I was completely silent as the Dean led us through the streets of the inner noble district...

He was talking to us and explaining what we were expected to do and the rules within Academy Grounds... during that time Mila was taking notes in a small notebook, but she was also making notes on the men escorting us.

I sense that she and the rest hates that we are surrounded by the unknown... along with several small whispers from those that escorted him and Ruder...

"Odd weapons." "None Magic based..." "That one with the notes then the red one. Then the rest will fall."

That last one got a reaction from both Helena and Mila, but they maintained discipline... it seems that they were already seeing whom they needed to kill.

But Mila's taunting words makes them shut up, "Is that before or after I kill the old man and boy?" Her words were emphasized by the click of her safety being flicked off...

The Dean takes note of the air that she had caused and gives a wordless command silencing them.

Ruder on the other hand seemed concerned that he was just used as a bargaining chip like that.

…

We walk another few minutes and find ourselves in front of the large archway of the Imperial Academy... just beyond sat was the main halls...

Licking my lips I enter the grounds and doing so formally makes me a student of the Academy as the Dean led Ruder and I, and my five increasingly vigilant representatives behind me. This is also where we lost the men the Dean used to protect himself.

The halls were large, at least tall enough for three grown men to stand on top of each other before hitting the roof but I can see classrooms with dozens of students walking about and our "little" heavily armed group slowly draws more and more attention, and more whispers abound. Some looked down at us from the second row of rooms and walkways on the second floor with those that can float above us directly... but I didn't know that they were there using my own sight.

"Who are they?" "What are those weapons?" "A Scythe? Really?"

I don't know how to describe it I just sense the Mana they are using on a primal level, but also they five were doing that talking they did when they asked me for help, but the were passing information about those that are armed.

At least what is being whispered are normal things relatively... looking at their faces I can tell most are at least my age with senior students being about in their early 20s while some of the staff are at least in their early 40s or 50s.

The most common uniform was a long sleeve shirt and shorts or knee length skirts for the girls in a deep field of grey with minor changes for family iconography, and for those who seemed to be senior students had a marble white that went from the tops of their shoulders down to above their wrist and a belt that many had swords or other personal weapons attached too.

Leaving the Staff whom wear robes but they were far more different from each other, some had nothing extra from just a family Icon or a Guild Icon if they were a loaned or Borrowed Instructor, while others were full works of art that were not practical in any sense of the word.

The only Instructors that catch the Girls attention was the two men who led a team of their students with Magi-Muskets... built like normal Muskets but with a minor change for them to use Mana instead of gunpowder.

"Guns? Muskets no less... Mila guesses?" Helena said with mild amusement at the sight of their weapons. "I'm going flintlocks."

Mila looked up from her notes and looked at the weapons as we walked past them... "I doubt rifling and I don't see a percussion cap... agreed. Flintlocks."

This seemed to annoy the instructors, "And? What you got?" He asked pissed, and he walked up to them, "No nevermind that. Who the fuck are you?" He tried to tower over Mila, but she was barely shorter than him.

The Dean looked at me and gestured for me to talk...

So is this a dog eat dog school?

I look at the instructor but it was clear by his uniform that he was a soldier first then an instructor.

He had a tunic in black with a small image in a low hue of red and gold of the Imperial Eagle on his left breast whit the other instructor behind him not having that image...

"And you are?" I asked, "Did my curiosity of my Summons do something?"

He looks at my face then that moves to my attire, then he noticed my weapon. "You do know your not allowed to be armed right?" He seemed to ignore that I mentioned that they were my summons, but some did and I can see that several students on both our floor and the floor above widened their eyes at the implications of what I said.

"I guess, since looking at the rest of the students... but yours are armed." I reply and point at his students that had Magi-Muskets behind him.

"So? They are my students and under my direct supervision while you and they are not..." He smirks, "Also as an Instructor I would like you to hand them over to me, as the foremost in Magical Firearms."

"Magical Firearms?" Helena asked back, more confused by the term then anything else.

"Yes."

"Then you can leave, they aren't magical what so ever." Mila said and waved her hand dismissively... "While on the topic of Firearms... Dean?"

"Lucca-Val'Cula. But Dean Lucca is fine." The Dean said, "And let me guess, your looking for the range?"

Mila nodded and the rest nodded along, "Though I would like to know if there is somewhere to train my swordsmanship." Nao asked.

"That can be done, but we still need to get you a uniform young Daman." Dean Lucca said, he was being amused at the boy's use of his Summons to mess with an opponent before he even became one... smart.

"Oi!" The Instructor said and grabbed Mila by the shoulder. I felt a shock through my body... a very violating shock... I had to take a shuddering breath to maintain my own composure along with holding myself up with my scythe. My distress was obvious to all to see.

Several clicks followed by guns raised and a unsheathed sword pointed at him.

"Do you know who I am?" He asked.

"No." I tell him, "You declined to say, now let go of my summoned representative... before I let her shoot." Gesturing at the man's family jewels as Mila was aiming her sidearm at them.

