I wanted to pull my hair out.
Why was I, a Magus from a prestigious, and if I was being bold, Aristocratic, Family, being forced to go to fucking high school?
I almost wanted to throw a tantrum and call in sick or something. However, I was allowed minimal absences.
That is to say, I was forced, for lack of a better term, to attend high school.
And what could possibly force someone of my stature?
Bureaucracy.
The totally 'legal' and 'above-board' emancipation wasn't just a hand waive and telling me I could do whatever I wanted now that I was treated fairly closely to an Adult in rights and privileges.
There are many stipulations that I couldn't simply avoid for it would draw attention from annoying government agencies.
One of the most straight forward of which was my attendance and graduation from high school. To a lesser extent, I was supposed to maintain an acceptable Grade Average. There were other caveats too, like being able to actually keep a roof over my head and food in the fridge, but those were irrelevant to me.
Apparently, I had someone check up on me every few months, as is standard protocol. Obviously, I've been using Hypnosis on them throughout the years to skim over any anomalies, but I very well can't Hypnotize an entire Government department of the City and State without someone noticing.
Thus, I needed proper paper trails, reports filed, and as such, I am 'forced' to attend School.
It was very annoying, but highly acceptable in comparison to the alternative. That would be living with 'relatives' or being given over to a legal guardian which may or may not have been a possibility if things played out different.
Less than a Year and I would be free as I would be Eighteen years old, so I did not dwell on it too long.
However, my Servant had a certain…adamance about me attending today.
Frankly, I think she just wanted to observe.
"I'm surprised you are able to Astralize." I spoke to the empty space around me. Standing at the end of the street near my home, I did not have much else to do as I waited for the Bus to arrive.
[You may speak to me through our link as well.] My Servant responded to me through our Servant – Master Link. [It may be wise to do so in such an unfamiliar world, Master]
[Agreed] I admitted. [I am also surprised that we have this link. I had assumed the status as a Servant was more a placeholder.]
[As long as my Divine Nature is not released through my Noble Phantasm, I am no different from a normal Servant.]
[I'm pretty sure there is nothing normal about you.] I found myself saying.
[Is that a compliment?] She asked inquisitively.
I figured out quickly that questions from her, that may sound sarcastic or facetious from someone else, were genuine.
[Yes.] I sent back.
[I see. Thank you.] She sounded…pleased?
Still hard to tell, but I believe I'll get used to it.
[Do you possess your horse?] The thought just hit me.
[I do. Is there a reason you require me to summon my steed?]
[No, just the thought of you trotting along on your horse while astralized was….amusing.] I pursed my lips, wondering if that was even possible.
[You are able to view my characteristics as my Master.]
As soon as she said that, my eyes widened. […I completely forgot about that in the aftermath of….everything. Thank you, Lancer.]
[You are welcome.] The amusement once more just barely sounded through.
I focused on my Servant and called upon her Servant Sheet.
Servant: Lancer
True Name: Artoria Pendragon
Alignment: Lawful Good
Parameters:
Strength: B Endurance: A Agility: A Mana: A Luck: C NP: EX
Class Skills:
Magic Resistance: B Riding: A
Personal Skills:
Mana Burst: A Protection of the Ends of the World (Sealed): C (EX) Charisma: B Torrent of Light: A+
Noble Phantasm:
Invisible Air, Barrier of the Wind King (Anti-Unit): C Excalibur, The Sword of Promised Victory (Anti-Fortress): A++ Rhongomyniad, The Lance that Shines to the Ends of the World (Anti-World): EX Goddess of the End, Seal of the once Human King (Anti-Unit): B+
I took a moment to mull over the information I just received.
Goddess of the End, Seal of the once Human King, I suppose that's the self-sublimed Noble Phantasm of hers that seals her Divine Nature?
And considering Dun Stallion, I suppose that's rolled into her Riding Skill? I would think it would have its own indication that she can summon a mount as a Lancer, but I had no hand in how Classes were parsed.
[If there is anything else you think I'm obviously forgetting, please let me now.]
[I will do so, Master.] Artoria replied evenly.
