Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

As it was their first day of school, everyone except for Mordred was feeling more than a little nervous. They had all been brought to a small lecture-style classroom with five rows for students. However, due to the fact that the department had just been developed, the only students present were themselves and seven other people, split between four girls and three boys.

Needless to say, the announcement of a new department had caused a stir within the Clock Tower, not just because it belonged to the Empire but due to the purported curriculum. There had actually been a number of students who wanted to check it out but, as the vetting process would take a few weeks, only those loosely associated with the Empire's current allies had been given the opportunity to venture forth.

Among the seven potential students, one of the older boys decided to muster up the courage to try and break the silence, moving toward the front of the room where the group of foreign women was gathered. They didn't really need to ask where the girls had come from, especially considering who backed the current department, but the boy still gave a polite bow, saying, "Greetings. My name is Silvain Valois. May I have the honor of knowing your names...?"

To his credit, Silvain hadn't initially addressed anyone in particular but, by the time he finished his introductions, his gaze had turned to Mordred. She was seated near the center of the group, while the other girls seemed somewhat cautious of him, Mordred had an amused smile on her face that radiated confidence. He was immediately reminded of the high born and prideful young mistresses of the more established Noble families so, while still putting on a casual air, his back had become a little straighter.

Without beating around the bush, Mordred smiled with a toothy grin before saying, "You're a brave one, kiddo. That's good. Men should be bold, even when they are boys."

After seeing Silvain tense up at her words, Mordred began to snicker before adding, "My name is Mordred. This here is my little sister, Sakura. As for those three, the big one is Mash, the airheaded one is Astrid, and the bratty one is Zoë. You're probably curious about the particulars of our origin but...well, let's just say it will be a lot less stressful for you if you don't know about it. Shishishishi~"

As it was customary for people to introduce themselves with their full name, especially in a school saturated with the children of Aristocrats, hearing Mordred's words caused Silvain to swallow hard. While some might assume Mordred was just putting on false airs, she gave off a very distinct aura, one that could only be cultivated by those with high status and authority.

Deciding to play it safe, Silvain gave a polite bow with his hand covering his heart, answering, "It is a pleasure to make your acquaintances."

In response to Silvain's words, Mordred just continued to smile while Sakura gave a small bow. As for Mash, Astrid, and Zoë, they gave polite responses of their own, albeit with a considerable amount of caution in their body language. This wasn't missed by Silvain so he did his best to smile disarmingly without staring directly at the girls, even if he found them more than a little charming.

So as not to overstay his welcome, Silvain didn't stay around too long after his introduction. He knew there would be time to socialize more in the future so, in order to cover his bases, he walked over to the other six students, introducing himself to those he had yet to meet. It never hurt to expand your personal network and, though these may be his competitors in the future, they could be considered allies due to their affiliation...

While Silvain was making his rounds, Sakura muttered in a voice that only Mordred and Mash could easily hear, "His position in the Valois family must be uncertain. If I'm not wrong, he is the third son of his family so there isn't really anything for him to inherit..."

In response to her remark, it was the tiny dog-like Companion, Momo, who nodded its head. All of the companions were linked to a network and, while their communication functions were limited by design, they had all the details regarding the affiliated families associated with the Clock Tower. They had even received a massive upgraded recently, benefitting from Sherlock's investigations. He had used the last few months to uncover the secrets of every major family and organization, expanding Mother's network and greatly increasing the analytic ability of the Companions themselves.

With Momo's affirmation, Mordred's smile only widened as she stated, "It is a common thing, really. When they are afraid of being cut off, they either do their best to stand on their own feet or find a larger umbrella to stand under. So long as you all remember what we talked about, there shouldn't be any problems. Just don't let yourselves get caught up in the pace of some random pretty boy and his flowery words."

Here, the usually quiet Astrid nodded her head and, with a distant look in her eyes, added, "Words are used as a means to manipulate people. Only consistent action can be trusted...I won't be fooled anymore. This opportunity that Master has given us, I will cherish it..."

Mordred snickered in response to Astrid's words before reminding, "You can't address Chichiue as Master while we're at school. It may be hard, but even I'll have to call him by his actual title, at least for the time being. If our identities are exposed too soon, it will make things a lot harder later on."

Despite her tomboyish antics, Mordred had made an earnest effort to increase her understanding of politics and social maneuvering. She had always taken her Chichiue's words to heart so, when he told her that only a qualified individual could become Emperor, she had to change her perspective. While she was enjoying her childhood to the fullest, the most important thing to her was the recognition of her parents and the prosperity of the Empire. Her Chichiue wanted her to learn how to interact with her future subjects and empathize with them so, while it was an uphill battle, Mordred would never stop trying...

Just as several small conversations were beginning to replace the room's previous tense atmosphere, it was suddenly brought back in full when the door at the front of the room opened. They basically froze on the spot upon seeing Vahn enter in the room, Da Vinci and Galahad following close behind. This answered some of the questions that had been plaguing them while simultaneously confirming that the new department was, in fact, directly backed by the Empire...

Due to his experience acting as Headmaster back in Danmachi, Vahn made his way to the lectern of the class, his nerves steady and placid. He had his usual smile and, after looking over every student in turn, explained, "Greetings, students. I'm certain you all have a questions and concerns but, for the time being, we'll get introductions out of the way..."

Gesturing to Da Vinci, who was attired in long, gown-like robe, he stated, "While there will be a split in the curriculum, this will be your primary teacher, Professor Alpha. If you follow her teachings with the proper motivation, even True Magic will not be beyond your capabilities. You will come to learn over the following months and years that the Magecraft you have been learning is flawed on a very fundamental level. The Faculty of Unified Magical Theory is meant to correct this. Should you put in the requisite effort, each and every one of you has the potential to become a powerful Mage."

