Quest of Automata King

Three Peculiar Friends

Located in the middle of Emeralda Meadow, Magusica is a city that formed around Grand Magusica Academy. The school of magic where nobles and people with talents are gathering and learn. Most of those students are teenagers around fourteen to twenty years old.

Not only students, experts and nobles all around the Foumoda Kingdom also seen this place as a precious designation, which mean that this city is much more valuable than ordinary place for school.

Therefore, restaurant, shops, inns, and other facilities are builded around the foot of the academy, making sure that the schoolars won’t have anything to worry about regarding to their daily supplies.

Grand Magusica Academy itself, standing tall on the hill that located at the end of the city. Across it is a giant lake that also part of the academy’s properties, in a clear evening like this, the crystal lake is reflecting beautiful light of twin moons, and the stars above the sky.

A man around his sixty years old, is gazing at that scenery. His room is located at one of the tallest tower in the academy, surrounded by stone walls, and shelves of books.

His right hand is holding a cup of deep red wine, which he slurps little by little with delight shown in his face. Behind him, is the table where he usually work, on top of paper and documents, there is a small device with the size of a fist.

It’s main structure is made of metal, but there is a small pieces of crystal that placed in the middle of that slate. In the middle of the moment that he enjoyed, the crystal placed on top of that metal slate is started to shine, and then, it emmited a blue transparent light that started to form a face of a woman.

“Good night Professor Oliver, we have prepared to greet the new students into the academy. We hope you could come to the ceremony with us.” Said that transparent-ligh-women. Her voice and figure is a little bit disoriented by the static of their connections.

The man who still starring at the window finally turn around. He walked to the device, and touch the crystal which vanish the previous woman image.

“Hello and good night Ms. Ptera. I’ll on my way, please inform other professors to get ready too.”

After that reply, the blue transparent light gradually dissapear, back to the crystal pieces of that metal slate.

Professor Oliver, finally finish the last sip of his glass before gazing once more to the night sky. At the road that lead toward the city, he could see the line of light that coming from convoy of horse carriage. A usual scenery that he always seen on the night where new students arrived.

“I wonder if that boy is inside one of those convoys,” he whispered to himself full of hope. Oliver finally take his formal teacher mantle, and then leave the room.

Meanwhile, on the convoy of carriage who takes the students into the academy, Mui is sitting at the most behind carriage. He shared seats with three other students. Elf, Beastmen, and then Human. Their belongings are loaded into the carriage’s back, except Mui’s suitcase that he have to brought inside the cabin. Four of them are glancing at each other in a awkwardly silence, especially toward the Devil that they never think would board the same ride to the academy.

Mui looking at the human. He is a little bit taller than Mui, thin, and wearing round glasses. His hair is short brown, and his nose is spotty. Mui noticed that he is the same person that Challender bullied on the train.

“What are you looking at?” said the Human. Mui just realized that he have been starring toward him, and that is rude, even for a Devil.

“I’m sorry... I just...” said Mui, looking for more polite response than to mention Challender. “It’s just i see you... From the train.”

He realized what Mui just mentioned, and throw his face away to the window. “Damn those nobles, I wish they all are drop death!” he said.

Listening to their conversation, the Beastmen turn toward Mui. “Are you really going to the academy?” His tone not showing any sign of mocking, just pure question.

“Yes I’am. I have received the invitation letter along with the uniforms and the study books,” said Mui. The Beastmen looking with some sort of amazed looks on his face.

“Really? As far as I know, there has never been Devil that got accepted into the academy after all this time! And you got the invitation all of sudden?”

“Well, it’s not that weird isn’t it?” the Elf finally speaking. He have silver shoulder-length hair. Even when the light around this road is minimal, Mui could see that this Elf have a good-looking face. “Recently, there are certain movement to increase the livehood of Devils, apparently the alliance goverment is starting to see this as way to increase productivity of the workers,” said him.

Mui shrug, he feels a little bit disturbed that these people feels so disconnected toward his race, especially to the fact that he recently suffer the cost of racism from one of the student.

“Oh, I see! That’s makes sense!” said the Beastmen, believing the Elf without a doubt. “By the way, i haven’t been introducing myself. My name is Karas Abvor, I’m from House Husk from the Beastmen Kingdom,” said Karas.

The Human boy flinched when he hears it. “You’re a noble?” asked him. Maybe he’s a little bit concerned that previously he said that nobles are should drop dead.