[On the topic of responsibilities, I believe we will need to settle the matter of your mundane identity. Such things as clothing will be needed. It will be awkward to find clothing for you initially.] It was one of the first things that popped into my head.
[Is it truly that difficult? I fail to see why it would require arduous effort.]
[Perhaps not in the way you believe. You very well can't appear in your armor in public while clothes shopping.]
[I am not nude under my armor, Master.]
Wasn't that a thought?
I understood what she was implying, however. [I am aware, you have those blue leathers of your, yes?]
[Correct.] She confirmed.
[The moment you appear in public wearing those, people will automatically assume you're a 'cape'.]
[One of those…..superheroes, you spoke of?] Her tone carried with it a tinge of aversion and possibly contempt.
[Or Villain. The slang term that encompasses both ends of the spectrum is 'Cape'. To reference the tendency for 'Superpowered' individuals in the early years to run around wearing Capes. The more scientific term is Parahuman. But for the most part, yes.]
[I see, thank you for explaining.] She replied again. [But can you not simply purchase the clothing in my stead?]
[Yes, however, it might take some time and effort to get clothes that properly fit you. But once we do so, you can appear in public properly.] I guess I made this a bigger deal than it actually was.
It's just…..I didn't want to broach the subject of undergarments and figuring that out. Or bringing up her sizes in a normal conversation even if we could ignore the former as long as she acquires normal clothes.
I don't know what would be more awkward to be honest. Asking her sizes, or knowing her sizes due to my…previous knowledge.
[A simple solution then.]
Well, it allowed me to emphasize the need for her to appear 'normal'. For as much as a literal Goddess can appear normal in the world.
She was going to turn all the heads the moment she walked down the street.
[Is there anything else you want? Beyond basic necessities, I'm able to supply you with whatever you want.] I would need to get her access to my bank accounts.
[Your concern is appreciated. I cannot think of anything I currently desire….mayhaps besides one whimsy of mine. Is it a practical consideration if I have an inkling to operate one of those metal contraptions that passes periodically?]
[A car?]
[Verily. It interests me.]
[We can do that.] Though, I think I know what you would appreciate more.
[Then I thank you in advance.] For some reason, I felt like she was smiling.
It didn't take long for the Bus to finally arrive. Even for such a shit city, and the shittiest school in the district, the bus was always somewhat on schedule. For the many issues that my school had, it tried its best to keep up appearances to the outside world.
I blinked a few times, and took a deep breath and forced a gentle smile onto my face as it came to a stop.
"Good morning." I said with a jovial tone, stepping up into the vehicle.
The Bus Driver, a large woman, just grunted in my direction. It was only the morning, and she was clearly already done with today.
I couldn't blame her, being a Bus Driver for Winslow must be almost as bad as being a Teacher at Winslow. Which in turn is only slightly better than being a student at Winslow.
God, it was times like this that I wished my Parents weren't so paranoid.
Though, was it paranoia if people really were out to get you?
My Parents did everything they could to just make us 'another face in the crowd'. I go to the 'mediocre school', I'm currently dressed in clothes that are half a size too big, shoes that are four years out of date, messy hair and intentionally hunching slightly to throw off my stature.
I was the epitome of the average.
I'm not complaining about not being able to flaunt my wealth, I feel like I have more Aristocratic Pride than that, but there is a line there and I think my family may have erred too far to one side.
Was it really that big of a deal if I went to Arcadia, Immaculata, or Clarendon, the actually good schools? Well, too late now without throwing up some red flags. My Government Watch Dog is going to question why I suddenly transferred to a much more prestigious school when I was painfully average in my academics. Sure, I could hypnotize my way out of the issue primarily, but you never know what problems that is going to cause in a modern society with things like electronic records.
Though, I think it may mostly have to do with the fact that It's the closest School I live by.
On a side note, I'm annoyed that my Case worker is the same type of person who deals with Juvenile Delinquents and such.
Damn it, do I have the same Case Worker as that thug playing around as a Superhero that also goes to Winslow?
Despite my inner annoyance, I forced myself to smile bigger as I met my 'friends' near the middle.
