Kailus stares at a body identical to his own, lying on the floor, shivering in fear and clutching its neck. His old classmates point and laugh at it, repeating in a monotone, as if they were robots: "It's your fault. You did this!"
The body shakes, its voice breaking as it begs, "No, I'm sorry. I said I'm—"
Kailus bolted awake, drenched in sweat, his body burning rapidly. His breath came in shallow, ragged gasps, his throat parched. He knew this feeling at the back of his mind—memories of his father pushing him through long, strenuous exercises surged forward, rare occasions that left unforgettable scars.
He lowers the temperature of his wings to counter the burning sensation. 'A nightmare again. It's reaching the point where it actually feels like a form of torture. I'm thinking of getting a therapist at this point.'
As he relaxes peacefully beneath his wings, an itch abruptly appears, breaking the immersion. 'Ugh,a nightmare, and then an itch. What now?'
He scratches his cheek with his right hand while gently rubbing his eyes with his left. Once his vision adjusts, he notices something on his fingernails: cosmetic foundation powder.
'Ugh, Shalius must've rubbed her makeup on me. Actually, why am I questioning this? It's obvious. Maybe I was too caught up in the moment to notice?'
He tilts his head to glance at the clock on his nightstand. It's 6 a.m.—two and a half hours before class.
'I'd better get ready for class. Hopefully, there's a cafeteria—I'm dying, and I don't have the stamina to cook. But my autobiography comes first~.'
He looks at his nightstand. "Wait… where is it? No, no, no. Don't tell me I lost it!" He's about to get up, but he freezes—feeling something wedged between his legs. Peering under the covers, he finds it.
"My book—is it all right? Oh no, no, no," he mutters frantically, grabbing the book and flipping through the pages urgently. Kailus catches his breath in suspense as the gentle rustle of paper fills the room. It felt as if time had paused for him.
'What… no damage? No way there's no damage—there has to be something wrong.'
He triple-checks in disbelief; proven wrong three times, he lets out an enormous sigh. A light breath rings nearby, but Kailus dismisses it for the moment. He sits up in his bed and stretches, his back crackling in comfort, and his radiant white wings unfolding. He kisses the book's cover before setting it on the nightstand.
"That was a scary morning. Let me start this day with a prayer. God Almighty, let your will be done," He speaks to himself.
Each morning, he offers a blessing for the protection of his family and the days ahead. It has become an unbreakable habit since he was eight years old. After prayer, he leaves the solace of his covers to follow his everyday routine.
However, as soon as he steps onto the floorboard, something grabs his ankle—oddly gentle—from under the bed. Kailus lets out a deafening squeal—similar to a squeaky toy crushed between a dog's teeth.
Someone stands outside his door, laughing maniacally before dashing off. Kailus kicks as hard as he can, sending it soaring into the wardrobe, shattering it into many pieces. Only a machine with a flexible arm, a timer, and a claw remains.
'A hand machine… Oh, YOU!'
He storms out of his room with only one thought: confronting the culprit. Once he spots her at the front door, he yells, "Akiro, you booby-trapped my room!"
Akiro fixates on his body, smirking slyly. "And you're flashing me with approval. You couldn't even keep it in your night robe. I'd pray if someone had to face that in bed—it'd be a challenge for sure." Her face flushes with a hint of lust.
Kailus snaps back to his senses and follows Akiro's gaze, only to discover that his robe has slipped loose. His face turns red like a tomato as he bolts into his room, yanking his robe closed. At that moment, Shalius opens her door and observes the scene before her.
She stands there, bewildered and blushing at the scenery. Kailus shuts the door and runs into his bathroom, mulling over what happened.
'AHHH, why, why, why am I so oblivious? I've shown my genitals to my family members and now to my roommate? Ugh, it can only get worse.'
Nevertheless, Kailus showers and scrubs himself clean. He brushes his hair with a comb and cleans the crevices of his wings using a wing cleanser. He dons his celestial robes, a golden necklace from his mother for fashion, and a golden bracelet from his father.
He stares at the bracelet, memories of the event surging until he snaps back into reality. "Ahh, yes—I have to visit Teacher Lascuda today."
