So it's currently 6:35 in the morning as I am working on this. I have not slept in around forty-eight hours once again. I also binge watched One Punch man over the last five hours. So my day has actually gone quite well.
I had planned on getting this chapter out of Friday but life happened and I was saddled with a shit-ton of college stuff I needed to work on. I may have also started playing Kingdom Come: Deliverance once again, but we won't talk about that. (I may or may not have almost broken a controller)
So this chapter is mainly the beginning of classes for Jaune and company. We get two fight scenes for the price of one chapter. I also go into the specifics of something Jaune has little understanding of and something that Jaune really doesn't like. It's a really big info dump!
So enjoy!
Edit note (12/27/19): Not much changed here. I only fixed some grammar errors. I also made some alterations to names of characters for news ideas I had. Made the chapter flow better.
Jaune groaned as a stream of hot water cascaded down his back. He was taking a shower inside of the male communal dorms and loving every minute of it. Jaune was allowed to have his first shower, ever, after he completed his Task with Weiss and couldn't understand why it felt so good. Jaune only knew it felt better than anything he had ever experienced.
Jaune was confident he could never go back to his old life after one week at Beacon Academy. They had everything here while Bar was a small densely packed village with no running water. Jaune acknowledged it was probably some sort of magic or contraption pumping the water, but that was beyond his concern at the moment.
Bathing in his frontier homeland was usually a process of dumping boiling water into a wooden basin or a copper tub.
Unfortunately, in Jaune's household, ten people would have to share the bath between them. So properly washing was a bit of a rarity on an average day. The Lord of Bar was working on getting a public bath built, but he did not have the coffers for such a project. Regardless of the absence of public baths, many people bathed in the nearby streams or the river that flowed through the centre of town. Jaune would swim in the channel and concluded he was at least clean. It was better than smelling like horse manure, but everything in Bar smelled like it so it probably wouldn't phase anybody. Since Vale did not stink of shit and Jaune could properly bath now, he took every opportunity to clean himself.
Once Jaune was done experiencing Nirvana, he stepped out and put on his school uniform. The simple garbs were much like Weiss' mage robes but not as exquisite and lacking the enchantments a mage could afford. They were formfitting and comfortable-maybe a little tight on Jaune, but he could break them in through washing or use. Jaune wasn't given any shoes to wear with the uniform, so he just donned his riding boots.
Today was the first day of classes and the orientation for the new students. Jaune wanted to be up and ready to meet the other students and scope out the scenery. He heard about some of the courses they offered here and was thoroughly impressed. Everything from advanced magical theory to warfare and strategical battle formations. Jaune was sure he would be focusing on the physical side of things since his hang-ups whenever it came to magic. If Jaune could learn a few spells from a proper mage, he would have no complaints.
Jaune also needed to find someone to decipher the enchantments on his jewellery and one of the swords he found. He could sense the presence of a magical bond to the gear but could not see what specific enchantment was on the item. If he could find Weiss or another mage among the students, Jaune could get them to tell him what was on it. However, mages were surprisingly rare at the academy. Besides the teachers of whom, many were mages; there were maybe a half-dozen true sorcerers among the two hundred or so students. Perhaps he could find some way to con Weiss into helping him?
...
He met up with Yang and Pyrrha (Ruby was off doing something else), and they went to the orientation held in the main hall. Everything important seemed to be centred around that hall. It was probably because the building was the equivalent of a town square for the academy.
Yang, Jaune, and Ruby became fast friends over the weekend. The sisters introduced him to the pair who gave them a Task, Lie Ren and Nora Valkyrie. They were 'friends,' at least from what Jaune was told. The couple fed him the line saying they were not 'together-together' or whatever that meant. Jaune was going to roll with it and not pay any mind to their status.
"Ugh, my head hurts," Yang groaned as she held her head in her hands. Jaune chuckled to himself as the Brawler pressed her head against the cold stone. Jaune would have suggested Yang stay in bed, but she was probably more than tough enough to make it through this alive.
Pyrrha babied the blonde who was reduced to merely existing after the pub crawl the group had this weekend. Blake, Sun, Nora, and Ren joined as well, and Jaune spent some of his hard-earned Lien buying drinks for his friends and himself. Jaune came out with a minor headache the next day, but Yang overdid it and outdrank everyone despite her thorough intoxication a few rounds in. She even challenged Jaune to a drinking contest where the two blondes downed almost an entire bottle of good whiskey. Now Yang was paying for taking advantage of Jaune's generosity.
