Zeroes of Two Worlds
Chapter 6
Jaune watched the mage healer scanned him with the glowing tip of her wand while she made uttering and hums. Behind the mage, Louise stood and watched with apprehension as she fidgeted in place.
"Please calm yourself, Miss Valliere. Your fidgeting is quite distracting." The healer told the worried student.
"Sorry, Lady Bernadotte." Louise apologized.
"It's alright, Miss Valliere. Just calm and let me do my work" Bernadotte gently assured her, and Louise nodded in agreement..
The examination lasted for several more minutes until Doctor Bernadotte nodded and looked satisfied with her findings. "You're in good health, Mister Arc. All of your wounds are healed but they're likely still tender so you might feel some aches. Quite remarkable actually."
"Remarkable how?" Jaune asked her.
Bernadotte looked at him with a stern look and said. "When I got to you, you were bleeding from all of the wounds and gashes you took from you ill-advised duel. Not to mention the bruises all over your body." She shook her head at that, showing her clear disapproval. "But your body started knitting itself back together when I used my healing water spell to deal with your wounds. Now you have recovered with only a day's worth of rest."
"I see. I thought that was normal with magic." Jaune replied. He had undergone a few healing sessions since yesterday, and they were quite fascinating to watch. Though it was unnerving to feel his body knitting itself while he's awake.
"It isn't." Bernadotte shook her head. "Your body is taking to healing far better than the my other patients. With exception to some other familiars, of course. " She noted to him. "You're the only human I know who could recover this quickly. And that's without using a healing potions."
His mind is wracked over the information that the doctor had just stated. The way she described it reminded him of the basic functions of aura, but he didn't feel any different. He would need to experiment at a later date. "So am I cleared to leave, ma'am?"
The doctor looked him over before giving a reluctant nod. "I'll allow it. Your body has healed for the most part. But I will advise you to refrain from doing anything strenuous for a few days." She turned to Louise and said. "Be sure not to let him push his body and let him rest in the mean time. If there are any complications, bring him back here. Am I understood?"
"Yes, Lady Bernadotte." Louise gave a curt nod.
Jaune is quite relieved to finally leave the infirmary after staying there for over a day since his collapse after the duel. It had been a little stifling, though that's due to his bandages and lingering aches. But at least the food was enjoyable compared to the ones served in the school cafeteria back at Anselm.
"Glad that was over." Jaune said out loud.
"Which one? That you won the fight or for making me worried." Louise grumbled at him, still angry at what happened.
"I already said I'm sorry, Louise." Jaune sheepishly replied.
"Not good enough!" Louise snapped at him as she gave him a fierce glare. "You should have backed down when I told you to."
He sighed, somewhat expecting that this argument would crop up. It was similar to arguments he had before when he told his parents about becoming a huntsman. "I told you that I can't. I needed to show him that he can't just abuse his power just because he's a noble."
"I know that." She looked away from with a huff as she crossed her arms. "But next time I ordered you to back away. You should do so." She firmly reminded him.
"I can't promise you that." Jaune replied and raised a hand when Louise was about retort. "But I'll consult with you if it comes to a fight." Louise looked uncertain with his answer but nodded anyway. "Besides, Guiche isn't that tough of an opponent."
"I seem to recall someone bleeding all over the ground." Louise reminded him harshly. "You're the one who got sent to the infirmary to recover, not Guiche."
"I made a mistake." Jaune said defensively in protest. "I should have attacked him as soon as I took down his Valkyrie. I got distracted and allowed him to recover."
"That might be true but it doesn't mean you really won that duel. You only won that fight after your sword started glowing." Louise told him.
Jaune blinked since that's the first time he heard of that. "My sword was glowing?"
"Not just your sword. I heard from the others that your eyes were glowing as well." She turned to look at him and asked. "Why didn't you tell me that you were a mage?"
"Cause I'm not?" Jaune replied questioningly as he looked back at her with a raised eyebrow.
"How can you not be? Unless your sword is enchanted and infused with magic." Louise speculated as she tried find some explanation. "It's not unheard of for some weapons to be infused with magic by artificers."
"I'll have to stop you there, Louise." Jaune interjected. "My sword is not enchanted or anything. It doesn't even have Dust in it."
"It isn't? I find that hard to believe." She looked at him incredulously. She rubbed her temples and said. "This is getting confusing."
"Let's get back to your room and we can talk back there." Jaune suggested to her.
Louise shook her head and said. "It's nearing noon and lunch will be served soon. We'll return to our talk once classes has ended afterwards."
"Sounds good to me." Jaune agreed. "It will be good to visit Siesta at the kitchens. I haven't seen her since the duel ended." He sounded worried as he said that. "I hope she's alright."