Leaving in haste, he spots Akiro and Shalius waiting at the front door. He says in a low, menacing voice, "Don't say a thing about today, Kitsunē."
"Why would I?" Akiro jests. "You would like to preserve for your future wife, wouldn't you? And also, it's Kitsuné."
"OK, Kitsunē." Kailus jabs at her.
Akiro laughs audaciously. "Oh, you're playing that game, huh? I know you're a pretty religious zealot."
"And I-I know… you're bland… just boring," Kailus murmurs.
"Hehe, you don't have the fire to handle the kitchen. Maybe come back one hundred years before rechallenging me." Akiro jokes.
Kailus sighs at her witty joke and flies downstairs. He's about to open the door but hesitates, considering his unusual situation. "I, um, I have to go to Carolice to get the schedule. I'll join you soon."
"No need to worry; we share the same classroom. You can follow me," Shalius says, patting Kailus on the back.
Kailus sighs in relief. "Ah, thank you. I assumed they would differ by gender, yet I'm proven wrong furthermore."
"Or it's the same for us because we're female," Akiro quips.
Kailus starts to stress at her implication. Shalius—annoyed by her earlier banter—says in an assertive tone, "Stop prolonging this argument. It's the same as ours, Akiro."
"UHHH, I don't know about that," Akiro says playfully.
Kailus ponders, 'Should I believe Akiro or Shalius? Shalius showed loyalty toward me yesterday. She wouldn't lie to me.'
In his mind, Akiro perches on Kailus's right shoulder with devil horns, and Shalius on his left with angelic wings.
The little Shalius says, 'Believe me, Kailus. I wouldn't lie to you.'
The demonic Akiro answers in her kiddish voice, 'Don't believe that angel. She lies like a demon.'
'You are a demon!' The little Shalius retorts.
They argue with each other until Kailus brushes off both of their advances—erasing their presence. He concludes once and for all, "I-I believe you, Shalius."
Akiro slumps in a phony defeat. "I was never good enough for this."
After today's antics, Shalius glances at the clock on the wall—6:30 a.m., two hours of free time left. She decides to ask Akiro, "As lazy as you are, what will you do to improve your heritage?"
"I only care for myself," Akiro responds calmly. "I'm probably gonna work at Jipsie's carnival."
Shalius looks at her disapprovingly and then asks Kailus, "And you?"
'Oh, she's very judgmental. I have to be careful about what I say.'
"Umm, I-I don't have any plans at the moment," Kailus replies nervously, his stomach gurgling loudly.
Shalius switches the subject. "Well, how about we eat some breakfast from the cafeteria and think about this later? They have many alternatives."
Akiro widens her eyes. "Really?"
"Yes, but you should work out; you're getting a little chubby," Shalius says, eyeing Akiro's belly. "Be glad your fast metabolism is working overtime for that physique you have."
Kailus follows Shalius's gaze. "Uh, yes, you do need s-some training. Perhaps the same treatment I endured with my father?"
Akiro shrugs. "I'll do it later. I kinda hate how fat I'm getting also. I've tried to get bigger pants, but my thighs are getting too thick for all of them. I hate how revealing my body is with any clothes I wear."
"Then why do you wear your underwear so openly in the dorm rather than exercising—if you hate revealing dresses?" Kailus asks, tilting his head.
Akiro dismisses it. "Because you're my roommate and I can't avoid you, so I might as well leave it open. You don't mind the view, do you, Kailus?" Kailus slightly blushes at her teasing.
Shalius' eyes gleam with joy. "Then I'll force you to train, and you'll suffer—but you'll get an amazing physique afterward. Breakfast and lunch will be your last greasy meals before our training session. It's for the good of your ancestors."
"You don't have to do this. I can exercise myself," Akiro argues.
Shalius smiles at her refutations. "And I'll remind you and show you how to exercise for your own good. Didn't you only care for yourself? I'm only trying to help you believe in yourself."
Akiro nods, realizing she isn't going to change her mind. She stammers, "F-fine."
