This little one had raven-blue hair of the same brilliance as Akeso¡¯s, which made for a lighter blue than that of Tristian.


    It was Elwyn.


    This illustration of the young boy¡¯s biological family was provided by Deity Ogme, who had explained that the paper used was ¡°automatic memory paper.¡±


    ¡ª This particular paper is enchanted with a magical engraving that fixes a mental image upon it. Naturally, the precision and detail of the image depend on the clarity of the mental picture. It is therefore more accurate to transfer an image you can see directly onto the paper. If you rely on a vague memory, the representation will be equally vague. Of course, this representation was made the last time I saw them. They wanted you to have a true memory of them, in case things went wrong¡­


    Thus, Elwyn carried with him a representation of his biological parents as well as another of his entire adoptive family, both made by Ogme during his last annual visit.


    When he looked at the image of his parents, the young boy felt no anger or sadness; only acceptance.


    Acceptance of his father¡¯s irrevocable fate and acceptance of the unknown place where his mother resided.


    The only painful emotion deep within him was frustration.


    Elwyn was frustrated by knowing almost nothing about the responsible party and not understanding the reasons that drove him to act that way.


    But anyway, he knew it all too well.


    Revenge would serve him little purpose.


    No matter what he did, nothing would change.


    His father would remain dead, and the time he never spent with his mother could never be recovered. Moreover, since both are Entities, or nearly so, even the familial bond between them would not form immediately but would take time to forge, at least in the case of the young nephilim.


    However, this revenge might still serve a certain public purpose. If he managed to defeat this Deity by any means necessary, it might be possible to bring back the Deity of Life in Ilnolia.


    And that is not something to be taken lightly.


    After several long minutes of studying this representation, Elwyn carefully placed it back into the book he had taken out and began reading to pass the rest of the journey.


    Once the young boy finished his reading, he looked up to observe the horizon and then noticed a piece of land in view.


    It was the artificial island of Agnos.


    It was there that Ogme, the Deity of Knowledge and Wisdom, resided.


    This island is called ¡°artificial¡± because it was created entirely by earth elementals long after the world was founded by the Great Creator and his six Elemental Sources, following a personal request from the Deity of Knowledge and Wisdom.


    The peculiarity of this island is that it is perfectly circular and its entire perimeter is covered by cliffs, like a bowl, except at two opposite points connected by a watercourse that traverses the island from one end to the other.


    To the south of the island lies the small human town of Erana, and to the north lies the elven village of Tarathiel.


    Of course, at the center of the island stands the Great Library of Agnos and its prestigious academy.


    __________________________


    As the sailor had rightly estimated when departing the port of Estal, the ship arrived off the coast of the island of Agnos in early evening, docking at the port of Erana.


    The first impression this small town gave Elwyn was that it resembled Estal, especially as a rich trading town with well-organized and maintained streets.


    The young boy was struck by the presence of cliffs more than twenty meters high that completely surrounded the island, framing the town on its sides.


    When he set foot on land, Elwyn was immediately greeted by the sailor¡¯s voice from behind him.


    ¡ª Hey, kid.


    The young boy turned toward the calling voice.


    ¡ª Next, you must go to the Agnos administrative building located along the docks, to the right.


    Elwyn then waved to the sailor.


    ¡ª Thanks for the information.


    He then proceeded in the indicated direction and eventually arrived in front of a building bearing the Agnos symbol on its fa?ade.


    The young boy tried to open the entrance door, but in vain.


    ¡°It¡¯s closed¡­ Though, given the time, that¡¯s normal.¡±


    Elwyn then turned back and looked around.


    The street along the docks was lit by orange lights from lampposts, their glow emanating from small spheres illuminated by magical engravings.


    The young boy observed them closely and felt that a tiny fraction of the surrounding ether was being drawn into each luminous sphere.


    ¡°It¡¯s still as impressive¡­ Magic easily accessible to everyone, though one must be careful with the amount of ether used.¡±


    Elwyn then looked up at the sky, which was slowly darkening, and sighed softly.


    ¡ª Well, what do I do now?


    Suddenly, a freezing wind swept swiftly down the entire street, chilling the young boy in its path. A few seconds later, footsteps were heard just behind Elwyn.


    ¡ª A young boy of about ten with uncommon raven-blue hair and blue eyes, huh, commented an unknown man suddenly.


    Quickly recovering from the chill, the young boy turned gently toward the individual, whose presence he had not noticed until then.


    The man was rather tall and imposing, his upright stance and haughty bearing reflecting a certain self-assurance. He was dressed in a long black coat adorned with golden buttons and worn open, revealing a fitted, purple velvet jacket underneath. His trousers and high-quality boots were the same color as his coat, creating a perfectly harmonious outfit.


    His hair, a glacial blue, was slicked back with several strands falling freely and framing his delicate face. His eyes, matching the color of his hair, were piercing and cold, betraying his determined and relentless nature.


    Observing his face, the young boy noted the great paleness of his skin, which did nothing to diminish the natural charisma this individual exuded as he stood before him, his gaze fixed firmly on Elwyn¡¯s.


    ¡ª What do you want from me? asked Elwyn calmly, his neutral gaze steadfast against the stranger¡¯s icy stare.


    Elwyn¡¯s instinct told him that this man possessed far greater power than he did, and it would be best not to provoke it.


    ¡ª Tss, you Entities and your nonchalant stares, the stranger murmured softly.


    ¡ª Pardon?


    ¡ª Nothing. Elwyn, I have come to fetch you, so follow me.


    The young boy was surprised to be addressed by his first name by someone entirely unknown to him.


    ¡ª Who exactly are you? asked Elwyn, standing still.


    The stranger sighed exasperatedly at the unnecessary questions and wasted time the young boy was subjecting him to.


    ¡ª My name is Ezekiel, a professor at Agnos.


    ¡ª I see¡­ Can you prove your claim?


    Ezekiel sighed even more deeply and, moments later, arrived right beside Elwyn, his right arm encircling his neck, ready to bring him to the ground instantly.


    ¡ª Don¡¯t waste any more of my time and patience, nephilim, he whispered softly into the young boy¡¯s ear, who had seen nothing coming.


    ¡ª Please excuse me, Professor Ezekiel, Elwyn apologized, shocked by the sudden approach.


    The professor then released the young boy.


    ¡ª Very well, let¡¯s go.

 Chapter VIII : First Journey - Part III

    Elwyn kept pace with Professor Ezekiel, who was heading toward the main street of the small town, that is, the opposite route the young boy had taken upon arriving on the island.


    ¡ª Where are we going?


    ¡ª To the inn.


    ¡ª And then?


    Ezekiel did not answer, or rather completely ignored the young boy and his question, and continued walking down the main street to reach the desired establishment.


    ¡°The intoxicated scholar¡±


    ¡ª Judging by the name, it looks more like a tavern than an inn, remarked Elwyn.


    ¡ª It does both, replied Ezekiel with irritation.


    The inn in question is a two-story stone building. The ground floor serves as a tavern and the upper floor is entirely composed of rooms. Its main entrance features a set of double wooden doors, whose frame and that of the windows covering the fa?ade are adorned with carvings. Just above the entrance is the name of the sign and a panel depicting an open book with a mug set at its center.


    ¡°Not very original, they just replaced the tower with a mug¡­¡°


    Without further ceremony, Ezekiel opened the door and entered the inn, immediately followed by the young boy, who did not want to put him in a worse mood than he already was by taking his time.


    Once inside the inn, the heavy atmosphere that had accompanied the two arrivals was immediately swept away by a much more joyful and lively one. Around them were tables filled with individuals of various races and genders who were talking, drinking, joking, and eating, all while forgetting the various troubles of the day.


    Ezekiel immediately made his way to the back of the room, which looked much calmer. Suddenly, he stopped in front of a group of somewhat tipsy individuals, who were taking turns trying to lift the bottom of the short green dress of the young and voluptuous waitress.


    ¡ª You there! Don¡¯t disgrace your uniform! And above all, don¡¯t disgrace me, you bunch of complete idiots! thundered Ezekiel in anger.


    The atmosphere in the inn immediately fell, and the individuals concerned by this reprimand turned toward the man, who had just ruined their little game, looking at him with a certain terror on their faces and in their eyes.


    Yes, they had just recognized that angry person.


    Even when utterly drunk, any student of Agnos Academy could recognize the owner of that sepulchral and icy tone, that of Professor Ezekiel when angry.


    Large drops of sweat began to bead, in very great quantity, over the entire bodies of each student caught red-handed by a professor.


    Ezekiel¡¯s angry gaze turned to each of them. There were four, two humans, a dwarf, and a gnome.


    It was, moreover, the latter who had just tried to lift the bottom of the dress right under his nose. He was less than a meter tall and had disheveled autumn-orange hair. His face was similar to that of a human, but his mouth and eyes were larger, which is typical of gnomes.


    All four were wearing a white shirt and gray trousers and on the back of their chair was a dark mauve shirt with golden trims and buttons, as well as a striped mauve tie.


    ¡ª You immature idiots, what have you been taught in the last three years, huh?! You are now in your final year and this year, you are supposed to become adults; enough of this kind of nonsense! added him in a murderous tone.


    The trembling eyes of the four individuals were fixed on the ground and they flinched in fear at each raise of Ezekiel¡¯s voice.


    Once the sermon was finished, a long, awkward silence settled for several long seconds for the four students, who had remained frozen like statues all that time.


    Seeing that his reprimand had done its job, Ezekiel sighed to release the remainder of his anger and disappointment.


    ¡ª Now, you will apologize to that young woman, then you will pay for your drinks, and afterwards, you disappear from my sight, understood? he concluded a bit more calmly, but with a tone still as firm.


    They all nodded without a word and went to apologize together to the waitress, who was strangely sympathetic toward them, before paying for their drinks and leaving the inn in deathly silence.


    Elwyn, who had silently witnessed the entire scene, simply observed this sermon and moved aside to let the four individuals pass toward the exit.


    Once this event was over, Ezekiel resumed his route and settled at the back of the room, followed by the young boy.


    After that, the various discussions resumed in full swing throughout the room, as if nothing had happened.


    Once they were seated around the table, face-to-face with Ezekiel at the back of the wall, the waitress approached them.


    She had long hair as black as ink and eyes slightly golden-green. Her voluptuous and alluring curves were concealed under a very short green dress and a white apron.


    When her sublime gaze met that of Ezekiel, the young woman¡¯s face showed a displeased expression.


    ¡ª You didn¡¯t have to go that far with them, you aberration of nature.


    Ezekiel then looked at the waitress with a highly irritated air.


    ¡ª And you, you filthy lowlife seductress, you shouldn¡¯t have shortened your dress once again.


    ¡ª And here we go again, could be heard in chorus from the other end of the room.


    ¡ª Well, what? You don¡¯t like my dress? asked her, spinning around quickly, which lifted the hem of her dress and revealed for a fraction of a second her black lace panties.


    ¡ª Certainly not! Especially if it¡¯s to lure my students into your trap, you depraved creature.


    ¡ª I¡¯m not depraved! I¡¯m just¡­ in need of affection, she replied indignantly and with almost a tear in her eye.


    ¡ª Tss¡­ Stop that, will you, you¡¯re going to make me cry.


    Elwyn, who was watching this not-so-friendly exchange, though not as hostile as it seemed, looked with a certain interest and curiosity at the voluptuous young woman, and she noticed him.


    ¡ª So, my cutie, are you already interested in women your age? Or is it just me who has an effect on you? she asked, with a certain sensuality and an alluring look.


    Since the young boy is still insensitive to seduction and has no carnal desire, he did not understand the meaning of the waitress¡¯s questions and maintained a detached air to these unduly forward advances. However, he took advantage of her attention to directly ask her a question that had been nagging him since he had been able to observe her more closely.


    ¡ª I¡¯m sorry to trouble you with this intrusive question, but I was wondering, to what species do you belong?


    The waitress was then surprised by Elwyn¡¯s insight and composure toward her, for no normal man can be so insensitive to her charms.


    If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    The young woman then turned to Ezekiel, who did not seem at all surprised by the question or the young boy''s attitude, and with a slight nod, asked him what she should do in this unexpected situation.


    ¡ª She¡¯s a demon. Well, to be more precise, she¡¯s a succubus who has taken on an almost human appearance to blend into society, simply replied Ezekiel.


    This answer perfectly satisfied Elwyn, as it explained the reason for the disproportionate measurements and the intoxicating beauty of the waitress, compared to the human biological standards inscribed in his knowledge of the Domain of Life.


    ¡ª But¡­ but¡­ it¡¯s not right to reveal people¡¯s secrets like that. You¡¯d like me to tell everyone that you¡¯re a dhampir, she murmured quietly, so as not to be overheard by the nearby table.


    Ezekiel shot a quick icy look at the succubus, who stiffened for a fraction of a second, before slowly turning her head toward the young boy, who had clearly heard her complaint.


    ¡ª Professor, what is a dhampir? then asked Elwyn quietly, with the same sparkle in his eyes as that of a biologist discovering a new species to study.


    Ezekiel did not answer and fixed his eyes, full of interest, on the young boy for several long seconds, then sighed in resignation, for he knew very well that nothing could divert an Entity¡¯s curiosity regarding everything related to its Domain.


    Ezekiel then decided to give the young boy something to satisfy his curiosity, or not.


    ¡ª You¡¯ll have to do the research yourself once we¡¯re at the Academy.


    This answer obviously did not satisfy Elwyn, but the latter had just obtained a means to do so. He then decided not to insist, as he suspected that Ezekiel was not the type to speak unless he wanted to.


    ¡ª Lilsha, we need two daily specials, a water for the little one and a mead for me, demanded Ezekiel, in order to close all the topics of conversation that were starting to annoy him.


    ¡ª Is that all?


    ¡ª No, we also need two rooms for tonight.


    ¡ª Very well, I¡¯ll get that for you right away.


    And the waitress went off toward the kitchen to place the order and attend to the other customers.


    ¡ª Are we going to sleep here tonight? asked Elwyn.


    ¡ª Indeed, and tomorrow morning, we will go to collect your uniform and your brooch in the building you visited earlier, and then we will go to the Academy.


    ¡ª Alright.


    About ten minutes later, the waitress returned to bring them their order and they ate quietly in a deathly silence, which did not seem to bother them much.


    Once his meal was finished, Elwyn then made a very small remark toward Ezekiel.


    ¡ª Professor, you¡¯re not much of a talker, are you?


    Ezekiel then raised an eyebrow and looked at the young boy with a displeased air.


    ¡ª Do you have a problem? then asked Elwyn.


    Ezekiel did not answer and simply finished his plate, then quietly drank his mug of mead.


    ¡ª Professor? Why are you not answering?


    Once he set his mug on the table, his piercing and cold gaze turned toward Elwyn¡¯s.


    ¡ª Listen to me well, kid, right now, you have two problems that have followed you since your adoption: your ignorance and your weakness. You still ignore many things about the world around you and its inhabitants. And above all, you ignore the weight of the responsibilities that rest on your shoulders, whether you like it or not, since your parents, and especially your mother, are no longer here. Moreover, your impotence makes me very tempted to tear you to pieces on the spot to erase that damned fixed expression on your face, while you are nothing more than a simple little gnat a little more gifted than the average for your age.


    This truth that Ezekiel launched at Elwyn¡¯s face surprised the latter, for he felt for the first time a certain animosity coming from someone, and in this case, that of a professor, toward him. However, the young boy did not falter and charged at the embittered professor with a hardened look.


    ¡ª Professor, unfortunately for both of us, since my adoption and until a year ago, I was under the influence of a memory lock that blocked the part concerning my powers and my Entity knowledge. So, if you have a problem regarding my abilities and skills, address it instead to the Deity responsible for my ¡°weakness¡±, replied the young nephilim.


    Seeing that Elwyn was also stubborn, he let it go and simply clicked his tongue in dissatisfaction.


    ¡ª Tsss, you¡¯d better not waste my time, kid.


    ¡ª I have no intention of doing so. So, teach me, professor.


    The waitress, who had discreetly moved closer to them, but not enough to hear everything and be noticed, eventually reached their table and noticed a duel of gazes, with no one seeming able to come out as the winner. This sight greatly impressed her, for it seemed impossible for a mere child to stand up to that mule-headed Ezekiel and his heartless, killer gaze.


    ¡ª Are... are you finished? she asked hesitantly.


    The two gazes then broke, and the tension slowly subsided.


    ¡ª Yes, we are finished, replied Ezekiel.


    ¡ª Very well, in that case, I¡¯ll clear your table.


    The waitress quickly cleared their table, before immediately returning.


    ¡ª Would you like anything else?


    ¡ª No, thank you. However, you can show him his room, I¡¯ve had enough, he said as he got up from his chair to go out for some air.


    ¡ª Always so kind¡­ added the waitress quietly, once Ezekiel passed through the entrance door.


    ¡ª He¡¯s always like that, I mean, he¡¯s always so unpleasant and in a bad mood with people, or is it just me who has that effect on him? then asked Elwyn to the waitress, who was still gazing at the entrance with a lost look.


    ¡ª ¡­ A few years ago, he was¡­ different¡­ He had less anger¡­ and disgust. But¡­ since the disappearance of the Deity of Life, he has¡­ changed¡­ It must be said that her disappearance shook everyone around here. She was so kind¡­ and very frightening too¡­


    The waitress then turned her gaze toward her interlocutor, who seemed more than attentive to her words, then shook her head frantically.


    ¡ª But what am I saying to a kid, really¡­ Come on, I¡¯ll show you your room.


    Elwyn then gathered his belongings and followed the waitress heading toward the stairs, located to the right of their table and right in the center of the wall, and went to the floor of the rooms.


    Once upstairs, they walked along the corridor and passed several numbered room doors until they reached number ten, the last one.


    ¡ª Here we are. This is your room, and know that the other idiot is right opposite, well, if he comes back¡­ Anyway, there¡¯s everything you need to wash and sleep. There¡¯s even a little desk for working, well, given your age, you don¡¯t need it yet, she finished in a rather teasing tone.


    Elwyn did not comment on the end of that sentence and simply thanked the waitress politely for her assistance and let her leave quietly to resume her duties, after receiving his room key.


    The young boy then entered his room and took a quick look around. There was a single bed on the right, a small desk and a chair in the middle, a wooden screen on which a towel was placed, hiding a small bathtub with magical engravings on the left. On the ceiling was a small, simple chandelier equipped with a small sphere, similar to that of the exterior lampposts with a magical engraving; it was lit and provided a certain warmth and good brightness in this tiny, minimalist room.


    Elwyn then decided to put down his belongings and inspected a small note posted in the middle of the desk. It simply provided the different formulas for the magical engravings of the bathtub and the chandelier.


    ¡°How do people who cannot read manage? ¡­ They must undoubtedly have the instructions orally first¡­ Why didn¡¯t she tell me anything? Perhaps it was her distraction¡­¡±


    Once all this information was recorded, the young boy was finally free to move and decided, after a very short reflection, to lock himself in the room and settle into the desk chair. He then took out of his bag a small blank book and his writing tools.


    Finally, Elwyn could take the time to review his journey, his days, his encounters, and the interesting events that had occurred and been recounted since he left his home.


    For him, this note-taking was important, as it allowed him to work on his writing, his memory, and to have things to tell in his letter to his adoptive family.


    He worked on it for several hours, before quietly going to bed in the middle of the night.


    Dear Mother-Oph¨¦lia, dear Father-Volden, and dear Le?na,


    It has now been five days since I left home, and it seems so far away now. I have seen many things on the road, including orchards, fields of grain, and pastures stretching as far as the eye can see. The world is truly vast, and there is much to see and discover.


    I spent an evening in the city of Reina, and it was not as good as I had thought. The city is large and there are many people, certainly, but it is not as livable as the village. At first, I felt cramped, and it improved as I got closer to its center. It is quite dark with all these houses, and it is not very clean either.


    The next afternoon, I arrived at Estal, a sort of port town smaller than Reina, but much more welcoming and pleasant to live in. And for the first time, I was able to see the sea. It is so vast, so blue, and also very cold. One should return during a warmer season to enjoy it.


    Then, I took a boat to reach Agnos. It was quite dizzying trying to imagine the surface of the sea and also noticing that there was no more land in sight. It is truly disorienting. The sailors must have a lot of courage to do this job.


    At the moment I write this letter, I have arrived at Agnos. I met a professor from the academy, Professor Ezekiel.


    Mother-Oph¨¦lia, did you know this professor?


    In any case, he is not very kind nor very talkative. I only know that he knew my parents.


    We then settled in an inn for the night, and I was able to meet a rather strange waitress, who seemed to know Professor Ezekiel well. It is said that he was kinder before the disappearance of the Deity of Life. I wonder why. How well did he know my parents?


    Anyway, this is my first message to you. I hope you are well and that everything is going well in the village. Take care, and see you soon.


    Elwyn

 Chapter VIII : First Journey - Part IV

    When dawn began to break, Elwyn woke gently from his short, yet sufficient night, thanks to his great recovery ability, and quietly prepared for the day. He washed, brushed his teeth and got dressed, before finally tidying up his room for the night and leaving it.


    When he was in the hallway, he did not hear a single sound.


    "I must surely be the first to get up."


    Once he reached the stairs, the young boy could finally hear something in the distance, surely the kitchen preparing breakfast and perhaps even the midday meal. In any case, the good smell of food was present.


    It was by being as discreet as possible that Elwyn went down the stairs and temporarily left the establishment.


    Once the door was passed, he had to face Ezekiel, who had just moved from the right side of the building.


    The young boy, surprised by this morning encounter with the ill-tempered professor, immediately froze.


    ¡ª Uh¡­ Good morning, Professor Ezekiel. Did you have a good night? he asked innocently.


    ¡ª Indeed, and as short as yours.


    Elwyn, taken aback by this unexpected answer, had nothing more to say to the professor.


    ¡ª Anyway, what do you plan to do at such an early hour? asked the professor, with a slightly inquisitive air.


    ¡ª I planned to take a little walk in town and chase away the few Entities that hang around.


    Ezekiel slightly furrowed his brows.


    ¡ª I see¡­ In that case, I will watch you from afar, but be careful, kid, you are forbidden to enter dwellings from the Ethereal Plane. Do you understand?


    This sudden prohibition surprised Elwyn immediately. However, after a short reflection on its purpose, he thought that it was to preserve a certain privacy for each inhabitant.


    "We do not enter people''s homes as if we were at home..."


    ¡ª Understood, Professor Ezekiel, then replied Elwyn, before heading toward the port at a trot.


    The young boy had decided to tour the town starting from the western part and heading east, before finishing on Main Street and returning to the inn in mid-morning, to have his breakfast.


    Of course, this morning escapade served as exercise for him, as he was used to at home with Volden.


    Ezekiel, for his part, watched the young boy doing his morning exercise throughout Erana, from the rooftops and other heights that the port town offered him.


    Observing the young boy, he recalled his parents and especially his father, with whom he had clashed time and time again. As for his mother, he saw the omnipresence of her shadow looming just above him, with the weight of responsibilities that would soon fall on him.


    This frustrated him greatly.


    He was already frustrated to have learned of the disappearances of his friends, without being able to do anything for them. In addition, he had learned of the existence of their child barely a month ago. And to top it all off, the latter knows nothing about his parents, his origins, his history and the duty of being now the most powerful healer in the world.


    "This is nonsense! Why him? He is nothing but a toddler barely out of the cradle. He should not have to do or bear all this. Akeso and Tristian would never have agreed for him to lead such a life at his age. Hmmm¡­ Great Creator, what is planned for him?"


    _________________________


    Once they had swallowed their breakfast, Elwyn and Ezekiel greeted Lilsha before leaving the inn and heading to where they had met yesterday, at the Agnos administrative building.


    Once in front of the entrance, Ezekiel motioned for Elwyn to open the door and come in.


    ¡ª Aren''t you coming?


    The professor did not answer and simply turned around.


    "That surely means no¡­"


    Elwyn then entered the building alone.


    Gling Gling


    The sound of a little bell resonated in the entrance of the building.


    Elwyn stopped at the entrance and observed this environment.


    The interior of the building is very similar to that of Estal with its many overflowing shelves and libraries and its scholars scribbling things all over the room.


    "An impression of d¨¦j¨¤ vu¡­"


    The only changes are the presence of a square room at the back on the right, barely larger than a restroom, and a door in the center of the back wall.


    Elwyn then advanced with a confident step toward the reception, where a young elf with short bark-brown hair and almond-shaped pine-green eyes was located.


    ¡ª Oh! Greetings to you, young boy. What can I do for you? asked the young receptionist very politely.


    ¡ª Greetings to you too, I am here to join the Agnos Academy and it seems that this is where one can retrieve one¡¯s uniform.


    The young boy then took out his document for joining the Agnos Academy from his belongings and handed it to the young elf.


    Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    ¡ª I see, a new student and in a special class moreover. I will therefore get what you need for you.


    The receptionist immediately went to the back of the room and opened the door in the center, before disappearing into what appears to be a storeroom.


    After a few minutes of waiting, the elf returned with in his arms two complete uniforms, a new pair of shoes and a small wooden box.


    ¡ª Here I am again, sorry for the wait.


    ¡ª No worries.


    The receptionist then gave Elwyn a friendly smile, before kindly indicating the small room at the back on the right.


    ¡ª If you would follow me.


    And the young boy followed the elf toward that still unknown small room.


    ¡ª There, you can now change in this room. It will allow me to see if the uniform fits you well.


    Elwyn nodded, then took the clothes and went into the fitting room.


    Once dressed in the uniform, the young boy came out and showed the result to the receptionist, who was delighted to see that no adjustments were needed.


    From now on, Elwyn was dressed in a dark mauve jacket with golden trims and buttons, over a white shirt, and gray trousers.


    ¡ª Now, we only have the three final little touches left.


    The receptionist then approached Elwyn and delicately tied a blue striped tie around his neck, before pinning on his lapel a small bronze brooch representing the Agnos symbol and finally placing a white armband around his right arm.


    ¡ª And there you go, you are finally ready! exclaimed the elf joyfully.


    The young boy then took a moment to look at himself, while recalling how to tie a tie.


    ¡ª Thank you for your help.


    ¡ª You''re welcome, I''m here for that, he replied simply.


    Following that, Elwyn''s gaze stopped on the second uniform, which was still in the receptionist''s arms.


    ¡ª Do we receive two uniforms directly?


    ¡ª Ah, that! It is your winter uniform. It is the same size as the other and I have already checked that it has no manufacturing defects. You can also take it, as well as the box to store your brooch.


    Elwyn took everything and put it in his bag.


    ¡ª Do I need anything else?


    ¡ª You now have everything you need. You just need to know that your brooch is extremely important within the academy, so do not lose it.


    ¡ª Understood.


    The receptionist then smiled at Elwyn and the latter greeted him one last time, before leaving the establishment and rejoining Ezekiel at the entrance.


    ¡ª Is it done, have you finished?


    ¡ª Yes, Professor, I have everything I need.


    ¡ª Perfect, in that case, let''s go.


    The professor and the young boy then headed to Main Street and joined the north exit of Erana, where a coach seemed to be waiting for them.


    ¡ª Since you were busy with your uniform, I took the opportunity to get us a means of transport to reach the Academy.


    ¡ª You are very thoughtful.


    ¡ª It''s mainly that I don''t want to waste any more time here. Come on, get in.


    Elwyn complied and boarded the coach, followed by Ezekiel, and once everyone was on board, it departed in the direction of the Agnos Academy.


    _________________________


    After a few minutes of calm driving, Elwyn decided to break the silence of the cabin with his endless questions.


    ¡ª Professor, what can you tell me about my parents?


    Ezekiel, sitting right across from him, looked him in the eyes and began to think for several long seconds.


    ¡ª Your father was much less annoying than you. He was discreet, even too discreet according to some. He spent most of his time covered by his helmet, as he wanted to enjoy his tranquility once removed. As a result, few people knew his face; he was the unknown Guardian. Which is not so bad for you, since you look just like him, no one will be able to link you together¡­


    Elwyn did not expect such a superficial description concerning his father at all.


    ¡ª Who is aware of me at the Academy?


    ¡ª All the staff.


    ¡ª I see¡­ Isn''t it problematic that so many people are aware? I mean, the principle of secrecy is that few or no people know about it, so that it doesn''t get out, right?


    ¡ª Indeed, that is why Ogme made a pact with those in the know so that they could not say anything, even by accident.


    ¡ª Caution is the mother of safety, is that right?


    Ezekiel shrugged in response, before the cabin gently fell back into silence, their gazes turned outside.


    ¡ª By the way, what about my mother?


    Ezekiel hesitated for a moment, before answering with a melancholic air, his gaze lost in the passing scenery.


    ¡ª She was admirable. She feared nothing and no one. She did not like war, because there were always too many unnecessary deaths, too many wasted lives, too many lost dreams¡­ even if it was for a good cause, even if it was sometimes a necessity. Everyone appreciated her at her true value and she returned it well to everyone, for every being in this world had the same value in her eyes¡­


    A heavy silence fell when Ezekiel finished speaking, but it did not affect Elwyn much, who understood that he had to stop there on the subject.


    ¡ª Thank you, Professor. I know a little more about them now.


    ¡ª Hm¡­, muttered Ezekiel softly.


    ¡ª Ah! I just remembered something. I was told at the shop that the brooch was very important for the Academy. For what reason? asked the young boy in order to completely change the subject.


    Ezekiel then recovered from his melancholy and resumed looking Elwyn in the eyes.


    ¡ª To put it simply, Ogme created a barrier around the academy to detect any intrusion. So, to be able to enter without a problem, you must have one of the different access brooches.


    ¡ª There are several brooches?


    ¡ª There are three different colors. Bronze for students, silver for outsiders and gold for the staff.


    ¡ª So it is also a distinctive mark.


    ¡ª Indeed, like the tie or the ribbon for the level of study.


    Elwyn then recalled the students they had seen at the tavern the previous day. They also had a striped tie, but in mauve.


    ¡ª Blue is for the first year and mauve for the fourth. What about the second and the third?


    ¡ª They are green, then red.


    The hierarchy of the Academy then slowly formed in the young boy''s mind, then his gaze turned to his white armband.


    ¡ª And what does that signify?


    ¡ª The armband indicates that you are in a special class.


    ¡ª What is so special about it?


    ¡ª It is for students who are ahead in several courses of the Academy program. They can then skip the classes they already master and do something else instead, like learning new things in the library.


    ¡ª Are there many of this kind?


    ¡ª No, it is rather rare. In general, these are Entities, like you, and people with an intelligence higher than average who are admitted.


    ¡ª So, why create this section if there are not many people?


    ¡ª There is a reason, but that is for Ogme to answer.


    ¡ª Ah¡­ Alright¡­


    _________________________


    After a total of one hour of driving, Ezekiel, who knew the travel time perfectly, motioned for Elwyn to look out the window and see what lay ahead.


    When Elwyn stuck his head out, he scanned the horizon. His gaze stopped on the majestic summit of a stone dome, which proudly sat atop a colossal conical tower. The latter was round and majestic, composed of six imposing blocks of floors of decreasing sizes, stacked with an elegance worthy of a wedding cake.


    It was the Great Library of Agnos.


    "Agnos, at last¡­ What a building¡­ simply fabulous."


