"Uh... Yes, what do you want?" I lowered my head awkwardly... Her voice is strange, full of life and unprecedented energy.
The lady remained silent... "Is it true that you're a necromancer?"
It was a rather strange question, considering I only found out today that I am one, but I'm also somewhat concerned about the same thing. The lady in front of me... according to Cristina's words, is a high-ranking official at the academy. She also said that it's pointless to lie, so I assume they would somehow know if I did, and that it's better to be honest to avoid problems... After thinking for a moment, I replied: "To be honest, I'm not sure. I understand that a necromancer has the ability to revive the dead to use them 'to their advantage,' but I don't have that ability."
"Have you tried it then?"
"No, but it's very different. According to the church's guardian, my eyes are special; they basically allow me to see, from time to time, shadows around me."
"Shadows, huh..." An interested voice came from the lady. "Lineage of the God of Shadows. It hasn't appeared in a long time. Tell me, aspirant, do you have any shadow under your control?"
"Well..." I looked at my own shadow, and from it, the shadow chicken appeared. I recognized it in my hands... "Just this..."
"..."
Damn, I feel so embarrassed right now! I looked at the tiny chicken made completely of shadows... so small it looks harmless and adorable...
Everyone in the room fell silent... staring with their mouths open, completely stunned by the little chicken... On the other hand, the shadow chicken puffed up its chest, completely proud and sure of itself. The lady also stared at the chicken, but the chicken stopped puffing up and, sensing something abnormal, looked at the lady. Its eyes sparkled... No one noticed the small anomaly between the chicken and the lady's image...
"It's very cute," said the lady with a smile. "I see, without a doubt, it's a lineage of the God of Shadows... But from what I can see, you still haven't activated the bloodline that belongs to you by right. It's a problem, but it can be easily fixed. Now..." Her tone shifted slightly... "Tell me, aspirant, have you killed a demon before?"
Well... now the eyes stopped looking at the chicken and focused on me... "Yes, two so far... well, counting the one tonight, three in total."
"What did they look like?" She asked curiously.
"They were almost your height, but much smaller. The first one I found already wounded... I'm not sure what happened, but when I regained consciousness, it was already dead. Since I didn't know what to do, I hid it in some bushes and visited it every day. After a few days, the demon's body had disappeared. Soon after, I learned that it had been devoured by another one... I didn't really understand what was going on, just vague images, but I saw that beneath me, a pool of shadows spread around, and the demon tried to take control of my body, but the same thing happened. When I regained consciousness, the demon was dead." I thought for a moment...
"All of them came from the Silent Void Forest... After reading some things about them, I understood that the human souls in this village caught their attention, which makes me a bit uneasy... I know the two demons were weak, but to the people of the village, that demon is very dangerous."
"Human souls are a delicacy for those disgusting creatures... Let me think for a moment... This is a problem..." The lady rummaged through what seemed to be her desk. After a few minutes: "I have a solution. You see, the empire has a serious problem with demons, as you already know. That's why they value the talent that arises from within. You're one of them. I'm very surprised you managed to kill a D-2 class demon. A truly remarkable act on your part. On the other hand, tell me something. How did you feel when you killed the C-5 class demon this time?"
"After thinking about it, the first time I killed those two demons, I panicked and was scared, after all, it was the first time I saw one in person... This time, I suppose my mental state was more stable and calm... I think that was an important factor," I responded honestly... I hadn't thought much about it before, but now that the lady asked...
"Your mental state must be in harmony with your body... I understand. Now, tell me, from what I understand, do you know how to wield a sword?" She asked sweetly.
"Actually, no. It's just instinct, I suppose. I've read a few things about fencing in books at the church."
"Hehehe, I don't know what's going on in that village, but it's definitely giving us big surprises!" The lady seemed excited for some reason and was in a good mood. "You see, from what you've told me, you're a genius, beyond my expectations. Despite being a commoner, you're a diamond in the rough that can be polished. Let me ask you one last question. Are you willing to study at my academy?"
"Is that a question?" I didn't expect to have a say in this...
"Don't be so surprised, young man. We can't force any aspirant to enter our academy. After all, once you enter, you can't leave, and your life will be in constant danger. You'll live and die protecting the empire. But in my opinion, it's a total waste to let the lineage of the God of Shadows go to waste. Also..." The lady's eyes sparkled, "Prove to me that you're worth it, but not just to me. As you know, most of the students in the empire are proud, arrogant nobles, full of vanity and those kinds of things. Only 5% of the students are commoners. It's hard, of course it will be, but if you manage to rise above the rest, they'll notice, and I'll be the first to see your achievements. For now, I'll protect your home. As I told you, young aspirant, the empire rewards glory and power to its students who stand out from the rest. An example is young Charlotte. She was even adopted by the Luciana house, descendants of the goddess of light. So, what do you say?"
"I'll do it." I hadn't thought about refusing. As they say, opportunities like this come once in a lifetime...
"Excellent! Leave all the paperwork to me, but let me tell you that I don't think I can save you from the trials that the empire conducts. You know, they need to have trust in their aspirants. But since I'll handle all the paperwork for you, the process will be much faster."
"Can I ask a question?" I had something on my mind that had me intrigued...
"Of course, tell me, you can ask me anything." The lady quickly agreed.
"How do I awaken my bloodline?" I was excited. Bloodlines are unique, keys that can elevate a being's body to a new level. Examples of this are the three young students in front of me—tall, attractive, their bodies completely change to stop being mere mortals, and they gain much more mana and power. I couldn't lie to myself. This will undoubtedly be a great advantage for my growth in the academy...