Black Magus

Amun.

***

I stirred from my meditation a few hours before sunrise to hear a blissful silence hanging in the air of our accommodations. A stark contrast from the mad cackles and constant humming of sewing machines vibrating the walls into the late night. Even still, I left my room in favor of lounging about in the backyard to smoke my lungs away and let my mind roam freely. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that this world had analogs for not only tobacco but for the giggle bush as well; only, it was quite hilariously called Burnbud. Regardless, I once again had the means to enjoy my vices any time I wanted. And one day, when I claimed my own land, I had the means to grow them.

All I needed now was an undead to roll them for me. But again, I wanted my first shadow undead to be something special. I was unsure if there was any significance behind the quality of my first undead minion, but something in my mind told me such was the case. And so, I decided to act on it. That said, I didn’t feel that way towards lesser undead. Skeletons, zombies, mummies, draugr, and the like. Those undead were expendable. As such, I’d long since decided to attach undead units to my vassals to be used as a fighting platoon as well as a source of labor the moment I acquired them. But the mystery of raising them in the first place still remained. My only loophole was the Shadowsteel Reaper. Specifically, the Spectral Blade enchantment within it. With it, I could rip souls from bodies and have them turn into any number of incorporeal entities. Which naturally made it my starting point.

I couldn’t help but laugh at the irony of my first lesser undead winding up with the same properties as me while my body was flooded with shadow mana. My Wraith Form was by far my most used spell prior to awakening my cores, especially after the hour of darkness I imposed on the island. The resulting Semi-Permanent Wraith Form was both a pleasant surprise and a slight annoyance to me. At first, I thought it was the spell mutation Grandpa Lich mentioned years ago. Only to learn that it was a perpetually active spell that I couldn’t, or didn’t know how to cancel.

The saving grace happened to be the assessment. The strange ring we were given absorbed the shadow mana inside me and sent it… somewhere, forcing me back into my natural, unpowered state. That in itself served as a source of panic. I would’ve been a little upset if I had been robbed of the Life and Strength I Usurped or if the many souls I saved up had gone down the drain with my shadow mana. Luckily, my Aegis and Burning souls seemed to be as innately integrated into my flesh as my Usurped Life and Strength, even though the former pair of spells were never intended to be that way from the beginning. Breaking the dam on a cascade of new questions. However, those questions were gathered up and swept away by a long drag and an exaggerated exhalation of billowing smoke.

"What to do, what to do?" I muttered.

Giorno and Letta. Jonet too, but her task required her and only her to be aware of the specifics of her operation. All I needed to know was that she understood what I needed her to do, and more importantly, that she was willing to do it. Both of those had been affirmed without a fraction of a doubt the night I talked to her. Which left the other two to think about.

As I explained to them, I wanted them to settle in a poor, backwoods place in Epethia. Preferably far from the royal capital or any other relatively powerful city-states. Learning to haggle and sell for a profit in a market was a good skill to have, but creating an economy where there was none was a greater experience. Not only that but uplifting a settlement over the course of a few years would serve to gather hundreds, potentially thousands of allies before our return. Allies that would one day become citizens within the empire. Thus with that in mind, I wrote down a few requirements for the future city-state before settling in front of a triage of empty notebooks and a vial of ink to begin transcribing.

Feeling no need to continue practicing my penmanship, I quickly copied everything I thought a city of mine would need in this roughly Renaissance-era world. The things one would expect, of course: medicine, germ theory, and sanitation. Greenhouses, aquaponics, hydroponics, aeroponics, and permaculture practices. City planning, engineering, industry, and architecture. And most importantly, military science. While it was more or less familiar for Letta and Giorno, the books would serve as invaluable tools and reference points for those they settled alongside.

The time I’d spent pondering and writing became apparent with the blazing sun cresting over the Cast Iron Summit. Though it was long past morning, it was the first time I stopped to gaze upon a sunrise in this universe. My harsh aversion to light would force a cold shudder down my spine at the mere thought of it. Naturally, however, my electromagnetic affinity made that a thing of the past. With access to electric and magnetic fields, I had immunity to not only electricity but to all types of EM radiation. Gamma rays, x-rays, UV and infrared light, as well as radio waves. But most importantly, light. In all, light and all powers affiliated with the void; heat and cold, poison, and electricity had no effect on me. Yet, strangely, I could still catch fire or be frozen. That aside, I could see in total darkness and had senses humans could only dream of. Most importantly of all, I was the most beloved by mana, granting me a natural defense against magical attacks.

