1. Archive
A painless lesson is one without any meaning. One who does not sacrifice anything cannot achieve anything.
When the entire school population of Beacon Academy heard that they were getting a new teacher most of them were curious about what he could possibly teach that they weren't already learning in their classes. So, when the students arrived at their first class they were confident that they would be able to get through it like all the others. That was the most popular idea until the teacher stepped into the room. The room darkened leaving the man under a spotlight. He was dressed very fashionably in a tailored black three-piece suit with a white dress shirt and a black tie and a fedora. Black and white seemed to be his color scheme, his emblem was present on his front jacket pocket in stark white. It looked like a hollowed-out flame drawn with a flourish
"Legends." That was the first thing they heard. "Stories scattered through time." He breathed "Mankind has grown quite fond of recounting the exploits of heroes and villains, forgetting so easily that we are remnants, byproducts, of a forgotten past." The class was bewitched and all quieted down to listen to his words.
"Tis true that man, born from dust, was strong, wise, and resourceful, but he was born into an unforgiving world. An inevitable darkness – creatures of destruction – the creatures of Grimm – set their sights on man and all of his creations." He lamented. "These forces clashed, and it seemed the darkness was intent on returning man's brief existence to the void." They could imagine themselves in that position and could feel the sorrow and fear of not knowing if you would live past tomorrow.
"However, even the smallest spark of hope is enough to ignite change, and in time, man's passion, resourcefulness, and ingenuity led them to the tools that would help even the odds. This power was appropriately named "Dust"." The wonder in his voice was infectious and spread throughout all the students.
"Nature's wrath in hand, man lit their way through the darkness, and in the shadow's, absence came strength, civilization, and most importantly, life. But even the most brilliant lights eventually flicker and die. And when they are gone... darkness will return." The students could feel the tension building as the professor continued his tale.
"So, we may prepare our guardians, build our own monuments to a so-called "free world", but take heed... there will be no victory in strength." He gave a despondent laugh. "But perhaps victory is in the simpler things that we've long forgotten; things that require a smaller, more honest soul." He slowly finished his speech and looked at them one by one.
"In my classroom," He began. "I will teach you about your ancestors, their history, their successes, their victories, their failures. Make no mistake, everything I tell you will be the truth, and nothing but the truth."
"The exploits of the Roses," He commented, looking straight at team RWBY.
"Silver eyed warriors defending the helpless, stories of the Schnee their prowess with snow and ice, of the Belladonna poisonous assassin's that they were, of the Xiao-Longs dumb berserkers and brutes that they became." He looked to team JNPR next.
"Of the Nikos, the paragon of victory, of the Valkyries considered to be the servants of the gods, I will tell you of the Lie, the greatest spy masters and diplomats Remnant has ever seen and will never see again. And of the Arcs, defenders of mankind against the darkness"
"I will tell you tales the best of heroes and anti-heroes alike, of the worst of villains and anti-villains, of legends and myths forgotten in the annals of time." He passionately spoke. "Who am I you may be asking," He questioned. Most of his captive audience nodded their heads. "As a fifteen-year-old what right do I have to teach you, you may wonder." He said. Wiess whom was about so say something backed down.
"My name is Kuro Blanc, and as the youngest Huntsman ever in Remnant history I will be your pre-history teacher and regale you with tales most of what Remnant has forgotten and doesn't want to remember." "One thing I will mention that most people forget is that every legend, every myth and every story has to have a grain of truth somewhere, you just have to find it."
"Today I will tell you of a fable based within the history before Remnant as it is today came to be, of a time long before the Grimm were created. I tell you the tale of a kind child who became something more, the tale of a king who wanted to be something less than what she was I tell you the tale of Artoria Pendragon, the King of Knights. I tell you this to teach you a lesson as with all stories I will tell. The lesson is leadership isn't all it looks to be. So quiet down gather and now and listen to my tale." The audience both students and teachers were spellbound as he spoke.
"Artoria was born into a time of chaos and war that began with the demise of the Roman empire." He began. "It had been believed to be indestructible, but it was only awaiting its destruction at the hands of invading barbarians. In preparation for the war against the barbarians, Rome deprived her island province of any military forces left there. Once Britannia lost the empire's protection, it could not escape becoming independent, causing it to break into smaller countries soon after. This time of barbarian invasions and self-destructive strife between clans started a long period of war that would later become known as the "Dark Ages"." The audience gasped and felt that it was like what happened to Mountain Glenn.
"Artoria was born into this period as the heir to the throne, the daughter of the King of Britain, Uther Pendragon, and the blue-eyed Igraine, the wife of Uther's servant, the Duke of Cornwall. The king, believing in Merlin's prophecy, yearned for the birth of his appointed successor, but the child born was a girl-not the one he desired." Kuro stopped to take a sip of his drink.