    The young boy''s gaze then descended from the library and stopped on a stone enclosure delimiting the academy.


    "We have arrived¡­"

 Chapter IX : The Academy of Agnos - Part I

    When the stagecoach reached the stone arch that served as the entrance, it gradually slowed until coming to a complete stop. The two passengers got off and headed toward the gaping entryway, which was completely devoid of any presence.


    ¡ª There is no guard? asked Elwyn, surprised by the lack of security in such an important place.


    ¡ª For what reason would there be? This is an academy where powerful wielders of abilities and future adventurers or military personnel reside. If an intruder enters, he will face roaming public dangers and, if he is lucky, I will personally welcome him.


    ¡°Very reassuring¡­ except for the intruder then¡­¡±


    On the other side of the enclosure, the young boy had an unobstructed view of the majestic and imposing library, over one hundred and twenty meters tall and one hundred and thirty meters wide. It was divided into six blocks, each twenty meters high, and its width decreased by ten meters in total at its top, with a similar gap occurring at the base of the next block.


    Elwyn then noticed that this last gap served as an outdoor terrace. He could even see students sitting and reading books, while drinking some kind of beverage.


    Upon closely observing each of the blocks, he also noticed the presence of windows at four different heights, suggesting there were four floors per block.


    Also, when the sun¡¯s rays struck the polished stone walls of the structure, they gave it a slightly golden appearance and imparted a warm and welcoming atmosphere.


    ¡°Gigantic! What kind of view is there from up there?¡±


    He then noticed the presence of four towers, more than twenty-five meters high and ten meters wide, which framed the imposing structure at ground level. They are connected to it by stone bridges leading directly to the center of its first block.


    ¡°What could these towers possibly be for?¡±


    The young boy then stepped onto the paved path of flat stones, which lay right before him, and observed his immediate surroundings.


    The entire outdoor area was like a vast garden, with neatly trimmed grass and very flat ground. Here and there were small, precisely trimmed hedges framing flower beds of various shapes and colors. He also noticed the presence of students on stone benches lining the path leading to the Great Library, as well as lanterns placed between each bench.


    ¡°It must be nice to stroll around here at night.¡±


    The students he could already see were mainly human. There were also a few gnomes and halflings among them, but he could also observe small groups composed solely of elves or dwarves.


    ¡°Cultural differences divide more than they unite¡­ Too bad¡­ but that¡¯s just how it is.¡±


    The students on the benches completely ignored Elwyn¡¯s presence until he passed right by them. Their eyes then showed a slight surprise when they saw his white armband, and then the color of his hair, on which their gaze lingered for a moment.


    This awkward situation for the students wasn¡¯t really awkward for the young boy, but he still noticed the strangeness of their behavior and simply greeted them politely before calmly continuing on his way.


    Ezekiel, who had stayed back to observe Elwyn, quickly joined him after this scene.


    ¡ª Professor, what just happened here? asked Elwyn in a low voice.


    ¡ª Nothing too serious. Let¡¯s just say it¡¯s not common to see an individual from the Floating Crow Islands.


    ¡ª Excuse me? Professor, what is this Crow story? asked the young boy, frozen in surprise for a split second.


    ¡ª You don¡¯t even know that either¡­ Exasperating. You¡¯ll just have to inquire at the library sometime and fill in your endless ignorance, replied the professor as he continued on his way.


    ¡°Great, another research to do¡­ I suppose this comes from my father¡­ Who were you?¡±


    Having no information to answer his questions, Elwyn immediately moved on and simply continued to observe what lay ahead, before stopping at an intersection.


    Looking at the path leading east, the young boy spotted other stone benches with lanterns and, at the end, a large stone building of five floors, including the ground floor. It had more than thirty windows per floor.


    ¡°What kind of building is that?¡±


    Ezekiel then noticed the direction of Elwyn¡¯s gaze.


    ¡ª That is the boys¡¯ dormitory and to the west is the girls¡¯ dormitory. There is also a dormitory to the north, right behind the Great Library, for guests.


    ¡ª How many residents can there be in total?


    ¡ª The academy can accommodate approximately four hundred students and one hundred guests.


    ¡ª That makes for a lot of mouths to feed¡­, remarked the young boy.


    ¡ª Indeed. Come on, let¡¯s continue. Ogme¡¯s office is not far.


    Elwyn, a little disappointed to have to cut his tour short, nonetheless complied with the grumpy professor¡¯s demand and they resumed their journey to the entrance of the library.


    When they finally faced the immense entryway, Elwyn simply pushed the imposing, yet very light, door and was instantly awed by the grandeur of the room.


    The entrance hall was a large square room with a ceiling five meters high, giving a certain impression of space and freedom.


    The light coming from the high windows was subdued, creating a hushed atmosphere conducive to reading, and the characteristic scent of old books and parchments filled the entire room.


    To the left and right of the entrance are two spiral stone staircases leading to the first floor of the Great Library.


    In the center of the room, facing the entrance, there was a massive solid wood reception desk, where several academy students were responsible for managing the return of borrowed books. And just behind it were numerous rows of shelves laden with books, manuscripts, and parchments of all kinds, carefully arranged.


    To the right of the entrance hall, three finely carved wooden doors were closed and bore, through inlaid metal engravings, ¡°faculty room¡±, ¡°infirmary¡± and ¡°storage room¡±. These important rooms within the academy occupied one third of the space.


    Finally, to the left of the entrance hall, Elwyn noticed another closed door, also taking up another third of the space, with two more metal engravings, ¡°Nalinaya¡¯s Office¡± and ¡°Office of the Deity of Knowledge and Understanding, Ogme¡±.


    ¡°Who is Nalinaya?¡±


    ¡ª What are you still doing in the middle of the path? Go to Ogme¡¯s office so we can finish with this story, grumbled Ezekiel.


    Indeed, in order to admire the entire room, the young boy had remained frozen at the entrance, blocking the way. So, not wanting to further aggravate the already sour professor, Elwyn hurried to join the door leading to the Deity¡¯s office.


    Knock Knock Knock


    No answer.


    With an apologetic look, Elwyn turned to Ezekiel, who sighed in exasperation, before taking matters into his own hands and opening the door, which was not locked.


    The two men entered a spacious office where a large wooden desk occupied the center of the room. Two sofas faced each other with a coffee table between them. The walls were lined with shelves and cabinets containing various books and documents, and the room was illuminated by a soft light coming from a large window facing west. The office chair was positioned with its back to the window, offering a panoramic view of the room.


    While scrutinizing the room, Elwyn spotted a closed door at the center of the wall, just to the right of the entrance.


    Ezekiel then stepped toward this door and knocked three times.


    Knock Knock Knock


    ¡ª Come in, replied Deity Ogme.


    Elwyn approached the door and Ezekiel opened it, then grabbed the young boy and ushered him in, before immediately closing the door behind him.


    Elwyn then found himself in the office of Deity Ogme and could only remain dumbfounded by its grandeur.


    The large solid wood desk adorned with intricate golden motifs was situated at the center of the room, with various writing instruments and supports carefully arranged on its surface. Of course, the office chair on which the Deity sat was just as imposing as the desk it accompanied. Made of dark solid wood, it was carved with complex golden motifs that seemed to shine under the light. The seat was comfortable, well-cushioned, and covered with a purple fabric embroidered with golden threads, reminiscent of the room¡¯s d¨¦cor.


    The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    To the right of the desk, a large table was completely covered with piles of books and documents, awaiting to be read and examined by the Deity. The dark wooden shelves, filled with ancient books and carefully arranged parchments, stretched along the entire height of the walls. At the back of the room, an immense stained glass window depicted the symbol of Agnos, illuminating the room with its myriad colors. Finally, a large wooden coffee table was placed in front of the sofas, upon which teapots and cups were ready to be served.


    The young boy silently advanced toward the Deity, who appeared to be engaged with a young woman facing him, her hands firmly resting on the desk.


    The latter suddenly turned toward Elwyn, who was taken aback by her appearance.


    ¡°Mother-Oph¨¦lia was right, a sylph!¡±


    The young woman was tall, elegant, and had a slender, graceful figure. Her long blue-gray hair moved as if it were constantly caressed by a gentle breeze, yet it never fell into her field of vision. Her eyes were clear and luminous, reminiscent of a sunny sky, and her skin was a translucent light blue, with slight silvery reflections. She wore a light blue chiffon dress and a delicate cape floated behind her. At her feet, high-quality brown leather boots reached her knees.


    Sylphs are a race not native to Ilnolia and are quite rare to observe. They mostly live in the desert, where their elemental air powers enable them to withstand the heat of that hostile territory. They are also known as half-air elementals, for they were forged on a human basis and received a fragment of the Source of Air, granting them a portion of its power.


    Upon seeing the young boy, the sylph was far more surprised than he was, and her body froze, as if she had just been doused with icy water in the back.


    ¡ª T-T-Tristian? she asked in her soft, crystalline, stuttering voice.


    This question surprised Elwyn somewhat, who did not expect to be mistaken for his father, but he replied with his usual calm and politeness.


    ¡ª I¡¯m sorry, madam, but you must be mistaking me for my late father. My name is Elwyn, pleased to make your acquaintance.


    The sylph¡¯s eyes then began to moisten slightly, her complexion grew even paler, and her body started trembling.


    Deity Ogme, still seated in his chair, observed the scene and decided to intervene before things got complicated.


    ¡ª Nalinaya, take a break, you need it. Elwyn, come here. I need to speak with you.


    The young boy nodded and approached the desk, before stopping in front of the Deity. At the same moment, Nalinaya suddenly left the room like a gust of wind, leaving the two Entities alone together.


    ¡ª I¡¯m sorry that things are turning out this way for you.


    ¡ª It¡¯s alright. But, can you explain a bit what¡¯s going on?


    ¡ª Of course. The sylph you just saw is named Nalinaya and she is my Guardian.


    ¡ª Guardian¡­ like my father was?


    ¡ª Exactly, her role is to assist me in managing the academy and the library.


    ¡ª Alright¡­ but if she is your Guardian, why was she never by your side when you came to the village?


    ¡ª Because I expected that kind of reaction from her upon seeing you, and it is faster, easier, and more discreet to travel from the Ethereal Plane.


    ¡ª I see¡­ What was her relationship with my father?


    All I know of him is that Professor Ezekiel confronted him when he was passing through here and that he was very discreet.


    ¡ª I¡¯m sorry, but it¡¯s not for me to answer that.


    ¡ª I understand, sorry for asking.


    ¡ª It¡¯s nothing. Anyway, let¡¯s move on. How was your first journey? asked the Deity while searching for a piece of parchment and something to write with.


    ¡ª I encountered no trouble on the road, but I must admit that taking a stagecoach for the entire journey was not the way I dreamed of traveling.


    ¡ª I see. You are more a person of the field than of the office, and that is unlikely to change over time, replied the Deity after finally finding what he was looking for and drafting a short message.


    Seeing that the Deity was busy, Elwyn took the opportunity to ask him a question, hoping for a complete answer due to his distraction.


    ¡ª Professor, can you tell me who the Crows native to the floating islands of the same name are? It was Professor Ezekiel who told me that I have origins from that place.


    The Deity finished writing his message before answering the curious young boy.


    ¡ª They are individuals with crow-wing blue hair like yours, but less brilliant. Not much is known about them, as they have isolated themselves from the world and do not appreciate nosy foreigners. They also do not like to talk about themselves, even with the Deities. Unfortunately, I cannot tell you more.


    The Deity then placed a finger on his piece of parchment and a purple mist completely enveloped it, before it took the shape of a small bird, which flew out of the room after shifting planes.


    The young boy was initially surprised by this trick of the Deity before resuming the conversation.


    ¡ª Is it really so rare to see one? I¡¯ve noticed that some students were looking at me strangely.


    ¡ª Generally, they leave their floating islands to find a companion who will become one of their own and also keep their secrets. Since you are still a child, it is indeed very surprising.


    ¡ª Why do they have so many secrets?


    ¡ª Who knows. There are things I know nothing about regarding the world and things I am not permitted to recount, just like you. Many Entities possess knowledge of the world that they cannot share with individuals outside their Domain.


    ¡ª I completely understand.


    ¡ª In that case, let¡¯s talk instead about what will happen to you over the next four years.


    ¡ª Alright, that¡¯s why I am here.


    The Deity rose from his seat and calmly made his way toward the window at the back of his office, and the young boy followed shortly after.


    ¡ª Elwyn, what do you know about the special class?


    ¡ª I only know that they are students who are ahead in the academy¡¯s curriculum and that they may not attend classes in subjects they have already mastered. Professor Ezekiel also stated that there was something extra, but that it was up to you to tell me.


    ¡ª I see that Ezekiel and you talked a lot during the little time you spent together¡­ What I must tell you is that the students of this class are special, in a way that is not very beneficial for them.


    ¡ª What do you mean by that?


    ¡ª Extraordinary people often end up being isolated, or they isolate themselves from others. Apart from your sister, you have not had contact with other children; it¡¯s a form of isolation.


    ¡ª I understand what you are saying, but I don¡¯t see where you are going with this. It is not easy to do things that do not interest us when there are plenty of other things that are more interesting or simply vital. I remind you that you locked my memory regarding my nature and my powers and that it has only been a year since I have finally been able to be myself. I can finally discover what I am capable of after all this time.


    ¡ª I do not wish, and neither would your parents have wished, for you to be alone. I know that keeping you in the dark about your parents, your powers, and your share of Entity has given you many burdens. I would just like you to progress slowly. The academy is also there for making acquaintances and forging friendships.


    ¡ª I see. Father Volden gave me the same advice before I left, ¡°Do not confuse speed with haste,¡± he told me.


    The Deity then turned to the young boy with a surprised expression, which quickly faded.


    ¡ª Oh! I see that he has clearly understood your problem. In that case, take your time. Here, you will develop your powers and knowledge with competent people. I therefore recommend that you use your advantage to help those in need.


    Even without this discussion with the Deity, Elwyn had already made his decision, thanks to Volden.


    ¡ª Alright, I am willing to do so. However, how can I make friends, knowing that I will have to divulge almost nothing about myself?


    The Deity then turned back to the young boy and waited a moment before answering.


    ¡ª I have already made arrangements and in three¡­ two¡­ one¡­


    Someone suddenly knocked on the door.


    Knock Knock


    ¡ª Come in, replied the Deity.


    The door opened, allowing a young boy in an academy uniform to enter. He walked with determined steps, exuding great confidence. About three years older than Elwyn, he was also taller and had a more imposing build. His face, with more masculine features, was characterized by a square shape and thick eyebrows. His blood-red hair was short and appeared disheveled. His silver eyes were hard, revealing a certain maturity.


    Upon seeing this stranger, Elwyn¡¯s gaze turned to surprise when he noticed his silver eyes, just like his own.


    ¡°A Nephilim!¡±


    Their gazes suddenly met, and the newly arrived Nephilim furrowed his brows.


    ¡ª What do you want from me, little crow? Have you never seen another living being from the heavens? he asked aggressively.


    Elwyn then turned to the Deity.


    ¡ª Elwyn, I present to you Loyd. He will be your partner for the next four years, replied the Deity, before drawing the young boy¡¯s attention to the chain around his neck.


    Elwyn then slightly furrowed his brows, before removing his chain, on which his concealment ring was attached, and placing it on the desk, then sliding it to about twenty centimeters away from him. Once that was done, he turned to Loyd and locked his silver gaze with his.


    ¡ª Pleased to meet you, Loyd. My name is Elwyn, son of Akeso, the Deity of Life. And you?


    Upon seeing the young boy¡¯s crow-like eyes, Loyd was just as surprised as Elwyn had been moments before, not to mention his birth connection with the Deity of Life. His shocked gaze then turned toward the Deity.


    ¡ª Deity Ogme, what is this all about? Since when does the Deity of Life have a son? And what exactly do you want me to do with him?


    The Deity gently rubbed his eyes before answering the aggressive-toned Nephilim.


    ¡ª Loyd, you and he share the same objective. I therefore ask you to train him as best as you can. Of course, Professor Ezekiel will also be willing to help you. And regarding his existence, know that he was born three months before the disappearance of the Deity of Life and the death of his father at the same time.


    Loyd¡¯s gaze then gave the impression that he had just taken a harsh blow and turned once again toward Elwyn, whose expression was strangely serene and calm.


    ¡ª My name is Loyd, son of Asagar, the Deity of War, he replied, with a sorrowful look in his eyes and in his voice.


    Elwyn then extended his hand so that they could greet each other properly, and Loyd accepted the greeting.


    ¡ª Good, since I see that things are going well between you, I think you should tour the academy and the library. Since Elwyn has just arrived, he does not yet know the premises.


    The two Nephilims nodded in agreement to the Deity¡¯s request and, before leaving, Elwyn took back his chain and put it around his neck.


    ¡ª Ah yes, I almost forgot.


    The Deity suddenly approached Loyd and placed his right hand on the top of his head.


    ¡ª Loyd, the fact that Elwyn is a Nephilim and that he belongs to the Domain of Life is a secret. It is so that he can be at peace once outside, so mind your tongue.


    The young boy was initially surprised by the Deity¡¯s approach, but did nothing to free himself and simply accepted the request without a word.


    ¡ª Very well, you may disperse. I wish you a pleasant stay within the academy and the library. Avoid trouble and creating any for me.


    And the two boys were finally able to leave the Deity¡¯s office and together join the entrance hall of the Great Library.

 Chapter IX : The Academy of Agnos - Part II

    During this day, the entrance hall of the Great Library saw, almost constantly, the comings and goings of the various academy students, and Elwyn and Loyd were no exception.


    The two Nephilim comrades had just left the Deity¡¯s office and were wondering where to go to begin the tour of the academy.


    ¡ª What do you want to start with? asked Loyd, still bewildered by his new encounter.


    ¡ª I think it would be simpler to start by touring the library, wouldn¡¯t it? Might as well.


    ¡ª Well, if you want. Books and me, that¡¯s not really my thing.


    Elwyn was surprised by this revelation.


    ¡ª If you don¡¯t like books that much, then why did you come here?


    ¡ª Tsk, it¡¯s Deity Ogme who asked me to come. He said he could help me become stronger, in exchange for a service. So I joined the academy and there¡¯s almost no one interesting, except for Ezekiel and the dragon, whom I was forbidden to confront. And unlike you, I wasn¡¯t even allowed in the special class.


    Elwyn¡¯s face froze at the moment the word ¡°dragon¡± was mentioned and he then grabbed his comrade by the shoulders, to look him straight in the face.


    ¡ª Excuse me, but did you just say ¡°dragon¡±? asked the young boy seriously.


    Loyd was surprised by this reaction from Elwyn, who seemed to be someone calm and rather reserved.


    ¡ª Yes, I did say that. If you want to see it, look on the upper floors of the library.


    Elwyn immediately released his grip and went off to join the first floor of the library with a determined step.


    ¡ª Well, he¡¯s already gone¡­


    Once on the floor, Elwyn looked around and began to tour it.


    ¡°It¡¯s enormous here! How am I going to find it?¡±


    The floor in question is composed of large windows, evenly spaced along the wall, letting in natural light and offering a view of the outside. Between these windows, massive wooden shelves extend up to the ceiling, filled with books and parchments with various and diverse covers.


    In the center of the room, a large wooden pillar also serves as a shelf with works arranged on its four sides. The pillar is richly decorated, with fine detailed carvings.


    Facing each of the room¡¯s windows, elegantly designed wooden tables, with turned legs and a smooth finish, and comfortable chairs surrounded them, allowing at least six people to sit together comfortably.


    Between the tables and arranged in an arc, gradually drawing closer to the center of the room at regular intervals, there are additional shelves filled with books. These have been placed so as not to block the natural light coming from the windows, allowing the room to be bathed in a soft and pleasant light.


    Of course, identical in design and placed directly opposite each other, two spiral stone staircases led to the next floor.


    Elwyn then went from floor to floor, remaining as discreet as possible so as not to disturb the other students, and quickly explored the first block of the Great Library.


    Finally, once he reached the top of this block, the young boy understood that the structure of the first floor was repeated on each floor, although the placement of the windows did change. He then suspected that going higher would give him a similar view, but with space diminishing as the floor blocks shrank.


    However, there was one last thing he had not yet seen, and that was the outdoor terrace at the top of the blocks.


    This floor had an interior structure similar to the others, but with fewer pieces of furniture to accommodate the tables and chairs found on the terrace, which was less than five meters wide, covered by a thin lawn. However, where windows should have been, there were stone arches, allowing access to the terrace. And to mark the separation between the interior and the exterior, there was a gap about one foot wide in which stagnant water gathered. This separation was also made on the terrace, dividing it into four equal parts.


    ¡°I see, it is used to collect rainwater, which is then channeled to the edge of the terrace and finally evacuated outside the walls by the gutters placed at the very top of the library and running down here¡­¡±


    The young boy then moved closer to the edge of the terrace and its one-meter-high stone railing. The view he had was impressive.


    From his position, he could see the cliffs surrounding the entire island, the forests that also encircled it, and the town of Estal and its fields, as well as part of the sea.


    ¡°The island looks so small from here¡­ Can one see the continent from higher up?¡±


    Elwyn remained awestruck by this distant view, which he had absolutely never seen from his village.


    ¡°I want to see more¡­ so much more¡­ What is it like from the sky?¡±


    His lost gaze then attracted the attention of someone he had not noticed. At the same time, the young boy had not toured the entire floor; he had only assumed it after seeing a fifth.


    ¡ª It¡¯s a very beautiful view, commented a feminine voice.


    ¡ª Indeed, it¡¯s not the kind of thing I would have experienced by staying at home.


    ¡ª Oh really? asked she, intrigued.


    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    ¡ª I come from a small village located in the west of the Esthia kingdom. It¡¯s not in places like that that you can observe such things. It¡¯s rather quite flat there.


    ¡ª I can¡¯t really understand your point of view, because for me this kind of view is rather usual. However, that doesn¡¯t diminish the magic and the surprise I feel every time I discover a new place. I always find it fascinating to see how each place has its own identity and shape, even if some places may seem similar.


    ¡ª Where might you be coming from to have such things to say? asked the young boy, who then turned to his interlocutor standing just behind him.


    At the moment he met the gaze of the young girl, for an instant, Elwyn was struck as if by lightning and his blood ran cold. The same phenomenon occurred in the miss with apple-green eyes, whose pupils were slightly slit.


    ¡°What is happening to me?¡±, they wondered at the same time.


    The young girl, now facing the young boy, had a dark, matte complexion, short jet-black slightly wavy hair and two perfectly smooth black horns proudly perched above her temples. Her ears, of human size, were a bit slimmer and slightly pointed compared to those of a human.


    On her back was a pair of wings which, once spread, were about twice the length of her arms. They were covered in black scales and their membrane was made of dark leather that ended in sharp spurs.


    At the base of her back was a long and powerful prehensile tail covered in black scales, which could serve her like another arm.


    She wore the academy¡¯s uniform, but modified so that she could fit her wings through her shirt and jacket. To fully cover her legs, she wore a dark mauve plaid pleated skirt with a golden hem, and a pair of opaque black tights, as well as simple leather shoes on her feet. Around the collar of her shirt was a blue ribbon and on her left arm, a white armband.


    ¡°That¡¯s not a dragon, but a half-dragoness!¡±


    The two young people recovered from this unexpected event and stars began to slowly fill Elwyn¡¯s blue gaze.


    As for the half-dragoness, she seemed surprised by the young boy¡¯s reaction and had expected him to run away, or simply ignore her, as had happened far too often.


    ¡ª Uh¡­ I¡¯m sorry for bothering you, she apologized, a little embarrassed.


    ¡ª You didn¡¯t bother me at all. My name is Elwyn, pleased to meet you, replied the young boy as he gently extended his hand to greet her.


    The half-dragoness hesitated at the proposal the young boy made.


    ¡ª You¡­ You aren¡¯t afraid¡­ of me? she asked, hesitant and troubled.


    This question surprised the young boy for a moment, but he eventually recalled that the dragon race is often depicted as beings that bring death and destruction.


    ¡ª Let me ask you one thing, do you consider yourself a good or a bad person?


    It was the half-dragoness¡¯s turn to be caught off guard by a question and she pondered it for several seconds. Meanwhile, Elwyn noticed that the young girl¡¯s tail was swaying from left to right as she thought.


    ¡ª I think that¡­ I¡¯m rather¡­ a good person, at least¡­ I try to be as much as possible, she replied, still hesitant.


    Even though the young boy still had many difficulties understanding people¡¯s behavior, he could understand that this half-dragoness was not trying to lie to him or deceive him.


    ¡ª In that case, what should I fear from a good person? Appearances are sometimes deceiving and so, one should not trust the first impression one gets of the people one meets.


    This reflection from the young boy is typical of the Entities and especially those from the Domain of Life. They do not disparage the different beings that inhabit this world, even if they are not at all attractive or reassuring. Each has the form it has and must deal with it. As for others, they must accept it as it is, just as they must accept themselves as they are.


    At this remark from Elwyn, the half-dragoness felt as if she were seeing someone else from her past, someone who had long since disappeared.


    ¡ª Well then. I¡¯m pleased to meet you, repeated the young boy as he once again extended his hand toward the young girl.


    She finally accepted and took Elwyn¡¯s hand rather delicately, for fear of crushing it with her partly draconic strength.


    ¡ª My name is Arim¨¦lia, pleased to meet you, Elwyn.


    Once the handshake was completed, Arim¨¦lia quickly released her grip.


    ¡ª From what I see, we are both in the same section, remarked Elwyn while showing his white armband.


    ¡ª Oh yes, I thought I was the only one.


    ¡ª I arrived today, so it¡¯s not surprising that you didn¡¯t know. By the way, I met a boy downstairs and I think he took you for a dragon.


    Arim¨¦lia shrugged, a little despairingly.


    ¡ª That doesn¡¯t surprise me¡­


    ¡ª In that case, I should tell him that you¡¯re just a half, so he can correct his mistake.


    ¡ª I know, but¡­ Uh, one minute. How do you know I¡¯m a half-dragon? she asked, surprised not to have to correct someone about her origins.


    ¡ª Because you don¡¯t have scales on your face, and I assume you don¡¯t have any on the rest of your body either. You look more human than a dragon would in its humanoid form. I also know that with your black scale color, you possess a corrosive breath, capable of melting stone.


    The books on dragons, their variants and sub-species were well imprinted in the young boy¡¯s memory, having been opened and closed many times.


    The half-dragoness was even more surprised by the knowledge the young boy had about her species.


    ¡°Who is he?¡±, she wondered.


    ¡ª By the way, may I ask where you come from, if it¡¯s not too indiscreet?


    ¡ª I come from the kingdom of Hercor, but I was born on Valmuldrak, she replied naturally.


    ¡ª So, you are indeed originally from the draconic floating islands.


    ¡ª Indeed. And you, you said you come from Esthia, didn¡¯t you?


    ¡ª That¡¯s right. I¡¯m not from the Floating Crow Islands, if that¡¯s what interests you.


    ¡ª I see, that¡¯s why you¡¯ve never seen things from heights.


    ¡ª Indeed¡­ One moment, I just understood something, if you are a half-dragoness, that means your draconic parent comes from the lineage of Bahamut, the Great Guardian of the sky and earth! Since dragons that can take on a human form are all related to him, you are partly linked to him as well¡­


    At that precise moment, a young girl appeared on the floor, coming up from the stairs below.


    She was wearing the academy¡¯s uniform with a blue ribbon around her collar, but unlike Arim¨¦lia, she wore high leather boots. Her long smooth hair was lilac-colored, with a square fringe drawing above her eyebrows and two braids tied to form a crown on her head. Her eyes were a very beautiful cerulean blue.


    She then approached Arim¨¦lia.


    ¡ª Ari, I¡¯ve been looking for you everywhere. I¡¯ve finally found the book I was looking for. Are you coming with me? asked she, before turning to Elwyn.


    ¡ª Who are you? Are you here to get him in trouble too? asked she quite hostilely.


    Elwyn was surprised by this verbal violence, of which he had no idea the reason toward him, but strangely, he slowly began to get used to it.


    ¡°First Professor Ezekiel, then Loyd and now a girl I don¡¯t know¡­ How many more will there be after this?¡±


    Before Elwyn could say anything, Arim¨¦lia intervened on his behalf.


    ¡ª You¡¯re mistaken, Princess Sylaria, I was the one who came to speak to him first.


    ¡ª I see. In that case, I¡¯m sorry for speaking to you like that, apologized she, as if she had just committed a very serious diplomatic error.


    ¡°A princess, huh¡­ Interesting¡­¡±


    ¡ª If you apologize, then it¡¯s all right. My name is Elwyn, pleased to meet you, Princess Sylaria.


    ¡ª Pleased to meet you too, replied she, slightly confused.


    Seeing that the conversation was about to be cut short by this intervention, Elwyn decided to withdraw.


    ¡ª In that case, I¡¯ll leave you be. I still have things to see within the academy. I hope that things will go well between us in the future.


    And the young boy joined the stairs to go down to the ground floor.


    Arim¨¦lia, for her part, cast one last look at Elwyn as he descended, before showing her availability to Princess Sylaria who had come to look for her.

 Chapter IX : The Academy of Agnos - Part III

    Au rez-de-chauss¨¦e, Loyd ¨¦tait confortablement install¨¦ sur une chaise, qu¡¯il avait ? emprunt¨¦e ? au guichet d¡¯accueil, et attendait qu¡¯Elwyn redescende pour finir le tour de l¡¯acad¨¦mie.


    Le n¨¦philim avait profit¨¦ du d¨¦part de son confr¨¨re pour pouvoir faire un rapide point sur la situation actuelle.


    ¡°Pourquoi a-t-il fallu que ?a arrive ¨¤ ce gars ? Est-ce qu¡¯il se rend compte au moins de la situation dans laquelle il se met ¨¤ vouloir faire ?a ? Esp¨¨ce d¡¯idiot ! En plus, ton Domaine est l¡¯un des plus faibles pour pouvoir faire ?a ! Comment je suis cens¨¦ faire ? Comment faire pour que tu deviennes comme moi ? Bordel ! Tu devrais juste rester dans ton coin et oublier ce qui est arriv¨¦ ¨¤ ta famille¡­ C¡¯est le mieux pour toi. C¡¯est ce que je devrais aussi faire¡­ Non ! Il doit me le payer, ce sale enfoir¨¦. Il doit payer pour ce qu¡¯il a fait ! Il doit payer pour ce qu¡¯il a d¨¦j¨¤ fait ! Et il paiera pour ceux qu¡¯il fera ! Il doit mourir ! Je vais le buter ! Je vais le buter ! Ce sale monstre doit dispara?tre d¡¯Ilnolia et ne jamais en revenir !¡°


    L¡¯instant d¡¯apr¨¨s, le jeune n¨¦philim sursauta, car une main venait soudainement de se poser sur son bras droit, et le sortit de ses pens¨¦es sanguinaires.


    ¡ª Loyd ? Tu vas bien ? Demanda Elwyn, venant tout juste de le rejoindre et s¡¯inqui¨¦tant de voir le visage de son camarade ¨ºtre aussi contract¨¦.


    ¡ª ?a va, r¨¦pondit Loyd, voulant couper court.


