>Ask Esese for more details about the guy she beat up (1 vote)

>>3641968
>Ask Esese for more details about the guy she beat up (1 vote)

"Alright, I think we should identify the culprit first. Do you remember anything else about him? Any distinguishing features?"

"Well, I already told you about his ugly mug, giant nose and fat lips, I think it's more than enough to identify him." She thinks for a moment "He was tall and looked older than me, I'm guessing he's a third year? Anyway, I don't think it'll be hard, even though Douxmine is big I'm sure we'll find him if we ask around."
That description rings a bell, you're sure you saw him before

The bell rings and you rush to make it in time for the Alchemy class.

Alchemy is taught by Magus Gwenith Boal. She is a tall, pale woman with long jet-black hair and wide, green eyes. Her thin face is full of a certain cold majesty, and dignity, rare even amongst the nobility, of which she is a part. The Boals are a house ruled by a characteristic matriarchate. They come from a long line of exquisite witches and are respected even amongst the Mages of the Royal Court. When you consider the fact that Gwenith is the second oldest daughter of the family, it seems odd that such a magnificent person is teaching some magical kids how to brew basic potions.

She walks around the classroom, instructing you how to prepare a basic cold ointment and giving tips on how to ground blue shell beetles and other various minor tasks with such grace that it's almost as if she's not a teacher, but rather a ballet dancer during a play.

You do your best to precisely follow her instructions.
"You added too much Goldpine resin. Throw it out and start over, this portion is wasted"
Her emotionless, commanding voice makes you look up from your mixing bowl. You look around and see, that the vast majority's mixtures are a deep brown color, rather than a raging orange like yours. You scramble for the ingredients and try to finish in time, but it's impossible, and the lesson ends with you being sad and stained with resin.

The rest of the day goes by uneventfully, with history of magic being rather boring and meditation study covering basics you've already read about in the book from the library. You should ask around now, but who will be the most likely to know something about him?
>Esese's older sister Seliphe
>Older MAW's
>Random bystanders
>Delinquents

>>3642161
>Older MAW's

You decide that asking older MAW's will be the best choice, after all, they're the least likely to look down on you and should be more open than the rest.

You walk around the dormitories, asking about the attacker, but to no avail. As you do so, you spot a familiar face in a corner of the room. Sitting in an armchair, Chee,
a quiet delinquent, and a great athlete, eyes you carefully. Happy to meet someone you know, you approach him.

"Hey, Chee! How's it going, man?"

You go for a handshake, he stares at your hand, then his gaze shifts to your face.

"Good."

"I'm looking for a guy, and I thought you'd know who he is since you're... you know." His expression doesn't change, it's almost as if his face was a stone mask. "He's tall, blonde, has a giant nose and awfully thick lips, probably a thug."

He tilts his head a bit and says.

"That sounds like Obi. Why are you looking for him?"

Obi? That name rings a bell... Obi, Obi, Obi.
You remembered! He is the thug you meet a couple of days ago, he yanked a book out of your hands, but you managed to turn the situation into a joke. He was with a dwarf named Yamrag, a green-haired guy named Yoel and... Chee.

Damn! You're glad you didn't throw too many adjectives into the description, else this could've ended badly. Have you walked into the lion's den? Or maybe you'll be able to alleviate the conflict and talk him into forgiving Esese?

>"He took something from a friend of mine, I wanna talk with him."
>"The asshole lost a fight and now he's playing dirty" (1d8 for persuasion)
>"Personal matters."
>Write in

>>3645181
>"Long story short? My friend beat him up, as revenge he kid... took something from her now she wants it back."

"Long story short? My friend beat him up, as revenge he kid... took something from her now she wants it back."

He closes his eyes and asks

"The stupid bear?"

"Y-yeah, the stupid bear. So, could you be so nice and tell me where Obi is?"

He opens one eye and asks another question

"Is it really worth it to make such a fuss over a plush toy?"

"It's, uh, you know, sentimental and... ughhh... very important... to my friend that is! Why would I care about a teddy bear, that's so stu-"

He seems annoyed by your awkward patter, his nose crinkles slightly.

"He should be in the gardens with some other guys. Now go!"

You try to get out as fast as you can without it appearing as running away. Despite his extremally pale skin and malnourished face, Chee is a really scary person. There's something in his eyes that tells you he's not a person to be messed with.

You head outside and look for Obi. The search wasn't too long - It's pretty easy to spot a group of hoodlums in the middle of an orchid garden.
You approach slowly, waiting for them to notice you, but they don't, so you have to get their attention yourself.

"Hey, guys!"

