Ambient Mage

*Vice-dean Rachelle's Pov*

I felt it creep up on my skin when I had questioned him earlier this year, the power, the oppression of a being much greater than myself.

It felt like I was being encompassed in frigid metal being slowly compressed.

Like the air within me was being drawn out.

And the marquis was hellbent on drawing out such a monster.

May the gods have mercy on his soul, for the dragon will do much more than devour it.

***

*Lucas' Pov*

I woke up a little later.

Although I wasn't sure how much time had passed, I roughly guessed less than a day had gone by.

"It has been nearly 24 hours Lucas."

"Wow, I thought it had been maybe 10, even 12 hours, but 23?"

"Indeed, your soul has sustained an injury."

I thought about it for a moment.

Perhaps the price of elevating my circle beyond my means caused it.

"Your soul is damaged in an irregular way, my knight."

"Knight?"

"Would you prefer rider?"

She sneered at me, or at least that's what it looked like, since you know, she's a dragon.

"Umm, no."

"That's what I thought."

"Hey, Fiadh, I never got to really ask, but why me of all people, I mean I know I was the first to stumble in here, but why me?"

She rested her head against the floor before picking it back up again.

"I am incredibly busy, I am a dragon, one of dangerous control over the laws of this realm."

"That really doesn't answer the question."

"Ask that god you so often pray to."

She snorted.

What god?

"I have no idea who you're talking about."

"Really?"

"Really."

She exhaled, nearly blowing me over in the process.

"You'll learn soon, but for now, I need to watch over you as you move into the 4th circle."

"Wait, why am I doing that?"

"I am presently unable to heal your soul, and I forbid you to find another way of doing so, as we are linked."

"By what exactly?"

"Naturally, you contain my blood, but also a fraction, no matter the insignificance, of my own soul."

"Doesn't that hurt you?"

"Would you have survived your soul splitting then?"

Admittedly I don't think I could've survived it even now.

"Even now your soul isn't robust enough to- well, yes, technically your soul isn't robust enough."

"That's okay, next time I'll be strong enough to split mine instead of yours."

"I'll hold you to that."

With that she uncoiled as I sat down and began to meditate on my mana.

Passing into the 4th circle was going to be easier.

At least now it was.

I'd already been a 4th circle mage before, now if I could only remember the feeling.

***

I spent the next chunk of time in the cave doing one of 4 things, eating, sleeping, talking to the dragon, and pushing into the 4th circle.

It wasn't anything spectacular at first, but soon enough I came into contact with it.

My concept.

Death.

As I pushed my mana through my body, shivers crawled up my body.

Sweat began to fall from my forehead, my skin got itchy.

I was afraid, not of dying, but because I was in front of death.

I dove deep into my consciousness and I found a wall.

Serene and silver, cold to the touch.

At first I tried to break it.

My fists did little and my mana was nonexistant.

My mind had nothing to show for either.

I decided that perhaps another method was needed.

I tried to bend, pick up, twist, puncture, and otherwise change the wall, and break it somehow.

And then I realized.

I was trying too hard to destroy something I was meant to be in harmony with.

I placed my palm on the cold silver wall, before resting my forehead on it as well.

Then as if I had fallen asleep I woke up.

There was no wall, and beneath me was silver grass.

***

"Welcome back. I knew you'd be back again soon, but not this quick."

He said putting down his scythe.

I looked up and again I saw myself staring at me.

He confirmed my existence or at least that's how it felt.

He picked up his scythe once again and began to cut.

"Am I in my soul again?"

"Correct, with your advancement into the 4th circle your soul has recovered most of the damage you took when you summoned me out."

The wind picked up blades of grass and blew them across the field.

"Is that what I did?"

"And does that technique have a name?"

"Yes it does."

He nodded.

"Wait, how do you know what I'm referring to?"

When I asked if there was a name, I meant the summoning technique, but it could be easily mistaken for the mana cloud technique, and yet he knew what I meant.

"I always will know just like this."

He nodded at me.

And I instinctively knew he repeated 'yes, it does'.

"How-How does that?"

"Calm down, we don't have much more time here, so ask what you should, and save what you shouldn't."

I came to understand how much time we had left, although I knew I couldn't feel it only he could.

"Who are you?"

"In due time, instead I'll answer something else. The goddess Nyx is your god, do not betray her, and likewise believe in her, she will not let you die. Well even without her you wouldn't anyways."

Moments of time I never experienced floated into my mind.

Conversations with a goddess I never had.

"I'm confused is this reality?"

"Do you feel the wind?

I felt the wind blow through my hair, through my hands.

I knew what to do.

I reached out to grab a blade of grass.

'Lucius Nara.'

My name, was inscribed on the blade of grass.

Not this life's name, but my previous one's.

'Aaron' was insribed on another.

"If you keep differentiating between reality and imaginary, you'll find yourself alone."

And with that I opened my eyes outside of my soul and looked at Fiadh.

***

"How long have I been out Fiadh?"

"I do not know. Since you entered that state I haven't left your side."

"I see. It's probably time to head back now."

"Not yet, it's time for you to train a little."

"What does that mean?"

"It means, follow me into this space and fight me until your 4th circle is fully stable."

I dreaded this.

***

*Morgan's Pov*

"Matty!"

Matthew looked at princess Ristonia.