"The maid's fine. She was never in trouble in the first place. Guiche is just boasting but he had no real power while in this academy." Louise told him, annoyed at his concern for the maid.. "Come.. You'll be escorting me to the dining all. And you'll be sitting next to me this time."
"Really? I thought only nobles can eat there?" Jaune asked in surprise.
"Think of it as a reward for protecting my dignity during the duel." Louise informed him, and Jaune smiled at her change of heart. "And it's my way of keeping my eye on you so you won't get into other duels with my classmates."
Jaune's smile turned upside down and then sighed sadly. "I guess so."
They quietly made their way towards the dining hall and passed by the other students who stepped aside and gave way for the both of them. Jaune could see them gossiping about them, specifically about him. Many looked at him with uncertainty, unsure how to treat him, and others looked at him with a hint of fear, some with anger.
"They seemed quite the friendly crowd." He whispered to Louise as he covertly gestured to the latter students. Louise glanced at them before she sighed and mumbled under her breath.
"It's best that you avoid them and let them simmer down." Louise told him.
"Why would they be afraid? I didn't even beat Guiche that badly. I have no idea why some of them would even be angry." Jaune said, looking confused by those reactions.
"You're the only swordsman that is able to beat a mage in a straight up fight. So many students are quite afraid of you and your apparent... abilities." Louise informed him.
"Don't you have guns or some kind of a polearm here?" Jaune remarked to her, recalling the lessons he was given about different weapons. "A halberd could easily have crushed his Valkyrie with ease, or a mace."
"Hmm.. Maybe..." Louise was not quite learned in regards to commoner weapons, so she couldn't really make a comment. "Guns might be effective against someone like Guiche since he's a dot mage, and maybe a line mage." She conceded at those points. "But mages can create wards or protective enchantments starting from a line mage. Those mitigate much of the effectiveness of guns for the most part."
"That explains why that Earth professor's clothes survived your explosion while your own clothes were a mess." Jaune commented, recalling that incident with the pebbles.
Louise blushed and raised a fist at him as was her common reaction. Jaune raised an arm to block it but was not needed as Louise begrudgingly lowered her offending hand.
"Don't remind me about it." Louise grumbled at him with a frown, but her cheeks remained red from the embarassment.
"I didn't mean anything about it." Jaune assured her, knowing her temper. Louise didn't seem to accept his answer but she is didn't speak against it. "I was confused why the professor's clothing seemed to be tougher. It reminded me of how aura is used to strengthen clothes and weapons."
"Aura? Is that what you call your magic?" Louise asked, now curious.
Jaune shook his head and replied. "No. It's-"
"Ah! Miss Valliere. Mister Arc." A voice interrupted.
They turned around and saw Professor Colbert, in his usual blue coat, approaching them with his staff in hand. He stopped before them and greeted them. "It's good that I found you out here and not inside the tower.
"Hello, Professor Colbert." Louise greeted her teacher.
"Good to see you too, professor." Jaune greeted back as well.
"I'm glad to see that you have recovered from your injuries after your scuffle with young Gramont." Colbert remarked to Jaune as he looked him over for signs of injuries.
"Do you have need of us, professor?" Louise asked, looking concerned and hoping they aren't in trouble.
"I have." Colbert nodded with a smile. "The Headmaster wants to speak with you two after class. Especially you, Mister Arc." He gestured to Jaune.
"Why does the headmaster want to talk with me?" Jaune asked with surprise.
He met the old headmaster after the pebble incident several days earlier. He looked friendly and jovial even when he chided Louise about the mess. Jaune haven't spoke to him during that time as he was unsure what to say, and his presence was ignored for the most part.
So he is quite surprised that the headmaster wanted to talk with him, and curious as to why he wanted to talk with him today.
"The headmaster wishes to validate the events that transpired at the duel, and about what you have said during that time." Colbert informed him.
"We'll be there, Professor Colbert." Louise answered for him, and Jaune gave a curt nod.
Colbert looked happy to hear that and gave them an appreciative nod. "Glad to hear it. I'll inform the headmaster of your decision. Enjoy the rest of your day."
The hall is filled with the murmuring voices which quickly fell to silence as soon as the two of them entered. She could feel the eyes that are upon her and her familiar as they walked down the aisle towards their seats.
Things had been confusing since the duel and she had been bombarded with questions from her classmates. The most shocking revelation of that duel was what her familiar... Jaune had said and why he made the decision to face Guiche. She couldn't answer their questions and merely told them that even she didn't know.
She had planned that they could they have such conversation within the confines of her dorm room. But the decision was taken out of her hands when they received the headmaster's invitation.