    ¡ª Tu as la machoire bien contract¨¦e, tu es s?re que ?a va ? Demanda une nouvelle fois Elwyn, esp¨¦rant avoir une vraie r¨¦ponse cette fois.


    ¡ª ?a va, j¡¯ai dit ! r¨¦pondit un peu plus violemment Loyd.


    ¡ª Tr¨¨s bien. Dans ce cas, on peut continuer ¨¤ visiter l¡¯acad¨¦mie.


    Loyd se redressa aussit?t et se leva pour partir.


    ¡ª Tu l¡¯as trouv¨¦e o¨´, cette chaise ?


    ¡ª Hein ? J¡¯l¡¯ai trouv¨¦ au guichet. Pourquoi ?


    ¡ª Pour savoir o¨´ la rapporter. Il n¡¯est pas respectueux d¡¯emprunter quelque chose ¨¤ quelqu¡¯un et de ne pas la ranger ¨¤ sa place une fois que l¡¯on a fini de l¡¯utiliser, c¡¯est tout.


    ¡ª Tsh, t¡¯es un beau parleur, toi, fit remarquer acrement Loyd, avant de prendre la chaise et de la ramener l¨¤ o¨´ il l¡¯avait prise.


    Une fois sortis de la Grande Biblioth¨¨que, les deux n¨¦philims se dirig¨¨rent vers le dortoir des gar?ons, afin qu¡¯Elwyn puisse enfin d¨¦poser ses affaires qu¡¯il portait depuis le d¨¦but.


    Ce court trajet fut silencieux entre eux, mais pas sans lourd regard pos¨¦ sur eux ¨¤ cause de leur apparence et de leur origine respectives.


    ¡°C¡¯est donc ?a le fameux jugement que subissent les n¨¦philims par les Ilnoliens ?¡°


    Ils pass¨¨rent alors sous l¡¯un des ponts de pierre reliant l¡¯une des tours ¨¤ la Grande Biblioth¨¨que, avant d¡¯arriver devant la porte d¡¯entr¨¦e du dortoir.


    Ce grand batiment de cinq ¨¦tages n¡¯avait rien de sp¨¦cial dans sa structure. Il ¨¦tait pr¨¦sent juste pour faire son office de dortoir et rien d¡¯autre, ce qui d¨¦?ut un peu le jeune gar?on, qui se retourna voir si cela ¨¦tait pareil pour les filles, et c¡¯¨¦tait exactement la m¨ºme chose.


    ¡°Dommage¡­ mais bon, apr¨¨s tout, c¡¯est juste pour dormir et pas pour passer sa vie¡­ mais quand m¨ºme¡­¡°


    Le jeune gar?on poussa alors la porte d¡¯entr¨¦e et arriva dans une salle d¡¯accueil assez spacieuse. En face de lui se trouvait un grand escalier en colima?on menant ¨¤ l¡¯¨¦tage et, ¨¤ sa droite, un comptoir pour le concierge et ses divers panneaux d¡¯affichage. Pour finir, ¨¤ sa gauche se trouvait une porte en bois menant dans un salon confortable, ¨¦quip¨¦ de canap¨¦s, de fauteuils, de chaises et de tables pour les ¨¦tudiants.


    Elwyn s¡¯approcha alors du concierge pour pouvoir obtenir sa chambre.


    L¡¯homme en question est d¡¯un age moyen avec une barbe blanche bien taill¨¦e, des cheveux gris coiff¨¦s et attach¨¦s en arri¨¨re et des yeux marron p¨¦tillants. Il porte un uniforme gris fonc¨¦ et des bottes noires, ainsi qu¡¯une broche en or de l¡¯acad¨¦mie sur sa poitrine.


    ¡ª Ah ! Un nouvel ¨¦tudiant est en classe sp¨¦ciale, qui plus est. Je suppose que tu es l¨¤ pour ta chambre, n¡¯est-ce pas ?


    ¡ª En effet, monsieur, je viens juste d¡¯arriver et j¡¯aimerais pouvoir d¨¦poser mes affaires.


    ¡ª Je vois. Dans ce cas, il te faudra prendre l¡¯escalier jusqu¡¯au dernier ¨¦tage et, si tu veux ¨ºtre ¨¤ c?t¨¦ de ton camarade, tu peux prendre la chambre vingt-six.


    ¡ª Tr¨¨s bien, je vais le faire alors. Merci pour votre aide.


    Et le concierge alla chercher la cl¨¦ correspondante sur son tableau ¨¤ cl¨¦s, situ¨¦ juste derri¨¨re lui.


    ¡ª Oh, il n¡¯y a pas de quoi, mon petit, c¡¯est mon r?le apr¨¨s tout, r¨¦pondit-il apr¨¨s avoir donn¨¦ la cl¨¦ ¨¤ Elwyn.


    ¡ª Au fait, je m¡¯appelle Elwyn, ravi de faire votre connaissance.


    ¡ª Moi de m¨ºme, je m¡¯appelle Harold. Eh ben dis donc, tu es bien poli pour quelqu¡¯un de ton age.


    ¡ª Merci monsieur.


    ¡ª Je te souhaite bien du courage, mon gar?on.


    Elwyn et Loyd, qui ¨¦tait rest¨¦ silencieux et perdu dans ses pens¨¦es, se dirig¨¨rent ensemble vers l¡¯escalier et mont¨¨rent au dernier ¨¦tage.


    Tous les ¨¦tages du batiment sont divis¨¦s en deux ailes de seize chambres individuelles, arrang¨¦es en huit chambres de chaque c?t¨¦ de l''escalier central dans le couloir principal. Ce dernier est spacieux et bien ¨¦clair¨¦, grace ¨¤ des sph¨¨res lumineuses produisant une lumi¨¨re douce et ¨¤ des fen¨ºtres install¨¦es tout au long du couloir, laissant entrer la lumi¨¨re naturelle. Le sol des couloirs est recouvert d''un tapis ¨¦pais qui att¨¦nue les bruits de pas.


    Elwyn se dirigea alors vers sa chambre, not¨¦e vingt-six, et ouvrit la porte.


    Il d¨¦couvrit que cette derni¨¨re ¨¦tait ¨¦quip¨¦e d''un lit simple en bois, d''un bureau et d''une chaise, ainsi que d''une petite armoire. Les murs ¨¦taient en pierre brute, avec des ¨¦tag¨¨res install¨¦es pour ranger des livres ou autres effets personnels. La fen¨ºtre au-dessus du bureau ¨¦tait ¨¦quip¨¦e de rideaux blancs, qui filtraient la lumi¨¨re du soleil. Au plafond se trouvait ¨¦galement une sph¨¨re lumineuse similaire ¨¤ celle du couloir.


    ¡°Simple et efficace, hein ? De toute fa?on, je ne suis ici que pour dormir, alors ce n¡¯est pas bien grave si ce n¡¯est pas bien d¨¦cor¨¦¡­¡°


    ¡ª Alors, satisfait de ta chambre de luxe ? Ironisa Loyd.


    ¡ª Ce n¡¯est pas vraiment du luxe, mais c¡¯est suffisant pour ce que je vais principalement y faire, c¡¯est-¨¤-dire dormir.


    ¡ª Hum¡­ M¨ºme pas dr?le. Si tu veux te laver, c¡¯est aux extr¨¦mit¨¦s du couloir.


    Elwyn d¨¦posa alors son sac au sol et sortit de sa chambre, avant de la fermer, et se dirigea ensuite vers le fond du couloir pour atteindre la salle de bain.


    Cette derni¨¨re ¨¦tait spacieuse, propre et bien ¨¦clair¨¦e par les sph¨¨res lumineuses au plafond et les murs ¨¦taient recouverts par des carreaux blancs, refl¨¦tant la lumi¨¨re.


    Il y avait quatre cabines de douche individuelles avec un rideau et les douches poss¨¦daient un r¨¦servoir qui pouvait ¨ºtre rempli, chauff¨¦ ou refroidi, avec trois gravures magiques, avant de pouvoir la faire couler.


    ¡°Ing¨¦nieux, et ?a me changera du bain¡­ Je suppose qu¡¯il y a aussi un ¨¦coulement vers l¡¯ext¨¦rieur¡­¡°


    Il y avait ¨¦galement quatre toilettes individuelles, avec des portes ¨¤ verrou, et au fond de la cuvette, semblable ¨¤ un bac suffisamment profond, se trouvait de petites cr¨¦atures rondes et d¡¯un marron sale, dont la texture semblait g¨¦latineuse.


    ¡°Des slimes mangeuses d¡¯excr¨¦ments¡­ Au moins, ?a fait bien son office¡­ J¡¯esp¨¨re juste qu¡¯ils sont bien sages l¨¤, dans le fond¡­¡°


    Quatre lavabos ¨¦taient aussi mis ¨¤ disposition, sur un long plan de travail, avec des miroirs au-dessus de chacun d¡¯eux.


    ¡ª ?a en fait du travail pour nettoyer et garder au propre tout ?a¡­, fit remarquer Elwyn.


    ¡ª C¡¯est aux ¨¦tudiants de maintenir le dortoir propre.


    Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    ¡ª Je vois¡­ Dans ce cas, heureusement qu¡¯il y a des magiciens ici. ?a doit bien faciliter la chose.


    ¡ª Tu veux rire, la magie n¡¯est pas autoris¨¦e pour faire le m¨¦nage. C¡¯est pour inculquer le respect ou je n¡¯sais quoi.


    ¡ª Int¨¦ressant.


    ¡ª Si tu le dis. Bref, maintenant on peut enfin passer aux choses s¨¦rieuses ! S¡¯exclama joyeusement Loyd.


    ¡ª Comment ?a ?


    ¡ª Mis ¨¤ part les Tours des ¨¦tudes, qu¡¯on verra demain, et le labyrinthe, cach¨¦ par le dortoir des invit¨¦s, il ne nous reste plus que la cantine et le terrain d¡¯entra?nement ¨¤ visiter.


    ¡ª Ah ! ?a tombe bien, je commen?ais ¨¤ avoir faim, fit remarquer Elwyn.


    ¡ª Dans ce cas, allons-y.


    C¡¯est donc avec une certaine motivation que les deux camarades quitt¨¨rent le dortoir et partirent en direction de la cantine.


    ¡ª Au fait, elle se trouve o¨´, la cantine ? demanda Elwyn, une fois sorti du batiment.


    ¡ª Bah, c¡¯est juste ¨¤ l¡¯entr¨¦e principale. T¡¯as pas vu le grand batiment ¨¤ gauche du portail ?


    Le jeune gar?on essaya de se souvenir de la chose, mais rien ne vint ¨¤ son esprit.


    ¡°Je pense que la Grande Biblioth¨¨que y est pour quelque chose¡­ et le professeur Ezekiel aussi¡­¡°


    ¡ª Tss, j¡¯parie que t¡¯es rest¨¦ bloqu¨¦ devant la biblioth¨¨que quand tu es rentr¨¦, ajouta Loyd d¡¯un ton moqueur.


    ¡ª C¡¯est fort possible¡­


    C¡¯est sur ces mots qu¡¯ils reprirent leur route, en croisant divers ¨¦tudiants allant dans la m¨ºme direction, jusqu¡¯¨¤ atteindre un vaste batiment en pierre, qui se trouvait bien ¨¤ gauche de l¡¯entr¨¦e principale.


    La cantine avait des murs grisatres polis et lisses comme du papier et ses angles ¨¦taient parfaitement arrondis. Des fen¨ºtres ¨¦taient dispos¨¦es de mani¨¨re r¨¦guli¨¨re, avec des cadres en bois finement sculpt¨¦. Deux colonnes de pierre habillaient l¡¯entr¨¦e principale, aussi grande que celle de la Grande Biblioth¨¨que.


    ¡°J¡¯ai r¨¦ussi ¨¤ passer ¨¤ c?t¨¦ de ?a¡­¡°


    Les deux jeunes n¨¦philims rentr¨¨rent ensemble dans le batiment, sous le regard m¨¦dus¨¦ des ¨¦tudiants qu¡¯ils croisaient.


    L''int¨¦rieur ¨¦tait tr¨¨s spacieux et lumineux, grace ¨¤ son haut plafond vo?t¨¦ et ses poutres en bois qui soutenaient la structure.


    Des tables en bois massif, couvertes de diverses nappes color¨¦es, ¨¦taient dispos¨¦es de mani¨¨re ordonn¨¦e dans la salle, entour¨¦es de chaises en bois confortables.


    Le buffet de la cantine ¨¦tait situ¨¦ dans un coin de la salle, avec des stations pour les entr¨¦es, les plats et les desserts. Et pour pouvoir convenir ¨¤ un maximum de r¨¦gimes alimentaires au sein de l¡¯acad¨¦mie, plusieurs plats ¨¦taient mis ¨¤ disposition des ¨¦tudiants et des professeurs.


    Le sol de la salle ¨¦tait recouvert de carreaux en pierre, avec des motifs g¨¦om¨¦triques complexes, et des tapis color¨¦s ¨¦taient plac¨¦s sous les tables.


    Au-dessus des tables, des lustres en cristal pendaient du plafond et le long des murs, de petites sph¨¨res lumineuses ¨¦taient accroch¨¦es.


    ¡°C¡¯est vraiment tr¨¨s grand et visuellement tr¨¨s beau pour une simple cantine¡­¡°


    ¡ª C¡¯est un super endroit pour manger et il para?t qu¡¯on organise aussi des festivit¨¦s ici, expliqua Loyd.


    ¡ª C¡¯est donc pour cela¡­, r¨¦pondit Elwyn, comme s¡¯il se parlait ¨¤ lui-m¨ºme.


    ¡ª Bon, je ne sais pas pour toi, mais moi, je vais bouffer.


    Et Loyd abandonna Elwyn sur place, pour se diriger vers le buffet et se servit de diff¨¦rentes viandes et de pommes de terre, avant de s¡¯installer ¨¤ une table vide, dos au mur et faisant face ¨¤ l¡¯entr¨¦e.


    ¡°Une impression de d¨¦j¨¤-vu¡­¡°


    Apr¨¨s avoir observ¨¦ le fonctionnement de l¡¯endroit, Elwyn se servit ¨¤ son tour, mais de fa?on plus ¨¦quilibr¨¦e et avec des l¨¦gumes, avant de rejoindre Loyd, en s¡¯installant juste en face de lui.


    ¡ª Tu n¡¯aimes pas les l¨¦gumes ? demanda Elwyn, curieux du r¨¦gime alimentaire de son camarade.


    ¡ª La verdure, c¡¯est bon pour les elfes, les pauvres et les voyageurs, r¨¦pondit Loyd de mani¨¨re assez calme mais quand m¨ºme un peu agressive.


    ¡ª Et toi, tu n¡¯es aucune de ces choses, c¡¯est ?a ?


    ¡ª C¡¯est ?a, je suis un homme en pleine croissance et pour cela, j¡¯ai besoin de viande, r¨¦pondit-il fi¨¨rement.


    ¡ª Je vois ?a¡­, constata Elwyn.


    Le regard de Loyd changea soudainement de direction et se pla?a juste derri¨¨re Elwyn, qui remarqua ce brusque changement d¡¯int¨¦r¨ºt.


    Un groupe de trois individus se dirigeait vers eux et s¡¯arr¨ºta juste derri¨¨re Elwyn, qui ne se tourna pas vers eux et se contentait juste d¡¯observer les r¨¦actions de Loyd.


    ¡ª Mais que voyons-nous l¨¤ ? Je ne savais pas que l¡¯acad¨¦mie acceptait des sauvages parmi ses ¨¦tudiants, s¡¯exclama un jeune ¨¦tudiant ¨¤ la cravate bleue ray¨¦e.


    ¡ª C¡¯est bien vrai ?a ! Comment serait-il possible qu¡¯un sauvage puisse lire ou m¨ºme ¨¦crire ? demande un second ¨¦tudiant ¨¤ la cravate similaire.


    ¡ª La bonne question serait, comment un sauvage a-t-il pu entrer ici sans avoir alert¨¦ la s¨¦curit¨¦ de l¡¯¨¦tablissement ? demanda une troisi¨¨me ¨¦tudiante au ruban bleu.


    ¨¤ ces propos plus que provocateurs, le regard de Loyd se durcit m¨¦chamment et devint vraiment hostile envers ces trois individus.


    ¡ª Moi, j¡¯ai une meilleure question. Comment pensez-vous survivre, apr¨¨s avoir cherch¨¦ le conflit avec moi ? demanda Loyd, avec un sourire carnassier se dessinant sur le visage.


    ¡°Ah ! Je crois que le Domaine de la Guerre risque d¡¯entrer en action. Ce n¡¯est pas vraiment une bonne chose pour eux¡­¡°


    ¡ª Hum ! La violence, c¡¯est l¡¯unique moyen de communication que poss¨¨de ce barbare sanguinaire. Il n¡¯a rien d¡¯humain et n¡¯a rien d¡¯intelligent ! Que fais-tu donc ici ? r¨¦pondit haut et fort le premier ¨¦tudiant.


    ¡°Ils cherchent quoi ¨¤ vouloir le mettre en rogne ?¡°


    Elwyn tourna alors la t¨ºte sur les c?t¨¦s et remarqua que tous les regards de la salle ¨¦taient braqu¨¦s sur eux.


    ¡°Pour la discr¨¦tion, c¡¯est rat¨¦, et pour ¨¦viter les ennuis, aussi. ?a commence bien comme premi¨¨re journ¨¦e au sein de l¡¯acad¨¦mie¡­¡°


    ¡ª Si tu viens me parler pour m¡¯insulter, alors pr¨¦pare-toi ¨¤ ¨ºtre remis ¨¤ ta place, le morveux ! r¨¦pondit Loyd, qui se leva de sa chaise pour se saisir du col du premier ¨¦tudiant ¨¤ l¡¯avoir insult¨¦.


    ¡°Ce n¡¯est vraiment pas bon !¡°


    Elwyn se leva ¨¤ son tour et se saisit du poignet de Loyd de sa main gauche, juste avant qu¡¯il n¡¯ait eu le temps de terminer son action.


    ¡ª Qu¡¯est-ce que tu m¡¯fais toi ? demanda ce dernier, le regard empli de col¨¨re.


    ¡ª Loyd, je crois qu¡¯il serait de bon ton de ne pas envenimer la situation avec de la violence.


    Le n¨¦philim de la Guerre tenta alors d¡¯arracher son poignet de la prise d¡¯Elwyn, mais ce dernier r¨¦sista ¨¤ mesure qu¡¯il utilisait de plus en plus de force.


    ¡°Il est plus fort qu¡¯il en a l¡¯air, mais ce n¡¯est pas suffisant contre moi¡°, se dit Loyd.


    Le regard du n¨¦philim de la Guerre ¨¦tait plant¨¦ dans celui d¡¯Elwyn et vit que ce dernier n¡¯allait pas le lacher sans une bonne raison.


    ¡ª Loyd, ils cherchent ¨¤ te faire passer pour un monstre aux yeux des autres ¨¦tudiants. Regarde un peu autour de toi.


    Au fond de lui, Loyd savait qu¡¯Elwyn ¨¦tait un individu raisonnable et ne ferait rien qui puisse le compromettre sans une bonne raison. En plus, leurs Domaines ¨¦tant totalement oppos¨¦s en mati¨¨re de force et de comp¨¦tences de combat, ils savaient tous les deux qu¡¯Elwyn n¡¯avait aucune chance en s¡¯opposant ¨¤ lui, mais l¡¯a quand m¨ºme fait.


    Entendant les derni¨¨res paroles du n¨¦philim de la Vie, Loyd tourna la t¨ºte autour de lui et ne vit que des visages effray¨¦s, arborant une certaine d¨¦sapprobation envers lui.


    ¡ª Tsh ! Vous m¡¯donnez la naus¨¦e, r¨¦pondit simplement Loyd, avant d¡¯¨ºtre lib¨¦r¨¦ de la prise d¡¯Elwyn et de quitter le batiment avec son assiette.


    ¡°?a, c¡¯est fait¡­ J¡¯esp¨¨re qu¡¯il ne m¡¯en veut pas trop¡­¡°


    Et le jeune gar?on se r¨¦installa, avant de reprendre son repas tranquillement.


    ¡ª Eh ! Tu crois que tu vas t¡¯en tirer comme ?a, la t¨ºte de corbeau ! s¡¯exclama la jeune fille juste derri¨¨re lui.


    ¡ª Vous voulez quoi ? Mis ¨¤ part vous mettre ¨¤ dos des individus plus forts que vous ? demanda Elwyn, qui se releva et fit finalement face au trio.


    Sur sa gauche se trouvait une jeune fille aux yeux marron et ¨¤ la courte chevelure noire, coup¨¦e juste au-dessus de ses oreilles. ¨¤ sa droite, un jeune gar?on aux cheveux bruns mi-longs, coiff¨¦s en arri¨¨re, et aux yeux verts. Et enfin, juste en face de lui, un autre jeune gar?on aux cheveux blonds ondul¨¦s et aux yeux d''un tr¨¨s beau bleu c¨¦rul¨¦en. Tous les trois semblaient ¨ºtre frustr¨¦s de la fa?on dont s¡¯¨¦tait pass¨¦e leur petite provocation et voulaient en d¨¦coudre avec celui qui a tout gach¨¦.


    Elwyn attira alors leur attention sur son brassard blanc accroch¨¦ ¨¤ son bras droit.


    ¡ª Vous ¨ºtes toujours s?re de vouloir me chercher des ennuis ? demanda calmement Elwyn.


    ¡ª Pour qui tu prends le corbeau ? Hein ? demanda le gar?on du milieu, qui attrapa Elwyn au col et le souleva.


    ¡ª Je vois¡­ On n¡¯est pas tr¨¨s diplomatique chez vous, r¨¦pondit le n¨¦philim de la Vie, qui posa alors ses mains sur celle de son agresseur, avant de les serrer fermement pour le faire lacher prise.


    Le jeune gar?on grima?a de douleur, avant de relacher Elwyn, qui, en revanche, maintenait sa prise fermement.


    ¡ª Alors, on abandonne ? Ou il faut que je serre plus fort ? demanda Elwyn, dont le regard avait chang¨¦ et ¨¦tait devenu bien plus froid.


    ¡ª Il suffit ! s¡¯exclama une voix venant de l¡¯entr¨¦e de la cantine.


    ¡°Ah ! Les ennuis commencent¡­¡°


    Elwyn lacha prise et se tourna vers la voix qu¡¯il venait de reconna?tre.


    ¡ª Professeur Ezekiel, r¨¦pondit le jeune gar?on, apr¨¨s avoir crois¨¦ le regard du professeur en question.


    ¡ª Elwyn, tu vas m¡¯expliquer ce qu¡¯il se passe, maintenant, demanda Ezekiel en s¡¯approchant de lui avec un calme que le jeune gar?on n¡¯attendait pas de sa part.


    ¡ª Tr¨¨s bien, professeur, ces trois individus sont venus chercher le conflit aupr¨¨s de Loyd et je suis intervenu pour l¡¯emp¨ºcher de faire une grosse b¨ºtise. Suite ¨¤ cela, Loyd partit et les trois ont d¨¦cid¨¦ de s¡¯en prendre ¨¤ moi, malgr¨¦ mon avertissement. Je me suis donc d¨¦fendu une fois que l¡¯un d¡¯entre eux m¡¯a pris par le col, r¨¦pondit factuellement Elwyn, avec une voix monotone et sans le moindre jugement.


    ¡ª Je vois. Dans ce cas, vous trois, vous ¨ºtes priv¨¦s de f¨ºte pour ce soir, dit Ezekiel, d¡¯un ton irr¨¦vocable.


    ¡ª Mais¡­, commen?a ¨¤ objecter la jeune fille.


    ¡ª Il n¡¯y a pas de ? mais ? qui tienne. Vous avez d¨¦cid¨¦ de chercher des probl¨¨mes, assumez les cons¨¦quences. Vous ¨ºtes peut-¨ºtre des nobles hors de ces murs, mais ici, vous n¡¯¨ºtes rien ni personne. Juste des ¨¦tudiants. Alors, ob¨¦issez ¨¤ vos professeurs et au r¨¨glement, et tout ira bien, termina le professeur, dont le regard glacial venait de figer les trois responsables, abandonnant au passage tout espoir de pouvoir se d¨¦fendre.


    Ezekiel se tourna alors vers Elwyn et soupira.


    ¡ª Qu¡¯est-ce que l¡¯on va faire de vous¡­ ?


    ¡ª Ai-je fait quelque chose de mal, professeur ? demanda Elwyn, suite ¨¤ la r¨¦action d¡¯Ezekiel.


    ¡ª Pas vraiment. Tu t¡¯es d¨¦fendu apr¨¨s avoir ¨¦t¨¦ agress¨¦, donc il n¡¯y a pas de probl¨¨me ¨¤ ?a. Cependant, ¨¦vite d¡¯aller trop fort en te d¨¦fendant.


    ¡ª Compris, professeur, je vais faire attention ¨¤ cela.


    Ezekiel raccompagna ensuite les trois ¨¦tudiants, qui lanc¨¨rent un dernier regard noir aupr¨¨s du jeune gar?on, avant de quitter le batiment.


    ¡°Eh b¨¦, ?a promet pour la suite¡­¡°


    Elwyn remarqua ensuite que tous les regards ¨¦taient pos¨¦s sur lui, mais d¨¦cida de les ignorer totalement. Il termina alors son assiette, avant de mettre sa vaisselle sale sur l¡¯un des chariots pr¨¦vus ¨¤ cet effet, et quitta la salle pour rejoindre l¡¯ext¨¦rieur.

 Chapter IX : The Academy of Agnos - Part IV

    Once outside the cafeteria, Elwyn stopped right next to Loyd, who had observed the entire preceding scene.


    ¡ª So, how do you feel? asked Elwyn, noticing his comrade¡¯s tensed jaw.


    ¡ª Hmph! I would have done the same without your intervention.


    ¡ª I don¡¯t doubt it, but you would have been punished and the other three would have laughed at you, not to mention everything else¡­ Tell me, is it always like that with you? asked Elwyn seriously.


    ¡ª What, that people look at me sideways like they all did inside?


    ¡ª Yes.


    ¡ª Tsk! That would never have happened with me. Ever since I¡¯ve been on the central continent, everyone sees me as a monster. Everyone hates me, even though I haven¡¯t done anything to them.


    ¡ª I see¡­ I¡¯m sorry for you.


    ¡ª Your apologies change nothing.


    ¡ª That¡¯s true, you¡¯re right, but your violent behavior doesn¡¯t help either. Why not just ignore them? Why insist on solving the problem with violence, when you are clearly stronger than those three combined? What did you want to prove by giving them a public beating?


    ¡ª Easy for a kid who¡¯s never had any problems in his life to say. You don¡¯t know what it¡¯s like, to live alone and have to manage without help! You don¡¯t know what it¡¯s like, to have to assert yourself over and over again just to have your place in a group finally accepted! You don¡¯t know what it¡¯s like, to have to meet others¡¯ expectations so that your place isn¡¯t constantly questioned! replied Loyd angrily.


    A heavy silence then fell between the two Nephilims and, after a few seconds of reflection, Elwyn suddenly placed his hand on Loyd¡¯s right shoulder and looked him straight in his anger-filled eyes.


    ¡ª Loyd, I don¡¯t know who you are, or all that you¡¯ve been through before, but know that I am not your enemy. If I said all that to you, it¡¯s to save you from further trouble. You can ignore me if you want, but know that if you go too far over something as trivial as what happened in the cafeteria, you will have to deal with me, replied Elwyn, whose attitude and gaze became chilling on the last sentence, to the point of making Loyd shudder with fear, before returning completely to normal an instant later.


    ¡°What kind of guy is he? How can he scare me, when he is so much weaker than me?¡±


    ¡ª Anyway, I think it¡¯s best if we leave it at that for now, even though I still have some questions, added Elwyn.


    ¡ª If you want¡­, replied Loyd, still in shock.


    ¡ª Perfect, in that case, let¡¯s go to the training ground.


    ¡ª Alright, I need to clear my head¡­


    And the two comrades headed toward the arena, located directly opposite the cafeteria, whose presence Elwyn had also not noticed when entering the academy grounds.


    On this short journey, Loyd seemed completely lost in his thoughts following the recent events.


    ¡°So that¡¯s the main difference between the personality of an Entity and that of a human. A complete insensitivity to how one is perceived by others and an absolute, unwavering self-confidence¡­ Why? Why am I not like him, when we are the same? Why must things be harder for me and not for him? What did I do to be like this?¡±


    And meanwhile, Elwyn, for his part, was perfectly calm and serene, as usual. For him, the events that had occurred before belonged to the past, and it was time to look to the future.


    Once he reached this large circular stone structure, Loyd headed toward the west entrance and entered the combat arena. The flat floor of the arena was entirely covered in sand, serving to cushion impacts, and was surrounded by raised stands.


    There were four entrances located at the four cardinal points. The north entrance had a locker room for girls, while the south entrance had a locker room for boys, both equipped with showers. The west entrance led to the stands, and the east entrance housed a storage area for mannequins, weapons, and armor provided for the students.


    Elwyn followed his comrade¡¯s steps and they eventually ended up at the center of the arena. Loyd then turned to the young boy and extended his hand towards him. Suddenly, a short sword appeared in a fraction of a second in the palm of the Nephilim of War, before he threw it in the direction of Elwyn, who caught its hilt precisely.


    ¡ª You could warn me when you do that, I could have injured myself, complained the young boy, having just recognized his sword.


    ¡ª Stop complaining and get ready, retorted Loyd, who made a similar weapon appear in his right hand.


    ¡ª How many of those can you make? wondered Elwyn at his comrade¡¯s prowess.


    ¡ª As many as I want, as long as I have enough energy to do it.


    ¡ª That¡¯s rather convenient, you don¡¯t have to carry a weapon on you all the time to be able to defend yourself.


    ¡ª My Domain isn¡¯t called ¡°War¡± for nothing.


    ¡ª What else can you do with your Domain? asked Elwyn curiously.


    In response, Loyd quickly lunged toward the distracted young boy and attempted to deliver a quick, precise thrust towards his chest. Elwyn, who did not expect such a treacherous attack from his comrade, reacted instinctively and stepped aside to dodge the blow.


    ¡ª Good reflex, noted Loyd, his gaze becoming more focused and serious.


    ¡ª Nice cheap shot, retorted Elwyn.


    Loyd took advantage of the brief opening to perform a quick quarter-turn and launch a slashing blow towards his opponent¡¯s head. But Elwyn, who had anticipated this attack, raised his weapon and grabbed his blade to better absorb the impact.


    The impact of their weapons caused Elwyn to step back slightly and destabilized him a bit. Seeing an opportunity to launch another attack, Loyd quickly slid his blade backward and launched another thrust towards Elwyn¡¯s face.


    The young boy, who didn¡¯t have time to breathe, tilted his head to the side to avoid the sharp tip of the sword. Loyd abruptly stopped his movement once his blow was evaded and attempted once again to deliver a slashing blow towards his opponent¡¯s head.


    ¡ª It¡¯s over, declared Loyd, before resuming his position at the center of the arena.


    Elwyn, seeing the blade dangerously approaching his face, immediately changed Plan to avoid the attack, knowing that he could not dodge it in his current position.


