Fate Alchemist - A Regression Academy LitRPG

Wulf kept his head down throughout dinner, ignoring the bustle and chaos around them. The room wasn't entirely full, and there were plenty of seats that hadn't been filled yet—students were still arriving—but it was louder than the Istalis Academy. The walls didn't absorb the sound as well, and trying to have a conversation was nearly impossible.

Or maybe Wulf was just tired. Either way, he welcomed the food when it arrived. It wasn't a ten-course meal, like some of the students were probably used to, but the breaded meat cutlets, potatoes, and steamed greens were still better food than most people would ever get in their lives. Having skipped lunch, Wulf ate as quickly as he could.

Once dinner was over, he sat back and waited for the hall to clear out. As people departed, rushing off to their rooms, or across the way to the library to complete some pre-semester reading, Wulf tried to pay attention to the various groups.

There were plenty of kids with guild pins, and they offered him sneers and glares. As expected. He offered them smiles and waves in return, which seemed to make them even angrier.

They probably didn't even know who he was yet.

When they did learn that he was the guy who ruined Umoch's life? Well, the Fletchers over here might have a bone to pick with him, but he could deal with that as it came.

Over here, it was the Associations he was more worried about. They tended to be smaller, more dynamic, and more insidious. There was a Snake Association, the Bats, the Whales, the Hawks, and, the one he was most intrigued by, the Lions.

At the end of the west-wing table, a group of young boys (young—Wulf almost scoffed at himself, considering they were only a year younger than him at most, and some were technically older than this body was) were parading around, nudging the others, and pushing for more room at their end of the table.

Terrence, of course, did nothing about it.

Wulf was content to watch for the moment, trying to judge if they were going to be a problem. The guild kids weren't standing up to them, either. Not even the Fletchers. The Lions were the only Association to which that rule applied—the guild kids bossed around the other Associations with complete ease.

If there was a hierarchy, from top to bottom, it was: Lions Association, guilds, regular other Associations.

"What's up with them?" Irmond asked.

"Lions," Kalee replied. "They were involved in some scandals…in the future. I don't remember all the details, but they're definitely not the sort you want to hang out around. You'll get yourself expelled, considering you're not from a terribly powerful family."

"And don't say the Redleafs are powerful," Seith interjected. "I'd bet out here, no one's even heard of them."

"Like, what even is an Association?" Irmond asked.

"It's a club," Kalee provided. "A social group, people of like-minded interests. Just another pin to put on your shirt."

Irmond tilted his head. "Why're you so interested in them, Wulf? You just told us not to mess with them."

Most of the Lions were already standing up and walking out of the meal hall. As they passed, Wulf kept quiet.

Finally, once most of them filtered out of the room, Wulf said, "The King of Centralis. Or, currently, the prince. He was notoriously a Lion in his Academy days."

The others grimaced and looked down.

"So, you mean he still is, right?" Seith clarified.

"Well, if my estimations are right, this will be his first year at the academy," Kalee clarified. "Maybe he hasn't arrived yet, Wulf."

"We're looking for a boy, sandy hair, dark eyes, tanned complexion," Wulf explained. "He'll be missing a hand, but he's using a rock prosthetic. He's a Pilot, of course."

"Why are we looking for the king?" Irmond asked. "Like, how does that help us?"

"We need powerful allies," Wulf commented. "And we need to whisper in the ear of someone who can make real change and help us destroy the demons. As of this moment, he's only a prince, and that will last for a few more months until his father dies. If we try to befriend him after that, we'll seem too opportunistic, and it won't work. Our window is…closing…"

He trailed off. A group of Lions were gathering at the doorway, and they met with a tall, almost hilariously skinny figure. The boy had long blonde hair tied up in a ponytail, but that was about all Wulf could see—until he raised a hand to tuck a lock of it behind his ear. His hand was a golem's, made entirely of polished gray stone chunks. A sleeve of his uniform covered the connection point between flesh and rock, but Wulf knew it was mostly permanent. He'd seen prosthetics like that before, especially for Pilots.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

"There he is," Wulf said. "I'm going to follow them, to check on the routine. And see what I can learn about these Lions. If you're coming with me, keep your head down and don't get me in trouble."

When he stood up, the three others did as well. He gave them a soft smile, then made his way toward the edge of the room.

The Lions ushered the prince out of the room, though they weren't exactly being regal about it. More like a cluster of drunkards from a tavern.

Or just friends.

As soon as they left the hall, Wulf trailed after them, following at a safe distance and taking care not to look too suspicious. There was only one doorway in and out of the main dining hall, which everyone had to use. Wulf led the way, weaving through the crowd. Out in the hallway, he only caught the silhouette of the Lions rounding a corner and disappearing down another long hall.

