The air was so tense it could be cut with a knife. Orion felt like he was waiting for a judge to give his verdict on whether he’d get the death penalty, and maybe he wasn’t too far off.

  Elder Yue wasn’t as resentful as he’d feared, but she was still clearly deciding whether to cast them out, which made him very nervous.

  In some ways, such a refusal could be seen as the end of her mentorship with Asteria. It wouldn't be easy to frame it as a victory, but Elder Alcmene seemed genuinely interested in taking them under her wing. Maybe she wouldn’t mind too much, especially since he doubted Yue would change her mind.

  But looking at the woman who held his fate in her hands, he didn’t think that was likely to happen. No, there was something about her behavior that told him that whatever her decision was, it wouldn’t be so clear-cut.

  “You have always been a troublesome child. I should have expected you to run back and hide behind my skirts,” Yue finally murmured, for once sounding as old as she truly was.

  There was a weariness in her tone that could only come from real affection and pain, something that Asteria also noticed, from the way she both wilted and gained a hopeful look.

  No one had dared voice the faint hope that Elder Yue might decide to end her self-imposed exile and protect them herself, but Orion could see that desperate longing grow in his mother now.

  Yue saw that, and her expression flattened, though it didn’t return to the previously frosty one, but merely shifted to be more neutral. “This does not mean your mistakes no longer exist, nor that I have forgiven you, but it seems like my long absence has emboldened my enemies too much.”

  Again, it wasn’t much—not even close to a promise of protection—but Asteria seemed to read between the lines and started to smile.

  Turning toward Orion, the elder regarded him critically before nodding with a huff, “Your assessment isn’t incorrect, child. Incomplete, as you simply lack the relevant context, but with the knowledge you had on hand, it is understandable why you came to it.”

  He’d never been one to handle condescension well, but for once, Orion accepted it with good grace. It was clear to him that Yue and Morliana shared a lot of history, so it made sense that he couldn’t grasp every nuance of their actions, especially given the long timeline they worked within.

  “It is true that you being that man’s son made you an acceptable target,” she began, and Asteria bravely held back a flinch, “and I do not doubt you gave Morliana something to work with. For all her faults, she wouldn’t have bothered to move if she didn’t think she could argue her case. But while you might not like it, you are just one minor piece on the board. I expect she intentionally placed you two in a position to run away, all in the hopes of making me react. Everything else was tangential and only relevant as an excuse.”

  The certainty in her voice as she discussed her old rival’s schemes somehow reassured him. Orion disliked the idea that he had done something to provoke Morliana, and he liked even less to learn that everything he had done was part of someone else’s plan, but he could sense that Yue was getting somewhere, so he stayed silent.

  “I imagine she’s spent a long time preparing the board for this. It’s possible she might have even enlisted another Veil Priestess if she could find a tasty enough morsel. Removing me has been her greatest desire for a long time, and you gave her the perfect excuse to move forward with her plans.” Mercilessly, the elder continued laying down the truth.

  Orion wanted to argue that she couldn’t possibly know that much, having been away from the Sanctum since before his birth, but everything she was saying rang awfully close to the truth.

  Suddenly, Eire’s hesitation to act took on a completely different tone. She was no longer a coward, but rather an opportunist who had sold him out. It was well known even to students that she was the closest to becoming Veil Priestess of the Magistrae.

  If an Elder were removed from the board, she would be the first to benefit.

  How did I not see this? How deep does this conspiracy go? How many others are involved?

  His other teachers? His classmates? His friends? Paranoia started pushing his thoughts down ugly paths, and it was only because Yue kept talking that Orion didn’t get caught up in it.

  “Of course, it is just as possible that this is all part of the old game. While she wields considerable influence, which I believe has only increased in my absence, she does not call the shots, and I still enjoy the High Priestess’ confidence. Unless she has something much bigger planned, losing an apprentice and a student, no matter how promising, wouldn't be enough to knock me down.”

  Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

  A beat of silence passed as Orion digested how callously she spoke of his and Asteria’s possible deaths. “Do you think she was involved with those who attacked us?”

  Yue hummed, not dismissing that possibility outright. “It doesn’t sound like her, but then again, that would be exactly like her—to do something I wouldn’t see coming. Maybe she simply helped things along, or maybe she was behind everything.”

  Orion closed his eyes and took a deep breath to calm himself. He disliked the direction this conversation was heading, yet at the same time, it was going better than he had feared. The contradiction was confusing and only increased his stress.

  “In the end, it doesn’t really matter. You got here alive,” Yue said.

  Asteria eyed her old master closely. “Does that mean you will help us?”

  A tense moment of silence passed before Yue turned to face Orion directly, eyes of onyx meeting his purple ones. “You are the linchpin of this whole situation, child. I know my apprentice well enough to know she must have grown in the meantime, but you… I need to know if you're worth it.”