Shalius grabs the knob and smiles at Kailus. "Now that's settled, let's eat, shall we?" Kailus nods.
Shalius opens the door. The hallway is packed with primarily girls. Kailus freezes at this sight.
'Oh yeah, Carolice put me in the girls' dorm. Well… this will be awkward. I also haven't forgotten about that "name" situation. I am getting her back.'
Kailus and Shalius walk side by side, their wings brushing against each other in the cramped hallway. Akiro trails behind, shuddering at Shalius' proclamation. They leave the female dorm and head toward the school building. On their way, two archangel teachers notice him.
The male archangel speaks to his female counterpart. "Look, a Genesis Angel—and even better, a charged one. His physique is perfect, yet his posture is weak. Being revered as God's blessings and Miracle Workers, the ultimate healers with countless revered titles. With such titles and a weak posture from a charged Genesis Angel, that's concerning for the nation's future."
The female archangel agrees. "Yeah, I can't stand seeing kids so weak. They're so precious, and they'll grow strong like us if they're trained."
The male archangel smiles in approval. "Yes, we must make everyone feel proud, for our morality is the best!"
The female archangel shouts in pride, "Yeah! May he come to us, and we'll show him true theology!" They clasp their hands.
Kailus watches them from afar, smiling at their enthusiasm. Shifting back to his roommates, he realizes they're gone.
'Eh, not that big of a problem. I'll go with the crowd.'
After a while, he finally locates the cafeteria. It's crowded with students of both genders. While he waits in line, he observes the food: waffles, bacon, pancakes, sausage, eggs, toast, olives, and hash browns.
'They have many alternatives, don't they, Shalius?'
He looks around for them. Thirteen people stood before Akiro and Shalius, with seventeen more dividing Kailus from them—a total of thirty ahead of him.
As he waits, his stomach growls at the delicious smells of the cafeteria as whispers around comment about him, "A charged Genesis Angel?" "Yeah, I can't believe I'm seeing one." "How quickly do you think they heal?" "I don't know."
'It's going to take forever before I get my food.' Kailus whines. After what seems like an epoch, he reaches the top. He exchanged a soft conversation with the cafeteria lady, and she served him a distinct type of food.
He gets out of the line to sit near Akiro and Shalius. He stares at his plate, noticing some of it gleams lightly. He looks around at others' food: strength races' food gives no glow, magic races' food glows brightly, and half-magic and half-strength races'—like Kailus—give a light glow.
'I suppose this is a magic protein for me.'
He sits in front of them. Others have tried to strike up a conversation, but Akiro ignores them and Shalius remains silent.
Akiro reclines in her chair, her stainless-steel plate sitting in front of her as she basks in pure bliss—unaware of Kailus' stare.
"You need to exercise more, Akiro," he mutters worriedly.
Shalius concentrates on Kailus. "Well, aside from her, I waited for you. Akiro ate my bacon for clarification."
Kailus' eyes brightened at her compliments, as if he were respectable. "Aw, thanks!"
Shalius smiles. "Of course." Kailus smiles with her and eats hastily.
When Kailus bit into his food, a loud crunch echoed into Akiro's mind. She instantly opens her eyes like a fat cat smelling fresh food.
"Hey, Kailus, can I have your—" Shalius cuts Akiro off with a menacing tone. "Every bite you take is 50 extra reps later. Don't make this harder than it needs to be."
Akiro retorts quietly, "We have a food officer over here."
She starts to stare at Kailus with puppy eyes, eyeing his bacon.
'She's starting to scare me. Is this what a food addict is?'
Kailus and Shalius finish eating as the bell rings at the exact time. Shalius and Akiro leave as Kailus follows behind, but the crowd quickly conceals them among the sea of students. Weaving through the crowd, he searches desperately, bumping into people and apologizing repeatedly until someone touches his shoulder.
'…Oh no… Was I too pushy? What if they finally snap?'
He turns around in fear and acceptance but sees Carolice instead. She pants and bows, holding papers. "Sorry, Kailus," she says, taking a deep breath. "Here's the schedule. I didn't want to interrupt your sleep and breakfast, so I waited until the bell rang. Thank God I caught up to you."