"Yang," Jaune began teasing of his blonde companion. "You could admit that you're a lightweight who can't hold her liquor, and I'll tell you how to cure it." Jaune shot her a quick smile as her face brightened up with the knowledge of whatever his miracle cure was.
"Yang Xiao Long is not a lightweight," Yang growled, lifting Jaune into the air by his collar. Pyrrha giggled at her denial but was silenced by Yang's red-eyed death stare.
"I did warn you not to drink too much, Yang," Pyrrha chimed in with a half-suppressed laugh. "Although you flirted with Jaune more as the night went on." The colour visibly drained from Jaune's face as Yang's flushed with colour. Jaune might have forgotten about that part since he was pretty tossed himself. Otherwise, he would have made sure to remember the beautiful blonde flirting with him.
"I cannot be held accountable for my actions when I'm drunk," Yang deflected her friend's accusation. Jaune didn't buy it, but he just as drunk that night, so he left the possibility open.
The friendly banter was going to continue but was interrupted as Professor Ozpin got in the way. Several other teachers lined up behind him and stared at the new students, getting a feel for the batch. A stern glare from Goodwitch was enough to silence the rest of the students.
"Welcome," Professor Ozpin opened with a warm greeting. "Today will be your orientation to Beacon Academy and the first day of class for the first-year students. You should have received your class schedules when you arrived in the main hall. Now we will introduce our faculty and the people who will be striving to ensure your survival for the next four years."
Jaune hadn't opened his schedule, yet since Yang ambushed him when he arrived. He was actually curious as to what classes he was going to get. Jaune had to do a shit ton of paperwork outlining his abilities and powers after finishing diving into a crypt. He just left out the fact he is self-taught when it comes to fighting. So they most likely assigned him classes based on his strengths and what he already knew. There were required classes such as monster studies and Goodwitch's combat class.
Ozpin continued on with his speech. "My name is Professor Ozpin. While I am the headmaster at this academy, I do teach classes along with my duties in the royal court. Professor Goodwitch and I teach Magical Theoretics. I handle the theoretical side of magic while Professor Goodwitch deals with the practice of magic. Those of you who show an advanced understanding of magic will be personally instructed by two of the foremost experts on modern Magical Theory."
Ozpin stepped to the side for Goodwitch to take the stand. "My name is Professor Goodwitch; I am the combat instructor for the first-year students. Among my other duties here at the academy, I will also be assisting the kingdom and the students when dealing with prominent threats to the stability of the region. In your combat class, I will be teaching you everything that is needed to ensure your survival in a battle." There was a short exchange of words between the crowd before Goodwitch continued. "As Professor Ozpin stated, I am one of the foremost experts in the practice of magic. Having studied at the Atlesian College of Magic and under Professor Ozpin in Vale."
A large man stepped up to the front of the stage. He wore a bright grey-steel breastplate over a red doublet. Jaune was sure the plate was to keep the man's gut from spilling out and not for defence in any way. He looked like an old-style knight or a chevalier. He was old enough to be a leftover from that period. Back when knights were chivalrous and not a group of sycophants vying for favour.
"My name is Profesor Port. I am the head of monster studies at this academy. I will be lecturing each of you on the various species of monsters in our world. Professor Goodwitch will be assisting my class during demonstrations, and I will be aiding her with battle strategies during combat class."
Jaune looked over to Yang and noticed her leaning against Pyrrha half asleep. The Spartan didn't seem to mind, or she just did not see the bombshell sleeping on her. Jaune kind of wished he could sleep like that. He could have used another hour or two to catch up. But he did not want to slump over and get caught.
The last of the faculty members stepped to the front of the stage. "I am Doctor Oobleck," he quickly blurted out in a manner too swift for Jaune to catch. "I chair the alchemical studies department. My colleague Professor Peach could not be here today, so I shall introduce her as well." Jaune tried to his best to pay attention and shook his head to wake himself. "I give lectures on the principles of alchemy and history as well, since my doctorate is in the archaeological field. Professor Peach specialises in herbalism and chemistry. Those of you who are interested in medicine should apply to both of our classes."
Once the fast-spoken man was finished with his introduction, Professor Ozpin took control of the crowd. "Now that we have finished introductions for the chairs of our departments. You should all begin heading to your classes. The second-year students will be assisting you if you have any questions. For now, I will allow Professor Goodwitch to take over."
