There was an offer to send a carriage to take him to the castle, but Nick chose to take his time to wander through Alluria and see how things were developing himself, and Tholm’s assurance that he didn't need to bow to any social pressure made rejecting it an easy choice.

  Reconstruction efforts were nearly complete, as far as he could tell. The frozen figure of the cultist who had tried to attack the Tower’s auxiliary building still hung over the plaza as a warning and a threat, and beneath its shadow, Nick spent some time poking around.

  The damage to the city wasn’t particularly notable, but that wasn't the Circle’s main goal. They planned the multiple attacks as a distraction and nearly succeeded.

  Considering they had accomplished all of this with only non-Prestige members, he wondered what they could do if they pulled out all the stops. Nick was certain they must have some true powerhouses in reserve, especially since they appeared to be a major player on the national stage.

  I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that they have less Prestige proportionally than any other similar faction, but the tattoos they give their members probably make up much of the grounds.

  With widespread magic use, especially since the Tower master had loaned many mages to the city for reconstruction, Alluria returned to its original splendor, and even those locations where the attacks were more successful were restored to functionality.

  That didn’t mean everything was back to normal, however. The Duke’s speech, especially given its emotional impact, had done much to stem the spread of chaos and fear among the people, but it couldn’t be denied that an attack had occurred, and folks would need some time before they could fully trust the fragile peace.

  It helped that the number of soldiers visible on the streets had increased even more. Recruitment officers supervised long lines of young citizens volunteering to change their life paths to support the city, and all nobles were making efforts to lend their men to boost the sense of safety.

  Nick moved through everything silently, noticing that the ether was calmer where the soldiers were more numerous and more unsettled where they were fewer, though overall the situation still appeared mostly under control.

  I might need to go on a little hunt, though. I sense some negative emotions gathering in a few spots, and I don’t want them to foster spirits and create a feedback loop of negativity.

  Considering his plans for the near future mostly involved studying the miracle metal he was about to receive, Nick would have preferred to just alert someone and let them handle the problem, but he had seen what that led to far too often lately.

  No, it was better for him to handle it himself. It doesn’t hurt that I’ll be able to use them as fuel for the forging. A few decently powerful spirits should be able to properly soften the orichalcum.

  That was something all the books he’d found on the subject agreed on. Orichalcum was highly conductive; any energy could flow through it in its base state, but if he wanted to forge it into a focus, he needed to attune it properly.

  And while that could be done on the fly, using the natural affinities of the ingredients he would use, this wasn’t the kind of haphazard project he was used to. No, this was going to be his magnum opus, likely for the next decade or even longer, which meant he had to take his time and do things properly.

  By the time he reached the castle, he was almost buzzing with excitement to get his hands on his prize.

  Having to unload most of his wealth to get it would hurt, but money wasn’t valuable by itself, at least for his goals.

  I’m sure some merchant classes get bonuses by hoarding gold.

  This time, the guards at the gate recognized him right away, and one of them hurried off to get a man Nick knew.

  “Sir Borel,” he greeted, nodding respectfully.

  The knight in charge of the castle’s security during the auction appeared to have aged several years in just a few days. Deep stress lines etched his face, and Nick was quite certain the man hadn’t slept at all during that time.

  Considering that he was at the higher end of mortal levels, that was saying something. His CON probably surpassed Nick’s WIS by quite a bit, and for him to display such clear stress, he must have been pushing himself to the limit.

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  “Lord Crowley,” Borel grunted, as he moved his facial muscles into a semblance of a smile and dipped his head.

  It was more respect that had been shown to him last time, which Nick took as a sign that his name was circulating more than just as a mere informant, as it had been before.

  “I won’t ask how things have been, but I hope you are managing well enough,” Nick said, earning a tired snort.

  “Well enough is a good assessment,” Borel replied. “I won’t say it’s been easy, but the Duke is pulling out all the stops, and we’ve secured the city properly this time, since we don’t need to tiptoe around.”

  That last part was said with a furrowed brow, and Nick suspected the knight, along with many others beyond him, were frustrated that even during the massive sweeps conducted earlier, there had been several places, like the townhouse where Hone’s son and his ilk resided, that they were forbidden from entering.

  It didn’t take a genius to realize that the Circle had used such a location to set up its operations, even after Nick had blown the cover of their main base.

  “I was told to take you directly to the Duke once you arrived,” Borel said, and Nick raised an eyebrow.

  He had expected to meet the man. Maybe a quick word before he left, or even just for a trusted aide to be sent to take care of him, as had been done before. But for the Duke, who was swamped with work, to issue a standing order that he be brought to him whenever he arrived meant this was more important than he had thought.

