CHAPTER 169: ‘STATUTES OF FAIRNESS’

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-The Next Day-

Kaya was holding on to Caius’s arm as they sat side by side in one of the spectator seats of the Combat Magic Classroom Arena. It felt to her like hardly any time had passed since they were together yesterday. It was like the class they attended after and the rest of that day had melted away in her state of euphoria.

It was like she just blinked and was suddenly sitting here, her hands gripping into Caius’s arm as tight as possible as she tried to stop herself from pulling herself into his body and taking a long whiff of his scent because of how many of their classmates were all around them.

Eloise sat on Caius’s other side and she held his hand with a less extravagant show of affection, which might have been different had she not been a bit locked into conversation with Delia Kragsten.

At some point, Kaya’s attention was drawn to where Aylin Khione was sitting, and when she and the icy-blue-eyed mage locked stares, they both frowned at each other before looking away.

The exchange reminded Kaya of something she had been planning to ask Caius yesterday but had been washed away by the awesomeness of their private moment together. Even now as she was reminded of her curiosity about how Caius had gotten Aylin to behave and what that would mean for their group going forward, she decided not to ask.

Aylin Khione had stayed away from their group since her proclamation for peace at breakfast yesterday and, hoping that she’d continue to stay away, Kaya feared talking about it would break the spell.

Just then, the portal Gate opened and Cynthia Kragsten walked out of it. She was dressed the same as always. A picture of elegance with a gown that accentuated her delectable features but left enough to the imagination. She had on high heels that added extra inches to her 5’7 height and her bronze skin glimmered in the soft glow of dawn spilling through the classroom windows.

Cynthia’s eyes found Caius first of all. The memory of the past weekend’s extra lesson which had turned into a Pose-performing session was still very much on her mind. She saw he was also looking at her so they held each other’s gaze for a minute and she found his smile, charming as it was, unreadable.

Soon, she tore her eyes away from him and addressed the class as a whole with a gracious and professional smile.

"Good morning to you all," she greeted.

"Good morning, Professor," came the chorus response punctuated by the usual *humph* from Delia who seemed intent on never not making it clear that she did not want to be here.

Cynthia ignored her sister.

"Before we get into the topic for the day, it falls upon me to inform you that your Mid-Semester Test will be coming up in the next few weeks."

A murmur broke out then. Caius smiled to himself at the thought that, no matter the world and no matter how fantastical it might be, tests will always not be looked at fondly.

Cynthia raised a hand to call the murmurs to a stop as she then continued speaking.

"Professor Lea Gilligan has informed the staff that she was preparing for you lot to explore the Lochxen Forest and actually put some of the knowledge she hopes she has imparted to you, to actual free-roam practical use.

The rest of us see this as an opportunity and have decided to make it much bigger and much more encompassing of other subjects.

Of course, certain other subjects will favor more theoretical tests so we can’t incorporate those. However, Combat Magic, Study of Magical Beasts, and—I am reluctant to add this—Mage-Knight Training will certainly be included.

In the time leading up to the tests, we will see what other subjects will be included. I implore you all to take your studies seriously in preparation."

Cynthia paused here and the energy in the classroom became a bit more tense and the tone of her voice became more grave as she said,

"So much of your prospects is determined but how well you perform here at Lochxen.

If you’ll ever be trusted to be invited into various guilds or works of life once you’re past these four walls will rely heavily on what your Professors have to say about your abilities. About how well you grasp even the common basics. After all, if you can’t even do that, how would you survive in the competitive environment of the Acheron Empire?"

Professor Kragsten’s words hit as hard as they did simply because they were true. At least technically.

At its core, Lochxen was a political tool. It served to provide validity for why certain Nobles got placed in certain stations all over the Empire. In reality, every Noble Family is likely capable of teaching their offspring enough about Magic and sending them off to perform great deeds.

But there’s just something more respected about having been evaluated by a group of Academia with no family ties to you and they then proclaim you fit to serve the Empire.

In essence, Lochxen came to be to somewhat curb Nepotism. To curb instances where all one needs to do to show how fitting they are for a station, is to brandish their family name.

For this reason, every Noble Child, once of age and proven to have potential, must be shipped off to Lochxen for education. Where they may learn what their families deem unimportant, broaden their horizons, and in the end, acquire certification—from a Neutral Academic body—to show that they have what it takes to go further.

Now this isn’t to say, being on your own and learning outside of Lochxen can’t result in proper, healthy growth. It just won’t be recognized. Especially when it goes against the ’Statutes of Fairness’ meant to keep Noble houses in check.

Besides, attending Lochxen is only for a few years out of the centuries of living that a person is guaranteed as a Talented Mage so it’s hardly a bother or a matter of losing precious years.

Lochxen is held to such high esteem in the Acheron Empire that, to secure rights to succession, the first thing any aspirant would require is certification that they have indeed gone through the four walls of the Academy.

Of course, although Lochxen started as a way to secure ’Fairness’, that was only as far as Nobles were concerned. The requirements, while few, were so difficult due to a lack of the required expensive resources, that hardly any Commoner gets to attend.

And without attending, they don’t get certified and will thus lack ’credibility’ in almost any path they choose to pursue. It’s essentially just another one of the many ways the Nobles get to keep the commoners below them. Essentially keep the status quo the same.

Anyway, Lochxen is important. Professor Assessments matter and making it through means something because the Nobles, in their bid to hold each other and their nepotism accountable, make sure it matters.

Sure, they can still try to influence this by having members of their families become Professors and tip things in the favor of their progeny, however, it’s hardly effective because there are still those—the Headmistress for one—who strive to be objective and keep things fair.

Everyone in class was very gripped by Cynthia’s words. They mumbled to themselves about which subjects they had the best chance of succeeding at. Now was the time to start stepping away from the subjects they had no interest in so it didn’t affect their overall results.

Of course, there is still a minimum number of subjects students must take while at Lochxen so they couldn’t just dump them all. They had to be strategic and dump only the hardest and stupidest (as far as they were concerned anyway) subjects they could.

"Which will you drop?" Kaya asked Caius then.

"Probably Theory of Magic," Caius said with a little smile.

He didn’t think he needed it and Professor Melvin really did not like him.

"What about you?" He asked.

"Alchemy," Kaya said with a sigh, "I mean I’ve tried but it’s so annoying."

"Fair enough," Caius said with a nod even though it was a choice he would never pick. He looked to his other side at Eloise and Delia,

"Which will you drop?"

"This one," the two ladies gestured at the Combat Magic Classroom and answered immediately and so simultaneously, Caius could have sworn they’d rehearsed it.