In other words, the only vulnerability that I had was physical damage. That and acid, I supposed. A being blessed by the creator indeed.

'But, at what cost,' I couldn't help but wonder.

My thoughts were cut short by a sudden cacophony of excitement coming from inside.

While I was one to brood in the silence of the night while everyone else was sleeping, I wasn’t one to brood in a far corner while everyone else socialized. So I hopped down for my perch to step inside. As I’d seen many times before, the many different personalities I was still getting to know were on full display around a table filled to the brim with hearty dishes. To no surprise, Letta and Giorno were missing. Though their presence could still be noticed by the silent curses and thunderous snoring looming from above. Jaimess and Jonet were sitting across from each other as they often did as of late, exchanging a silent conversation while Toril and Ed chattered away about the assessment and what lies ahead.

I got through the majority of my lunch before their conversation shifted my way. Toril, in his eagerness to measure his strength against mine, inquired about my performance during the assessment. To which I replied. “I’m unsure of the metrics of our grading. But, I at least know that all of you are undoubtedly in the platinum range.”

“You think so?” Ed meekly chuckled as he rubbed his head.

“I know so.” I nodded. “Each of you has poured blood, sweat, and tears into climbing where you are today. You’re easily the most capable Initiates seen at this assessment.”

They all displayed varying degrees of cheerful embarrassment in response to my compliment, quite a hilarious sight indeed, but not as funny as seeing their meekness change to unbridled excitement in response to a certain someone banging on the door as if a warrant was being served.

“We’ve been summoned.”

Roheisa’s overbearing, demanding voice broke through the room as soon as Ed pulled the handle a millimeter. With nothing more than a welcoming bow, Ed pivoted on his heels to trot upstairs and wake up the other two. Followed by the rest of them going to retrieve their things. Leaving the Princess to turn her expectant gaze to me for some mind-numbing small talk.

“Good day to you too, Princess.” I rose from my seat with a sigh.

She gave a soft, mocking smile in response before she stepped out the door. I was in step beside her not long after, enjoying a companionable silence and the views of the alpine forest for what I was sure would be the last time in a long while.

“I heard you used a summon during your assessment.”

‘Dammit.’ I internally sneered while absentmindedly saying. “I did. A rabbit named Roger.”

“Seriously?” She scoffed in disapproval.

“Seriously.” I monotonously nodded. But that got me thinking of my menagerie.

Roger’s performance was far better than I anticipated. Causing my eagerness to expand my menagerie to rise to an all-time high. In all, I wanted around fifteen or so animals. So far, I had six, consisting of Roger rabbit, Skoll, and Hati, the dire wolves, Kit the fox; who was hunting Stewie the Rat at the time, and Pora Bora, the owl. There were a few must-haves that I wanted to capture on top of that. Some type of big cat and an ape of some sort, a mammoth or an elephant; a few sea creatures. And of course, a dragon. Other than that, I was open to anything, so long as I had no more than twenty.

I also had the desire to test out the shadow prison on a magical beast, but given that I have yet to even meet one. That would have to wait. Regardless, there were so many experiments to pursue and such little time to pursue them.

With my new affinities, however, that little time was all I needed.

My thoughts were cut short by the steady rise of chatter and the starkly different skyline peering above the entrance to the coliseum in front of us. After meeting Lucia at the gate, we took a moment to wait for the others to trail in behind us before we move into the coliseum as a group. Once again, it’d been reconstructed during our absence to resemble the same type of formal courtyard our Well readings took place. Albeit a far larger version, filled to the brim with commoners, soldiers, guild officials, nobles, and royals all cheering as we made our grand entrance. Meanwhile, Velasco and her peers appeared as sentinels lining the walls, staring absently towards the Emperor, Grandpa Lich, Law, and the Grandmaster huddled around a display case at the center.

