“The Atlas Association.”

Iris had stopped in front of the large academy. Tall metal fences guarded the perimeter of the school. She walked up towards the entrance, an opening in the guardian barrier.

“What business might you have with us, miss?” the gatekeeper asked.

“I’m looking for a specialist. One that knows how to use souls.”

“Huh? What sort of things might you be interested in, Miss?”

“Just tell the headmaster this. Kiyet Koretai. Pass that message along. I’ll be waiting here.”

The gatekeeper wore a bewildered face. His eyebrows raised with slight suspicion, he hesitated before calling for a guard. Relaying the message, he pointed at the blonde girl, and shooed the guard away.

After a short while of waiting, an old man walked towards her. His long white beard and heavily wrinkled face were enough to show his age. Even more than that, he was using his staff, probably one of the most important aspects of a well educated mage, as a cane. He huffed and puffed as he walked, before holding onto the wall’s bricks for support.

“You! Why do you know that?” he asked between pants.

“Headmaster William. I need you to refer me to a specialist. A professor, perhaps. One that is skilled in the art of separating souls.”

“You bitch. What kind of forbidden arts are you trying to achieve here!”

“Listen. How about we have a long, long chat in your private office. I would kill, and I mean kill, for a nice cup of milk tea.”

“Tsk. You! Show her the way to my office.” He pointed a finger at a nearby student. Turning away, his robes swung around him with a force unseen before in an old man. “ I’ll be in the faculty room, having a discussion with the teachers.”

He was not one to change. Perhaps that too was a constant. Iris chuckled as the student gave a curt bow.

“If you’ll follow me, Miss...” he said through gritted teeth.

These students of his. They really did admire him. A sign of a good principal. To have them hate a stranger that provoked their headmaster, truly amazing.

“Not much is different, huh?” Iris glanced around the academy.

“Have you been here before, Miss?” Much of his hostility melted away and was replaced by a curiosity. “Were you a student here?”

“I’ve been here before. Not as a student, though.” His eyes widened at her words.

“As a professor then, Miss!”

“Let’s keep it at that.”

In truth, she was anything but. She could see picture the collapsing buildings, the stone bricks crushing students beneath. Her defeat at the hands of the headmaster himself, his white lightning arcing through the air to strike her in her chest. That was the timeline where Francis Rayleigh had escaped and hid within the Atlas Association.

They stopped in front of the large wooden doors. After walking through a confusing maze of hallways and turns, Iris looked out of the opening within the walls. Birds were singing, and students wandered throughout the school. The green green grass of the courtyard, the lovers quarreling, she took everything in. She breathed in the fresh air, and her heart was at ease.

“Still, aren’t you on the younger side to be a professor, Miss? Though I suppose that would be a compliment for women.”

“It’s certainly better than calling me an old hag.”

“Um. Miss, it's currently my break time. And uh, do you think I could spend the time with you? At least until Professor William comes back.”

“Good try kid, but he won’t be happy. And besides, I’m not looking for a lunch date anyway.”

“O-oh.”

The student swallowed his words and leaned on the wall opposite her. She kept her eyes focused on the small, minute details that she could spot. When a new set of footsteps reached earshot, she turned her head slightly.

“Headmaster William.”

He grimaced at whatever expression she had on her face. Moving past them, he pushed the door open and told the student to return to his dorms. He nodded, and sulked away. Was getting rejected really that bad?

“What do you want?” he asked once the doors closed.

“Straight to the point, huh? I’m just looking for someone that can split souls. Or maybe transfer a soul to another vessel. And I’d appreciate a cup of tea. I did say I was willing to kill for one.”

“Figuratively, you mean?”

“Hm.” Iris shrugged. “Maybe.”

“Why do you want to find what? What does a regular girl like you want? You’re not even enrolled here, nor are you related to the Arcane Tower. And how did you know that...”

“This is the first time we’re having this conversation. I’ll let you know that much.”

“Of course. I’ve never seen you in my life. Unless you’re the one that Professor Adam Xelov is having an affair with. I’d need to fire him immediately if that’s the case. No way should an old man like him be seeing a young girl like you.”

“As if you are one to talk about affairs. It takes one to know one, after all. I know you’ve been seeing someone else. How would your wife feel?”