"Also, take this slip if you're late to class. I'm sorry," Carolice says, handing Kailus a late slip along with the papers and then leaving in a hurry.
He looks at the first class: Class 209, history.
'Since I have this slip, I can take as long as possible.'
He reads the schedule.
'It's way different than my school schedule: 8 skills, but 4 skills each day differing by color. Red Class: History, Morality, P.E., and Grammar. Blue Class: Math, Magic, Potions, and Biology. The scheduled days alternate like my grandpa's checkerboard. I kinda don't mind it. It gives a lot of free time.'
While he reads deeper to understand the school system, some angels bump into him, clearly irritated. "Step aside if you're going to stand in the middle of the hallway. I'm already late."
He steps aside in embarrassment and focuses on getting to class. After being cramped in the hallways for a few minutes, he finally finds room 209.
'Finally, I'm free.'
The room has a C-shaped layout, resembling a courtroom, with curved stairs. Three tiers of seating line the curving stairs, forming an oval shape at the center.
The teacher's desk, standing opposite the student's desk, stands imposingly. Its bold architecture sets it apart. The teacher's desk, facing away from the students' desks, stands imposingly. The teacher's elegant desk holds a microphone, a large book (assuming it's a history book), and a coffee machine on top. The roof—being the only window in the room—is a circular half-sphere of colored stained glass, displaying vibrant colors on what's below it.
Akiro and Shalius sit at the highest tier, whispering to each other. Shalius starts to stand but sits back down upon seeing Kailus.
Akiro yells from above, "Took ya long enough. Where were you? Shalius was going to find you."
Kailus retorts, "You left me in that cramped cafeteria while I was getting up. I'm surprised this place is still empty."
Kailus sits beside Shalius. A board stands on everyone's desk. He rummages through his desk to find sketches, folders for each skill, and every supply he needs. Beneath them, he spots a number: 24 for him. Shalius is 23, Akiro is 22.
He looks back at his desk, noticing bold letters in the upper center that read: "Write your name." Kailus follows the order as the desk starts to glow and mana flows out. Shocked by the aura, he says a bit loudly, "Is this permanent magic?" Shalius, feeling the effect beside him, writes her name as well: "Shalius Eneurm."
Akiro stares at Shalius' name in curiosity. "You don't have a middle name?"
Shalius answers blankly, "No, why do I need one?"
Akiro looks confused by her words. "Well… It's normal."
Shalius rests her head in her hand. "Yeah, to you."
Akiro shrugs it off and writes her name: "Akiro Ohashi Kogitsune."
Kailus fiddles with the desk, searching for other options.
'Ah, there's sense magic and teleportation embedded into the desk. I sense a faint voice within it.'
While searching his desk, the room fills up with various races. Kailus perks up to see some of his old classmates staring back at him. They whisper as some decide to sit far away. He feels a hint of shame, accepting their reasoning for their action.
Akiro notices his discomfort. 'Hm, looks like Kailus is uncomfortable. He'll get used to it.'
Shalius notices too. 'Looks like something is wrong with him. I'll ask him after class.'
As the chatter grows louder and the chairs slowly fill up, only the one beside Kailus remains empty.
The chatter in the room continues until the teacher arrives. His appearance shocks the students. "A time elf?"
Though the man's face looks forty, his flawless skin, piercing green eyes, and pointed ears say otherwise—a living paradox. He holds a cup, sipping at every chance he gets.
The teacher grabs the magic microphone on his desk, projecting his deep—oddly young—adult voice. "Greetings, students. My name is Mr. Galfal. Yes, you are hearing my voice from your desk; they all possess sense magic. The board in front of you—if you put your names on it—will display what I'm writing on my master board (or what I say if you tweak the settings a bit). You don't need to pay attention directly to me, though you should. Write your names on it and stick to the subject. I can hear you through it; you can also ask questions through it. Do you understand, students?"
The students are amazed by the magic and the exquisite seats. Galfal sits upon his royal chair and smirks at the class. "Now, since it's your first day, I'll tell you how the college works. It depends on how quickly, efficiently, and reliably you are. If you finish quickly but continue to miss questions, you'll stay until the class ends." Most of the class whispers at his proposal.
