Ambient Mage

'Hahahaha'

'I'm not trying to recruit you boy'

'Although I wouldn't mind the extra help around the projects I've been working on.'

'No thanks, as I stated before, I am fully devoted to her highness.'

I feel like she's becoming less like a vice dean.

'My, my, I like you so much though, what shall I do?'

This is getting real dangerous, time to leave.

'If that is all, I'm going to leave.'

I got up and walked out of the room.

I'm glad she let me out, since if she didn't and insisted on fighting me on it, I would've lost.

She's a high rank 7th circle mage.

In your second year if you play your cards right with her, or if you go down the routes that allow it, she'll undergo a push towards the 8th circle. And will always succeed.

Despite her playful nature to those she wishes to join her graduate school course, she's a decent mentor and even better administrator.

She's also very talented, probably on par with the likes of Aura.

Well talent doesn't equal opportunity.

Aura will likely reach the 7th stage before she reaches the 8th.

She's already a 5th circle mage. An expert, one circle from master.

Meanwhile I haven't even reached the intermediate tier.

I still need to find a concept.

In the game, the protagonist didn't have a lack of concept, he just needed to level up.

Why? Because as the game starts you are told of his concept as a mage.

Hope.

As for knighthood, his code is to uphold the worlds hope.

Both really neat and really broken, as the weightier one's code or concept the more power they have access to later.

However, the power comes with drawbacks. Like a strict knights code allows for punishment to the highest degree, it also won't allow you to act, unless you plan to break your code.

These are called Oathbreakers.

But that's for another time.

My code was, to keep Aurelia alive, safe, and happy.

A difficult code, as alive is not subjective, but safe and happy?

That's quite the abstract code.

So linearly I receive power, but I will earn it exponentially as time passes.

As for my concept?

I don't know. I know how concepts work, and I would love to have some absolutely broken one, but I just can't do it.

I don't understand the process. I've watched tens of thousands of these oaths made.

So realistically the mana should react to me right?

No. An oath must be made with a sincere heart. That's the only way for mana to bless your journey making you a knight captain or concept mage.

I know it's possible, I've seen it in game, and in reality.

So why can't I find my concept?

Hah. Well, I'll just put it off again, it's not like mages have a enlightenment journey like knights.

Some knowledge is arcane, and understanding your concept, and perceiving it take time.

So I'll relent for now.

***

I left for the mansion again.

Feeling dejected I decided to take up my sword in one hand and cast spells with the other.

The training area in the back of the mansion had strong barriers.

Strong enough for me to go wild.

I put up a muting barrier, but not strong enough to suck too much of my mana.

Then I started to swing and yell.

And cast, and swing, and swing, and swing, then cast

Then swing.

Then cast.

I let out sounds I'd never let before.

Frustration left my lips and was relieved through my swings.

I totally lost control and started casting 3rd circle magic rapidly.

I also began using my aura sword and swinging allowing aura slashes to leave the sword.

I started to scream.

I was so frustrated with this.

For three years I've worked hard for the 4th circle.

I may have not worked the hardest yet in the world, but I will work harder then.

By this point all I could let out were groans of exhaustion and pants.

I will work harder than everyone else, and together with the protagonist of this run, destroy the demons.

I will work hard, harder than everyone else to become strong.

I will work, then work, and then work harder so that I can

"Make Aura happy!"

That was it for my mana.

The silence spell wore off and I started to walk to the towel cart.

***

*Aurelia's Pov*

I got home faster than Luke did.

I wonder if he managed to talk to one of the staff about the demon in the city.

I'm sure that's why he's late.

He wouldn't be out with another girl right?

Right?

No, calm down, Lucas is not the playboy type.

But what if those women start to pester him?

Those vixen could be buzzing in his ears like flies.

I won't stand for it.

"Lucy!"

She appeared in the corner of my room.

"Where is Lucas?"

"Captain Lucas is in the training area currently."

"Bring him to me now."

"But ma'am"

"No, scratch that."

"Bring me to him."

I'll get my answers.

He wouldn't lie to me.

Mother told me he wouldn't.

He's my knight, how could he?

As I walked to the training area I could hear muffled screams.

They sounded feral.

Like we had let some adolescent beast into our home.

I left out the mansions rear entrance and found myself face to face with the beast.

The tangled mess of the silence spell put up and the rest of the safety barriers in front of it.

I stood behind a tree.

Lucas was just swinging, a beautiful dance, made for killing.

Lucy watched in the open.

"The captain appears to be in some pain."

"I cannot sense any mana or physical injuries on him aside from fatigue from his training."

She couldn't understand.

"He's lashing out right now. He's frustrated."

I was familiar with the feeling.

He was swinging his sword in wide arcs as if cutting off the heads of a troop of soldiers.

Launching spells at the ground and barrier as if there were buildings that needed to be destroyed, he was making a mess of his own battlefield.

It was frankly terrifying.

The arena fixed itself, while he continued to go manic slashing and cutting, stabbing and slicing his way through the air.

The spells started to ramp up in amount and speed. His sword gained an aura and started letting out slashes of condensed aura.

He was trying to kill something, but I couldn't understand what.