"Each of you has been granted permission to stay in the communal dorms for free for the next two weeks. From there on, you will have to pay for the right to stay on campus. Some of you who are natives to Vale can reside in their own homes, but the rest of you can rent or purchase lodgings on the school grounds or in the city."
The Sorceress began saying something else, but Jaune stopped paying attention. He opened up his schedule to take a peak. He had a Combat Class, Alchemical Studies, Monster Studies, Basic Battle Strategy, and the last one intrigued Jaune the most... Advanced Magical Theory. Jaune wasn't a magic user, so he had no idea why they put him in this class. Arclight might have been a form of magic, but he couldn't feel his magicka reserves or use any other kind of magic.
...
Jaune was basically dragged into his first-class by Yang. Ruby found the two just before they could get into the room. Both of the girls were elated and were getting ready to burst if Jaune moved any slower. Pyrrha just followed along having a conversation with Blake. Several other students were mixed in with the group and were shooting Jaune glances as he was being manhandled by the blonde berserker.
Sun was sitting in the lecture hall with his feet kicked up on the table. He had the entire front row of the classroom locked down and reserved for Jaune's group. Blake was the first to sit down right next to him, and Jaune sat next to the two. Yang sat down next to the Knight, and Ruby was on the other side of her. The Reaper was chatting with Pyrrha about something Jaune couldn't hear. Yang was teasing Jaune about something, but he didn't pay attention to her.
So this is what school is like. Not as exciting as I thought it would be.
Jaune's first-class for today was Monster Studies. The classroom was packed with around a hundred students waiting for Port to arrive. There was an especially rowdy group of students a few rows above him. Another knight boasting to a group of swordsmen about one of his trysts. Jaune found it to be annoying, but he did his best not to pay attention.
Professor Port entered the room and loudly coughed. The students quickly sat up straight, and the asshats in the back stopped talking. "Monsters, wraiths, creatures of the night. The beasts of Remnant have many names. However, I merely refer to them as prey." Port gave a hurrah, and Jaune visibly cringed. He suddenly remembered that knights were prone to boasting-usually in the most cringe-worthy way possible. "And you shall too, upon graduating from this prestigious academy. Now as I was saying, Vale, as well as the other three kingdoms, are safe havens in this otherwise treacherous world. That's where we come in. Each of you will be trained to defend our nations from the beasts that prowl in the darkness. Whether you are a vampire hunter or a beautiful warrior." Port gave a wink towards Yang and continued pacing. Jaune mimicked a throwing up gesture as Yang's face turned bright red. "By the time you graduate from my class. You will be able to handle any monster with ease." He waltzed over to the centre of the stage. "Today, however, we shall begin our first lesson on the denizens of the shadows... vampires," Port announced with a tinge of dramatism. Jaune swore that old man would make a killing in the theatre if he weren't a knight.
Port opened a thick book and flipped the pages, settling halfway through the tome. "Remnant is home to many species of these nocturnal predators. They range from the bestial catars to the high vampires. It is unknown how long vampires have inhabited our world. The oldest records date back to the founding of the Mistrali Empire and several more legends shared by oral tradition from before. According to the old lore, vampirism was brought upon humans and faunus from a single progenitor. The myth states that this man was bitten by a mare and subsequently turned into the first high vampire. And since vampirism in humans acts like any other disease. There are... mutations," Port finished the thought as an exchange of words spread throughout the hall.
"Various strains of the disease have appeared all across the world. Some offer greater strengths with minimal weakness', others may make you immune to silver, and the carrier may not have to feed. From what we understand with every new vampire created, the affliction will change. While not drastically, but enough to make every vampire unique and some of the older monstrosities, the masters, have grown more powerful than even Professor Ozpin." Many of the students were disturbed by the thought. "Such cases are rare of course, we estimate there to be less than ten thousand humanoid vampires on Remnant. And the number of master vampires to be under a dozen."
Well, that's a comforting thought.
The brood Jaune managed to stumble across held maybe two dozen vampires, most of the blooded variety (vampires that have fed) and the alpha. Of course, Jaune wasn't suicidal (some might disagree with him) so he only took a peak and fled to a safe distance. Running into the fledgeling during his retreat.
