Orion felt his smile freeze on his face. He couldn’t say he hadn’t expected something like this, but definitely not this brazen.

  “What do you mean?” He asked, trying to buy some time.

  Set crinkled his eyes in fond amusement, clearly seeing through him but choosing to humor his request. “You know as well as I do that the Sanctum isn’t a safe place for you, not after what happened. And even if it had been, there would have been no future for you there. The Collegium will welcome you with open arms, and I’ll gladly take you as my personal apprentice to ensure you get even more benefits.”

  “Elder Yue is working on our return,” Orion replied, though his tone was weak. He had been having the same thoughts lately, but a part of him, which had promised his friends he’d return, rebelled at the idea of simply giving up because an old woman thought she could intimidate him.

  “She is,” Set admitted. “I know she’s been in contact with other Veil Priestesses, trying to build a safety net. But I also know she doesn’t necessarily want you to go back.”

  That made Orion blink in surprise. “Do you mean to say she wants to keep us here?”

  “Would that be so strange? Her apprentice has finally returned to the fold. You have proven to be a remarkable asset. Why would she give you both up, along with the many concessions the other Elders will no doubt demand to protect you? She will still do it if it comes down to it, but do not mistake that for willingness.”

  Orion suddenly turned away, pacing the length of his lab as he thought. Logically, there’s no reason for me to stay. I have plundered the first floor of the library for all it’s worth, and I’d never gain access to the rest of it anyway, since I’m a male. Morliana isn’t going to leave anytime soon, no matter the protection I might receive through Yue’s efforts. The only things stopping me from deserting are my mother, who I know would suffer a separation, especially if I went to the Collegium like Antares did, and my friends.

  The old Orion would not have hesitated to leave. His father had already made it clear he’d be welcome, and Set’s offer of an apprenticeship was more than most of the Collegium’s tier one mages could hope for.

  And yet, he wasn’t that guy anymore, was he? Nearly fourteen years had passed, making him more open with his emotions and more aware of his own flaws.

  Just because going to the Collegium was the best choice for his personal growth didn’t mean it was necessarily the best overall. After all, he still had his dream of building a university.

  Though I’m beginning to think it might be a bit too unrealistic. I would need to build a new faction from the ground up, and the end result would just be a new status quo—if I’m not wiped out of existence by the more powerful factions for daring to spread what they consider to be their proprietary magic.

  That didn’t mean his dream was impossible. No, as any good scientist would understand, he knew very well that new knowledge often took time and effort to spread, and even then, things could go very wrong for those who dared to challenge the status quo.

  That was something he’d already factored into his calculations. But he had to admit that being invited into the Collegium, not even as a basic student, but as a respected apprentice, would make his pursuit of knowledge and his desire for influence much easier to achieve.

  Despite everything, Orion wasn’t ready to abandon the Sanctum. Not just for sentimental reasons, but because he understood that, despite its flaws and quirks, the coven remained a major force within Cyril.

  If he just left, he’d not only lose its support, but probably gain a new hostile faction.

  Abruptly turning back to Set, who had been patiently waiting for his decision, Orion made up his mind. “I’m thankful for the offer, and I know it’s more than most get, but I can’t accept right now.”

  Surprise, then resignation, flickered across the old man’s face, but before he could speak, Orion quickly pressed on. “I mean it when I say ‘right now’. There’s something I need to do at the Sanctum, and if I don’t, I’ll live with regret forever. But if you’re still willing to have me after that… I’d be glad to accept. I know it’s not exactly orthodox to negotiate about this kind of thing, and honestly, we probably shouldn’t even be discussing it here, but—”

  Set’s chuckle interrupted his rambling speech, and Orion closed his mouth with a click, embarrassed by how he’d been trying to justify himself.

  “I don’t know why I expected you to handle this in any but the strangest way, after knowing you for years. Very well, I can understand having unfinished business back home, trust me. Consider my offer on hold for now, though you should be aware that by the time you return, the political situation within the Collegium might be very different, and the offer might need to be adjusted accordingly.” Set explained, with a strange glint in his eyes.

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  Before Orion could ask for clarification, however, he swept out of the lab room and left.

  Arcane mana buzzed all around him. It was both more volatile than Light mana, as it was prone to mutating in strange and mysterious ways, and more stable, as the spells, once crafted, were entirely under his control.

  When used in conjunction with Light mana, it became quite complicated to manipulate, but he knew he was finally nearing success.

  Orion waited a moment longer, urging the Computing Crystal to rework some of the code for smoother execution before finally unleashing it.

  The alchemically treated shield he’d begged his mother to make for him barely moved, and by the time the light had faded, only a faint scorch mark could be seen on its surface.

  It was a vastly superior result than anything he’d managed before.

  As it turned out, casting [Penetrate] on [Infinite Laser] allowed him to bring the tier-one spell very close to the damage output of a tier-two spell, since the iron shield was rated to withstand up to tier-three spells.

