Project Schemer: A Pure and Twisted Thought

"An academy. What a stupid idea." Thomas Clovis, a veteran of the Great War, takes a deep breath from his pipe but his mind is screaming that this is a terrible idea. What kind of disguise is that, what kind of disguise uses his name in every thesis? It is nothing different from suicide for normal people and trouble for him, but this is the only thing one person can come up with. He stands up from his couch and goes through the folder from a locker in the corner of the room. In there is what his father left for him, something only useful when it is necessary. In the folder was a death certificate and a new identity for him, and that made Thomas chuckle. What kind of father pre-prepared for his child a death certificate and a fake identity with the name Killian Evergravis? Even the name sounds stupid, but that is the reason why Thomas always loved his father. "Hmm, so much for an ordinary waiter, huh?" But, of course, Thomas knows he is talking to no one about the fact that his father was killed by a bunch of cult members. Taking a deep breath, Thomas remembered his father, that lovable old man with bright eyes, hair and beard that made him look like a living saint. Both Thomas and his father, Killian, were very strong individuals, even when Killian never showed that, but Thomas knows his father's strength and wisdom, but the most important thing about Killian made Thomas can't forget. It was his determination. "Well, father, if that is your arrangement, I will follow your words until every last one." The invitation to become a professor in the most prestigious academy in the world, but that is not the word Thomas would use to describe it. With his power and the horror of that war, Thomas can only say this is nothing more than a stage for children with status fighting each other so their parents can be so proud and give them one more servant to wipe their mouths after dinner. Thomas never likes the upper class or how they look down on him and his father, even when Dawnveil is ruined and they have to be on their knees and begging for his help. Thomas hates those upperclass and now he is here to teach those children, making this become the greatest challenge from his father for him. Even harder than those trainings in the past he had been through, nothing beat this one for him. "Your teaching of wearing a facade is my only way to survive in this world. This is quite exciting." "So you accept my request. Quite rare for someone like you, I must say." "D'artenge. Didn't expect you to be a headmaster, when you said you were going for their heads, you were serious." "Come on, no need to use such harsh words, I simply just got more secrets of those dirty nobles than you. But I promise you, my friend, this is a perfect trap, I will make all of them pay for what they did." D'artenge, an innocent but scary person in Thomas's opinion. They met during the war and, as a result, both of them are veterans of the Great War, but comparing himself to D'artenge is something Thomas never wanted to. While Thomas stayed on the frontline, D'artenge had a different strategy. What D'artenge wanted was to watch everything slowly fall and that is exactly what he did. He is the one who ended the war with one of the most horrifying strategies. With the position as the commander, D'artenge simply commanded his men to infiltrate the enemy's side and poison everything from their food, their water, their air and even every piece of clothing filled with poison. When Thomas dominated the battlefield, the enemy barracks filled with screams of agony and D'artenge was simply standing near their barracks and enjoying the agony and the suffering of his enemies and his own men. If Thomas is one of the strongest, then D'artenge is one of the cruelest to exist. They may complain about how much Thomas stained his hands but they didn't know the truth. "The letter may say professor, but you know too well that your position is only as a lecturer. You have an assigned schedule and I believe that is everything you need. Just don't mention the war and blow up your disguise." "My father, he did mention his intention to you. That is what I presume." "Correct, Mr.Killian mentioned to me that you will need my help. Because those nobles and cult members will come for your head after they have him, but don't worry, I still preserve him here. He is an important person to both of us." "Are you trying to... hah, then I guess we both have the same purpose." Thomas's job is simple, he just needs to teach these brats a few complicated techniques and there is no catch in this job. If the class finished the lesson early then he can have time for his current research to bring back his father. Lecturers and professors are provided with a living quarter and an exclusive cafeteria, but different from other professors and lecturers, Thomas doesn't fill his living quarter with a lot of books or any strange devices. The reason for that is simple, because there is no need to fill in anything because that is not necessary for Thomas, his research doesn't appear in any book and what he teaches the children is simple enough that it is a skill and not something that needs any devices. "Hey, you know the rule right, pay up or I will leak that clip." Of course, annoying brats will just bunch up in front of his room because he hasn't introduced himself in front of them yet. But the next sound is the sound of something shattering and, of course, to avoid any liability, Thomas needs to show himself before he gets sued for being irresponsible and that doesn't sound very nice for a broke veteran. Luckily, Thomas prepared a lot of devices for a lot of situations. From his suitcase, he took out a bottle filled with black liquid. The liquid was almost floating inside of the bottle instead of being a completely stable liquid inside of the vessel, and the other tools in the suitcase were a clockhand. "Let me fill your throat with your own corruption." The glass bottle shattered and the black liquid fell to the ground and turned into countless black beads. But what Thomas doesn't expect is the moment when he opens the door, a boy in tattered clothes falls into his room and someone's punch almost hit him. But the black liquid formed into a shield and stopped the attack before it reached him. Even when this is an empty room, this is still the living quarter for professors and lecturers, so he will need to have a word with whoever managing the place about the intrusion of the children. "Who are you? This room is supposed to be empty." "Who I am is not important. This is the living quarter of lecturers and professors. You have no right to be here." Thomas is not overly muscular but his training gives his body a good shape, better than these so-called brats. The black liquid is simply a device for emergency, but there is no need for violence because simply how Thomas looks is enough for intimidation. Strong and youthful despite his age and the color of the hair on his head, his stern voice sent fear down the brats and made them run away at the moment he finished his words. Even on the night of his arrival, Thomas's life was always filled with these ridiculous events, from the War, the death of his father and now teaching these brats. Life is full of circumstances and now, he had a collapsed child in front of his door. The best solution is to carry the child to the academy's infirmary even when that is tiring. "His condition is not critical, professor." "Good, let him out when he is fully healed. I have enough in my hands already, adding a kid is not a good choice.": "Professor, can you show more compassion? These will be your students, your children in guidance." "Let me ask you, Doctor. Do you know why these children are here? Do you know why you are invited to work here but no one else? Of course, you don't. We are merely chess pieces and chess pieces don't show their tears, so why don't you be quiet and do your jobs." Thomas leaves the infirmary quietly, he returns to his room and lights his pipe up. Take a deep breath and let the smoke run wild in the room, that is how he relieves his stress after any events happen. The next day would be his first class. He can only hope the children will be less annoying than those bullies or that doctor, questioning the morals in Dawnveil. What a foolish decision. As he snuffed out the smoke and opened the window to enjoy the breeze and moonlight, the only things that made him calm is the memories of his father. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Don't worry, Killian, I will bring you back." D'artenge smiles at the cryopod, tinkering with a few machines on the table, and taking out a red gem from the bottle near the cryopod. On his table is a simple device with the blueprint next to it with the name on the blueprint written in a strange language. But bringing back Killian is not D'artenge's intention. He wants something more than that, the members of that cult, he wants to hear them scream like how his enemies screamed in that war. "Thomas may just want you, but I want something more, Killian. You see, those people laugh at us, consider us nothing but scum and they even laugh at you, my mentor." D'artenge wants them on their knees once again, to beg for his help. He knows they will never need to do that since the war is over. They will never cry in pain because the laws protect them from any pain. He wants to let them know the pain of agony and humiliation that all three of them suffered from the scorn of those people. He wants them to suffer what they endured and now, he believes Thomas is on his side and that he is the queen on his chess board, the most powerful piece, the hero of the Great War. "Remember when that woman left you for a richer man? That woman left you and fabricated the truth about you and defamed you so much that you and Thomas have to eat dirt to stay alive. Now she will suffer, for this is not a part of the plan, Killian. It is just my hatred."