NTR Quest: Academy

The Royal Magic Academy had been a pillar of the Kingdom's authority for hundreds of years. The Academy's willingness to teach people from all walks of life and treat them equally, so long as they have an aptitude for magic, was a point of pride for the Kingdom and a drawing factor for the masses. The Academy would pull in foreigners and was known as the focal point of magical knowledge and training in the west. If one could achieve high rank in the academy and graduate, they would never find unemployment in any part of the world and never live a poor day in their life. The world would not just be open practically but literally, as magic was the most powerful known to man. It hung on a rung just bellow gods, and that much was arguable.

That is what Jeane imparted upon you at least, as she rode with you in a carriage through the streets of the Capital towards the historic building. You were getting the VIP treatment leading up to the gate, it seemed. She had given word to the school and told the highest ranking members about who and what you were. Though you were traveling there in what felt like luxury, ultimately it was decided that your status as a 'hero' should be kept from the general staff and students for the sake of morale. Both yours and theirs. The way she explained it, you should not become full of yourself and others should not have it in their heads that they need to treat you differently than they would any other student. To offer privileges or other advantages when you are already so blessed would not be to your benefit, no matter how good it could feel. She also made clear that you should not go around bragging that you are a hero, or have a heroic trait, for that would offer the same result. Though, she admitted that ultimately that much was up to your discretion.

“My father was a graduate here.” You mentioned finally.

Jean perked up. “Oh? You said that you did not have any experience in magic. Typically a parent who is a graduate will try to test their children and begin laying the groundwork for future study.” Her elegantly painted face twists slightly in distaste.

“The fact that he did not... You could have been quite a genius already with your skill. It should be a crime, honestly.” She uttered, staring out the window in seething thought.

“Who is he? I should have a word. You said he graduated? I should have his credentials revoked. Such a waste.”

You raised your hands to stop her ranting. “I don't know where he is. Truth is he left when I was young. His name was Reed. He probably looked like me. You've been around for a while, do you remember anyone like that?”

Jeane waved her delicate, gloved hand dismissively. “I only have a mind for the extraordinary and that name does not enter my mind.” She stated bluntly. After a stretch of silence where only the sound of the wagon bouncing could be heard she looked faintly of regret and added.

“I am sorry that your father left you at a young age.” She relented with a sigh.

“I suppose the waste of your talent was secondary to other effects that such a thing could have on a boy.”

You shook your head. “I don't blame him. Pretty sure he's still out there just waiting to come back once he's had his fill. He's why I wanted to become an adventurer.”

Jeane lifted a brow, inspected your inscrutable expression, then finally offered you a sympathetic look. “Of course.”

You stared out the window at the passing buildings and streets. “To be clear, I still want to become an adventurer, but my dad also started here, so...” You shrugged. Jeane rolled her eyes. She looked upset.

“What?” You asked.

“Please do not tell me that again. If you say that you are going to use your talents to become an adventurer I am going to feel like I am wasting my time with you.” She turned up her nose.

“I can not say it wont affect how I teach you going forward, but I will make an effort to not let it affect me.”

You are taken aback, but try to move past it. “How is this teaching thing going to work? You're teaching me, but I am also attending?”

She was pleased by that question. “It is more like I am tutoring you. Certain figures with wealth and resources or status can afford to have some staff or skilled upperclassmen tutor them to help their studies along so it is not odd.”

You bristle a bit at that explanation. “I though all was equal at the academy?”

“Oh don't be one of 'those.'”

“One of what?”

“You can never have a perfectly even field. Consider what I said earlier; many students are children of graduates. They are already at an advantage for knowing how the school works and being prepared before the season even starts. Many students are from wealthy backgrounds and that does not simply go away, and should not go away as they enter school.”

“They should be able to throw their wealth around?” You were not one to talk, as you came from a relatively wealthy background. You were not rich, but if you needed money or resources you could have either fairly easily.

Jeane smirked. “What do you think wealth means here?”

“Buying off teachers, getting advantages, having people treat you differently and suck up to you for perks?”

“Very simple-minded. Consider this: Someone who is wealthy is at an inherent advantage in the school due to their way of life before entering. That much is unavoidable. They are able to purchase equipment that offers them a slight edge, as well. Very little of that can be managed or restricted.”

You stare up at the ceiling of the carriage in thought. “Well... It's definitely not equal. Shouldn't you try to offer perks to other students who don't have those advantages?”

“We could.” She paused for a moment to stare at you deeply before continuing.

“But then whom do you offer the perks to?”

“People without wealth or influence.”

“Now that is an interesting thought.” She tapped her chin idly.

“Is it a number? Such and such amount of wealth with a cutoff?”

“P-probably?” You were being to think a lot on something you had only just considered.

“So a person who is at the top of the wealth chart before the cutoff is in need but someone who is just above it is not, even though they are fundamentally very similar and only separated by very small numbers?” She inquired comfortably.

You shook your head. “Well... Well maybe it should be a scale? Like... No cutoff, but instead it's many amounts given based on a range.”

Jeane tilted her head to one side and grinned widely. She was obviously enjoying this. “So... A student with parents who are graduates but is poor should be offered advantages by the school over a student who is moderately wealthy with none?”

“I- Well...” You rested your head in your hands in mild frustration.

“How do you even measure those against each other effectively enough to-”

She nodded and leaned forward. “To come up with a benefit to give someone that is of a different, similarly abstract 'disadvantaged' background?”

You still felt strongly, but did not have the skill or experience to debate the point further. “We may come back to this... I still don't quite agree.”

“That is fine.” She seemed satisfied with that response and even a little proud of how measured it was.

“This is an academic environment. Teachers and even students are going to be trying to test you and see how you measure up to them. This is a competitive environment. Do not be afraid to ask questions or argue.” She offered evenly as the carriage rounded a bend.

The Academy was an impressive building erected in the old style, with tall circular spires and steep roofs. You had read a book at one point that suggested the old style in the region was a very brief architectural choice that originated during a particularly cold decade for the Kingdom. The building is smaller than you expected, looking just like a castle with a keep attached. The grounds look small from the outside as well with the tall stone walls compressed right up to the flat walls of the school itself. You hung your head out the side as the Carriage made its way through a small archway just big enough to fit what you were riding in. As you passed through the threshold you felt a jarring shift as land seemed to unfold and unfurl out of nowhere to create a vast expanse. A luxurious, wide grounds with what even looked like a forest off in the distance. In the middle of a city. Looking back, the arch was larger and wider, like an ornate gate. The walls seemed larger on the inside to match and stretched neatly around the expanded grounds. You turned to look where the carriage was going and saw then the true structure of the academy. The once boring looking castle with a simple keep attached to it had become several towering, gargantuan spires jutting out of an incredibly large, dark and luxurious stone structure. As your eyes trailed up it you saw central spires bend and warp at odd angles. Then there was one twisting, bending central spire that extended up for miles, leading to what looked like the smaller, original academy building you saw from the outside, just way off in the distance up in the sky. It was upside down, connected from the, winding, narrowing central spire.

“Wait...”

“Look closer. Let your mind adjust.” jeane offers.

“Just... keep your head out of the Carriage.”

You hazarded a look upwards through clouds and felt your stomach pull up into your throat. In the sky, stretching our for miles you could see the entirety of the Capital as though you were looking down at it. It was warping and moving as though you were viewing it through a faint shimmer on a wave. You clutched the walls of the carriage tightly because you were worried you might fall up but with no mistake you could feel yourself being pulled down towards the solid ground beneath you.

“I am surprised your father never mentioned it. It is... Notable, no?”

“Yes!”

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