“Welcome.” Grandmaster Vilignin gently clasped her hands as she turned to us with a warm smile. “And congratulations on completing the Initiate Quality Assessment. From this moment forth, you are hereby recognized as Initiates. With that title, comes a limited level of individual sovereignty. You are given a higher status, the right to claim land, hunt hostile entities and claim the fruits of your labor.

“This we all know.” She continued without the enchantment amplifying her voice. “What you also know, but may be unsure about, are Requests: contracts formed between you and another. Many live fruitful lives as Initiates by accepting these requests. Some maintain the borders of a city-state for a monthly fee. Others may find steady work in caravan security. Monster hunting, bandit extermination; the path to nearly all occupations is open for Initiates. To aid young Initiates in their journeys, the Guild Association distributes identification tags to the newly assessed. However, these are more than mere tags.” Grandmaster Vilignin held up her comparatively massive hands to display a bracelet made of a silvery type of metal. “Their form changes with each generation, but they all serve the same, several purposes. This particular model is made from a special type of ore that binds itself to the owner after becoming attuned to your mana. In doing so, it allows others to see your assessment scores. Like your grimoires.” She clarified with a smile. “Only, one that others are privy to.

“Furthermore.” She continued. “This bracelet will document your requests and, in turn, display your record for all to see. In that way, you can think of it as being a partially sentient scribe. Wherein, upon your decision to accept a request, the bracelet will animate to transcribe the conditions of your agreement. Your success or failure will similarly be documented, and so too will the quest distributor's honesty in sticking to their end of the agreement be transcribed. If they cheat you, you will have undeniable proof. As an Initiate seeking to further your career, your record should be and is the most important thing to you; for it will remain with you even after you join a guild or form your own. Unlike your tags. For all Copper and some of the Silver Quality Initiates to receive their tags today, a good record is the only path to be taken to an esteemed guild or military, thus promoting yourself to that of Pages. The majority of Silver Quality Initiates found themselves being recruited by some organizations today, but only the Gold and Platinum Quality Initiates were the ones they truly sought to recruit.

"I will not speak of the number of Gold Initiates to have joined their ranks.” She continued after a short pause with an amused grin. “But I can say that no Platinum Quality Initiates have joined their ranks as of yet. Nor can they ever hope to. The reason is that any Platinum Initiate has the power to thrive in any environment they see fit. More so, the primary requirement to attend the coveted Arcane Academy is to be assessed as a Platinum Initiate.

“Regardless of the path you take.” She took another pause, this time to activate the amplifying stone hidden in her collar and straighten out her voice into something more regal. “I wish each of you success in your future endeavors.” Following her motions, each of her subordinates and most of the crowd bowed in solidarity. Leaving the small crowd of Initiates, including myself, a little taken aback. “While there are nine of you.” The Grandmaster continued. “We understand that three of you have no intentions of attending the Academy. So, without further adieu, we ask that you come forth when called. Once you receive your tags, I ask that you three standby to my right while the rest of you are debriefed.”

A sudden eruption of sound bounced through the arena the split second after the Grandmaster gave us her instructions. Turning to the source, I saw what could only be described as a jester. A man dressed in flamboyantly loud clothes in the same black and amber-red color scheme of the Deapou Empire. He was all alone, in his little alcove in the arch above the entrance, shouting into an enchanted stone like an announcer at a wrestling match.

“Letta Sinclare!” He exclaimed, rightly shocking Letta off her feet. “Like countless others, you’ve seen today, the chain-bearing Initiate before you has aspirations to hone herself in wait for the creation of His Grace, Amun of Odissi’s guild. However!” He spat. Triggering Letta to jump again mid-step. “Lady Sinclare has the honor of serving His Grace as his personal watchmaker and jeweler. Despite that! Lady Letta has proven herself to be as capable in magic and body as she is in skill and mind, allowing the Chained Mistress to accumulate a sum total of three hundred nine points.”