"You should not dread a run-in with a vampire, however. Many afflicted merely keep to themselves and try to live out their lives in peace. The vampires you should be concerned about are those few who have become corrupted by their need to drink blood. From what we understand, vampires do not have to necessarily ingest blood. Their bodies can function normally without it, but it is an addiction everyone has to suffer from much like a drug." Port flipped a few pages back.
"Returning to the research behind the disease itself, we know that it is spread through blood on blood contact. A bite might not turn you into one unless there is an exchange of the stolen bodily fluid. You will know immediately if you have contracted vampirism. From that point on you should make your way to the nearest apothecary if possible and try to rid yourself of the pestilence. However, if you are unable to cure yourself or you desire to turn into a vampire. The poor soul will have less than a week before you will die and come back as a fledgeling." Jaune noticed Yang shifted and rubbed her arms. Some of the others in his row were visibly unsettled by how vampirism affected the body. "The immediate symptom is feeling like your blood is on fire. This will dull throughout the course your affliction, but you will be in great pain. Then you will feel an insatiable thirst that cannot be quenched. Your mind will be subconsciously be drawn to blood, and it will seem as though you have no other choice but to drink it. Finally, a sensitivity and weakness to sunlight whenever you step outdoors during the day. And on the last day, you will die and reawaken as a vampire." Port paced back and forth a few times to let this settle in. "The only way to reverse the process comes before your first feeding as a fledgeling. Once you feed, there is no helping you from then on. You will become a fully blooded vampire and a dire threat to anyone around you. After turning, you will notice there are several changes to your body. You will find that you may smell someone's blood from the other side of the room, that you can hear a conversation outside the normal range for a human or faunus, and you will receive greater physical strengths. Most notably, stronger abilities related to your vampiric blood, including physical immortality."
Jaune made sure to write everything down. Greater abilities would have no doubt explained the reasoning behind someone willingly contracting vampirism. Jaune knew that vampires were already weak to sunlight, and he fought the fledgeling during the day. Arclight came right after he killed the vampire and gained two levels from it. He knew that the ability worked on the draugr, but he wanted to know how well it worked on vampires.
"All vampires have abilities, similar to heroes such as yourselves. You may encounter a vampire that can turn into a mist or a vampire that can summon bats. The variety in abilities is similar to normal folk as well. However, many of these powers can be countered using silver or magic targeted towards the undead for humanoid vampires." Port checked his watch and noticed the time. "However, when combatting vampires, you should stick to tried and true methods. Using garlic or religious artefacts will confuse the creature for a moment before it tears your throat out. None of those mythical repellents works on vampires and should merely be left for old wise women to spout to a village idiot. If you are given a contract to investigate murders related to vampires, you should expect the village only sent a missive after a peasant tried to stake one through the heart. It should be left to the professionals such ourselves!"
He gave another boasting shout causing the class to cringe again. Jaune thought it was to try lightening the mood after Port described what was possibly the scariest thing anybody here has heard of. It looked as though he had already lost most of the class except for the front row. Jaune tried his best to pay attention out of respect given he already knew this stuff.
"Slaying vampires requires a certain degree of character many simply lack," Port bluntly stated to the entire class. Jaune had a feeling he knew where this was going, and he didn't like it. "And to reiterate another point, vampires are powerful in their own right, and any who wish to do battle with one should not take it lightly." Port smiled and turned to the class. "Who among you thinks they have the character needed to slay a vampire?!" Half the class threw their hands up, but Jaune kept his down. He just remained casual and leaned back in his chair.
Then Port pointed at him. "All of you are eager to kill vampires. That will get you killed," Port chastised those who raised their hands. "This young man has what it takes! What is your name?" Jaune screamed inside his head.
"Jaune Arc," he answered with a sigh. A few students started talking about him in hushed whispers.
"Your reputation precedes you, Mr Arc. Your father was a vampire slayer of some acclaim, during the peak of his career. I've heard whispers about his only son assisting with the destruction of a vampire's brood." More hushed whispers were exchanged between the crowd behind him. Jaune kind of expected something like this to happen eventually. It was a repeat of the frenzy he created in Bar, following in his father's footsteps. "Today, you shall do battle with a vampiress."
...
Jaune tossed his uniform into his locker and put on his armour. He realised how bad his jerkin smelled after not having it for the better part of a week. His swords were perfectly fine, but everything else smelled like a thousand hunts. Sweat, monster blood, and horse. The perfect combination.