"You're only adding time when you miss questions. Get straight A's and you can leave at any time. But in my class—and a few others—progress is based on time. Any questions?"
Murmurs ripple throughout the class as Galfal waits for a voice or a hand to rise. After a while of waiting, Galfal picks up the large book on his desk. "Now I'll talk about history, but I will say this: 'History is written by the victor, not necessarily the good guys'. I'm sure you've heard 'everything is subjective… sometimes many things are objective'."
The students—particularly the kitsunes, Bunnyfolk, and catfolk—agree with his point.
A shy nymph boy asks, "What do you mean by this phrase?"
Galfal responds, "As an example: In Kitsuné history, angels are regarded as a great race. But back then, they were not seen that way—they were treated as pets. This view ended after the 4th Kitsuné War, when the Kitsuné lost, and it was said they took their defeat like warriors."
"They didn't," Galfal whispers.
His witty joke gets some laughs, while the Kitsunés scowl—everyone except Akiro, who laughs along with it.
Galfal pretends he didn't see the reaction. "Now, let me tell you the story of the Golden Continent. I'll present its history neutrally, which is still biased, but it should avoid praising or vilifying either side. Most races, including Genesis Angels and Ancient Fairies, keep their ancestors' history in their secret libraries."
A young enlightened elf says in a calm, elegant manner, "And why's that? They can show us the rest of this continent's history rather than need to take sides in this 'lesson'."
Galfal answers, "Alanze, that's mostly a matter of perspective. Those books are sacred heirlooms, kept in family homes, written by their ancestors with their opinions and perspectives, which can drastically alter the historical record. Some essential information may get brushed aside to fit a narrative. We would need all of their autobiographies to get a full understanding, so extinct families offer their books to allow us to piece history together."
Alanze tries to argue his claim, but an angel speaks out. "Wouldn't the avoidance of both factors of perspective—both heavenly Continent and other races—neglect history? There can be pure evil cultures/races like the demo—"
Galfal cuts him off. "Well, let's not get into that can of worms. What I meant by neutrality is that it will focus on the Heavenly Continent POV, which will avoid others' reasoning, and it'll show how we've reached here. This book will cover everything from major events to the tiniest details."
Galfal clasps his hands. "Well, nonetheless, let's start with the origins of the greatest and longest-standing Magical Nation in history—a legacy that continues to prosper to this day."
Everyone is now interested in this retelling of history. Kailus reminisces, 'They never told me about our history until now. I'm excited to know.'
Akiro smiles. 'My first time learning about these angels' and fairies' history.'
Shalius frowns, muttering under her breath, "Demons…"
It shifts into a flashback as Galfal narrates, "In the beginning, only Genesis Angels and Ancient Fairies inhabited the Heavenly Continent. With no natural predators, it's known as one of the three mainlands without any enemies."
A student asks, "What if the Genesis Angels and Ancient Fairies were meant to be enemies, and they didn't choose that path?"
Galfal thinks for a moment. "Hm, quite plausible. Genesis Angels are a strength-and-healing race, and Ancient Fairies are the greatest magic race. It makes sense to visualize such, but that's an alternate reality we're glad to avoid."
He continues. "Nonetheless, they work together—angels heal injuries and make pregnancies somewhat painless, while fairies provide warmth and fresh water through magic. As herbivores, food wasn't a grind at all. For many years, life increased steadily. Genesis Angels' healing evolved so vastly that childbirth was practically painless, and Ancient Fairies' magic matured to a point where they required very little Phylx for magic. Life was too easy and soon enough, they grew lazy."
The class stares in boredom at this information. It's common knowledge.
"As a result, women had painful births and the area grew colder. After tolerating this for four years, they protested: no training, no sex at all."
'Huh, I don't remember this in my ancestors' book?'
A student asks Galfal, "So, why did it take four years? Wouldn't they protest to have painless childbirth again in the same year?"
Galfal answers, "They did desire it, but were too nice to say anything out loud."