She quietly took her seat after Jaune had pulled the chair back for her, and Jaune then took the seat next to her. This earned some surprised murmurs from the others along the table, but no one tried to voice their complaint.
"Well hello there, Louise. Did you have a change of heart about your familiar?"
Well except one it seemed, much to Louise's annoyance. She turned around to see the irritating form of the Germanian, standing there with a smile on her face.
"What do you want, Kirche?" Louise groused, not wanting to deal with her.
"Don't such a prude, Louise. I was just curious why you are letting your seat beside you today?" Kirche asked with a teasing smirk.
"That's none of your business, Kirche. Besides, I've already cleared it with the majordomo about the seating arrangement so there shouldn't be an issue." Louise irately told her.
"Oh well. Be that way, Zero. I was just trying to have a friendly conversation." Kirche tiredly replied before looking at Jaune. "I must say, familiar. You were quite skilled during your fight with Guiche. Where did you learn how to fight that?"
"Hehe... I'm not that skilled." Jaune answered, looking a little embarrassed as he scratched the back of his head. "I was trained by my father and my grandfather, and then attended a... a fighting school."
"Interesting." Kirche replied as she stretched out her word, and intrigued by his answer. She then glanced up for a moment before she looked back down and said. "We should talk more at a later date. I'll send someone to fetch you. Ta-ta~"
Kirche quickly left them alone and Louise glared at her familiar who apologetically looked back at her.
"Didn't I told you not to flirt with the enemy." She chidingly said to him.
"Calm down, Louise. I'm just being polite with her." Jaune told her.
She was about to retort but she ultimately held her tongue and composed herself instead. She should remember that her familiar came from a family of knights and was training to be one. She shouldn't thought ill of his intentions, especially after what he done for her.
The server stopped by them and placed their lunch on the table before them. She gave the server a curt nod before she looked to her side to check on her familiar.
She could see that Jaune is looking around, probably looking for that black-haired maid. He must have found her since he raised his hand to wave at someone. At least he didn't raised his hand over his head.
She looked towards the direction he was looking at and saw the maid in question. The maid seemed to be hesitant to look at her familiar, and merely gave a small shy nod back at him before leaving. Jaune looked confused at the response he got from the maid, and then sighed as settled into his seat.
The dining hall fell to silence and prayed for the Founder's Blessing before they began to partake of at their meal. She also remembered about the upcoming meeting with the headmaster and silently prayed to the Founder for guidance to ease her worry.
The class has finally ended and they are dismissed by their professor. Louise quickly made her way out of the lecture hall with haste since she had an important meeting to attend to, or rather her familiar - Jaune Arc.
They had split after lunch since her familiar told her that he would be preparing some things for the meeting. He explained that he'll be needing present evidences to his claim, and he'd meet her by the main tower's main entrance.
She soon reached the Northri Courtyard and saw her familiar already standing by the main entrance with his bag strapped on his back. Her familiar waved at her when he saw her, and Louise briskly walked towards him.
"How was class, Louise?" Jaune asked as soon as she got close.
"It's fine." Louise replied dismissively, and looked at him. "Have you prepared what you needed for our meeting?"
"All set." Jaune happily said as he patted his shoulder, indicating his bag.
Louise sighed, both in relief and to relax her nerves, and then started walking up the stairs into the main tower. "Come on, the headmaster would be waiting for us. It would be rude to keep him waiting."
Jaune nodded and followed after her into the tower. They soon reached one of the levitation shafts and used it to reach the upper levels. They switched to other lifts to reach the higher levels, which is a little inconvenient but Jaune didn't seem to mind. He looked positively intrigued by it but she couldn't see why.
They finally reached the top portion of the tower and the door slid open, revealing the marbled hall where the headmaster entertained his guests. They stepped into the hall and made their way towards the staircase as her familiar looked around with awe.
"You know, this is the second time I've been here but this place still surprised me." Jaune remarked as he continued looking around. "I never expected a headmaster to have this kind of room for himself."
"It is expected of him since the position of Headmaster of the Academy of Magic is not just responsible for the education of young mages, but to be the trusted keeper of magical knowledge." Louise explained to him.
"That sounds alot for being head of the school." Jaune commented.
"As it should be. His position is one that is approved by the Royal Palace and he is also an advisor to the Crown." Louise informed him.
"Wow..." Jaune uttered, not quite expecting the position to be that powerful. "Good thing I came prepared."
"You better be. So please don't mess it up." Louise advised him, and Jaune gave her a thumbs up.
They soon reached the door way at the top of the staircase, and Jaune moved ahead to knock on the door.
"Enter."
