I am the great tyrant of the world! I ot be defeated! Let the world tremble before my armies! FOR THE EMPIRE!-Manius Civillis, roughly 1500 years ago before being assassinated, ushering i imperial colpse

  'Walking' together with the demon Queen was an awkward thing. Her bodyguard Jaha, is more pissed than she is about the whole trying to kill her twice affair. The Queen herself somehow mao look embarrassed, she did insist on me calling her Ky when I asked her if she knows anything on local sve traders. I don't know how Cathy looks, as she is pushing my wheelchair behind me, but I don't o look to know she looks as serene and/or bored as ever.

  I also asked her about how magic works, but all she really had to say about it, that at my level it would all be instinctual. I wao ask more, but by the time we finally got talking we were doomed to be too close to our destination to make a differe least the literal uy based around magic will ahose gring holes of information.

  Approag the premises, I spot a rge mansion-esque building with a stone wall, and two men in full pte guard the gate. I spot one of the men passing the other a small pouch while looking dismayed as we get closer.

  "Goddess damn you Fred, how do you always get it right?" Fred is clearly much too enthusiastic for just receiving a pouch.

  "It's because I prayed nicely rather thahe Goddess's name in vain unlike you Jules, and I hoped the group would be extra s for the circus. It keeps things less b around here." Jules gives Fred an annoyed look, almost as annoyed as I am at being called a by a bunch of teologically i savages.

  "With the people io this pce, you certainly aren't right in the head to call us s." I make sure to add the st bit with as much venom as possible.

  "You tell me! Over the st week, the weirdest people have been showing up. I thought the principal was just trying to get research subjects at first, tely I have been thinking he might be setting up a whole circus with its very own freakshow." Fred seems rather oblivious to me plotting his demise right now, Ky looks like a lost puppy at the ents by the men. It seems I have found some on ground here with Jaha though.

  "Well, I'm sure you men wouldn't be averse to your heads for insulting the lord of Mazurio. It would only be fair, after all. I believe it's called Lèse-majesté in human nds?" The men both look a bit shocked at that, Fred looks like he's barely managing to stop himself from running, while Jules grips his sword.

  I throw my identification crystal through the gate, and hit Fred on his helmet, who jumps ba surprise. "You gonna open this gate or what?"

  Jules is mumbling to himself as Fred gets keys to opee. Jules seems to have gathered his pair, and speaks up as we pass.

  "The hell is the Emperor thinking? Why is he inviting all these enemies of the Empire?" The man looks rather dismayed, I almost sympathize with the man who is clearly not very good at betting.

  The keyword being almost. "Are you questioning the decisions of not just your superiors, but the only superior that matters?" Jules sputters, while Fred is actually snickering to himself.

  "Ha! I like the fish! Go on in mi'dy!" Fred does a plete 180 in attitude as he points at the academy entrance. "If the st s are anything to go by, you lot are all supposed to be in year one, ninth floor, fifth hall and umber seven." I give him a questioning look. The mansion looking building is big, but certainly not that big.

  Fred notices my fusion. "Spatial magic baby! Wele to the Empire!" Fred and Jules go back to whatever it is they were doing, with Fred greedily fondling his bag of s.

  We make our way inside. On the way, I see plenty of heated debates between some of the student, who are all wearing some....odd uniforms.

  "Remmierre theory o spell-based traps is superior to Bale's you are an ignorant buffoon!"

  "Remmierre's pathetic excuse for a spell theory is not spell-based, it is spell-ge! How could you not see the horrible efficy rates of the spellweave cyg!"

  I stare in horror as I watch a bunch of Japanese school uniform wearing people speak like the engineers back at base do.

  "And what are you four doing out of uniform? It's standard schution to always wear your uniform inside." An old man that reminds me of mathemati teachers berates us. Which is weird because I don't remember any mathemati teachers.

  "Well, I am not here to attend. I'll find your room, a everything up for you there. Good luck Ky!" Jaha quickly runs off, not wanting to get involved.

  Ky sputters a bit before answering. "We just arrived here. I didn't know there was a uniform?"

  "Please don't tell me I have to actually wear one of those." I point at the students talking, the boy wearing a gray woolen shirt. Which would probably look a lot better on fifty-year-old men rather than a student.

  "Don't be silly, you will be wearing the girls uniform." Which appears to be a skirt, and simple white blouse with a red scarf. This is the worst.

  "I have to wear that crap?" Who the hell desighese? And why?

  "No. All three of you will have to wear a uniform that makes it clear you are not imperial citizens." The mage starts dragging Ky to a supply closet. Cathy meanwhile, betrays me by following after while pushing my wheelchair. He es to a supply closet, which he opens with a glowing key. He grabs three uniforms of the female design. Except that instead of white, they are bck.

  "All three of you are a week te, but sidering one of you 't even walk, i'll let it pass. Get dressed and go to your s afterward." I am still staring in dread at the uniform hao me. I was fully prepared to kill to get the information I want, but being forced into some far eastern traditionalist joke was not something I repared for.

  Before I realize it, I am carted off to a ging room with Ky and Cathy. Cathy quickly ges my clothes like she has been doing so forever.

  "My beret!" My cap is taken away from me by Cathy, who puts them all on a pile. "This facility has a no [hat/helmet/mask] policy except fious reasons."

  Religious reasons? Do I believe in something? I believe in hanging every sver from mpposts, but I don't think that's an accepted religion. My time runs out as Cathy finishes up, and pushes me back to the hallway. I must look as ridiculous as I feel.

  Before I even further pte my existential dread, I e ay immortal enemy. It stands mogly in defiany hatred of it.

  "This is all your fault!" I start hitting the stairs with my shovel. The effect is negligible, as the stairs are clearly ented with some sort of toughness magic. Ky es to my rescue, and jures some solid bck mass oairs. It gregates as it forms a ramp, pletely making my foe impotent.

  Cathy pushes me up the stairs turned ramp. "Magic is truly amazing. I thought I would have to ask them to make aor." Ky looks a bit fused at the word elevator, but quickly switches to pride.

  "Right? I'm pretty great at magic. My capability fic is rather high, although the eggheads here always research to push magic even further. I wonder what kind of secrets they are holding here?" Ky rubs her hands together at the st bit, clearly plotting something.

  As we make it to the , I hear sounds inside. Ky opens the door and cheerfully greets everyone.

  "Hel-" She at least tries to greet everyone. "What are you three doing here a WEEK te? You better have some good goddess damned excuses!" The professor is pissed, but what catches my eye more is the .

  "Oh my god, Jeff was right. This is a circus."