"Hey, Freddie!" My cousin waved to me.
I admit, I had to pull my Mask on tight to stop myself from scowling at being called Freddie.
"Hey Greg, Hey sparky." I grinned stupidly, plopping down next to Greg.
Greg Veder, Dyslexic, Aspergers, and most assuredly on the Autism spectrum if his tendency to bulldoze through social norms is anything to go by.
Slightly below average height, thin build, blonde hair with a bulb cut. Perhaps the most basic definition of a nerdy suburban white boy one could find.
And also, he's technically my distant cousin by some means.
We shared a Great Grandfather.
Verde, Veder.
Yes, I found the name connection cute.
Thankfully, he has absolutely no idea about Magecraft or anything like that. Neither do his parents, or their parents for that matter. My Dad was sort of vague about it, but his Grandfather had a falling out with our Great Grandfather, which involved being born with No Magic Circuits.
As a result, the Veder Family, has absolutely no idea about the Hidden Side of the world. Can't really blame him, to my great Uncle, it must have been a sore spot and he just wanted to forget about it and carry on with his life.
My parents tested Greg, and his Parents, subtly, years ago, and they still lack any talent in the field, so they've stayed just our 'distant cousins' who we see like once a year for holidays or something.
My family weren't monsters, we still took care of them in indirect ways. Their medical bills mysteriously vanish. A 'bank error' causes their mortgage to be paid off. And their parents have been getting a few too many promotions over the years.
That sort of thing.
Sparky was…I don't know I could call him a friend. Or even if Greg was his friend? And now that I think about it, I don't even know Sparky's real name.
He's like….that one kid who wants to start a band and literally doesn't care about anything else. Long hair, metal t-shirts, random leather strap around his wrist, that sort of thing. He sometimes just spaces off in the middle of conversations.
Frankly, I think him and Greg hang out just because they're both social outcasts.
God damn, I'm also the same.
Sparky just grunted in response to my greeting.
To be honest, I wasn't really friends with them either. Greg, he was my 'cousin', so it was sort of forced there. Sparky, he was Gregs….sort of friend? But I was actually above them in years and older, so we didn't really bond in that way.
Jesus Christ, did I really create a persona where I was a loser in highschool? Looking through my memories, I can't honestly call anyone my friends.
Atleast I can say without a shadow of a doubt that no one would point to me and assume I was a Magus.
But for some strange and inexplicable reason, that didn't make me feel better.
Fuck School.
"Did you hear about the new expansion of Heroes and Villains? There're rumors that it's going to have a new Magic Class!" Greg started excitedly waving his hands around and raising his voice a bit too loud. "How awesome is that? Being able to play as a Wizard!"
A DnD equivalent here. Rather than playing Dungeons and Dragons, you play Heroes and Villains. Which…..that didn't sound like the worse thing ever. But now living in this world, it felt a bit on the nose.
Like, who would want to play Officer Worker simulator?
And then I realized that games where you went around with a Tractor and plowed fields were popular, so what do I know?
"It's going to be awesome; do you think they know actual Wizards? I bet they hired some secret Wizards to help with the characters. If I email them, do you think they'd tell me who they hired? I'll post on PHO and see if anyone else knows. What do you think, Freddie?"
"Hmm?"
"The new Wizard class!"
"Oh, they're probably just going to do something cliché." I shrugged. "You know how game companies are man, minimal effort for expansions." I replied, sliding into my normal faux tone and mannerisms when attending public school.
"But what if they hired actual Wizards!?"
"Dude, wizards don't exist." I rolled my eyes. "Do you really think there's some secret society of Magic Users that went completely undiscovered until now?"
"But, even the Government said so!"
"Right, and the Governments' never lied before."
"It's true! There's evidence and everything."
Thankfully, I was already a skeptic and 'didn't believe'. "What Evidence, Greg?"
"Last week, there were a bunch of Ghosts –"
"Crusader." I pointed out.
Greg frowned, but he couldn't rebuke me.
Crusader was one of the literal Nazi Parahumans that ran around in spandex and spouted that idiotic ideology. He had the power to create some type of Ghostly Projections.