Jaune opened the door and motioned for her to enter first. Louise graciously nodded and entered the room before Jaune followed behind her.
Headmaster Osmond is already at waiting for them behind his desk, and she's surprised to see Professor Colbert to be there as well. She didn't see the headmaster's secretary in the room, but she assumed that the headmaster must have dismissed her for this meeting.
"Ah, Miss Valliere. Mister Arc. You're right on time." The headmaster greeted them with a smile.
"You wanted to speak with us, headmaster?" Louise inquired.
"I do. But I'm most interested with your familiar here." Osmond gestured to Jaune and examined him with his keen eyes. "You caused quite a stir in my academy with your duel with young Gramont."
"I didn't mean to cause trouble, headmaster. But I couldn't stand by and let a friend of mine being falsely accused and harassed as Guiche did." Jaune calmly responded and respectfully. "I chose to challenge him to a duel because he wouldn't see reason." He bowed his head to him and said. "I am again sorry for the trouble that I caused you."
"Pah! You worry too much." Osmond laughingly dismissed Jaune's apology, much to her surprise and that of Jaune's. The old headmaster chuckled and said. "I'm glad that someone else had set the boy straight. The old general would appreciate the improvement to his son's behavior."
"I..." Jaune sounded unsure before merely saying. "Thank you, headmaster."
"You're welcome, Mister Arc." Osmond replied before he straightened his posture. He clasped his hands over his elegant desk and spoke once more. "But we aren't here to talk about young Gramont. i've called for you here to speak with you and about what you have said during the duel." Jaune nodded and Osmond continued. "You made some tall claims about your identity and I wish to corroborate them."
Jaune nodded and merely asked. "What do you want to know?"
"Can you introduce yourself to us? And tell us who you are?"
Jaune nodded and began to introduce himself. "My name is Jaune Arc. My father is Jason Arc, and my mother is Olivia Dawn. My father is a huntsman of the Kingdom of Vale, just like my grandfather, Meridius Arc."
"What about your ancestor? You referred to him as Lord Commander. Quite the title, I say." Osmond inquired as he continued to listen.
"My great grandfather, Decimus Arc, served under the Last King of Vale as Lord Commander of all the knights of the kingdom. He fought during the Great War in defense of Vale against two warring kingdoms."
"What's this Great War? And why do you refer to your monarch as the Last King?"
"'I don't know much about how the Great War started, and all I know is that our neighbors, Mantle and Mistral, came to conquer our Kingdom of Vale. The war lasted for years and my great grandfather fought throughout the entire war before it finally ended during the Battle of Felspar Dunes in the Vacuo." Jaune told them what he could remember at the top of his head.
"As for the king... He is referred to as the Last King because he abolished the monarchy after the Great War." This earned him confused looks especially from Louise who is quite perplexed by what he said. "The Last King established ruling councils in each kingdom whose members are elected by the people of those kingdoms."
"That preposterous, how could your king be so foolish and allowed the masses to choose their leaders? What's stopping the people from electing weak leaders?" Louise remarked harshly, and shocked at how her familiar's lands are governed. She couldn't even believe that a warrior-king, a triumphant victor, would willingly give up his power.
"I can't really say why the Last King did it, I'm not that versed in history." Jaune said with a helpless shrug. "Besides, our kingdoms have been prospering since and working out for us for a long time. But I can't really say much about politics since I wasn't interested in it. I'm not even old enough to vote."
"Let's return to our topic of discussion. Shall we?" Osmond interjected before turning to Louise. "Miss Valliere, please refrain from making comments until after this discussion."
"I'm sorry, headmaster." Louise apologized.
"It's alright." Osmond gently replied before turning back to Jaune. "Could you tell us more about what else your Last King had done?"
"Sure." Jaune nodded in agreement, and this is something he had great interest in. "The Last Kingdom also established the Four Huntsman Academies, one for each kingdom. He became the first Headmaster of Huntsman Academy of Vale."
"Ah, a fellow educator. Intriguing that a king would become headmaster just like me." Osmond remarked with one hand stroking his long beard. "What does being a huntsman mean since you also referred to your grandfather as the First Huntsman?"
Now this is something Jaune intimately knew and easily answered the question.
"Huntsmen and Huntresses are the next generation of warriors who swore to defend all of humanity across the Four Kingdoms against the Grimm." Jaune then placed a hand over his chest and added. "I was training to become one before I was summoned into this academy."
"That's quite the noble calling, I can see why you came to the defense of our staff." Osmond remarked approvingly with a sagely nod. "You said you were training to become a huntsman?" He inquired, having noted what Jaune had said earlier.
"Yes. I'm not officially a huntsman-in-training since I only had just attended one year of Combat Schools." Jaune answered.