"It is said," He continued. "In the legend that Arthur was left in Merlin's care as the price for his assistance in ensuring the success for Uther's love of Igraine, saying "I will properly guide this child, one bearing a great destiny, and protect him from the crisis of the royal family. " The true reality though was that Artoria was not a boy, so the king could not make a child that was not male his successor even if she was fated to one day become a king." He paused and let the tale properly sink in.
"She was entrusted to the king's vassals and was to be raised as the child of a mere knight. The king fell into despair at the situation, but Merlin was delighted because the sex of the one to become king had never mattered. He was confident that the fact of the girl being separated from the castle until the day of prophecy was proof that she would become king." Most of the students had stopped their note taking and were listening enraptured as he weaved the tale even those whom were sleeping had woken up.
"Merlin placed Artoria in the care of Sir Ector, a simple and wise old knight, who raised her as his adopted child and successor. Though Ector did not believe in the prophecy, he did feel the same air from the girl as he did his king. He felt that he must raise her as a knight, and he wished for her to grow. He never needed to wish for such a thing, as she trained day after day to become stronger than anyone." He immersed them within the flows and currents of the story.
"She swore to bear her sword for the only reason that "only a king can save a ruined country headed for death" without ever being told such. During this time, she was raised with Sir Kay as her brother, but they still loved each other as siblings after she learned the truth of their relationship. She acted as his squire and received training from him, while also doing other chores such as pulling along his horse. She was better than him in terms of swordsmanship, but she never beat him in a fight due to his arguments declaring himself the winner rather than actual skill." Kuro took another sip from his mystery drink.
"Once the day of prophecy arrived, knights and lords from around the country gathered to be selected as king. Each expected the selection to be through jousting to select the most superior one to become a king, but the only thing prepared at the place of selection was a naked sword stuck in a stone with a golden inscription on the hilt reading "Whosoe'er pulleth out this sword of this stone is rightwise king born of England." While many knights grabbed the sword trying to follow the command, none were able to pull it out. As they began the expected method of selection by jousting, Artoria, only an apprentice not qualified for jousting, neared the deserted stone of selection and reached out for the sword without hesitation." He paused for suspense allowing them to imagine the scene within their minds
"Before grabbing it, Merlin appeared before her to tell her to think things over before taking it. He told her she would no longer be human upon taking hold of the sword, but she only responded with a nod because she has been prepared for the fact that "becoming a king means no longer being human" ever since she was born. She knew that a king is someone who kills everyone to protect everyone." That surprised quite a few people. Ruby felt sad, Ozpin understood where she was coming from. Glynda felt both pity and outrage in equal amounts that a child had to carry such a burden.
"She thought about it every night and shuddered until morning came. While not one day passed where she did not fear that fact, she said that it would end this day. The sword was pulled out as if it were only natural to do so, and the area was filled with light. She became something not human in that instant. The king's gender doesn't matter, and no one will care about the king's appearance or even notice it as long as the king acts like a king. Even if anybody did notice the king was female, it would not be an issue if she was a good king. This started the time of the king who would become a legend. She stopped aging at 15 years old, back when she pulled Caliburn from the stone."
"Artoria led Britain from Camelot, and after becoming a feudal lord like her father, she became a king with many knights under her, including the esteemed Knights of the Round Table. Her growth stopped at that time she pulled the sword because of its magic, so many knights feared it as ominous. Most instead praised their master's immortality as divine." His cadence and tone of voice fluctuated with the tone of the story.
"Her battles thereafter were the acts of a god of war. She always led from the front, and no enemies could stand in her way. There was no defeat for a body admired as a dragon in human form. She only knew victory for ten years and twelve battles while she ran through those days as the king. She never turned back and was never disgraced. She was raised as a king and fulfilled her obligations as the king." Pyrrha was reminded of herself and the burdens she carried due to being champion.
Due to the problem of being able to produce an heir, Merlin used magecraft to turn her into a pseudo-male capable of producing sperm for an unknown duration of time. During this period, she was enchanted by her sister, Morgan le Fay, who took some of Artoria's sperm, developed it within her own ovaries, and gave birth to the homunculus and complete clone of Artoria, Mordred." There was a bit of laughter and disgust after he spoke.
"She was born and raised without Artoria's knowledge, quickly growing up due to her accelerated aging, and she managed to join the Round Table through her own efforts and Morgan's recommendation. She worshiped her king while hiding her identity, and she was ecstatic to learn of her heritage."