"They were different."
"How?" I asked.
"They just were." He began to pout. "But there was also a bunch of people who say they saw a giant moving Tree in Baltimore."
"Greg, there are plenty of Capes capable of pulling that off."
"Then what about that Wolf that killed an entire town in Russia just by howling!?"
"Greg, that – " I stilled. "Explain that last one?"
He looked far too smug. "A lot of people had been posting it online. They said there was a big wolf the size of a building that was eating a bunch of people. And its howl killed an entire town. There's even pictures." He took out his phone and started fumbling around with it, before holding it up for me to see.
It was grainy and barely visible. Like the kind of thing, you would see when people 'conveniently' captured Big Foot on camera.
However, the silhouette of a white wolf was unmistakable.
[Master, are you alright? You have a strange look upon your face.] Lancer's words snapped me out of my stupor.
I quickly refocused on the mask I wore in public, shifting back to my casual attitude. "Come on Greg, you may as well pull out pictures of Big foot. How does that prove anything? Also, if you're saying that this wolf killed everyone nearby just by howling, then where do the pictures come from?"
Greg pouted some more, grumbling under his breath when I didn't believe him. He wasn't very good at articulating his thoughts, even if he had something to argue about, he sorts of just mentally fumbled and resorted to retreating inward.
Though, out of all of those, that last one was probably right, just not in the way he imagined.
There was one giant white wolf I was familiar with in this world, and it filled me with existential dread.
For the first time since summoning Lancer, I felt wholly unsafe once more.
What exactly was I supposed to do if Primate Murder came knocking? And that wasn't even considering its owner.
Goddess Rhongomyniad is powerful. But I'm not sure she can defeat Primate Murder, or even if she can, its Master is free to act while they're fighting.
I can only hope that the Pillar of the World is enough of a deterrent to beings who are knowledgeable about that Spear of hers.
Just one more threat to add to a long list.
I'll need to double check about the other things running around in the shadows from the Magical Side of the World.
I'm almost certain that the Dead Apostle Ancestors don't exist here as an organization, but that doesn't mean they don't exist in some individual form.
I was silently going over the list in my head, but I stopped once the bus came to another stop and another person walked up.
Even if I didn't have thorough memories of this life, I would have recognized her from the descriptions I've read many times previously.
The Long, black and curly hair with the lanky body to go along with it. The glasses were obvious as well, and the hand-me-down looking clothes.
Taylor Hebert.
The supposed 'main character' of Worm.
I wasn't some creep that would stare at her for too long, but it was enough to burn her into my memory after awakening here.
And after seeing her in person, all I could think of was how unremarkable she is.
With how many stories held her up as a Queen, she was utterly and unfailingly mediocre at first sight.
It's like in those old cartoons where you see a Rain Cloud hovering over a depressed person. That's how I felt when looking at her, like the atmosphere just lessened by her being nearby.
,…was I supposed to be in awe or something? Was I supposed to roll out the red carpet and kiss the ground she walked on?
I literally did not understand the hype. Maybe it was just the cynicism I seemed to have naturally adopted in this new life? But frankly, I had no desire to extend a hand in her direction even knowing the 'events' that happened in the story.
She wasn't even very beautiful either, so why did people salivate over her? Granted, I also wasn't pining after a Fifteen-year-old, but more so an objective observation. Nor was I using her basis of beauty as a measure of her worth, I felt like that was crass even in the back of my mind. Simply….I was grasping at straws to rationalize many of the stories I read with her being the main character or relationship partner.
Overall, I am very unimpressed.
Well, it's not like I'm going to bend over backwards for her due to preconceived notions. Nor was I going to willingly get involved in her bullshit.
Greg was practically drooling, and it took a lot of my self-control not to smack him.
I gave her a polite smile as she passed by, and she just turned her nose up.
Right, fuck you too.
I shifted through my memories thus far, and while I felt sympathy for her situation – a Dad that became somewhat absent at her mother's death some years ago, and the bullying she was experiencing at school, I can really only recall that she always appeared very standoffish, which is one of the reasons that people generally just ignored her existence.