    ¡ª Or not¡­, replied Elwyn from the Ethereal Plane.


    The young boy then took a big step back, before returning to the Material Plane and facing Loyd, who had resumed a more relaxed position.


    ¡ª You have good contortion skills, but you have difficulty positioning yourself effectively against a series of rapid attacks. However, you have a good sense of danger and you know how to react quickly, remarked Loyd.


    ¡ª And it wasn¡¯t easy, believe me.


    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    ¡ª Oh, the poor little crow struggled so much that he even had to flee to the Ethereal Plane, replied Loyd in a mocking tone.


    Elwyn did not take the mockery personally.


    ¡ª And otherwise, what was the point of that sneaky attack? Because, well, we didn¡¯t even change, and we could have ruined our uniforms with this whole thing.


    Loyd then fixed his gaze on Elwyn¡¯s.


    ¡ª I just wanted to see what you were worth, since I will be your arm master for the next four years.


    ¡ª I see¡­ Why is it you who was chosen to do that?


    ¡ª It was the request that Deity Ogme made to me so that I could join the academy and thus be able to face Professor Ezekiel to improve myself.


    ¡ª Interesting¡­ I suspected that Professor Ezekiel was strong, but not enough to interest the Domain of War¡­ May I know the reason behind your desire to become stronger?


    ¡ª The same as yours, to overthrow my father, Asagar.


    ¡ª Pardon? Overthrow Asagar, you say? asked Elwyn, taken aback by this objective which was unknown to him.


    ¡ª Well, isn¡¯t he the one who killed your parents? Deity Ogme had told me that you had the same objective as me, replied Loyd, himself surprised by Elwyn¡¯s reaction of incomprehension.


    ¡ª It¡¯s mostly that I didn¡¯t know who was responsible for my father¡¯s death, apart from the fact that it was a Deity¡­ So, you¡¯re telling me that Asagar is responsible¡­


    ¡ª That¡¯s what I deduce from Deity Ogme¡¯s words. Otherwise, why would you want to specifically face a Nephilim of War and not Professor Ezekiel or another professor? remarked Loyd.


    Elwyn was troubled by this sudden revelation, but did not miss a bit of what Loyd was explaining to him.


    ¡ª That¡¯s a rather logical line of reasoning¡­ If I face you, then in a way I will be facing the Deity of War and thus will know his different skills, since you are his son¡­ So, in the end, and if he really is responsible, we could face him together, leaving him with no chance to truly surprise us¡­


    ¡ª That is undoubtedly Deity Ogme¡¯s plan, concluded Loyd.


    ¡ª Indeed, that was my idea, replied Deity Ogme, calmly seated in the front row of the stands and having observed them for a little while.


    The two Nephilims, surprised by this sudden intervention by the Deity, immediately turned in his direction, and it was Elwyn who then spoke.


    ¡ª Deity Ogme, can you explain this story to me?


    ¡ª Of course, I learned of Loyd¡¯s existence some time ago and I contacted him once I was certain of your presence at the academy.


    ¡ª Hey, wait a minute, you¡¯re saying you wouldn¡¯t have contacted me if Elwyn hadn¡¯t come, protested Loyd.


    ¡ª Loyd, as you may have noticed, few people here appreciate the Nephilims of the Domain of War. And know that this is due to their ease of resorting to violence, and that if they do not have an Entity¡¯s spirit, their freedom from their Domain poses even more problems. What happened in the cafeteria could happen again and I did not want that to happen. Besides, could you tell me what you would have done to them if Elwyn had not intervened on your behalf?


    In response, Loyd clenched his fists so tightly that his knuckles began to turn white.


    ¡ª I¡¯d also like to add that I would have accepted you anyway if you had asked me. It¡¯s just the circumstances that pushed me to act that way, added the Deity.


    ¡ª I understand¡­, resigned Loyd, while slowly unclenching his fists.


    ¡ª And what about Asagar? asked Elwyn, once the subject was closed and Loyd a bit calmed down.


    ¡ª Asagar is the only Deity who can beat Tristian, and the healing and regeneration ability of the Deity of Life, but I don¡¯t have formal proof of his responsibility, just a certain doubt.


    ¡ª What do you mean, no formal proof? asked Elwyn, surprised by the Deity¡¯s uncertainty.


    ¡ª The place of the confrontation was completely ravaged by the battle and it seems that a cleanup was done immediately afterward. In addition, the other Deities do not have a motive regarding this matter.


    ¡ª I see¡­ What would Asagar¡¯s motive be then?


    ¡ª ¡­ Elwyn, the more an Entity is in contact with the inhabitants of this world, the more that Entity risks gradually acquiring their emotionality. I wouldn¡¯t be too surprised to learn that Asagar was jealous of your father.


    At these last words, Loyd¡¯s blood only turned, his complexion slowly began to pale and his body started trembling with rage. A knot formed in his stomach, but he remained silent.


    ¡ª What do you mean? Where are you going with this? asked Elwyn, intrigued by the turn the discussion was taking.


    ¡ª Elwyn, I think it¡¯s best if we leave it at that for now. And remember that what I just said is nothing but pure theory on my part, replied the Deity, just after noticing the state Loyd was in.


    ¡ª Alright¡­, replied Elwyn, after noticing his comrade¡¯s condition in turn.


    ¡ª In that case, I will leave you. Be on time for tonight, there will be a ceremony for the newcomers at the cafeteria.


    And the Deity disappeared into the Ethereal Plane to return to his office, without even giving the young Nephilims time to respond.


    ¡ª Loyd, are you okay? asked Elwyn, worried.


    ¡ª I¡¯m okay¡­ I just need¡­ a little time to recover, replied Loyd, more weakly than usual.


    ¡ª Alright, if that¡¯s all you need.


    Elwyn knelt on the ground and waited the necessary time for his comrade to slowly regain his composure and for his tension to dissipate.


    ¡ª Are you better?


    ¡ª Yeah, I¡¯m okay¡­


    ¡ª Do you want us to continue fighting to clear your mind, or do you want to do something else?


    ¡ª We can resume, but first, let¡¯s change.


    ¡ª Very well, I¡¯m with you.


    The two Nephilims then headed towards the door located to the east and equipped themselves with attire more suitable for combat. They were then dressed in a short-sleeved linen top, loose trousers reinforced at the knees and secured with a belt, as well as wrist and shin guards. They then placed their uniforms in the men''s locker room, before getting back into position at the center of the arena.


    Face to face, both took up a guard, each still armed with a short sword in hand.


    ¡ª Before we begin, I am going to establish two rules for this fight. First, you are forbidden from using your Entity powers, except for the one I use to provide each of us with a weapon. That also means, no extraplanar travel to dodge. And second, hold back your strikes to avoid injuring ourselves unnecessarily. The purpose of this exercise is to improve your pure weapon combat skills, and that also means seeing how you handle your strikes. Have you understood these rules?


    ¡ª Yes, I have perfectly understood.


    ¡ª Very well, in that case, let¡¯s begin.


    Elwyn, not being a great fighter at heart, waited for his opponent to initiate hostilities, and it wasn¡¯t too long to wait. Loyd lunged again at the young boy with a vertical slashing attack that Elwyn deflected to the left with his blade, before attempting a piercing attack towards his opponent¡¯s chest. Loyd jumped back to unbalance Elwyn, but the latter quickly returned to his combat stance.


    The two then remained silent and observed each other for a few seconds. Elwyn then took the initiative by launching an assault on his opponent, delivering several quick slashing blows, but Loyd dodged or parried them with disconcerting ease. Taking advantage of the end of the assault, Loyd launched a counterattack.


    Knowing the difference in strength between them, Elwyn preferred dodging over parrying, as it was less exhausting, and narrowly avoided the various blows. However, Loyd abruptly halted his combination, leaving Elwyn perplexed about what would come next.


    The Nephilim of War then continued with a new salvo of attacks, faster and more lively than the previous ones, and Elwyn could no longer properly follow his opponent¡¯s movements. The latter then drove the young boy into a corner and, with a swift wrist movement, tore the weapon from Elwyn¡¯s hand before placing the tip of his blade against his chest.


    ¡ª Lost, declared Loyd simply, before resuming his position at the center of the arena.


    ¡ª Come on, let¡¯s start over, he added.


    Elwyn then picked up his weapon from the ground and resumed his position.


    ¡ª Well, you¡¯re not holding back with me.


    ¡ª I just wanted to see how far I could go with you, that¡¯s all. However, you, you have no intention in your weapon, it¡¯s disturbing.


    ¡ª What do you mean, no intention?


    ¡ª When I face someone, I can see what drives their blade. Anger, hatred, will, fear, joy, sadness¡­ You, you have nothing written in your blade. It sounds perfectly empty.


    ¡ª Ah! I think I understand what you¡¯re telling me. The problem I have is that I can¡¯t hurt others because of my Domain. If I am to have any intention in my blade, it is only when someone attacks me without a valid reason or commits an act reprehensible by my Domain. I remind you that originally, I am not a soldier.


    ¡ª That¡¯s true, you¡¯re right¡­ So I will have to get used to it. The most important thing is that you acquire technique, and the rest will come later.


    ¡ª I agree.


    ¡ª In that case, take your guard!


    And the duel resumed, over and over, for more than two hours. Their blades began to deform under the force of their repeated blows and their training outfits ended up soaked in sweat.


    Fortunately for them, their constitution being quite different from that of a normal human, their repeated duel did not leave them on their knees in the end. They were just as tired as a soldier training for an hour.


    Of course, the fights always ended in a defeat for Elwyn. However, he gradually learned to observe his opponent¡¯s movements, to attune his gaze to the speed of his movements and shifts, to decipher feints, and to know how to position himself and move to avoid losing balance.


    Although he still had much to learn and therefore much practice to do, it did not discourage him. Indeed, he knew that defeat is a source of learning, as in his training with Volden, even if the latter had always held back and was not as virulent as Loyd in his combinations.


    And so, once the last blow was delivered, Elwyn and Loyd went to the locker rooms to take a shower and wash away the dust and sweat they had accumulated. They then put on their uniforms and deposited their dirty training attire in a bin provided for that purpose, before leaving the training ground.

 Chapter IX : The Academy of Agnos - Part V

    At the top of the arena wall, a young woman with translucent light?blue skin lay flat on her stomach, hiding from the gaze of the two Nephilims fighting on the sandy field. She watched them intently and, more importantly, listened to them ever since they had left their dormitory earlier. She had even followed their little adventure in the cafeteria, and it was thanks to her that Professor Ezekiel had been able to intervene to resolve the problematic situation unfolding there.


    The young woman in question was a sylph named Nalinaya, vice?director of the Academy of Agnos and guardian of the Deity Ogme. From her vantage point, she spied on Elwyn, or rather sought to learn more about him, while lamenting.


    ¡°Why? Why did they have to look so alike? Why did their voices have to be so similar? Oh Tristian, why did you abandon me like this? What do you want me to do now with him? I can¡¯t look him in the eyes¡­ they are too alike. Why, every time I see his face, does my heart break over and over again¡­?¡±


    ¡ª How long do you intend to keep spying on him like that? asked Professor Ezekiel calmly, who had just joined her.


    Nalinaya did not answer and continued her observation.


    ¡ª I know what you¡¯re thinking. It is true that their resemblance is striking, but not their personality or the way they speak. In that respect, Elwyn resembles Akeso more. Tristian and I had so much in common and were, in a way, soulmates¡­ But know that Elwyn is different from him.


    ¡ª I know¡­ I¡¯ve heard it¡­, replied the sylph with difficulty, her throat tight.


    ¡ª It¡¯s been eleven years now since they have been gone. You need to start definitively turning the page on him.


    ¡ª How? It is thanks to him that I am here¡­ It is also thanks to him that I am free¡­ He saved my life and allowed me to become who I am today¡­


    ¡ª I know, but he is no longer here now. Even if it seems impossible, even absurd to you, these are the facts. Tristian is dead, he concluded in a firm yet calm tone.


    At these words, tears began to well up in the sylph¡¯s eyes before slowly streaming down her gentle face, distorted by grief.


    ¡ª I know it¡¯s difficult for you; that is the problem of the immortals endowed with consciousness. Unless you find another being like yourself, it will be hard for you to move forward, but you must do it. You are currently the Guardian of the Deity of Knowledge and Understanding, do not forget that.


    ¡ª I know, Nalinaya sobbed.


    ¡ª If you know that, then gather your courage and go talk to him. He¡¯s just an ignorant and curious boy. He is as clumsy as an Entity when it comes to feelings, but he will never hurt you intentionally.


    ¡ª I¡­ I can¡¯t¡­ I can¡¯t do that¡­ she replied while continuing to cry bitterly.


    ¡ª Why?


    ¡ª Because¡­ Because I can¡¯t¡­ I can¡¯t tell the difference¡­ I just want¡­ him to come back¡­ to be with me, she replied from the depths of her bleeding, tearful heart.


    This situation left Ezekiel perplexed.


    ¡ª Are you telling me that your feelings for Tristian have now shifted to his son?


    Nalinaya nodded very slightly, and tears continued to stream down her cheeks.


    ¡ª I know¡­ it¡¯s absurd¡­ He reminds me¡­ so much of Tristian¡­ I can¡¯t¡­ help¡­ feeling something¡­ for him¡­ Even though¡­ we don¡¯t even know each other¡­


    ¡ª I see¡­ It must not be easy for you, and I do not have a miracle solution for that, but I can tell you to take a step back with him. He is still young and too immature when it comes to love. You will get nowhere with him, not to mention that he belongs to the Domain of Life, and they are the ones who understand love the least.


    Meanwhile, Elwyn and Loyd left the arena and headed quietly toward the Great Library, before parting ways at the intersection leading to the dormitory, where Loyd went to his room while Elwyn continued on his way.


    When she finally lost sight of the young Nephilim of Life, Nalinaya turned onto her back and looked at the sky and its clouds with her tear?filled eyes.


    ¡ª Take as much time as you need, but do not forget what your duty is here, added Ezekiel, before leaving the sylph alone with herself.


    _________________________


    On the way to the Great Library, Elwyn noticed that there was some agitation on the west side of the academy, where the girls¡¯ dormitory was located.


    ¡°What could they be doing?¡±


    Indeed, they seemed to be looking for something, or even someone, around the building. They were careful, however, not to attract too much attention by avoiding running around. They grouped together in small clusters and discreetly set out in search of the thing in question, as if nothing were amiss.


    The young boy set off towards them, but stopped abruptly upon noticing a strange silhouette on the dormitory roof. It suddenly disappeared without a trace, just after being spotted.


    ¡°An Entity?¡±


    To be sure, Elwyn changed his vision and adopted that of the Ethereal Plane, where he again noticed that mysterious silhouette levitating at the roof level. It disappeared again by changing Plan and quickly headed north.


    The creature measured about sixty centimeters in height, sported a pointed cap, and appeared to carry a large canvas bag on its shoulder.


    ¡°He is damn small for a thief¡­¡±


    The young boy then activated his dual?plan vision and set off in pursuit.


    ¡°Unless they are an Entity, they won¡¯t achieve anything against him.¡±


    The mysterious Entity reached the edge of the dormitory roof, jumped into the void and changed Plan once again, where it used control of the ether to form small purple platforms under each of its feet, giving the impression that it was rapidly sliding down a staircase to the ground.


    ¡°Wow, I haven¡¯t yet reached that level of mastery myself¡­ What could he possibly be doing here? Is Deity Ogme aware of his presence here?¡±


    Once on the ground, the Entity headed at full speed towards the guests¡¯ dormitory, and Elwyn did the same.


    The pursued Entity moved quickly, very quickly for something of its size, while carrying its large bag over its shoulder.


    ¡°How far does he intend to go like that?¡±


    The chase continued into the guests¡¯ dormitory, where Elwyn changed his vision and adopted that of the Ethereal Plane, so as not to lose sight of the Entity. However, he made sure to pass directly next to the building without entering, remembering Ezekiel¡¯s prohibition regarding intruding into others¡¯ privacy.


    The Entity, for its part, crossed the building in a straight line and headed towards the vegetative labyrinth, which was located just behind. It went deep inside before changing Plan once again and hiding from its pursuer.


    ¡°Ah! So that¡¯s why¡­ Now, it¡¯s going to be a game of hide?and?seek¡­ Great¡­¡±


    Finally, Elwyn arrived in front of the entrance of this famous labyrinth, whose existence Loyd had barely mentioned before. The walls, which rose more than two meters high, were formed of dense, verdant bushes, meticulously trimmed and maintained. They created a passage wide enough to allow two people to walk side by side.


    ¡°I really don¡¯t feel like getting lost in there¡­ But well, if that¡¯s what he wants to play¡­¡±


    The young Nephilim then restored his dual?plan vision to detect any change of Plan. And, in order to navigate easily through the labyrinth, he resorted to a technique known as ¡°the ethereal eclipse.¡± This method involves making brief extraplanar journeys to quickly overcome the small obstacles standing in the way.


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    Thus, by moving skillfully through the numerous dead?ends and winding paths of the labyrinth, he avoided getting lost. However, despite his movements, he still did not know the location of the Entity.


    ¡°Where is he? I really don¡¯t feel like spending the rest of the day doing that¡­¡±


    After an intense search of about fifteen minutes and yet another ethereal eclipse, Elwyn finally reached the heart of the labyrinth, revealing a small park with a calm and peaceful atmosphere.


    At its center proudly stood an elegant fountain adorned with delicate sculptures, emitting a soft, soothing murmur as the water flowed, creating shimmering reflections under the sun¡¯s rays.


    Surrounded by four finely sculpted stone benches, whose arrangement created a certain harmonious balance, the fountain offered everyone a comfortable place to sit, relax, and savor the tranquility of the surroundings.


    Paved paths surrounded this scene, bordered by brightly colored flowers that added vivid touches to the verdant environment. A sweet, enchanting fragrance emanated from these flowers, inviting all who were there to stroll and contemplate this peaceful landscape.


    ¡°Incredible, a haven of peace in the middle of this place¡­ I hope I can fully enjoy it one day¡­ I wonder if Mother?Oph¨¦lia spent a lot of time here¡­¡±


    Elwyn then gazed at the place as a whole, walking around to observe it. Suddenly, his gaze was drawn to a fleeting movement beneath one of the stone benches. Without making any sudden gesture and pretending ignorance, the young boy calmly headed towards that specific spot.


    He bent down under the bench in question and finally, he found what he had been looking for all along.


    ¡ª Found.


    The young boy then grabbed the arm of the Entity and pulled it out of its hiding place, as it was firmly holding its canvas bag. The little being stirred as Elwyn lifted it to examine it more closely.


    The creature, measuring about sixty centimeters, had an appearance vaguely human. Its face displayed features similar to those of a human, but its skin had a dark, misty texture, reminiscent of that of an Entity in its primordial form. It looked like a storm cloud that had taken on a humanoid shape. Moreover, at the creature¡¯s head, there was no pointed cap, but rather a sort of extension of the skull taking that shape.


    Despite the agitated movements of the Entity, Elwyn did not let go, and the little creature eventually dropped its precious bag, which crashed to the ground. The young Nephilim had won; once captured by someone, an Entity could no longer change Plan. This meant that Elwyn could absorb it to strengthen his own energy reserve. That is how the world worked, as well as how Entities operated.


    Without further ceremony, the Entity was sucked into the palm that held it and completely disappeared after a few seconds.


    ¡ª He certainly made me run, that one¡­


    The young boy, having finished with the Entity, picked up its canvas bag from the ground and took it with him onto a bench, for a little break.


    ¡ª Well, what on earth could he have stolen from the girls¡¯ dormitory?


    He then opened the bag and checked its contents.


    ¡ª Uh¡­ What did he want to do with all that?


    The young boy was astonished when he opened the bag retrieved from the Entity, discovering that it was exclusively filled with women¡¯s underwear.


    A multitude of sizes, colors, and materials was on offer, each piece having its own unique touch. Some underwear was made from simple fabric, ideal for everyday use, while others were adorned with delicate lace, adding a touch of femininity and sophistication.


    Among the items he discovered were bras of various shapes and styles, as well as a variety of panties featuring different cuts and appearances. Simple and functional models coexisted with bold and alluring ones.


    The young boy couldn¡¯t help but admire the attention paid to the details and the finish of each piece.


    ¡ª Well, this is really no joy at all. It¡¯s not with this kind of thing that one becomes rich. Well, at least they aren¡¯t precious or valuable items, just clothing¡­ Why steal clothing? It¡¯s absurd¡­


    Once he had checked the entire contents, Elwyn closed the bag and sat quietly on the bench for a few minutes, to recover a bit after these tumultuous events.


    "An Entity that has taken shape in the Material Plane must have existed for some time¡­ So there¡¯s a chance that this isn¡¯t its first theft¡­ I wonder if this place isn¡¯t a hideout for it..."


    After this reflection, the young boy got up from the bench and carefully examined beneath each of the three other benches, in case he had missed something.


    ¡ª I was right, he murmured to himself.


    He then discovered two other bags hidden under two other benches. The first, smaller in size, contained several white chalks and rags. As for the second, it held various weapons and training outfits.


    ¡ª This is really not glorious¡­ I hope Deity Ogme can tell me more about this Entity.


    Elwyn then decided to take all the bags with him and leave the labyrinth. However, one of the most annoying thoughts crossed the young boy¡¯s mind.


    ¡°With all this on me, I couldn¡¯t go to the other Plane¡­ I¡¯ll have to travel normally¡­ Which way was the entrance again?¡±


    For over twenty minutes, Elwyn wandered through this verdant path and, thanks to his good memory, he eventually found clues to the right way, even though he had to face a few dead ends.


    ¡ª Next time, I¡¯ll take a spool of wool or some small stones with me.


    Once free, the young boy made his way to the Great Library and stopped in front of the wide?open window of Nalinaya¡¯s office, facing the girls¡¯ dormitory. The latter was also present, sitting on her chair, her head resting against the desk, and her right index finger was making circles above the table, continuously spinning a small wooden top.


    Elwyn then approached the edge of the window gently, and suddenly, the sylph rose up abruptly, as if she had just sensed someone near her, and finally turned towards the young boy.


    Expecting a scene similar to their encounter, Elwyn simply placed the three bags inside the office.


    ¡ª These are objects stolen by an Entity. There is a bag containing only girls¡¯ underwear, another with chalk and rags, and the last one contains weapons and training outfits, he reported, before moving away from the window.


    Nalinaya fixed her gaze on the young boy, then his bags, before turning towards him one last time.


    ¡ª I¡¯m sorry about you, regarding my father. I hope that things will get better with time and that my mere presence will no longer sadden you, she added before heading towards her dormitory.


    At these words, Nalinaya caught sight of her reflection through one of the open windows and noticed her own saddened face, her eyes wet.


    Yet, at the end of her little escapade atop the arena, she had taken the time to calm down and regain her usual appearance before returning to her office. She had even made the journey normally, greeting the students along the way and listening to the recent theft problem, without her face showing any issues.


    ¡°Why? Why do I inflict this on him? He is not at fault... I¡¯m sorry... Elwyn¡­ I too am sorry for what I put you through...¡±


    The sylph lamented once more, her head resting on her desk, silently cursing her behavior, her eyes still wet.


    _________________________


    Comfortably seated at his desk, Deity Ogme was attentively reading a scientific note written by a renowned ornithologist, based on an island located to the west of the central continent.


    This note referred to the discovery of a new bird species named ¡°Stormstrike.¡± This bird would be capable of stunning small prey such as rats or mice with its powerful cry. It would be small in size and sport a plumage of intense black, with violet reflections on its wings, as well as a short but robust beak. This species would be observed in heavily wooded areas and would be very territorial. The bird would attack any intruder in its territory using its shrill cry, creating just a slight disorientation in an individual in good physical condition, even causing vomiting if the attack is repeated.


    ¡ª That¡¯s one species I do not want to see around here¡­, he murmured.


    Suddenly, the office door opened softly and Nalinaya, her face still slightly puffy, entered and walked towards the Deity.


    ¡ª What can I do for you? simply asked Ogme, while continuing to read through the note.


    ¡ª Elwyn just passed by and gave me bags containing the objects stolen by the Goblin.


    ¡ª I see. He wastes no time, and that will save us a hell of a problem with the girls.


    ¡ª Indeed¡­, replied the sylph softly.


    The Deity raised his gaze towards his Guardian, whose mind seemed to be wandering somewhere else.


    ¡ª He apologized¡­ to me¡­ because of his resemblance to Tristian¡­, she added.


    ¡ª Elwyn does not know sentimental pain; he is an Entity at that level. However, his Domain makes him empathetic to the pain of living beings, even if it comes from a source he does not understand and may never understand. Apologizing is only a remedy for a problem he cannot solve with his power. He has also understood well that politeness and apologies are easy and effective ways to create the beginning of a bond with people.


    ¡ª I know¡­ That¡¯s how you operate too.


    ¡ª I feel much better behind my desk, surrounded by my papers and my books, rather than outside, with all these people with their myriad sensitivities and fragilities. It would only take one misplaced word for me to destroy everything.


    ¡ª That¡¯s why I am here, with you, replied Nalinaya, whose mood seemed to be improving a bit.


    ¡ª Indeed, you and your ¡°Heart¡± are there to represent me to the Ilnolians. You, who understand their feelings better than I do, bridge the gap between our two species.


    The Deity suddenly took a blank sheet placed on the corner of his desk and began to write a message with a swift gesture of his quill.


    ¡ª And now, what do you intend to do with him? I suspect that this story greatly troubles you. He is an almost perfect clone of the man you loved, but he is still a child. Therefore, things must not get out of hand between you because of your feelings, at least not until he is an adult. After that, it will be solely your problem,


    asked Ogme, while continuing to write.


    The sylph then took a few seconds to reflect, before responding as honestly as possible.


    ¡ª I will¡­ do my duty and¡­ act with reason, even if¡­ it will not be easy for me. I cannot keep fleeing from him for four years, replied Nalinaya, with a hint of apprehension.


    ¡ª Very well. I hope you succeed. I do not want him to depend too much on me here; that would be too suspicious in the eyes of the other students.


    The Deity eventually set his quill down next to his inkwell and froze the still?wet ink on the paper using his power. He then folded the message in four and finally placed a finger on it. A purple mist began to completely envelop the paper, before taking the form of a small bird, which flew out of the room after changing Plan.


    ¡ª By the way, how are the preparations for tonight going? I didn¡¯t inquire after returning to my office.


    ¡ª From what the wind has brought me, everything is already ready.


    ¡ª Perfect. I hope there will be no incident like at noon.


    ¡ª Given that you will be there, along with Ezekiel, nothing should happen, replied the sylph confidently.


    The starry gaze of the Deity then lost itself in the distance as it fixed on the ceiling of the room.


    ¡ª Let¡¯s hope so.

 Chapter IX : The Academy of Agnos - Part VI

    Back in his room, Elwyn began to unpack and organize his belongings from his bag.


    He meticulously placed his clothes and his wooden sword in the wardrobe, then slid his short sword under the bed, within reach. Next, he arranged his books on a shelf fixed to the wall just above the bed, as well as his small wooden dragon in a sleeping position. On his desk, he set out his writing instruments and his journal, in which he had already recorded the letters to be sent.


    Waiting for the time of the ceremony to arrive, the young boy sat quietly on his bed, his arms dangling over the mattress, and took a well-deserved rest after all the events and encounters of the day.


    "A dhampir, a succubus, a sylph, a Deity, another Nephilim, a half?dragoness of Bahamut¡¯s lineage, a human princess and another member of her family¡­ So much diversity present on such a small island, not to mention the elves, dwarves, halflings and gnomes also present in these parts. Mother?Oph¨¦lia did say there would be variety here, but I wasn¡¯t expecting so much. However, this diversity does not necessarily mean a harmonious mix of species and cultures. There must surely be tensions within the different groups of individuals. How does the academy manage such a situation? How can so many different people be brought together without it ending in permanent conflict, as at noon?"


    It was on this final reflection that Elwyn was snapped out of his stupor. A small scarlet bird had just changed Plan in his room and began to circle around him, filling the silence of the room with its little wingbeats.


    ¡ª I¡¯ve seen you before, in the Deity¡¯s office? What are you doing here?


    The creature alighted softly on the young boy¡¯s stomach before transforming into a screen of scarlet smoke, which quickly dissipated in the air, leaving behind a simple paper folded into four.


    ¡ª An ether messenger bird¡­ I suppose this is how Entities can communicate with each other¡­


    Elwyn then grabbed the message and unfolded it to read it while sitting on his bed.


    Elwyn,


    I wanted to congratulate you on your capture and elimination of the Entity that committed several thefts within the academy. For your information, it was a ¡°Mischievous Goblin,¡± an Entity belonging to the Domain of Chaos. Mischievous Goblins are born from the desire to play pranks and are generally linked to children. Judging by its "loot," this one was rather attached to young boys.


    I also wanted to warn you of the presence of other Entities in the establishment. Under no circumstances should you disturb them, for they contribute to the management of the academy and daily life. More precisely, there are ¡°Moving Shadows¡± that wander about. These are Entities taking the form of a staggering humanoid silhouette, moving in jerky motions on the ground and slipping from shadow to shadow in broad daylight. They belong to the Domain of Fear and embody the fear of the dark.


    If any problem concerning Entities arises here or in town, I will turn to you or Loyd to resolve it.


    Ogme


    ¡ª A Mischievous Goblin linked to the Domain of Chaos¡­ Is that connected to the Chaos Boar from three years ago? Moving Shadows linked to the Domain of Fear¡­ That¡¯s starting to be a lot of information for a first day. But at least I have some answers.


    The young boy got off his bed and placed the folded letter at the end of his desk before finally sitting in his chair. He removed his necklace and detached the concealment ring to take it in hand, thus beginning his training in manipulating ether with it.


    After half an hour of levitating and moving through the air, someone came to knock on the door.


    Knock Knock


    Elwyn quickly grabbed his ring with one hand and slipped it directly onto his right index finger.


    ¡ª What¡¯s up? asked Elwyn to buy a little time.


    ¡ª It¡¯s for the hour, replied Loyd, after having gone through the door by the Ethereal Plane.


    The young boy suddenly turned to his Nephilim comrade and glared at him.


    ¡ª You¡¯d like me to barge into your room like that?


    ¡ª Oh, it¡¯s fine, I knocked first.


    ¡ª That¡¯s not a reason.


    ¡ª You weren¡¯t doing anything anyway, replied Loyd, just before noticing the chain lying on the desk.


    ¡ª What¡¯s up? asked Elwyn.


    ¡ª You¡¯re not wearing your ring around your neck anymore.


    ¡ª I put it on my finger when you knocked on the door, as I was busy manipulating ether with it.


    ¡ª Alright, I see. Well, let¡¯s go. It¡¯s time for the ceremony.


    ¡ª I¡¯m coming, replied Elwyn as he got up from his chair to join his comrade, who had already started to leave.


    ¡ª No patience¡­


    Once they arrived in front of the two stone columns of the cafeteria, the two Nephilims entered the building. Elwyn then pressed himself against the wall to the right of the entrance, trying to be as discreet as possible, while Loyd entered normally and took his place in the room.


    The cafeteria had been arranged in a ¡°U¡± shape with tables set in the center to make the event more convivial. The luminous orbs hanging on the walls diffused a soft orange glow in the room, creating a gentle and warm atmosphere that was reflected in the crystal chandeliers suspended from the ceiling and on the gleaming clean floor.


