Skill Sets

I stared at myself in front of the mirror. I was wearing Imperial Academy's uniform which made me feel a little awkward at the very least. All this time, I was much focused on gaining knowledge in a prestigious school that I forgot I was actually a few thousand years older than the students entering with me.

-You don't have much experience in the human realm, that's fine.

Said one part of my head.

-But it still feels a little off.

I argued.

Although the uniform did look quite nice. The entire uniform was consisted of a white-gold-blue color scheme. The upper part consisted of the following:

1. A white blazer with golden outlines and buttons, and blue collar and cuffs;

2. A bright red tie with a silver clip;

3. The school's emblem; five different colored circles interlocking with each other inside a golden circle, was on the left chest, where the heart was supposed to be;

4. Below the school emblem was the departmental crest – the magic arts department's was a six-pointed star inside a blue circle; and

5. A golden badge was pinned on the right side of the blazer's collar which represented one's year level.

Since I was a first year, my badge had a number one in it. Meanwhile, the skirt was entirely royal blue with a golden thin rope on the left side. For my footwear, I chose a pair of leather boots which was a gift from Eliza. She said it would go really well with the academy's uniform. The boots reached just below my knees and it was pretty comfy on my feet. Eliza mentioned that it can be imbued with mana or energy whether for defense or offense.

I could only shake my head at her words.

Speaking of, a few weeks ago when I told them I passed but I did not know how many points I received my siblings were overjoyed at the news. Even Sebastian and Edmund kept saying there was no question I passed. And then the twins started betting whether I would be included in the top five or below it. I just shrugged at the memory.

My thoughts then drifted to the conversation I had with Aunt Zaira on the same night.

"I passed, but I still don't get why you wanted me to enroll in the magic arts department. With my skill set, wouldn't I be more suitable to the military arts and take the magus knight course?" I asked.

"That's impossible."

"Why?"

"Luna, your combat skill and various skill sets are very unorthodox. It's not something the knights of Praiji actually practice." she said. "And yes I'm responsible for it since it's what I taught you. If you enroll in the military arts department, your skill would be deemed unusual and your growth will be stagnant. Nobody would be able to teach you to develop further and will probably be forced to follow a new training method to fit with the rest of the students in the same year level. You already built your foundations and skills, switching will be a hassle and dangerous for you."

As I heard her explanation, it actually made sense. When I was younger, she asked me to follow a body tempering method by studying a book and listening to a few pointers she said. Afterwards, she taught me hand-to-hand combat which emphasized on kicking and jumping around. It also involved a lot of twisting in midair. When I asked her what kind of hand-to-hand combat skill she was teaching me, she answered;

"It's a combination of taekwondo, karate, hapkido and Chinese kung fu."

Of course, I was very confused at her answer because the terms she used were unfamiliar, but I continued it anyway. Sometimes, I also incorporated the fighting styles I knew from my life as Nyxtriel.

When I was finally able to master the skills (I was ten that time), we switched to swordplay. Just like my other life, I picked dual wielding. She then started teaching me a technique called Nine Swordplay Technique.

According to Aunt Zaira, it was a sword technique with nine sub-techniques. Each technique could deflect different kinds of weapons ranging from swords, sabers, spears, maces, arrows, etc. It even had a technique to counter close combatants who preferred hand-to-hand combat. Of course, it was only for defense most of the time.

"As for the offense techniques, I think you already have an idea right? As well as a gist on how to incorporate mystic arts in them."

Yeah, she made me figure it out on my own. So other than what she taught me, my combat techniques were a mixture of everything I learned in my current life as Luna Hysi and my other life as Nyxtriel Wetcheit li Stedus.

"You're better off improving your techniques yourself than be taught by people who have no inkling about your skill set."

"Then about being in the magic arts…"

"Hmm… Let me ask you. What is the best way to defeat a spell?" she asked.

"Like, head on?" I questioned in return in which she nodded. "Fire off a counter spell."

"Like?"

"Like, if it's a fire spell, use a water spell to block it. Or just strengthen your barrier so it could be deflected."

"That's true, but there's another method."

"And what would that be?"

"Destroying the magic circle where the spell is being generated."

I wanted to ask her if she was joking, but it looked like she did not so I stopped myself. In magic arts, magic circles were generated once a mage casts a spell. It was sort of a symbol mages use to channel their magic energy and power up their spells. At some point, mystic arts was kind of similar, but in my situation, it would only happen if I change the energy's composition/characteristics to that of an element's.

"Destroying the magic circle? Isn't that impossible? At some point, you can disrupt the mage casting the spell, but I've never heard of destroying the magic circle! I don't think any kind of spell could do that." I stated.

"It's not impossible, just a little rare, 'tis all." she smiled at my direction. "You can manipulate the energy around you, remember? You can use that to destroy the magic circle mid-cast."

"Huh? Wait, won't the mage just cast a spell again and the magic circle will be generated again?"

"It's different. Destroying the magic circle itself will cause a backlash on its caster."

"But still Aunt Zaira, destroying the magic circle is difficult. I mean, I have to understand the structure itself even though I don't generate one and-"

I stopped when I was finally able to understand what she was trying to convey.

"You want me to be familiar with magic circles and its structure so that I can find a way or find a part of it that I can destroy." I said.

"Remember what you told me when you were young… well younger, that mages who use the magic arts absorb magical energy and use their body as a channel of that energy to power up their spells. Meanwhile mystic arts users could manipulate the energy present in the surroundings at its purest form."

I stood there frozen. A statement by the teacher who facilitated my entrance exam suddenly entered my mind;

["Archduchess, what kind of monster had you been raising?"]

"Aunt Zaira, what had you been teaching me?" I asked.

"Hmm? I just taught you something uncommon in Afasia. And besides, it complements your natural talents. Don't worry, once you have achieved the level of destroying a magic circle, no matter how strong the spell is, at just a mere thought or a snap of your fingers, no one will be able to stand in your way."

"Which also makes me very useful for you."

She just smiled at what I said. I had long realized that the sole archduchess of the Praiji Empire would always have an ulterior motive in any endeavor she makes. She was very crafty and she would always be a few dozen steps ahead of everyone. She always had plans A to Z, and I was one of her tools for those plans. Not just me, but everyone she had raised so far.

Somehow, I did not feel angry or disappointed. In fact, I even felt excited at the thought of it.

"Then Aunt Zaira, you won't be mad if I use you for my own gain as well, right?"

I saw Aunt Zaira's smile get brighter. She looked like a child who learned something interesting or had received a new toy.

"I wouldn't mind that."

My trip to memory lane was cut off when the door to my room suddenly opened. Andrea entered.

"Come on. The entrance ceremony will start soon."

I looked one last time to the mirror and for a moment, I could see a bright green glint in my eyes and the aura of a nine-tailed red fox, known for their craftiness, enveloped me.