Afterword - Book 1 - Chapter 32 (Patreon)

Chapter 32: Academy II

(Original Chapter Title: Academy I)

Ah the hell months. They're brutal, they're uncomfortable, and they're... tuned for a level well below Ranthia's. She came into the Academy at a level that exceeds what some graduate it at, which gave her a leg up.

And it also made her arrogant—she cringed in my head when I went through the paragraph about her thinking she could take some of the instructors.

The hell months could have been multiple chapters, but ultimately? They're so, so repetitive. I think it made a lot of sense to let time roll on. Yes, had I drawn this out into 2+ chapters I could have given more insight into Ranthia's discomfort and fatigue. But while the hell months were hard on her, they weren't going to break her. Not at that level. Not after some of her marathon battles (the ankylosaurus and the war goblins, namely). It's been a while, but she hasn't exactly been idle. Hard work, discomfort, and exhaustion are familiar. Amping it up a bit doesn't change that, especially since the Academy can't break their level 150 or less [Mages] by setting up stuff they can't possibly physically handle.

Pure [Warriors] and those at high levels have clear advantages in them. It was easy to miss that when Elaine went through the hell months, but maybe more readers appreciate that seeing someone with actual physical stats go through it.

(That or I'll get griped at, either or.)

The aside with the Sentinels noticing Ranthia's "slacking off" was something I very nearly cut when I was editing. I decided to seek my beta readers' feedback on whether or not to keep it, and they were unanimous. So it stayed. I think it's for the best, though I always hate doing something once that isn't really used otherwise. Ah well, if readers enjoy it, that's what truly matters. Right?

Ranthia showing her hand to the instructors and their response is still one of my favorite notes I've ended a chapter on. Just a final kick to Ranthia's psyche after she was finally finished with the abuse.