Sorcery and Astral power

He had expected to be asked to leave, so he did. He got a few hundred gold coins and became a commoner but perhaps, because his maternal grandmother felt pity, she petitioned the Emperor to grant her grandson, Adriel, a title.

Due to his grandmother's status and contributions to Malhem, the emperor obliged and granted Adriel the title of a landless baron.

The title had little benefit aside from Adriel maintaining some of his noble status. Landless nobles did not pledge their allegiance to the monarch and did not fall under the normal hierarchy of landed nobles who did.

In simpler terms the Emperor was the CEO, high rank nobles were upper management who controlled the mid rank nobles who made up middle management and lower ranks would be store managers in modern terms. Adriel as a landless noble would be considered a free agent, not within the company but attached to it.

To others, this would be upsetting as there would be little chances for advancement or a chance to show off one's abilities but for Adriel it was perfect. He got noble privileges and a chance to cut ties with his paternal family by changing his family name to Aflion.

Even if he had become a commoner, five years of growing quietly with three systems had greatly increased his chances of success. A few thousand gold coins would be a lifetime's wealth if used correctly but to Adriel, it was tossing pennies to the wealthy.

Initially, he was planning to become an adventurer and climb the ranks quickly or visit his grandmother and see if she was like his father, but as soon as he left the Duke's territory he got the mission to open the school and share some of the knowledge he received. There really was no free lunch in any world.

He used a bit of the wealth he had to bribe public run orphanages to pass the children to his care.

He remodelled an independent space he had received as a reward from signing-in and had been using for his secret training to suit students and young children, thus becoming the headquarters of the school.

It really made his heart ache. The children were afraid of him after all he had done to make this place ideal.

At first, he had put a lot of effort to make the place a personal paradise for himself and his pure blooded pets but after the mission....urgh...he refused to continue to dwell or think twice about it and went to bed.

Morning came quickly. One hundred cheery faces lined up in rows to greet the new day. The previous night, they had been on guard but when they saw that their dorms were two roomed apartments with fresh new clothes and expensively furnished, they almost could not believe this would be their home.

Their dorm rooms were not that big but to children who had usually been packed into a room with dozens of others, sometimes not having a bed, having their own room was a dream.

Even those whose parents died a few years ago, had never had their own room. They were commoners with nothing to inherit so they often shared rooms with their siblings who were now living with them but now even their siblings had their own rooms as well.

As if this was not good enough, the food they ate for dinner and breakfast was more blissful than their little minds could bear.

Was this how nobles lived?

They no longer cared if Adriel was a demon or not. To them, he was their blessing. Some were ready to sign the contract immediately after dinner but the faeries only led them back to their separate dorms.

Adriel looked at the eager faces in front of him. He was surprised by their quick turn around and lightly brushed it off. If he knew that food and housing was all it took to win them over, his heart may have stopped beating.

Malhem was a tolerant country but there were still a lot who were prejudiced to different races so many of the orphans were of mixed blood, given away in shame or disgust. Humans, half elves, half orcs and a few shadow-kin, were the ones Adriel saw starring back at him. The shadow-kin had near zealous feelings toward him. To them Adriel was not merely a blessing but a god-like being who had plucked them from turmoil into prosperity.

"Good morning to you all, I will not beat around the bush today. Alfion does not train mages or knights.

We train sorcerers. In Avalon, knights, mages and sorcerers are divided into nine ranks and in each rank there are nine smaller ranks.

These ranks start from Apprentice, Novice, Adapt, High, Great, Grand, Arch, Ascendant and Supreme.

In Avalon there are many different jobs, knights, mages, diviners or alchemists, all of them use mana and all of them use these ranks.

Monsters also have ranks, from the weakest to the strongest are white cores, blue cores, red cores, purple cores, pink cores, yellow cores, orange cores, green cores and black cores. These colours will correspond to which year you belong to as you advance till you get yellow robes or reach your sixth year.

These nine ranks correspond to our own cultivation ranks, though mana beasts in the same rank tend to be stronger. A black core would need at least three Supremes to take down without issue or two to defeat.

While a single low rank Supreme Sorcerer can fight a low level Black core with some effort. Items such as pills, techniques, grimoires, wands, staves and gear get a separate system of grades.

[Iron] grade, [Bronze] grade, [Silver] grade, [Gold] grade, [Platinum] grade, [Legendary] grade, [Divine] grade, [Celestial] grade and finally [God] grade. You all will mostly receive items below [Legendary] grade until you graduate either as Grand Sorcerers or as passing sixth years.

Sorcerers are practitioners who are skilled in all jobs. They fight like knights, see like diviners, cast like mages, heal like priests and transform like alchemists. We simply do the job better.

We do not simply rely on mana but use what is known as astral energy.

Astral energy or astral power, is the true power on which all things originate and thrive.

Divine power, the power of the celestials. Death energy, the power of those who manipulate souls and bodies. Mana, the power to influence but never change the natural laws. Law Force, the cultivation of all natural elements to the point of manipulation.

Chaos Force, the power to create something from nothing. Demon ki, the cultivation that goes against all order. Life ki, the power to understand life and manipulate it.

Each of these were truly terrifying on their own but they are only a fraction of their true origin and that origin is astral power. When one has the right techniques and understanding, they can absorb all of these tyrannical powers and gain the true origin. That is what makes an Astral sorcerer terrifying."

Adriel was not too worried about them not understanding his lecture. This space was filled with astral power. It was so dense that the very clouds, mists, air and water were made of condensed power.

The air they were breathing was already affecting their minds and growth. Of course it was too soon to see the effects but they would remember everything they heard and try to comprehend it later. All this was merely an introduction into the journey they would take.

"I will give you astral gathering pills and help each of you sense astral power. We will start one at a time. Once you sense it, I will teach you how to absorb and purify it."

As he spoke, dozens of fae carried in books and pills for the lesson and Adriel began to do as he had said, giving each student individual attention and advice.

At the end of the session, five students had become able to absorb astral power.

[Ding! As an expert it is only right that you pass on your knowledge to the next generation. Five students have began cultivating astral power thanks to your guidance. You have received five small gift bags.]

Adriel's lips curled up into smile. The five students before him, mistakenly, thought he was smiling at them and felt happy at their progress.

They were no longer scared of their headmaster. The fact that he had this magnificent place and servants was already enough for them to compare him to a godlike being.

Somehow, with all his power and status, he was the only person who cared about them and was teaching them how to be powerful like him. This was their view of Adriel. It was misguided but their feelings were true. The thought of making him proud filled their days and had become one of their earnest goals.