Great Journey: Whims of Fate

On the first day of class, after the opening ceremony, Seraphina took a moment in homeroom to assess the main characters of the story so far.

There was herself, the secret final boss, now rebranded as an Alchemist with explosives powerful enough to wipe out a Rank 2 army given enough prep time. She was no longer betrothed to the crown prince, no longer grieving her brother, and short one personal guard with Zharak gone. She also wasn't a meddling bitch anymore, which she counted as a win.

She stood at 6'2" (1.88 m) with a slim build and large breasts. Her fiery red hair, golden eyes, and permanent scowl gave her a sharp, striking appearance. Beautiful, confident, and clearly not someone to cross.

Zharak was missing, removing one capture target from the board, but Cyrus and his personal guard Emberlyn were present to fill the gap. They weren't as strong individually as Zharak, but together they were far more effective.

Cyrus would help if Seraphina asked, and Emberlyn would follow by association. That was useful, although her brother was still somewhat unreliable.

Cyrus stood at 5'10" (1.78 m) with a slim, feminine frame and a cute face. He had fiery red hair and golden eyes like any proper twin. A phoenix mage who specialized in cursed fire magic, he was significantly stronger than Tobin and harder to take down as well.

Emberlyn stood at 6'0" (1.83 m). A lizardwoman with auburn hair and slitted yellow eyes, she had a mostly human physique except for scattered scales and a long, powerful tail. A spear user that was even more muscular than her master.

Julius Lionhart remained exactly as he was in the game. At 6'0" (1.83 m), with blond hair and green eyes, he was arrogant and unpleasant. Seraphina had no interest in seeking help from him.

Damian Steelhart also matched his in-game counterpart. He stood at 6'10" (2.08 m), with steel-like spiky hair and a heavily muscled build. He was reliable in a fight, so Seraphina made a note to consider him an ally.

Tobin was unchanged. He stood at 5'4" (1.63 m) with dark hair, dark eyes, and a skinny build. A commoner mage with above average talent. Unreliable unless Aurelia was involved.

Bastion stood at 6'6" (1.98 m), just like in the game. He had glittering translucent hair, deep blue eyes, and a muscular physique. Dependable when asked, though still wary of Seraphina after the shopping incident. Still, a total hunk. Would sleep with him without hesitation. Ten out of ten.

Elyra was also the same. A wolfkin standing at 6'0" (1.83 m), with abyss-black hair, furry ears, a tail, and lupine legs. As loyal and reliable as Bastion. Her new best friend. Would sleep with her too. Eight out of ten. Seraphina wasn't bi, but she was curious.

Finally, there was Aurelia, standing at 5'2" (1.57 m), with brunette hair, silver eyes, and large breasts. In certain circles, she might be considered an oppai loli. She didn't follow her in-game actions exactly, but based on her behavior so far, she seemed reliable and always dragged Tobin around.

With Aurelia no longer acting like a gamer, it was safe to assume that many events would change, aside from those tied to hidden items or scripted moments that didn't depend on her actions. Like the upcoming competition less than a year from now.

To ensure victory in the endgame, the best option seemed to be befriending Aurelia and dragging her along to debuff demon worshippers. Alternatives included informing the headmaster, completing the holy water project to make Aurelia's role obsolete, or simply standing back to see how things unfolded.

'I could always just proclaim myself a hero and go from there,' Seraphina thought.

Doing so would earn her plenty of trust to manipulate events as needed. But it would still end in a shit show if Aurelia didn't cooperate, and she clearly wasn't ready for what was coming. Lacking a gamer's mindset was a serious disadvantage, after all.

'No, first, I need to take advantage of my knowledge and clean out all the treasures within reach. Only then should I ask for help,' Seraphina decided.

While she was mulling over her next moves, class had already begun. The instructor was going over basic information about the academy and the services available to students.

There was the Great Hall of Magic, where spells were invented, tested, categorized, bought, and sold. 

The War Council Chamber allowed students to practice strategy using advanced magical holograms that simulated realistic battlefields. 

The Grand Library housed nearly every piece of knowledge a student might need, though access was restricted by Rank. 

