As he opened the door Veloria and Alaric's eyes met.
"My apologies I had an urgent matter to attend to.... I hope you harbour no grudge?" Alaric asked while adjusting his monocle.
As she heard the professor's words Veloria grew flustered and hastily shaked her head.
"N-no not at all professor!. I-its an honour to be graced by your prese-
"Now now student Veloria do you truly wish to be outside in the cold night forever or come on." Alaric said before gesturing her to come in.
"S-student?" Veloria widened her eyes before tears slowly started falling from her eyes.
'ugh words can't explain how much I hate these kinds of heroines.' Alaric said internally while maintaining an emotionless face.
"Yes. You're indeed a student of the imperial academy. If you wish to discuss more about it comes in." Alaric said while slowly closing the door.
"Y-yes sir!" Veloria nodded before barging in.
As she entered the room she couldn't help but be fascinated by what she saw.
"Is this what a professor's tower actually looks like?"
on the ground floor stood an office with a Table in the middle that had towers of papers reaching sky high on it., And two separate sofa's on each side of the table. behind the chair being two bookshelves that covered the necessities.
Alaric walked forwards next to his personal table inside, A towering structure stood multiple stories tall.
Each floor containing magic theory books on the various elements as well as rare sub-elements that a person may have an affinity with.
every book a culmination of humanity's hundreds of years of research.
"It's quite fascinating isn't it? Humanity's evergrowing lust for the power of the unknown. Various scholars far and wide have come under the imperial academy and written their own thesis before handing it over to the imperial academy." Alaric's hands hovered over various books before it settled on one.
"For example, one of my favourite thesis, it's co-authored by two former imperial academy students. It contains the development as well as the theory behind the runes as well as the magic circle of the third circle spell [Turtle's rest]."
Alaric said before handing over the book to Veloria.
the more Alaric spoke about magic the more depressed Veloria felt.
"All these intricate explanations and drawings. The imperial academy helped them to publish the thesis causing their name to be known far and wide. Quite frankly a better more accessible as well as useful spell hadn't been created since the golden age led by Merlin." Alaric said while roaming around the room and touching each book fondly.
"And each and every corner of this room has a book of such quality." Finally his roaming stopped as he stood next to the downcast Veloria.
Veloria stood still clutching the book tightly as she bit her lip.
"H-how is this related to me professor." Veloria was too ashamed to even look Alaric in the eye as her head lowered.
"Each and every student enrolled to the academy has a bright future ahead of them."
As Alaric said that a tear fell down onto the opened book staining it's bright yellow pages.
"A bright future? You still say that after my mana and combat reading?" Veloria threw the book straight at Alaric's face which he skillfully caught and kept back into a bookshelf.
Veloria had crawled into a corner as she laid on the ground, her head between her legs.
"ME? SOMEONE AS USELESS AS ME? I have no future... HELL I DON'T EVEN HAVE MY OWN MANA SIGNATURE.NOTHING, THERE'S NOTHING THERE."
After a while as Alaric stared at Veloria her crying slowly stopped as she managed to let out a meek voice.
"Sob it's just... I've tried everything nothing ever works, it's like I'm cursed. A useless person who doesn't contribute to society in any way.... I don't even know why you would accept me into this academy."
"And who decided that?" Alaric who was staring down at her finally spoke.
"W-what? What do you mean?" Veloria lifted her head and stared directly into Alaric's eyes.
"Who decided that you're cursed, you're useless, and that you have no future?" Alaric said as he kneeling down to see Veloria at eye level, before offering his hand to help her get up.
"Thank you." Veloria spoke in an almost inaudible tone as she accepted his hand.
"Every person who is accepted into this academy has a bright future ahead of them,even you." Alaric said before tapping her head with his finger.
After hearing his response Veloria looked at him in a mix of frustration, despair and confusion.
*Sigh*
"It's better if you see it yourself."
After saying so Alaric went back to one of the bookshelves feeling each and every book as his ear listened to the vibrations.
Finally his hands stopped as he found the correct book.
'Bingo.'
As he pushed the book inwards, a rumbling sound was heard before a secret passage way opened up.
"Student Veloria, wait here I have something that might interest you." As Alaric headed inside Veloria was left standing there staring absent mindedly into the ceiling thinking about the choices she made in life.
