Magi's Path (Aether's Revival Book 3) Daniel Schinhofen (books to read in a lifetime .txt) 📖

Paul stared at him for a second, then shook his head. “I didn’t see that coming. Very well. I shall remember.”

Entering the building, Gregory was surprised at the layout. The first floor was nearly wide open, with only a few pillars to help support the floors above. The room was made up of concentric rings, each sunken lower than the one above it. In the very middle of the slow descent was an Empire’s Gambit table with shelving under it. Each of the rings held desks for the students to sit at, with the way the room descended, everyone would be able to see the table unobstructed, even if the room was full.

No one else was there yet, so they took the table on the far side of the room to make sure their backs wouldn’t be to the door. Taking out paper and ink, they were nearly set up when the other apprentices began to arrive.

Hayworth and his group gave them a friendly nod and took the closest table to them. Other clans and the clanless apprentices trickled in after them. As sixth bell began to ring, Nick and the Eternal Flame apprentices came striding into the room with Magus Elkit behind them.

As soon as the last chime sounded, Paul, Klim, Harrison, and Egil entered the building, shutting the doors behind them. The four of them, along with Elkit, went to the center of the room. The only one not in a magus kimono was Egil, who wore a simple gray kimono.

“Greetings, Apprentices,” Egil said. “I am your instructor for this class, Armsmaster Egil Magi-killer. Yes, I have slain magi in duels. Even when aether was allowed, I still prevailed. More than that, though, I have served for the Han clan during several wars and border skirmishes against all three neighboring nations. Inside the walls of the academy, there would be few who have seen more combat than I.”

There was a small commotion as the apprentices exclaimed excitedly over who their teacher was. Egil gave them a few seconds before he boomed out a single word with the tone of a commander, “Silence!”

The room went silent and Egil looked over the assembled apprentices. “You will speak only when you are called on by myself or one of my assistants. Let me introduce them; Magus Guthrie Harrison of the Swift Wind clan, Magus Mona Klim and Magus Paul Erichson of the Iron Hand clan, and Magus Evan Elkit of the Eternal Flame clan. Normally, there would be a magus teaching the class and four adepts to assist, but the council thought it better to have more experienced magi assist me. Did any of you wish to add anything?” He looked toward the four assistants.

“It is an honor to work alongside you,” Harrison said. “You’ve been decorated by the empire numerous times for your actions in war, and even once by the emperor himself.”

Egil bowed his head. “That is a memory I still treasure all these years later.”

“It’ll be good for the apprentices to learn from a man who’s been in the thick of the fight,” Paul said. “It’s something I have long asked the academy to consider. To have an armsmaster of your caliber teach here is an honor for them.”

“I am honored,” Klim said simply, bowing formally to Egil.

All eyes went to Elkit, who looked bored. “I have nothing to add,” he finally said.

“What we will be teaching you,” Egil said, moving smoothly on with the class, “is the most advanced war game the empire has— Empire’s Gambit. This game was first made by Lionel Lighthand, and has been adapted and added to since then. The interesting thing is that our neighbors have all adopted it for their own purposes. It is a complex study of strategy and troop control. It is mandated for one simple reason. Who knows what that is?”

Nick’s hand went up, and Elkit was quick to call on him, “Apprentice Shun.”

“War is inevitable,” Nick said. “Even if our civilized neighbors don’t go to war with us, we still have the northern wilds to deal with. The remnant of the eurtik there are savages who have not yet been brought to heel.” His eyes went to Yukiko, and his lips twitched. “Someone has to remind the animals of their place.”

Egil grunted. “War never changes. The weapons and tactics might, but war itself... the maneuvering and coin needed to support it never changes. Who can tell me why war is inevitable?”

Harrison called on Hayworth, who said, “Because someone will always want something they don’t have. The way most nations deal with that is to wage war to take what they want.”

“Pettit,” Paul called out, as Gregory still had his hand up.

“I believe Lighthand said it best, sir. ‘Let he who wishes for peace prepare for war.’ Even if the empire was never the aggressor, we must be ready. To not be ready is to invite it even more readily.”

Egil nodded. “Lighthand is attributed with that quote, yes, and it is roundly true. All three of you have raised good points. Now, a show of hands— who has played Empire’s Gambit before?”

Most of Nick’s and Hayworth’s groups raised their hands. A few other scattered hands went up. Gregory, Yukiko, and Jenn all had their hands raised, and were the only clan that had all members with hands raised.

“Aether’s Guard,” Egil said, turning to them. “When did your clan mandate this?”

“It hasn’t, sir,” Gregory replied. “We started studying it after the winter solstice. It wasn’t mandated by our clan at all.”

“You wished to get a head start, then?”

“It seemed prudent, sir,” Yukiko answered. “We knew it was coming and we figured it made sense to learn about it ahead of time.”

“Smart,” Egil nodded. “The rest of you who haven’t played a single game yet, you should have