    On the tables were arranged various fruits, cheeses, breads and cold cuts, as well as jugs of water and freshly pressed fruit juices.


    Elwyn¡¯s gaze swept across the entire room, counting about a hundred people. There were as many girls as boys wearing the academy uniform, grouped into several small homogeneous groups based on the origin and gender of the individuals.


    "Most species prefer to stay among similar individuals, rather than take a step into the unknown. How do you bring strangers together? There must be a common point to imagine a first step. Or you must take the first step and hope that it works immediately. After all, who wants to risk facing a public failure?"


    Le?na had so much trouble approaching people. I can¡¯t imagine her in this situation¡­


    During his reflection, the young boy¡¯s gaze moved from group to group and finally stopped on Arim¨¦lia, alone, leaning against the opposite wall, her gaze also scanning the other individuals in the room.


    "The only representative of her species among individuals inferior to her. They fear and avoid her. Their instinct dictates how to behave in order to survive. Dragons are carnivorous creatures, and some even take pleasure in feeding on individuals along their path. However, half?dragons have a diet similar to that of humans, and it is unlikely that a student would be allowed to feed on another¡­"


    Elwyn detached himself from the wall and turned around to join the young girl. On his way, he noticed Loyd confronting Ezekiel, who seemed to be lecturing him about his behavior at noon.


    "I hope he doesn¡¯t hear about this anymore after today¡­"


    The students he passed usually noticed him after his presence and always seemed surprised by the color of his hair. Nevertheless, he managed to reach his destination without trouble.


    ¡ª Good evening, Arim¨¦lia, I hope you had a good day.


    The young girl suddenly turned toward the voice that had addressed her from her right.


    ¡ª Good¡­ evening, Elwyn.


    The young boy noticed the half?dragoness¡¯s surprise as her tail, which had been swaying calmly until then, froze the moment she spoke.


    ¡ª Don¡¯t be so tense. Otherwise, I¡¯d feel like I¡¯m a monstrous person who means you harm and scares you.


    ¡ª What do you mean? asked her, surprised and intrigued by the remark.


    ¡ª Well, if you remain as tense as you are now, I¡¯d feel like I¡¯m a bad person who wants to harm you and frightens you, replied Elwyn in a tone too calm and measured to be considered humorous.


    ¡ª Oh, I¡¯m really sorry for that, she replied instantly, sincerely apologizing.


    ¡ª It¡¯s alright, don¡¯t worry. I was joking. Just, relax, I won¡¯t hurt you.


    ¡ª Alright, I¡¯ll¡­ try, replied her voice, embarrassed by the misunderstanding.


    A silence slowly settled between them, and Elwyn decided to break it.


    ¡ª How was your day?


    ¡ª Fine, I¡¯d say. I spent quite a bit of time at the library and also took a walk outside the grounds. And you, I suppose you toured all the academy¡¯s buildings.


    ¡ª Almost, I haven¡¯t yet seen the Study Towers.


    ¡ª Oh, I see. You¡¯ll get to them tomorrow then, for the first day of classes.


    ¡ª Yes, I hope it will be as good as the rest.


    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    ¡ª Yes, I hope so too.


    A new silence fell for a few seconds, but was broken by the arrival of Loyd.


    ¡ª Pfft, they¡¯ll never let me go with this story, he grumbled, dragging his feet toward them.


    ¡ª At the same time, you threatened them with death just because they spoke ill of you, replied Elwyn.


    ¡ª Tsk, you wanna mess with me? I remind you that I can beat you up whenever and wherever I want.


    ¡ª I know, unfortunately. You just need to avoid using violence as a first resort to a problem, that¡¯s all.


    ¡ª Yeah, easy for a country kid who knows nothing about life. I¡¯ve traveled, fought monsters and stupid humans. I¡¯m an adventurer, unlike you. And all the problems I¡¯ve had so far, I reduced them to heaps of formless, bloody flesh.


    This discussion against the abusive and exaggerated use of violence generated multiple absurd responses from Loyd, to the point of making Elwyn sigh in exasperation. But this relationship they both had, at that moment, gradually made Arim¨¦lia envious, knowing that neither of them had known each other before this day.


    "For them, it seems so easy. They seem capable of ignoring everything around them, without feeling any shame or remorse. Even if it¡¯s not true, Loyd has his own problems and Elwyn must have his too... I wish I could be like them, I wish I could too..."


    ¡ª Arim¨¦lia, do you agree with me? We shouldn¡¯t beat people up just because they don¡¯t like the way you fight, suddenly asked Elwyn, drawing the half?dragoness out of her thoughts.


    ¡ª Uh¡­ yes, well¡­ I think¡­ If we had to hit every person who speaks ill of someone, the person acting that way would make a lot of enemies, she replied with a hint of hesitation and apprehension about Loyd¡¯s reaction.


    ¡ª She¡¯s right, if you continue like that, you won¡¯t find a woman to marry, added Princess Sylaria, who had just joined them by positioning herself to the left of Arim¨¦lia.


    Seeing these three pairs of disapproving eyes on him, Loyd eventually let go.


    ¡ª Oh, alright. I get it. Stop giving me a hard time with this story, he exclaimed, with the veins on his forehead swelling dangerously from annoyance.


    ¡ª You started this story. I only gave you my opinion as a country person, retorted Elwyn without the slightest pity.


    To everyone¡¯s surprise, Loyd did not reply and let those last words from the young Nephilim of Life pass, for deep down, he was somewhat right. Calm then began to settle within the group, and Sylaria took the opportunity to draw the attention of the two Nephilims.


    ¡ª What do you want from us, Princess Sylaria? asked Elwyn.


    The young girl with long lilac hair suddenly bowed before the two young boys.


    ¡ª I offer you all my apologies for my cousin¡¯s behavior at noon. He behaved in an inexcusable manner towards both of you and even caused you trouble because of it. I am sorry, it should never have happened, she apologized in a protocol-like tone, reminding Elwyn of what Deity Ogme had said about the death of his parents.


    The two Nephilims exchanged a glance and Loyd then turned to Sylaria.


    ¡ª Which one was your cousin? There were three at noon.


    Remembering the scene perfectly, it was Elwyn who answered him first.


    ¡ª It was the blond one in the middle.


    Loyd then turned to Elwyn.


    ¡ª How do you know that, you?


    ¡ª Easy, he had the same cerulean blue eyes as the princess.


    This immediate and unhesitating response surprised the group regarding Elwyn¡¯s insight, but it did not influence Loyd¡¯s opinion, who nodded to his comrade to indicate that it was better if he answered.


    ¡ª I¡¯m really sorry, but we cannot accept your apologies. You are not responsible for your cousin¡¯s disastrous behavior. It is up to him to present his apologies, and no one else.


    Sylaria straightened up slowly. She was surprised by the response and a bit embarrassed to be dismissed like that.


    ¡ª By the way, princess, where are you originally from? I come from a small village in Esthia? asked Elwyn.


    ¡ª I am from the Kingdom of Hercor, just like Arim¨¦lia.


    ¡ª Oh, I see. Have you known each other for a long time?


    ¡ª It¡¯s been six years now. Arim¨¦lia has been under my father¡¯s protection since she was five. She is my best friend and like a sister, she replied proudly.


    This affectionate attention toward the half?dragoness made her blush with embarrassment.


    ¡ª And you, may I know what you are? asked the princess, wanting to learn about this person so at ease among all these fine people around her.


    ¡ª What do you mean? asked Elwyn, curious for more.


    ¡ª To be in the special class, you must be someone with advanced aptitudes and knowledge. You have a posture and a way of speaking too proper to be a mere villager. You are not intimidated by the presence of a Nephilim from the Domain of War, a half?dragoness, and a princess, which means you are used to such individuals being around you.


    Before Elwyn could reply, he was interrupted by the sudden arrival of Deity Ogme in the cafeteria, accompanied by his Guardian. The two characters obviously attracted all eyes as they headed toward the back of the room and were quickly joined by Ezekiel, who positioned himself to the left of the Deity. Ogme then rose about a meter thanks to an ether platform, preparing to give his speech.


    ¡ª Good evening, everyone. Before we begin this welcome meal for our new first?year students, allow me to say a few words. First, I would like to congratulate you on your admission to this academy. Some of you may have found it easier to secure a place, while others may have benefited from a bit of luck. In this world, it is true that not all inhabitants are born equal. Some are born rich, others poor. Some are born with extraordinary abilities, others with more common skills. In establishing this academy, my intention was to give as many people as possible the chance to access the knowledge of our world. For without knowledge, we are scarcely better than animals. It is therefore my duty, as the Deity of the Domain of Knowledge and Understanding, to share the information and experiences accumulated by men and women over time.


    All the students, absorbed by the speech, began to applaud the Deity, some even nodding in agreement at his last sentence.


    ¡ª When you have finished your studies here, after four fulfilling years, I will entrust you with a very simple task. Please pass on everything you have learned to those around you. Knowing how to read and write are the essential foundations to share. The one who knows how to read can access the knowledge conveyed by writing, contained in the many works of our world. The one who knows how to write can preserve his discoveries, inventions and ideas, which may be enriched, corrected and developed by others. In this place, you will be surrounded by individuals from all walks of life, so I ask you to respect one another. I am not asking you to love or like each other, but simply to tolerate one another¡¯s presence. There is more than enough room in this world for everyone, so please respect the political and cultural neutrality of this place. Here, whoever you are, you are all strangers and you have no power.


    The Deity suddenly directed his hand toward Elwyn and Loyd.


    ¡ª Next, I would like to point out the presence of two half?Entities in this place. Their role will be to neutralize the trouble?making Entities on this island and to enforce the rules of their respective Domains.


    All eyes then turned to the two half?Entities, and they were surprised to see Elwyn raise his right arm to confirm his status as an Entity. The looks on Arim¨¦lia¡¯s and Princess Sylaria¡¯s faces then showed shock at this unexpected revelation.


    ¡ª I would also like to draw your attention to the presence of two students from the special class in this place. They are recognizable by the white armband worn on their arm, and their mission will be to assist you in your studies, as far as possible.


    Elwyn then kept his arm raised, clearly showing his armband for all to see, and some eyes turned toward Arim¨¦lia before quickly averting.


    ¡ª With all this information at your disposal, I hope things will go well for each of you. Together, we can help advance our world and build a better future for everyone. I therefore wish you an excellent evening and a fruitful academic year. May the quest for knowledge and the transmission of understanding guide your steps on this new adventure. Thank you all, concluded the Deity, before lowering his platform and stepping to the ground.


    All the students applauded the Deity one last time before beginning to settle around the various tables and attack the banquet.


    Elwyn and Loyd sat at the last table of the ¡°U¡± positioned just in front of the large buffet table and facing the entrance. They were followed by Arim¨¦lia and Sylaria, who sat opposite them. They then began their meal in a deathly silence, listening to the various conversations at the surrounding tables, before being interrupted by someone who had just come to his senses.


    ¡ª A half?Entity, seriously? asked Sylaria, still a little shaken by the news.


    ¡ª Yes, I am one. Does that pose a problem for you, princess? asked Elwyn, perfectly calm.


    ¡ª No, but it¡¯s very surprising. You¡¯re a Crow fallen from the nest and a half?Entity, it¡¯s too¡­ improbable.


    ¡°Oh, if only she knew¡­¡± thought Elwyn and Loyd.


    ¡ª But that explains everything, especially if you have an Entity¡¯s personality, she added.


    ¡ª That is the case; I am an Entity and Loyd is a human, replied Elwyn, serving himself a bit more of everything.


    ¡ª Which Domain do you belong to? then asked Arim¨¦lia, who had recovered from her surprise long before the princess did.


    ¡ª Unfortunately, I cannot say. Deity Ogme thinks it is best for me, for now.


    ¡ª For now? asked Sylaria suspiciously.


    ¡ª Yes, until I have finished my studies. After that, I might be free to be an Entity. If I use my powers here, I will have problems, and no one likes that.


    Loyd nodded in agreement and then turned his attention to a discussion among the girls not far from them.


    ¡ª I see, replied Arim¨¦lia, a little disappointed not to have an answer.


    ¡ª By the way, Elwyn, what do your parents do for work? asked Sylaria with a slight inquisitive air.


    ¡ª My parents died when I was still a baby. I was adopted by a couple of former adventurers. It was a silver?ranked healing magician and a fighter managing the village¡¯s defense.


    The atmosphere at the table collapsed suddenly, just after the revelation of the young boy¡¯s parents¡¯ death.


    ¡ª I am truly sorry, murmured the princess with a note of desolation in her voice.


    ¡ª It¡¯s nothing, I¡¯m quite used to it now.


    ¡ª That¡¯s no excuse! angered Sylaria, without drawing the attention of the other tables.


    Arim¨¦lia placed her hand on the princess¡¯s to comfort her, but her face also showed a melancholic expression.


    ¡ª Really strange story¡­ murmured Loyd as he turned toward his comrades.


    ¡ª What do you mean? asked Elwyn.


    ¡ª From what I¡¯ve heard, there have been thefts in the academy, including one today in the girls¡¯ dormitory. All the stolen objects have been recovered by who knows who, and the thief was neutralized. It is still strange, this lack of information; Deity Ogme is practically aware of everything that happens here.


    ¡ª Ah, it¡¯s for this story¡­


    ¡ª Do you know anything? asked Loyd insistently.


    The looks of Arim¨¦lia and Sylaria then turned toward Elwyn with apprehension.


    ¡ª Well, it was a theft orchestrated by an Entity from the Domain of Chaos, a Mischievous Goblin. I eliminated it in the labyrinth.


    ¡ª I see. Why didn¡¯t you tell me anything and what did it steal?


    ¡ª We had just separated after training and you weren¡¯t really in shape, not to mention I did not expect what happened next. As for the theft, it was weapons and training outfits, chalk and rags and, finally, women¡¯s underwear.


    At these last words, the faces of Arim¨¦lia and Sylaria turned pale, while Loyd¡¯s flushed, after he noticed the change in the ladies across from him. All tried to imagine the scene.


    ¡ª No way¡­ Why a boy? asked Sylaria, covering her face with her hands.


    ¡ª It will be alright, tried to reassure Arim¨¦lia.


    ¡ª Is there a problem? asked Elwyn, who did not understand the reactions around him.


    Noticing that the young boy was completely lost in this story, the half?dragoness tried something to clarify the situation.


    ¡ª It¡¯s nothing, they¡¯re just¡­ underwear¡­ There is¡­ nothing wrong¡­ with that¡­ she replied, blushing as she spoke with difficulty.


    ¡ª Indeed, it¡¯s just underwear. I merely checked the contents of each stolen bag before returning them all to Vice?Director Nalinaya.


    ¡ª And on top of that, he saw everything¡­


    added Sylaria in complaint.


    Right next to him, Loyd began to laugh at the situation while clearly imagining the scene.


    ¡ª He¡¯s just too innocent, that idiot. It¡¯s not possible. Nothing can touch him, added the Nephilim of War amid a fit of laughter.


    Elwyn, still lost and receiving no help from the others to understand, decided to let it go.


    "It must surely belong to a subject I cannot understand without a ''Heart''¡­"


    The meal continued in a warm atmosphere and ended in the middle of the evening. Everyone went to bed quickly to be in shape for the first day of classes.

 Chapter X : First day - Part I

    When the dawn began gently to break, Elwyn woke up as usual. He got up quietly from his bed, stretched, and then went to the bathroom. When he opened the door to his room, he discovered a small package on the floor, accompanied by a little note.


    Elwyn,


    I am truly sorry. I completely forgot to give you a garment maintenance stone before your departure. I immediately called upon the Divinity Ogme so that she could send you one. Take good care of yourself. I send you a big hug.


    Oph¨¦lia


    "It''s rather rare for Mother-Oph¨¦lia to forget something¡­ At the same time, it was thanks to her magic that we dealt with this kind of thing¡­"


    With caution, he opened the package and discovered a perfectly smooth grey stone, taking the shape of a bar. The object weighed half a kilogram and featured two distinct magical engravings on its main faces. Next to the stone was an instruction sheet, as well as the two usage formulas. The larger surface bore an engraving allowing the stone to be heated, thus facilitating the ironing of the fabric with the formula ? warms and smoothes ?. The second engraving was intended to detach dirt and impurities from the fabric when passed over it, with the formula ? purifies and cleanses ?.


    "I really hadn''t thought about how to care for my clothes¡­ Thank you, Mother-Oph¨¦lia."


    The young boy then placed the stone on his desk and resumed his way to the facilities. Once he was finished, he dressed simply by putting on a long-sleeved shirt and beige trousers, then equipped himself with his short sword. He then drank a large glass of water which he had previously filled using a jug that he had managed to recover after the banquet, before leaving his room and heading to the ground floor.


    On the wall at the entrance, Elwyn noticed a board on which four cards were pinned. Each of them communicated the time and subject of classes for each day for the four different years of study. He saw, therefore, that the first years had one hour of ? Mastery of the Quill ?, two hours of ? General Knowledge ?, and one hour of ? Etiquette and decorum ? before noon. In the afternoon, they had two hours of ? Theory of Magic ? for magicians or two hours of ? Manual versatility ? for non-magicians. Finally, one hour of ? itness ? and one hour of ? Magic practice ? or one hour of ? Combat mastery ?.


    "We get eight hours of classes per day¡­ I suppose that after that, we''ll have access to the Great Library for the rest of the day¡­"


    Once his schedule was in mind, Elwyn headed outside and decided to leave the academy grounds. As a warm-up, he then began to jog around the large stone wall.


    The landscape surrounding the academy was a vast plain on the southern half and a budding forest on the northern part. The watercourse crossing the island passed about fifteen meters from the western part of the enclosure.


    "It¡¯s really peaceful here¡­"


    Once his warm-up round was completed, the young boy returned and headed to the training ground, still completely deserted at that hour.


    He settled in the center of the arena and drew his short sword to make a few swings to warm up his shoulders and wrists. Once ready, he assumed a fighting stance and began repeating movements he had learned from Volden, simulating a fight against imaginary opponents. Every movement was calculated, quick, and precise. Remembering every movement of feet and hands, the position of the legs and hips, the posture of the back, the height of the shoulders, and the position of the sword in space with each movement. More than a physical workout, it was a way to remember every technique that Volden had taught him and to chain them together into a harmonious whole. A sort of puzzle, with the objective of not breaking the established rhythm.


    ¡ª Is that an impromptu dance class you''re giving me? asked Loyd, having just joined him.


    He too was dressed in simple attire, but his outfit was purple.


    ¡ª Already up?


    ¡ª Oh yes, war waits for no one.


    ¡ª If you say so.


    Elwyn then halted his thrusting motion and faced his companion.


    ¡ª So, what are you here to do?


    ¡ª I¡¯m here to train as well.


    ¡ª To do what? You belong to the Domain of War, you don¡¯t need to train like me.


    ¡ª That¡¯s where you¡¯re mistaken. Even a Divinity must continue to strengthen herself if she wants to remain in her position. It¡¯s do or die, especially in my Domain. Even if for you it¡¯s different, the principle remains the same.


    ¡ª One must become better every day, in order to be able to help more and more people¡­ I see.


    ¡ª Alright.


    The two nephilim then divided the ground in two and began, in their own way, their training. Elwyn resumed where he had left off, while Loyd made two short spears appear in each of his hands and began, in the manner of Elwyn, a fight against imaginary opponents. However, the latter was simply seeking to familiarize himself with this set of weapons and to create his own combat moves. The rhythm was not the intended goal, but rather the efficiency and practicality of each movement and sequence in combat.


    Elwyn occasionally cast a brief glance at his companion.


    ¡°He is completely unrestrained¡­ Each of his movements is precise¡­ no. Every movement he makes is deadly. He strikes to kill. He moves to kill. He positions himself to kill. He breathes to kill. He is a complete weapon with his spears¡­¡±


    On his side, Loyd was also conducting some analyses.


    ¡°He is academic. Every movement exudes repetition and the pursuit of perfection. No movement is superfluous. Every strike is clean and precise. Every positioning is perfect¡­ Nothing is natural about him; he is just a guy like any other in the end¡­¡±


    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    After half an hour of chaining at their own pace, a single bell sound from the top of the Great Library resounded, announcing the opening of the cafeteria at seven o''clock.


    Looking around, they then noticed that a few students from higher years of study were watching and quietly judging them from the stands. Elwyn pretended to ignore them and sheathed his blade, while Loyd turned his spears to dust to make them disappear. They left the arena together and returned to their dormitory to take a shower, put on their uniform, and finally head to breakfast.


    The buffet was once again abundantly stocked with numerous choices: fleshy and nutty fruits, hard-boiled eggs or in the form of fluffy omelets, various cheeses and smoked meats to put on fresh bread or wood-fired toast. To accompany it all, a wide selection of flavored teas, freshly pressed fruit juices, cow or goat milk for a creamy sweetness, or simply fresh and pure water.


    Elwyn served himself a little of everything in reasonable quantities, while Loyd preferred a heartier meal. They sat down again at the back, with their backs to the wall and facing the entrance.


    About ten minutes later, they were joined by Arim¨¦lia, who had taken a meal as varied as Elwyn¡¯s, but as heavy as Loyd¡¯s.


    ¡ª Did you have a good night? asked Elwyn to the half-dragoness.


    ¡ª Yes. I was still a little afraid that we would end too late last night.


    ¡ª It''s true that things could have lasted a little longer anyway, remarked Loyd.


    ¡ª It would have been a shame if people couldn¡¯t get up for the first day of class, replied Elwyn.


    ¡ª Not false¡­ By the way, I don''t see the princess. I saw her bastard blond cousin from afar, but not her. Is she still sleeping? asked Loyd to Arim¨¦lia.


    ¡ª No, I don''t think so. When leaving the dormitory, I knocked on her door to warn her.


    ¡ª I see.


    It was then in silence and calm that they had their breakfast, and about twenty minutes later, two bell sounds resounded, announcing that the first class of the day was approaching in half an hour.


    ¡ª It¡¯s been a while now¡­ Are you sure the princess is awake? asked Loyd once again.


    Arim¨¦lia then seemed hesitant, her head turned toward the entrance and hoping for a sudden arrival of Sylaria, in vain.


    ¡ª I¡¯m going to go check... I hope she has at least woken up, she added softly.


    Suddenly, a young girl with long lilac hair arrived running at the entrance of the cafeteria. Sylaria, completely out of breath and disheveled, immediately joined Arim¨¦lia, with a face of despair and her hairdressing tools in hand.


    ¡ª Ari... I haven''t woken up... I didn''t have time to do my hair... I look like nothing and I haven''t eaten yet... It''s almost time to go to class, she said in a plaintive tone, ashamed and with teary eyes.


    Arim¨¦lia then tried to reassure her in her arms, while the two boys watched the scene in astonishment.


    ¡°Wouldn''t she take her for her mother, now?¡± they said to themselves.


    ¡ª Go get yourself something to eat and come sit down. We¡¯ll see about the rest later, said Arim¨¦lia in a reassuring tone.


    Sylaria complied and returned with a rather light plate, consisting of a slice of bread, a piece of cheese, and an apple. At the same time, breakfast time was coming to an end and the supplies had been well depleted.


    While Sylaria ate as quickly as possible and her hair was being brushed, Arim¨¦lia brushed the latter''s hair, in order to save time.


    ¡ª You make quite the team, remarked Elwyn.


    Arim¨¦lia sighed slightly in exasperation at the scene.


    ¡ª The princess is someone who gets up at her leisure and at her own pace, but this hour does not match the standards corresponding to her title.


    ¡ª She''s lazy, anyway, added Loyd.


    ¡ª I didn''t say that, she replied to him, the half-dragoness.


    At that remark, Loyd rolled his eyes.


    Once her meal was swallowed and her hair brushed, Sylaria finally seemed to resemble someone civilized, even if something was missing in her hairstyle to match her rank.


    ¡ª Thank you, Ari, you''re saving my life, she said, relieved and grateful.


    ¡ª It''s nothing, replied Arim¨¦lia a little embarrassed.


    The two boys then stared at Sylaria with a dubious look, but remained silent.


    ¡ª What''s the matter, you two? she asked, a little annoyed at being stared at like that.


    ¡ª Nothing, replied Loyd.


    ¡ª It''s just that I have the impression that you''re missing something, replied Elwyn.


    ¡ª What would I be missing? she asked, still with that slightly annoyed tone.


    ¡ª I would say that you''re missing a hairstyle to give the impression of being a princess.


    Sylaria then turned to Arim¨¦lia, who looked at her apologetically.


    ¡ª I''m sorry, princess, but I haven''t learned how to do that sort of thing and my hair isn''t long enough to allow me to do so.


    Sylaria then looked at the ground, despairingly.


    ¡ª If you want, I can try to do something for you, declared Elwyn.


    The three gazes turned towards him, perplexed.


    ¡ª What? he asked.


    ¡ª Nothing, it''s just that you don''t seem to have that kind of skill, replied the skeptical princess.


    ¡ª And if that''s the case, you really haven''t done anything with your life, added Loyd.


    Elwyn then shrugged his shoulders.


    ¡ª It''s just a proposal from me, it''s not as if I''m complaining about not being styled.


    Sylaria''s cerulean gaze fixed heavily on Elwyn for several long seconds, with a strongly hesitant look. Time was pressing, but doubt continued to hang over her.


    ¡ª You should accept, princess. It''s not as if you have any other choice at the moment, and it will teach you to get up so late, added Arim¨¦lia.


    ¡ª Buh... alright..., replied the plaintive Sylaria.


    Elwyn then took his place behind the princess, who placed her hairpins and ribbons on the table.


    The young boy then took the brush used by Arim¨¦lia and divided the hair into two symmetrical sections, which he tied on one side with a ribbon so as not to be in the way during the braiding.


    With a gentle and delicate gesture, but with a certain speed and dexterity, he took the hair at the nape of the young girl''s neck and divided it into three strands, before braiding them by passing under the middle strand. He then went around one side of the head, going up to the top of the forehead, before securely tying the end. He did the same on the other side, but starting from the top of the head down to the nape. Finally, he ran the first braid over the top of the head, going from left to right, and secured it with a pin. He did the same with the other, but going from right to left, while attaching the first braid and securing it in turn. Once the braids were firmly fixed, Elwyn stepped back and examined his work.


    ¡ª It''s done, I''ve finished.


    Arim¨¦lia, who had fully observed his work, was left speechless at the more than acceptable and unexpected result from the young boy.


    ¡ª So, what do I look like? asked Sylaria with great apprehension.


    ¡ª You really have useless skills. What kind of life have you had to know how to do that? asked Loyd, mumbling to himself.


    ¡ª So? asked Sylaria again, still anxious.


    ¡ª It''s fine, you are perfect as you are, Arim¨¦lia eventually replied to her.


    Then the princess let out a sigh of relief before turning to Elwyn.


    ¡ª Thank you very much¡­ and¡­ sorry for doubting you, she told him, embarrassed by her own behavior towards him.


    ¡ª No problem, princess, the young boy simply replied to her.


    Suddenly, the bell began to ring three times, signaling the start of classes at eight o''clock.


    ¡ª Looks like I managed to do everything in time, remarked Elwyn.


    The four individuals left the cafeteria together and quickly joined the mass of students in blue ties and ribbons just in front of the northwest tower, the first-year tower.

 Chapter X : First day - Part II

    In front of the tower, over twenty meters high, four professors faced the hundred students waiting for the class assignment.


    Among these professors was Caria, a middle-aged human with a strict look, located at the far right of the tower entrance. Her graying brown hair was pulled back into an impeccable bun, and her blue-gray eyes were hidden behind a thin pair of round glasses. She wore a high-quality long-sleeved navy dress, accompanied by a dark violet wool shawl draped over her shoulders.


    In contrast, Sylvia, an elf on her left, stood out for her apparent youth. Her hazel eyes shone with vitality, and her honey-colored hair flowed in a fluid cascade down to her waist. Her long dress in a bright apple green highlighted her presence and natural beauty.


    Much smaller than her two colleagues, the dwarf, Darius, looked significantly older than the human. His face, marked by the years, was traversed by deep wrinkles. His skull was balding, except for a crown of short-cut gray hair above his ears. His tired eyes, of jade green, stood out from his face, framed by a finely trimmed mustache and a voluminous steel-gray beard, very carefully brushed. He wore a loose tunic and burgundy trousers, held by a leather belt adorned with a goose feather and a small inkwell.


    The halfling, Luth, even smaller than his dwarf colleague, had a disconcerting appearance and seemed to be halfway between childhood and adulthood, because of his size and the maturity of his face. His long black hair was pulled back under a midnight blue bandana, which covered his entire forehead, highlighting his bright light blue eyes. He wore a simple outfit consisting of a shirt and brown trousers, accompanied by a short-sleeved jacket of deep black that added a touch of discreet elegance.


    The professors'' gazes, sweeping over the students chatting among themselves, gave the impression that they were evaluating them. At one point, their eyes settled on the two students from the special class who had just joined the assembly. However, they remained stoic at their sight, with the exception of the elf who then displayed a more than delighted and radiant look upon seeing Elwyn. This expression was immediately interrupted by her colleagues.


    ¡ª What are you doing here, stupid elf ? Don''t forget that we have our eye on you, grumbled Darius, in a manner not to be heard by the students.


    At this remark, Sylvia froze and lowered her gaze, like a child caught doing something wrong.


    ¡ª Please stop showing off like that, you bring shame upon us. The Deity Ogme was clear about it, added Caria.


    ¡ª He must be considered like any other student, even if we know his origins, completed Luth.


    The elf''s face then slowly frowned.


    ¡ª It''s not fair¡­ I would have liked to see him sooner. Why did things have to turn out this way ?


    ¡ª Use your brain for once. What is the value of an Entity of the Domain of Life in the eyes of the world ? And what is that of a nephilim of the same Domain, knowing its Deity has been gone for over ten years ? asked Darius.


    Sylvia then stealthily slipped her hands behind her back and did not answer these rhetorical questions.


    ¡ª What are the various groups in this world willing to do to get their hands on it and use it for their own interest ? asked Caria in the same manner.


    The elf remained silent, but her hands clenched more and more with each question.


    ¡ª Among our students, how many belong to a group capable of asking such questions, once its secret is discovered ? eventually asked Luth.


    ¡ª You¡­ are right¡­, replied Sylvia, dejected, but trying not to lose face in front of the students.


    ¡ª No, it is Ogme who is right. ¡°Stay in your place¡± was her motto for you, replied Ezekiel, having just arrived behind her through a cold draft, immediately putting an end to this furtive discussion.


    With that done, the dhampir in a long black coat and with hair as icy as his gaze headed towards the mass of students and faced them. The latter then became tense in front of this intimidating professor.


    ¡ª Dear students, we will now proceed with the class assignment. Know that these groups must be set up in a mixed manner with respect to your different origins. However, we leave you the freedom to decide how to proceed. Please form four groups of twenty-five people, demanded Ezekiel in a strong and authoritative voice.


    The various students looked at each other, wondering if anyone would take the initiative to launch the assignment, but no one seemed willing to do so. No one wished to stand out.