He also made sure to grab a small sack of silver dust. Jaune took these shavings with him after he made his silver sword and had no reason to use it yet. But given vampires could disappear into a mist, silver dust would make the perfect weapon to disable their abilities. And given he never fought an actual vampire before but a person halfway through becoming one. Jaune wasn't going to take risks with something much more powerful than himself.
Swords haven't dulled since I last sharpened them but will need to work on them soon. Armour still needs repairing... damn I'm getting lazy.
Jaune chastised himself at the horrid condition of his armour. Everything was covered in a fine layer of dirt, blood, and pieces of whatever came off the draugr. Luckily Jaune had the resources to build himself a new set of armour. It would be his next step before going on another mission.
Maybe Ruby would want to help me?
...
Port was wrapping up a retelling of one of his past exploits. Jaune looked over to see half of his friends, either sleeping or half-asleep. He was pretty sure that he was the only who liked this class. Port was at least somewhat funny because of how cringe-worthy he was, but he did make a few good jokes.
"Now that Mr Arc has returned," Port began, stepping off to the side. "I shall tell you of a specific type of vampire. The Evanidus Vampiris or better known as the Mare. This strain of vampirism is only known to affect females, but it can infect men with a different strain. We are unsure of why this happens, and so far, we have made little progress in our understanding of mares." Port walked over to a cloth-covered cage that Jaune totally did not see there before he left. "The Mare inside of this cage was found in a stonemason's village eating chickens. It was determined this creature had turned into a feral vampire. Typically we would have this vampire killed immediately, but the contract holder contacted me and brought the beast here. Feral vampires or 'Feral's' as we usually call them are vampires that have lost their minds. They have become obsessed with the desire to feast on blood, and it has overtaken their rational thought. This Mare hasn't fed in three days." Port signalled Goodwitch, and she cast a spell creating a ward in front of the other students. "Good luck."
"Wait," Jaune shouted. "How am I supposed to fight this?"
"Improvise Mr Arc," Port curtly replied, sitting down in a chair.
The door of the cage fell off, and a light growl emanated from inside of the cage. Jaune stepped back and unsheathed Ira Rubrum. He expected the Mare to rush and try going for his throat. Two key details to know were the duration without feeding and the vampire's disposition to go for the throat. Jaune realised he needed to buy potions to counter creatures that fed on blood.
At least today won't be as boring as I thought it would be.
The Mare took on the form of a white mist Jaune could barely see and circled around him. Jaune stepped in sync with the vampire keeping his sword in the ox guard stance. His first move would have to be something to bring the Mare back into a physical form that Jaune could track.
"You got this Jaune!"
"Please don't die!"
Several students cheered for Jaune throwing off his concentration. The Mare made a move and attacked him as a mist, throwing Jaune across the room. Jaune's body made a dent in the wall, and he fell to the floor. The Mare giggled and stood above him.
"After I kill you, I'm going to kill the pig that locked me in here," the Mare hissed at Jaune and picked him up again. She threw Jaune onto Port's desk, breaking the wood in half.
That hurt...
Jaune laid on his back, sword still in hand. He could see the mist approaching and Jaune cast Arclight to stun the vampire. The fog dispersed, and the redheaded figure stood there, screaming as though boiling water was thrown on it. Jaune capitalised on the opportunity and stood up.
Jaune tried swinging from the top, but his sword was batted away. The longsword flew from Jaune's hands and embedded itself into the wooden desk in front of Pyrrha. The Mare grabbed him by the throat and lifted him into the air. Squeezing down hard enough to constrict Jaune's airways.
"That fucking hurt," she screamed, throwing Jaune onto the floor. The vampire tried to pounce on Jaune from behind. Jaune was quick to roll over and kicked the Mare in the face with his boot. It stunned the Mare long enough for Jaune to grab the sack of silver dust on his belt.
Taking a handful of silver, Jaune swiped his hand in front of the Mare's face. This caused a reaction similar to a person having an asthma attack. The Mare began coughing and grasped at her throat. Jaune wiped the blood from his lip and grabbed his sword.
Jaune took the tail guard stance and swiped upward along the inside of the vampire's leg. Blood spilt onto the floor as Jaune made contact with an artery and then followed up by a downwards diagonal cut from the ox guard.
Jaune was now winning the fight. His first battle with a real vampire! He was getting cocky and kicked the monster in the chest, knocking it to the floor. His lips curled into a smile as he held the blade downwards getting ready to thrust the sword through the Mare's chest. He stabbed down and found there was nothing there.
