Great Journey: Whims of Fate

Bastion woke early the next morning with Elyra resting peacefully on his chest. The entire day before had been a whirlwind of passion. Elyra had been insatiable, more demanding than usual. Even while preparing their meals, she refused to give him a break, insisting he take her from behind as she cooked.

He was happy to oblige and indulge her whenever she felt needy. It rarely happened, after all.

Now that he had time to think, he turned his attention to the fact that his entire experience at the Royal Academy had been part of a predetermined game in Seraphina's past life. He avoided questioning how that was possible by chalking it up to the multiverse theory.

Had he remained uninformed, he imagined he would have simply focused on his studies, eventually creating computers through magic.

The protagonist of the story would stumble upon him, and they would share the usual scenic interactions that gradually blossomed into a love story. Somewhere along the way, he would grow as a person, support them, and fight by their side, ending with the destruction of the Demon Lord.

Now that Seraphina was involved, she would guide the protagonist as needed, using her knowledge of the game to grow stronger and gain an advantage.

The fact that she had not included him in the discussion suggested she believed his input was unnecessary and that he should simply continue on as usual. This implied that whether he became stronger or remained weak was irrelevant to the story.

But now, he wasn't so sure he wanted to focus solely on academics. With the possibility of facing an impossible enemy, perhaps it was time to shift his priorities.

'What would I do if this really were a game?' Bastion thought.

The answer came easily. He would level up, complete quests, gather equipment, build a team, and push through challenges and boss fights as they came. He could not afford to sit idle and prepare for the future when the present was already at risk.

With that thought, he made a decision.

He would dive into the dungeon and reach Rank 1 as soon as possible. Unfortunately, he already enrolled in a mix of smithing and magic classes this semester. 

He had no choice but to enroll in Dungeon Exploration next semester to get access to the Dungeon and level up. Students had to take the course before being allowed entry even if they had the money to get slots.

With that in mind, he had no choice but to follow his usual schedule for now. He would however focus on increasing his combat potential in the library when he had the chance. A timeframe he had reserved for practicing at the forge to increase his Art of Smithing.

The first day of class was a simple homeroom session that introduced the academy to the students. The following day marked the beginning of the scheduled courses.

Bastion's schedule was a mix of smithing and magical theory. He focused on subjects that would eventually allow him to recreate the same machines his company had once made.

His greatest problem was the lack of proper manufacturing technologies. For example, he could certainly make a large circuit board with his current means, but his limited knowledge of software made building a computer pointless.

At this stage, he would have to rely on magic. He considered using the War Council Chamber as inspiration, but he now planned to shift his focus from creating a computer to developing a weapon of mass destruction.

"Is that why she chose Alchemist instead of Phoenix Mage?" Bastion wondered aloud.

It made sense now. Her plans against their enemies were becoming clearer. 

As an Alchemist, she could create bombs and had already succeeded in crafting a Rank 2 explosive, something no amount of power leveling could replicate.

"It makes sense why she didn't include me in her plans," he murmured. "Ranks and levels matter little against enemies like theirs. Since I can't level up for now, I'll shift my focus from computers to firearms."

"Good morning, master," Elyra said, licking his chest.

"Good morning, Eli," he replied, running his fingers through her hair. "We won't be able to enjoy moments like this for a while."

"Because classes start today?" she asked.

"No. We need to help Seraphina defeat the Demon Lord in a few years, which means we have to take our combat training seriously."

"Should I change my schedule?"

"Just delay the non-combat ones like Cooking and Monster Anatomy. Take Dungeon Exploration as soon as possible so we can start leveling up."

"Okay."

The pair enjoyed each other's warmth for a while before they had to get up and prepare for classes.

Elyra changed into the school uniform, even though she wasn't a student. It was permitted, as attendants were not expected to take classes while wearing their maid or butler outfits.

The Royal Academy uniform consisted of a navy blue jacket with silver trim and brass buttons, worn over a white shirt and black vest. It was paired with either black trousers or a pleated skirt, depending on the student's preference. Reinforced black boots and optional stockings completed the ensemble, which was designed for both formality and mobility.