    At the same moment, Elwyn and Arim¨¦lia were addressed by a gesture from Ezekiel, asking them to join him. It was therefore a slight disappointment when Princess Sylaria had to separate from her friend and a total indifference for Loyd, who saw his comrade leave quietly.


    ¡ª You two, since you may not participate in certain classes, will choose after which group you want to join, explained Ezekiel.


    This explanation relieved Arim¨¦lia somewhat.


    Just after that, the dhampir leaned towards Elwyn and whispered something aside.


    ¡ª Be careful with the elves, they can be problematic for you.


    This warning from Ezekiel surprised Elwyn, who then slowly turned his head towards the four other professors and exchanged glances with each of them.


    Even though each tried to feign ignorance towards the young boy, the elf had some difficulty keeping her neutrality in the face of that gaze fixed upon her.


    ¡°What am I supposed to understand ?¡°


    ¡ª Is something wrong ? asked Arim¨¦lia, seeing that the young boy seemed distracted.


    ¡ª No, nothing. It''s just that I expected the other professors to have something intimidating, a bit like Professor Ezekiel.


    ¡ª I see. It''s true that they seem more¡­ friendly.


    Meanwhile, noticing that Professor Ezekiel was showing signs of impatience at the lack of movement from the students, Princess Sylaria decided to take matters into her own hands, albeit hesitantly.


    ¡ª Listen¡­ we must¡­ start somewhere¡­ Otherwise it will be up to the professor to do it for us and in the end¡­ no one will be satisfied with the result, she said, seeking the support of the other students.


    Lorian, her cousin, nodded in agreement.


    ¡ª She''s right. We must take advantage of this freedom that is graciously given to us.


    Encouraged by these words, the students began to gather, based on their prior knowledge of their classmates or their intuitions. Some students looked for each other with their eyes, wishing to be with friends or acquaintances, while others seemed lost, looking for familiar faces.


    Among the hundred first-year students, one third were human and the rest were distributed more or less evenly among elves, dwarves, gnomes and halflings. The five ethnic groups therefore each divided themselves into four and complemented each other gradually to form the groups of twenty-five people requested. Finally, after about ten minutes, the requested groups took shape.


    ¡ª Very well. Now, professors, please choose a group to teach, said Ezekiel, visibly satisfied with the result of the groups.


    Without wasting a moment, the professors chose their group one by one, starting with Caria. Sylvia then prayed that the group in which Sylaria and Loyd were should not be taken by her colleague, hoping that this would attract the nephilim of the Domain of Life.


    The result was a total success for the elf professor, who obtained the quartet in her class, as Arim¨¦lia took the group to be with Princess Sylaria and Elwyn followed her move with Loyd.


    In view of the turn of events, Ezekiel then took Sylvia aside for a moment, taking advantage of the entry of the other groups into the first-year study tower.


    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    ¡ª Be very careful with your behavior with him. He is not your sacred idol. In this place, he is just a simple student among others, the dhampir made firm with an intimidating air.


    Sylvia then swallowed her saliva and her victory, with some difficulty, in the face of the pressure placed on her by her teaching colleague.


    ¡ª I understand well¡­ Professor Ezekiel. I will be careful with him, she replied in a syrupy tone, trying to appease her colleague, but a lump in her throat betrayed her nervousness.


    ¡ª In that case, I leave you, Professor Sylvia, replied Ezekiel, before heading towards the arena to give his class.


    Once the tension subsided, Professor Sylvia faced these new students with a new cheerful look.


    ¡ª Young people, we will now join our class for the coming year.


    The elf professor then led the way and entered the study tower with a determined step.


    The circular room bathed in the soft sunlight, which penetrated through the four pointed windows framing the room. The white walls reflected and diffused this light evenly, creating a warm and welcoming atmosphere. In case of a lack of brightness, a chandelier with a magical engraving, casting a diffuse light, was suspended from the ceiling.


    A few steps to the right of the entrance, a stone spiral staircase rose, traversing the tower in its full height, offering unique access to its four identical floors.


    On the left, a vast blackboard was solidly anchored between two windows, facing the professor''s desk, while the desks were arranged in a harmonious arc of five rows of five and one row of two. Each desk, designed for a single student, was attached to a bench with a sufficiently comfortable cushion, facilitating the seating of species with a tail and forcing the students to remain upright. All the tables were previously provided with paper, pens and an inkwell for the classes.


    The built-in shelves in the walls overflowed with books and manuscripts, saturating the room with the intoxicating smell of old paper. A multitude of subjects of knowledge for the first years were covered by these works, carefully organized and labeled in four copies each, creating an atmosphere of calm and order. It was a place where every student could escape into the pages of history, science, magic and many other fields.


    The entire tower exuded serenity, creating an atmosphere conducive to study. It was a place where curious minds could flourish, where future scholars began to quench their thirst for knowledge in an inspiring setting, before plunging into the Great Library. Moreover, access to the first floor of the imposing building was possible via a stone bridge connected to the second floor of the tower.


    Once in the building, the students took their available seats. Elwyn and Arim¨¦lia, being part of the special class, were the last to enter and took the two seats at the back. The young boy then took advantage of his position to observe how the other students were seating themselves.


    ¡°The four elves have seated themselves in a square at the front right, while the four dwarves have arranged themselves in a square at the back left¡­ The two gnomes have positioned themselves in front of the dwarves and the halflings have settled at the front left, leaving a space between them and the gnomes¡­ The rest of the space is occupied by the humans¡­ Loyd has seated himself in the middle of the last row, facing Arim¨¦lia and Sylaria just to his right, facing me¡­ Hmm ? Sylaria¡¯s cousin and his two companions have taken the last three seats in the center¡­¡±


    Suddenly, Loyd, filled with a certain agitation and worry since he had sat on his bench, got up from his seat and abruptly turned to Arim¨¦lia.


    ¡ª Would you mind switching seats with me ? I don''t like having someone behind me.


    Surprised by this sudden request, Arim¨¦lia froze for a second, before slowly turning her reptilian gaze towards Sylaria, who signaled her to come to her side.


    ¡ª Alright¡­ if you don''t mind¡­, stammered the half-dragoness before giving up her seat.


    The nephilim of War was then able to sit next to his comrade of Life and regain his calm once his back was against the wall.


    ¡ª Sorry for breaking up your nice couple like that, but I don''t like having my back exposed, explained Loyd.


    ¡ª No need to apologize. You could have also said that you felt lonely without me, simply replied Elwyn, whose gaze followed Arim¨¦lia as she took her new seat.


    ¡ª You really are looking for trouble.


    ¡ª Not really, sighed Elwyn, his gaze now fixed on Arim¨¦lia¡¯s tail, which she gently slid to the side of her bench after sitting down.


    ¡ª That thing must not be practical, that thing, commented Loyd, after noticing the direction of his comrade''s gaze.


    ¡ª Why ?


    ¡ª Because it takes up space for no reason, it''s not easy to sit with on a chair and there''s a risk someone might step on it.


    ¡ª That''s true¡­ however, the mobility and muscular strength of her tail allow her to use it like a kind of powerful rear arm.


    ¡ª Oh really ? Interesting¡­ Just hope she doesn''t lift it too high then, replied Loyd amused.


    ¡ª Why is that ? asked Elwyn, intrigued.


    ¡ª Well, it''s obvious.


    Elwyn then gave a negative nod to his comrade, not seeing the obvious.


    Loyd then sighed in exasperation, before signaling Elwyn to come closer, to be sure not to be heard by his comrades right in front.


    ¡ª She wears a skirt under which is the base of her tail. Agreed ?


    ¡ª Yes and so ?


    ¡ª Think about it a little. If she lifts her tail too high, her skirt will also lift and there is a risk of seeing her panties.


    ¡ª And so ? continued to ask Elwyn, still not seeing where his comrade was going with this.


    ¡ª What do you mean ¡°And so ?¡± ? You really don''t see the problem ?


    ¡ª Well no¡­ Is it so problematic to see someone else''s underwear ? asked Elwyn after a brief reflection.


    ¡ª It''s mostly very embarrassing when it happens, replied Loyd, astonished at the completely opposite reaction than what he expected from his comrade.


    ¡ª If you say so, replied Elwyn, not really convinced, before settling properly back on his bench after noticing some movement from their professor.


    ¡ª Well, now that everyone is well seated, we can begin the class, announced the elf professor to her entire class.


    A complete silence instantly fell in the classroom.


    ¡ª Today, and for the next four years, we are beginning ¡°The Mastery of the Quill¡±. This course aims to perfect your writing, your spelling, your grammar and your vocabulary. It represents the cornerstone of our teaching. The ability to transmit one''s knowledge and to preserve it intact over time depends on writing. Speaking well is good for being understood, but writing well is to inspire credibility in your reader. Many high-level fields require these skills, and you, dear students, belong to some of these fields. Do you have any questions regarding my introduction ? asked the professor.


    Lorian then raised his hand.


    ¡ª Professor, why do you say ¡°to be able to claim to occupy these positions¡±, when nobility, royalty and magic are innate and not acquired ? There is nothing to claim, it is a fact, he remarked in a self-satisfied manner.


    A mischievous smile then appeared on the professor''s face, expecting such a reflection.


    ¡ª Because an idiotic or, worse, incompetent noble or king risks attracting the wrath of his subjects, even of Entities and Divinities if he causes too much harm. Not to mention the ridicule and abuse from neighboring countries, or even from his own supporters. As for the magician, if he has a weak vocabulary or major grammatical weaknesses, he risks especially injuring himself or injuring something other than what he aims at. Anything else to add ?


    The sullen expression on Lorian indicated that he had no argument to add.


    ¡ª What about Entities and half-Entities ? Then asked one of the dwarves at the back.


    ¡ª Now there is an interesting question. Would someone like to answer him ? asked the professor enthusiastically.


    Without much surprise, the eyes of the class turned at the same time to the back of the room, where the two half-Entities were.


    Aware that they were being watched, Loyd preferred to play indifferent, while Elwyn, for his part, raised his hand to speak.


    ¡ª From my own experience and my current knowledge, Entities are born with fragments of knowledge belonging to all the individuals who caused their ¡°birth¡±. Therefore, they are not necessarily more intelligent beings than others, but their immortality gives them time to learn. However, their knowledge concerning their entire Domain is innate and their competence is focused solely on it, which they develop through practice. As for half-Entities, they inherit the power concerning the ability of their parent Entity, but have the energy reserve of a newborn, and possess more or less free will. Some can therefore decide to turn away from their Domain to do something else, replied the young boy in a perfectly neutral tone.


    ¡ª That''s very good and even very fair, but can you do something simpler and more concise ? asked the elf kindly, a bit too enthusiastic about the young boy''s intervention.


    ¡ª Alright. Simply put, an Entity will always have total mastery of the subject of its Domain, but its practical competence in that subject will depend on its experience and practice over time. As for half-Entities, they are identical in terms of knowledge of their Domain and inherit the power of their parent Entity''s abilities.


    Then the deeper voice of a dwarf was heard at the last row.


    ¡ª So, half-Entities can become more efficient than their parent Entity, if they inherit its power.


    Loyd then decided to speak.


    ¡ª Not really. They possess the same powers at the same strength as their parent Entity or Deity, but their low energy reserve at birth very strongly limits the duration of use and effectiveness of their powers, which makes them extremely inefficient at the beginning of their existence.


    At the first row, the slightly childish voice of a halfling was then heard.


    ¡ª So that means nephilim are not as dangerous as they say, since they are limited ?


    Elwyn then took the floor again.


    ¡ª For me, the danger of a half-Entity depends on its Domain, but especially on its detachment from the rules of that Domain. If it is as free as any individual and devoid of any moral consciousness, then it can do anything with these powers and cause death and destruction. It is therefore to avoid such a drift that Divinities choose not to have children, at least, the majority of them.


    At these last words, a heavy silence settled in the room and, seeing that the debate did not seem to go any further, Professor Sylvia then took the floor in her soft voice.


    ¡ª Well, thank you both for enlightening your classmates on the subject of Entities. Now, let us make way for the lesson before it ends. I am now going to dictate a passage to assess your level of comprehension, the aesthetics of your writing and your spelling. So take one of the sheets on your desk and your pen. I begin.

 Chapter X : First day - Part III

    The end-of-class dictation had as its sole objective to evaluate the level of writing, its quality as well as each individual¡¯s comprehension.


    Since not everyone has easy access to learning how to write, the Agnos Academy offers interested and interesting students, who cannot write at all, the opportunity to participate in a six©\month learning course just before the academic term begins.


    The disparity in level between the classes was noticeable.


    The nobles, having easy access to a private tutor, know how to write all the characters in a legible and understandable manner. However, some of them did not benefit from this opportunity from an early age or on a regular basis and have a barely passable level. At the same time, it is easier for a child to see oneself as a hero vanquishing evil with a wooden sword than as a scribe drafting legal texts.


    The elves had a very high level thanks to their close ideological connection with the Domain of Knowledge and Understanding. The dwarves, on the other hand, encountered more difficulties, being more specialized in all kinds of calculations. The gnomes, the halflings and the rest of the humans displayed a variable level depending on their family¡¯s finances or education.


    Arim¨¦lia and Elwyn had the highest level of their year. Having both learned and practiced this art very regularly since their early childhood, it was agreed for them no longer to participate in this course, except for an evaluation. As for Loyd, he displayed one of the lowest levels, which surprised no one, while Sylaria, on the other hand, had a correct level, placing her at an average level.


    ¡ª You had nothing else to do to get here, huh? asked Loyd, a little crestfallen, after comparing his paper with Elwyn¡¯s.


    ¡ª It had been part of my morning routine since I was four. I also learned to read, to count and to calculate. Then in the afternoon I did physical exercise and learned to use my sword, my fists or even the bow.


    ¡ª Well, you were really busy in the end¡­ What about your powers then?


    ¡ª I had a¡­ certain problem¡­ regarding that subject. I started to¡­ learn¡­ with some difficulty around my fifth year. And barely a year ago, I was finally able to begin using them to their full potential without difficulty, replied Elwyn, choosing his words carefully.


    Loyd then furrowed his brows at this strange revelation.


    ¡ª What kind of problem exactly? he asked in an oddly serious tone.


    ¡ª The kind that prevents me from being easily discovered by everyone and which comes from the benevolent intervention of a certain Deity, replied Elwyn in a low voice.


    ¡ª Can it really do that?


    ¡ª Apparently, yes. And the effects are even stronger than you imagine.


    ¡ª To that extent?


    In response, Elwyn simply shrugged his shoulders, before turning towards the board where the remainder of the classes seemed to be displayed.


    ¡ª Well, now and for the next two hours, we are going to begin the following course: ¡°General Knowledge¡±. This course aims to improve your knowledge about the world, its rules, its inhabitants and its history. You will also learn mathematics, the laws of physics and biology. It is therefore the most important course in the academy, along with the course on martial or magical competence, depending on affinities. I strongly invite you to take notes and not hesitate to inquire more deeply at the Great Library if certain subjects interest you more. If you have trouble understanding, do not hesitate to ask for help after classes from other members of the class, those in the special class, a professor or one of your elders. Any questions?


    No hand was raised and no sound was heard.


    ¡ª Very well. In that case, we will begin at the beginning. Who knows how the universe in which we find ourselves was created?


    One of the dwarves at the back of the class raised his hand.


    ¡ª Before creating our world, the Great Creator made in the ether the six Elemental Sources.


    ¡ª That¡¯s very good. Who can now tell me who these famous Sources are?


    One of the halflings in the first row raised his hand.


    ¡ª They are the Source of Fire, the Source of Water, the Source of Earth, the Source of Wind, the Source of Light and the Source of Darkness. With these six, they created the Universe alongside the Great Creator.


    ¡ª Absolutely correct. How was this world shaped?


    An elf in the second row raised her hand.


    ¡ª The Source of Fire and the Source of Earth together created the core of the world, before covering it entirely with rock and earth. The Source of Water created the oceans and the clouds, while the Source of Wind created the marine and aerial currents.


    ¡ª That is correct. What about the rest of the nearby celestial bodies that surround us?


    A human raised her hand in the center of the class.


    ¡ª The Source of Light, the Source of Earth and the Source of Fire created the sun, illuminating and warming the world, while the Source of Darkness created the shadows of matter, darkening and cooling the world. The Source of Earth and the Source of Fire also created the twin moons revolving around each other and also orbiting our world, which itself orbits around the sun.


    ¡ª Exactly. What about the small details like mountains and rivers?


    Sylaria then raised her hand.


    ¡ª The Elemental Sources, created to accomplish a task of very great magnitude, engendered the elementals, less powerful and smaller than they are, so that they could shape the world in detail, creating rivers and streams, flattening, digging or raising the level of the lands and boring galleries in the rock.


    ¡ª That is correct. What about life on our world?


    A gnome in the third row then raised his hand.


    ¡ª Once the world was finished, the Great Creator created plant life, and much later, organic life. Even today, the Great Creator continues to develop and evolve all the forms of life that he created, alone or with the help of the Sources.


    ¡ª Very good. What did the Sources do after that?


    Lorian then raised his hand.


    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    ¡ª They shaped their own Plans, called Elemental Plans, where other forms of life that they created with the help of the Great Creator live. One species from each Plan lives in Ilnolia. The Ondins in the water, the Oreades emerging from the earth, the Ifrits bathing in fire, the Sylphs floating in the wind, the Celestials hiding in the light and the Demons crawling in the darkness.


    The face of Professor Sylvia then appeared fully satisfied with what she had heard.


    ¡ª That was perfect. The oral transmission of our history has been perpetuated for many centuries, regardless of the region. It is important to know where we come from in order to know our place in this world. We are not its owners nor its masters, we are merely its passengers. One day, perhaps, we will disappear completely to make way for an entirely new form of life. That is why we must fully enjoy our existence, for we will not have a second chance.


    A slight thought then crossed Elwyn¡¯s mind.


    ¡°No second chance¡­¡±


    Right beside him, Loyd¡¯s hand suddenly rose.


    ¡ª What about Bahamut and Leviathan? They are indeed the most powerful creatures in Ilnolia, aren¡¯t they?


    Professor Sylvia raised the question of the nephilim of War with satisfaction.


    ¡ª Indeed, what about our two Great Guardians? Can anyone provide an answer?


    Arim¨¦lia raised her hand, albeit a little hesitantly and stammering at the beginning of her answer.


    ¡ª To¡­ prevent any massive extermination of living beings¡­ by a dominant species, the Great Creator gave birth to Bahamut, the original dragon, Great Guardian of the sky and the earth, as well as Leviathan, the great serpent of the seas, Great Guardian of the seas and oceans. These two majestic beings have the mission of preserving the balance between species across all the Plans.


    At this explanation, Professor Sylvia nodded approvingly.


    ¡ª That is absolutely right. Our vast world has been under their protection since the first forms of animal life and they continue even now to watch over it despite the passing millennia.


    Following these words, a small thought for her grandfather then came to Arim¨¦lia¡¯s mind.


    ¡°He spends most of his time sleeping, waiting for the next mission from the Great Creator or for a major catastrophe to occur¡­¡±


    A human suddenly raised his hand to ask a question with a certain apprehension.


    ¡ª What then about the Entities and Divinities? Didn¡¯t they appear at the same time as the Great Guardians?


    The professor did not have time to react to the question before an elf in the first row answered almost immediately after the end of the sentence.


    ¡ª Do not ask a stupid question, the Entities were obviously created well after the Ilnolians.


    Following these remarks, the young boy then lowered his head and blushed with shame, and Sylvia, outraged by this scene, immediately shot the elf a glare.


    ¡ª I ask you not to show condescension towards your classmates. Even if the remarks seem stupid to you, is that clear? she replied firmly, her tone sharply contrasting with her usual attitude.


    The elf, surprised by this change in tone, then lowered her head and her long ears blushed in turn with shame.


    A heavy silence then fell over the classroom, and no one dared to speak again, except one. Elwyn then raised his hand.


    ¡ª To conclude the explanations on the origin of the Entities, after having observed the humanoids of this world and discerned their needs and desires, the Great Creator materialized the aspects he defined as characteristic of the most complex form of life he had ever created. The Entities were then born to help and guide the Ilnolians, but to maintain a certain balance of forces, he also created Entities charged with testing them, or for some, even harming them. The Domains charged with helping number six, each with an associated Deity. Currently, the Domain of Knowledge and Understanding is represented by Ogme, the Domain of War by Asagar, the Domain of Peace by Erzissa, the Domain of Justice by Th¨¦synaria, the Domain of Love by Sephirella or Z¨¦phir, and the Domain of Life by Akeso. As for the Entities that may pose problems, they do not have a representative Deity, but there are many linked to negative or deemed problematic feelings, typical of living beings endowed with a form of moral consciousness.


    Once the explanation was finished, the professor turned towards Elwyn and resumed her cheerful air.


    ¡ª That is absolutely correct. Moreover, certain species or nations of our world have an affinity with certain Domains. For example, the elves and the dark elves are more inclined towards the Domains of Life and of Knowledge and Understanding, while the humans of the Northern Lands are closer to the Domain of War.


    The second elf in the first row then raised her hand.


    ¡ª Do you know anything about what happened to the Deity of Life? It¡¯s been more than ten years since she disappeared.


    Sylvia shook her head negatively.


    ¡ª Unfortunately, no. No one has had any news in all that time. The only thing known is that a terrible battle took place and that the Guardian of the Deity was found dead.


    The elf, responsible for the previous altercation, clicked her tongue in frustration.


    ¡ª Tsk. Weak incompetent human, she murmured.


    The professor¡¯s gaze hardened once again in front of this elf.


    ¡ª Do you have anything to add, Miss Linariel, or would you like a warning on your very first day of class?


    ¡ª Professor, the role of a Guardian is to ensure a form of comprehensive communication between the Deity and the Ilnolians, as well as the protection of the latter. The Guardian of the Deity of Life has failed in his role as protector and even today, we pay the price of that failure. How many lives has the world lost because of his absence? How many people will still disappear tomorrow? This failure is unprecedented and its long-term consequences as well, argued Linariel to defend her point of view.


    The professor did not fall into the ease of anger, even if the subject concerned a person she had known in the past, and opted for a firm tone.


    ¡ª Miss Linariel, how can you make such remarks when you know absolutely nothing about his Guardian?


    ¡ª What more is there to know? He was a simple human. Even the blessing of the Deity was not enough.


    Even if it did not appear so, Elwyn listened to this conversation attentively. He knew little about his parents, so even a tiny morsel added to his family tree was enough for him. Even the defamatory remarks made against his father did not affect him in any way.


    ¡ª Stop. Speaking. Defamatory. Remarks. With. No. Complete. Knowledge. of. This. Subject, the professor replied, stopping on each word with a firm tone.


    ¡ª But¡­ , Linariel began to protest.


    Sylvia suddenly struck her desk with the palm of her hand, the sound resonating throughout the room and startling a few students, creating a new silence.


    A heavy atmosphere slowly settled and the students began to stir. The remarks made by Linariel did not gain unanimous approval within the class and a few discussions broke out on the subject.


    Amidst all this, Loyd, disturbed by the situation, turned towards Elwyn. The latter had completely detached himself from the subject since the professor had silenced Linariel. No further pertinent information could emerge from the clamor of the students, for they knew nothing.


    ¡°Only Professor Sylvia could possess pertinent information, but that bang on the table served as a means for her to calm down and avoid revealing any more¡­¡±


    Seeing that things still did not seem to calm among the students and that the professor was just regaining her composure, Elwyn used the physical reinforcement in his hands to clap them loudly enough to restore calm in the class and capture everyone¡¯s attention, before continuing.


    ¡ª I propose to put an end to this sterile discussion. No opinion or remark will change anything. The Deity of Life has disappeared, that is a fact. The Guardian of the Deity fell in battle, that is another. Defining the responsibility of the Guardian or of the Deity regarding the latter¡¯s choice will strictly change nothing about the facts. The dead cannot be brought back to life, judged or punished. The only worthwhile thing to do is to find the lost Deity, so that she can resume her functions and minimize the consequences of her disappearance, he declared, with his calm tone and his usual impassive face.


    This sudden intervention by Elwyn surprised the entire class, but his reasonable and thoughtful remarks met with no objection. Loyd, for his part, was mostly surprised by his own detachment from the situation, as it was, after all, his own father, even if he had not known him very well.


    ¡ª Thank you, Elwyn, for your intervention, the professor replied humbly, having partly lost control of the events.


    ¡ª It is part of the Entities¡¯ duty to arbitrate, he replied simply.


    ¡ª I would also like to apologize for having lost my temper, but this event is still too recent for me. The Deity of Life and her Guardian used to visit us for several days and gave lessons, before leaving for another tour of the world. They were both very appreciated and loved by the teaching staff¡­ But well, we must continue to move forward, even if it is difficult, that is what they would have wanted. In short, let¡¯s resume the lesson, it is not over yet.

 Chapter X : First day - Part IV

    The ¡°General Knowledge¡± class took place in calm. A calm imbued with regrets among the majority of the unconscious, ignorant, and clumsy students. The latter had caused their teacher sorrow, a sorrow that remained partly marked on her face during the rest of the class. The subject following the incident concerned the six benevolent Domains as well as their powers, their authority among the Ilnolians and their method of work.


    Dong


    The bell finally rang, it was the third time since the start of classes.


    ¡ª Well, we can stop here for today. I will be away for a few minutes, I¡¯ll be right back, added Professor Sylvia, before leaving the class.


    Following her departure, Loyd turned to Elwyn.


    ¡ª She looks really bad though. It¡¯s really a shame, it clashes with her natural beauty, remarked the nephilim of War, without caring about the silence that reigned since the teacher left.


    ¡ª Whose fault is that? simply asked Elwyn without aiming at anyone in the class.


    ¡ª Not mine, I said nothing and did nothing, replied Loyd, as if the question was aimed at him by default.


    ¡ª Hmph! For once, that you are not in the middle of problems, replied Princess Sylaria.


    The princess¡¯s intervention made a good part of the class snicker, even Arim¨¦lia.


    ¡ª Oh, come on, grumbled Loyd.


    ¡ª In any case, well done to you. You managed to put an end to this story before it degenerated too much, added Sylaria, after turning towards Elwyn.


    ¡ª I just made more noise than the others.


    One of the dwarves at the back of the class replied with a slight reproach.


    ¡ª You talk! My ears were whistling for several seconds.


    Several other students nodded in approval.


    ¡ª Ah. I¡¯m sorry about that, it wasn¡¯t intended, simply apologized the young boy to the entire class.


    ¡ª Well, don¡¯t worry. It was for a good cause, replied the dwarf.


    ¡ª Anyway, I really thought she was going to end up crying over this story, added a halfling from the front row.


    A long awkward silence occurred once again, but, this time, it was broken by a knock on the table by Linariel, an elf with long wavy bark-colored hair and hazel eyes, seated in the front row.


    ¡ª She must know something. She wouldn¡¯t have reacted like that if it weren¡¯t the case, she muttered, her fist firmly clenched on her desk.


    In his corner, Elwyn nodded slightly in approval, his gaze lost on the ceiling.


    ¡°I agree with you, even if I do not know your reasons¡­ However, your method leaves something to be desired¡­¡±


    The class door suddenly opened and Sylvia immediately returned to take her place. The elf teacher looked much better than when she left, which somewhat relieved the students.


    ¡ª Well, break is over. We will move on to the next class, ¡°Etiquette and Manners¡±. As you should know, this academy welcomes different types of students from various origins and statuses. However, once you leave here, most of you will have easy access to high society. It is therefore necessary that we prepare you for that.


    Following these words, all the faces of the students belonging to the nobility suddenly tensed, as if they had just apprehended something terrible for the course of events.


    ¡ª We will therefore start with the basics. Who can name the three?


    A heavy silence fell and the students belonging to the nobility looked at each other, before Sylaria decided to raise her hand.


    ¡ª Greetings, whether formal or informal. Public behavior and, finally, respect for authority, she replied in a somewhat bitter tone.


    ¡ª Indeed, these are the basic learnings in order to begin to evolve among the important figures of the world. We will therefore start with the most important thing, the first impression. A good impression allows one to positively influence the perception that people have of you.


    Elwyn then raised his hand.


    ¡ª Except that it does not only concern the context of an encounter with the nobility. The first impression is made with everyone and all the time, isn¡¯t it? Since I arrived here, the different students I have encountered have, for the most part, not stopped staring at me because of my hair. How am I supposed to take that? If just a single physical characteristic allows someone to be immediately judged as good or bad, then what is the point of trying to be well seen?


    Loyd added.


    ¡ª I agree with him. Whether I like it or not, I am the son of Asagar. It is enough to see the color of my hair and my eyes. As a result, I am already judged without having done anything special beforehand. How are we supposed to handle that?


    A heavy silence fell in the class. Some students approved of their remarks and others were rather confused, as some questioned their learning or their own ability to judge.


    ¡ª You both are right and it is deeply unfair. Unfortunately, we cannot prevent such things from happening. It is much simpler to judge people using generalities, rather than taking them on a case-by-case basis. The only thing to do to fight that is to change the perception that people have, by changing them one by one. It is a long and tedious task, but it is the only solution. The nephilim of the Domain of War will always be considered as brutes and killers thirsty for combat and blood, if nothing is done by at least one of them to be different.


    At this response, Loyd clenched his fist firmly in disgust at his situation.


    ¡ª As for you, Elwyn. The Ravens belong to a people who isolated themselves from the world by going to the floating islands to the east of the Central Continent. It is therefore rare to meet one, and even rarer if it is a child. Many stories and secrets surround them, so it is normal that it intrigues people when they meet one for the first time.


    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    For Elwyn, the subject of discrimination, whatever its form, is very close to the Domain of Life.


    ¡ª I already know, Professor Sylvia. Professor Ezekiel has already told me about it. The problem is that judging someone on their appearance can be dangerous. Isn¡¯t it said that the most beautiful roses are often equipped with thorns? Or that the most beautiful gemstones were originally nothing more than raw, formless colored rocks?


    His words provoked a slight reaction among the elves at his first expression, then among the dwarves at his second. These expressions come from these two perfectly opposed cultures, but happen to be complementary in this present context.


    ¡ª That is also true. Unfortunately, not everyone has the processing ability that Entities possess, as well as their ability to individualize things. It is a flaw inherent in us mere mortals.


    ¡ª I see¡­ So I will have to deal with it. Thank you, Professor, for your explanation.


    The professor left her place and went to the shelves to take several works, which she placed on the nearest desks.


    ¡ª Well, in that case, we will now be able to start a practical exercise. As I have already mentioned, the first impression is crucial. We will therefore begin by working on your posture. Please, everyone, stand up from your place.


    The students stood up from their bench, waiting apprehensively for what would come next.


    ¡ª Now, I will ask you to take one book per person and place it on your desk, she continued.


    The students of noble origin began to grimace seeing where this was going to lead them, but all obeyed the teacher¡¯s request.


    ¡ª Now, I will ask you to stand up straight, feet aligned with your shoulders. I will then come around to each of you to place the book on the top of your head, and you must keep it still for the rest of the class. If you drop it, you will have to do a lap of the class like a duck before I put it back on your head, she finished, with a look and an amused smile.


    The faces of the students became ashen, as if every form of life had just disappeared from them.