"Ye-Yes?!"

"What was that?"

"Uh, the thing that took Lucas?"

At this point any talking that was occuring, went mute.

All eyes watched Matthew as they had questions of their own.

She shivered.

"No. No! I don't want to know anything about that, um, monster."

"Why?"

"Well, it's not like you would know anything, and I don't want to anger it, whatever it is."

Ristonia placed her hands on Matthew's.

"So then, what did you mean?"

"What Lucas did in the arena."

"I don't get it. He beat her?"

"I know that idiot, tell me how, what was inside that cloud?"

Everyone's eyes and ears were focused on their conversation.

"I don't know either, however, it seems like whatever he did, it required him to use healing magic after."

"Did Lucas ever know how to use that?"

"Probably, he's always doing something productive."

He smiled wryly.

"That's a lie, Lucas slacks when we go to sometimes."

I said to no one in particular.

"Fine, but how do you think he did it?"

"Honestly, Ristonia, when he beat the Ninmurta and Tyrant, it made this whole match a farce."

"Fa- His majesty-"

She stopped talking as they both realized both eyes were on them.

"I see, well, Lucas certainly upheld his mistress' honor."

She stood up and pulled at Matthew's hands.

"Let's move Matthew."

With that, people started leaving the arena.

I left too, unable to ask Lucas for answers, I left for the infirmary.

***

*Celeste's Pov*

Aisha and I spent the next few hours healing Aura, with the help of senior healing mages.

Lucas was nowhere to be seen, and the atmosphere in the school which had been somewhat okay despite the whispers, was now odd.

People saw how easily the school was infiltrated, even after the new safety measures were put in.

And to that extent, everyone knew, that all it took to breach the academy was someone at the peak of 8th tier minimum.

It was a frightening revelation, according to the vice dean.

Aisha also became a little scared after I relayed what had happened.

Now, there was nothing to do but wait, wait for Lucas to come back.

***

*Claudia's Pov*

"Lady Claudia!"

"What is it Herts? I am in the middle of hosting a tea party."

"The knight of the svarmet duchy has engaged in a battle with the eldest daughter of the Iproline's."

I put my teacup down, hands shaking, before asking my question.

"Is he okay?"

"Reporting, he's fine my lady, in fact he won, and ended up having to use healing magic on her according to sir Matthew."

I swallowed as I realized Lucas didn't know healing magic, just what had he done?

"Why did he fight-, no I apologize, please inform me later Herts, I have people to attend to."

With that I finished the tea party my family had organized, but after Herts' message, it was like the wind was gone from the sails of a ship.

I saw off all the tea party guests before returning back to the mansion.

"My, Claudia dear, how was the party?"

"It was fine mother."

"Did you learn anything about the other women's brothers or any other elligible young men?"

"No mother."

"How about that young new viscount."

I paused to understand what she was talking about, before my mind landed on Lucas once again.

The fight!

My mind began to race again as I needed to find Herts.

I cooled off and gave an answer that satisfied my 'mother' enough to slip away.

"I don't know yet, I am getting to know him."

"Good."

With that I quickly slinked away to find someone who knew where Herts was.

"Claudia Evenfold, come back here! We aren't finished young lady!"

I hated that woman.

It sickened me that she pretended to be my mother.

Marcia Evenfold, the second wife of my father's.

"Lady Claudia?"

"Yes! Herts, tell me what happened from the beginning."

"Very well my lady, I do not know all of the details and perhaps it would be best to ask for someone who witnessed the event, but let this butler tell you."

With that he began to explain what happened.

He told me everything that transpired, but he was unaware why somethings occurred.

That was good enough for now. I could get more concrete answers later.

***

Later during dinner, I had to once again endure the questioning of my 'mother'.

Thankfully my real mother was there.

"You know Claudia, Credence and Sophia are already court recognized officials, and have just received your first imperial merit, perhaps it's time you found a suitable husband."

Her words were just subtle enough to fly underneath my father's radar.

But not my mother's.

"Marcia, let Claudia do what she want's as long as it's not too far out there, she's just entered the academy after all."

"I have to agree with Eve, here Marcia, let Claudia decide for now, and by graduation we'll set into motion the plan we come up with."

Marcia: 0, Mom and Dad: 1

***

*Lucas' Pov*

"Lucas. Wake up Lucas, you slacker."

"Huh?"

"You fell asleep while meditating."

"You fell asleep first."

"Yes, but it's not me who has to stabilize their 4th circle."

"I wasn't born with all my circles you know?"

"I wasn't either, you dramaqueen."

"Fiadh, seriously, how long have I been here?"

"A few days, nothing out of the ordinary if you tell people you were recovering."

"That's true, but how do I explain being taken by a scary thing nobody has seen or understood."

"Simple. You don't."

"You just 'happened' to wake up in a field near a river, with medicine left out for you."

"That will definitely fly."

"It will."

"No it won't, do you think people still randomly wash up from rivers?"

"Yes."

"Well, to be fair sometimes they do, but that's not applicable here, I was clearly hauled off by something far stronger than myself."

"Then simple, tell them a divine beast took you away."

"And how would I prove that?"

"Like this."

And with that I sat and watched as Fiadh communed with something.

"There, I've solved your problem."

"What do you mean?"

And then I was dragged away by something, somewhere else.