  SYSTEM NOTIFICATION

  +17.000 Exp

  Level up!

  “There we go. That took a bit more than I was expecting.”

  Fiddling with [Maximize Magic] had earned him a few more thousand Exp, which was nothing to scoff at, but it quickly became clear to Orion that the System rewarded him more for discovering new things than for perfecting old ones.

  That is, unless the achievement is significant enough. It makes sense because small iterative improvements cannot carry the same weight as a new spell, but I think there must be more to this. My class is Empiricist, so it makes sense that it would reward me for proving through evidence that my theories are correct. I believe this is the true reason behind the extra experience.

  His stat screen showed that his hard work had paid off.

  ORION A. VOIDWALKER

  Class: Empiricist [C-rank]

  Level: 42

  Mind: 155

  Attunement: 151

  Body: 16

  Traits: Mana Manipulation [C-rank]; Verification Principle [C-rank]

  Gaining two levels in just three days wasn’t unheard of, but outside of battle, it was very hard to achieve, especially when approaching the end of a tier.

  Orion still had several metaspells to test and more theories to explore, which made him think he might reach his goal of level fifty sooner rather than later. It was just a matter of how much time he’d have to devote to his studies.

  “Moonbeam, I think it’s enough for today, isn’t it?” Asteria called, eyeing the scorch mark he’d left on the shield with curiosity.

  Looking up at the sky, Orion saw that, indeed, the sun was more than halfway through, which meant it was time for another lesson from Minister Ames.

  He’d almost been expecting them to be canceled, given the political upheaval as everyone waited to see who the Collegium’s Senate would choose for their new High Councilor, but no such message had arrived, so he’d have to cut it short for the day.

  Still, it’s not all bad. These history lessons are very useful, but I have some questions that I don’t believe would be addressed here.

  His mother led him to where a carriage was arranged for him, but for once, she didn’t stop there and instead climbed up alongside him.

  “Huh?” he muttered, earning a gentle smile.

  “I’m not busy today, so I decided to be the one to guard you. I also want to check on that poor girl. She might be free now, but I doubt living here, so far from her parents, is easy.”

  Deciding he didn’t want to get bogged down in that discussion, Orion shrugged and settled in as the coachman led them into Valderun’s streets.

  Since the Sanctum’s embassy and Ames Manor were both in the same district, it didn’t take them long to get there.

  “It feels so wasteful to take a coach. I could easily walk here,” he muttered, but his mother’s stern look silenced him.

  Considering he was the one who initially questioned the city’s safety, he felt it was unfair to be labeled as reckless, but sometimes, choosing your battles was more important than winning every argument. It wasn’t that bothersome anyway, and it allowed him to people-watch without having to hide his interest.

  Unfortunately, today seemed to be a quiet one, as most people walking around quickly went about their tasks and didn’t linger.

  This whole Senate meeting seems to have everyone in a panic. I guess it’s been so long since an election that no one knows what to expect. And the Collegium is under a lot of pressure, so until they stabilize, things might stay this way.

  Considering the number of powerhouses currently inside the massive building in the city center, Orion sincerely doubted any faction would be reckless enough to do more than just test the waters. But from the perspective of a regular citizen, things might have felt very tense indeed.

  Just a few minutes later, they rolled into the Ames Manor, and Orion was glad to see that everything seemed normal.

  Maybe I’m not so different from everyone else. But in my defense, Ophelia was actually chased across Cyril by would-be kidnappers, so my worries aren’t exactly unfounded.

  He got out first, holding the door open for his mother, who suddenly adopted a more regal demeanor, reminding him that while she could be warm and kind, most people only saw her as the youngest Magistra in a century, and now once again apprentice to Elder Yue, the Sanctum’s High Councilor.

  The servants who greeted them clearly felt the weight of her presence, so they only bowed silently and led them through the courtyard and halls instead of making small talk like he was used to.

  Finally, they spilled into the inner courtyard, where Orion saw Ophelia sunbathing under the mellow spring sun. She sat on a reclining chair that only vaguely resembled one of the tanning beds he remembered from Earth, but the purpose was obviously the same, especially given the contented look she wore while enjoying the warmth.

  Oh, yeah. I’d forgotten she’s part dragonkin. Her features are much more subtle, so I don’t think about it most of the time, but I guess she does have some draconic traits, starting with her temper.

  Ophelia opened her eyes in that exact moment, pinning him with an annoyed glare. “Why do I feel like you’ve just thought of something very rude?”

  Just as Orion was about to jokingly diffuse the situation, he felt his mother stiffen, and followed her gaze to where the Basilisk Fang was enjoying the benefits of guarding a noble lady, drinking light wines, and eating freshly made snacks.

  “Bartholomew,” Asteria whispered, and the white mage stiffened at the sound of her voice, turning ashen as soon as he saw who had spoken.

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