Chapter 61: Mages and knights
Mark scans the mix of confused and excited faces before him. “Go ahead. Ask whatever you want to know.”
The same boy from the North raises his hand. “I want to know why we need remedial classes.”
Mark pauses before answering. “Simply because without them, you’d be sitting ducks in the official classes.”
He lets that sink in before continuing. “According to the Magic Secrecy Law enacted by the Crown, the existence of magic must be kept hidden from the general population. Teaching magic—or even related information—outside the academy is strictly prohibited without royal approval.”
Mark stops and gives the students a sharp look. “In theory, that law applies to everyone. But in reality, noble families break it constantly. Their children start learning about magic and imperial lore almost as soon as they can speak.”
William's eyes widens . “And the Royal Family allows that?”
“They neither allow it nor stop it—unless a family starts plotting something they shouldn't. It could be considered one of the privilege reserved for nobility” Mark waves a hand dismissively. “These lectures are meant to give the rest of you the basic foundation you were denied.”
“Will it be enough?”
The tense voice comes from the back corner of the room.
William turns to find an unfamiliar student sitting alone, his rigid posture and his brow furrowed.
‘He must be the loner from the East Caleb was talking about.’
The boy catches William staring and shoots him a scowl. William quickly turns back toward the front.
“Of course not,” Mark says plainly. “They've been studying this for years, while you have barely a month. But it will give you a solid foundation to build on—assuming you put in the effort.”
Mark turns toward the blackboard, pulling a piece of chalk from his satchel. “Now, let me answer the most important question on your minds: what, exactly, is a mage?”
Anticipation ripples through the classroom as Mark turns back to face them.
“This world is filled with mana. Its concentration may vary from place to place, but its presence is everywhere—and the same is true for people. Every single person is born with mana inside them.” Mark writes the number ten on the board. “However, only one out of every ten people is born with enough mana for it to actually matter.”
He writes hundred next to the ten. “Among those ten people, only one is capable of sensing the presence of that mana within themselves and circulating it through their body.”
Finally, he writes Thousand on the board. “And among those people, only one has the capability of making their internal mana interact with the mana in their surroundings. Those rare individuals are known as mages—or, at the very least, people with the potential to become one.”
He turns to face the class, letting the gravity of the numbers settle over them before continuing.
“Now, the question becomes: why does the Empire need mages?” Mark asks. “As I mentioned, everything in this world contains mana, and that isn't exclusive to humans. Countless beasts are born infused with mana, and various natural anomalies occur because of it—phenomena you will learn in due time. Put simply, it is a mage's job to deal with them. Any questions?”
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A heavy silence falls over the classroom.
After a quiet moment, William raises his hand. “What about knights? Where do they fit into all of this?”
A cold smile spreads across Mark's face. He feigns an expression of deep thought, stroking his chin before his gaze locks onto the students.
“There are multiple ways to answer what knights are and where they fit in,” Mark says, his grin sharpening as he stares directly into their eyes. “But the truest answer is simple...”
He pauses, letting the silence stretch thin.
“They are mage killers.”
A heavy, painful silence settles over the classroom.
After a long pause, William breaks the quiet, his voice hesitant. “What... does that mean? Are they really—”
“That is what they are for, usually—dealing with corrupted, rogue, and criminal mages,” Mark interrupts smoothly. “And frankly, it makes sense, because that is all they are built to do.”
Mark leans against the edge of his desk. “Mages can branch into a wide variety of fields outside of combat. They can be alchemists creating cures for magical blights, healers, master blacksmiths, builders, and so much more. But not knights. They are forged for one thing and one thing only: killing. Because when it comes down to it, that's the only thing they can do and that's what they are best at.”
“As for what they actually are... remember the numbers I wrote on the board?” Mark gestures toward the chalk figures. “Knights are the people born with the ability to circulate mana within themselves, but lacking the capacity to make that mana interact with the outside world. Because of that limitation, they can only manipulate mana inside their own bodies—and into objects maintaining direct physical contact with them.”
Mark continues without breaking stride. “Now, another detail most of you have probably noticed is the badge on your chest—and on mine.”
He points to the silver emblem pinned to his robes, featuring three distinct petals. Turning to the blackboard, he draws a complete flower with nine delicate petals.
“This is a white lily,” Mark explains, stepping back from the drawing. “It represents the untainted nature of magic and serves as the official symbol of the Royal Academy of Magic.”
Mark turns back to face the students. “As for the ranks of mages, they are divided into tiers ranging from Tier 1 all the way to Tier 8. Each rank is represented by the number of petals on the badge, made from materials such as iron, copper, silver, gold, and beyond.” He taps his chest once more. “My badge features three petals made of silver, meaning I am a Tier 3 mage.”
“So... does that mean we're Tier 1 mages?” Edward asks, excitement gleaming in his eyes.
“No, you are not,” Mark says, immediately shutting down the thought. “You are still just kids with the potential to become mages. To be completely honest, only those who reach at least Tier 3 are officially called mages—anyone below that is simply someone capable of using magic.”
“And another detail regarding your crests,” Mark adds, pointing back to his badge. “Starting at Tier 3, subtle changes are introduced to the badge, primarily along its border. You see, even within a single tier, mages are divided into three distinct sub-ranks.”
He holds up three fingers.
“First is the Low-tier mage—someone who can cast spells belonging to their tier, but has yet to master their efficiency.Their badge has a distinct black border. Next is the Mid-tier mage, who has achieved complete efficiency with their tier's magic. Their badge is denoted by the complete absence of a border.”
Mark pauses, letting them absorb the distinction before continuing.
“Lastly, there is the High-tier mage. Given enough time and preparation, a High-tier mage can actually cast magic belonging to the tier above their own. Their badges feature a distinct white border.” He taps his own seamless silver emblem. “My badge has no border, which means I am a Mid Tier 3 mage.”
“So, that's it for today,” Mark says, dusting the chalk off his hands. “Tomorrow, we'll cover the history of the Krassius Empire and the Academy, so head straight back to your temporary dorms. And yes—don't go wandering around in that building.”
Mark delivers the last warning with a hard, pointed gaze directed straight at William.
William nods back, offering a sheepish, guilty expression.
’I was already planning on staying far away from that hallway anyway’, William thinks to himself.’