As Galfal clarifies, Kailus passes a note to Shalius. Kailus taps her shoulder to get her attention to the paper. It reads, 'Is this not in your ancestors' book, or is it just me?'
She smiles at his words. 'Ah, I'm not the only one confused about this. Well, since we're writing to each other, I might as well ask him what is happening with him.'
She writes something before handing it back. Kailus reads it, 'Neither do I. You're probably basing it on your ancestors' view rather than the worldview, Kailus. Regarding such perplexity, what's with your body language? You seem distraught about something.'
Kailus nods at her savvy answer yet ignores her question. Shalius gazes at him, expecting another note back, but only receives a smile. Meanwhile, some students try to suppress their laughter when they hear "sex," but Akiro cannot help herself and laughs aloud.
"Akiro, anything you'd like to share?" Galfal asks through her desk. Kailus and Shalius turn their eyes toward Galfal in fear of being caught.
Akiro struggles to calm herself. "Nah, no, nope."
Galfal grins, clearly plotting something. He finishes explaining and resumes the lesson. "The angels trained their healing magic by intentionally harming themselves—flaying their skin on bark—just to heal it again. The fairies trained by draining their mana completely, forcing themselves past their limit. That's why all Ancient Fairies can replace mana with their blood. Any questions?"
Galfal stops to let the information sink in while continuing to stare at Akiro. Everyone, including Akiro, stares in shock at this information. They want to ask questions, but the shocking revelation keeps their mouths closed in wonder.
Finally, a fairy asks, "So, Galfal, if they can use blood as mana and they have Genesis Angels—the best healer race—doesn't that mean?"
Galfal smiles at their intelligence. "Aha! An infinite magic pool. That ideal does come later in history, but sadly it's banned under the Usurp Act… if you're not caught." His eyes turn serious. "But don't do it."
Some speculate among themselves. Shalius looks deep in thought, grinning widely at the implication. Kailus particularly hears his old classmates murmur, "The spoiled kid has that ability." "So cool, but sadly, wrong user." "Why do all the selfish people get the best magic?"
Kailus says quietly, "I deserve it."
Once the whispers die down, Galfal continues, "As training spread and the population prospered, an Ancient Fairy named Laffiel created writing. She carved symbols into trees, a slow and painstaking process. A day later, a Genesis Angel named Solomon devised a simpler writing method: angels sliced their wrists, poured their blood onto leaves, and painted the language in caves to protect it from rain. This practice trained the angels and helped them communicate with one another. Together, they developed the alphabet, which survives today in a simplified, revised form. You can read these ancient relics to this day, but deciphering them is a long and difficult task."
A bunnyfolk asks softly, "Why did theirs remain stagnant while many others couldn't?"
Galfal answers bluntly, "Because the victors forced their language onto them. Accents shifted, alphabets disappeared, and many ancient tongues were erased. Stagnation was rare and only possible for those who avoided conquest."
"But shouldn't an alphabet still exist to relearn if they were occupied? Hiding, teaching young ones quietly, etc?" the bunnyfolk presses.
Galfal says, "Ahh, smart girl. Yes, but they were ransacked, and those who held onto their alphabet pillars were burned with them. Some lasted longer and some were revived, but we'll cover that later this year. Now, back to history."
Galfal clears his throat with a sip of coffee. "Solomon created rules to live by: no stealing, no fighting, no divorce, and more. He also established a fasting system to prevent drought on the continent, believing the world has insufficient resources. Unfortunately, no one had ever experienced death, so a few beings starved—an experience entirely new to them. Solomon assumed eating was optional."
"How? Wouldn't they feel hunger?" an elf student questions.
Galfal answers with a frown, "Solomon forced them to continue their deprivation for his twisted morality. His ignorance was immense."
Galfal's tone shifts as he smirks wider than before. "Fun fact: They slept beside dead bodies until they fully decomposed. Bugs swarmed the corpse, infecting anyone nearby and slowing the angels' healing. The Genesis Angels used it for training but couldn't remove the insects afterward—leaving some to die, their bodies riddled with parasites... That's why you don't touch dead bodies—especially a Genesis Angel's. Over centuries, the bugs adapted to being immune to hea—"
"Okay, okay, old man, I get it!" a bratty kitsune student cuts him off in disgust. "Why did you have to say that?"