"I assume that this Combat School is some sort of preparatory institution before attending the Huntsman Academy?"
"Yes, sir." Jaune nodded.
"I see." Osmond uttered as he came about to his next question. "What do these huntsmen and huntresses do? And what kind of training do they undergo?"
"Physical training for the first part, and there's Weapons training." Jaune answered. "Then we have other classes for mathematics, science, and a few other things. Lastly, we have Aura training."
Louise perked up as he said that, having tried to ask that what that is before they got interrupted. Osmond hummed and ran his hand down his beard, but his face became stoic and unreadable.
"And what's this aura, might I ask?"
Not noticing the change in the headmaster's demeanor, Jaune answered. "It's an energy that is summoned from within one's body. It's said to be one's life force, and the manifestation of one's soul."
This earned him a light gasp from Louise, who then gulped in fear as her familiar had just something akin to heresy. This is because this Aura sounded very similar to heretical magic that the Elves are stated to use.
While Louise is having a miniature breakdown, Osmond remained calm and composed. Colbert didn't show any reaction as well.
"Who else has access to this aura? And what purpose does it serve?"Osmond inquired.
"Aura mostly functioned to protect the huntsman from harm, along with enhancing their body and weapons in combat." Jaune told him first. "Mostly huntsmen and huntress have access to their auras, then there's special agents of the Council. Though aura can technically come from everyone, even animals. I even plants can have aura."
"Hmm..? How so?" Osmond raised an eyebrow.
"All living things have aura but those with souls has more potent auras. Humans and Faunus has the most potent auras in our world." Jaune told him.
Osmond noted the word Faunus and shelved it for later questions. "I see. Does the use of this aura also involved making connections with other creatures or nature? Or possibly spirits of the land?"
Jaune looked confused at that question but answered nonetheless. "No. Aura can only come from one's self for the most part... Unless their semblance allowed for it." Jaune noted to them. "And we don't have any spirits... They're only in stories in our world. Well at least not the kind of spirits that you are referring to."
"What's this semblance and how does it differ from aura?" Osmond asked.
"Ah, that. Semblances are the personal powers that huntsmen awakened during the course of their training. Aura served to power their semblances."
"So it's like magic. Aura functioned similarly to Willpower, and Semblances are some kind of signature spells. These make huntsmen similar to mages like ourselves." Colbert remarked, speaking for the first time. Osmond didn't react to the interruption but nodded as it's the same thought as he had.
"I... Think so..." Jaune said but is uncertain about the analogy. "Semblances are purely personal and each one is different from the other. There can be similarities but they're not the same." He then added. "Semblances are not easy to manifest and no amount of training can dictate what kind of power will appear. I heard that some huntsmen could go throughout their career without having a semblance."
"I see. So I can assume that you used your aura during your duel with young Gramont."
"Ah... No... I don't think so..." Jaune hesitantly replied.
"Oh? Why is that?" Osmond gently pressed, looking curious at his hesitation.
"I haven't awakened my aura before I got summoned here." Jaune informed him, much to Louise surprise.
"Reports of the duel stated that you used some kind of magic, or aura in this case, to defeat Guiche's constructs." Osmond told him.
Jaune shrugged his shoulders and said. "I can't really say what it is until I could see what those reports were describing. I would know if my aura is awakened since I should have been feeling the energy coursing through me."
"That's understandable." Colbert remarked with a nod.
"If you could see events of the duel, would you be able to identify the power that was reported from the duel?" Osmond asked.
"I believe so. I've seen my father and my classmates use their auras before, so I should be able to identify it." Jaune responded. "How do you plan to do that? Did you have cameras here?" He looked confused as he asked that.
Osmond smiled and merely said. "Something to that effect, if I was correct by what you meant by ka-mera."
The headmaster pulled something out from under his desk and then stood up. With staff in hand, he walked towards the large mirror that hanged by the wall. He took out a small glass ball, with swirling colors inside it, and inserted it into a slot at the side of the mirror. The reflective surface of the mirror then shifted and began to show an aerial view of the duel.
Jaune is surprised by this development and looked at the mirror with wide eyes as he watched the sharp images of the duel on display. He clearly wasn't expecting that even when he should have expected this. The headmaster waved him over and Jaune walked closer to get a clearer view of the display.
"Not expecting, did you?" The headmaster humorously quipped, and Jaune could only nod back. "I'll be adjusting the display and move it closer to the point of interest."
The headmaster touched the slotted glass and the image on the mirror started to blur before it settled back into view. This time, the display is much closer and Jaune could see his injured past self standing up with sword in hand.