"Upon claiming her heritage and right to the throne, Artoria completely rejected Mordred, and refused to recognize her as an heir. Mordred believed the reason that she was not accepted was due to the hatred her father bore Morgan, and that no matter how much she worked to excel over others, she would forever be viewed as a tainted existence. The love she had for the king up until that point was so great that her rejection made her hatred burn." The listeners felt great sorrow upon reaching this point in the story.
"She married Guinevere, but it was only out of obligation to have a wife. The truth was that Lancelot, one of Artoria's closest friends, and Guinevere loved each other, and due to Artoria having concealed her gender, Guinevere had to carry the burden of this her entire life. Guinevere felt guilt for her actions but felt relief that it was Lancelot who had fallen in love with her. He, who shared the same ideals as the king, would share the burden with her and not cause the country to fall into a dangerous situation. He did so, supporting Guinevere and the King from the dark on his unrighteous path." To many of the audience disgust was the prevalent emotion but to those who had been in that position it was more pity and understanding.
"Artoria needed to act as the son of the king, as the one to govern the many territories and control the knights had to be male. While some people did grow suspicious of her, only her father, Merlin, and Kay knew the exact truth of her identity. She literally covered herself in steel to seal that truth for all her life, and due to her immortality from the protection of the fairies, no one questioned her small body or face that seemed like that of a girl. She was honored by the knights as a good-looking king, thought of as an invincible warrior whose looks or body size had impact on her standing." Wiess could sympathize with having to grow up to fit a certain mold.
"During that time, the people living in fear of savage invasions only wanted a strong king, and the knights would only follow an excellent commander. Having met these criteria, no one questioned her. She was considered fair and selfless as she always stood at the front of the army while defeating her enemies on the battlefield. While many enemies and civilians died, the king's choices were always considered correct, and she served as the king better than anyone else. No one doubted or had any need to doubt as long as the king was right." Jaune was reminded of the tales the world all over told of his great-grandfather.
"Her army reconstructed the lost cavalry, and knowing no losses, they ran through the battlefield while defeating foreign infantries and crashing through numerous ramparts. Many people were discarded for her to join the battles, and all her enemies had to be defeated once she joined. It was common practice for the military to meet its needs by sucking all the resources out of a local village to supply the battle to protect the country. It can be said that no knight killed more people than her, and it is unknown if she ever found such to be a burden." Ruby was horrified she knew this was the tale of a hero but how could this be true, she began to cry. Yang got angry at the professor as he shattered the innocence of her little sister.
"She strictly kept to the oath that a king is not human and that one cannot protect the people with human emotions. She never narrowed her eyes in grief while sitting on the throne, and she settled every problem while working hard in government affairs. She managed to balance the country without any deviations, and she punished people without a single mistake. Even after, or possibly because of, winning battles in victory, commanding citizens without disorder, and punishing hundreds of criminals, one of her knights murmured "King Arthur does not understand human feelings."
"It is possible everyone felt that way, that the more perfect she became as a king, the more they needed to question her as a ruler. They felt that a human without emotion cannot rule over others, leading to several reputable knights leaving Camelot. She simply accepted this to be a natural event that is part of the process of government, isolating the fair king honored by her knights. Having abandoned her emotions from the start, she did not change her mind even if she was abandoned, feared, or betrayed. There was no right or wrong to someone who saw such events as trivial." Sadness and pity could be felt in such amounts that a flock of Nevermore flying by was attracted to the school but quickly dealt with by the school's defenses.
"Her final battle for her country began in such a way, and the battle at Badon Hill ended in complete victory. The savages sought reconciliation due to her overwhelming results, and her country that was only awaiting destruction earned a brief period of peace. The country finally began to return to the country of which she had dreamed."
"Lancelot's affair with Guinevere was eventually revealed through the plans of traitors who hated Camelot, causing them to stand opposed. Artoria did not see this inescapably unrighteous action as a betrayal, but instead understood Guinevere's sacrifice due to having concealed her gender. She wrote a letter of pardon to Lancelot and Guinevere, and gave them her blessings, saying that their actions "must have good cause". However, Lancelot was afraid and ran, bringing about a tragedy where no one was right, and no one was wrong." Ozpin understood what Kuro was doing now he was teaching them about the gray areas of the worldview all Huntsman carried.
"Excalibur's scabbard was stolen while she repelled an assault along her country's borders; when she returned inland, she discovered Britain is being torn asunder by civil unrest. Despite her valiant efforts to placate the dissent, she was mortally wounded by the traitorous knight Mordred during the Battle of Camlann. Her dying body was escorted to a holy isle by Sir Bedivere. Artoria ordered a grieving Bedivere to dispose of Excalibur by throwing it back to the Lady of the Lake; in her absence, she reflected on her personal failures, regretting her life as king."