Obi stands up, exposing his uncanny facial features and long, comically thin limbs. The fact that he looks like a caricature doesn't make him any less intimidating. He gestures you to come closer.

"Whaddya want? Looking for trouble?"

"No, not at all, I want to talk."

"Talk? About what?" He seems to remember something and his voice becomes less aggressive "Hey, we've met before, you're the funny guy who shit-talked Magus Lynx. You're lucky it's you, I ain't in the mood for talking Well? What do you want?"

>"Is it true that a girl beat you up?" (Bluff that you don't know Esese, roll 1d12)
>"Listen, we're buds, right?" (Try to persuade him into giving the bear back, 1d100)
>"Hey, why the bad mood? C'mon, let's talk!" (Listen to his recollection of the event, roll 1d12 on how much he tells you)
>"Okay, first off, I know you're really pissed about Esese, but..." (Bluff that you're trying to "score" Esese, roll 1d12 to see if he agrees to help you out)
>"Listen here dipshit! You took something that isn't yours, give it back, or else..." (Roll 1d12 on intimidation, if you fail - initiate combat.)
>Write in

Rolled 6 (1d12)

>>3645707
>>"Okay, first off, I know you're really pissed about Esese, but..." (Bluff that you're trying to "score" Esese, roll 1d12 to see if he agrees to help you out)

Rolled 3 (1d12)

>>3645707
>"Hey, why the bad mood? C'mon, let's talk!" (Listen to his recollection of the event, roll 1d12 on how much he tells you)

Rolled 1 (1d2)

>>3646989
>>3646265

"Okay, first off, I know you're really pissed about Esese, but can you give her her's teddy bear back?"

Snickers and laughter can be heard amongst the people he's with them, but are quickly silenced.

"Shut the fuck up, retards!" He turns back to you. "And why the hell would I want to do it?"

"Because, as you must've noticed yourself, Esese is hot."

"Mhm."

"And I thought, that if I bring her the bear, then she'll think I'm a reliable guy and because girls like dependable guys, she will want to get with me."

He raises an eyebrow

"Makes sense so far, but what made you think I'd hand it over?"

"What?" This isn't going as planned "I-i just thought that since we're buds, you'd-"

"Buds my ass! Esese is going to be my girl, and there's nothing you can do about it! Zero, nada, zilch!"

Is he slow in the head? And "nada"? Who the hell speaks like that?

"If you wanted to be her boyfriend, then why did you steal her plushie? Isn't that gonna make her hate you even more?"

He seems perplexed

"S-shut up! I agree I might've done something stupid in anger, but it doesn't matter, because you are gonna help me make up for it!"

"ME!?"

"Yes! If there's anything women like, it's strong men, and once I beat your ass in front of Esese she'll realize just how much better of a choice I am!"

"And why the hell would I fight you?"

"If you don't wanna fight square, then we'll just have to find you and beat to a pulp on our own terms! And the girl with you! Ahahaha!" You stare with hatred as he laughs to his heart's content. "Three days from now, we'll fight here at 3 PM. Once you lose I'll take both the bear and the girl."

"And if I win?"

"Not happening, champ."

He snaps his fingers and walks off with his group. You stand in the garden, fuming with anger.

What will you do now?
>Tell Esese about the situation at hand
>Go workout
>Go learn
>Write in

>>3648369
>Go workout

>Go workout

>>3641968
No problem OP, you're welcome. (next time don't forget it tho)
>>3648369
>Go workout
We're no pushover (at least physically)

"I'm gonna destroy this fucker" You thought on your way to the castle yard. If you want to defeat him, then there's no time to waste - You'll have to close the three-year gap between you in just three days.

There most likely won't be weapons involved, he's not so stupid as to risk getting expelled from the school. This makes your training simpler, you'll just have to outdo him in a fistfight. The yard's empty, so you're gonna train endurance.

Drip
Drip
Drip
Sweat is streaming down your face as you struggle to squeeze out another pullup, muscles soaring with pain. In the corner of your vision, you notice someone staring from a window. You realize you've lost track of the time, so it's probably the time you take a break. Sitting under a tree, you feel despair slowly rising inside you.

Damn!

You'll never be able to win like this! You might be pretty durable and strong, but what of it? Truth is, you don't know shit about fighting! You've never been in a real fight, the closest thing to it was the bullying you took from your brothers. If you want to become better, then you'll have to ask someone with experience to help you.

