Chapter 36: The Hard Working Princess (II).

Chapter 36: The Hard Working Princess (II).

Elizabeth's POV

The nights align, I can't count the days where I haven't studied in advance for any upcoming tasks, exams or questions the scholars might give me.

Victoria kept telling me not to push myself over the edge but I couldn't help it.

"Now, your highness, we'll be studying the main elements of magic and the rare branches of extension of them." One of the scholars writes on a black board, holding the chalk on his hand and drawing a few sigils of the elements. "Everyone's magic will be unlocked through these sets of theories."

I took a look at the page of my book where our lesson was headed as I listened to the scholar doing his best to teach me, my eyes were slowly beginning to do dizzy spells.

My eyes blur the texts, but I bite the inside of my cheek feeling the pain in hopes it could help me stay awake.

"Emotional theory, where in sudden distress the magic awakens inside of the user by force. This is common to children who were at such a young age, developed so much stress and flooded emotion they came bursting out. Only happens at rare times, proven and tested."

The Emotional Theory shows a picture of a little child being thrown into the pits of many tasks, burden, and then showing their prowess in magic awakening at such a young age, the illustration of the child was even younger than me.

Close to being an infant.

…

"Age theory, many percentages of the children whether it be other countries have their magic awakened by the age of seven to thirteen."

The book shows the Age Theory being a simple explanation of it comes with age, seven to thirteen. "What happens if one… doesn't awaken their magic past thirteen?"

"Oh… your highness, then the child is simply a late bloomer waiting a few years before they will be awakened or they are what we call-" I stop him remembering the answer to people who don't have magic.

"[Morama]…"

[Morama] are people who were born like me back from earth, someone who doesn't have Mana running through their bodies.

I flipped the page seeing another illustration of the anatomy of a human body, the ones of this world have another set of veins.

The heart doesn't only produce and pump blood, it generates mana as well. The more healthy and stamina you have, the better your mama reserve is.

Just by breathing you're already feeling the flow of mana around, from the air, water, earth and fire.

The scholars blinked and nodded at my answer. "Precisely, well it seems you know the answer to your own question."

"Apologies, the answer suddenly dawned on me. Remembering I've remembered reading before."

"I hope the book contains on what our kingdom does to those kinds of people, someone who doesn't have magic is bound to be a slave and nothing more." He rolls his eyes looking disgusted upon having this talk about [Morama] people. "Anyone who doesn't have magic would be seen as a cursed being, unfavored by the gods and believed to be their past soul sinning."

Noted.

"Your highness must also be aware. There are four main branches of magic; Air, Fire, Water and Earth. The sub branches we call are the extension of those elements; for short evolution." The scholar writes a few more things as I try and not doze off from the lesson, since this was getting interesting and the scholar is actually teaching me something I could learn in.

"Evolution of air; the sub branches of magic of it could be to control mist, smoke, or any kind of gas. If you study and train you'll unlock the many extensions of the element."

"Evolution of fire; the control and conjure of lava, immunity to fire, colored flames."

"Evolution of water; the control of ice, mist, swamp water, the ability to conjure spells to transform salt water to fresh water vice versa. It won't be easy because that would mean changing the body of water itself. A task a hundred of years ago only gods could do."

"Evolution of earth; the control of sand, stones, earth, minerals, lava, and so much more." He seemed to be excited listing everything, I thought at first that every scholar would be a punk set out on killing me no matter the cost.

The scholar would go on to write a few more things on the board passionate about teaching.

I stopped to think maybe, Uncle Damien really got decent teachers for once.

"Isn't it wonderful, your highness? There are many things each element can do once you hone a skill! The light element however we do not know much of its existence, the last user was dated over a thousand of years ago and there was no note of her evolution." He notes and I read the passage on the light element, its sigil being unique with a few rune sigils in its edges.

The light element being so rare, I dawned upon knowing where and who the next user will be. "The current demon lord, once human turned demon, uses the dark magic blessed by the unknown, us scholars have studied what evolution the magic had; to control and make slaves of shadows."

Even if I have already read some of his teachings in the books from the library, this can help me learn new things.

I took a breather holding my book, feeling uncomfortable in my seat. I don't know how much my eyes can hold on. I took a hold of my quill, writing every important thing he noted, he observes his gaze onto me in silence waiting for me to finish writing on my notebook full of scribbled organized notes.

