This evening had been somewhat... peculiar, to say the least. Beatriz, with her usual aura of authority, personally introduced me to Duchess Josselin von Avath and her son, Luan Avath. The duchess was an imposing woman with a cold gaze and calculated gestures, typical of the nobility that ruled this world. Her son however was quite the opposite Luan was delicate as a rose, polite, and his demeanor bordered on the excessively refined. Whenever he approached me, his cheeks were tinged with a discreet blush, and his voice trembled slightly. Although her attitude was friendly, something about her gaze gave me the creeps. Almost as if I was looking at a piece of meat. God, if it wasn't for the promise I had made to Beatriz, I would have run away from there instantly.
Too bad I couldn't, Beatriz had been my support in this world, a place where women were born with an innate connection to qi, the vital energy that allowed them to master the martial arts and rule without question. Men, on the other hand, were considered inferior. Most could not even feel qi, and those of us who did were seen as oddities, almost aberrations. Although I had reached the level of Beginner Warrior after months of grueling training, I was still an exception in a world designed for women to reign.
school was starting next week and although I was nervous, I also felt a spark of pride. Thanks to the work I had done and Beatriz's guidance I could finally call myself a martial artist, of course, I was only a beginner, the most basic level, but it was a significant achievement in a world where most of the men were no more than servants or decorative figures. Although it was not so difficult, to begin to reach this level, I had feared that I would have to temper my body and learn to feel the qi which I have experience or at least something similar.
***
While reflecting on all this, I found myself lying on the ground looking up at the night sky. This small artificial forest behind the mansion was my refuge, a place where I could train in secret and escape the inquisitive eyes of the servants. Tonight I had something special, I lost track of time, I didn't realize what had happened until the servants found me, lying on the cold grass, my clothes stained with dirt.
–Young master! –exclaimed one of the servants, a stout man with a stern look, "What are you doing here at this hour? School starts tomorrow!
Before I could protest, I was lifted up between several of them and carried back to the mansion. They groomed me with military efficiency, brushing my clothes, combing my hair and, at one point, attempted to put make-up on me. I flatly refused. I didn't want to look like one of those decorative men that the ladies of the nobility displayed as trophies. Finally, they dressed me in a new uniform: an impeccable white shirt, a black tie, ash-gray pants and a black jacket with the emblem of the Imperial Phoenix embroidered on the chest. The leather shoes shone like mirrors.
Before I could protest, several of them lifted me up and carried me back to the mansion. They groomed me with military efficiency, brushing my clothes, combing my hair and at one point attempted to apply make-up. I flatly refused. I did not want to look like one of those decorative men that the ladies of the nobility displayed as trophies. Finally I was dressed in a new uniform: an impeccable white shirt, a black tie, ash gray pants and a black jacket with the emblem of the Imperial Phoenix embroidered on the chest. The leather shoes shone like mirrors.
—Is this so important? –I muttered, uncomfortable with so much pomp.
—Of course it is," the head servant replied, adjusting my tie with a tug. You represent the family now. We can't have you arriving at the Exilion Academy looking like a commoner.
The Exilion Academy, the name kept echoing in my mind like a distant echo, was one of the most prestigious institutions in the empire, a place where young noblewomen honed their martial skills and solidified their potion as heiresses. For a man like me, it was dangerous territory. Men in the academy were not uncommon, although most tended to specialize in literature or politics, their families used them to create connections through matrimony.
As I left the mansion, a luxurious carriage with the emblama of a tiger was waiting for me. The centiros, majestic creatures similar to horses but with two horns, their coats shiny, snorted impatiently as the coachman, a firm-eyed woman, signaled me to get in. I settled inside, feeling the weight of expectation on my shoulders. Through the window, I watched the sun begin to rise, tinting the sky in shades of gold and orange.
The carriage departed, and with it, my life at the mansion was behind me. Now awaited me another battlefield greater than any other in a world where women ruled, where power was measured in the ability to control qi, and where men like me were little more than an anomaly. But it didn't matter. I had promised Beatrice that I would not give up, and I would not. Exilion Academy would be my litmus test, and I was determined to prove that, even in a world designed to crush me, I could rise up.