Something grabbed Jaune from behind and bit down onto his neck. Two sharp fangs pierced his jugular and drew blood. Jaune punched the Mare in the face several times, but it refused to let go. He needed to get out of the vampire's grip before it bit down any harder.
Jaune pressed his hand onto the Mare's face and cast Arclight directly onto the skin. A black burn mark imprinted itself on the woman's forehead. The vampire screamed and held it's burnt physiognomy. Jaune whipped around, and his sword met the woman's neck and severed the spinal cord and tissue holding the head onto the body.
Gotcha bitch!
The Mare fell onto its knees and slumped to the side. Jaune dropped his sword and stumbled to the entrance of the locker room. The fang marks were small enough to prevent heavy bleeding, but the Mare took a large portion of his blood.
...
Jaune fell onto one of the benches in the locker room and grabbed a piece of cloth to staunch the bleeding. His limbs felt heavy, and Jaune was pretty sure he would not be walking correctly for a few days. Luckily he had some healing potions stocked up and would grab one when he properly bandaged his neck or could find a healer.
Jaune grabbed another cloth as the one he already had become soaked in blood. He didn't even care whose towels these were and just grabbed whatever he could. Placing his hand back onto his neck, Jaune groaned as he put more pressure onto the wound.
That's going to be sore for a while.
"That was awesome, Jaune," Ruby yelled as she rushed into the locker room. The rest of his friends followed behind her. Blake carried the blood-covered sword, and Yang held the small sack of silver.
"It was nothing," Jaune replied, trying to act humble. He pulled the cloth off his neck, but the blood still flowed in smaller amounts. He was just glad he didn't contract vampirism. Jaune didn't have to go through it when he fought the fledgeling, but Port said it felt like your blood was boiling and Jaune did not want to go through that.
"Yeah, it's not like people are going to see you as a teacher's pet or anything," Yang, sounding disappointed, referred to Jaune being called out by Port.
But did Jaune's reputation really go so far? Jaune thought his reputation for killing vampires was only centred around Bar. Maybe more people knew about him in Vale than he initially thought. His father was quite well known for his exploits, so that might have helped the tales spread.
"I'm not a teacher's pet," Jaune denied the accusation of being Port's favourite student. "I didn't ask to be thrown into a pit with a vampire!"
"Yang does have a point," Blake chimed in. "You didn't volunteer for the demonstration and were still picked to do it. So that does make you a teacher's pet." Jaune groaned in frustration at being called that.
"Help me!" Jaune turned to Sun looking for assistance.
"Sorry dude, you're on your own."
...
Jaune made his way to his final class for today, which was Advanced Magical Theory with Professor Ozpin. He was supposed to have Alchemical Studies before Monster Studies, but the orientation got in the way. So he would only have two classes today. The rest of his friends went to classes meant for those who were strictly warriors.
Maybe I could grab a seat next to Weiss?
Jaune opened the door to the lecture hall. He was there a few minutes earlier than the actual starting time for the class. Jaune expected the room to be mostly empty, but it wasn't. Around a dozen mages were lounging or having conversations with each other. And once Jaune entered the hall, they started staring at him.
This room radiated nothing but the Willpower stat. Jaune had no doubts that he was the strongest person in the room and could easily handle combat if he got close. But then again, he had no real experience when fighting mages. He only fought creatures who used hand-to-hand combat or at least a sword or bow of some kind. So a mage could probably incinerate him or throw him across the room again with a spell.
Something that Jaune failed to notice was how different mages uniforms were from everyone else's. Mages were more or less dressed like monks. Warriors and everybody else who used a blade of some kind were dressed like ordinary people. So, he was feeling like the black sheep right now.
"Are you lost," a green-haired mage scoffed at the sight of the knight in their midst. The rest of the mages took on the same dismissive look he was donning. Jaune wondered if all mages were like this. Given his sample size of two, it was a pretty accurate depiction of them so far.
"Uhhh, no," Jaune mumbled as he closed the door behind him. "This is Advanced Magical Theory, right?" The look on the mages faces was of disbelief. Like they couldn't believe he was supposed to be in this class.
I'm pretty sure they don't like me.
"You're not a paladin, are you," another mage in the crowd asked. Jaune shook his head and kept to where he was standing.
"Do you at least use magic?" The same green-haired mage asked. Jaune once again shook his head. The reply from the other mages was merely a series of stares or whispers. All were being derisive towards the knight.
