An Arcanist's Citadel 18 (Patreon)

An Arcanist’s Citadel

Chapter 18

-VB-

Over the course of the next three years, Elysium became an underworld hub for all sorts of supernatural organizations. Situated right on the crossroads between the Turian Hierarchy, Human Systems Alliance, New Qin Empire, and the Terminus Systems, Elysium attracted all sorts of supernatural practitioners, both affiliates of larger organizations and independents, to the one place where they were able to learn without having to pay blood debts. 

The Elysium Spiritualist Academy. 

It did not exist on paper on any business or organization registry. For most of the public, the Elysium Spiritualist Academy was an urban myth that clashed with the advancing scientific reality. 

But for those in the know…

It was the place to be. It was where spiritual studies advanced like never before. It was where Turian shamans, human mages and exorcists, and even stuffy asari and salarian priests came to study and share. 

Because that was a big thing about the ESA that didn’t exist anywhere.

Those who were offered admittance into the institution must share something the institution did not hold knowledge of in spiritual matters. It didn’t matter how small or insignificant the offerings were as even sightings of a new kind of spirit (once confirmed) was good enough. If they did offer one such knowledge, then their admittance was free.

But that was the “trick,” the clause that separated those with power from those without, which began the Academy’s rise as a power.

Knowledge the institution did not know of.

The ESA was technically founded by Headmaster Alan Marris, but it was a pseudo-joint effort of three other organizations: the Turian Hierarchy’s Ordamunth, Human Systems Alliance’s Roman Catholic Church, and the New Qin Empire’s Hidden Order. While none of these organizations shared everything they knew, they shared enough that the ESA began with a sturdy foundation that matched any other spiritual orders out there. 

For those with backing, it was initially easier to offer knowledge. It began with simpler things like “where to find ^^^^ spirit” and “how to defeat **** spirit.” Things that were local. These needed to be verified, of course, and this often made extremely local knowledge harder to prove simply due to a lack of opportunities at times. So the balance for new students was to provide knowledge that was easier to prove while being inconsequential enough to not be a problem for themselves or their home organization.

However, as time marched on, it became harder and harder for new students to provide easily provable yet still inconsequential spiritual knowledge. But by the time this point had been reached, the Elysium Spiritualist Academy had become the premier location for spiritualist learning and training, so much so that graduation from this academy, which needed the headmaster’s approval, became a badge of elitism. 

But what about those who could not provide the information? 

They paid in other ways. 

Tuition, service, and even post-graduate contracts. They paid however they could because getting into ESA was the 21st century equivalent of joining the Ivy League to make political and business connections; by the fifth year, the ESA’s secondary function included networking among the disparate and decentralized spiritualists. 

But why? Why go through all of this effort?

Because once you were inside and became one of its students and alumni, you were granted access to the “public” library, and this was the greatest collection of lore in the galaxy. The lore couldn’t be borrowed and must be read in the library, but that was still knowledge that even middle rank spiritualists from other organizations wouldn’t be able to access.

And students of the ESA naturally collaborated with each other.

With access to other trained professionals and lore, the academy then became the center for spiritualist research.

And it all began with a simple request. 

-VB-

“You want us to share what we know with the Turians?” Major Kim asked in shock.

Because it was a shock.

Exorcists didn’t even share what they knew with the independent human “mages” and other human organizations. 

“Not with the Turians,” I replied. “Only people who join us for lessons and lectures. Think of it as a way to deepen bonds with your spiritual peers across the galaxy. Besides, I feel that they may also have much to offer,” I said as I slid across the table a copy of what they had shared with me.

His eyes widened as he looked at what I offered. 

“This is…?”

“Something the Turians shared with me.” I paused. “Of course, if you don’t want to share your lore, then that’s fine. But I’ll be limiting what you learn and not requiring the Turians to share either. It’s only fair, right?”

“Yes… Do you mind if I look over this as a … sample?”

“Go ahead. If you do accept, then each student who wants in on this - that is, someone who will be sharing - will be expected to bring something to the table, no matter how small.”

He paused. “Even if it is a spell to unplug the toilet?”

“You underestimate what a good utility spell will do for someone’s work day,” I drawled. “I certainly wouldn’t mind having one for my own use.” I snorted. “Anyway, I will be building a repository of all of the spells that the students bring to me, and I’ll allow everyone to peruse it.”

“... No one does that, even within the Roman Catholic Church.”

“Then I will be the first one to do it. I will make a university for us,” I replied casually. 

He stared at me before throwing his hands up in surrender. 

I smirked. I have been trying to get the major to relax around me. It was good to see progress in that. 

“And then what?” 

“And then?” I hummed. “I’ll think about it when I get there.”

The major sighed. “... Would you be willing to accept a ritual for cleansing a small area using Christian iconography and belief?”

“Is belief an actual part of the ritual?”

“Yes. Let me draw it out for you first…”

-VB-

“So how have your dates been?” I asked at dinner. 

Everyone in the family was here for dinner tonight, but today was a bit more special because Amy’s boyfriend, James, was here. 

And Tatsuki was not happy with him.

James kept up a very fixed smile as he tried to weave through the dinner. It wasn’t that he hated anyone here or found any of us unpleasant. In fact, he was doing his goddamn best to impress us: not talking too much about himself and being genuine as possible otherwise. 

But Tatsuki did not like that a grown man was dating our now sixteen year old Amy. 

I knew that they haven’t done anything “unproper,” which was the only reason why he was alive. And as long as he didn’t until Amy was a legal adult, I wouldn’t. It helped James that he also wasn’t doing anything that could be construed as grooming aside from the building trust. 

Tatsuki didn’t care. She was displaying the same distrust she initially showed me when I approached Inoue, and that was partially why I wasn’t outright killing James. Inoue and I also had some age gap, though not eight years apart like it was between James and Amy. I had been… Nineteen? Twenty? Around twenty when I first seduced Inoue and she was fifteen. It would be hypocritical of me to kill James… but that didn’t stop me from putting some pressure on him.

“So I heard that the company you are working for hasn’t been doing well, James!” I began.

James looked like he wanted to be anywhere but here with me and Tatsuki looking at him like predators. 

Poor boy. He wasn’t anywhere good enough to be Amy’s life long partner, meaning he was, at best, a high school boyfriend for her. After all, I wouldn’t accept anyone who was either extremely excelling in their field or had a modicum of spiritual power that I can modifycoughtortureexperimentandstrengthen so that he could at least defend himself long enough before one of us comes to relieve him.

Now… if only James’s dad side of the family would stop snooping around on Elysium. Exposing those spies would only bring publicity I didn’t want; it was one thing for people to come to me but it was something else when the media got involved, and I already had enough experience with them after what I did to the batarian raiders. 

Was I going to have to ask the Roman Catholic Church to do something about Titan’s spies? 

“Yes, do tell. Last I heard, the business was supposed to be going well. Did something happen to your coworkers?” I added as I continued to needle him.

Also, it was fun poking at him like this.

Yeah, too bad the boy wasn’t going to last long.

Because if it wasn’t Amy herself who might leave him for being too vulnerable, then it was her brothers who would ensure James leaves Amy’s side. 

He was too normal.

Oh, well. Might as well grill him about his family and compare what he’s thinking with what he says. Cuz mind reading was useful like that.