Unnoticed by him, Louise moved beside her familiar in order to watch the display on the scrying mirror. She could feel her emotions of that time returning, still quite fresh from the ordeal. The fear and the worry as she watched her familiar getting beaten up, and then the hope when her familiar stood up valiantly like the Knights of Old.
The display soon settled and paused when past Jaune held out his sword towards Guiche. Jaune could see that it is indeed glowing, not brightly but it is noticeable. and the angle of the display also partially showed his eyes that seemed to glow as well.
"Hmm... The glow on my sword does looked similar to what happens when weapons are infused with aura. But they're certainly not that bright." Jaune remarked as he placed his fingers on the mirror's and started moving them over the surface.
"What are you doing?" Louise asked him, confused by his strange action.
"Ah. Sorry. I thought this was a touch screen." Jaune sheepishly replied before turning to the headmaster. "Do you think it's possible to change the angle so I could see what's happening with my eyes?"
Osmond shook his head and said. "No. It can only manipulate the display to get a closer view, to a certain extent, but I can't change the angle. The remembrance can only show what was seen using the scrying spell."
"Ah... Just like with cameras as well." Jaune felt a little disappointed at that, thinking back on some science fiction movies that showed 3D recordings.
"But I could share with you what Mister Gramont had seen during this point in time."
"You could do that!" Jaune said with surprise in his voice, clearly not expecting that.
"Of course, it's a simple and painless spell. But it doesn't intrude one's mind and only deals with what the person is willing to show." Osmond assured him.
"I guess so..." Jaune is still a little uncertain about that but accepted the explanation.
"Let me just switch the remembrance so you could see what he had seen. But remember that what you might see is possibly altered by his own thoughts. Though I made sure that the Mister Gramont provided me with the clearest image he could provide." The headmaster told him as he took our the glass sphere and switch it out with another.
The surface of the mirror winked out before another display shifted into view. This time, it showed Guiche's point of view with Jaune charging at him. The image then stood still, giving everyone picture of what Guiche has seen.
Jaune's eyes widened in surprise as he looked at his own eyes, with sky blue light seeming to shine from within his pupils. It reminded him of a huntress that once visited the estate, and recalled that it's part of her semblance. An interesting thought came to him as he continued looking at his still image, reminding him of the red eyes of the Grimm.
"This reminded me of semblances whose eyes also glowed when called upon. But I'm not so sure if it's my semblance." Jaune told them.
"Why is that?"
"Because I still don't feel my aura until now. This is a little confusing." Jaune said to them.
"That's alright, Mister Arc." Osmond took out the remembrance out of the slot and the mirror shifted to its normal reflective surface. He returned to his seat behind the desk and said. "I'm satisfied with our conversation so far. So you and Miss Valliere have nothing to worry about."
"Thank you, headmaster." Louise bowed her head, and Jaune did the same.
"Though if you oblige, I would like to know more about the Vale and the Four Kingdoms. If you don't mind."
"No problem, headmaster." Jaune nodded and began saying what he could recall from history class.
He told them about the Kingdom of Vale, the capital of the same name, and the rest of the Four Kingdoms. Though he clarified that Atlas is the new kingdom that replaced Mantle, and informed them that Atlas is the most advanced nation in the world. He also told them about the kingdom's floating capital and being the only nation with a military.
"Sounds like a Albion but you said that this is done through the use of these... Dust? Did I get that right?" Colbert asked.
"Yes, it's a type of energy resources that is found across our world. Atlas is said to be kept floating with the use of Gravity Dust."
"Hmmm... That seems similar to windstones that we used for our ships." Osmond remarked.
"Windstones?" Jaune asked, curious by the term.
"Windstones are elemental minerals, infused with spirit energy, that is used to keep our ships afloat in the air and it is also used to power our devices in recent decades." Osmond informed him.
"Are there different types of these elemental stones? In our world, we have different types of types like Air, Water, Fire, Earth and Lightning which are used for different devices and machines." Jaune told them.
"We do." Colbert said with a curt nod, and began his lecture.
"Windstones are the most common since they're much easier to mine. We also use Earthstones which are used in fortifications and animated constructs. But they're hard to mine due to crystallized earth that surrounded the deposits. Then there's Waterstones which are used for healing spells and flood control, and hard to come by due to the danger of flooding mines, and being found under deep lakes. Finally, there's Firestone which are almost never mined and such deposits are left untouched."
"Why is that? That seemed to be quite a waste." Jaune remarked.
"Because such deposits can only be found in active volcanoes or lava fields. Not to mention the extreme danger of mining firestone due to the massive explosion it can create if accidentally triggered."
Jaune blanched at how dangerous the firestone is, not to mention where it can be found. Even Fire Dust mining is relatively tame compared to that.