The green-haired mage strutted halfway between Jaune and the other magic users. He turned to his friends and began shouting in indignation. "This has got to be a joke! How low are Professor Ozpin's standards that he would allow some imbecile to attend his cla-" The green-haired mage was cut off by a sharp pain to his gut.
The mage fell to the floor as Jaune stood over the boy laying there in the fetal position. "Are you done," Jaune coldly asked as he glared downwards.
The mage didn't respond only trying to gasp for air. Jaune would have continued if the other boy hadn't already folded after one punch. It was most likely due to his weaker constitution that he couldn't handle a single blow to the gut whereas Jaune could easily shake one-off.
The other mages refused to move from their side of the room and quickly stood straight up, looking at something right behind Jaune. The knight turned to find Professor Ozpin standing right behind him, holding a mug in his right hand. Jaune's first reaction was fear and regret.
"I see you're making friends Mr Arc." Ozpin took a sip from his mug. Jaune had no idea what to say. It didn't look as though Ozpin was angry with him, but Jaune was afraid of being expelled on his first day. "Now if the rest of you will take your seats, we may begin."
Jaune saw Weiss and quickly took a seat next to her. The other students made a one-chair radius around the two. Nobody else dared to look Jaune's way after he dropped that student.
"You didn't have to hit him," Weiss scolded Jaune quietly enough so nobody but the knight could hear. "But thank you. He was getting really annoying." Jaune felt his cheeks heat up.
"And what happened to your neck?" Jaune covered up the bandage on his right side. A small piece of gauze with two bloodstains seeping through the material. "You weren't making out with that blonde girl, were you?"
"NO," he almost shouted. Jaune's face flushed a deep red, and he sputtered trying to explain how that wasn't the case. Weiss seemed to derive pleasure from Jaune's distress. At least that's what Jaune thought by how she was smiling. "No, I wasn't. I fought a vampire earlier today, and it bit me."
"Did you at least drink a cure disease potion," Weiss asked him as though it were his first time fighting a vampire. Her question was filled with enough of her bitter attitude to make it sound like she wasn't concerned with Jaune's health. She sounded more like a person trying to micromanage his every move as if he were not experienced at his job.
"I didn't contract vampirism, but I did drink one anyway," Jaune explained, remembering how terrible it was.
Why couldn't they make them taste like strawberries or oranges? Something that is meant to save your life shouldn't taste like ground wheat and whatever else was mixed in there!
Ozpin loudly sipped from his mug and brought Weiss' and Jaune's attention to the professor. "If Mr Arc and Ms Schnee were paying attention. One of them should be able to answer the question I asked." Both of the student's faces turned bright red as the rest of the class laughed. Ozpin waved his hand, and the others calmed down.
Once he was sure the pair were thoroughly embarrassed, he continued the lecture.
"Magic is merely the shaping of our world through willpower." Ozpin made no movements, and the table behind him levitated off the floor. "Amazing things have been accomplished through its use. But many terrible acts have been committed as well. If you are unable to control magic, then it will destroy you." Jaune was rapidly taking notes on everything Ozpin was saying. He needed to know everything, so he would not fail this class. "Magic comes in many forms and sorcerers often divide themselves into schools where they focus on a specific type of magic. There are three specific schools of magic: the school of destruction, the school of manipulation, and the school of restoration." Ozpin mentioned each school as he numbered them off using his fingers. "The school of destruction is in the name. "Sometimes, the easiest way to get past an object is to render it to be nothing more than a pile of dust." Master Toben of the Order of the Dragon described the school of destruction in those simple words. This school is the most widely practised for its usefulness in the art of war. Cryomancy, Electromancy and Pyromancy are the most commonly used forms of destruction magic. Each type having spells ranging from novice level to master and beyond. Master spells being the most powerful and hardest to master." Ozpin let the desk settle back onto the floor. "Most mages should know at least know the most basic spells from this category."
Jaune nervously chuckled at that. He could barely cast any of those when he put his entire body into it. Jaune dreaded the day he would have to try casting something in class and fail most spectacularly.
"The school of manipulation is by far the most powerful and contains the most taboo forms of magic. All practitioners of the school of manipulation have all but shunned the use of the necromantic arts. As most of you should already know, necromancy has been outlawed in every kingdom. Hence the nickname, "The Forbidden Magics." One of the arts that makes this school so powerful is the ability to conjure armies of demons, monsters, and golems. Each of these conjurations is created by binding your magicka into a physical form. The creation will bend to your will and shall follow its master until it has either been destroyed or the magic binding it has been dispersed by the conjurer."