Like an invisible enemy surrounded him.

It felt surreal.

I couldn't understand what made him go through such anguish.

I had never seen him like this.

He often worked hard at the mansion, but this?

The wanton wasting of energy, the pure destruction, it was new.

This wasn't practice, he was completely focused on one thing.

Destroying whatever he was facing in their.

I came to the conclusion he was facing something internally when Lucy commented on his eyes.

They were silver.

He'd only showed silver eyes to me a few times.

I didn't know what that meant.

Those eyes didn't feel human. They looked like they belonged to a creature.

Not a monster, but definitely not a human.

There was no light in his eyes.

There was no drive to live, or kill in his eyes.

He didn't even look like he wanted to die.

The look in his eyes gave off the feeling of someone going through the motions, waiting for death or a purpose.

The eyes were steeled.

Despite their lacking desire, they felt unnatural.

Like the aura of a mass murderer.

It was truly unsettling.

"Lady Aura step back"

"Why Lucy?"

"His silence spell just broke, and he's headed for us."

I walked to Lucy and froze at the sight of him walking towards me.

His eyes pointed past me, intent on reaching that location no matter what.

Lucy put her hand up to protect me.

Lucas just walked past us.

Like we didn't exist.

He grabbed a towel and began to wipe his head.

After that he sat down and looked at the training arena.

He whistled.

And then yelled a little.

"Since when were you two here?"

His eyes a golden hue again.

What a fascinating subject.

I don't think he knows.

I also don't think it's a good idea to test out the lengths he'll go to in that state.

"We were here for a while."

"We watched you totally lose it in there screaming and all."

"Sorry, the silence spell wasn't the best."

"That's not it at all, are you okay?"

"Yeah, just frustrated."

Yeah, no, that's not frustration, that's something else.

I mean it could be partially frustration, but it felt too cold blooded to be truly an emotion.

It was like watching a force of nature wipe out a village.

I mean the flurry of attacks he had laid down, could have probably collapsed a part of the duchy's first wall if he was left unattended.

It was a little impressive.

"Well, it was impressive to see."

"Sorry."

"Don't apologize, tell me what the stance you used was called."

"I didn't use one, I just let go."

"Oh. Then tell me what happened to get you here."

"I'm just tired of being stuck at the 3rd circle, unable to catch up and protect you."

"You don't have to do that."

"I'm not in danger right now."

"But what about the demon in the city?"

"And what about it? You defeated it did you not?"

"I guess."

"No, I guess. I'm going with you back home to mom and dad, so we can spend some time as family, I will also bring Theo."

"No thanks, no need to go that far for me."

"That is an order Lucas."

"Yes, your highness."

The light in his eyes dulled further.

I could feel his spirit get further from me.

I don't know what I'm doing wrong.

I just want to see him happy.

So I'll bring him back to the family.

***

*Duchess Svarmet's Pov*

Aurelia abruptly gated back home without warning, gathering me, Stephen and Theo.

She had Lucas in tow, but he seemed out of it.

I wondered what happened.

As she finished up her preparations, we sat down at the dinner table to eat like a family.

"Aura, why did you gather us like this?"

"Yea sis, and why did you bring big bro Luke with you? Not that I'm complaining."

"We need to talk."

"Lucas here has been feeling down, and I can't help him on my own, so I brought him here so we could all spend some time with him."

"Aw, honey that's sweet."

There goes Stephen off to the wrong step.

"Lucas, baby, what's wrong?"

"I just feel so frustrated with being stuck at the 3rd circle."

"It's okay, you'll feel your concept calling soon."

"But it's not okay mom. How am I supposed to protect Aura?"

"You protected her from the demon didn't you?"

"Hahaha"

Aura turned to me as if to say something important.

"You know Aura said the same thing."

His face brightened up, so I was glad.

On the contrary, Stephen's face darkened, he rested his chin in his hands and began to smolder.

"Lucas?"

"Yea dad?"

"Come with me, let's take a walk."

"What? Daaaaad, you can't just take Luke!"

"I can and I am. Let's go son."

His face fell further, Lucas' went to match.

This was going to be ugly.

Time for Aura to go back and Theo to head to bed.

***

After sending Aura against her will back to the manor in the imperial capital, and Theo to his room, I left for the training grounds.

Of course the two were fighting, why wouldn't they.

At first Lucas was only using spells.

But Stephen wouldn't let up.

Lucas picked up a sword and began to use it.

Stephen got even more intense.

Lucas getting visibly upset with himself threw away the sword and began barraging my husband with spells.

Even with an aura sword that could cut through his magic like a nuke through paper.

 The sheer quantity and speed of the spells, began to slowly push my husband back.

And that's when it happened.

Lucas ran out of mana. He was left without stamina.

With that my husband took to putting a sword to his neck.

With his sword on Lucas' neck he swung.

(A/N sorry about the bad update times recently my job has me working odd hours in comparison to my upload schedule. It might be like this for a few more uploads, and it is possible I miss one of tomorrows. It is possible for me to shorten the chapter length and post it like that, or simply deliver one chapter a day, or just continue like this, lemme know. Thx bye)