"O-Onto… the next lesson." I instructed and flipped the page the ink drying quickly, was about the information of people having many elements at the same time.

"I have underestimated you, your highness, I thought you were… uneducated and had no will to study the concept of magic from the rumors roaming around." The scholar lowers his head. "After months of observing you, it seems that I was wrong and I am… deeply honored to be teaching you, your highness."

"However I noticed you are really trying your best-" The scholar stops writing on the board, his hand stopped at the side before adjusting his scholar cap.

I shake my head wondering if I heard things wrong, perhaps the dizzy spell is making me think that this scholar is actually caring for me. "Huh?"

"To stay awake, your highness. I could see that maybe… you're not a bit well to continue the lesson." He looks guilty towards me before looking over to Victoria who was in the very back of the room watching everything.

"I'm alright I can keep going, you can continue your lesson, it's quite intriguing." I told him and he said nothing more, turning his head around excusing himself.

"Apologies but we'll be conducting a self-study now, we will go to an open area tomorrow to show you some of the elemental magic face to face. I'll be asking if any of my scholar friends will help by showing you, I am only capable of the wind element." The scholar smiles faintly and Victoria, hearing this walks forward putting hand on her chest.

"I may volunteer if it's alright, I am a [Dual Caster]. I possess both water and earth, you'll just be needing a fire caster." (Victoria) volunteers and the scholar blinks in surprise. People who possess more than one magic ability are considered a lucky blessed person, if one has it, it can fully change their whole life and even get into a regal magic academy if they wanted to.

"Y-You're a [Dual Caster]?!" The scholar walks over to Victoria looking impressed. "Amazing! What is it like being a dual caster? Have you tried mixing two elements together to create another spell? Oh! How about-"

He stops rambling excitedly and coughed realizing he has let his inner child out just hearing that the person in front of him is one of the many rare people who can dual cast. "I never got your name."

"Victoria Crumwell." (Victoria) replied adding curtsy before he tilted his head.

"A familiar name… but it couldn't be- you couldn't be the famed demon of the country. I have seen the soldier and general before myself- but you're-" He chuckles looking at Victoria whose face turned serious but had a faint look of longing.

"I am indeed the demon soldier you speak of." She confessed that the scholar was right, his face turned pale looking down in a panic.

"Oh good heavens." He almost fainted from hearing the information and grabbed a handkerchief from his pockets wiping the sweat of beads coming down his forehead. "You are the slayer of a thousand demons- the flood bearer- the right hand general of the emperor back in your younger years-!"

"You look nothing like the rumors have said! And I have caught a glimpse of you but that was when at the march of victory have I said I'm a fan with the new magic discovery you've given the whole academy is in awe with your-!" The scholar stops when Victoria raises a hand for him to stop talking in compliments.

"Things have changed, I am now residing as the caretaker of the princess under the empress' orders."

"Ahem… the head scholar never told me that the princess' caretaker was a legend." He scratched his chin and bowed his head respectfully to my maid. "I was there when he said all those things, you have to forgive him. Some scholars are… driven by their ego and knowledge."

I scoffed, tiredness leaving my eyes as I placed the side of my face onto the palm of my hand smiling.

My happy expression would be seen, my lips curving into a smile finding a senseful scholar who actually knew how to appreciate a rare gem you can only come across once in a lifetime. "That head scholar of yours is a piece of work, I am glad you see how great my maid is."

I commend him and he only continued talking with me.

"Certainly, your highness- clearly the legend stands before me. Did you know that with her skill in battle she was the first to unlock a certain extension in water- a spell that can summon a whole tsunami under the heated sun- and even introduced element mixing that is still being studied under the academy. However, we don't have many casters who have more than one magic so we had to-" He went through a great list of details about magic and he was indeed passionate. It seems there was no stop to his rambling and I listened to everything.

"Even if one was a dual caster it would take a huge amount of time, practice, focus, and mana control to mix elements together making something stronger!"

"Lady Crumwell over here introduced us to something called [Mud Control Extension], one may think that this is useless but her tactic and skill made this a winning move by keeping the demons in one place without anyone getting hurt! Imagine winning a battle without shedding a single drop of blood!" The scholar has gotten my interest because- he was showing signs of being easily distracted on certain topics but still makes it relating to our lesson.