Jaune noted the part where he could create an army. If he had some practice, Jaune could conjure soldiers to help him out during a battle. They could also lessen the risk to his friends by making targets out of his creations. Something to cover a retreat would have been the best use for them.
"Illusion magic makes up another portion of this school. While the ability to conjure armies of the dead or other magical beings is not something to scoff at. The school of illusion is far more dangerous due to the bare nature of the art. The practitioners of the illusion school have been known to change the course of a battle through casting spells to calm the opposing side or even making them turn on each other. Some have even placed both armies under their control and captured entire territories with their slaves." Ozpin set his mug down and picked up a tome. "And finally we have the least well-known part of the manipulation school. Transmutation or simply alteration. This sub-class focuses on bending the physical world into whatever you will it to become. Moulding the earth to your desired shape or even rearranging flesh to alter your body. This school is the least practised but is the most diverse in what can be done with it. Many who practice transmutation magic are non-combatants who surprisingly focus on domestic or commercial ambitions. Becoming artisans or smiths is rather popular amongst these sorcerers."
"And for the last school, the art of restoration. In my opinion, it is by far the most important school to study under. This school mainly consists of healers and mages who practice restoration magic. They dedicate their lives to saving others. These are the most selfless and noble men and women our society has to offer." Several voices in the crowd voiced their disapproval of Ozpin's words. From what Jaune understood, there was a stigma of weakness surrounding the restoration class. He had prior knowledge about it from some of the books he managed to gather over the years. "Most healers do not study at traditional academies such as Beacon. They typically attend specialised schools to focus on their restorative abilities. While that is the rule, there are exceptions. Paladins and those who call themselves warrior-priests study amongst you. These two classes dedicate themselves to protecting the world from evils. Although they are warriors, who wield swords or staves. Paladins and priests are proficient in the two fundamental arts of the restoration school. They are both able to heal wounds and are the few classes capable of harming the undead. In fact, they specialise in hunting down demons and necromancers while banishing their creations." Ozpin took another sip from his seemingly bottomless mug of coffee. "A few paladins have made their mark on the world by battling powerful creatures. Sir Hans of the Black Sails is probably the most famous of their rank. He was able to banish a powerful demon sacrificing his life in the process." Jaune was a little more than intrigued about the paladins. He circled the term for later study on his own.
"Magic is something that is not given to a sorcerer for free. There is an exchange of materials or what we call magicka."
Great, now he's talking about something I can't even sense.
His health and stamina were at least not trash tier, and he could go his entire life without having to worry about how much of either he needed. They were both reinforced by his stats and provided an extra layer of protection.
"All magic is governed by the willpower stat and your magical reserves. Willpower restricting your ability to cast the spell and magicka being a physical restraint on how many spells you may cast. Every spell requires a minor portion of your concentration and should be performed when unimpeded for the best results. However, in a battle, you will not have that luxury. We will teach each of you to become more proficient when casting spells during a fight, and I recommend all of you except Mr Arc look for someone to serve as your protector. Every mage is especially vulnerable to opponents with more physical weapons, and you should hire or cooperate with another student as to bridge that gap. Mages are a hot commodity at this academy, and you should have no trouble finding someone to work with so long as you are willing." Jaune looked over at Weiss, and her glare indicated she did not share the sentiment.
At least that's what Jaune thought.
This chapter is a bit shorter than the others. By only a thousand words because I didn't want to draw it out any more than I already have. I hope you enjoyed the world building I put a lot of effort into. The magical part was inspired by the Elder Scrolls and Dungeons and Dragons. I spent all day yesterday typing out five-thousand of the seven-thousand words for this chapter. Mainly because I needed to get this chapter done before it messed up my schedule.
I am going to try getting two chapters out next week. The Yang X Jaune fic I am working on and another chapter of my first fic. In this new fic, I decided to play with the butterfly effect with Yang. I wondered what would happen if Summer Rose hadn't died and was still alive. Her death was the entire reason as to why Yang became strong in the first place. So that is the basis for the decision behind her personality for my new fic. If I hadn't already mentioned it, this one is going to be in a high school setting. Still in Vale and with no Grimm, of course.