Galfal laughs for a while before speaking. "Firstly, I'm 400 years old, Karina. I have a long way until I'm deemed ancient. Secondly, it's to get back at your classmate." Galfal turns his attention to Akiro, who's disgusted by his words. "It's also preparation for other lessons. You'll be learning about sex in other periods, so I wanted to give them a little less stress—a fellow Samaritan, if you will."
The class is flushed with excitement, disgust, and other feelings they can't quite describe.
"But if you disrupt my class," Galfal warns, "I have thousands upon THOUSANDS of disgusting history facts that aren't in the lesson… but ohhh, TRUST ME,they will be added."
Everyone shuts up after hearing that except a fairy. "Wait, so was the bug-thing not in the lesson?"
Galfal grins widely with a nod. Some students start to yell, "What did I do to deserve this knowledge?!" "I rebuke this lesson!" "Just because she laughed, doesn't mean we deserve it too!" "I won't be able to eat my dinner after knowing this."
Amidst the yelling, Kailus turns to Shalius. "Shali—" Shalius stops him with a finger on her lips. She gestures towards the desk.
'Why is she still worried about Galfal hearing us? The class is too loud for him to understand.'
He writes to her, but Shalius gives a note back, 'Let's talk later. I do not like wasting my supply on something we can do outside. The sense magic records your voice so be cautious of what you state.'
'H-huh, impossible! How did they develop magic in such a way? Matter of fact, how does she understand it's coding? It's virtually impossible to do… well not for her. She's very knowledgeable or is she extremely powerful?'
He stares at Galfal as he tries to regain control.
"Silence, silence. I said SILENCE! Back to the subject!" Galfal shouts.
The students slowly quiet down and Galfal continues irritably, "Solomon was considered wise in his era, so they obeyed without question. To conserve his reputation, he tracked how long until both Genesis Angels and Ancient Fairies died of starvation—thirty deaths in total. He set fasting rules based on that. Again, he ran into another problem and some people died from an overeating collapse."
The students are shocked by the many deaths; they had always heard good things about Solomon. Kailus shyly raises his hand. "U-uh, wh-why do we worship him in history as if he's a good guy? We still abide by his rules to this day."
"Well, Kailus," Galfal replies, "history favors those who do more good than evil. Their evil is buried to keep that bias. But it was already biased when you assumed that he'd be all good."
He resumes. "So, he established a fasting and feeding system, and for the time being, death ceased. After Solomon's reign, a patriarchal power arose, wielding fierce magic to conquer vast continents. This power became known as the Demon Monarch. They expanded through brutality, rape, cruel experiments, and propaganda, living solely for war. They even created the first boats to traverse the planet. Their conquests claimed parts of the Night Continent, Hazel Continent, Porage Continent, and Love Continent. Yet they did not fortify their bases to maintain them; they built and abandoned them purely for amusement and other reasons that will be revealed later."
An angel student asks, "Mr. Galfal, do they still have those lands?" The class mutters, wondering the same thing.
"No, they were forced by the Golden Continent thirty years ago to relinquish their lands; otherwise, the Golden Continent would initiate a race erasure," Galfal answers.
Everyone stands in shock at the implications—they like the idea of giving the land back, but going as far as to kill an entire race sounds entirely absurd.
'Ehh, that's a bit too much.' Akiro stops wagging her tail.
Galfal doesn't want to answer questions, so he quickly presses on. "Next, the demons set their sights on the Heavenly Continent, the farthest land from everyone else. At first, they appeared calm and friendly, but their gestures masked a malevolent intent. Solomon presumed them to be allies and showed their creations. The demons marveled at the continent and its riches—its land almost rivaling that of their motherland, the Omega Continent."
The class fidgets in their seats—some drum their fingers on the desks, others tremble. They don't know why, but they all feel that something bad is coming.
