CHAPTER 21: MAGE KNIGHTS BENEFITS

Chapter 21: Mage Knights Benefits

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The large, double doors of the hall room swung open, revealing a spacious, high-ceilinged chamber.

The air was heavy with the scent of old wood and polished stone. He stepped inside, his footsteps were faintly on the polished floor. Arios wasn’t the first one here. A few of his classmates were already scattered around the room, their murmurs creating a low sound that filled the space.

This was the same room where the academy’s true purpose was revealed—to not just mold scholars, but to forge the next generation of mage knights for the kingdom.

Arios quickly scanned the room, his eyes searching for familiar faces. That’s when he saw him. Kyousuke. Who was sitting at the back, his posture relaxed, his gaze fixed on the girl next to him. Elisa Ravencroft. The anime heroine. She sat there with an air of elegance, her hair like spun gold catching the light.

Arios quickly felt a pang of nostalgia, a bittersweet memory of the series he had once binged. He knew how this story went. Kyousuke, the protagonist, would eventually choose her after he made it to Class A. He knew all of it, the plot, the characters, their destinies. But he wasn’t just a viewer anymore; he was now a part of this world and want to change the outcomes he didn’t like see play out during the anime.

"Thanks for everything," a voice said, pulling Arios from his thoughts. He quickly turned to see Liza Garnet standing beside him, her eyes filled with gratitude.

"It was my duty," Arios said, a faint smile on his face.

Damn she looks soo sexy today, should she suck my dick backdoor? No that will be too much for her after everything, Arios thought.

"You don’t need to thank me. As your boyfriend, it’s my job to protect you." Her cheeks flushed, and she looked away shyly.

Arios somewhat felt a sense of pride. He had managed to change something, to write his own Chapter in this story. She wasn’t just a side character that will just be a tool of Kyousuke; she’s now his dick sucking girlfriend. His Liza.

The chatters of the class was suddenly silenced as a figure walked in. It was Instructor Bale, the magic instructor. His expression was as serious as ever.

"Good morning, everyone," he said, his voice cutting through the silence.

"I trust you all remember the upcoming mid-semester test." He let the words hang in the air for a moment, letting the weight of them settle.

"It’s less than two weeks away. A test that will result in the expulsion of one of you." A wave of unease rippled through the class. They all knew the rule. The lowest-scoring student in this class will be expelled. The stakes were high, and the pressure was seen.

"However," he continued, a faint smirk on his face. "There’s a new addition to the rules. The top scorer of this test will receive a protection point. You can use it to prevent your own expulsion, or if you’re feeling generous, you can use it to save someone else."

"But," he continued.

"The person you wished to save can’t be from your Class."

That’s truly fucked up, Arios thought but he knew it was coming, but his reaction remained the same back then and even now when his living it.

Whispers quickly erupted across the room:

"A protection point?"

"A way to cheat the system?"

"Can’t be from this Class?"

"Fuck this School."

"They can suck my cock for all I care."

"I wish for someone to suck mine."

The news was both a blessing and a curse. It gave them a chance, but it also pitted them against each other in a race to the top. Arios knew what he had to do. He had to get that protection point. Because if he doesn’t Kyousuke would just be in control of it through Elisa Ravencroft, as she’s the one who got top score in the anime.

Bale waited for the murmurs to die down before he continued.

"The Royal Elite Academy sounds fancy, and you’re not wrong to think that. It is. Founded just two years ago, its goal, as I’ve mentioned, is to create mage knights with high intellectual ability to match their combat prowess. The academy didn’t inform any of you about this mission upon entry, not because it intended to deceive you, but because it simply wished to keep it a secret."

"The promise of 100% acceptance to any college or job of your choice is still a guarantee. However, I, as a magic instructor, am tasked with convincing as many of you as I can to choose the other route—to become mage knights. I know why many of you may not want to be mage knights; it’s a profession that constantly puts your life on the line. But that’s not always the case. During times of peace, like we are currently experiencing, mage knights receive many benefits like: Elite Housing, where you can reside in state-of-the-art residential complexes with advanced magical amenities."

A collective gasp filled the room. This was a side of the academy they hadn’t seen. The promise of a life of luxury, all for a job they had never considered.

"You will have access to the latest enchanted armor, self-healing weapon technology, and personal flight packs," he continued, a sense of pride in his voice. "You will enjoy fully paid travel across provinces for missions and diplomatic functions, often on magical high-speed trains or luxurious first-class aerial carriers."

The whispers started again. "Did he say flight packs?" one student whispered. "That’s insane."

"I’d love to travel in a high-speed train," another student said, their eyes wide with awe.

"You would receive free, comprehensive healthcare that includes both cutting-edge technology and powerful healing magic. And you’ll have a generous pension plan that ensures a comfortable life after service."

"To top it all off," he said, a glint in his eye. "Those who graduate as Class A members will have the privilege of becoming Grandmasters, a position that makes them second only to a provincial governor. However, I don’t see that as an option for Class D members unless this class changes things."

The room fell silent. His last words hung in the air, it fell like a thinly veiled challenge. To change things, to break the status quo, to prove that a Class D , the so-called class of failures and misfits, could rise to the top.

This was it. This was everyone calling. They knew what they had to do. If they want to become a Grandmaster one day, they had to make Class A.

"But that’s enough of that for today," he said, a sudden change in his tone. "That’s for you to think about. I’m here to talk about the true purpose of today’s lecture: magic swordsmanship."

He walked to the center of the room, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword. With a swift motion, he unsheathed the blade. It was a beautiful thing, a work of art. The blade gleamed under the room’s lights. He held it up, and the air around it began to shimmer, growing hot and hazy.

"This is the Phoenix Flames technique," he announced.

Red flames erupted from the blade, licking at the air with an intense heat.

THRUST!

He thrust the fiery blade towards a training dummy, a simple wooden figure standing in the corner of the room. The moment the flames touched the dummy, it instantly turned to ashes.

The class gasped in unison. The sheer destructive power of the technique was staggering. The ashes of the dummy floated in the air, a show to the instructor’s skill.

He extinguished the flames, sheathing his sword with a satisfying shing. He looked at them, a small smile on his face.

"Let’s begin."