"I never got your name, young scholar. I am delighted to have a fan in my midst." (Victoria) laughs seeing the two of us getting along, the scholar takes his cap off of his head and lowers it.

"Sir Misha Ivan Hermov at your service, I've been a fan for many years and I would like to thank you for your service. You saved my village and for that I am forever in your debt." He told my maid, there wasn't a speck of lies in his eyes and he was really thanking Victoria genuinely, his dark eyes were shining in adoration for my maid.

"No wonder you know about my mud control extension, indeed I mixed both of my elements to create such a thing but it wasn't my idea to try, I even thought that mixing elements was such a dangerous and dumb thing to do." (Victoria) tells the scholar who gasped in shock putting his scholar hat back on.

"Then how did you manage to do it?! Mixing elements could stain your mana and the concentration to pull it off-"

"The empress… suggested and even brought up a few pointers for me so that I can win the battle, she said it was a shame for me being a dual caster and not exploring the spells I could use with it." she replies, I was also in shock upon what I was hearing.

My biological mother was certainly a crazy woman.

"You could die from mixing elements without proper technique… and apparently imagination." (Victoria) raises two of her hands, summoning a small pool of water and a rubble of dirt in the other. "You said that earth has many extensions, it can be unlocked but it will take years- this mud control extension is a shortcut. I didn't need to master my earth ability to unlock it decades later- you could say this is a shortcut."

"Mix them together like so, imagine the final product."

She mixes the two together as the scholar Misha and I took a good look upon its small little cute mud golem that Victoria made. "Of course you still need to practice if you want to be skilled, you can find the cool things you can do with it."

The little mud golem waves his little hand in a bow. I stared at it in awe, Victoria placed the little guy over at my table and started doing little tricks.

"Fascinating, I did know that some extensions needed their main element to be mastered first before being granted. Amazing! Truly fascinating! How many extensions do you have?!" (Misha) asks, fangirling and squealing from where he stood. "I know it's not only mud because you also used many other tactics in the demon war!"

"A lot to count." (Victoria) scratches the back of her neck, and I took note of everything that she also said.

Scholar Misha decided that we'll rest just hearing Victoria's tale of how she used her skills and magic to defend the border when the kingdom needed her most.

A little embarrassed but she got through and we both clapped, thanking her for her service.

He excused himself once his time was over, the other scholars was in line waiting to take turns teaching me. Scholar Misha waved goodbye and we both did the same, my tiredness leaving. I survived today's lesson and even made a friend.

…

"Yawn…"

The night came and I was being tucked into bed by Victoria. I held my necklace that has the key to my mother's secret lab closely, I couldn't help but smile thinking that- maybe I can still have a bit of fun through all the ten hour lessons they've been giving me.

"Did you have fun today, your highness?" (Victoria) takes my blanket and covers me with it. "I know that one scholar of yours is most likely a kind soul, but the rumors clouded his judgment."

"Yeah I like that he apologized for his dummy co-worker's attitude too. I learned a lot today- not only about magic but about you too and my biological mom." I told her and she hums pleasantly waiting for me to continue.

"I like… that he's not mean- just hyper- and he came around after teaching me for days. It gave me brownie points knowing he was a fan of yours, and I couldn't help but feel proud." I let go of my key and held onto the blanket she gave me smiling.

Victoria placed a hand on my hair and started caressing it, slowly making me lull to sleep. "Proud of what, princess?"

"Proud of you, Victoria. I didn't know you did all of those things, helping people, saving villages from demons, and- I want to be just like you." I tell her and she stops caressing my head for a moment before continuing again. "Is that okay?"

"I am… possibly not a great role model to follow but whatever makes you happy, princess. I am not going to stop you."

"I'll work hard… and help my people. The aunties and big sisters that left the castle… I want to help them. What dad did… the emperor did… is wrong." I told her weakly and she pats my side. I could faintly hear my breathing, my body telling me its going to shut down and sleep.

"You're… just like your mother. You may not be a genius and crazy but- you're certainly one hard working princess if I've ever seen one." (Victoria) complimented me and that made me happy, she leaned over kissing my forehead before my eyes closed on their own.

I could only hear Victoria leaving the room with one last farewell of goodnight.