    Loyd could not help but snicker imagining the scene that was about to happen, while Elwyn had just understood the reason why Oph¨¦lia cared so much that he do this exercise since he was little.


    _________________________


    For a first class, the result of the exercise was more than satisfactory for some, but a good number of ducks mainly made the round of the class. Loyd was not spared, neither was Princess Sylaria, her cousin and her two non-comrade mates. Other students gave the impression of being tightrope walkers in the midst of an artistic performance, while others gave the impression of being posts trembling from cold due to the stiffness of their bodies, as if the book was too heavy on the top of the head. Arim¨¦lia, Elwyn and the elves were spared for a while, but books were added to increase the difficulty and the elves eventually gave in.


    You monster, muttered Loyd against Elwyn, who had never faltered a single time during the class.


    The latter turned to him, still remaining upright and keeping his stack of books balanced, before walking normally towards him.


    ¡ª And you, you are a duck, he replied, his gaze turned down, as Loyd was just about to finish another lap of the class, before returning to his place.


    Meanwhile, Arim¨¦lia had not given in either. She was still standing, with the books placed between her black horns, but her mind seemed absent, as if she were in her own bubble, ignoring the rest of the world around her. Her success was not at all due to luck, but to hard work since she had left her mother and joined the kingdom of Hercor. But at that precise moment, she was questioning all that work she had done and the results obtained because of simple questions asked in the previous class.


    ¡°The first impression is made with everyone and all the time, isn¡¯t it? If just a single physical characteristic allows someone to be immediately judged as good or bad, then what is the point of trying to be well seen? ¡­ What is the point of trying to be well seen¡­ if just a single physical characteristic allows someone to be immediately judged¡­¡±


    Seeing out of the corner of her eye the worried face of the half-dragoness, Sylaria slowly turned her towards her, taking care not to drop her book.


    ¡ª Ari¡­ Are you okay?


    Arim¨¦lia did not reply.


    ¡ª Hey, Arim¨¦lia, are you okay? she asked her again.


    The half-dragoness finally reacted and turned in turn towards the princess.


    ¡ª Yes, I¡¯m fine¡­, she replied, putting on a reassuring facade to avoid complicating the situation.


    ¡ª I see¡­, replied Sylaria, not really convinced.


    The princess turned back to face the board, but ended up dropping her book again.


    ¡ª Oh no, not again¡­, she muttered, before picking up her book and placing it on her desk.


    ¡ª Good luck, she replied to her, before the princess went off for another lap.


    Dong


    For the fourth time, the bell rang.


    ¡ª Well, class is over. Before you leave, you can put your book back on your desk and don¡¯t forget to resume your writings. I wish you a good appetite, concluded Professor Sylvia, who was already beginning to gather the various works to put them away.


    Relieved from the end of this hell, or rather of this class, the students began to leave the classroom, while those from the upper classes began to descend the stone staircase, to in turn join the cafeteria.


    Elwyn decided to stay to help the professor tidy up the class, in order to be able to ask her a question once all the students had left.


    ¡ª I suspect the reason why you are still here, Elwyn, remarked the professor.


    ¡ª In that case, can you give me some answers, Professor Sylvia? Or has the Divinity Ogme asked you to keep silent?


    The elf with honey-colored hair froze at his second question and displayed a slight melancholic look towards the young nephilim.


    ¡ª What do you want to know?


    ¡ª What is the information that you have hidden from us about the Guardian of the Divinity Akeso?


    The elf professor gently clasped her hands, before rubbing her thumbs against each other.


    ¡ª What do you really know about him? she asked, resigned to speak without filter.


    ¡ª Not much. Professor Ezekiel is not very talkative and Vice-Principal Nalinaya is not in a position to tell me anything because of my appearance.


    ¡ª I see¡­ It is normal after all, they were¡­, in their own way, close¡­ Simply put, your father was a descendant of a human Hero of the second generation. He left his family, going against everyone¡¯s will, to help the inhabitants of Ilnolia with his strength, his skills and his magic, as his ancestor did before him. He ended up becoming the Guardian of the Divinity of Life, after having crossed her path many times and refusing her offer. Compared to the other Guardians of our time, he was the strongest thanks to his fragment of heroic heritage and his divine blessing.


    This revelation surprised Elwyn, not so much by its content as by the ease with which he had obtained it.


    ¡ª Thank you, Professor. I must admit that I did not expect you to answer me so easily.


    ¡ª It is only natural to help you. It is inconceivable to keep you in the dark forever. Unfortunately, I do not know him as well as Nalinaya¡­ Anyway, let¡¯s stop here, the other students might start asking questions.


    Elwyn nodded.


    ¡ª You are right, thank you again, Professor Sylvia.


    ¡ª You don¡¯t have to thank me, Elwyn, I am only doing my duty towards you.


    The young boy saluted the professor one last time before leaving the study tower to join his classmates in the cafeteria.


    ¡°A descendant of Heroes, huh¡­¡±


    _________________________


    Heroes, is the term used to designate an exceptional individual emerging among a representative of each native species of Ilnolia. These individuals stand out by physical and magical abilities surpassing those of all the other members of their own species. They assume the role of Guardian of their species, protecting against the risks of genocidal catastrophe.


    Their ability to surpass others can be passed on for up to two generations, but it halves with each transmission, as does their ability to use magic. When a Hero dies, the first child of his species born immediately after this event inherits his role.

 Chapter X : First day - Part V

    Once in the cafeteria, Elwyn joined Loyd, Arim¨¦lia and Sylaria at the back of the room, in the same seats as during breakfast, after serving themselves at the buffet.


    ¡ª What were you doing? asked Loyd, after swallowing his piece of meat.


    ¡ª I had a question to ask.


    ¡ª Ah¡­ Did you get what you wanted?


    ¡ª In a way.


    Silence fell around the table. Sylaria and Arim¨¦lia did not really seem to want to speak.


    ¡ª By the way, how is it that you manage the last class so well, even though you¡¯re not noble? asked Loyd, to fill this unpleasant silence.


    ¡ª Mother-Oph¨¦lia is a magician who studied at this academy. She prepared me for all these classes, even though I don¡¯t really understand the point. I don¡¯t plan to parade around in a castle my whole life.


    ¡ª Mother-Oph¨¦lia? That¡¯s a very strange way to talk about your parents, remarked Princess Sylaria.


    ¡ª That¡¯s true, why not just use ¡°mother¡±? asked Loyd.


    ¡ª Because, I already have a mother, even though I never knew her.


    Suddenly, Loyd and Sylaria felt bad because of their remark, forgetting the young boy¡¯s past, even if it did not seem to affect him.


    ¡ª Sorry, they replied at the same time.


    ¡ª It¡¯s nothing.


    A new silence settled for a few seconds, but was quickly broken by Elwyn.


    ¡ª Princess Sylaria, which class will you attend right after the meal, ¡°Theory of Magic¡± or ¡°Manual Versatility¡±?


    ¡ª Since I have magical abilities, I will have to take ¡°Theory of Magic.¡±


    ¡ª Humm¡­ Then, in that case, I wish you good luck for the rest, replied Elwyn simply, once the status of magician was added to the princess¡¯s knowledge.


    ¡ª Why wish me good luck? the princess asked, not at all reassured by these words.


    ¡ª According to Mother-Oph¨¦lia, it¡¯s the worst class at the academy. You had better prepare for it.


    ¡ª Are you serious? she asked, apprehensive about the rest of the day.


    In response, Elwyn nodded.


    ¡ª What are we going to do there? she asked, panicked.


    ¡ª Ah, that, I¡¯ll let you discover. Perhaps things have changed since.


    ¡ª Ah, no! You can¡¯t leave me in the dark, not after everything you¡¯ve told me, she pleaded desperately.


    ¡ª Simply vocabulary and grammar, that¡¯s all, he said, after seeing that same look as this morning regarding his hairstyle.


    ¡ª Just that?


    ¡ª Yes, just that.


    The princess sighed with relief.


    ¡ª You scared me, I thought I was going to have to read tons of magic books for two hours.


    ¡ª Uh¡­, I think you didn¡¯t understand something, remarked Loyd.


    ¡ª Oh yes, and what exactly? asked the princess, annoyed by this remark from the person least gifted in the group in terms of intellect.


    ¡ª You¡¯re probably going to have to read a lot of magic books and also write a lot of stuff to integrate the complicated magic words, right?


    The princess¡¯s face suddenly turned ashen and slowly turned towards Elwyn, who simply approved Loyd¡¯s words by nodding once more.


    ¡ª It¡¯s a joke, isn¡¯t it? she asked incredulously.


    Elwyn shook his head negatively.


    ¡ª It¡¯s not the case, he added.


    ¡ª It¡¯s a joke, isn¡¯t it? she asked again this time to Loyd.


    The nephilim of War eventually remembered something said during the first class of the day.


    ¡ª Didn¡¯t the teacher say something like, ¡°If a magician has a weak vocabulary or major grammatical weaknesses, he risks injuring himself or someone else.¡±?


    At these words, the princess¡¯s cerulean eyes finally lost their brightness, as if life had just left her body.


    Meanwhile, Arim¨¦lia seemed far away from this discussion, as if she had erected a soundproof barrier between herself and the other three comrades. She had completely isolated herself in her bubble, pensive. Elwyn noticed this state of affairs, but did nothing, as he didn¡¯t know what to say or do to remedy it.


    A long peaceful silence settled around the table.


    Dong


    The bell rang again, after an hour-long meal break. The students of the different years once again went to their respective tower.


    The four professors were once again lined up facing the hundred students and waited for a moment of calm to begin the class assignment.


    Professor Caria then stepped forward, with her usual strict look, and announced the next events.


    ¡ª For the next class, you will once again have to divide yourselves into four groups. However, all students with the ability to use magic must form a single group, which I will personally oversee.


    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Once again, the groups formed and Princess Sylaria had to abandon her comrades.


    After a quick count, thirty-one people made up the group of magicians. Four halflings, seven dwarves, eight elves, three gnomes and nine humans. The rest were divided into three groups of twenty-three individuals. Loyd joined a group where he found the most familiar faces and was followed by Elwyn and Arim¨¦lia, who could not join their friend for this class.


    The group of magicians left first, taking in the process the missing chairs along the way to the fourth floor, and the three other professors continued to face the students.


    It was now Luth¡¯s turn, the halfling professor, to step forward.


    ¡ª Well, for the class you will attend from now on, you will have a rotation of professors each day. Each of us has our own knowledge and skills to teach you. This is to compensate for the fact that magic makes it possible to accomplish a great many things, notably ways to ease everyday life or even in difficult situations, he declared in a calm and assured voice, despite a slight childish tone.


    Without wasting any more time, the three professors selected their group one by one. Loyd, Elwyn and Arim¨¦lia then ended up in Professor Luth¡¯s group and entered the study tower once again for the second floor.


    The floor was identical to the first, but a stepping stool, running the length of the blackboard, and a sort of riser for the professor¡¯s chair were there. In addition, located to the right of the blackboard, was the door leading up to the first block of the Great Library¡¯s floor.


    Once everyone was seated, Professor Luth sat on his chair and fixed his gaze on the students for a short moment.


    ¡ª Dear students, I would like to begin by warning you that the ¡°Manual Versatility¡± class will give you the knowledge and means to act to survive in difficult, even hostile, environments.


    The students¡¯ looks mostly showed surprise, even incomprehension for others.


    The hand of a dwarf girl seated at the back raised.


    ¡ª What do you mean by that?


    ¡ª What I mean is that the world we live in is not safe. Whether it is the Chaos beasts appearing at random, the war that can break out anywhere and anytime, bandits lying in wait on the roads or monsters hiding in the forests and mountains. It is so easy to end up in a situation where our life is in danger.


    Loyd then raised his hand.


    ¡ª Yes, but for all these problems, a good sword strike and you can move on. Not to mention the army, the guards or even the adventurers on the roads who are all trained to handle such events, he remarked.


    The professor nodded in agreement.


    ¡ª You are absolutely right in what you say, especially since you, yourself, are fully capable of handling such situations, thanks to your Domain.


    Loyd was relieved by the professor¡¯s approval.


    ¡ª However, we are not you and do not have your powers and skills. Moreover, guards, soldiers, and adventurers are not everywhere at all times, the professor added.


    A certain disappointment then appeared on the face of the nephilim of War.


    ¡ª Not everyone here is inclined towards adventure or combat. Most people are primarily looking for peace and tranquility.


    Several people nodded in agreement to these words.


    ¡ª Unfortunately, this tranquility can be disturbed overnight and force us to adapt, whether by taking up arms or fleeing far away. Whatever your choice at that moment, it would be useful to know how not to die from a neglected wound, which then became infected, or from hunger and thirst, if you flee without knowing where to go. Accumulating knowledge is a good thing, but not dying when you leave your home is better, he concluded.


    Once the interest of the class was understood, the students were eager for the rest of the program.


    ¡ª For this class, you will therefore have theoretical class hours and especially outdoor hours to apply them. I will take care of everything related to travel and orientation, as well as map reading and especially, cooking. Professor Darius, on the other hand, will take care of everything concerning the fabrication and maintenance of tools, weapons, and sewing. Professor Sylvia will take care of everything botanical and medical, as well as everything concerning survival in nature. In short, a fine program.


    A human, surprised by the explanation of the class, suddenly raised his hand.


    ¡ª Professor, you said that people seek tranquility and not adventure. I don¡¯t see what¡¯s tranquil about all that.


    ¡ª An awkward remark, coming from someone far too tranquil¡­ Answer my questions. What would you do if a hostile army were coming to your home?


    ¡ª I would leave with my family. I am not a soldier.


    ¡ª Good. Where would you go in that case?


    ¡ª Where there is no war.


    ¡ª And where is that on a map? Do you know how to get there? How many days of travel? Would there be enough food and water for everyone during the journey? And if on the road there are dangerous beasts, what would you do? Or, if someone got hit by an arrow while fleeing, do you know how to treat that kind of wound?


    The professor¡¯s questions piled up as the answers fell silent.


    ¡ª I¡­ I don¡¯t know, professor¡­ he finally replied.


    Light mockery arose within the class, which irritated the professor, who slowly swept his gaze over all the students.


    ¡ª I return all these questions to you as well. What would you do in his place?


    The mockery then instantly disappeared.


    ¡ª That¡¯s exactly what I thought. For most of you, you are still children. The future is still far from your sight¡­ Anyway, let¡¯s begin the lesson, we have lost enough time.


    _________________________


    Meanwhile, on the fourth floor, Professor Caria was about to begin her class. The blue-gray gaze of the magician swept over her class, waiting for complete silence once her students were settled. Besides, the latter had butterflies in their stomachs after having seen the big book placed on the corner of each table.


    ¡ª Well, young students, who can give me the definition of what magic is?


    An elf raised his hand.


    ¡ª It is the art of manipulating and transforming ether.


    ¡ª That¡¯s just passable as an answer. Who can make it more complete?


    A human then raised her hand.


    ¡ª It is the art of manipulating and transforming ether by using one¡¯s will, in order to reproduce various phenomena or simple natural elements.


    The professor nodded in agreement.


    ¡ª Much better. Magic is an art just like that of the sword. It requires concentration, discipline, practice and above all, a lot of knowledge. However, it is much more dangerous to master. Both for oneself and for others. You will therefore have to assimilate a lot of things before practicing anything. Do you understand?


    The entire class nodded, but with a great apprehension, a trembling look in the corner of their eyes facing the massive book on their desk.


    ¡ª Well. Now, I will ask you to read, understand and assimilate the various words and definitions in the dictionary located on the corner of your desk.


    A dwarf raised his hand, a little trembling.


    ¡ª Professor, why must we do that?


    The professor sighed slightly.


    ¡ª Because magic needs words to be properly shaped according to the will of its user. Each word has its own meaning, its sense and its power over the mind of people, and each of you has your own sensitivity. Magic is just a simple puzzle of words to line up correctly to obtain a desired result, at least in theory. So, before you start casting spells, you will have to understand the world around you and its functioning, in order to then be able to reproduce its famous phenomena or natural elements.


    Princess Sylaria raised her hand.


    ¡ª What about silent magic?


    Caria¡¯s gaze suddenly hardened.


    ¡ª Not for this year. This use of magic requires undisturbed concentration, so as not to end up in a natural disaster. It also requires the ability to imagine things, while keeping the logic and functioning of the world.


    ¡ª What do you mean by that? asked Sylaria.


    ¡ª If you want to make fire, use the word fire. If you use silent magic, you will have to imagine fire.


    The professor then raised her right hand to her chest and suddenly, a flame appeared in the palm of that hand.


    ¡ª By the way, what is fire? A destructive natural element, turning everything it touches into a burning liquid or ash? Or a source of light and heat, allowing life in this world? It is all of that at once. However, you must also know that fire needs open air to continue burning and a fuel upon which to settle, here, the ether. In short, understand the world, its laws, its logic and you will be able to bend it to your will. That will be all. If you have no additional questions, please begin working in silence, she concluded, before making the flame disappear by closing her hand over it.

 Chapter X : First day - Part VI

    The perception of time is something that differs according to individuals and species. Elves could live up to seven hundred years and perceived a week as a human or halfling day, while dwarves perceived four and gnomes two. However, one thing is certain, the two hours of "Manual Versatility" class passed much more quickly than those of "Theory of Magic", regardless of the species'' perception.


    The longer the life expectancy, the slower the raw mass of course information is assimilated. The elves and dwarves ended up with a pretty bad headache and the others simply looked as though they had spent a sleepless night.


    It is therefore with a tired face, a walk devoid of energy, and a stack of course sheets that Princess Sylaria joined her three comrades, just returning from a practical class.


    ¡ª Whoa, you really look awful, remarked Loyd.


    ¡ª Save¡­ me¡­, the princess asked weakly.


    Arim¨¦lia then joined her friend, who pressed her forehead against her chest.


    ¡ª I don''t want... I don''t want... I don''t want to be a magician anymore, she added, groaning.


    The half-dragoness took Sylaria in her arms, then passed her right hand behind the princess''s head to gently caress it, in order to comfort her.


    ¡ª It will be alright, it''s over now, Arim¨¦lia reassured.


    Following this action, the princess began to calm down.


    ¡ª Until tomorrow, at least, added Elwyn, recalling without much compassion a terrible truth, which made the princess moan again about her fate.


    ¡ª I don''t want to come back... I don''t want any more magic... I want to go home...


    ¡ª Was it really that terrible? asked Loyd.


    Sylaria straightened up and left Arim¨¦lia¡¯s arms to join Loyd with heavy steps, before handing him her handwritten sheets.


    ¡ª You can''t even imagine...


    Loyd took the sheets and began to read their content. As he turned each page, his brain began to saturate from the overload of information. The more he read, the more he forgot the previous content.


    Seeing the empty look of his nephilim comrade, Elwyn cast a glance at these sheets.


    ¡ª They are just vocabulary words with their definition. Putting precise words on what you want to do is the very basis of magic, remarked the young boy.


    ¡ª What would a non-magician know about magic? asked the princess, somewhat annoyed by Elwyn''s nonchalant behavior.


    ¡ª Because I have read the magic books of my adoptive mother and witnessed many spells that she cast. I also copied vocabulary and definitions to improve my understanding of the world and words, as well as to progress in my writing, he replied simply, not even taking into account the change in the princess''s tone.


    ¡ª You''re not human, that''s why it''s so easy for you, replied the princess to reassure herself about her situation.


    Involuntarily, this remark, targeting only the young boy, also affected Arim¨¦lia.


    ¡°I''m not so different from him¡­ So I''m¡­ too¡­ different from the others¡­ Do I really have a place here? ¡­¡°


    Elwyn''s gaze and face then became serious and his voice took on a reproachful tone.


    ¡ª I am half-human and I am not in the special class by chance or luck. Since I was very little, I have worked hard, every day, to get here. It is my efforts and my will that have brought me to where I am today. Magic is demanding, indeed, but you can''t even imagine the number of people who would wish to be in your place despite that.


    Since he was very little, the young nephilim of the Domain of Life had had this attraction for magic, and even today, it is still present. He has just long since resigned himself to not being able to use it.


    This fleeting change in Elwyn''s attitude surprised everyone and made the princess reflect on her own attitude.


    _________________________


    As the last two hours of class were to be held outdoors, the students were asked to deposit their course sheets in their room. Once this task was completed, they had to go to the arena''s locker room to change before gathering in front of the academy''s entrance.


    Under the academy''s entrance arch stood Aldric, a man in his thirties, relatively tall and imposing, with a robust and muscular build. He was entirely clad in an impressive scale armor. His massive cuirass, made up of numerous overlapping metallic scales, protected his torso and shoulders, while his arms were covered with matching armguards and shoulder pads. His legs were enveloped in thick and sturdy greaves. His short blonde hair was slightly disheveled, complemented by a fine mustache that accompanied his beard. His brown eyes were expressive and kind, and his face wore a warm smile, giving him a jovial appearance.


    Facing this imposing warrior were the hundred students who looked as frail as twigs.


    ¡ª Well! Dear students, it is now time to stretch your legs, after having sat for so long in front of your books and other papers. Between fighting or fleeing, you will have to choose, but whichever your final decision, in both cases, if you want to survive, you will need a robust and enduring body. Never forget, a strong body improves confidence and self-esteem. A strong body improves your performance as a magician. And finally, a strong body improves your attractiveness and increases your chances of finding love, declared loudly the somewhat over-enthusiastic professor.


    A heavy silence fell. The students knew very well how things were going to unfold next, another hell. But this time, it would be the body that would be severely tested. However, a doubt began to surface concerning the number of students to be managed by a single professor. To remedy this, Professor Luth and Professor Sylvia, in exercise attire, arrived alongside Aldric.


    ¡ª For the "Physical Conditioning" class, you will have to divide yourselves into three groups. Each professor will take care of one group with a specific exercise, before rotating after twenty minutes. I will supervise you on a running session around the arena, added Aldric.


    ¡ª As for me, I will take care of your muscle strengthening, continued Luth.


    ¡ª And finally, as for me, it will be your coordination that will be tested, concluded Sylvia, showcasing a ring set with a purple crystal carved like a precious stone, on her left index finger.


    Elwyn immediately recognized this crystal, similar to that of Oph¨¦lia¡¯s wand.


    "Eth¨¦rite¡­ That promises¡­ We''ll have to avoid spells¡­"


    Eth¨¦rite is a crystal used as a catalyst by magicians. It forms when ether crystallizes in an environment of high density of that element or when it is artificially manipulated to subject it to high pressure. By exploiting eth¨¦rite, a magician can open a micro-extraplanar portal to the Ethereal Plane, thus allowing him to draw directly the ether necessary for his spells. This catalyst facilitates the casting of large-scale spells with minimal effort to gather and attract the ether to oneself. However, its use requires a high concentration and mastery of the ether in order to avoid any risk of magical catastrophe.


    The other students, also recognizing the crystal, began to feel cold sweats at the thought of the coordination exercise.


    ¡ª Alright! Now, form three groups and get moving! ordered Aldric, after clapping his hands to rouse the bewildered students.


    This order then made the latter react vigorously, and, in a certain haste, they began to form the requested mixed groups.


    During this chaotic moment, a cold draft blew behind Elwyn, Loyd and Arim¨¦lia, prompting them to turn around to discover its source. They then realized that Professor Ezekiel had arrived suddenly, equipped with a long and thin sword at his belt, featuring a curved hilt and pommel.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    ¡ª You three, come with me, the professor ordered them.


    The students closest to the group also turned towards Ezekiel''s voice and looked at each other in astonishment at his presence.


    ¡ª What? But why? Do we have a special class with you? asked Arim¨¦lia, visibly the only person surprised in the group.


    ¡ª Indeed, otherwise, this class risks being very soporific for you. It would be a shame to waste your time on childish exercises. Especially since some of you possess powers that are among the most dangerous to master, he replied, carefully fixing his gaze on Arim¨¦lia during her last sentence.


    The half-dragoness shuddered at the contact of the professor''s piercing and icy gaze, who was not particularly in a bad mood.


    ¡ª Very well, she replied weakly, her gaze turned towards the ground.


    The trio of particular elements then followed Ezekiel out of the academy, under the astonished gaze of Princess Sylaria and the annoyed gaze of her cousin Lorian.


    ¡ª Professor, one moment please, intervened the latter.


    Ezekiel sighed, before turning towards the disruptive element.


    ¡ª What do you want?


    ¡ª Professor, you just said that this class was too simple. Allow me then to join you.


    The professor sighed once again, but with annoyance, in the face of this lack of respect towards their educational system.


    ¡ª You have nothing particular to assert to me. You are a magician, that''s already something.


    ¡ª But, Professor, I also want to become stronger. If you take the crow''s head, then I don''t see why I couldn''t come as well.


    In appearance, Elwyn and Lorian had a similar build, slender but muscular. However, as a half-Entity belonging to the Domain of Life, Elwyn displayed a perfectly proportioned silhouette and much denser musculature. As for Loyd, also a half-Entity, but a bit older, he surpassed the other two in height, shoulder width, and musculature.


    Ezekiel''s gaze turned towards Elwyn, who then understood that things were not going to go the way he would have liked them to.


    "He wants to settle it with me¡­ Idiot without a survival instinct¡­ You¡¯re the type to step on a dragon¡¯s tail and then complain about getting burned¡­"


    ¡ª Professor Ezekiel, I have no interest in confronting him. It would only be a waste of time and energy. If he wants to fight, he can face Loyd. I''m sure he would be delighted, replied Elwyn simply.


    The aforementioned nephilim of the Domain of War nodded affirmatively.


    ¡ª You say that because you are a coward. You are afraid to face me and lose your special class privilege for this course, retorted Lorian.


    Elwyn then turned towards Lorian and waved his right index finger from left to right as a sign of refusal.


    ¡ª Sorry for you, but provocation and insults do not work on Entities like me. They are the preferred weapons of the weak and the incompetent. Besides, if I beat you, I will gain nothing in return. It is therefore a waste of time and energy for me.


    Lorian clenched his fists and his jaw in discontent, his face showing a very displeased expression.


    ¡ª Hey, blondie. Elwyn already put you to your knees yesterday and you did nothing about it, so stop wasting everyone''s time, added Loyd.


    "I wonder how long it will take before he loses it, that one¡­"


    ¡ª Tsk! Yesterday, I was caught off guard. I won''t be fooled a second time by his trickery, retorted Lorian.


    This dismal spectacle had obviously attracted the attention of all the first-year students, and the professors preferred to keep a certain distance to observe the evolution of the situation.


    Arim¨¦lia, who had taken a step back behind Elwyn, was also observing the situation; however, she was worried about the turn that events were taking. Dragons, creatures passionate about fighting among themselves or against beings of equivalent power, had developed a particular instinct that allowed them to assess the strength of their opponents. The half-dragoness clearly saw the difference in strength between the two young boys.


    ¡ª Prince Lorian, I beg you, you are not a match for him, do not face him, implored Arim¨¦lia, hoping that it would help.


    Having heard that familiar and particularly unpleasant, if not horrible, voice, Prince Lorian turned towards the half-dragoness and gave her a particularly disgusted look.


    ¡ª How dare you speak to me? Hideous creature! Go back to rot in your wild land, instead of subjecting me to the sight of your monstrous head, he replied in a virulent tone, accompanied by a look full of hatred and contempt.


    The contemptuous words and disdainful looks of the prince towards Arim¨¦lia were not rare, especially when she was near him. However, he generally took care not to express them openly in public. Although some people were shocked by his words, most knew of the deep animosity of the inhabitants of the kingdom of Hercor towards the dragonoids. The latter are regularly subjected to attacks, with dragons located not far from their coastal borders, just above the sea.


    In the face of these words, the blood of Princess Sylaria began to boil, but she had to hold herself back from intervening and striking her cousin. As for Arim¨¦lia, she could only lower her head in the face of his hostility. Loyd, meanwhile, merely gave Lorian a withering look.


    The words did not affect Elwyn; he did not care at all. For him, words only had force or weight if one gave them that, which was not the case for the young nephilim. However, he knew that others were different and could therefore be affected more or less strongly.


    "I cannot run away¡­ I must therefore fight¡­ Will he have a body robust and enduring enough to take my life lesson? We shall see¡­"


    Elwyn finally turned his gaze towards Loyd, the person most capable of arbitrating this kind of situation.


    "A conflict, great! He¡¯d better give that filthy degenerate prince a good beating..."


    ¡ª Very well, let us face each other. But know that you will regret all the words you have spoken against me, Loyd, and Arim¨¦lia.


    ¡ª Perfect, I will knock you off your branch, the Crow.


    Elwyn''s gaze then turned towards Ezekiel.


    ¡ª Professor, may I give him a lesson?


    ¡ª As you wish, as long as he does not die.


    ¡ª What would be the point of giving him a lesson if he cannot integrate it in his lifetime?


    Meanwhile, Loyd moved between the two young boys to prepare the arbitration and the rules of the duel. He then extended his arms in the direction of the fighters and a red thread came to connect their hearts to his hands.


    ¡ª Very well, for this duel, you will not be allowed to use any form of powers. Only a physical confrontation. If you want a weapon, I will provide it. Do you have any requests or particular conditions?


    A malicious smile appeared on Lorian''s face.


    ¡ª If the Crow loses, he will have to permanently swap his place with me for this course.


    Loyd turned his head towards Elwyn, who nodded in agreement to the condition, before speaking.


    ¡ª In that case, if I win, I demand that no form of treatment be administered to you after the fight, regardless of the extent of the injuries. And since you were the one who challenged me, I choose as a condition of victory the inability to fight.


    Loyd then turned his head once more towards Lorian for confirmation.


    ¡ª Very well, I accept your conditions.


    Loyd then brought his hands closer and tied together the two red threads.


    ¡ª Perfect, now that the rules are established, what weapon do you want? he asked simply, with an air strangely calm given the situation.


    ¡ª I will take a simple training sword, asked Lorian.


    It took no more than two seconds for the requested sword to appear in Loyd''s right hand, who then extended his pommel to Lorian.


    ¡ª And you? asked Loyd, confident about his fellow nephilim''s choice.


    ¡ª None.


    An amused smile appeared on Loyd''s face.


    ¡ª Perfect, in that case, you may begin the fight.


    Lorian assumed a standard combat stance, the sword held with both hands and the tip directed towards his opponent''s face. Elwyn, for his part, remained stoic, without adopting any particular body position and without raising his arms in front of him. He simply waited for Lorian to take the initiative.


    This behavior of the half-Entity greatly annoyed his opponent, who did not feel taken seriously.


    ¡ª So, you are already giving up? You think you can do what without a weapon and without power? You think you can beat me with your bare hands?


    ¡ª For someone who wanted to fight so much, I find you particularly talkative when it matters. Is it a form of regret on your part? Or rather, is it a way to escape your responsibility?


    Lorian''s hands clenched, full of rage, on his pommel, and finally, he lunged at full speed towards Elwyn, ready to deliver a vertical blow.


    From an ordinary point of view, such as that of the majority of first-year students, Prince Lorian seemed fast and confident in his actions. After all, he had been trained in swordsmanship by a particular professor since the age of five. However, the distinction between the two young boys stemmed not only from their training combat experience, but also from the quality of it.


    Lorian had acquired the art of sword fighting mainly for aesthetic purposes, in accordance with his status as a prince. He had not been trained to be a frontline fighter, especially since the discovery of his aptitude for magic. In short, he was more of a ceremonial soldier.