The Magic Labs specialized in material-based spell weaving, such as magic circles, runes, scripts, and enchantments and offered lab access to students with the appropriate courses or paid slots. They also traded in blueprints for crafting such magic. 

The Volcanic Forge specialized in weapons, armor, and magical items, offering both trade and forge access to students with the proper courses or paid slots. 

Lastly, the Sealed Vaults of Forbidden Knowledge were exactly what they sounded like.

Outside the castle, the Training Grounds hosted arena matches where students could duel, whether for bets or to resolve disputes. There was also the Dungeon, used for leveling up; the Beast Warren, where tamed monsters could be bought, sold, or housed; and the Botanical Sanctum, which dealt in herbs and potions.

All of which was accessible to students who were either enrolled in the relevant courses or willing to pay for access. 

The academy offered the highest quality goods at the lowest prices in the kingdom, backed by the academy's guarantee. Southspire, by contrast, boasted the larger market for selling goods, but when it came to acquiring them, nothing beat the academy.

-----

Bastion estimated he'd spend most of his time in the Volcanic Forge and the Magic Labs, so he prepared to jump into the grind as soon as possible. He was eager to put his past life's knowledge to use.

But he had some business to take care of first.

As soon as homeroom ended, Bastion moved quickly to intercept Seraphina.

"Seraphina, do you have a moment?" he asked as they exited the classroom.

She blinked in surprise before composing herself. "What's this about?"

"It's a rather sensitive topic. I'd prefer to discuss it somewhere more private."

"Very well."

"Would you mind coming to my room?"

"N-No, that's f-fine," she stammered.

While they walked toward the west side of the castle to Bastion's room, Seraphina was quietly having another panic attack. The invitation had completely blindsided her, and she could only assume it was because of their past two encounters.

In the game, Bastion had never interacted with Seraphina, not meaningfully, at least. By this point, he should've been heading to the forge to dive into one of his countless projects, while Elyra would usually be found training in the arena.

The fact that things were already veering off course on day one did not sit well with her.

Bastion, meanwhile, was puzzled by Seraphina's visible nervousness. She kept fidgeting as they walked. 

'Was I too forward?' he wondered.

They reached his room, where Bastion politely offered her a seat at the living room couch before offering a cup of tea.

"I've been meaning to speak with you for a while now," Bastion said honestly as he sat across from her.

"About what, exactly?" Seraphina asked, trying to keep her voice steady.

"How did you manage to create a Rank 2 explosive using Rank 1 materials?"

"Oh, that," she exhaled, visibly relaxing. "My family keeps Rank 2 phoenixes. They regularly produce Phoenix Ash, which is technically a Rank 2 material. When combined with the right base and accelerant, it produces a Rank 2 explosive."

"Ah, yes. The magical residue from Phoenix Ash would boost the explosive yield," Bastion noted, nodding.

"Exactly. It also works as a stabilizer since the higher ranked material would need a stronger ignition."

"How did you know an attack was coming that night?"

"I didn't," she said defensively.

"Judging by the strength of the explosion that night, it was definitely a Rank 2 charge used against the attackers."

"That wasn't me," she replied, a little louder this time, clearly flustered.

"I'm guessing you picked up a stealthy pet. Maybe a Shadowmew? Elyra said you had a feline scent on you that night."

"That wasn't me!" she shouted, visibly shaken.

"Relax," he said, raising both hands. "I'm not interrogating you. I just want to understand. Remember the project I mentioned after graduation? I'm planning to start it here at the academy, and I'd really like your help. I just need to know if I can trust you."

"You need explosives, right?" she said in a calmer tone, jumping on the offered topic change.

"Yes, but I need it in a specific shape. They need to remain inert until detonated under controlled conditions."

"What shape?"

Bastion handed her a schematic of an explosive charge shaped like a small puck the diameter of a finger. It was designed to be affixed directly to the projectile using a flammable adhesive that burned cleanly, something like Fireheart Resin. Together, they formed a caseless bullet.

Seraphina studied the schematic, her eyes narrowing as realization dawned.

"You're trying to make a bullet?" she asked, not noticing the faint smile playing on Bastion's lips.

"You're from another world, aren't you, Seraphina?"

-----

Support me on Patreon

patreon/babywrath