Whatever, the less brain power I put forth towards that whole mess, the better.
[Master, is there a reason that girl caught your eye?] Lancer asked through our link.
[Caught my eye?]
[Your gaze lingered upon her far longer than anyone else.]
Huh, so she was watching me through our link as well.
[Don't misunderstand, she is a potential Parahuman, so I was merely curious.] I sent back.
[Ah, so that is the strange sensation she gave off.]
[You could tell?] She was continuing to surprise me.
[Only within this distance. There was a small anomaly situated within her head. As I am now, I would not have been able to discern it if you had not focused on her so intently.]
I did not focus on her intently.
Frankly, I felt icky at the insinuation, even if I know she didn't mean it that way.
I was 90% sure that Lancer didn't do coy.
I had a sudden thought, however. [Lancer, where are you right now?]
[I am riding this vehicle.] She replied.
[Are you situated next to me or in one of the empty seats?]
[Nay, I am on top.]
[….as in, on the roof of the Bus?]
[That is correct.]
[…..is it fun?] I found myself asking.
[It is enjoyable.] She replied, with the tiniest amount of humor directed in her tone.
Once more, the thought of Lancer just riding along Astralized filled me with amusement.
@***@
Welcome to shithole Winslow High.
Funny enough, the outside looked practically fine. The administration put all their effort into keeping up outer appearances.
I wanted to say that I separated from Greg as soon as we came, but he was sometimes like a lost puppy. And despite my aversion….my parents taught me to be kind to family for how small that ours was. And despite everything, when my parents passed initially, their side tried to step up and take care of me, purely out of selflessness.
Obviously, I needed my own space and such due to my status. However, kindness like that should be returned in spades whenever possible.
For what they know, I have a close family friend acting as my guardian as per my Parents instructions.
I think they've met Bazett once or twice, as she acted the role when needed. Which makes me realize how much my parents trusted her for more than just my combat instructor.
She should be due to visit soon.
As soon as I pushed open the main doors, it was like a completely different world.
The utterly broken metal detectors did nothing but squeeze the oncoming masses into narrow rows.
At least the nearest Security Cameras worked. Too bad they were only hanging on by their cords and merely pointing at the ground, swinging left and right as a breeze passed by.
And then there was the graffiti that blanketed the lockers and walls at the immediate entrances.
Prime real estate I presume considering that it changes nearly every day.
God damn, kids were literally wearing Gang Clothes in the middle of the hallways. And I'm not talking like something as vague as 'colors'. There was a kid wearing a big '88' on his shirt with a bunch of other skinheads.
The Empire 88, one of the Gangs in the city, the literal Nazis. They had a bunch of parahumans under their banner, so the local authorities couldn't do much.
Or they didn't care to do much. A lot of what I read in the past showed that the local PRT—the Parahuman Response Team—really only cared about public perception and maintaining the status quo.
But I digress.
Speaking of the local PTR, I yanked Greg's book bag, pulling him out of the way of a small group of girls walking by.
The particular one looked at him, then at me. I met her gaze, and she looked confused, then irate, and I almost felt like she was going to snarl or growl at me.
She probably wanted to intentionally smack into Greg and make a big spectacle of it. While he wasn't the primary target of their bullying, he was an easy target. And kids can be fucking assholes to each other.
[Master, did you do something to anger that girl?]
[Unfortunately not. Meet Sophia Hess. You probably noticed her anomalies, right?]
Girl needed therapy yesterday. She has some kind of 'prey and predator' mentality. From an objective perspective, it's really fucking pathetic considering she's barely better than a normal person in a fight.
I think she can turn into smoke or become intangible or something. And she runs around with a crossbow too. I'll need to do a double-check on everything to make sure I remember the important details.
[Yes, is she one of those 'Parahumans'? It is not as muted as the girl on the bus appeared.]
[Correct. But she's also a member of the 'Wards.' The…underaged superhero team sponsored by the PRT—the Parahuman Response Team, the local authorities when it comes to handling parahumans and parahuman-related crime.] I sent back to her.
