3 Chapter 3 - Magic Academy

"So what is this place?" Delta asked the man who had picked him up. He still hadn't gotten used to being shorter than most of the people he came into contact with, but he had managed to establish that he was about 11 or 12 in this world. As much as he hated it, he'd have to act the part.

"Your parents didn't tell you?"

"Well they told me vaguely, but I don't really know much." This wasn't really a lie, as Eros had told him that he would have to be a test dummy essentially', but that wasn't really much to go off of.

"Basically, this is the Magic Academy where you will study magic until you graduate and go apply your skills in an industry of your choice. You'll be initiated tomorrow morning into whatever magic type you have chosen, and in case you still haven't decided, there will be a pamphlet in your room giving you a basic rundown on the various types of magic."

"Can I see my room?" Delta asked hopefully, practically praying for a nice room. It was bad enough that he couldn't enjoy alcohol as an adult anymore, but if he had to share a room with a bunch of snot-nosed brats, Delta was scared he'd go on a killing spree.

"Well, until you turn 14, you'll be sharing a room with three others, of the same gender of course. I advise you to get on well with them because good friends are never a flaw."

"Until they betray you..." Delta muttered under his breath.

"Pardon me?"

"Nothing. I was just wondering what type of magic I was going to choose. What types are there?"

"Well there are six types of magic:

Vis: The Study of Life Magic - Commonly attributed to healing, as well as necromancy

Ki: The Study of the Spirit - Used to maximise the potential and power of the Spiritual body through internal force.

Mana: The Study of the World - Used to manipulate the energy around us to cause supernatural occurrences.

Aura: The Study of Body Manipulation - Used to improve the control and power of the physical body through tempering and refinement via external forces.

Arcana: The Study of Science - Used to create objects of destructive power through Magitech

Pact: The Study of Magic Beasts - Used to create bonds with mythical animals whose powers you channel"

"Is there a way to see which one I should choose?"

"Here's a fun fact. Although they tell you that you can be anything you want when you're growing up, it's actually more complicated than that. At your initiation, you'll step into a portal to a realm full of the six magics, and rather than you choosing them, they choose you."

This cleared up a lot of Delta's questions, so he kept pushing for more information.

"Is it possible for me to get more than one magic type?"

"Well it is possible, but I wouldn't get my hopes high. There have only been a few dozen users of multiple magics being used at once, but normally you'll be chosen by more than one. My advice is to choose the type of magic taking up the biggest space because that's the one that will be easiest for you to learn."

"Okay, thanks for this information."

"You're pretty wise for your age! What family do you come from?"

Delta realised his answer could cause some problems for him later, so he simply put one finger up to his lips.

"Keeping it a secret? As expected of someone favoured by the headmistress."

Delta didn't delve further to avoid drawing suspicion but made a mental note to find out who this

The two turned the final corner, arriving at his dormitory for the next 4 years.

"I'll have to leave you here then. Enjoy the rest of your day and have a look around, but make sure you get an early night. I don't know what this year's punishment is, but they normally embarrass late kids quite badly."

The last thing Delta wanted on his plate was a group of 10-year-olds on his back, so he made sure to set a mental note to set an alarm. As a mercenary, Delta made sure he didn't buy any devices such as watches or phones because they made him easy to find. Many called him old-fashioned, but he preferred careful.

Upon entering, Delta arrived in the common room of sorts. There was a holographic screen on the wall similar to the TVs he was accustomed to at home that ran through channels about magic, as well as some comedies that were aimed at children far younger than he would've preferred dealing with. There were couches arranged in a U shape, with a low table in the middle similar to the coffee tables he had grown fond of.

Three rooms were branched off of this one, a bathroom and two bedrooms. Delta noticed that he was the first one to get here, so he quickly took the room furthest from the common room, then took the bed on the right so that he could react with his strong arm in case of an attack.

He quickly stripped the bed of its duvet and pillow, then removed some of the material inside the mattress so that it wouldn't be so cushioned. He bundled up the removed bed parts and tied them up in the duvet, throwing them into the trash. Delta was used to sleeping in trees and on cave floors in the forest and thought that sleeping in a bed would make him go soft. He couldn't sleep on the ground, however, or he would stand out too much, and that wasn't what he wanted to do.

Next, Delta headed over to the bathroom, eager to see what his new body looked like. He looked into the mirror and gasped in shock. Delta looked exactly like he did back when he was 10 and living in the slums, except he looked far more well-built and taken care of. He also didn't have a massive, jagged scar down his left eye, and overall he looked quite handsome.

Delta knew he'd probably have to go without the embrace of a girl for a while, as he wasn't sure about having a relationship with a 12-year-old. Would that even count as paedophilia? (ED: For the record, it probably wouldn't, if both of them were under the age of consent)

"Yeah I think it does," a voice behind him said.(ED: Ok someone thinks otherwise.)

Delta grabbed a toothbrush from the pot in front of him and swung it backwards, holding it to the throat of a seemingly unexpecting young lady.

"Who are you? Why are you here?" he growled

The lady burst out laughing.

"You're attacking me... with a toothbrush..." she gasped between laughs.

"I've killed with much less. Now answer the question."

"I know you have."

The lady grabbed the toothbrush and ripped it out of Delta's hands with ease. He had failed to take account of his younger, weaker body when he had attacked her, and if she had gotten into his room without him noticing, she clearly wasn't a pushover.

"My name is Athena, 4th Pillar of the Pantheon and Headmistress of this Academy. You may address me as Headmistress."

"Ah, so you're the reason I'm here. Well, I presume you're here for a reason and don't say to welcome me. I'm no fool, so get to the point."

"You're smarter than I thought you'd be... interesting. Either way, I've come to make a proposal. I have recently developed a chip that allows the user to use all 6 types of magic, and I'd like you to test it for me."

"Why don't you test it yourself?"

"Once you have been initiated with a certain type of energy, you can't harness any other type of energy normally. I'm a master in Arcana, but I can't use any of the others, so the chip is useless on me. I'm willing to give it to you, but I will be checking periodically to make sure it's working correctly."

"How do I know it's legitimate?"

"You try it and find out."

"I don't suppose I can say no here, can I?"

"I really do commend your intelligence."

Delta thought for a few seconds.

"In that case, I'll do it."

"Perfect," Athena replied, clearly satisfied with the agreement they had come to.

"I'll see you next week, I guess."