"I-I see. That's very dangerous." Jaune lamely remarked.
"It is so." Colbert replied.
"You said that there are only Four Kingdoms across your world, do you mean the Known World or do you mean the entire world." Osmond asked Jaune.
"The entire world, sir."
"So these Four Kingdoms are actually empires due to the size of their territories?"
"No, I could guess they're about the size of the kingdoms here like Tristain. But I'm not sure how big Tristain is." Jaune replied with a shake of his head. His eyes brightened as he took off his bag. "I just got the thing."
He knelt down and reached into his bag before pulling out a large glass-like board, the size of a book, from within. He pressed something along the edge of the device and the glass glowed as it showed a strange image on it.
This made the headmaster and professor curious and looked intrigued while Louise, having seen his smaller scroll, is not surprised by it. They watched Jaune continued pressing something on the glass, showing different images from the false side fo the glass, before it stopped at what looked like a map.
"Here's the map of our world, with the locations of the Four Kingdoms marked on it." Jaune said as he presented the map display and placed his device on the headmaster's desk.
The three looked down on the map and are thoroughly confused by what they saw. They could see four vast continents, and the kingdoms are located on three of them. But the rest of the map remained unmarked aside from could be notable locations. The marked territories of the Kingdoms are miniscule with the exception of one.
"What's this place here?" Louise asked as she pointed at the place with the largest marked area.
"That's the Kingdom of Vale. It has the largest intact territory due to its location between the mountain ranges and the sea." Jaune indicated them on the map.
"What about this?" Colbert asked to the other continent with a collection of small marked locations.
"That's the Kingdom of Mistral, and they have the largest amount of territory but are scattered across their continent."
"Which ones of these would be Atlas and Vacuo?" Osmond inquired.
"This would be Atlas." Jaune pointed at the icy continent to the far north. "And this is Vacuo." He pointed to the remaining one located in a vast desert.
"What's the deal with this one?" Louise asked as she pointed at the dragon-shaped continent, marked in greyish-black.
"That's..." Jaune thinned his lips, looking grim. "That's unexplored due to the Grimm that dominated that entire continent."
"The Grimm? The creatures that you said that huntsmen and huntresses are trained to fight against?" Osmond inquired, noting that word once again and how Jaune is acting about it.
"Dangerous vicious creatures." Jaune took a deep breath and sighed. "The Grimm are creatures of shadows and terror, and had haunted our world even before history began. They hunted down humans and faunus alike, and bring ruin upon their settlements."
"Is that why the Four Kingdoms have such small territories despite having explored your entire world?" Colbert asked, his face looking pale at the implications on the map.
"For the most part, yes. But there are villages and towns that dotted between the Four Kingdoms but attacks are frequent and many villages are known to be destroyed each day." Jaune told them with a heavy sigh. "It's why huntsmen and huntresses are important to the defense of humanity. The kingdoms are well defended with fortifications and are manned by militias that operated the weapons. Atlas has a fleet of flying battleships that patrolled their territories and trade routes to fend off the Grimm."
"Just what are these Grimm?" Louise sounded haunted by the prospect of such creatures, and is silently grateful for it. Even the Elves are not even this dangerous as to confine humans in such small pockets.
"It would be best if I show you. May I?" Jaune gestured to his pad, and Osmond gave him a curt nod. He picked it up and started tapping on the glass, and soon opened up what seemed to be a collection of images. He then placed it back down and said. "Here is a recording of my own fight against a Grimm outside of town."
He tapped the symbol on the screen and the image began to move. They could hear voices but spoke in a different language, but it is clearly something akin to how soldiers train. They could also see Jaune himself standing ready with sword in hand, and then tall black creature appeared into view.
It was frightening creature that looked like a misshapen werewolf with bone-like spikes and claws along its limbs and spine. It also had a bone-like mask that covered its entire head, and its eyes glowed blood red. It bared its fangs at Jaune and let out guttural growl.
Jaune in the video looked frightened, but no one blamed him for even they are afraid as well, and then they heard a sharp shout. Jaune nodded and composed himself as he raised his sword to defend himself.
The fight was relatively short but it was brutal. Jaune dodged and evaded the deadly claws as he tried to fight back. He fought back to the best he can, swinging his sword against the creature's claws. The fight ended with Jaune dismembering one of its claws, eliciting a pained roar from the creature, before Jaune decapitated it with a swift swing of his sword. The creature's head dropped to the floor, and the followed by the rest of its body. Smoke began to rose from the corpse and the entire creature's body soon dissolved into black ash that is scattered into the air.
