[Arc 1] Chapter 18 – Under the Academy’s Gaze

The carriage waiting at the entrance to the main street was about as pompous as one would expect from the Royal Academy. Its sides bore a coat of arms showing a wand and a sword crossed beneath a laurel wreath, with a large golden “R” at the center.

The coachman, a middle-aged High Guard, stepped down and opened the door for us. He offered his hand to help me in. I didn’t bother. I stepped past him on my own. Asche, unsurprisingly, was ignored completely. We both stepped inside, and the door closed behind us with a soft click.

Usually, a guard or knight would accompany someone of my status for protection, but I had already dismissed Marlo’s suggestion. He hadn't argued. He knew exactly what I was capable of.

The interior of the carriage was comfortable enough—plush purple seat cushions, decent suspension. Smooth enough for a ride across the city. Still, Dancing Tails was far from the academy, and even in this thing, it took us about forty minutes to reach the Royal District.

I didn’t bother looking out the window. After living as long as I had, luxury buildings didn’t impress me anymore. Still... I had to admit I was a little curious to see the academy. Just a little.

I briefly considered making a more detailed plan for our upcoming trip to the Gilded Maw, but decided to drop the thought for now. I’d handle that mess soon enough.

Eventually, the carriage slowed at the academy’s main gate. I heard the coachman speaking to someone—probably the guards.

“What business do you have during lecture hours?” one asked.

“As you can see from the crest,” the coachman replied, “I’m on direct orders from the academy. The headmaster himself assigned me to escort this guest. If you block me, you’re blocking him.”

“Didn’t you even check the crest, you idiot? Let them through,” a second guard snapped.

We passed through without further issue, and when the wheels came to a stop again, it was clear we had finally arrived.

I stepped out and immediately frowned. “That’s it? This is supposed to be the big, grand, royal academy?”

The High Guard on the coach looked confused. “Yes, Madam Asche.”

“Huh,” I muttered, eyeing the building.

It was just an old castle—awkwardly arranged towers that stretched too high, like they were trying way too hard to be impressive. If this was where the brightest minds of the empire gathered, then fantasy novels had lied. The place looked like the most stereotypical version of a magic academy someone could’ve come up with.

If they wanted to impress someone like me, they could’ve at least added some floating towers you could only reach through hidden teleportation runes buried under ancient stone vaults. Something with effort.

I’ think I heard the others mention you can’t teleport inside the capital. That might be the reason. But yeah… this place looks pretty basic,’ Aska commented.

I clicked my tongue. ‘I guess I expected too much. Whatever. Let’s go.’

“So, where do I have to go now?” I asked the guard.

“I have a signal crystal. I charged it with mana at the gate. The headmaster should already know you’re here and will send someone to escort you.”

As if on cue, a halfling came trotting toward us in quick, precise steps.

“Lady Asche! A pleasure,” he said breathlessly. “I’m Professor Jolford.”

He stopped before me, formed a fist over his chest, and bowed slightly—a formal but respectful gesture.

Then he turned to Asche, eyes narrowing in curiosity. To my surprise, he repeated the gesture. “Fascinating. I don’t believe I’ve ever seen an elemental like yours before. The magic-thread layering is unusually stable. And the bodily manifestation... most impressive.”

“This guy knows how to show respect,” Asche grinned in her wolf-kin girl form. She wasn’t taller than five-two but looked lean and well-trained, especially with the sun hitting her fur. I was honestly surprised how real she already looked in that body—walking, sitting, eating like it was normal.

It made me wonder… where did the food even go in an elemental?

‘In my belly, obviously,’ Asche answered, smirking.

I rolled my eyes and turned back to Jolford.

“Lead the way. I don’t have all day,” I said, colder than I meant to. I was still itching to dig through the ingots the brothers had sent me.

He didn’t let it show on his face, but I could feel it. A slight flicker in his soul. He didn’t appreciate my tone.

For a moment, I thought about killing him. Just a little. Then I sighed. No one else here knew the way to the principal.

On the way to a designated meeting room, Professor Jolford attempted small talk. He spoke about the academy’s many achievements, discoveries, and other supposedly prestigious accomplishments. I barely listened.