  I doubt he wants to handle the gold deposit himself. One thousand five hundred coins isn't a small fortune, but it’s still a fraction of what House Alluria has in its coffers at any given time.

  Still, he didn’t complain and obediently followed the knight into the castle, keeping an eye on the movements all around them.

  Several soldiers whispered as he walked by, having recognized who he was.

  “I wonder if he’ll be offered a position,” one murmured.

  “I heard he was the one who stopped the ritual from going off,” another added. “It would make sense. But the Tower is jealous of its prodigies.”

  Nick hid a grimace. He hoped that wasn’t what was about to happen. The Duke is a smart enough man that, by now, he should know I have no intentions of settling down. I could have taken several chances before to establish myself. That I didn’t should tell him everything he needs to know, especially since I requested that favor.

  It had been uncertain before whether the Duke would follow through with his promise and provide protection from another high noble when the time came, but now that he had once again helped save the day, Nick felt confident he wouldn't have any other choice, or else his reputation would be dragged through the mud.

  Too many now knew he’d been vital to Alluria’s defense. If he were left to suffer without help, it would be the Duke’s reputation that would fall apart.

  The study they were taken to was on a different floor than the one he had been on before. A steady flow of people came and went, all wearing serious expressions that told Nick the Duke was giving out marching orders, but they all seemed to recognize him, or at least correctly guessed who he was, since he received several greetings along the way.

  The only reason they weren’t stopped was that Sir Borel was openly wearing his war face, and no one dared to halt his march lest they fall to his wrath.

  The two guards at the door saw them coming and quickly started dispersing the few people waiting outside.

  “You will be called back shortly,” one said, as an officer tried to protest, using a firm tone to make it clear it was an order, not a request.

  Since the man was probably one of the Duke’s elite guards, even though he wasn’t wearing the dark clothing Nick had seen them in before, the officer had no choice but to quickly retreat, though not before giving Nick a curious look, as he was clearly the reason for the change in plans.

  “Go in,” the guard told him, and Nick complied.

  Inside, the study was a utilitarian space, quite different from the lavish spaces he’d seen the Duke in so far.

  The man scribbled something on his desk, signed it with a flourish, then handed it to a waiting Nausicaa, who dipped her head and turned to leave.

  “Lord Crowley,” she greeted in a strange tone, and Nick was surprised to notice more than a little envy in her.

  “Lady Nausicaa,” he greeted her back, not showing that he knew she resented his success. It wasn’t a deeply rooted emotion anyway. More like an annoyance that he was the one to save the day, not her.

  Once she departed, the Duke signaled with his hand, and the guards shut the door behind them, sealing them inside.

  The privacy spells went live, and Nick knew that whatever was said would be known only to them.

  “Your Grace,” he greeted first, as was proper.

  Duke Anton Alluria eyed him for a long moment before dipping his own head in a gesture that would have been a shocking breach of protocol if done in public. “Lord Crowley. Sit down.”

  Nick did so, pursing his lips. He didn’t like not knowing why people behaved the way they did, and Duke Anton had always been hard to read.

  He could tell he was grateful, but this seemed to be more than that.

  A long moment of silence ensued before the Duke reached into his desk and pulled out a letter, which he handed over.

  It took Nick half a second to recognize the handwriting. “The Prelate wrote you?” he asked.

  “He has. Word of the attack on Alluria has already reached the far corners of the kingdom, and though the specifics have been kept from the general public, everyone knows it was a strike aimed at the temples.” The Duke explained, and Nick nodded, leafing through the letter.

  It was fairly innocuous, just a statement of support from Marthas and an offer to send help even beyond what the main temple of Sashara would provide.

  But many layers hid behind those simple words, and Nick had to wonder at what the Prelate was playing at.

  “This feels like it should have been an internal matter,” he eventually said, and the Duke favored him with a smile.

  “I appreciate intelligence more than I can say,” he sighed. “Several of the people I showed it to failed to grasp the subtleties you did in one glance. Yes, I’m afraid that while we might have avoided a full-blown religious conflict, this is only the beginning of increased tensions and internal power struggles. I have received a similar, if even more fiery, letter from the Keeper of the Tides, Ulter’s highest authority in the Kingdom, informing me that a group of battle priests was coming to handle the burial of his brothers and ensure the safety of worshippers.”

  Nick stayed silent. He had many thoughts and even more things he could say, but this wasn’t a situation that could be fixed with a clever quip.

  The Duke nodded again, taking the letter back. “I just wanted to inform you, as once they get here, they will likely seek you out. Now, let’s get you your prize and your reward. I’m sure you have a lot of work to do.”