The birth of the strongest guild (2)

Next was Alfred. He carried himself quite confidently, I'd even say arrogantly, but with such support, it was understandable.

"I am Alfred Van Grave, and I would like to found a guild of mages for assistance," the temple knight pushed back his lock of hair with a slight smirk, evoking sighs from his admirers, "I see that our peaceful society faces many dangers: external and internal enemies, monsters, and demon worshippers. I want my guild to bring light to the remotest corners of the continent, and undertaking various missions will help develop the abilities of the guild's members."

Discussions about the new guild began again, but this time they were more joyful than during Asura's speech.

"What budget are you counting on, and what types of missions do you plan to take?" the same question came up, and I became curious about who was so actively seeking sponsors.

"I have some savings, and the church has allowed me to manage citizens' donations and, of course, the income from missions. I plan to take on any missions where people need help, excluding tasks that would endanger the lives of guild members. I also hope to receive orders that will bring the greatest profits. If I plan to establish a large guild, then appropriate funds will be needed."

What a cunning fox, taking advantage of his family ties with the church's leadership to intercept donations. Essentially, if he goes on a mission in some city, using his name, he could extract money from local churches. It's devious, but unfortunately not prohibited.

"Will you have any restrictions on joining the guild?"

"No, I believe all specialties are valuable, but I would prefer newcomers to be at least of the second class. However, even first-class mages can be useful, so the requirements are lower for them."

More hypocrisy. It's clear that fifth-class mages might not be able to do much, but among them are many children from noble families, so he's trying to earn supporters in higher circles of power. But it seems to work on many.

"If there are no further questions, I'll be waiting for those willing to join my guild," a satisfied and self-assured Alfred left the stage.

The last in line was a sorceress of lightning, barely concealing her excitement. With a heavy sigh, the girl began her speech.

"My name is Katrina Liliana Del'Serano. Many know me, but not in the best light. Nevertheless, I hope you'll understand my motives for creating this guild. These are challenging times, and threats to the inhabitants are multiplying with each passing year. Alfred was right, there are both external and internal threats, and people need help. Helping others is the main goal I set for the guild, but simple task completion seems like a superficial solution. The problem lies in the fact that the mages, who have always safeguarded our kingdom, are losing their power, and that's no longer a secret. I also plan to search for a new summoner. Not everyone knows this, but a few months ago, a wave of magical energy swept across the world, which could indicate the birth of a new great mage. With their help, we could restore the lost power to many families, and thus, searching for them becomes one of the main tasks for my guild."

Though initially, the girl didn't evoke much trust among those gathered, her speech had a far greater effect on the students than the others. However, I was more interested in the reactions of her fellow sorcerers. Asura fell into deep thought, as if her determination wavered due to the possibility of restoring magic to her clan. Alfred, out of annoyance, dug his nails into the armrest of his chair, apparently knowing the secret that the girl had just revealed but had no intention of sharing.

"So, your goal is to find a summoner? They're born so rarely in our world. Why are you so sure one has appeared right now?"

"I understand it's hard for you to believe," the rector, who had been standing peacefully in the corner of the stage, decided to answer the question, "but Lady Katrina told the truth. The surge of magic that occurs when a summoner's power appears indeed happened. However, it was planned to keep it a secret, though someone couldn't resist sharing it."

Katrina shyly lowered her gaze.

"And how do you plan to find them when there are hundreds of thousands of mages in the world?"

"I plan to investigate unusual cases of magic manifestation, where monsters suddenly appear or intricate curses are discovered. Any such cases could be caused by the summoner's power or attract their attention."

Discussions among the students grew more heated. Of course, not many trusted the dangerous girl, but few nobles would pass up the opportunity to regain their power. But what if it was just a ploy to attract potential guild members? The conversations were interrupted only by a timid voice, who decided to ask another question that everyone had forgotten.

"This information was probably a closely guarded state secret, but you found out about it and didn't hesitate to reveal it to everyone," it seemed that this timid voice belonged to our classmate Kurone. It was strange that she dared to ask anything at all, "And I'm bothered by your surname. Do you happen to have any connection to the ruling family?"

The conversations in the hall turned into whispers.

"Yes, indeed, 'Serano' is a royal surname."

"But it's written differently here."

"But didn't they used to spell surnames differently in ancient times?"

"In which century was that?"

However, the discussions weren't of great interest to me. What was more important was Katrina's reaction. She exchanged meaningful glances with the rector, and the old man just shrugged, indicating that it didn't matter to him whether the girl would reveal her true identity or not.