Because calling them child soldiers, while accurate, was bad publicity.
Well, I'm just being cynical again. I have no doubt that the PRT grabs underage Capes and 'recruits' them into the Wards through some dubious means, but there are some that genuinely get into it the way the public perceives.
Regardless, Greg was oblivious as he hummed loudly, walking to his locker.
Mine was right across the hall from him.
I went through it quickly.
A pair of leather gloves with a rune stitched onto the back of each one. Not much better than a single-use Mystic Code, considering the material wasn't anything extravagant, but it was for emergencies.
It was the same thing Bazett did: put a single rune onto her gloves to enhance her blows. It was relatively easy to cast and didn't cost much magical energy to actualize and sustain.
The same with a pair of shoes sitting at the bottom. About similar in quality, and they also each had a rune etched onto the sole. These ones, however, were devised to make me faster.
I was by no means a Runecraft master, let alone a prodigal user, and I had no desire to further my knowledge on this subject, but I picked up a thing or two. Hell, for how much shit most Magi give those who delve into Runecraft, it's a widely utilized branch of Magecraft for practical purposes.
Best of all, who would question a pair of gloves and shoes in my locker? Sure, it may seem a little odd, but nothing someone would raise red flags over.
I also had a pencil box I took out, shifting the bottom to the side, revealing four black keys.
It's surprising how easy these are to come by if you want them.
Daggers that look like rapiers when fully utilized. They're conceptual weapons that do increased damage to things heretical to the Church's teachings. At their base, they're decent Mystic Codes, and you can pin someone down by throwing them into their shadow and invoking the Rune engraved on the hilt.
Speaking of the Hilt, it's not like I have literal 'swords' sitting in my locker, and it's not like they would fit in a pencil box of all things.
The blade portion only materializes when it's injected with magical energy; the blades are condensed from literal scriptures. Otherwise, the small and finger-sized hilts don't look like anything in particular.
Basically, just something useful and easy to hide at school in an emergency.
Most games and media get it right: a magus should be prepared well in advance.
[You have a fair few means at your disposal, master. Do you anticipate conflict in this place of learning?]
[Prepare for the worst, hope for the best.]
[A wise mentality.] I felt her agreement. [If you don't mind me asking, what is the Magecraft you focus on?]
Huh, that's a good question. I could probably tell the truth in saying that I haven't chosen one, but that's not entirely true either.
There was one thing that resonated with me enough that I would most likely choose it.
[Astrology.] I sent back to her. [I've always enjoyed studying the stars.]
I had memories of my parents taking me stargazing. Pointing out the constellations, telling me how they came to be, the myths and legends. Even with the Magecraft lessons tacked on, there was also a healthy amount of just playfulness to it.
They were some of the most cherished memories I inherited here, and despite still feeling like an outsider in my own life, they were somehow just as warm and pleasant to reminisce about.
Given my new perspective, I had quite a few ideas that the 'previous me' would never have considered when it came to spellcrafting using astrology.
However, I had quite a few fresh ideas that came from an…outside perspective.
I walked to my first class as I did every morning.
Despite Winslow being an utter shithole, there was some semblance of…decorum. It's like all the intertwined gangs didn't overtly cause problems. The Skinheads would walk past the Asian gangs, and they would glare but not cause problems in the middle of the hall.
Frankly, I didn't understand it.
It all felt so…pointless.
I found my first class for the day; it was Parahuman Studies. A sort of blend between a history class combined with a touch of psychology and spiced with criminal justice.
Not all that strange considering how much parahumans had shaped society since their arrival.
Truthfully, I had completely forgotten that I had this class with some 'unwanteds.'
This was an elective that didn't differentiate based on yearning, so I was in class with people from every grade of the school. Most particularly, Taylor Hebert was here, along with her tormentors.
I suppose the thought hadn't crossed my mind before, as I had been understandably caught up in my own head at the time.
Even Greg was here. Though, I think he just took the class because his crush was here too. Specifically, he sat right next to Taylor without even noticing the grimace from the girl.
I sat on the opposite side of him to get far away from her and the others I didn't care to associate with.
