Foxtails and Fairytales: Facades and Fables of the Phantom Prince

[Arc 4] Ch. 10 Sorcery's Face

Flint

"That's quite the weapon." Vlad said stepping up next to me.

"Ya, too bad it's only got one shot." I nod as I put it back in my inventory through my blazer façade.

"That's unfortunate," Vlad said as he observed the unnaturally fast regrowth of the fire giant's arm. "Here. Tiera, said that you have seven and half minutes." He handed me an iron pipe with an L joint that must have come from the debris. Ah, she knows me so well.

"Did she say anything else?" I ask weighing the heavily enchanted pipe bomb.

"Go for the testicles." Vlad sighed tiredly. Seriously professor, you look terrible. Get some sleep.

"So what are you going to do?" I ask rolling my arm from the kickback of the gun.

"Something weird is going on. I just got word from the Grand Magus to take care of this on my own." Vlad yawned.

"A coordinated assault on the school?" I asked.

"Who knows? But can you distract him long enough for the evacuation and for me to find it's weakness?" Vlad asked.

"How much you got on you?" I asked.

Vlad sighed. He pulled out a velvet bag that clacked instead of clinked. There were no coins in that bag. He pulled out something out of it and I held open my hand to receive it. Mages trade in rare materials so I'm no longer surprised when someone doesn't hand me money.

He dropped two clear six-sided dice in my hand. And I raised an eyebrow. "Dice?"

"Cross quartz, disguised as dice. I'm sure you'll find a use for them." Vlad said.

Cross quartz? Hmm. Dungeon cores are byproducts of highly pressured Ley mana that attract, conduct, and amplify magic. They draw in Ley magic to power dungeons, and when they are removed the dungeon dies and turns into just another big hole in the ground. They are high quality and hard to get since they're guarded by hoards of monsters and demon beasts. Cross quartz are naturally occurring crystals with the same qualities as dungeon cores. However, to make up for being more abundant they are lesser in quality. They show up in great quantity after magical natural disasters called Cross Cataclysms.

"Hmm." I look from the dice to the bag to the fire giant. "Four." I hold out my hand for more.

"Three." He responds already prepared.

"Deal." I smile as he drops another one that has twenty sides instead of just six. It's also slightly larger and I smile as I pocket them. "It's always a pleasure. You have got five minutes." I buff myself with a few additional skills and leap at the fire giant. I swing the pipe at its face and after a loud echoing clang from making contact, the great monster is sent reeling.

Hooooooouu. Music to my ears. I have to get Tiera to make me one of these that will last.

Clang!

Maybe two.

*

Sebas

I watch Flint swing a pipe at a giant. He's taking this delinquent thing to a new level. But what I'm really watching is Vladimir. He was so timid when I first met him. I had watched him undergo a steady change and I can't say it's all for the positive. I never intended for the creation of Sorcery. I thought my theories would be extravagant enough to be recognized and shut away in some forbidden section of a vault.

Strangely enough... I never expected to gain an apprentice to start a class in my honor. I feel like the Plato to his Aristotle. I'm pretty sure he's figured out my identity by now even though he's tactful enough to not bring it up. He's smart, brave, and tactful. To choose such a difficult path for himself to attain his goals is admirable. However, I blame myself for all of his problems. His lack of sleep, his estranged relationship with the girl he loves, his choice to risk his life for my research.