Most of the corridors were completely empty—likely because students were locked away in lecture halls or study chambers. I spotted a few here and there, but none paid us any attention. Everyone seemed wrapped up in their own business.

Every few meters, a crystal torch hung from the wall, mounted in silver-braced iron holders. I recognized the kind. If memory served, they were called Zyklus. Their glow adjusted depending on the positions of the moons and the sun—brighter or dimmer depending on the celestial alignment. The wealthy used them to track time. They were also common in mines and dungeons to keep explorers from losing all sense of day and night. The fact that the academy had so many lining its hallways said plenty about its funding.

Jolford explained that the corridors were unusually quiet due to exam week. Normally, he claimed, the place would be buzzing with students. Right now, they were all either buried in study sessions or stuck in extracurricular lessons.

After what felt like far too many flights of stairs, we finally reached our destination—a special meeting room for guests of honor. As I said before: bad design. What kind of institution makes their most important visitors climb half a mountain?

Two knights stood guard at the entrance, clad in heavy plate armor like the ones at the front gate. Both greeted Jolford with curt nods and stepped aside for us.

He knocked three times against the door.

A calm, elderly voice replied from inside. “Please enter.”

One of the knights opened the door, and I stepped through. As soon as we were inside, it shut behind us with a quiet thud.

The room itself was well-furnished—fancier than I expected. In the center stood a large oblong teak table, surrounded by elegant high-backed chairs. Above it hung a crystal chandelier not unlike the ones in the halls. Oil paintings were spaced along the walls, mostly portraits and landscapes. In the back corner, a dark glass cabinet stood stocked with wines and polished goblets. There was also a small sitting area off to the side, complete with armchairs and a low couch. One wall featured a bookcase lined with worn, antique tomes that actually caught my attention.

Then someone cleared their throat, softly but deliberately.

Seated at the far end of the table was an older human man, long grey beard, robe draped across his shoulders like someone who knew exactly how much authority he had. When we entered, he stood slowly and greeted us.

“I’m Lord Ulrich of Tamit, Headmaster of the Royal Academy, High Mage of King’s Garden, and Sage of Magic.”

Then he turned to Jolford.

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“Thank you, Professor Jolford, for bringing them to me. You’re dismissed.”

The professor gave a polite nod and quietly left the room. The moment the door clicked shut behind him, the headmaster turned his full attention to me.

“I’m honored to meet you, Matriarch of the Asche family—and her familiar,” he said. “It only reached me moments ago that you’re also an honorary witch.”

‘Oh? I’m surprised he already noticed the difference. Only Marika has picked up on that so far,’ Aska commented.

I grinned. “You’ve done your research, Headmaster. I’m impressed. So far, everyone’s just assumed I’m something else.”

Ulrich tugged at his beard thoughtfully. “I’ve traveled to the Witchdom more than once in my lifetime—and spoken with members of the High Council. That hat of yours… it carries a certain weight. Enough to imply direct ties with the Council itself. And I must admit, I’m curious. A Jaeger, walking around with such a symbol? It raises questions.”

He tilted his head slightly. “I’m still not fully convinced you are who you claim to be. But every piece of evidence lines up. Unless, of course, you’re secretly a dragon?” He laughed quietly at his own joke.

At least he had the sense to say it to my face. That already made him more tolerable than most nobles.

I smiled. “My mother was. My father is the sibling of the last Matriarch. As far as I’m aware, I’m the last one left.”

Ulrich raised his brows, clearly intrigued and actually not that surprised that his joke turned out to be true. “Dragon-kin like you are rare in the Empire. They usually don’t concern themselves with human matters, unless they’re chasing some thrill as adventurers. But I imagine, with your father connected to the fallen Asche line, things must be… complicated.”

I nodded. “Yeah. Until recently, I was still with Krone and Babel.”

The moment I said their names, something shifted behind his eyes. Not fear, exactly—but caution. Respect, maybe. Or the memory of something he didn’t want to talk about. Apparently, dragons were less worrying than them.

“Those names are certainly not ones I expected to hear spoken aloud,” Ulrich said, studying me carefully. “Especially not from a Jaeger. Tell me honestly—are you an enemy, Madam Asche?”

‘At least he asks directly,’ Aska commented.

‘Yeah, better than the passive-aggressive whispers we’d heard from others so far.’

