Foxtails and Fairytales: Facades and Fables of the Phantom Prince

[Arc 6] Ch. 3 Berserkers Lessons

Sebas

I couldn't help, but let a small smile spread across my face. She was picking up the game fast. Back when I learned Vincent was a Berserker, was the day I understood many things. Berserker was a class that actually altered one's mental state and physiology. If forms of discipline didn't exist to curb their nature it would have been considered a forbidden class. That discipline was created by one of the original members of the Magus Archana. Apparently, one that didn't survive their first conquest.

The true Berserker Class is a backwardly-perfected version of the circulated strengthening technique. It is taken to a new level and it revolves around humanity's basic instinct rooted in wrath. In my research I was able to break it down and reached the conclusion that their power came from a branch of blood magic. But that was just the start.

Conviction is the founding principle behind it. One must first establish a mastery of magic with circulated strengthening and establish strategically place pathways like circuits through their body for their magic to flow through. This required precise mental imagery and focus. Then they must allow themselves to succumb to wrath, giving purchase of their entire being to the emotion. Finally, they must have the conviction to direct their power toward the proper targets. The philosophy was much more complicated and ritualist than that, but that's the magical science.

At their full power, Berserkers were able to enter a state called "Rage". Conviction, wrath, and magic combined would compound exponentially into power. Think of it as if normal people casting spells cover themselves in a layer of water. Creating a series of magic pathways was like digging channels so that when the water coated to body it had rivers to follow to the places that need it most. Sewing magic runes and symbols in the offshoots of those rivers would help shorten chants and empower certain spells. Allowing an emotion to power your magic had the chance of flooding those rivers to the point where they didn't matter because they'd be flooded, and wrath was the most powerful and easiest to get lost in.

Berserkers carved those channels and used conviction to fill the lines with steel pipes. When wrath fueled magic entered the channels made of pipes it pressurized that magic in the places where it was needed. It was said that Berserkers could triple their power beyond the normal strengthening magic techniques. But the price was that power was a weakness toward that emotion and their body was changed as a side-effect to compensate for that increased power. Children of Berserkers inherited their weaknesses and strengths through Blood-inheritance, similar to the Felhounds in some regards. But since children were not capable of carving suitable magical channels or recognized the importance of conviction, they grew up wild and violent. Just like how Minerva had been.

This Minerva had no doubt undergone formal Berserker training. She was no longer the instinctual brat I knew. However, allowing emotion into this relationship was dangerous. It was better to keep her at arms-length if at all possible. A system of checks and balances was best for that. Once I ask a price as a warlock, I can wash my hands of her forever.

To ask for help is something I hadn't expected. This maturity will at least make this arrangement manageable.

"Then, I'll mark this one down." I answered Minerva as I inspected the craftsmanship of the book. If I introduce the printing press into this world technology and access to knowledge might spike. Considering how most books here are written and bound by hand or with magic (the later, being more exclusive and lucrative), it would increase industry several fold. Especially, since magic dedicated to making books is nearly exclusive to the Magically inclined Fox society and Hearthroam. It is an inevitability, all civilizations grow and expand, but how much credit do I want to take? I've been careful, but if I introduce the wrong technology, I'll speed us right into disaster.

"Acting is a delicate artform full of nuances. Ultimately, it is only one of the professional careers founded in professional lying." I explain remembering my lessons with Actor. "For actors there is a technique called Method Acting where you become your character. Normally acting hinges in others believing what you tell them. With Method Acting the first person you must deceive is yourself."

"That doesn't make sense." Minerva expressed.

"If I have two masks and one of them represents me and the other my character. I simply tell myself the character is who I am, and the other is a stranger. I then accept anything I'd say as that character as truth and react accordingly." I explained. "By mingling half-truths into what I told her, I didn't completely lie to her, neither was I completely honest. Maybe I never had an ex who berated my love for books, maybe I did?" I glanced at Minerva noncommittally, but she didn't seem to notice.

I turn the book over in my hand and continue, "Maybe I believe books connect people but how strong is that conviction? Maybe I had a mother who called me Eddy, maybe I had a mother figure who called me something similar, like Stevie. Maybe I'll stop in and chat with her again, maybe I won't. But by blurring the lines and emotions between events I've experienced and events I could have experienced, I'm able to reinforce that belief with discipline. If I believe I am that person then why should anyone meeting me for the first time believe otherwise?"

"I don't think I could do that." Minerva sighed.

"As a berserker I don't recommend it. But until we fulfill the contract you have me to do that for you. I can scare as easily as I can charm, I can become anyone at any time." I boost with a toothy grin.

"So why did you become a warlock? Why not an actor or a court mage?" Minerva asked.

"Freedom." I say and both Minerva and Flint stopped to look at me. "I can do whatever I want, whenever I want. I report only to myself and whoever I deem worthy of talking to." I explain and stop a little ahead of them as I begin examining the next book.

"Doesn't it get lonely?" Minerva asked.

Lonely? With constant harassment from Lilith and my Keeper I can't say I've had time to be lonely.

"Why do you ask that?" I ask, not being able to shake off something about what she meant though.

"Well... I've just never seen you with anyone... ever. You flirted with that girl and handled yourself just fine when we were shopping. I'm surprised you are not being followed by a group of friends like Julie, Satiri, or Nerys." Minerva explained.

"Who says I'm not?" I look at both her and Flint. "Maybe the times you run into me are the few chances that I have to get away from them and be alone?"

"You would choose to be alone?" Minerva asked like she had never thought about it.

I cocked an eyebrow at her, "are you dense? It's people like you that are so tiring to be around. Between the sexual harassment like the other day and busywork, I take off just to get a few minutes of silence where I don't have to be on guard or think about paperwork. It's not easy being me," I waved the book. "Why do you think I read so much? Sometimes someone else's problems are easier to deal with. Especially when I know they will be resolved at the end."