    In contrast, Elwyn had been trained by Volden, a former adventurer. The latter had always ensured to maintain a difference in strength between the two of them, with the aim of ensuring Elwyn''s survival in the outside world. Moreover, Volden wished to pass on his skills, his knowledge, and share his experience with a child. Elwyn, being closer to the Entity than to a human, was particularly receptive to this kind of honest and sincere intention.


    Thus, when Prince Lorian delivered his blow, Elwyn made a simple quarter-turn to the right at the last moment and extended his left foot to make him stumble. In his eyes, trained by Volden''s speed for seven years, the prince was far too slow. When Lorian tripped over Elwyn''s feet, he began to fall forward due to his momentum, his arms raised and his sword drawn back. His chest, now completely exposed, allowed Elwyn to deliver a powerful punch, violently propelling him backwards. Lorian then landed on his back, with a great impact, which made him drop his sword, before rolling like a stone for a few meters, before coming to a stop on his side with a cough and some painful moans.


    Elwyn did not wait for him to stop before joining him. Once by his side, he delivered a kick to knock him onto his back, before pressing his chest with that same foot and positioning himself above him in a dominant manner.

 Chapter X : First day - Part VII

    Without much surprise for Loyd, Arim¨¦lia and the entire teaching staff on site, as well as a good part of the students, the duel seemed about to end with a landslide victory for Elwyn. However, astonishment still reigned, given the ease with which he had resolved the situation, the force he deployed and the brutality he showed at the end.


    Princess Sylaria and Lorian¡¯s two companions, Linhart and Sarra, were the most shocked by the condition and position in which the prince of Hercor currently found himself.


    Elwyn, now kneeling on his adversary¡¯s chest, looked down at him with the hauteur typical of an Entity facing a heretic of his Domain, preparing to give him a lesson.


    Prince Lorian, for his part, was rather in a bad state. His chest and back hurt from the various impacts he had sustained, his breathing was difficult because he had not had time to properly catch his breath since Elwyn¡¯s punch, and his ego was being trampled in front of just over a hundred people.


    ¡ª So, what do you feel being put in your place, human? Is it painful? asked the young nephilim, adopting a moralizing attitude.


    The prince could not answer anything, but that mattered little to Elwyn.


    ¡ª In life, there are two kinds of beings. Predators, who hunt and kill, and prey, who are hunted and killed. You, Prince Lorian, are my prey.


    At these words, Elwyn applied more pressure on the prince¡¯s chest, without caring about his moans and pained grimaces that followed the act.


    ¡ª You should have listened to Arim¨¦lia instead of insulting her. I am a naturally superior being to you and I have surely worked harder and longer than you to reach my current abilities. So, be careful not to provoke someone stronger than you again, otherwise, you will end up in this state once more, or even worse.


    Elwyn released the pressure a little, allowing Lorian to breathe somewhat, before concluding his lesson.


    ¡ª By the way, I¡¯d like to remind you of one last important thing. Your title has no value. It protects you neither from stabbings, nor from poisonings, and even less from an Entity performing his moral duty towards an Ilnolian who thinks he can do anything, concluded the nephilim, before getting up and standing one meter away from his adversary.


    ¡ª I declare the end of the fight and the winner is Elwyn, proclaimed Loyd, after having observed for himself Lorian¡¯s inability to continue the fight.


    ¡ª Well, since this story is now over, we can resume class, declared Aldric afterwards.


    With a quick gesture, Loyd made the training sword lying on the ground disappear and then turned to Elwyn, before joining Ezekiel and Arim¨¦lia for their special class. At the same time, Linhart and Sarra rushed to support their prince, who had just begun to cry. He had just been beaten in one blow, humiliated by being dominated on his back and then reprimanded in front of all the students of his year.


    This sight of Prince Lorian left Princess Sylaria perplexed about her feelings and saddened Arim¨¦lia. Loyd was then the only person satisfied with the situation, as Elwyn had already moved on.


    _________________________


    On the way to a forest near the academy, Loyd wanted to fill the silence that had settled since their departure.


    ¡ª By the way, great fight. You managed to neutralize him in one blow and make him cry like a baby. I hope it will calm him down a bit.


    Elwyn then quickly recalled the confrontation.


    ¡ª He was¡­ strangely weak. I expected more resistance from him, given how he behaved, and I must admit it was quite¡­ disappointing.


    ¡ª And yet, he is among the best of your year, replied Ezekiel.


    ¡ª He has been training hard since he was five and also knows how to use magic, even if it is only single-target for now, added Arim¨¦lia.


    ¡ª You seem to know him well, even though there is no form of friendship or tolerance between you, remarked Loyd.


    ¡ª Yes¡­, the half-dragoness simply replied.


    The subject of Lorian then raised a question in Elwyn¡¯s mind.


    ¡ª I was wondering how it is that he is a prince and that Sylaria is a princess of the same kingdom without being brother and sister?


    ¡ª Hey¡­ that¡¯s true¡­ How is that? wondered Loyd in turn.


    ¡ª A long time ago, the king of Hercor had twins and did not want to decide on a single heir. Thus, they both became kings, each creating his own lineage, making the kingdom dyarchic, replied Ezekiel.


    ¡ª Why such a change for just twins? asked Loyd.


    ¡ª Because, if they were perfectly identical, it would have been very likely to confuse them. How could one put a king on the throne when he might be mistaken for his brother? That would have caused too many problems between them and could have ended badly. Not to mention the mix-ups they might have with nobles and other authority figures, thinking they were speaking to the king or his brother, replied Ezekiel.


    Arim¨¦lia nodded in agreement with the professor¡¯s answer.


    ¡ª Said like that¡­ it¡¯s rather logical. But it remains a big change for not much.


    After a few minutes of walking, they finally stopped in the center of an isolated clearing.


    ¡ª Professor, what have you planned for the class? asked Elwyn.


    ¡ª Loyd and you will face each other, with and without your powers, while I take care of Arim¨¦lia elsewhere.


    The half-dragoness took this declaration as a sort of reproach for herself.


    ¡°I am too different from the others¡­ so I must be isolated so that they can take care of me¡­¡±


    Professor Ezekiel then went under his long black coat and took out two kinds of open metal handcuff-like bracelets made of polished metal, and handed one to each of the nephilim.


    ¡ª What is that? asked Loyd.


    ¡ª These are restriction bracelets. Once put in place, they prevent ether manipulators and users from being able to use it.


    Elwyn carefully examined his bracelet and noticed a magical engraving with two distinct characteristics. First, he observed that the engraving was divided in two at the clasp, implying that when the bracelet was closed, the spell became functional. Then, he noted that the engraving was different from those he had encountered before.


    Generally, a magical engraving is made by projecting ether under pressure to form a complete circle that attracts ether to itself. Inside this circle, a spell is inscribed following its pattern. For restriction bracelets, the slight separation of the circle into two at the closure indicates that the ether is repelled and that each half of the circle contains a distinct spell. The first, on the inside, disorganizes the internal ether, while the second, on the outside, repels the ether around the object.


    "Given the time Entities have spent among the Ilnolians, it is normal that they have found restriction methods suited to us¡­ How many half-Entities have caused harm with their powers? How many victims? Then, given its effects, this object should also work against magicians¡­¡±


    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    ¡ª Isn¡¯t it a bit exaggerated to use this kind of thing for a training? asked Loyd.


    ¡ª Humm! What a beautiful proof of your naivety. This object will force you to hold back your blows and dodge without resorting to your extraplanar movement. Because, if you ignore it again, there are places where it is impossible to use your powers or ether. So learn to fight like everyone else, if you want to avoid unpleasant surprises later, replied Ezekiel, with a slight condescension.


    Loyd¡¯s gaze hardened at the tone and words of Professor Ezekiel, but he did not try anything against him. He knew it would be useless against him.


    Wanting to test the capabilities of the object, Elwyn then put the bracelet on his left wrist and closed it.


    Suddenly, he felt his body become heavy all at once, as if he had to use more energy for even the slightest movement. He also noticed that his internal energy flow no longer circulated and that he was unable to modify it to strengthen his body. As for the use of ether, he tried to levitate a small piece of wood on the ground, but without any result. The surrounding ether did not come to him.


    ¡ª It¡¯s really impressive as an object. I really believe that with this, it is possible to become stronger. Well, if Loyd doesn¡¯t kill me in the meantime.


    ¡ª How do you feel with this object? asked Loyd.


    ¡ª Heavy and slow¡­ I feel as if I am carrying a weight distributed over my entire body.


    Loyd then put on his bracelet and felt the same sensation, unaware that his feeling was less intense than that of Elwyn. Indeed, the latter usually benefits from a passive advantage of well-being and lightness thanks to the Domain of Life.


    ¡ª Well, now that you have understood the effects of your bracelets, start by facing each other for one hour without them, then put them back on for the second hour, explained Ezekiel before nodding to Arim¨¦lia so that she would follow him, leaving the two nephilim alone.


    Elwyn and Loyd then removed their bracelets and placed them on the ground, facing each other. Loyd made two training short swords appear and threw one at Elwyn. They then both assumed a combat stance before charging at each other.


    _________________________


    Meanwhile, Professor Ezekiel and Arim¨¦lia quickened their pace and left the forest to meet in a plain, not far from a rocky area. The half-dragoness observed the surroundings and noticed a pile of training swords previously stacked in front of a rock.


    ¡ª Alright, here we will be alone. So, as it seems you have difficulty controlling your strength, we will spend one hour fighting with swords, with the objective of not destroying the blades. For the second hour, you will take your draconic form, and we will fight again so that you can master this transformation, explained Ezekiel.


    ¡ª But¡­ professor, I risk seriously injuring you if I transform, retorted Arim¨¦lia with apprehension.


    ¡ª Stop whining, kid. You are centuries away from being able to do anything serious to me. I am in charge of handling abnormal and potentially dangerous individuals. So do not think for a single moment that you scare me, especially with your so closed-off and insecure attitude, replied the professor sharply.


    ¡ª Very well¡­, capitulated the half-dragoness, her stomach in knots.


    Professor Ezekiel then went to fetch two training swords and gave one to the half-dragoness, who took it lethargically.


    ¡ª A little nerve, kid! If you want to be respected, you are going to have to work hard on yourself. Now, get into a guard stance, growled Ezekiel, exasperated by Arim¨¦lia¡¯s behavior.


    The half-dragoness obeyed the command out of fear and took a guard stance facing the professor.


    ¡ª Alright. I will initiate the fight, so prepare yourself. And don¡¯t forget, avoid destroying the blades, reexplained the professor, before launching his offensive.


    Arim¨¦lia parried the assault with a simple blow of her blade, but nicked both weapons under the impact force. Ezekiel launched another offensive of light blows that the half-dragoness parried or deflected. However, with each impact, the blades slowly began to transform into saw-teeth, testifying to the force she was imparting in her movements.


    ¡ª Go easy with your parries, breathe and closely observe my movements. Don¡¯t be afraid of my blade, it is not dangerous, explained the professor during the exchange of blows.


    Arim¨¦lia, anxious, lightened her grip on her sword, following the professor¡¯s advice, which led to an almost immediate disarmament.


    ¡ª Too light. Hold your weapon more firmly anyway and also think about counter-attacking.


    ¡ª Yes¡­, replied Arim¨¦lia in a weak voice.


    The professor¡¯s gaze intensified.


    ¡ª You are scared, aren¡¯t you?


    ¡ª Yes¡­


    ¡ª You fear hurting me if you counter-attack?


    ¡ª Yes¡­


    Ezekiel then decided to roll up the sleeve of his left arm, then placed his nicked blade on his exposed forearm.


    ¡ª Look closely, he ordered.


    Arim¨¦lia fixed her eyes on the professor¡¯s pale arm, which had been deeply cut by the serrated blade. Terror seized her as a spurt of blood burst from the wound, after Ezekiel had withdrawn his blade.


    ¡ª Professor! exclaimed Arim¨¦lia, frightened.


    ¡ª It will be alright, don¡¯t worry, replied Ezekiel calmly, while his self-inflicted wound closed in a few seconds, leaving no scar or trace of blood.


    Stupefaction and amazement overcame the half-dragoness.


    ¡ª You see, you cannot easily hurt me. So put a bit more of your own into it now. If you want to improve, stop being unnecessarily afraid, he added.


    ¡ª Alright¡­, she replied, still stunned by what had just happened.


    Ezekiel then took Arim¨¦lia¡¯s sword and placed both weapons not far from the pile of swords, from which he took two new ones as replacements.


    ¡ª Come on, let¡¯s resume.


    _________________________


    At the same time, in the clearing, the two nephilims continued exchanging relentless attacks. However, it was Loyd who led the dance and Elwyn could only endure, even though he had the advantage of being able to make extraplanar movements more quickly than his adversary and thus surprise him from time to time.


    ¡ª So, did you get what you wanted? asked Loyd between exchanges of blows.


    ¡ª What do you mean?


    ¡ª You took your time coming to eat, so I suppose it was to ask something of Professor Sylvia.


    ¡ª Ah, so that¡¯s what you were talking about. Yes, I got some information, he replied while chaining several piercing blows aimed at his adversary¡¯s chest.


    ¡ª So, what did you learn? he asked, while deflecting each blow with the least possible movements.


    ¡ª My father was the descendant of a human Hero of the second generation, so I did not inherit his power, and during his lifetime, he was the most powerful Guardian.


    On the spot, Loyd was taken aback by this unexpected revelation, but recovered quickly after noticing that it had no value for their objective.


    The two nephilims then paused to continue their discussion.


    ¡ª You know, nephilims have a growth and power development equivalent to that of a descendant of a second-generation Hero. The only difference we have with your father, before he became a Guardian, is that we cannot use magic.


    ¡ª You mean that together, we can have a strength equivalent to his before his death?


    ¡ª Not really, the strength of two people does not simply add up. Each has his own physical abilities and fighting style, but if we manage to coordinate and understand what the other wants to do during a fight, then we can be far more dangerous than him.


    ¡ª Two against one, isn¡¯t that considered cheating in your Domain?


    ¡ª If it is a regulated duel, it is because the individual agrees with that situation. In his duels, Asagar always lowered himself to the same power level as his opponent, even if it involved several individuals.


    ¡ª At the same time, if he fought constantly at full power, war or even the slightest combat would no longer make any sense with him on the battlefield.


    ¡ª On the battlefield, he reinforces the army he is in charge of with his aura, gives the strategy to follow and makes sure that the rules are well applied by all sides. He only fights against opponents who have real potential as warriors, for his own pleasure, with an agreement in case he is defeated.


    ¡ª I see. So he is not only a warrior, he is a war leader, a strategist and an arbitrator¡­ That promises.


    Following this conclusion, the two nephilims resumed their fight with more ardor, in order to make up for the brief pause they had just taken.


    _________________________


    Meanwhile, at the academy, the training of the first-year students continued without a hitch.


    Professor Aldric set the pace for the run around the arena, giving encouragement and motivation to the less athletic, while reprimanding those who deliberately dragged their feet.


    For his part, Professor Luth was very active. He led by example for each muscle-building exercise before correcting the students¡¯ postures.


    Finally, the exercise led by Professor Sylvia went wonderfully, at least for her. The students had to dodge volleys of water spheres falling from the sky at varying speeds and, at the end of the exercise, the professor dried her students to prevent them from getting sick.


    It is thus in this environment that Princess Sylaria was left by her comrades for their special class. Her physical abilities being somewhat below average, she had difficulty keeping up with each exercise, but still managed to survive the class, earning sore muscles for the rest of the day.


    Unlike her, Prince Lorian had a handicap following his fight. Every action and every movement was painful for him. His chest was marked by a large bruise where he had received Elwyn¡¯s blow full force, making his breathing difficult. However, even weakened, he did his best to hold on. He wanted to succeed. He refused to lose again. It was unthinkable for him and for all the efforts he had made since he was a child.

 Chapter X : First Day - Part VIII

    Ether, the primordial element of the universe, the source of all things. Some Ilnolians believe that the Great Creator is a direct creation of this element, the very first in the universe. Others, however, think that he represents a conscious and intelligent form of ether itself.


    During the creation of the Ilnolians, the Great Creator granted some of them the power to use this element, which manifests in three distinct forms. The first, used by magicians, requires the pure and raw form of ether, making their manipulation very close to that of the Great Creator. The second, employed by the Entities, requires a refined and fluid form of ether. Depending on their Domain, the ether in their magical circuit varies. Finally, the third form, used by elementalists, is freer and wilder. They can either draw from the surrounding ether to unleash their element or rely on their own magical circuit to gain better control over it.


    In Ilnolia, except for humans, Entities, and certain minor beings, all humanoid species are connected to one or two Elemental Sources. In rare cases, some individuals can master one or two elements and are then called elementalists.


    Dwarves, elves, gnomes, and halflings are all linked to the Earth Source but are also respectively connected to the Sources of Fire, Water, Light, and Wind. Other beings, linked to a single Source, are all elementalists, generally more skilled in their mastery of the element.


    _________________________


    Dong


    As soon as the bell signaling the end of the class rang, the first-year students immediately stopped their physical exercises. Exclamations of "Finally, it''s over!", "About time!", and even a "I can''t take it anymore, I want to go home!" from Princess Sylaria could be heard.


    ¡ª You were perfect, keep this up until the end of your studies, and you¡¯ll become almost as strong and attractive as me, Aldric declared enthusiastically.


    However, after such a class, the students were not really in a condition to respond positively to their professor¡¯s overflowing energy.


    ¡ª Well, for this final hour, you will divide into three groups. One will go with Professor Caria for magic class, another with Professor Darius for elementalists, and the rest will stay with me for combat mastery, added Aldric.


    Professors Luth and Sylvia gave way to Professors Caria and Darius, and the students hurried to group themselves according to the instructions. Thirty-one students formed the magicians¡¯ group, nineteen the elementalists¡¯ group, and fifty the combat mastery group.


    The students in the combat group then equipped themselves with a training weapon of their choice before entering the arena to engage in duels or practice target shooting. Under the watchful eye of Professor Aldric, who assessed his recruits'' abilities, he assigned them different exercises depending on the types of weapons they used.


    As for the magicians and elementalists, they left the academy to go to a clearing away from the main grounds. There, they positioned themselves at a safe distance from one another.


    The magicians¡¯ exercise involved sitting cross-legged and sensing the flow of surrounding ether. They had to capture a small portion, take control of it, and gradually increase this amount without exceeding the threshold of loss of control. Once they reached this limit, they would restart the exercise.


    The elementalists¡¯ exercise was similar, but they could not maintain control of the ether as long as the magicians. They had to capture a certain amount of ether, briefly take control of it to give it direction, then release it in that direction like an arrow being shot. The goal was to repeat the exercise while increasing the amount of controlled ether with each attempt.


    Linhart and Sarra, Prince Lorian¡¯s companions, were part of the combat mastery group, while Lorian and Sylaria attended the magic class.


    _________________________


    Meanwhile, Elwyn and Loyd continued their fight, but this time, with their restriction bracelets. For the first time, Elwyn truly felt the pain associated with prolonged physical training. The Nephilim of Life, too accustomed to the regenerative and healing influence of his Domain, had never experienced long-term suffering. He accumulated scratches and bruises in a duel with Loyd, who was perfectly adapted to his environment, even though he too was weakened by his bracelet. Loyd struggled to predict his opponent¡¯s attacks as effectively as usual, and his own strikes seemed weaker than before.


    ¡ª This is really not the same with these things, Loyd remarked between two parries.


    Elwyn exhaled after being pushed back by his opponent.


    ¡ª Yeah, it¡¯s harder to move. I even feel tingling everywhere you¡¯ve hit me. It¡¯s¡­ unpleasant.


    ¡ª That¡¯ll teach you to move faster, Loyd replied with a teasing smile before launching another assault.


    Elwyn saw the attack coming straight at him. He hurriedly stepped back to regain a defensive stance but failed to notice the tree just behind him and caught his heel in its roots. He stumbled backward and crashed onto the ground. Loyd then approached him, looking amused.


    ¡ª You forgot the rule about always keeping an eye on your surroundings, he said with a wide, mocking grin.


    Elwyn attempted a sweeping kick with his right foot to trip Loyd, but the latter noticed his movement and jumped back to avoid it.


    ¡ª Nice try.


    ¡ª Thanks, at least I gave it a shot, Elwyn replied as he got back on his feet.


    The fight resumed with even greater intensity, but Elwyn still couldn¡¯t gain any advantage over Loyd, who seemed to take mischievous pleasure in teasing him after each loss.


    _________________________


    On Arim¨¦lia and Professor Ezekiel¡¯s side, things continued. The half-dragoness had taken her draconic form for the final hour of class, but the professor remained unfazed by this extremely rare transformation. Before doing so, Arim¨¦lia had removed her shoes, as in this hybrid form, her arms and legs became fully covered in black scales, and her feet and hands transformed into powerful draconic limbs capable of crushing anything in their path.


    ¡ª Come on, young lady, show me how well you control this form, Ezekiel said mockingly while tossing her a new training sword.


    ¡ª Understood, professor. I¡¯ll do my best, Arim¨¦lia responded with a hint of apprehension in her voice before charging at him, who was already adopting a defensive stance.


    _________________________


    Shortly before the bell rang, Professor Ezekiel dismissed Arim¨¦lia, who was unable to maintain her transformation for the full class duration, then headed toward the two nephilims.


    ¡ª Elwyn, Loyd, before you leave, keep your bracelets on and go to the infirmary.


    ¡ª Why? asked Loyd.


    ¡ª To prevent Elwyn from using his healing powers right now. If the other students see that you don¡¯t even have a single scratch, they might start asking questions, Ezekiel explained.


    ¡ª Understood, professor, Elwyn replied.


    ¡ª So that¡¯s why you wanted us to use the bracelets for the last hour, Loyd remarked.


    Stolen novel; please report.


    Professor Ezekiel simply nodded in response before heading back toward the academy.


    ¡ª Well¡­ Want to race to the academy? Loyd suggested.


    ¡ª And lose again? No, thanks, I¡¯d like to catch my breath a bit, Elwyn replied.


    Shrugging, Loyd and Elwyn left the clearing at a leisurely pace, heading toward the infirmary.


    Once inside the academy, they spotted Arim¨¦lia sitting on a stone bench bordering the path leading to the Grand Library. She seemed to be resting her arms and legs, and her dark complexion carried an expression of fatigue.


    ¡ª Hey, how are you? asked Loyd, signaling their presence.


    Arim¨¦lia sighed.


    ¡ª It didn¡¯t go too well for me¡­ And you? How did it go? she asked, a hint of disappointment in her expression.


    ¡ª I could have kept going until dinner, considering how bad he is, Loyd replied, teasing Elwyn.


    Elwyn let out a slight exhale, rubbing the backs of his hands, now red and covered in scratches from the blows that had disarmed him.


    ¡ª Are you hurt? Arim¨¦lia asked, a slight concern in her eyes.


    ¡ª Oh, nothing serious. We were just on our way to the infirmary, Elwyn reassured her.


    A glimmer of relief appeared in the half-dragoness¡¯s gaze, and the two nephilims bid her farewell before continuing on toward the Grand Library. Inside, they headed for the second door to the right of the entrance, where a metallic engraving read "Infirmary."


    Loyd took the initiative and knocked on the door.


    Knock knock


    ¡ª Come in, answered a soft, masculine voice.


    Loyd opened the door and stepped inside, followed by Elwyn.


    Inside the infirmary, the space was both spacious and intimate. The dim lighting, primarily provided by chandeliers adorned with magical engravings, cast a warm, orange glow, creating a soothing atmosphere. A faint scent of lavender lingered in the air, adding to the feeling of serenity.


    Ten beds were arranged in the room, five lined up against each wall. Each was separated by a delicately decorated partition, allowing privacy when needed. Next to each bed stood a small wooden table, matching the rest of the furniture, meant for personal items or medicinal remedies.


    At the far end, a large bay window let in sunlight, illuminating the neatly arranged medicinal plants on the windowsill. Their variety brought a touch of life to the room, reinforcing the sense of calm.


    ¡ª What can I do for you? asked the gentle voice.


    Both nephilims turned to their right, where a man sat behind a large desk cluttered with documents, a mortar in use, and dried herbs.


    The man was a dark elf, his skin darker than Arim¨¦lia¡¯s, with a slight violet hue. His long white hair was swept back, revealing his pointed ears, and his eyes, devoid of pupils, were completely white. He wore a long white tunic that contrasted with his dark complexion, along with a well-maintained leather apron. Thick pants and high leather boots completed his attire. Around his right index finger, a silver ring set with a square-cut ¨¦th¨¦rite gleamed, while a silver necklace adorned with a tree of life pendant rested on his neck.


    ¡ª Professor Ezekiel told us to come here for treatment, Loyd answered.


    The elf lifted his head and observed Loyd, then Elwyn, before pausing on their restriction bracelets.


    ¡ª Ah! He had informed me of your visit. There¡¯s no one else here besides me, so you can remove your bracelets. I will attend to you shortly, he said, his voice carrying a hint of amusement.


    The two nephilims exchanged glances and unfastened their bracelets at the same time, slipping them into their uniform pockets. The moment they did, they both felt an immense sense of relief, as if a heavy weight had been lifted.


    Elwyn, in particular, felt his body immediately warm up, his injuries and muscle pains vanishing in an instant. He suddenly felt light and free.


    Loyd, impressed, watched Elwyn recover so quickly.


    "Instant regeneration! So this is the power of the Domain of Life..."


    ¡ª Still as impressive as ever. Even after all this time spent around your kind, I remain in awe of your healing speed, the dark elf remarked as he approached.


    ¡ª Thank you, I suppose¡­ Elwyn responded.


    ¡ª No need to thank me. I am Quevdorl, at your service, oh great healer, the dark elf added, bowing respectfully before Elwyn.


    ¡ª I am Elwyn, and I am also at your service, healer Quevdorl, Elwyn replied with a polite smile.


    Quevdorl straightened and turned to Loyd, who was waiting for his treatment. He pointed toward a stool placed near the entrance, and with a slight motion of his finger, the stool levitated toward Loyd before settling in front of him.


    ¡ª Have a seat. Given the extent of your injuries, if one can even call them that, this won¡¯t take more than a few seconds.


    Loyd sat down, and Quevdorl made his ring glow before bringing his hand close to Loyd¡¯s right arm. The ¨¦th¨¦rite shimmered, and as the healer¡¯s hand passed over it, Loyd¡¯s wounds disappeared. He repeated the process on the other arm and then on his legs, applying the same healing technique.


    ¡ª And done. You¡¯re good to go, the healer announced.


    ¡ª That was fast, Loyd remarked.


    ¡ª That¡¯s because there was hardly anything to fix. You¡¯re quite skilled at avoiding hits during training.


    ¡ª That¡¯s true, but at the same time, my opponent wasn¡¯t that dangerous, Loyd replied with a smirk.


    For a brief moment, Quevdorl cast a dark look at Loyd, out of Elwyn¡¯s sight, before responding in a friendly tone.


    ¡ª I see. But after all, no one is perfect. Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses.


    ¡ª Yeah¡­ sure..., Loyd replied, suddenly feeling uneasy.


    Quevdorl then turned to Elwyn.


    ¡ª By the way, Professor Ezekiel asked me to prepare a remedy for the half-dragoness, Arim¨¦lia. Could you deliver it to her?


    ¡ª Of course, have you already finished it? Elwyn asked.


    ¡ª I¡¯m just about done. Can you wait a moment?


    Elwyn nodded, and Quevdorl returned to his desk to complete the preparation.


    Dong


    The final bell of the day rang, and moments later, an ethereal messenger delivered a note to Loyd. He scanned it quickly before preparing to leave.


    ¡ª I¡¯ve got to go. The Divinity Ogme just summoned me, he explained.


    ¡ª I see, I¡¯ll see you later then, Elwyn replied.


    Loyd bid farewell to his friend before leaving the room.


    Alone with Quevdorl, Elwyn sat on the stool, waiting patiently for the preparation to finish. He took the time to reflect on his training, analyzing what hadn¡¯t worked and how to improve. Then, a memory from the previous day resurfaced, he needed to research Professor Ezekiel and the nature of a "dhampir."


    ¡ª Healer Quevdorl, may I ask you a question?


    The dark elf poured a whitish powder into a wooden cup, stirring it slowly.


    ¡ª That depends on the question. What can I do for you?


    ¡ª It¡¯s about Professor Ezekiel. I learned that he is a dhampir, but I don¡¯t know what that means. He told me to look it up in the library, but if I can avoid long research¡­


    The healer furrowed his brows, thinking, before stopping his work.


    ¡ª That¡¯s a complicated topic¡­ And you¡¯re unlikely to find anything in the library.


    ¡ª Why not? Elwyn asked, surprised.


    ¡ª Because it involves forbidden and unnatural experiments, making it classified information. And it¡¯s not exactly a subject the professor enjoys discussing.


    ¡ª I see¡­


    ¡ª But since it¡¯s you, I¡¯ll tell you, on the condition that you repeat nothing, understood?


    ¡ª Understood, Elwyn replied, his gaze focused.


    Quevdorl took a serious expression and, in a deep voice, began his explanation.


    ¡ª To summarize, wealthy individuals and insane magicians sought immortality through any means. They conducted various experiments on innocent people, attempting to merge them with creatures possessing regenerative abilities. Eventually, they captured a bat-like demon capable of regenerating by absorbing blood. Despite their efforts to acquire this power, they failed. They concluded that this ability was linked to the Darkness element. A magician then succeeded in creating a spell that fragmented the demon¡¯s soul into multiple pieces and integrated them into his colleagues¡¯ souls¡ªbut not his own. The process killed them instantly, but they later returned from the dead as abominations called "vampires", beings capable of instant regeneration and eternal life, as long as they consumed blood. Their brief experience with death granted them abilities tied to its icy grasp. They became incredibly strong and fast but were more vulnerable to sunlight. They terrorized and slaughtered countless people, feeding on their blood and fear.


    Elwyn¡¯s expression grew darker with every word, his deep disdain for such detestable creatures intensifying.


    ¡ª And what do these abominations have to do with Professor Ezekiel? Elwyn asked, already suspecting the answer.


    ¡ª I was getting to that. These creatures managed to reproduce with mortals, giving birth to "dhampirs." They are weaker than vampires but are not affected by light or the sun, Quevdorl explained.


    ¡ª That¡¯s¡­ a rather grim story. I understand why Professor Ezekiel doesn¡¯t like discussing it...


    ¡ª Indeed. Fortunately, your parents intervened. They were the ones who eradicated all those creatures.


    ¡ª Really?


    ¡ª Yes. This matter enraged the Divinity of Life so much that she decided to "purge all these blasphemers," with the help of her Guardian. Unfortunately, the magician who discovered how to fragment the demon¡¯s soul was never found. He may be dead, but that doesn¡¯t mean he didn¡¯t pass on his knowledge.


    ¡ª I see¡­ Thank you very much for your insight, healer Quevdorl.


    ¡ª Oh, it was my pleasure. But remember, you heard nothing from me, he replied, handing the cup to Elwyn.


    ¡ª I¡¯ll take my leave, then. Thank you again for your help, Elwyn said before exiting the room.