"Let this be a lesson to you. Heroes may save the day, they may seem invincible, impossible or untouchable. Thus, the first thing to remember before meeting a celebrity of a leader is that they too are human with all the advantages and disadvantages that come with it." Kuro finished.
"I remember things I have heard throughout my life and can tell you that heroes are human too. It takes a great deal of courage to stand up to your enemies but a great deal more to stand up to your friends. Sometimes, it may have escaped your notice, but life isn't fair. Everyone starts at the beginning once again at Beacon; so, you'll be just fine. Just be yourself. Yet when you are in the field make sure that if possible the only thing you fear most of all …. is fear itself. This is very wise." The professor then walked towards their seats while speaking.
"Could this tale be true you may ask yourselves, could Artoria truly have existed it all sounds impossible does it not. Well I tell you now that nothing and absolutely nothing is impossible." Kuro walked to the middle of the stage and closed his eyes while holding hid hand like he was holding a blade. Then he began to mutter but the microphone broadcasted his words to the entire school, even as golden light began to fill his hands.
Judging the concept of creation…
From its inception, it had been used to determine the One True King.
Hypothesizing the Basic Structure…
A Long-sword embroidered with Blue and Gold, the runes along the blade denote its purpose.
Duplicating the Composite Materials…
Only the Finest Steel could bear such majesty, passed down from antiquity.
Imitating the Production Process…
Descended from the Sword of the Sun, it burned all that opposed it in brilliant light.
Sympathizing with the Experience of its Growth…
From the moment it was drawn, those it chose ascended beyond mere mortality
Reproducing the accumulated years…
From Ancient Babylon to Northern Europe, it eventually found its way to a stone in Briton,
Excelling every manufacturing process…
It was the Holy Sword which bestowed the Divine Right of Kingship on those deemed worthy. Though forever lost, those who aspire to glory still seek The Golden Sword of Victory…
As all present looked on in wonderment, the light within Kuro's hands intensified to the point it resembled the morning sun. Yet for some incomprehensible reason instead of looking away from the bright almost burning light none could find it within themselves to avert their eyes, drawn to it not like moths to a flame, but rather a lost child upon finding its parent.
It was a sword that within their minds they knew should not exist, COULD not exist any more. A dream of a bygone age that, once forgotten, could never be viewed again no matter how much the heart may yearn for it. And yet here it shone, as bright as the day it was forged. Drawn from the Plain of Weapons that rested within the core of his soul, The Golden Sword that Chooses the King shone brightly where it rested within Kuro's hand.
It was present, it existed yet their minds knew that it could not be true. "In a sense you are right." Kuro admitted and answered their unspoken questions "Even at my best, this is but a pale imitation of the real thing…." "Even so," he spoke "there is no law saying a copy cannot surpass the original."
There were different reactions to the blade, most looked at it reverently, some looked at it in nostalgia, and some in fond remembrance of better times. Ozpin though when seeing that blade once more remembered why he asked the boy to come teach at his school. The world today was depriving the children of their childhoods to make them slayers of monsters both human and non-human alike.
But when he saw the smile on that boy's face as he used that sword to destroy the horde of Grimm invading that village, he could not help but feel nostalgic. Back to when he himself was a new huntsman taking pride in his duty to rid the world of Grimm before he found the true calling of Huntsman like everyone before him had and everyone after him would but to see it within a fifteen-year-old boy.
How long had he lived, how many had he trained, and how many times had he fought? He had done all that and more that it became routine. But how long had it been since he saw someone who did their job for no reason other than it was theirs to do, never, the boy was the only one. He still remembered the bright light that was visible for miles around, he knew what he had to do, the boy, Kuro he called himself was too powerful to be a student, but as a teacher he would do just fine.
He truly hoped the boy would teach them the true calling of the Huntsman. As he once heard Miss Rose saying "Huntsman try to make the world better" and that is all there is to it. As he heard Kuro, no Professor Kuro dismissing the class he hoped, for the first time in centuries he had hope once again. And as Ozpin the wizard walked back to his tower he began to chuckle, then he started to laugh, he laughed and laughed till he could laugh no more. For he knew what the boy had done, just as in the story the sword gave hope to a hopeless kingdom, it had once again given hope but instead to a hopeless man.
Those whom heard the laughter thought it was creepy and strange, but a select few knew if as the laugh of a man whom had just found a reason to live once again. Yet one Professor Kuro Blanc mused 'It may not be The Sword of Promised Victory, but who says that must be that sword that inspires hope within a hopeless man. I may be a child compared to him but, I know a hopeless man when I see one.' He thought 'With hope sprung anew lead us to victory against the darkness. Wizard, may you lead us all to Victory. After all is not a simple, more honest soul all we need.'