I think Greg was still annoyed at me from earlier this morning for dismissing him because he just pouted my way and didn't try to talk my ear off.
My parents reminders made me sigh in my heart. He was still family, so I wasn't going to be an ass to him, but it still grated on me.
The bell rang, and the teacher took to the front of the room with coffee in hand. "Alright guys, pass your homework forward from yesterday." He gestured to everyone as they all begrudgingly took out, or didn't take out, their homework, passing it up to the front.
Luckily, I had done it before I had my…appearance.
Previous me was studious despite believing it was pointless.
"We'll continue where we left off yesterday." Mr. Glady, the Parahumans teacher, put the stack of papers on his desk as he took a sip of his coffee. "We were talking about the appearance of Scion and the ramifications it had on the world at the dawn of the Age of Parahumans. Then we talked about the biggest names in the Cape community. Let's talk about the biggest events today; no need to keep to Heroes vs. Villains."
Mr. Glady was very casual with his approach to 'lecturing,' treating it more like a college classroom than a bunch of high school kids that didn't want to be here.
"Like when Scion destroyed all the nukes!?" Greg's hand shot up.
Mr. Glady pointed to Greg. "That's right. One of the biggest impacts the Capes had on the world was when Scion went around destroying all of the world's nuclear weapons. Of course there are still some left, but any time they become public, they're immediately destroyed by him regardless of what he's doing at the time."
Of course he didn't want his lab rats to kill themselves.
"What about when Hero died?"
"Another good one." My Glady nodded to the girl at the front who spoke. "As sad as it is, his death was a major turning point as well. It's well known these days that Hero personally supported Tinkers, be they vigilantes, heroes, or unaffiliated. Of course, he didn't help out any villains." The teacher chuckled. "But since his death, a lot of gangs or villainous organizations began to press Tinkers into their groups at an alarming rate. These days, it's rare to find a Tinkerer that isn't affiliated with any group."
[Master, what is the 'Tinkerer' that he speaks of?] Lancer's voice reached my ears, and I had completely forgotten she was there as I had started taking notes.
[It's an identification method for Parahumans based on what their powers do. There are specific powersets that lend themselves to creating things, advanced technology, or esoteric things that are basically impossible to replicate with what we have today. If you want a comparison, think of it like Item Creation from the Caster Class.] I explained back to her.
[I see, I understand. I assume there are other 'classifications'? I will ask about them for later once you are not busy.] She replied, and I felt her presence in the back of my mind recede.
I sort of half phased out the lecture, mindlessly taking notes until someone said something that had me perk up.
"What about when Scion disappeared?"
I immediately started focusing again to hear what they had to say on the matter.
"Right, the disappearance of Scion is probably one of the more recent examples; crime had picked up around the world. There have even been some more overt invasions by the Yangban. But no one has dared to use a nuclear weapon since then." My Glady, she stated.
I raised my hand. "Why did Scion disappear? What happened?" I feigned ignorance.
"Well, we don't really know." My Glady scratched his cheek. "Three years ago, give or take, of what people called Green Sunday, Scion disappeared over the Andes Mountains in South America, and the whole area is now designated a contaminated zone. A lot of people had tried to sneak past the containment zones, but they hadn't even been able to recover the bodies due to the radiation. At least ten miles all around the spot is considered a death zone."
[Master, dare I ask if that location is the one I believe it to be?] Artoria asked.
[Yes, that's where the Spider touched down on the planet.] I sent back to her, feeling a cold chill down my back.
Scion disappeared in the spot where the Oort Spider was sleeping.
Of course, I knew a bit more about what happened, though the details still escaped me. It wasn't just those two that were involved; there was a reason my parents also died three years ago. From what I understood, my parents were among a few hundred Magi that were involved with a very clandestine operation by the Clock Tower that mobilized to that spot.
The Queen of the Clock Tower, The Kaleidoscope, and various powerful Church Executors. Even the Wandering Sea participated, and Atlas had some of their people crawl out of their holes, surprisingly.
However, the most surprising thing is that apparently a few Dead Apostles also participated.