While the crowd erupted in well-deserved cheer, Letta excitedly went through the appropriate exchanges before taking the bracelet and trotting off with waves to the crowd. Spurring the jester to shout. “Jonet Fischer! This young lady is as mysterious as she is cold, at a glance. But she can be as warm as the sun when needed. Traits that will surely help her master, the esteemed Grand Duke, in his future endeavors. At three hundred eighteen points, Lady Jonet is the second Platinum Quality Initiate of the night with no plans for the Academy. But!” He leaned in with a sleazy grin to mutter. “Who here can blame the Ice Queen of Odissi?

“None! That’s why it should be of no surprise to you that I call Giorno Nojo to center stage!” Perhaps it was because I was higher than eagle nuts, but the jester got a laugh out of me after that one. Most of the crowd did too, of course. But my humor was far darker than the average person's, generally speaking.

“You may recognize this handsome young stud as the storm that ravaged the market’s morning rush yesterday, but the audacious owner of JoJo’s boutique is none other than the Grand Duke’s tailor. A tailor unlike any other. Today! We see the debut of a legendary artisan who can acquire his own quarry of exotic materials in even the most far-off realms. At an astounding three hundred fifty-six points, we recognize The Severance Lord!”

‘What’s with these nicknames?’ I snorted to myself. Still, Jonet’s wasn’t half bad. I just hoped the others had something better than ole, Lord Severance here.

“Lucia Pike!” The usual round of applause broke out for a few seconds and quickly died out, permeating the arena with a still silence before Lucia had even taken her first step. “As the proud knight of our Grand Princess Roheisa, Lady Lucia is a woman of wide renown. Her acceptance to the Academy shall only serve as a stepping stone to launch her renown up to such a height that all on the Mortal Plane can see its greatness. That is what I foresee in her future. But for that, we will have to wait. For today, the Brass Valkyrie makes her debut, with three hundred-two points!”

‘Barely made it, huh-’

“The highly esteemed, Grand Princess Roheisa Deapou!” Even I recoiled from the shockwave sent out by the crowd. A stark contrast to the calm movements of the Princess; movements that had probably been rehearsed for half of her life. “We all know her! We all love her! As we all saw, the pride and joy of the Deapou Empire is every bit as fearsome as His Imperial Majesty. Will she return from the Academy and lead Deapou to greatness, or will she spread her greatness across the Mortal Plane until the very heavens shout her name? Only the Gods know. As we all are aware. But, I humbly believe that one day, children will become engrossed in the tales of the Vulcan Valkyrie.”

After the applause once again died down, ole Jesty Puller leaned closer to his enchantment to speak in a soft, informative voice. Almost like he was telling a story to his friend at the bar- tavern. “Edward Pascal.” He muttered in a contemplatively nostalgic tone. “A peculiar young man, if I do say so myself. According to my source, when asked about his occupation, Sir Edward proclaimed he was an 'Engineer.' ‘An engineer?’ I can hear many of you asking. Why yes, an engineer. As in someone who uses their knowledge of the natural world to invent things and improve the quality of life for all. In other words!” He suddenly spat. Only to resume the same calm tone from before. “The Ashbourne Engineer you see before you is a genius craftsman on his way to greatness. One who needs no enchantments to empower his devices. Yet, with three hundred twenty-two points, he will certainly learn the craft and take his creations to the furthest realms in existence.”

‘Another shitty name.’ Internally scoffed. 'Somewhat.'

“Jaimess A. Corey!” My treasurer seemed excited to step before the crowd for once. He even had a dumb satisfactory smile on his face while he made his way up there. A smile that only widened as Jesty continued. “He’s quiet, unassuming, and as good with numbers as he is with magic. Furthermore, Sir Jaimess is a prime example of one breaking the mold. Say, have you ever imagined what would happen if brain met brawn? If you have, then look no further than center stage. There, you’ll see a future head of law and order boasting a score of three hundred thirty-two points. There, you’ll see the Paper Tiger in the flesh.”

‘Seriously? Paper Tiger?’ I shook my head. It was so bad, the way they massacred my boy. I could almost cry. His disapproval of the moniker forced onto him brought me some solace, at least. If barely.

I just hoped the one he gave me wasn’t as cringe. I mean, he didn't even try with that one.

“The Grand Duke of Odissi, Amun.”

‘Here goes.’ I sighed, then began the green mile. Triggering Jesty to begin his monologue in much the same tone as he gave to Ed.