“You bitch. Are you blackmailing me?”

Iris raised her eyebrows and made her way to the table. The sun leaked in through the windows, coating everything in a thin layer of gold. She sat down, her legs crossed, and motioned for the headmaster to take his seat. He shuffled over.

“The white lightning wizard, if I recall.”

“I threw that name out years ago. My days of adventuring are long gone. Now I’m just Professor William, and you will refer to me as such.”

“Do you really think you’re in a position to tell me what to call you? For your reference, I’m Iris by the way. Now, back to business.”

“If you’re talking about your soul magic, then I’m afraid you’re out of luck. There is only one such professor like that here. And he’s on vacation right now.”

Iris chuckled. Of course. The question was if he was bluffing or not. Pushing the matter of whether such a professor like that actually did exist, would the headmaster really let her get what she wanted? She shot a glance at the staff. Smooth white wood in the shape of a cylinder. It could suffice as a pole, if only it had been longer.

“Is that so? Then I’m afraid I will have to take my business to the arcane tower then. Have a great day, professor.”

Iris stood up to leave. The old man tensed up. His eyebrows furrowed, deep in thought.

“Arg. You still haven’t answered any of my questions,” he said faintly.

“Hmm? I couldn’t quite catch that.”

“I said... I need to know.”

Once an adventurer, William eventually settled down. Studied at the Atlas Association himself, before ascending the ranks. First a teacher’s assistant, then a full fledged teacher himself. Before finally reaching the seat of headmaster. Once a scholar, always a scholar. Always striving to solve magic itself.

“Send for tea then. An exchange of information is always beneficial. And if this professor really does exist, then I’ll find him myself. Since he just got called to the palace too...” The last statement was significantly softer than the rest. Enough for the headmaster to be interested.

“He wasn’t called to the palace. He’s at the beach resort of Selenros. Selenros Beach, to be exact.”

“Different people. But the beach, huh?”

Iris’ eyes wandered through the room. An old map was pinned on the wall, detailing a decades old version of the academy. Wings and facilities that once existed were now gone, and those that stood had been changed. Even for an esteemed school like this, time still took its toll.

“And who might you be?”

“I’ve met with you before. A different you. But you nonetheless. That phrase, Kiyet Koretai, you told me that yourself. To tell someone, anyone, associated with the academy to pass it on to you. Even now I still do not know the meaning of it.”

“There is no meaning. Random words strung together. So you’re from... The past then? Certainly, time travel magic would be... Might be possible. But you see, I would have only told that to my most trusted friends. ”

“Close enough.”

She didn’t want to explain the whole ordeal. Someone knocked on the door. A feminine voice announced tea.

“Great. I didn’t have to kill anyone.”

The doors swung open. There, a person stood. A red mantle draped over her shoulders, and a silver tray with two porcelain cups on her hand. Two distinct towers of steam rose as she set the tray down.

“Ms Angelica. How are you settling into your new job?”

“It’s been alright so far, professor. But I’m still nowhere near solving it.”

“Patience, young scholar. Patience,” William said in a sage like manner.

“What are you working on?” Iris asked.

She had never seen or heard of an Angelica in her life. Not even a passing mention of her. Was she significant?

“Oh, nothing much.”

That woman pushed her long, dark purple hair behind her ears. A pair of thin framed glasses sat atop her nose bridge. But there was nothing striking about her whatsoever. She could blend into the background of a famous painting. Just another citizen, and certainly nothing to gawk at.

“Just that I saw something that I had to figure out the answer to. See, there once was this person. A dragon visited, and of course I offered them as a bride. You see, this person in particular, is probably a male, and yet could easily pass as a female without any difficulties at all! I have my own doubts about his gender, but that is not the matter here.”

That vague description matched someone. And a dragon? No way.

“The dragon took a look at him, and suddenly, it was gone! As if there was no trace of the dragon at all! If the tower wasn’t shaken up no one would have believed me! I threw that man out of the window, much to my own hatred. In hindsight, I should have collected as much information as I could.”

“This person,” Iris said as she leaned forwards, “What’s their name?”

“Oh, Rayleigh. Francis, I believe. I took him from the bastards in the Arcane Tower.”