As soon as they made it out the door, someone charged in from the right—a skyhorn boy with deep blue skin and short-cut black hair. He caught Seith and said something teasingly, then pulled her to the side. Wulf couldn't afford to wait for her, not when it'd mean losing his actual target.

That had to be one of her brothers. Not a big deal.

With his crew slightly diminished, he picked up the pace, then rounded the same corner the Lions had. A stairway led downward, and the Lions were descending. There had to be about ten of them. The prince walked at the very rear. When the others laughed, he laughed, but he never spoke first.

At the bottom of the stairs, the Lions turned another corner, and only then did Wulf descend after them.

They continued the process a few times, tracking the Lions through the halls, until finally, they reached a small alcove tucked behind a minor stairway that led to the west wing dorms.

Wulf stopped in the hallway outside, then motioned for Irmond and Kalee to step back into the darkness. There was an alcove with no candles, and where no light would reach. They could stay hidden for a while.

"Got any of the good stuff, Varl?" a boy whispered.

"There's a local alchemist, he's been making all sorts of mixtures for me." A different boy, presumably Varl, unbuttoned the academy-issue coat he wore over the uniform, revealing a bunch of inner tailored pockets. Almost exactly like Wulf's jacket.

Each pocket, of course, had a leather pouch inside it. Varl, a shadow-elf with gray skin and bushy eyebrows.

Wulf glanced at the others.

"Alchemist?" Kalee whispered.

"They're rare, but not unheard of," Wulf replied. "I don't suppose this one's terribly strong, though."

He held out his hand, assessing the leather pouches with the Field.

Reema Powder (Middle-Wood Quality)

Inflicts mild euphoria on the user for a half hour.

"Reema powder," he whispered, then pulled his arm back quickly. "What the hell are they doing?"

Varl tossed a pouch over his shoulder, and another boy caught it and opened it, revealing a pile of green dust.

"Cover that up!" Varl snapped. "And don't let anyone see it. If I catch any of you guys using it, you're out. But you wanna make a spare buck or two, and get some important people dependent on you for the rest of their miserable lives, you'll do as you're told." Varl tossed a pouch to the prince, and the boy caught it. "Athllas. Your first run? Make us proud."

Wulf swallowed, then glanced back at Irmond and Kalee.

"Alright," Irmond whispered. "I'm just gonna say it. The prince of Byrante is a Field-forsaken reema dealer?"

"It would seem so," Wulf whispered back. "And he's not the head of the operation." He shook his head. "They're going to make alchemists look bad."

"That's what you're worried about?" Kalee hissed. "What if they find out you're an alchemist? What if people think you're the supplier?"

"Well—"

Before they could finish, the wall behind them crumbled. It broke nearly silently, bricks tumbling away, but never colliding with each other, and never hitting the ground. Wulf, Kalee, and Irmond fell on their backs into a small, candlelit room. It had no windows, but a middle-aged human Ascendant, a High-Silver, in a red greatcoat and with a stone sword on his back, stood over them, his hands on his hips. Wulf sensed mana swirling around the man's hands, even if it was invisible.

The wall that they'd just fallen through repaired itself immediately. The bricks sealed back up, and the grout filled the cracks once more, like it had never left. The Ascendant was a Pilot, and judging by his attire, likely a guard of the prince.

"You didn't think we would leave Prince Athllas-Thyodere unattended, did you?" the man asked.

"I…" Wulf rolled over onto his stomach, then sprang up to his feet. "Sorry, sir. We were just heading back to the dormitories."

"Sure." The guard rolled his eyes.

"Why are you worried about us?" Wulf exclaimed. "Your prince is getting caught up in some terrible business."

"And if you knew what's good for you, you'd keep your mouth shut," the guard said.

Wulf inhaled slowly, then glanced at Kalee and Irmond. They were both looking to him. He met the guard's gaze and said, "I can keep my mouth shut, sir." There was no other choice. If he said something, he wasn't getting out of here, and whatever was going on, if he made himself a target, he'd find himself killed soon enough.

That wouldn't be ideal.

"If we catch you meddling in the crown's affairs again, that will be the end of you," the guard said. "Now scram. Take the hallway to your left, and get yourselves out of here. Return to your dorms and forget you ever saw this."

Wulf nodded to appease the guard. The guard triggered another Skill and opened a hole in the wall to their left, leading to another hallway. They stepped out into it.

Once he was certain they were out of earshot of the guard, he said, "I'm not forgetting about that."

"What are we going to do?" Kalee whispered.

Wulf wrung his fingers together. "No idea right now. But I'm working on a plan."