Chapter 111: Centre of attention

If what you claim is truly the truth...." King Thordan trailed off as he addressed Aleister, his gaze seemed shaky and his voice slightly unsteady. The headmaster could not blame the man, having witnessed the horrors Selwyn committed and lived to tell the tale.

Aleister himself had heard the stories while he fought in the war ten years back. The spawn of Octavia, Lucinda, but eight years old. Galadriel had attempted to keep her existence hidden, but something as big as that was bound to be discovered, and it was. Some snake had leaked information, naturally nations both small and large grew enraged at the prospect of Galadriel hoarding a spawn of Octavia to themselves. And then no sooner had war broken out, he vividly remembered.

He was stationed to protect Lucinda herself, though it was so long ago he doubted the girl remembered it was him that defended her. But he remembered it well, those big scared red eyes, her nervous shaking, her tears. Her despair at knowing people were dying all because of her, her fear. Fear that he too had shared, many would when they heard of one boy decimating an entire army led by the king himself.

A man of great age, but a man who had mastered all forms of combat, who had perfected his Familial Arts. A man so powerful he could keep his position as king despite not being of noble descent. And a man who was cut down instantly by Selwyn Von Auerswald. Cutting down armies upon armies of men from opposing nations, yet at the time he could not have been older than eighteen. Though underneath that youth hid a monster who only sought enjoyment through terror. A monster nearly everyone fell to, a monster who nearly dominated all.

So to hear a random masked foreigner, a child no less, having matched such a monster and lived to tell the tale was plain absurd, unthinkable even, and that was putting it extremely lightly. And most important of all, it made Mikoto Yukio dangerous. King Thordan no doubt realized the foreign name, Aleister could tell what was going through the king's head. A foreigner had no alliances to the throne of Galadriel. Furthermore, what motivated the young boy? Would he change allegiance if he were offered something greater? What did someone like him desire? Women? Money? Influence? Political Power? Mere questions without answers, one fact remained, though. Mikoto could be their greatest asset or their greatest nightmare. There was no two ways about it.

".....this Mikoto, having fought that monster..." Thordan continued. "It's honestly absurd, but there would be no use in you lying." He rubbed his eyes, a frown sitting at his lips. "Even so, I'll have Guinevere review everything later. But this Mikoto, he is a student..."

"A first-year to be exact, he doesn't need glyphs to properly maintain a spell. And his magic is plenty strong without chants. Furthermore, I'm sure the city experienced another tremor earlier. Yet again, that was Mikoto's doing." Aleister chuckled. "He destroyed the entire forest near my academy."

King Thordan blinked, "The...the entire forest?" He questioned, no doubt questioning just how absurd that prospect was.

"And he promptly restored it afterward." Aleister would admit, he took some pleasure in the baffled expression his king wore. "But moving on, I know what you are thinking..."

"And do you have an answer? Could this boy be trusted?" Thordan asked, with a hint of nervousness in his voice.

"I honestly have no clue." Aleister freely admitted. "I've scarcely interacted with the boy, and even the professor sent with him on the curriculum had rarely spoken with him. I cannot discern what drives that boy, and I cannot even begin to think of what that mask hides. If mystery was given form, it would be Mikoto."

Thordan frowned at the answer, "So...he is a wild card, a dangerous one." The king heaved a tired sigh. "If that is the case, then counter-"

"I would not recommend that." A feminine voice interrupted him, and the two turned to gaze at the source. Idly, she stood leaned against the vast walls of the throne room, standing there with her arms folded underneath her chest as if she were there the entire time. Galadriel's court mage.

Guinevere took leisurely steps towards the two, her heels clicking and echoing through the vast chamber.

"Guinevere," King Thordan greeted. "You only make yourself known now, why?"

A small smile played at her rosy pink lips, "My king, I was merely keen on listening, but as court mage and as your adviser, it is important for me to make sure you do not make any foolish decisions."

"Foolish?" He furrowed his brows at her words.

"We should not antagonize Mikoto, she meant. Is that right?" Aleister surmised, and Guinevere nodded.

"A wildcard like him can't simply be left alone." Thordan reasoned. "Once more, he's a foreigner, he has no loyalty to the throne, what's stopping him from turning on Galadriel?"

"As far as I can see, nothing really," Guinevere inputted. "Though even if he turned against the kingdom, we might just need to roll over and die."

"What!?" Thordan blurted out, and Aleister merely quirked up a brow in interest.

