At those words, Lith finally understood Phloria's change of heart . If on one hand he found reassuring that he wouldn't have to stand an insipid puppy love, on the other one he felt offended .
"You sure know how to catch a man's heart . " His voice oozed sarcasm .
"I didn't get so many insults at once since that time I tripled the healing fare to a merchant for being a rude prick . "
His words made Phloria chuckle, but she didn't let him go, nor he tried to push her away .
"I didn't insult you . I just stated the truth . I dare you to deny any of the above . "
"Well, yeah . All the more reason why you shouldn't consider me boyfriend material . Especially after hearing my story . Despite being only twelve, I'm already a broken mess . If you want to have fun, you can have much better . "
"That's not true!" She held him even tighter, like she was trying to console him
"First, you are not my boyfriend . We have a lot of time to know each other better, let's use it wisely . Second, you are my best friend in the academy for more than one reason . Under that cynical shell, you are kind and caring .
No matter how many times we stumbled and fell, you were always there, extending your hand to help us get back up . You even did it during the mock exam, after we treated you like cr*p and almost dragged you down with us .
You made a great impression on me back then . That's why I joined your group later . "
Aside from Solus and his family, no one had ever said such kind words to Lith .
- "I would be moved if she wasn't entirely wrong . " He thought .
"I helped them only because I understood the exam's true goal and had to deceive them since I knew we were being observed . She's just like Quylla, seeing someone that's not me . "
"No, she is not . " Solus objected
"Phloria has spent a lot of time with you, actually talking to you, instead of staring from a distance . She has also noticed your efforts to take care of the people around you as well as your flaws . "–
"Also…" Phloria added .
"Don't think that I'm not grateful to you for still being holding me despite all the things that I said and not pointing out in retort that I'm as flat as a board . "
Lith feared she was actually fishing for compliments, but Phloria started laughing at her own joke and he merrily joined her .
- "Yeah, it's sad that with her physique a B cup is barely noticeable . With her age and height, I doubt she can improve much in that department . "–
"Thank you for pretending to not have seen anything back then…"
"I don't know what you are talking about . " Lith lied through his teeth, but Phloria ignored him .
"…yet swearing on your brothers' heads was really shameless . Did you really think I wouldn't notice?"
"A man can try . " He shrugged .
"Gods, you really are like my mother . " Phloria pushed him away, pretending to be angry .
"Well, 'mommy', I hope we'll get along . Don't get all clingy on me, I still consider you just a friend . Try to pull a Yurial on me and I'll kick your ass . "
When Phloria calmed down, she and Lith returned to the compulsory courses' class for the last lesson of the day . After getting everything off her chest, Phloria felt light as a feather .
On the contrary, Lith was gloomy and disappointed, but nothing of it showed on his face while they kept making small talk . Solus laughing her a*s off at his expenses surely didn't help .
- "And here I thought that my mature charm made an impression on her . Phloria is not looking for a boyfriend, more like a father figure while she is inside the academy . "
"More like a mother figure, my dear wannabe Casanova . " Solus couldn't stop laughing .
"Her words, not mine . Isn't it better this way, though? It's like you gained a new sister that will keep away all those gold diggers that pestered you until now . Aren't you a little too disappointed for someone who doesn't like Phloria as a girl?"
"It's a matter of pride . Even if I end up rejecting a girl, being courted it's always flattering . I much prefer being liked as a boy than coveted as a mother hen . "–
When they sat down at their desks, Yurial gave him a wink and a thumbs up . In his mind, his two friends had now a new and intimate knowledge of each other . Quylla didn't know how to face Phloria, who didn't seem to notice her distress, greeting her with a radiant smile like she always did .
- "I'm sorry little one," Phloria thought . "but you are still twelve . You have four years before having to decide what to do with your life and you'll probably end up working in a safe environment, like the academy or a great hospital .
I have a little more than a year for crossing off as many things as I can from my bucket list . I hope that you'll learn from this experience . As our mother always says: when you see a good man, make your move or someone else will . "–
Phloria was well aware of her adopted sister's feelings, but she considered them nothing more than a childish crush . In all the time they had known each other, Quylla had always been passive, managing to speak to Lith only about homework and magic .
Phloria, instead, despite not knowing why his presence made her feels safe, was determined to understand her own feelings and let the answer, whatever it was, lead her way .
When the second gong resounded, a plump woman walked into the classroom . The students' chattering stopped immediately . Their attention drawn to the newcomer .
She wasn't a beauty nor intimidating, quite the contrary . She was in her late forties, about 1 . 54 metres (5'1") high with long blonde hair with shades of black that reached her hips .
Her smile was contagious and had a round, jovial face that that one would find much more fitting to a baker selling sweets rather than a powerful mage . Unlike all the other Professors, her clothes and robe weren't pristine white but pitch black .
"Good evening, dear students . My name is Calyn Zeneff and for this trimester I'll be your guest lecturer for the necromancy course . As you have probably noticed from my outfit, I normally teach at the Black Griffon academy . Find authorized novels in Webnovel，faster updates, better experience，Please click for visiting .