  Given how tense things had been over the past forty-eight hours, it wasn't surprising that Orion fell asleep soon after being assigned a room.

  He had followed the witch who had appeared after Yue’s call and had spent some time gawking at the crowd bustling around the manse, barely noticing that the space had returned to normal.

  It had been quite obviously empty when they entered, yet during their discussion, it had filled up. Or more likely, some powerful illusion had prevented them from seeing the truth of things, until the mistress of the house had deemed them guests.

  It made sense since the embassy was more of a workplace than a residence, but Orion still felt uneasy about how easily he had fallen for the trick.

  It was a sobering reminder that just because he was above his peers, he wasn’t anywhere near the top of the food chain, and his tools wouldn’t work if he didn’t know when and how to use them.

  Stumbling out of his en-suite bathroom the next morning, he paused to assess how he felt. The soreness that had lingered since the naval battle had mostly faded, making him hopeful he would recover sooner than his mother had predicted, and there was much he wanted to do in Valderun. Yet Elder Yue’s words from yesterday still haunted him.

  Now, Orion wasn’t about to spend his time here moping. He much preferred taking action to solve problems rather than waiting for them to resolve themselves, so he went looking for his mother to do just that.

  Yue intentionally left the door open about protecting us herself. I’d even say she hinted that Asteria could return under her wing if she were alone, and that I am the obstacle.

  Finding his mother proved to be more complicated than he would have liked, as he had to stop and ask for directions several times because nothing was in the same place as the night before.

  Having lived in a magical enclave for his entire second life, Orion was aware of how strange such buildings could be, but he sensed that there was something different about this place.

  [Verification Principle] agreed with him, as it kept pinging with data indicating that space wasn’t as linear as it should have been. He didn’t dare push it, afraid of damaging himself, but even such a passive scan was enough to reaffirm his hope that he’d gotten through the worst of his mana burn.

  Considering Elder Yue’s expertise in alchemy, he wondered how she managed to create such a confusing maze and how the staff moved through it without any problems.

  “What’s a boy doing here?” A cultured voice called as he once again entered the wrong room.

  Looking up, Orion met crimson eyes and had to resist the urge to tense up. His own appearance wasn’t much more normal, so he couldn’t judge others.

  The young woman who’d spoken looked at him with an arched eyebrow, seemingly waiting for him to explain himself, but someone else interrupted. “He’s her son.”

  It was an older woman, dressed in long robes, the kind Orion associated with Madams, but her eyes had a piercing quality that made him suspect she wasn’t that low-ranking.

  For the second time since waking up, he dared to cast a spell. It was something very simple, just to test the waters, and he was rewarded when he didn’t feel even a twinge of pain.

  Inspect.

  [Abella McLeod - Lv. 118] [Silver Guardian - B-rank]

  Confident he wouldn’t worsen his condition, Orion pushed more mana into his glasses and examined the young woman, whose lips were curling into a sneer.

  [Zania Piers - Lv. 88] [Rubedo Maiden - B-rank]

  Another extra ranker. They seem to be popping up more and more lately.

  He hadn’t yet inspected everyone in the Sanctum, but he knew that the incidence rate was very low. He had only seen four people in the Lunar Sanctum with ranks beyond what their level should allow, and yet he had met two more since leaving.

  Considering what he knew about his faction’s strength, he doubted the coven had fewer extra rankers than what he’d find in the general population. Which meant this Zania had to be very special.

  “Ah, so you're the boy who came to beg Mistress Yue for help.”

  Whatever curiosity he might have had disappeared like snow under the summer sun. Orion eyed Zania critically, noticing the luxurious robes adorned with tiny stitched runes, which he could see carried protection charms.

  Such clothes had to be very expensive and were not common even among high-ranking witches. That indicated this Zania was someone important. Given the naked annoyance she showed at his presence, she was probably someone who would be hurt by his presence.

  “Has your mother not even taught you the barest manners, child?” Abella asked, her eyes never straying from his. “You stand before Elder Yue’s true apprentice. Bow.”

  “Ah,” Orion hummed, nodding to himself. He doubted the young woman was an official apprentice, not with his mother still holding her role after all this time. But it made sense she’d take a promising witch like this under her wing, especially given her class, which seemed to be focused on alchemy. “I am Orion Voidwalker, nice to meet you.”

  Zania’s sneer deepened at his lack of bowing, but instead of attacking him further, she simply sniffed haughtily, dismissing him. “Leave, boy. You have overstayed your welcome.”

  Orion didn’t need to be told twice and quickly left the room, heading down a staircase that appeared at the end of the corridor where there had once been a blank wall.

  Clearly, something was afoot. Someone, probably Elder Yue, wanted him to meet Zania, and he couldn’t ignore the fact that she was also an extra ranker, just like him.

  Considering the condition the Veil Priestess raised the night before… She’s trying to provoke a reaction. The question is, should I take the bait?

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