By the time the politics lesson ended, Asteria had long since left the mansion, and Orion took full advantage to ensconce himself with Ophelia and two of the more gossipy maids under the pretense of trying a new brew of mou.

  Smelling the earthy aroma, he settled into his chair while Ophelia urged the two women to join them.

  “Oh, m’lady. We couldn’t. If the Head Maid saw us, she’d be so mad. No, no, it isn’t right for lowly commoners to sit with a noble lady like you.” One of the two—a blonde young woman with a flat nose and watery blue eyes—demurred, while the other was clearly more eager to sit but wouldn’t do it on her own.

  “Come on now, we’ve known each other long enough that you should be aware I don’t care about that stuff, and it’ll only be for a few minutes. You’d be doing us a favor, really," Ophelia prodded, walking around the woman and guiding her to the armchair. “My friend Orion here had quite the surprise earlier. We’re just so curious about what happened after we had to leave, and I know the two of you are very discreet. I trust you to only tell the truth, unlike others.”

  Her flattery appeared to be working, as the maids’ resolve was clearly weakening.

  “Oh, alright. But just for a few minutes, we wouldn’t want to be improper.” The blonde finally conceded, and Orion didn’t need any magic to know she was giddy at being allowed to sit with the lady of the manor.

  I doubt the good Minister ever bothered to deal with the internal politics of his household staff. He probably never even spent enough time here to be aware of their existence in the first place. Ophelia’s arrival must have been like a bomb going off in a calm lake.

  The other maid, a mousy young girl probably just a couple of years older than Orion but eager to follow her elder’s example, quickly made sure to refill Ophelia’s cup with more mou before settling down herself.

  “Well, in that case... It was ever so shocking,” the blonde maid started, adopting a forced accent. The poor girl was trying her best to seem refined, probably thinking this was her one shot to impress Ophelia.

  That kind of consideration was so far removed from his daily troubles that he genuinely had to hold back a chuckle. It was a glimpse into a completely different world.

  “Of course, you were there for most of it, yes. The poor Lady Asteria was truly surprised; we all saw it. And Sir Bartholomew, such a troubled past! I always knew he had such sad eyes for a reason, you see.”

  Orion and Ophelia exchanged a glance over their cups, and he saw her beginning to regret her offer. However, finding someone else who could explain what had happened after they left would probably be too much trouble at this point, and the maid seemed to be getting to it, especially as the other lightly nudged her arm. “Laurie, they already know that.”

  “Ahem, yes, yes, of course. Now, as I was saying, everyone was a bit shocked, but after you left, Lady Asteria and Sir Bartholomew continued their discussion. He inquired about a few people, and she told him that two of them were still inside the Sanctum, while the others, mostly males, had left. She then asked if he had connections with others who had once been part of the coven, but he told her that he deliberately avoided any Light Magic user.”

  That tracked. Orion had only ever seen men working as assistants or guards in the Sanctum. Very rarely did they get promoted to a position with real power, and even then, they were directly subordinate to someone else, much like Sir Theron, the man who held classes for Eire when she was too busy.

  Most of the males trained in the coven left after reaching tier two, seeking greener pastures elsewhere.

  And yet, even those who leave the Sanctum still work for it. Bart invoked the Moon Mother earlier, which shows he’s still somewhat devout, even if he's not actively practicing. Culturally, everyone who spends their early years in the coven is shaped by it and will spread its influence, whether knowingly or unknowingly. The complete isolation we were subjected to initially ensured that.

  “Then, Lady Asteria asked if he wanted to go back, and things started to get tense,” Laurie continued, and Orion’s head snapped up.

  “What do you mean?” He asked.

  The girl puffed up with pride at his regard, clearly pleased to have finally caught his attention. “Yes, she said that since she could vouch for him, for his courage, he needn’t stay on the run. That he could come back and meet his old friends.”

  She paused, then her watery blue eyes crinkled with delight at being the center of attention. Even the other maid, who had been there herself, seemed completely focused on her.

  If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  She allowed the silence to stretch out as long as she could, and just before Orion was about to urge her to explain more, she resumed her story. “There was some tension afterward. The ladies, Lorena and Abella, didn’t appreciate the offer, saying that poaching a team member like that wasn’t right. They were very… colorful in their choice of words.”

  Having come to know the Tamer and Archer pretty well over the past few days, Orion could imagine they had barely restrained themselves from attacking his mother. Those two were definitely the least sociable members of the adventuring team, and it showed.

  “What did they say?” Ophelia asked, and Laurie tittered.

  “Oh, I can't repeat such words, but suffice to say, Sir Seothyn had to step in to calm the waters. Things got better once Lady Asteria clarified that the offer was extended to everyone on the Team, since any friend of Bartholomew was a good person in her eyes. But before they could discuss the matter further, Sir Bartholomew himself refused her,” she said, nodding firmly to emphasize the point. “He told her upfront that he would never set foot in the Sanctum again; he did.”