Iris nodded. So the timeline had shifted that much. There was never a dragon that got involved, and certainly not him as a bride. She stood up to leave.

“I trust that all questions have been answered?” Iris asked.

“As of right now. I look forward to seeing you again.”

“Yes. Same here. Now if you don’t mind. I’ll be off to Selenros Beach. What’s this professor’s name?”

“Professor Langley. I’ll give you a copy of his file.”

***

The princess rushed towards him. Her long dress dragged behind, but she did not care. She reached out for an embrace, one that Francis returned.

“You’re alright.”

“How are you, Your Highness?”

“Oh please. Stop it with the formalities. I missed you.”

“You could’ve called.”

“I didn’t want to interrupt your recovery.”

“Is that so?”

They made their way into the meeting room. Pushing the doors open, he met the eyes of Benjamin Wynt, and Edmond Ren. Princess Haein greeted both of them, and ushered Francis to seat.

“Okay!” She clapped her hands together. “All three of you will be receiving your first assignment today! Remember, as an Arcleus, you have 2 groups you need to appease. The citizens, and my family. Of course, one of them would be easier than the others. As such, to prove yourselves, there will be trials to pass. They’ll test your culture, creativity, public relations, and everything else that might be needed to be an emperor. This means that the one who passes-”

He knew what was coming. After all, it was entirely detailed within the letter. If there was someone cheating in the game, who would have thought that it was the princess herself? She had written down the entirety of the trials ahead.

“Gets to marry me and become emperor. So,” a butler handed her a silver tray as she spoke, “is your first trial. Read it carefully, and understand it. I wish you good luck.”

Her smile was as radiant as ever. And yet, somewhat cryptic as well. As if she was hiding a world unseen by anyone else behind it. She handed each of them a sealed envelope. For their own convenience, probably. But the ever so strange Benjamin opened it up with the grace of a dancer. The quiet tearing of paper as the letter opener cut through.

“Oh. This is troubling,” Benjamin spoke as his eyes darted across the letter.

“Why?” Francis asked.

“Open it.”

He looked at the envelope on the table. Grabbing it with his fingers pinching the corner, he had an idea of what to expect. Their first task should have been to find a way to fill the silos of a region wrought by famine. Lack of grain meant starvation. And yet, the cause of it was unknown.

“Ah. I see what you mean.”

As expected, the trial, or rather what Haein said would be coming, was correct. Francis was assigned the eastern regions of Velois. He could recall the map from his younger days with Hadel Frium clearly. Bordering it to the east was the coastal city of Selenros, meaning beach of the Selen. And to the north and west, was Pelonton, the regions that the Wynt family reigned over. It would be difficult to deal with.

“I’ll be off then. Good luck, the both of you.” Benjamin smirked as he strutted away.

“I’m fucked. You?” Edmond asked once the more intelligent of the pair left the room.

“Similar. I have ideas, but I don’t know how to implement them,” replied Francis.

“Argg. You’re already in a better place than me then.”

Edmond covered his head with his hands. Callused, and laced with scars, his hands were a mark of time and experience. A question popped into his head.

“Hey. Can’t you see the priests for those scars? I’m sure they have some healing magic right?” asked Francis.

“They do. But why should I? It's not necessary. Their mana can be used for something better.”

“You’re not worth the time or mana?”

“Nope. I’m just a sword. The blade for the temple. That’s what the holy knights are.”

“Sounds unfulfilling.”

“It's alright. I get to help people, and I can get closer to heaven while I’m at it.”

“Your life has been dedicated to the temple, huh?”

“Well, not really. My father’s a priest, and my mother’s a noble. Got the best and worst of both worlds.”

“Priests can have children? And marry?” Francis raised an eyebrow.

“Of course. What year are you from, a century ago?”

“Nah. I was just... Never into all that religion stuff.”

“Oh yeah. I heard something about you forcing your way into a temple? What was that all about?”

“That’s a long story. But in short it was to catch a cultist.”

At that word, his ears perked up. He retreated from his castle of his arms and sat up straight. Putting his hands on the table, he looked as serious as he could be. In fact, he looked very much like a real knight. Stoic, strong, respectful. Every part of him looked dignified in that one moment.

“Tell me. We have time.”

“I’ll give you a summarised version.”