The Tristanians now understood why Jaune is quite skilled with the sword, considering the type of enemy that he had faced on a regular basis. It's a fight for survival.
"Are all Grimm like this? I mean no disrespect and they do look frightening. But a mage or competent soldier could defeat it." Colbert remarked to Jaune.
"A single Grimm isn't much of a threat I agree." Jaune nodded at the professor. "This is merely the basic form of the Grimm called a Beowolf, and there are different types of Grimm that roamed our world. But the real danger is their number, and are never alone." He tapped and swiped on the screen. "This is a recording of a defense of a town against a Grimm attack."
It was night time, and they could see men and women rushing around the streets, and shouts can be heard from armed guards. The point of view soon changed with people rushing up the battlements, armed with spears, bows, swords, and even varying kinds of musket-like weapons. They could also see cannons, not to different from what the Tristanians have, are being prepared by the crew.
Shouts could be heard, bringing order to the defenders, as they raised weapons at the ready. Deep roars could be heard and the point of view shifted beyond the wall to see a small group of people rushing towards them. Behind them, the Tristanians could see what seem to be a black tide. The group soon came into view, wearing colorful attires, and were allowed passage through the wall.
The black tide of roaring beasts soon came into view, and they could see varying forms of creatures from wolves to giant scorpions. The cannons roared as they let loose a barrage of brightly colored shells. Fire and Ice erupted as the shells crashed into the horde, but it didn't seem to impede the creatures.
The Tristanians watched the recording as the fight turned into a melee and they got to see the colorfully attired fighters, identified to be huntsmen and huntresses, using their powers and skills to destroy the Grimm in a deadly but graceful dance. They also people fell in battle in gruesome deaths, and they even saw some being eaten alive.
"Enough." Osmond said loudly as he looked away, and Jaune quickly paused the screen. This allowed the headmaster to calm himself and recover his composure. "This... You said that you and others were training to fight against these creatures?" Osmond asked, his voice trembling.
"We are. But that's why huntsmen and huntresses are also trained to use their auras to further refine their combat prowess and improve their ability to survive. As you have watched earlier." Jaune told him.
"I apologize for doubting the severity of the threat that your people is being put through." Osmond said sincerely. "I don't even know if our own kingdom could survive against such an onslaught."
"I understand, sir." Jaune replied.
"Why couldn't your kingdoms just raise an army of huntsmen and huntresses? Since you said that everyone can gain access to their aura, it would make sense to do so for the defense of your people." Colbert inquired, his military past compelling him to ask this seemingly strategic mistake.
"Many had asked that question and many tried. But the issue came generally from training a huntsmen to full strength, taking years and resources to do so. Aura doesn't make one stronger or more protected without training them extensively." Jaune then sighed before telling them one other issue. "The big issue is the way how the Grimm operate which creates a paradox."
"What would that issue be?" Colbert asked.
"Grimm are attracted to negative emotions. Anger, Fear, Jealousy, and Terror for example. The Grimm are drawn by these emotions like moths to a fire, and their natures makes them adept at creating such emotions, especially fear. It's what makes them very effective hunters and creates a vicious cycle of creating fear and drawing even more Grimm."
Their eyes widened at that, shocked at how the Grimm operated. It also started to dawn on Osmond as why the Four Kingdoms aren't creating armies of aura users.
"Since Aura is the manifestation of a soul, all emotions are also amplified which can draw even more Grimm with their presence. This is what my grandfather told me as to why no kingdom raised an army of aura soldiers. The cost of time and resources, and the danger of attracting Grimm, makes it undesirable." Jaune told them.
"I see." Colbert replied with a tired and sad tone. He looked at Jaune with pity, pity for what his people are being put through. He couldn't even fathom how their people survived this long.
Louise is deathly pale from what she had been shown, and she couldn't scarcely believe it. She now had a newfound respect for her familiar since he had fought against these creatures without his aura. No wonder he was confident in his duel against Guiche, these monsters has no comparison in Halkeginia.
Osmond, meanwhile, felt great trepidation by what Mister Arc had revealed to him. He would need to consult the Niflhel Library and hoped he was wrong.
A/N: This is a relatively simple chapter and generally exposition but at least now some are aware of Remnant and the Grimm threat.
Jaune is basically a squire from a deathworld, and it cemented his identity as a strong warrior. Well when compared to the natives of Halkeginia. But the others have no idea about that, so he would still be viewed as a kind of commoner, for now.
Next chapter won't be filled with much action but it would involve Louise learning to more about Jaune, in light of his earlier revelation, and Jaune trying to learn more about what his power is. So there would be some experimentation and training on his part.
I hoped you enjoyed this chapter, and please share your thoughts in the review.
Have a good day.