I laughed, brushing the thought aside. “If I came into the capital to start a fight, I would’ve done it already. No, Lord Ulrich, I’m here on personal business. I plan to stay for a while and conduct some research.”

His shoulders relaxed, clearly relieved. “What kind of research?”

“Magi-tech. And certain elements connected to the System,” I replied. “I can’t disclose much more than that.”

He gave a thoughtful nod. “If your work involves magi-tech, I’d be willing to offer you a dedicated research lab—complete with an integrated workshop.”

Asche, now seated beside me, grinned. “What’s the catch?”

Ulrich chuckled. “The catch, dear familiar, is that I’d like to make use of your mistress’s expertise. We are, after all, an academic institution. Having a Matriarch pass down knowledge to our aspiring minds would be invaluable—especially the kind of lessons they can’t get anywhere else.”

‘Me? Teaching? I dunno…’ I muttered to Aska.

‘Oh, come on. How bad could it be? You’d probably get access to the full library, right? That alone could give us a major edge figuring out what happened to the world… and the System. What if the stuff Alicia finds isn’t enough?’

Teaching students? In a school? I didn’t even like most people in small groups. Even Tulsi was already a lot. But Aska had a point, and I needed that library.

Still, if I really ended up teaching, I had Tulsi to consider. And—

“Under three conditions,” I said.

“Yes?” Ulrich asked, attentive.

“I will bring an assistant. Her background is complicated, so I can’t disclose it. But she’ll be under my constant supervision and poses no threat to your students. Second, I want full access to your library—including restricted sections. My research has hit a wall, and I need to push through. Third, the lab you’re offering is mine. No one enters without my permission. Not even you.”

He opened his mouth to respond, but Aska nudged my mind, reminding me of something.

“Actually,” I added, “two more things. Not conditions—requests. First, there’s a young moon elf I want you to enroll. She’s smart and likely to pass on her own. Still, I want her admission guaranteed—no bureaucratic surprises.”

“That shouldn’t be a problem,” Ulrich said. “And the other?”

“No early lectures. If it starts before midday, I’m not showing up—no matter how prestigious or important it is.”

The headmaster laughed softly. “I think all of that can be arranged.”

He paused, then added, “In return, I have one more favor to ask. We have a few students who’ve gotten... overly confident. They come from various races—not the sort you typically see in the Empire. But thanks to our political status and protections, we operate outside imperial law. Even the Emperor or the Pope wouldn’t interfere here lightly. And another Matriarch certainly wouldn’t, under normal circumstances, leave her own domain.”

His eyes narrowed slightly. “But since you’re here, I’d like to take advantage of the moment. I want you to fight them.”

I raised an eyebrow. “You’re telling me we have a deal if I beat up some students?”

He smiled. “Yes. But not just for show. They’ve started ignoring instructions. Dismissing staff. They think their power puts them above the rules. A lesson in humility—especially from someone like you—might bring them back to earth. That said, I would tread carefully. They’re strong. High-level. Well-trained.”

Then he looked at me for a moment. “If I were to [Appraise] you, what would I see?”

‘Oh, it’s that ability Deidre uses—the one that can spy on someone’s status,’ Asche commented while munching on the sandwiches set on the table between us. ‘She told me it’s rare, and when it’s leveled high enough, you can’t even notice when someone uses it.’

She was truly becoming a glutton incarnate. When I made that thought a little too clear, her tail flicked at me. Cheeky wolf.

I took a breath. “I wouldn’t recommend that. Krone gave me an amulet that blocks appraisals. If you try, you’ll just get messages you’d probably rather not see.”

To make sure he took my lie seriously, I pulled the necklace out from under my shirt. I had no idea if using that skill on us would actually cause that, but I just assumed from what I knew and how Deidre reacted.

Ulrich’s eyes lit up immediately. “Oh, how marvelous. This is truly a piece of art. These runes—I’ve never seen them before!”

Of course it was. Even if I was the one who actually made it, not Krone—she never made junk. She made problems disguised as miracles.

I chuckled. “I’m not parting with this one. But if you give me some time, I can share a few of my old notes with you.”

The headmaster clapped his hands together with genuine delight. “That would be wonderful. Ah, my old bones are getting excited already.”

He stood up, flicked his fingers toward the door, and a moment later Jolford stepped back into the room.