After a few minutes Alaric came out holding an old book by hand. It's cover unreadable due to dust.
After Alaric put the book onto the table he blew a breath onto the cover of the book finally revealing it's title.
[A study on Anti-Magic]
"You might not know but over a thousand years ago, demon king Aelerion had his own sidekick or right hand man you could say."
"Let me guess, and he had Anti magic?" As Veloria's mood had calmed down she finally listened to what the professor had to say.
'I have nothing to lose anyways.'
"Would you look at that. You're right on the dot. Here's a cookie for you." Alaric put his hand into his sub space as a cookie popped out in his hands.
"Now why don't you open the book to page 89 and read from paragraph 4." Alaric said as he sat on a chair staring at Veloria who was slowly flipping the pages trying not to damage a single pagem
*Ahem*
A normal human born in a house of commoners. He had no magic affinities and no mana. The very world detested his existence. It is said that whenever he walked the surrounding mana would dissapate refusing to even be near him.
As the demon king's expedition into the human world began he watched. He watched as his town was burned to the down, leaving not a single person alive.
As he layed on his knees, with no connection left with the human plane, the demon king came across him.
Although records remain unclear. He is said to have been taken with the demon king back to the demon realm.
Fifteen years later, he made his return possessing a power that defied the heavens.
[Anti Magic]
He laid kingdoms to rest as he channeled the rage, humiliation and despair he felt onto the human plane. Anyone who opposed him cried out in fear as they lost the only thing that kept them company since birth.
Anti-Magic. It followed no rules only making sure it's masters ambition would be achieved.
Fortunately after Archmage merlin and his companions cornered him, his rage was quenched.
After fourteen long hours of a hard fought battle the commander of the demon army passed away.
May he rest in agony,
Ernest Penhaligon.
_______________________________________
Silence gnawed at the room as Veloria stared into the book thousands of thoughts spinning through her head.
"That's right. You have the same magic? If that's what it is, as the commander of the demon army."
"..."
Alaric raised his eyebrow at Veloria who was lost in her own world.
"Hello? Earth to Veloria???" He said while shaking his hand Infront of her face
"I.... I'm sorry this is too much to process. Is this a good thing or a bad thing? Will I ever grow that powerful? Is the demon king after me or something?" Veloria kept the book back onto the table as she felt a headache come over.
"Who knows? Maybe? Maybe not. Anti-Magic isn't inherently evil just liked Dark magic users. It might even be a good thing.... After all always separate the art from its maker."
Alaric said before he materialized another chair made of light blue mana next to him.
"Crying ort feeling sad is never the solution to a problem.... Neither is giving up. You only truly lose when you let your ambitions end."
"You don't have to worry about the demon king ... He's been dead for hundreds of years."
'Dead my ass, he's probably eating popcorn right now. Tch, why does having to sound professional have to be this hard.'
"So you're saying.... It's possible for me to to become as powerful as him?"
"Bingo. Here's another cookie." Alaric tossed another cookie into Veloria's hands.
"Now now you don't want your precious professor's cookie to go to waste do you? Take a seat and eat it." Alaric gestured next to him before taking out an entire box of cookies.
"Pssst. I even heard they help to cure sadness." Alaric winked at her.
"You might become the first personal to write a thesis on Anti-Magic? Wouldn't that be awesome?"
Veloria stayed silent as she sat next to Alaric.
"If it's as powerful as the book says.... Why are there so few records?"
"Well.... Children born without mana are typically seen as a bad omen and 'mysteriously' Disappear. Typically murdered by their own kin" Alaric said while doing a gesture of cutting his head off.
As she heard so Veloria stood up before making a perfect 45° bow.
"Please! Teach me. Take me in as your disciple. I'll do whatever you want." She spoke loudly not expecting a positive reply.
"I know I've been disrespectful but give me one more chance and i will try twice as hard!"
"Sure."
"Huh"
"Wait really?"
"Yes, student Veloria I will teach you about Anti Magic." Alaric said before crossing his hands.
"YAAAAY" She jumped up in excitement before looking down in embarrassment.
"So..... How do I use Anti Magic."
"That's a good question." Alaric smiled.
"A very good question."
'Fuck me in the ass, I forgot to buy the data pack and book from the store.' he smiled wryly.
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