"Hoh? The court mage herself gave the verdict?" He mused. "Then even you are not confident in besting him? Even with one of the seven divine beasts at your disposal?"

"I am merely being realistic," she drawled. "See, the first time I laid eyes on that boy, I noted something rather peculiar." She started. "You see, there are simple ways of hiding one's mana, for instance, simply reining it in and suppressing it further within one's body. Though the more complex and secure method is using illusionary magic. Mikoto utilizes the latter method, he creates multiple barriers with illusionary magic to keep his true mana signature hidden. Now usually, to see the true extent of his mana, you would use your own mana or a spell to break through those barriers..." She drawled off, Thordan was quite literally on the edge of his seat. "Though such a method is only possible if you possess more mana than the subject." Thordan blinked in confusion at just what she was getting at, but quickly she clarified. "I could not break through a single barrier to even get a hint of what his true mana was like."

"Wha-that's.....that's absurd," Thordan breathed out, and even Aleister knitted his brows in confusion.

"You have even more mana than Lucinda herself, with your mana alone you could theoretically power multiple nations at once," Aleister murmured. "And you're saying Mikoto has more mana than that?"

"Indeed, if I could theoretically power nations with mana alone, then he can power the entire realm and still have mana to spare," a smile graced her lips. "Even if he were not capable of complex spells, any sorcerer, average or not, can weaponize their own mana. You see where I dare go with this."

"He could wipe Galadriel off the map," Aleister surmised, a frown on his face, he may have underestimated Mikoto's sheer destructive capabilities.

Thordan exhaled deeply, "I thought I would always die in battle or old age, yet it might just be a heart attack."

Guinevere snorted. "Mayhap, but at the end of the day, he is still a boy, I doubt he would commit genocide."

"Can you truly say that when we know so little about him?" King Thordan questioned.

"Maybe not," she shrugged with a smirk. "But everyone has something they desire, we merely need to find out what it is he wants. And then simply appeal to him, there is no need to be antagonistic."

"Easier said than done," Aleister mumbled. "He does not seem like the open type."

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("Geez, they're talking about me like I'm some lost cause.") Mikoto still listened to Astrid attentively as he mulled over his thoughts. ("Even if I go through that edgy phase crap, I doubt I'd ever commit genocide. Hell, even now I'm still thinking about those Vel'ryr soldiers I killed, even if I don't consider them to be huma-")

"Holy shit, I'm Hitler," he blurted out.

"Pardon?" Astrid asked in polite confusion.

Mikoto cleared his throat, "Sorry, I just had a revelation." Mikoto waved off. ("I'm basically a Nazi with my prejudice against Vel'ryrians. Hell, I've been calling them animals! Am I seriously just realizing this!?")

"I see, well, I hope it was a good one," Astrid offered, with her bright smile having no idea what was going through his head. "There was something I am curious about, though."

"And what's that?" Mikoto asked, trying to shake off earlier thoughts.

"If you do not mind my asking, though if it is a personal matter, then you need not answer," she started, a small smile playing at her lips. "But why do you wear the mask?"

Mikoto heaved a deep sigh, "See, I'm cursed."

"Cursed?" She echoed with furrowed brows, a flash of pity in her eyes as she continued.

"Severe curse, I'm afraid," Mikoto uttered gravely. "I had it since I was born."

"I...I'm sorry, I did not know," Astrid pursed her lips in shame. "I should not have asked."

"No, it's fine, I'll tell you what it is."

"You really don't need to," she assured.

"See, I'm cursed....." She waited, curiosity seemed to have a better grip on her currently than tact. "...with extremely good looks."

"Huh?"

"I know, shocking," Mikoto shook his head with an exasperated sigh. "I have to wear this mask so men and women don't fall in love with me, I'm just too good looking." Astrid blinked.

"I-I see?" It sounded more like a question from her. Either she thought he was being serious, or she was just too polite to refute. He could not hear her thoughts as the large doors to the throne room opened as Aleister stepped out. "Oh? Are you already done conversing?"

"Yes, we did not have much to discuss, only Mikoto's standing in the upcoming festival," he informed.

("And how I might potentially commit mass genocide.") Mikoto mentally added.

"At any rate, farewell for now, princess," Aleister gave a short bow as he turned to him. "We must make for the capital. I relied a message to James to meet us there with the rest of the chosen students."

"Mhm? For what?"

"Since you lot are our trump cards, you need to be best prepared," Aleister drawled. "So we are going to get you outfitted, with armor befitting legends."