“Would you be so kind as to escort Madam Asche and her familiar to the arena?” Ulrich said. “I’ll notify the other professors. The students currently there can join the spectators' row.”

“Ulrich?” Jolford asked, his tone uncertain.

But the headmaster just waved him off. “I’ll see you soon, Madam Matriarch,” he said with a smile.

I stood up. “Good luck gathering your students. You two seem to need it.”

I reached for one of the sandwiches on the tray, only to find the plate completely empty.

‘...why?’

Asche grinned, mouth still half full. ‘Sowry~’ she hummed, tail wagging.

I swear, I’ll never get to eat anything at this rate. With that, I turned and left the room, Asche following at my side as we made our way to the arena.

I grinned. ‘Oh, I’m only going to use the power you had at your prime—and nothing else. Let’s see how badly I can wreck them.’

Aska laughed. ‘Be gentle. They’re still kids. But yes, show them what I can do. I’m curious how well you’ll use my power. That reminds me—'

‘—your weapons? Ohh, yes.’

Aska laughed out loud beside me, and I couldn’t stop my own excitement from bleeding through.

This was going to be fun. For me, at least. A test, a flex, and maybe a warning—wrapped into one. The headmaster was truly something else.

----------------------------------------

I turned to Irmgrade, leader of the royal court mages. “Well? What do you think?”

She dropped the invisibility barrier cloaking her presence, becoming visible beside me.

“She’s strong. No doubt about that. And she saw through my concealment. That’s more than I can say for that Rabenschweif bitch,” Irmgrade said. “But is she that powerful? I’m not sure yet. Nobody’s seen an Asche in a long time, and I doubt the Winters will care. The feud was too long ago. Still, with the Jaeger, you never really know. But unlike other Matriarchs I’ve met, she’s… absurdly nice.”

I laughed. “Yeah. It's weirdly reassuring.” Then I narrowed my eyes. “That she trained under Krone and Babel, though… that part isn’t.”

Irmgrade nodded. “Yeah, that necklace of hers was definitely Krone’s work. Those were forgotten runes. If she actually gives us some of those notes, that’d be incredible.”

“Might even give us an edge over the witches,” I muttered.

“Did the Guildmaster tell you her presence barely registered on your wards?” I asked.

“He did. I blame the necklace. You noticed it too, right? A lot of our passive skills didn’t even trigger near her.”

“I did. That’s exactly why I asked what would happen if I tried to appraise her. If those runes really are forgotten, and they function outside the System... they might render more than just one ability useless. The truth is, I’ve never met Krone. I’ve only heard stories.”

Irmgrade sighed. “And then there’s Babel. If the Matriarch learned even a little from the Matron of Discord… she might actually be stronger than Rabenschweif.”

“But Rabenschweif ran from you,” I pointed out. “Didn’t even go all-out.”

“Doesn’t change how annoying her abilities are,” Irmgrade grumbled.

I had to agree. Rabenschweifs were nasty, especially for infiltration. Half-demon hybrids. Quick. Hard to pin down.

“Anyway,” I said, shifting tone. “Want to come watch? I want to see what the students can do. I’m thinking of entering them in the Academia Tournament. Might be our best shot at matching the Kingdom of Origin this year.”

“That secret dungeon of yours really worked, huh?” Irmgrade grinned. Then her expression darkened. “But what’s got me more worried right now is that creep of a hero. His blessing is disgusting. He even used it on his own friends. I have no idea why the Emperor keeps him around.”

My smile faded. I remembered what that pig had tried the last time he visited the academy. “Maybe we should have him meet the Matriarch,” I said quietly. “She might finish him off for us.”

“And risk triggering her war magic? You want half the city wiped just to get rid of that dog?” Irmgrade replied dryly. “No thanks. I’ll find another way.”

I exhaled. “Alright, I’m off to gather the brats. Let’s see if they stand a chance.”

Irmgrade chuckled. “Good luck with that. I’m curious to see how well your ‘special training’ worked out in the end. Still think you should’ve let me help.”

I groaned. “I want them walking out. Not limping or without limbs.”

She held a hand to her chest in mock offense. “I would never.”

I shook my head. No matter how old my first pupil got, she’d always be a battle maniac at heart.