"During that time, Solomon—realizing there was a greater world beyond his own—felt deep despair over having killed his people for a false ideal. He sought to abandon his role and start a new colony elsewhere with those who had remained loyal to him. However, the demons withheld their boat blueprints to prevent any escape. Determined, Solomon tried to recreate them as quickly as possible."
"Wait—so he was going to leave them?" a student asks.
"Yes—and never look back," Galfal replies, looking down at the floor. "His guilt for killing others over a false belief was immense."
The students look intrigued by this new take on history. They begin questioning what they really know, prompting others to reconsider their previous assumptions.
"After three weeks of failed boat prototypes, the Demon Monarch returned with their armies. They ravaged the continent, nearly slaughtering every Ancient Fairy and kidnapping weaklings (including Solomon's wife) to create demings. This is the first time they've ever witnessed murder."
Kailus shivers in absolute rage. Shalius hides her expression. Akiro's rage is plain for all to see. The fairy and angel students react strongly, displaying anger and disbelief. Different ethnic students show emotions ranging from shock to shivers of nervousness. The room remains silent as Galfal senses the intense hatred in the room.
A dwarf quietly asks amid the tension, his country accent piercing the silence, "And what's a deming, Mr. Galfal, sir?"
Galfal hesitates. 'How can I explain this when the tension is this high? Well, if a question is asked, then an answer must follow.'
Galfal answers the question. "It's a half-demon, half-other-race hybrid. In the demon-led ancient world, the focus was on mixing races to overpower the Angelic Monarch. They rejected the idea of allies, preferring to absorb other races into their own and take all the credit rather than share it. This ideology persists to this day."
The tension rises after hearing the definition. Hatred seems to suffocate the room. Akiro and Kailus are even more furious at the implications of rape. It becomes hard to catch a single breath.
Galfal confronts this tension head-on. "The No-Sex Revolution trained the Ancient Fairies. They used fire to burn the demons alive and water pressure to slice them. The reason they learned about water pressure is quite amusing. Let me read it."
Kailus imagines the demons screaming in pure agony as they're slaughtered. A small smile spreads across his face as he takes comfort in these imagined scenarios.
Galfal sets his cup down to get a heritage book from underneath his desk. He flips to the page and reads it aloud, "And Plazu had shot water of great power and authority unto Kaibot. Thus, he tasted death yet lived another day. God has accomplished his duty." It's clear he brought the book to alleviate things, and for a few, it helped. But the stakes were still high. Akiro has calmed down.
Galfal jokes. "Like, what do they even mean by that? Did they have beef or something? That's what I wanted you to hear about." He puts the book back. "The demons—having never witnessed such powerful magic—left with all the kidnapped victims. It was a victory but a huge casualty. Solomon—distraught by the killings, the need to kill, and the brutal kidnappings—was so enraged that he established a law, known today as the Solomon Rule."
Galfal removes an ancient manuscript from the cabinet.
Akiro's eyes widen in surprise. "How in the hell are teachers able to get hold of these ancient artifacts?"
"It's for learning—plus they were given to us by the museums," Galfal retorts.
He reads, "Men and women must train not to surpass your ancestors, but your fathers and mothers, so that your children may one day surpass your ancestors and defend your family from such atrocities we have suffered. The fear of killing shall remain a tool of guilt we must never erase, and the desire for revenge shall be a daily burden we must endure. Live with honor."
Kailus and Shalius immediately recall flashbacks to their families and the values they hold essential to their lives.
The class is stunned and patriotic about Solomon's words. Galfal smiles as he finally eases the tension. "So they began to train harder than ever. They didn't know how to fly at that time, so they restarted the boat research. Plyius, an ancient fairy, created the first ship three weeks after the demon invasion. They also stopped sleeping beside dead bodies and finally buried them. When the ships were ready to go, their resolve was clear: from the north where they came, we shall fight."
Galfal adds, "They didn't say north though. They just pointed in that direction."
Just then, the bell rings.
Galfal sighs heavily. "Why now? I wanted to end on a good note. Well, I'll be out. Your next teacher will be coming."
Everyone watches in silence as Galfal walks out, lost in thought. It feels as though history has slapped them in the face without warning. After a while, the room suddenly shines brightly.