Another Continent?

"A new continent?" Arthur spoke, just as shocked as me.

Vincent adjusts his glasses, "So it really is true..."

I was right, he knew something!

As if reading my thoughts Arthur spoke, "You knew about this Uncle Vincent?"

He takes out a handkerchief in response and began wiping his forehead, "An employee of the Royal family let it slip. Although he wasn't very confident in it, and also made me swear not to tell anyone. but Gideon confirming it made it all too real for me,"

This...complicates things.

"How are you certain that there is another continent," Arthur asked while I kept pondering the possibilities of this revelation.

"Were you able to gather any evidence?" He continued.

"OF COURSE WE'VE GATHERED EVIDENCE! WHAT SORT OF HALF-WIT CRACKPOT SCIENTIST WOULD SAY ANYTHING LIKE THIS WITHOUT ANY EVIDENCE?" Gideon shouted at us, making us flinch in pain.

Sheesh, talk about touching a nerve.

He proceeded to take out a chair and sit on it, "A few years ago" he began, much more calmly, "We found an artifact attached to a bird like mana beast, one we've never seen in Dicathen, with the ability to camouflage almost completely against its surroundings making it virtually invisible."

"Good lord!" Vincent gasped, "How in the world did you manage to catch it?"

"By sheer dumb luck," Gideon answered before elaborating, "Some two-bit adventurer missed a gliding squirrel and accidentally shot down the bird. Anyways, the artifact attached to it was so complex that I was able to barely figure out its function last year, and it confirmed everything,"

"What did it do?" I finally speak.

"You do realize that only the royal family knows about this right?" Gideon pointed out.

"Then I suppose the design on these blueprints are even more important, since not even the royal family knows of this," Arthur threatened him, lighting a fire below it, again.

Instantly he caves in, "The artifact was able to record and store moving images."

I waited for him to continue.

When he didn't I blurted out, "Wait that's it?"

Just a camera?

Before Gideon could blow up again Vincent exclaimed, "That really does prove it!"

"I don't follow, how does that prove anything? It could be made by some unknown artificer in Dicathen," Arthur spoke.

"I mentioned before that I would be introducing you to one of the most accomplished Artificer and inventor I knew," Vincent began, "however, master Gideon is beyond simply accomplished. He's by far the greatest artificer to ever live in Dicathen,"

"Is he though?" I say.

"IT'S TRUE! BRING ANY ARTIFICER ON THIS CONTINENT AND I ASSURE YOU, HE'D BE BOWING SO DEEPLY THAT HIS HEAD WOULD BE TOUCHING THE GROUND!"

My ears...

"So just because the supposedly greatest artificer could barely figure out the artifact, the royal family assumed that it was someone not from Dicathen?" Arthur said.

Gideon stares at him for a few seconds before coughing in embarrassment, "That and the fact that the artifact had moving images of all three kingdoms,"

"How about you call these moving pictures 'videos'?" I quip.

"'Videos'? From what poor mana beasts ass did you pull out that name," He retorted.

A mana beast called Earth, heard of it?

"I see," Arthur says, "I understand the implications master Gideon, but its no use just imagining these possibilities,"

Saying this he picks up a quill, "We'll just have to see for ourselves once this steam ship is constructed,"

_______________________________________________________________________________

On the way back Vincent started blabbering something about why our parents don't make a bigger deal out of what we're capable of.

I tuned him out, instead musing on what this could mean for us.

The discovery of a new continent is no small thing.

And from what Gideon said, they are much more technically advanced than us.

God I hope they don't have a leader bent on world domination or some shit like that.

We could potentially start a war by this.

I hope you know what you're doing brother.

Soon enough Elijah and Sylvie came back, joining us.

Speaking of Sylvie, you've been awfully quiet Zeke, something the matter?

No...just sleepy...

Just sleepy? You've been sleeping a lot these days, are you sure you're okay?

Yeah, I'm fine...just very tired...

You're still drained from the Dire Tombs huh?

Alright I guess.

I escape from my thoughts just in time to hear Elijah speak of an announcement happening later today, "I heard from Elder Rahdeas that the three kingdoms have been in talks of unifying."

That would certainly be helpful, if the worst happens and we get stuck in a war, we cannot let there be conflict within.

Otherwise...we've already lost.

"I know what's going to happen, but I won't spoil-" Vincent stopped mid speech as he looked beside us, his expression unreadable.

Turning my head I was greeted with a sight that made my blood boil.

A group of five students ganged up on a dwarven one.

"P-Please...I didn't do anything..." He croaked out.

"Didn't do anything?" The one in lead spoke, "It's bad enough that you're a dwarf, but you dare go against school rules? Protecting yourselves with mana...you should know that using mana outside of school grounds is forbidden,"

"Withdraw your mana," He commanded.

"B-But..." the dwarven student wheezed out.

Raising an arm I stop Elijah from bounding ahead, same with Arthur, although I had to grab his shoulder to stop him.

He calms down enough to stay back.

At the same time my anger skyrockets

Strange...

I'll have time to ponder on this later.

Making a conscious effort as to not release my beast will, I advance.

"I said withdraw your-" He raised his weapon, a crowbar, to hit the dwarf once again, only to stop mid way due to the pressure I was exerting.

I couldn't use mana here, but what about something other than mana?

Nacht coalesces around my limbs, its black glow barely perceptible

"How dare you interrupt my fun?" He bellows.

"We don't mind playing with you too," A lackey of his commented.

That could be interpreted in a very wrong way you know?

A small part of my conscience, one which hadn't already succumbed to my rage, spoke in my mind.

"Fun eh?" My own, almost unrecognizable, voice filled with cold fury came out.

Although I didn't know it then, another ability of my will bled into my body.

[Fragmented Psyche]

Or a portion of it anyways.

"Then you wouldn't mind if I had some fun of my own,"