Our institutions have agreed to an exchange programme for the Professors, so that we can learn from each other and improve the relationship between our schools . "
She paced slowly through the classroom, studying the student's reactions .
"Before starting our lesson, it's better if I answer to all the questions that usually pop in the head of those who hear the word 'necromancy' for the first time . No, it's not a forbidden discipline, nor necromancers skulk during the night to kidnap infants and virgins .
"Necromancy is just a magical discipline like any other . We necromancers got our bad reputation thanks to ignorance, superstition, and some bad apples .
Remember, no matter if you are a Forgemaster or a War Mage, the only spells that are considered forbidden in the three great countries are the ones that use living humans as materials or require trading lives for power .
What I am going to teach you are the basics of necromancy, its laws and practical uses on the combat field . Because of the nature of my subject, my colleagues here at the White Griffon have nicknamed me 'the anti-Rudd' .
Just as for dimensional magic, passing this course will influence your overall grades but will not affect in any way your chances to graduate . Also, while Rudd's subject is long and complicated, mine will be relatively short and easy .
Let's start with a brief introduction . Because of the moral and legal implications of using corpses as tools, necromancy can be considered a really special branch of magic . Tier one to three spell are considered basic necromancy, and that's what I'm going to teach you .
Tier four and five consists of either advanced necromancy, that requires joining the royal army or the Queen's corps to be taught, and forbidden magic, the practice of which is a capital offense in all the three great countries .
Basic necromancy is about temporarily turning a corpse into an undead to serve you as a guard, manpower, or a scout . It's very useful for rangers and mages who like to fly solo .
Advanced necromancy allows to permanently create undead slaves that will serve you until they are destroyed or run out of magic . This discipline is not taught at academies nor by the Mage Association .
Only the Crown is allowed to have an army, be it living people or not doesn't matter .
Turning yourselves or others into vampires or lichs, instead, that's forbidden magic and as such is a capital offense . I'm also going to explain why necromancy is so strictly regulated, what are its risks and how to defend against it .
Let's start with a little demonstration . "
With a snap of her fingers, Professor Zeneff took out the skeleton of a rat from her dimensional ring .
"Normally your subjects will not be this clean . I purposely removed all the unnecessary parts to avoid most of you puking . I'm telling you this because necromancy is useless if the carcass is older than five days .
Past that time frame, the chances of success decline fast . Only fresh bodies can be turned into undead . Things like necromancers raising whole cemeteries are just folklore and fairy tales . "
Lith knitted his brows, becoming more pensive the more discrepancies he found with what Kalla had taught him
- "Five days? The corpses Kalla stores in the forest are at least months old . Even those I rose back in the quarantine zone were dead from weeks . " Lith thought .
"The good news is that I can already ace this class, the bad news is that it seems to be a colossal waste of time . "–
Professor Zeneff cast her spell, allowing Lith to spot the first differences between true and fake necromancy . When Lith created an undead, he would send a single tendril of darkness magic in the corpse creating a blood core .
By adding a spark of light magic during the process, he would imprint the creature with his lifeforce and bind it to his will .
The Professor, instead, had created a dense fog of dark energy that was going in and out the rat's skeleton, like it was looking for something . In a few seconds, the fog was completely absorbed by the bones and a red light shone from the empty eye sockets .
Before the process was completed, Zeneff executed a second spell that left a glowing mark on the creature's head . The class gasped while the undead stretched its limbs producing an oddly amusing rattling sound .
"This is what is considered a success . " The Professor sent the rat doing a round of the class with a simple wave of her hand .
"As you can see, the creature is perfectly functional and obeys to my every command . Unlike all the other disciplines you have studied before, necromancy isn't as simple as point and shoot . It involves willpower and the use of multiple elements even at its first tier . "
A second snap of her fingers produced a metal cage containing a second rat skeleton . She repeated the darkness spell but this time she didn't perform the light one . The new undead went into a frenzy, clashing against the bars with all its strength, trying to reach Zeneff .
"This, instead, is an aberration . It happens when due to the magician incompetence or lack of willpower the creature is allowed to go on a rampage . Usually its first victim is the necromancer itself . "
While she spoke, the undead kept emitting a shrill sound that resembled the cry of a child . It charged against the bars over and over, until bone bits started to fall on the teacher's desk .
"Creating and controlling an undead require focus . The stronger your creation, the harder it will be to control . Bit more than you can chew either by sheer power or numbers and that's what happens . " She pointed at the cage .
"Back in my day, when necromancy was taught during the first year, a lot of students died by the paws of these little monsters that they kept as pets . "
A familiar looking girl raised her hand .
"What's on your mind, miss…?"
"Lady Mirna Kratic . " She gave the Professor a deep bow .
"Why someone should want such a thing?" Mirna couldn't stop turning her head to keep watch on both the undead rats .
"Excellent question, Lady Kratic . The answer is: for power and control . It was a way to show off one's talent and have loyal bodyguards 24/7 . Bullying makes the undead much more appealing than the living . " Zeneff sighed .
The Professor closed her eyes, taking deep breaths . Suddenly, the first undead ran towards Mirna . It jumped on her desk and said:
"Also, mostly because of this . "
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