“Every Marulean soul knows of the half-drow heir to the House of Cole. Even if they don’t know of his name; even if they've never witnessed his visage, they know of him.” He paused, yet somehow showcased his cryptic grin through the silence. “The hour of darkness that was imposed on the Capital Island? That was His Grace. The blue dragon's breath that all of Maru surely saw and felt? That was His Grace. After witnessing his profound strength, immense magical power, and keen intellect accrue him three hundred seventy-nine points, who here can find themselves in disbelief of the claims behind his greatness? None! Rather, we are honored to witness the Glory that is Amun, step down the path toward great change. Not just for Maru. For all of the Mortal Plane. Thus it goes without saying. The Grand Duke Amun will surely become the greatest mage the realms has ever seen. It is only a matter of time before it becomes reality. This, we all know. And so we eagerly await the day the Black Magus returns.

‘Black Magus, huh?’ I internally frowned in approval. ‘Not bad.’

It was quite dramatic of me to pace my walk to the tune of Jesty’s monologue, but I felt like it was good for aesthetic purposes so I let myself wallow in the satisfaction of having impeccable timing. As Roheisa did, I gave a bow to my Grandfather, then the Emperor before lowering myself a third time for the Grandmaster. In turn, she placed the small bracelet in my hand before forcing my spine upright with a hand almost as massive as Grandpa Lich’s. As for the device, it had a cold touch and a platinum-like sheen but had a strange texture that felt almost like scales. The only exception was the rectangular spot in the center where my rank, name, Well reading, and scores were etched within the border of what appeared to be a framework of runes. Though strangely, no enchantments could be found on the thing.

Tossing my questions aside for the moment, I quickly infused it with my mana while I slipped it over my bicep and stepped away. Almost immediately, it took on a black hue like that of the void before reverting to its former hue in the next instant, then resized to fit snugly around my arm where it just… disappeared.

Well, that’s how it felt.

“Toril O’Connell!” Jester’s exclamation served to mark the beginning of the end of this elaborate ceremony, causing my excitement and impatience to rise to an all-time high. Still, though, I listened closely to his ramblings in the hopes that he’d give Toril a better moniker than the others. “As we all were surprised to learn, Sir Toril is undoubtedly the most powerful knight to arrive at this year’s assessment. I dare to add to that fact by saying he’s the most powerful knighted Initiate many of us have ever seen. Precisely what one would expect from someone sworn to protect one as powerful as His Grace. Much like Sir Jaimess, however, Toril is a prime example of breaking the mold. In his case, brawn has met brain in excess. Thus giving rise to the Undying Tempest.”

I had to fight to not throw my arms up in frustration. ‘Where was that with all the others?’

Jesty bid his farewell with the eruption of the crowd, prompting Law, Grandmaster Vilignin, Grandpa Lich, and the Emperor to approach us with warm, prideful smiles and welcoming arms.

“Again, congratulations on becoming Initiates,” Grandmaster Vilignin calmly said as a foul grin spread over her face. “As Platinum Quality Initiates, you are hereby welcome to attend the magic academy. With that, comes the admission exam.” She paused as Law went down the line to hand each of us a pair of rolled-up scrolls, only continuing once he’d made it halfway down the line. “What you’re receiving now is an up-to-date map of Maru and the rules for the admission exam to the academy. Rules that I will explain to you at this time.

“First.” She spat. “Enchanted clothing is strictly prohibited for Pages of the Academy. Naturally, that includes those taking the entrance exam as well. Second, that rule also applies to any article of clothing that denotes you of a higher status. In other words, anything marking you as royalty, nobility, or any other station is prohibited. Third, you may assist each other in completing your exam. However, you may not accept help from an outside source of any kind. As for the task itself, you are to plot a route and travel to Rook Island, off the southeastern coast of Epethia. There, you will come upon the Guild Association’s Fifth Division Headquarters, where you will rendezvous with our associates. Once the deadline passes, you and the other Marulean Initiates will transfer to the Academy. That deadline is the last day of the year. Or thirty days from today. A late arrival constitutes a failure, and there are no retakes. So don’t be late.”