  Orion leaned back. His mother’s offer had been clearly impulsive and driven by her desire to reconnect with an old friend, along with a possible realization that having an A-rank team like the Basilisk Fang on their side would significantly strengthen their position within the Sanctum, even if the actual induction of four unrelated adventurers might cause some issues.

  Just thinking about Yue’s reaction to that made him suppress a snort. Yeah, she probably would have appreciated a little warning.

  But then again, it seemed the whole thing had been a failure. Even for an A-rank team, getting an invite to join a major faction isn’t something that happens often. It’s probably a one or two times thing, if it happens at all. Bart rejecting Mom so quickly cost them a lot, but I guess that with Seothyn’s actual power, they don’t need the Sanctum’s support.

  “People were shocked after that, yes, they were. Most commoners dream of the day they receive an invite to join a place like the Sanctum, but Sir Bartholomew didn’t hesitate at all. Lady Asteria seemed sad afterward, more than angry. She told him she’d like to catch up again, but that she understood his position, and then she left.”

  That felt almost anticlimactic as a conclusion to such an intense afternoon. From the way Laurie was looking at them, she clearly hoped to have done a good job with her storytelling, maybe good enough to be called upon again, and even become a personal maid for Ophelia.

  Deciding he wanted nothing to do with such things, as he had much more important matters to attend to, Orion stood up and made to leave. “Well, you have my thanks for telling me what happened.”

  He then gave Ophelia an amused look as she clearly realized the two maids were waiting for her praise, and left without bothering to suppress his chuckle, despite the glare he felt on his back.

  Upon returning to the embassy, Orion immediately headed to his mother’s rooms, but found his path blocked.

  “The Elder is inside. No one is allowed to disturb her while she speaks with her apprentice.”

  The mechanical voice felt strangely familiar, yet at the same time entirely different from anything he knew. Orion stared at the silver construct of a knight, which had its tower shield lowered, blocking the way.

  “I am literally her apprentice’s son. I think I can be allowed in.” He argued, but that didn’t move the smooth, expressionless face.

  “The Elder is inside. No one is allowed to disturb her while she speaks with her apprentice.” It repeated in the same tone and cadence.

  “If you would just ask her, I’m sure she will tell you to let me in,” he tried again, but with less pathos. He was getting the impression that this thing would not budge, no matter what he did, and he was quickly proven right.

  “The Elder is inside. No one is allowed to disturb her while she speaks with her apprentice.”

  Throwing his hands up, Orion decided that wasting time here would be pointless. What little [Verification Principle] was able to gather from the construct’s underlying mana was enough to tell him there was no way he could overpower it, and making enough of a scene to get his mother’s attention seemed far too childish, especially since he didn’t know how the damn thing would react to that.

  Knowing it was Yue who had made it, it would probably attack him.

  I have seen what one of these things, even made hastily, can do to a human body. I don't want to test my luck against it.

  He would complain later, but for now, he retreated in silent defeat, letting the embassy’s magic pull him back toward his lab.

  There, he found another surprise. This time, instead of a golem blocking the door, a woman was there, affecting surprise at his arrival.

  Orion didn’t believe that for a second. Luck might be an empirically measurable thing in this world, considering Ophelia’s background, but he doubted Zinnia had that kind of power, or she wouldn’t have had her opportunity at an official apprenticeship stolen right from her.

  “Well, look who it is,” she murmured, staring down at him imperiously.

  If he were a typical thirteen-year-old, it might have worked. With her flowing red hair, tall stature, and stern features, she projected an intimidating presence, which wasn’t to say anything about her prowess.

  Huh, she got another level. At level ninety, she’s getting close to tier three. I guess there's a reason she’s still in Yue’s good graces.

  “Zinnia,” he greeted back shortly, making to enter his laboratory.

  “Ah, where do you think you're going?” She asked, stepping between him and the door.

  “The lab?” He asked, confused. “I’ve been working from there for weeks. Everyone knows that.”

  “But did you schedule it? Because I went and booked it for next week,” she replied, and while her face didn’t twitch, he knew she wanted to grin nastily. He could see it in her eyes.

  Despite how annoying he found the situation, Orion couldn’t help but snort. “Are you seriously trying to bully me? You are a grown-ass woman. Find something else to occupy your time.”

  And with that, he turned on his heels and left her behind, not bothering to wait for whatever poisonous retort she might have.

  He had made the mistake of not booking the lab, and he knew from a long history of fighting for the best equipment in college that it was entirely his fault.

  Now I have nowhere to train. I could do it in the gardens, but there’s a limit to how much I want to reveal. Going back to Ophelia now would mean dealing with her pouting for hours, and I imagine the Basilisk Fang might need a couple of days to recover from the awkwardness. The Radiant Vigil guys would love to have me, but Yue told me to wait for her permission to go back there, and she still hasn’t given it.

  After a moment, he shrugged. “Well, there is one place that will give me all the private space I want as long as I pay for it. To the Adventurer’s Guild we go.”