I continue, "But as you were reluctant to say, I will first. My name is Daman-Ras'Cala. And I expect to be addressed in full." I say without showing respect with body language and demanding that I am to be addressed with my full name... an etiquette violation according to my mother. "And you are." I asked again.

The man was seething, I doubt he had been treated like that by anyone before.

"Fine." He says and pushes Mila, nearly making her fall over but manages to recover. She turns smiles an evil smirk and walks up to him again, he did seem perturbed by the woman standing not less then a foot away. But pushed forward, "My name is Poualisbos-Impus'Lan." Impus? Only members of the Imperial Family can have that... well then.

"Hi, my name is Mila Fuchs, also nice kneecaps you got!" She tells him and fires twice, two echoes fill the halls followed by screaming. Mila's voice was manic almost crazed and driven by a fanatical fervor. She was smiling and laughing wickedly with heavily dilated eyes that had turned a deep shade of blue with her hair changed to a bright blonde.

The other man stunned regained his composure as he tried to pull his weapon off his back.

-Bang bang, thud-

His body too hits the floor, but this time they were fatal.

I allow this to go on this far, as I really didn't care... I felt violated when he touched Mila. And now? I can sense her satisfaction of this situation. And death was nothing new to me even seeing it this close...

"Enough." I order, though she visibly frowns I can tell she didn't care. "Dean Lucca, may we be going."

"Bahaha ah." Dean Lucca laughed, "Well then, normally I would punish you for fighting a instructor and the death of another, but I know what crime he committed. This time will be a warning young Daman."

The students were left stunned again even after all that, I was given a warning? They looked to their own Instructors but they nodded and those that didn't were told by others...

…

"What crime?" A student asked his instructor, his voice was well defined and wore the uniform of a senior.

"It's an Imperial Treachery to; touch, kill or enter a [World Summoner's]; Portal, Summons or Equipment without his or her express permission... the punishments' of this are often death... but it's up to the offended party to decide."

"But sir he attacked an Impus, the Family would be pissed and have the boy executed for wounding a member. Right?"

"No actually, out of everyone here, that boy. Daman and Dean Lucca... are the safest here from the Impus Family's wrath..."

"But the other?" He asked pointing at the second man who Mila had shot dead.

"Same crime; attempted to do what I had mentioned before... [World Summoners] lucky." The instructor said with some mirth though his words had an edge of deep respect.

The student turned to his friends, "I want to know who Daman is... everything." He ordered. They nodded and went their own ways.

…

Dean Lucca guided us after casting two minor heal spells on the man... he explained what I had felt when the man touched Mila.

It turns out we [World Summoners] are very selective when it came to those that aren't our summons... but the reason I felt that is something that is very dangerous.

"Your Summons are connected to your Soul directly using the mind as the conduit -!..."

"What?" I burst, Panicky I start pacing...

I panicked since a person could be killed in three ways, the body just dies which can happen from anything, then there was the mind which can suffer like the body and die from nearly anything... Age is the one thing both can die from.

Then there was the last one, the Soul... something a handful of Classes and Mages types could interact with... but...

I felt a spell hit me and I calmed instantly.

"Before someone lost his shit, I am aware what I said may have disturbed you. But what I was going to say was that you and young Ruder have the ONLY class that can train it's Soul."

We looked at him, that should be impossible.

"Oh... do you think that you will use your Mana when Summoning them? No... well yes. But the Soul is like a muscle and like a muscle it can be trained... and weirdly you just need to summon more people until the point of getting migraines." He says with some amusement.

Ruder and I looked at the Dean exasperated, "What?" He asked as we finally got to his office and he sat down.

"What? What!?" Ruder said, "What do you want our Souls to be..." Ruder was starting to panic but the Dean throw another 'Calm' spell out and calmed him down... "But. What?!"

"Look boys." Dean Lucca raised his voice, "You both! Are [WORLD SUMMONERS]! And are more important then anyone in this damn Academy... NOW!" Everyone stood stock still and with Mila and Helena standing at attention.

Sigh, "Forgive me... I had very little time to get things ready for you two... and I can't formally train you myself as I am too busy with other things..."

Everyone was still silent. "Look, you both have a fortnight and a half before an Instructor can come to train either of you. I recommend that you, young Daman learn about your soldiers and young Ruder I will prepare the awakening spell, but that will take time. So I also recommend that for your safety that you two stick close. And lastly." He stares at Mila.

"Please have some restraint."

He snapped his fingers and several sets of a deep grey uniform appear on his desk, "These are your uniforms and before you ask, that spell wasn't for nothing it has other uses then just calming people."

Ruder and I take them and hold them close...

"Good, Maggie please show the two new Novice Magus Summoners to their rooms." He speaks into the air, but as if she stepped out of his shadow a young looking woman appeared.

Her features were soft, but she carried the air of a hardened veteran of many wars.

"Will be done. My Lord. Follow kitties." She said and gestured for us to follow her...

We did like good little boys and girls as this woman gave off an energy on par or higher than the Dean did... but I felt that she was holding back.