Elyra looked like any other schoolgirl in the outfit, although it had a very enticing effect on Bastion.

He stepped closer, placing one hand on her cheek while wrapping the other around her waist.

"You look stunning, Eli. You should wear more outfits than just your maid uniform."

"I prefer my uniform, Master," she replied, her voice softening. "Although, I wouldn't mind dressing up every once in a while."

"Spend a mithril coin on clothing when you can. I would love to see you in different outfits."

"Yes, Master."

Bastion's first class was Basic Smithing. He had to start with the first class in the Smithing series since he had never actually tried it before. As a result, he was placed in the same introductory course as the commoners. Most of them had some practical experience but lacked access to books and formal instruction. 

Bastion, on the other hand, was the opposite. He knew far beyond what the textbooks offered, but had no hands-on experience.

His classmates were a group of burly men who had been swinging hammers since they could walk. Half of them were dwarves, and despite the room being at half capacity, it still felt crowded. Dwarves simply took up more space with their broad frames.

The day's lesson covered basic forging: heat the metal, place it on the anvil, strike to shape, reheat as needed, continue shaping, cool slowly or quench, clean the forged piece, inspect for flaws, perform heat treatment if required, grind for final shape, and polish or finish the surface.

Nobody paid much attention. The steps were too basic, and it was only the first day. Hands-on work would likely come later.

Bastion's magic class on the other hand was far from boring, especially since he had tested out of the basic theory courses, unlike Smithing, which he had never actually tried before.

In class, he encountered Seraphina and Cyrus. He considered sitting with Seraphina, but she was occupied, speaking with a silver-eyed brunette he later learned was named Aurelia. Along with Cyrus and a boy named Tobin, the four of them sat together in a row as the class began.

Bastion, meanwhile, found himself seated next to a shy, fidgeting girl named Lilia. She was short, standing at 5'6" (1.68 m), with cropped blue hair and bright blue eyes. Her frame was small, her chest modest. She looked adorable and seemed unusually distracted.

"Is something bothering you?" Bastion asked Lilia.

"Hue?" she muttered, startled.

"You seem nervous. Is something wrong?"

"Huh? What? No! I'm fine!" she replied a little too quickly, sitting up straighter. "Just... new environment, new people. That kind of thing."

He nodded. "First day nerves?"

"Something like that," she mumbled, fiddling with the edge of the desk.

There was an awkward pause before Bastion tried again. "So, are you here for elemental casting or something more advanced?"

Her eyes lit up. "Oh, elemental, but I'm really into magical theory. Did you know that casting speed doesn't just depend on the spell model but also on how well your mind aligns with the spell's structure?"

"Really? I thought it was just about mana control."

"That's part of it," she said, already more animated, "but the way a wizard processes the spell internally changes everything. Some people cast faster because their mental pathways are better synchronized with the flow of mana and intent."

"That's fascinating," Bastion said genuinely.

Lilia beamed, all her earlier awkwardness forgotten. "I have notes on it if you're interested. Or I could explain. I mean, if you want."

"I'd like that," he said. "Maybe after class?"

Her hands twitched slightly before she nodded. "Y-Yeah. Sure. After class."

She looked down again, clearly flustered.

Meanwhile, after successfully befriending Aurelia, Seraphina took notice of Bastion's interaction with Lilia, the second best healer in the game. Lilia's stats were also unnaturally high for a commoner, which only enhanced both her offensive capabilities and her healing.

Her class, Mystic Water Mage, allowed her to heal despite not being a priest or holy class. There were other elemental equivalents, but they were rare. Her class in particular granted her the ability to heal, remove status effects, and create shields. It was a very handy class, though rarely used because the main character could also heal.

Seraphina had never considered the possibility that Bastion might form a team of his own. Perhaps it wasn't such a bad thing to have two players in the game, rather than trying to play solo.

-----

Support me on Patreon

patreon/babywrath