Whose advice will you seek?
>Magus Aidhu's, he was in the military and even though he's a teacher, you don't think he'll try to intervene
>Chee's, he's supposed to be really strong and knows Obi, so he'll be able to give you tips on how to defeat him

>>3650683
>Magus Aidhu's, he was in the military and even though he's a teacher, you don't think he'll try to intervene
Maybe he'll look down on us less if we show him we can actually fight, like MAWs are supposed to.

Still, it's probably a long shot that he won't tell us to quit it or face disciplinary action, and I'm only choosing this because I'm certain that everyone else will choose Chee.

>>3650683
>Magus Aidhu's, he was in the military and even though he's a teacher, you don't think he'll try to intervene

When I voted for training I just wanted to spend our time productively. Not hoping to beat that guy in a fight. And tell Esese about it later she beat him up once she can do it again. I have no problem playing as coward

>>3650686
Support
Fight the war, not the battle. Not only will we learn more, we also get on Aidhu's good side and establish ourselves as an underdog. I hope our family is somewhat proud of us...

You made up your mind - You'll ask Aidhu for guidance.

This thought made sparked excitement in you. "If he's on my side, then there's no way I'll lose! How could a regular punk beat a war veteran's experience?" you thought, but soon realized that you have no idea where to look for him. Unlike some teachers, such as Chesterman (Who spends most of his free time reading books in his classroom.), Aidhu goes off the radar once school's over. To be honest, you don't think you've seen him on the corridors even one time, but it should be expected, considering how he has his teleportation spell...

You try to find a way to locate him and the only solution you can think of is asking someone about it, whether it be students or teachers.
You wandered around the castle looking for someone who might know his whereabouts. You started with students - No one had any idea and some of the older guys were almost shocked by the question - Aidhu's absence has become almost a fundamental principle for them, it has always been this way and they'd never even think about looking for him after class. Crap, this means you'll have to ask the teachers, you wanted to avoid this because they might ask too many questions.
You tried looking for them but could find none, not even Nathaniel. You wonder if it's time to give up when suddenly no one other than Magus Lynx comes from around the corner. It's almost as if you were cursed with bad luck or something. Oh well, it's now or never, you guess.

"Excuse, Mr. Lynx, have you seen Magus Aidhu?"

He turns around, perhaps shocked that a student would dare bother him.

"Yes, I have. And why would you be looking for him?"

"I, uh... I wanted to ask him some question about the last lesson's topic."

He raises an eyebrow.

"Oh? I see you're a very dedicated student, Mr... Garen?" How come he remembers your name? This tight-ass teaches almost every class in this school! You nod "Well, that's good for you, though I wonder why you don't share the same enthusiasm for my lessons..."

"It's not like that, sir! In fact, I spent some time learning the first circle from the book, but-"

"Oh, is that so? We'll see about that tomorrow." He scratches his chin. "Well, if you want it so badly, then I can forward your questions to Mr. Aidhu."

"No! I mean, no, they are questions about things that would require him to see me perform them, stance and all."

He stares at you suspiciously but eventually gives in.

"Fine, I'll ask him if you can come."

He then pulled out a neat envelope and took a thin golden plate with an intricate symbol engraved on it. The symbol started glowing with a cold, slightly blue light, and soon after that, a fiery portal appeared in front of you, the same as Magus Aidhu used.

"Go, he agreed to spare you a couple minutes."

You walk through it and find yourself in a small room. It seems completely empty, but you hear a voice behind you.
"Well? What do you want?"
Magus Aidhu's sitting on the floor.
>Word your request

>>3654877
"Um, Sir, I was thinking that, since I don't have a lot of mana for a MAW, I ought to learn a fighting style that didn't rely on brute force, and I realized you'd know more about that than I do."

>>3654877
I support
>>3654920

>>3654920
+1

"Um, Sir, I was thinking that, since I don't have a lot of mana for a MAW, I ought to learn a fighting style that didn't rely on brute force, and I realized you'd know more about that than I do."

"And you thought that this is such an urgent matter that it can't wait until our next lesson? And this request is way different from what you told Lynx. Smells fishy if you ask me. Now, what is it you really want?"

You stand there, mouth agape, trying to think of something to say.

"Well, the truth is that I... That I need to get stronger fast because-"

"Because I picked a fight with a tougher guy like the fool I am and now need to get better than him, or else I get my ass kicked." He sighs when he sees your shocked face. "What, did you think your problems are so special? Good grief, you kids are so predictable." He lies down on the floor and continues talking while staring at the ceiling. "Listen, you are not the first and probably not the last kid to ask me for help, just another underdog trying to win at all cost. You all are always so similar, too. Always weak, in some sense of the word, be they scrawny, dumb or lacking a knack for magic, sometimes all of the above. Always looked down upon, being the butt of all jokes, but they all come with a flame of determination burning up inside them. And you know what?" He sits up, piercing you with his gaze. "They ain't worth shit"

The words hit you like a flogging.