“Yea, but just on the paper,” said Karas. “Compared to other royalties, my family is one of the poorer family. We don’t have much, but my grandfather used to be friend with the Professors here. That’s why they let me into the academy.”

Karas looked to that Human boy, as if waiting for him to introduce himself.

“Robert Galia,” he said. “Same as you, my teacher also have some inner connection to the academy. That is what helped me into this place.”

“And I’m Raul Xion,” the Elf speak without waiting to be asked.

“Xion? You mean, Xionide, the famous company that makes beauty products throughout the continent?” asked Karas excitedly.

“Yep, my father is depending in me to take over the company, that’s why he send me to the best school in the continent,” boast Raul.

After the three of them introduced themself, Mui is the last in line.

“What about you? You are the first Devil ever be in this school, you must be pretty special aren’t you?” asked Raul.

That words hit Mui like a thunder.

The three of them have one way or another to enter the school, either it’s by money, connection, or talent. But what about him?

“I’m... Mui-Ken-Ikhu... I just got the letter thas invite me to the academy,” he said.

The three of them fell silent. “Do you have some sort of magic talent?” asked Karas which Mui answer with a shake of his head.

“...Not even connection to the nobles?” asked Robert to, which Mui answer with a no.

The three of them are quiet and only exchange face to one another. It feels unheard of, that the first Devil who enroll in Magusica is ajust random nobody from the Devil’s Kingdom.

“M-Maybe Professor Oliver have his own reason to enroll Mui? Probably, he wanted to support the society’s behaviour toward the Devils, and it’s not rule out the possibility that he choose you because of the charity?”

“I see... Yea, maybe that’s right.”

Karas trying to sound positive toward the reason of Mui’s invitation to the academy. While Mui himself have never heard, nor known about the Professor that Karas mentioned, his primary goal is to gain education, so he would be able to help the orphanage with better jobs.

“Oh, I just realize something, who is the Professor Oliver that you mentioned? Is he some sort of important teacher?” asked Mui, which make the three of them gaze at him again with a surprised gaze.

“You really don’t know him?” Robert stare at him as if Mui just said something that is offending.

“Whoa, you really come from backwater place aren’t you?” add Raul, adding salt to the wound.

“Come on guys. It’s not his fault if he don’t know,” said Karas. “You know about the war ten years ago right?”

Mui nod his head, he used to hear the conversation from the adults in his hometown village. Mui don’t really remember, but he get the vague idea about the world war that happened between Devils’s Kingdom and The Alliance.

“Oliver Warden is one of the inventors who have a great contibutions toward the war effort. He creates many things that benefit The Alliance, such as canned foods, explosives, and the most important, is land-reader device.”

“Land-reader? What is that?”

“It’s a magic item that makes it’s user could see the land area where they are now. It’s like map, but intuitive, and easier to use,” Suddenly Robert also stepped into the conversation.

“Oliver used to be the student of Grand Magusica too. After the war, he was asked to be the headmaster, and in his teaching, lot of thing is changed throughout the academy.” Robert continues his speech. Looks like he is pretty knowledgeable when it comes to the history of Magusica.

“Without Oliver, the city around school will never be built, and Magusica will stay as an isolated pilgrimage, far from the civilization,” add Raul again. “We might have to thank him for the progress that happened toward that place. If not, we would have to wear pointy hats, and fasting day and night to learn magic!” laugh him.

“Yeah! Although he rarely appeared on frontline, Oliver is a genius scientist! Even after the war, his inventions are keep being used in everyday live, and people keep waiting for what is the next big thing that he would create!” said Karas.

Mui understand now. Previously, those nobles are also talking about Oliver, which somehow must be connected to the brooch that Mui’s have right now. He is so respected, that the people would know right away about him just by looking at his symbol.

“Oh, here we are!” Karas shouted excitedly, making the four of them looking to the window of their carriage. Colorfull lights shine toward the road leading into the gate of Grand Magusica. Eventhough it’s already nightime, the houses are bright, and some are even let their windows open.

The road are also still filled with people, which Mui find weird.

“How come it’s so bright when it’s nightime?” he asked, eventhough he knew that those question would sound stupid for the three of them.

“Mechanical lamps. In the old times, only magicians that are able to conjure lights, but now, with a simple device, everyone could continue their activities, even without the sun,” explain Robert.

Along the way, Mui gaze toward those lamps, amazed to the things he have never seen before.