"My name is Katrina Liliana Del'Serano," the girl sighed heavily, "I am the only daughter of King Henry and the heir to the throne."

The hall erupted with lively discussions.

"But that's impossible!"

"The entire royal family was killed in an attempted coup ten years ago."

"There have been talks that the king should find a new heir or choose a successor from among close families."

Indeed, many nobles and even distant relatives of the king took part in the coup. As a result of numerous attempts, direct descendants of the royal house were eliminated, and along with the slain conspirators, the king remained the last surviving member of the ancient lineage. It wouldn't surprise me if many noble young ladies who entered the Academy hoped to attract the king's attention and become the mother of a new heir. However, a living heir, and one not blessed with magic at that, shattered all their plans. On the other hand, I noticed how some young nobles perked up, assessing the unexpected prospect of becoming future kings.

"Please, calm down," the rector peacefully reclined on his chair, "Lady Katrina is telling the truth. You all know that ten years ago, during the assassination attempt, the king's family perished. However, only the queen, the guards, and all the assassins died. The princess managed to survive, but the danger remained, so the king hid her until he eliminated all the conspirators or until she could protect herself. Only the closest courtiers knew about her existence, right, Alfred?"

The rector turned to the young cleric, who nodded with displeasure.

"Heh, she's indeed a princess."

"But even if she possesses such power, it's hard to believe she could remain unknown."

"That's right. Only if she hid her identity."

The students became a bit inspired by the presence of a real princess, but rumors of what she had done to Feris were still not forgotten. I didn't want to help her, but somehow I felt sorry for her.

"Katrina, unpleasant rumors about you have been circulating for a long time, and not without reason," I began the conversation casually, trying to make it look like a question, "about how you can strike a person with lightning out of the blue."

"Um, yes, that did happen..." Katrina sadly lowered her gaze.

"But you are also a very powerful mage, so such attacks don't pass painlessly," I looked at the class representative, whose hair had to be cut after it caught fire from the lightning, "it seems our class representative doesn't remember well how that incident happened, but I was sitting nearby and noticed something unusual."

Katrina looked at me cautiously, seemingly not expecting me to come to her defense.

"Not long ago, I learned about so-called natural mages. They are usually powerful mages who struggle to control their power and sometimes have spontaneous bursts of it," I explained, "they almost always emit a certain amount of magic, making them dangerous to ordinary people. For example, natural fire mages often have very hot air around them and can accidentally start fires, while earth mages may cause small earthquakes by accident. And what about natural lightning mages... can you remind us what happens with them?"

"They create an electrical field around themselves," the girl ran her hand through her long golden hair, and electric discharges streamed from it.

"Yes, that's the effect. It simultaneously protects the mage—better not approach such a field with metal weapons. But on the other hand, an ordinary person is unlikely to be able to touch such a mage. And when a mage experiences strong emotions, their power becomes even more dangerous. So, I wanted to ask, when Feris decided to wake you up during that class, why did you unleash lightning on her?"

"I really didn't want to do it. I never told anyone about my power and hoped to avoid contact with other students. But then I got scared, and that's when it happened, something everyone witnessed. I would like to apologize to Feris and ask my classmates not to come near me until I learn to fully control my magic.

Easier said than done. She might never learn to control her magic, and I doubt she'll ever be able to interact normally with other people.

"Now, returning to the questions about the guild," another question came from a trade representative with a melodious voice, "if you haven't forgotten what this gathering was about, what are your financial plans? Can we expect support from the royal family? And what kinds of tasks do you plan to undertake? Will there be limitations due to your connections?"

"Don't expect any help from the royal family. My father only paid for my education and accommodation for the first year of study, so I can allocate my entire scholarship to the guild's development, but that's all the possible assistance. I plan to take on any tasks, regardless of their complexity, preferably high-paying ones that will support the guild. I hope for the help of all guild members, but if necessary, I'll see the missions through to the end myself."

"But won't that put the life of someone from the royal bloodline at risk? Moreover, the heir to the throne," the voice belonged to the petite girl with golden hair I saw before the enrollment ceremony; she seemed to be an experienced trader.

"You needn't worry about that; I'm prepared for it, and my father seems to have no objections. So, I don't intend to limit myself to simple tasks, fearing for my safety."

Quite bold for a princess, although it seems more like reckless bravado.

"It seems there are no more questions," the rector glanced around the hall, "now you can sign up for any guild you like. For beginners, I remind you that you have until seven in the evening to submit your applications."