Less than a third made it out alive, and everything was hushed up.
"What about the wizards!?" Greg raised his hand again.
I made sure I didn't react because a lot of people turned to look at Greg, much to my annoyance. I knew he wasn't going to drop it easily, so I would just continue pretending that it was ridiculous.
"That's an interesting point, Greg." Mr. Glady's eyes lit up. "First off, we need to define these supposed 'wizards.' Are they parahumans? The government, while recognizing their existence, claims they're something else entirely. What do you all think? Anyone have thoughts on this 'Wizards,' as Greg called them?" He looked around, and his eyes landed on someone in particular. "What do you think, Sophia?"
"Bunch of cowards hiding away." She grunted dismissively.
"That's a popular sentiment." Mr. Glady took that and ran. "A lot of people have been calling for this mysterious group to walk into the light, so to speak. Why have they been hiding? Why don't they come out and share everything with the world?"
Jeez, I wonder why when it's phrased so invitingly.
"Mr. Glady!"
"Yes, Emma?" Gladly looked at Emma Barnes.
"My dad says that those 'Wizards' aren't included in the same laws as Capes. Why is that?"
Color me surprised; she asked something intelligent.
"Good question, Emma. You see, a Parahuman is defined, and I'm explaining this loosely, by the presence of a Corona Pollentia in the brain and post-Trigger Event powers to accompany it. If this group that we've named as 'wizards' doesn't have the legal definition, then by law, they aren't included in the same category and therefore are not obliged to follow the same rules."
Funny enough, the concept of a 'trigger event' is so vaguely understood by the general population, intentionally obscured by the government and other entities.
People don't really understand that it's a super traumatic event that leads to a trigger. Heck, a lot of people seem to think that superpowers are hereditary.
'Trigger Event' is basically just a buzzword that came from certain legal and court documents that the general population ran with.
But he's right, we 'Wizards,' by definition, are not Parahumans, so we're not included in those shitty laws that limit them in any facet of society.
"And why does everyone think that is?" Mr. Glady kept going with the lecture, despite it veering off topic from the initial discussion. "What about you, Taylor?"
The shy and quiet girl looked particularly displeased that she was called on.
"...because they're still new?" She answered after a moment.
"That's a good thought." Mr. Glady nodded. "And you're not wrong. What do we know about them? Next to nothing, if we're being honest. How do we find them? How do we pick them from a crowd? Do they have something like a Corona Pollentia? We have no idea, so we can't legislate things that may or may not be true."
"Why can't we just make 'Magic' illegal or something?" Emma asked again.
"We can't just make random things illegal out of the blue like that. It has to pass scrutiny, and even then, it may infringe on certain rights. We don't even know what this 'magic' is to be able to forbid it. Though, there is some push for just that in Congress right now. However, it's getting caught up in the courts, as precedent since the times of the Salem Witch Trials dictates that the government does not recognize 'magic' or such terms as real."
I wouldn't be surprised if some idiots in Congress still manage to push something through like 'All wizards have to register themselves, and any magic is outlawed without government approval.'
I thought my government back home was stupid, but the one in this world is magnitudes more idiotic.
Thankfully, the bell rang as everything was winding down.
"Homework, since we ended on this note, I want everyone to write five hundred words on the inclusion of 'magic' in our society and the effects it could have on Parahuman relations!" He shouted as the first kids began to walk out the door.
I got up and followed the flow out of the classroom.
My mind was on other thoughts, like, how could I get out of coming to school again? Maybe I could get the school shut down with some things I know?
Because regardless of my status legally, I don't know how long I could bear with this.
[How interesting, so this is modern academia.] Lancer's voice sounded again in my mind. [What classes do you have next, Master?]
[I have Math next, then Lunch.] I sent back.
[Lunch?] She asked curiously, with one of the most obvious tones of interest that I've yet heard from her, completely ignoring Math altogether.
I guess some things stay the same.
@***@
A/N
Second chapter, still things going slowly as MC becomes accustomed to the world. More stuff will happen soon. I'm not going to keep doing school day chapters, as they would get boring fast.