As could be expected, Vahn's words had further stunned the seven children seated toward the back of the class. It was very difficult to believe he was telling the truth but, after seeing the recordings of the battle between Artoria and Barthomeloi Lorelei, they knew the pinnacle of Magecraft was much higher than their previous understanding. It had been an eye-opening experience and, in an effort to change their fate, each of them had gathered for the purpose of expanding their horizons. While it was hard to believe in Vahn's words, they willed themselves to do so since, at the very least, it would increase their chances of joining the Empire in the future...

Vahn understood that words meant very little so, despite seeing the caution and doubt in the eyes of the children, he kept his smile. They would quickly discover the truth for themselves so, before the tension could reach an uncomfortable level, he gestured to Galahad, explaining, "While Professor Alpha will be your primary teacher, this man will be in charge of your physical training. For those of you who wish to pursue the path of a Magic Knight, he will make sure you have the proper level of skill and discipline. If you work hard, even reaching the standard of a Heroic Spirit is not impossible. After all, this man is Sir Galahad, former Knight of the Round Table and current Knight of the Aldrnari Empire."

While Da Vinci's identity was protected, to the point she even had a physical projection to make her appearance, Galahad's would be made public. This was to serve as both a deterrent and a means of drawing in interest from students that were currently sitting on the fence. After all, it was difficult to pass up the chance to learn from a genuine Hero, especially one as famous as Galahad. Since he had a very handsome appearance, combined with a seemingly limitless amount of patience, Vahn knew it wouldn't be long before the Magic Knight class increased in size.

Of course, the most important reason behind Galahad being chosen was that he had a weakened version of [Pure Eyes]. They allowed him to sense the aura of a person based on their karma, making it possible to determine if they were good or bad at a glance. This would allow him to weed out any students that came under the influence of an outside force, albeit after an investigation to ascertain the truth. After all, people were sometimes forced into a difficult position and, though this may lead them to perform evil acts, that didn't mean they were beyond redemption...

Hearing that the handsome youth wearing priest-like robes was none other than Sir Galahad, the four girls in the class practically had hearts in their eyes. As for the boys, they had a look that Vahn knew oh-so-well as, whenever he was walking around with his women, he would get similar looks all the time. Fortunately, jealousy and envy were rather common and, while it was clear the boys felt a little threatened by Galahad, there was clear interest visible in their gazes. After all, they were going to be learning from one of the most famous Knights that had ever existed, indicating there was a chance they could reach the same level in the future.

Seeing that there weren't any genuine causes for concern, Vahn didn't pause for too long before adopting a slightly larger smile as he explained, "I believe my own identity is well known but, in the interest of clarification, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Vahn Aldrnari Mason, the Sage Emperor of the Aldrnari Empire. In this classroom, however, I am nothing more than your Advisor. I will not be present that often due to my other duties but, rest assured, I will stop by during some of the class' practical lessons. As for things like whether or not you can join the Empire, think about that when you are getting ready to graduate. Any questions before I turn things over to your Professor?"

Vahn had actually expected silence in response to his question but, at the furthest point in the class, a sharply dressed youth with exceptionally straight brown hair raised her hand. She actually stood out quite a bit among the other students as, while they each had their quirks, this particular youth had an eyepatch covering her right eye and, despite only being around fifteen, radiated the aura of a mature secretarial woman.

Without missing a beat, Vahn turned his attention to the young woman, asking, "Is there something, Miss Phamrsolone?"

Though the girl, Ophelia Phamrsolone, had a relatively cold expression by default, she couldn't help show mild shock upon being addressed by name. Fortunately, she was was a very stoic girl so, not wanting to keep someone with the status of an Emperor waiting, she rose to her feet and gave a curt bow before asking, "Are there any protections afforded to students that wish to attend lessons? Also, is there a college where we will be able to take up residence...?"

In total, there were forty-three 'colleges' located within the Bounded Field of the Clock Tower. These served as student dormitories and, with various other facilities forming to meet the various needs of young Magi, a veritable town had formed. This was made possible due to Zelretch's assistance in the distant past, making the space within the Bounded Field several hundred times larger than the space occupied by the Clock Tower in the real world.

As these questions weren't outside of Vahn's expectations, he gave a simple nod before saying, "In the classroom, you need not bow. While it is a good idea to keep my status as an Emperor in mind, I am nothing more than an Advisor within the school's grounds. Now, to answer your questions, I can say yes to both. So long as you are officially accepted as students, you will be given a unique status that makes it very difficult for other factions to target you. Though this will not allow you to act with impunity, you will be able to enjoy your school life without too many concerns. As for the college, it is currently being built in the northern district. I'm certain there are already rumors circulating so I do not believe it necessary to go into further details."

Though she had other questions, Ophelia knew it was better to wait for an explanation before she interrupted a second time. For now, it was enough just having Vahn personally say they would be protected. After all, it wasn't a secret they were attending this orientation so, in the near future, it was all but guaranteed that the other three factions would put pressure on them. This was especially true for people like her who, as her eyepatch denoted, had a unique and highly sought after Mystic Eye.

Even without inquiring, Vahn knew why girls like Ophelia were interested in joining the Empire. Her only other option was to become the tool of another family as, despite being from a relatively well off family, she was not the heiress. There was even a chance that her Mystic Eye would be removed before she was married off to another family who, knowing she had a chance of passing down the trait, would force her to bear several children. This was a common practice so, while the number of students attending the orientation was small, it was only a matter of time before those in a similar situation sought liberation for themselves...

(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Mordred is a good daughter','Companions are OP','There are a lot of people that would willingly distance themselves from the established Magus Community xD...')