"What?"

"You heard me. Worthless, all of them. You can see it in their faces even before the fight, it's written clearly: 'I am a loser. I will never win. Defeat is my destiny', and you know what? They all lose! 99 in a hundred never defeat their opponent."

"Well, what about the 100th one?"

"Wanna know what about him? The idiot gets cocky, picks a fight with everyone and gets beaten half to death! And I'm still a teacher, you know. If I got involved in every little quarrel between the students, I'd get fired in a week!"

"So, that means no?"

He gets angry, but quickly calms down

"Don't interrupt me! I'll tell you what they lacked, kid. It was confidence. They were all scared shitless of the fight, so they could only lose. The odd bastard who lucked out and won the fight greatly overestimated the size of his victory and thought he's the king. That's why I don't help them, it's pointless."

"I understand. I'll get going now."

"I told you not to interrupt me, boy. I have to congratulate you, out of all of them, you were the only one to pester me outside school hours. You are confident in yourself enough to think I wouldn't refuse you. I will help you but don't say a word about it to anyone."

Yes!

Start training immediately?
>Yes
>No

>>3658862
>>Yes

>>3658862
>Yes

>>3658862
>Yes
Aw yeah training montage

"Then tell me, who is it that you're fighting."

"Uhm, it's a tall guy named Obi."

"Blonde hair, a giant nose and ugly lips?"

"Yes, that's him. Is he strong?"

"I'd say you're in for a ride, kid. Obi's from the Demonology and Conjuration class. He's kind of famous in his class, and for a good reason. The kid's completely clueless when it comes to controlling his mana, which is critical for summoning, yet he managed to ace all the practical exams. Wanna know why? He's a damned bottomless well of magical energy, that's why. He doesn't need precise flow or any finesse to control his summons because overpowering them is child's play for him. I guess I don't have to tell you all this, though. You must've felt it when you met him, the crazy energy emanating from him."

"Not really..."

"Not really? You'd have to be a magical cripple to- Wait a minute."

He grabs your wrist and you feel slight stinging, then he stares you dead in the eyes.

"Do you have a freaking death wish, kid?"

An awkward silence falls.

.
.
.

"Uhh, not really sir."

"For fuck's sake kid, how long do you have until the fight?"

"Three days..."

"THREE DAYS? Do you expect to grow enough to defeat him in just three days? Let me in on a secret kid: If you want to succeed, you'll have to risk your damned life, time after time, until your mind breaks. Got that? Yes? Then swallow your pride and cancel the fight."

"That I can't do."

You stare at each other for a long moment, then he gives up.

"You're a damn stubborn kid, I'll give you that. Fine then, come with me."

He opens a portal. You can kind of make out the shape of a mountain as he enters...

***

A powerful gust of cold wind hits your face the moment you step through. The sun is blinding but doesn't seem to provide any heat. Once your eyes have adapted to the light, a breathtaking sight uncovers before you. Thousands of meters of sharp, jagged rocks stretch bellow the flat, cracked mountaintop you're on. The height makes you dizzy, or perhaps it's the diluted air? You don't know, but it feels like you're about to fain at any moment. "Come here, boy!" you hear someone cry out. Who could it be? You turn around and see Magus Aidhu. Magus Aidhu? What would your teacher be doing here? Teaching... Teaching! Yes, he was supposed to help you win a fight. You walk over on shaky legs, your knees are weak and you feel yourself getting out of breath.

"Hell, I knew the sudden change in pressure would be too much for you to handle, we should've ascended the normal way, but then again, we don't have too much time, don't we?" He gives you a small bottle. "Drink this, it'll make you feel better." You do as you are told and feel your mind slowly clearing up. "Well then, kid. Welcome to the Hungry Summit!"

"The Hungry... Summit?"

"Exactly. The highest and also the most deadly mountain in the entire kingdom, all ours to use for training."

The deadliest mountain? No way! You're getting out of there! 1/2

You leap to the portal, but Aidhu closes it with the flick of a wrist and you fall face-first onto the hard rocks.

"Where has that enthusiasm of yours gone, hmph?" He comes over and brings you to your feet. "Did I not tell you that only fear will kill you? Now, let's begin training, there's no time to waste if you want to make it in time."

He leads you to a small, withered hut. It's so insignificant that you didn't notice it before, and the inside is equally unremarkable: a dirty rug, a small table and a dusty chest.

"This will be your house for the next few days. Make yourself at home."

"THIS? Where's the bed? And a chair to sit on? And a toilet?"

"Oh, my bad," He says. "The toilet is right outside." You run out to see a wooden bucket standing by a wall. "And the bed's right here!" He points to the dirty rug.

Don't tell me that that's supposed to be a... a... A MOTHERFUCKING BLANKET? IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S NEVER BEEN WASHED! AND IT'S STIFF AS HELL.

"But why is it so... raw?"

"No whinning. If you don't like it, you can always sleep outside."

"But what about you?"

"Me? I'll be sleeping in my cozy bed back home. I hope you didn't expect me to stay here for the night. What, are you scared of the dark? Need a nightlight? Hahahaha."

That prick...

He opens the chest and pulls out a silky purple robe, a headband with intricate runes written all over it and three small lead bullets.

"Put this on. Vars." The bullets rose in the air and started vibrating. "The headband is enchanted with a certain lovely spell we use to torture war prisoners. It will block all outside stimuli, leaving you in a black void of nothingness. The bullets will shoot at you from all directions, and you'll have to dodge them if you don't want to get hurt. And the robe will protect you from dying... Probably."

"WHAT!? HOW DO YOU EXPECT ME TO AGREE TO SOMETHING SO RIDICULOUS?"

"You can go back if you don't want to."

Sigh

"The bullets will start attacking once you put the headband on"

He goes back through a portal and you're left on your own

>Roll a d100 to see how well you do, best of three

Rolled 24 (1d100)

>>3665378

Rolled 21 (1d100)

>>3665378

Rolled 26 (1d100)

>>3665378

>>3666354
Oh man we got rocked

Rolled 25 (1d100)

>>3665495
>>3666054
>>3666354
Rip
Roll to see if we learned something out of this

You take a few deep breathes to get into the right mindset and put the headband on. The change is very confusing, suddenly you don't feel the cold or hear the wind whistling anymore, the earth beneath your feet disappears and after a short moment, you don't know which way is up or down. You take a step forward and feel your body shifting. The sensation is strange and alien, it's only once the movement stops abruptly with a dull pain that you realize you've tripped and fallen down. You don't have time to acclimate to this new environment - Your side is blasted with a shockwave of crippling pain as the bullet hits it.

You now understand why they'd use the headband for torture. Once it's on your head, the outside world stops existing, and this sole aspect of it is enough to drive a man mad, but there's a special catch. The lack of sensations is unhealthy for the brain, so to remain sane, it will blow even the slightest pain out of proportion and fill your every thought with it.

Three.

There's three of the bullets, and only one you.
Avoiding them seems like an impossible task, you barely manage to get a hold of yourself after one hit and another one comes right away. The robe protected you from damage, but it's powers seem to be wearing out. The last ball left a gash, now you felt a rib crack. Trying to avoid them is no use now. You curl up in a ball, waiting for death.

It does not come.

The attacks have stopped. For a long while you're too afraid to move, then carefully stand up.

Thud

A bullet hits you right in the stomach. You puke and throw yourself on the floor again.
The bullets stop again.

"What the..." You think to yourself. Is this a safety measure put in place by Aidhu? Or maybe the bullets only react to rapid movements? After all, they only attacked when you were moving.
With this thought in mind, you crawl in the direction the bullet came from, and soon you poked the bullet! You grip it slowly and then are hit on the hip and the back.

You collapse, unable to move.

***

"Wake up, sleeping princess." He flips you over so he can see your face "Don't scare me like that, I thought you were dead. You should be, seeing how bad you did."

"What do you mean did bad? They were unavoidable!?"

"The headband you're wearing is not complete. I made it so Mana can still be sensed. The spell that moved the bullets used a big amount of it, this exercise was supposed to make you aware of the flow around you, but all it did was give you a beating. There was something interesting, though."

"Interesting? What do you mean?"

"Your mana might be sparse, but someone like me should have no problem sensing it. Despite that, there were a few moments you went completely off the radar. It was as if you were dead, or suppressing your Mana. It ain't an easy thing to do, most people only achieve it after months of training. I think you have far more potential than you imagine, kid."

Roll d100
>Uncover your Mana
>Learn Mana manipulation

Rolled 79 (1d100)

>>3667832
>Uncover your Mana
We don't have any

Rolled 62 (1d100)

>>3667832
>uncover mana
Maybe we're not that much of a magical cripple? Ahahaha that's unlikely .

Rolled 29 (1d100)

>>3667832
>Uncover your Mana

Rolled 98 (1d100)

>>3667832
>>Uncover your Mana

test

new thread >>3672925