For a moment, Nick hoped he would be given a great treasure, maybe even the elven princess staff that had been sold at the auction. Just a couple of hours observing it without the wards that kept him out would have surely greatly advanced his understanding of nature magic.

  But he knew that wasn’t a realistic option, at least not right now. With the city still shaken from the attack, it was very unlikely the Duke would give up one of his best weapons, regardless of his contributions.

  Nonetheless, he couldn’t bring himself to be disappointed as his eyes landed on his reward. No, disappointment was the farthest thing from his mind, but along with the growing excitement, there was a lot of confusion.

  A rose cross wasn't what he expected to find here. He hadn’t seen one since browsing through his grandfather’s books on Earth, and although there were some differences with the symbol of the Rosicrucian Order, it was still recognizable.

  The cross was crafted from gleaming white ivory that probably once belonged to a mighty beast, and the rose overlay was cut from pure ruby, large enough to fit comfortably in his palm. It was masterfully crafted to appear extremely delicate, even though it contained powerful mana that undoubtedly gave it exceptional durability.

  Duke Anton gently placed the item in his hands, causing a tiny static shock to run down Nick’s arms as he looked at it with a somewhat conflicted expression. “I suppose calling this a reward wouldn’t be entirely fair, as it never truly belonged to my House, but yours.”

  Nick felt the blood freeze in his veins even as his hands closed around the ivory handle. Does he know? How does he know?

  A rose cross was an unmistakable symbol of occultism, especially when associated with Christian practices of the fifteenth century. Any mage from Earth would have known what it was, even if they did not belong to a lodge.

  “This is what little remains of your House from before the western expansion, I’m afraid. I cannot restore your prestige and wealth, no matter the circumstances, but I can give you a piece of your history. I know it is a powerful relic, supposedly crafted from a dragon's horn, as legend has it, though it was more likely a drake, and it was known to be a symbol coveted by the head of the house,” Duke Anton explained, and Nick almost felt weak at the knees.

  He doesn’t know. Of course, he doesn’t, how could he?

  He had known that House Crowley existed before Floria, of course. His father had told him the story of its founding, and how Aleister Crowley had been an exile from the capital, the scion of a noble house of good standing that had been caught in too many schemes, and a member of a banned organization.

  It made sense that some items would survive over time, especially if they were enchanted with powerful magic like the rose cross in his hands.

  He would have thought there would be more of them in the capital than here in Alluria, but who knew how these things worked, especially considering how much time had passed.

  “Is there more?” he couldn’t help but ask. He hadn’t even known this was a possibility a few moments ago, and now he was overwhelmed with a strong need to make sure everything related to his ancestor was in his control, especially if it was as fascinating as the rose cross.

  Nick stared down at it and forced himself to hold back from jumping to wild conclusions. He didn’t have enough information, and speculating now would only lead him down wild tangents.

  But how can I ignore that this exact symbol was once used on Earth? Well, not exactly the same, but the Rosicrucians were very factional. It’s possible that one of their splinter groups used it before.

  That would create a strong connection between his old world and this one, beyond what his presence here could explain.

  But it was also just as likely that this was a coincidence or even a case of convergent evolution, especially since Rosenkreuz was said to be active in the fifteenth century, back when Earth still had enough mana to ensure a proper connection to the other dimensions.

  It was possible that the rose cross came from an entity that had visited both worlds or had at least spread its influence through them.

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  Again, he just didn’t know enough.

  “Not in my vaults, no,” Duke Anton replied. “I know of this because my grandfather showed it to me when I was a boy, telling me that every once-great house can fall into ruin. House Crowley might not have been a ducal one, but for Counts to fall into ruin and be stripped of their rights is serious. No doubt some of the other great houses have similar mementos, though I imagine only the older lords and a few with an interest in history will remember why they have them and who they belonged to.”

  “Counts?” Nick asked before he could stop himself.

  There was a moment of silence as Duke Anton regarded him with curiosity before releasing a sigh. “Sometimes I forget how young you are. It’s already a testament to your education that you know this much; it shouldn’t surprise me that your father hasn’t had the time to teach you about your family’s sordid history, especially since it’s no longer particularly relevant now that the Royal Court has cleansed you of the taint by promoting you back to Barons.”

  Is that why the Shadow made such a big deal of it? Because our House was attained once, and to rise in rank, it needed a direct royal acknowledgment?

  “I must apologize for this. I should have perhaps made sure you understood its importance before giving it to you,” Duke Anton murmured, eyeing the cross, and Nick tightened his grip around it, then decided that it would be best to take it out of sight if he wanted to keep it.

  Without a sound, the rose cross vanished into his iron ring, and the Duke snorted softly. “I had no intention of taking it back, you know?”

  “I apologize, Your Grace,” Nick replied awkwardly, but notably didn’t take it back, earning another huff of laughter.

  “I suppose this is as good a place as any to discuss such a sensitive matter,” Duke Anton said eventually, absent-mindedly closing the cabinet. “I am not exactly an expert on that time period, especially not on the political intrigue that gripped the capital before the westward expansion really began, but I remember my grandfather explaining clearly that while it was your ancestors’ dealings that kickstarted the misfortunes that befell the original branch of the Crowleys, he had nothing to do with what happened later.”

  He took a moment, probably considering how much detail to provide, before seemingly deciding that Nick could handle it. “Several of their sworn enemies took advantage of the poor handling of the situation by the head of the house, who was also a known gambler, and lost many of their territories while playing rigged games. All in all, it wasn’t any single event, but the gnolls smelled weakness, and once that happens, very few can survive. Eventually, the house fell into destitution, and another scandal erupted when it was discovered that one of the daughters was being held hostage until she agreed to marry an elderly merchant whose wealth could have alleviated many of their debts. The Royal Court at the time was slow to act in these matters, but it had no choice but to attain the house. The Floria branch remained the only surviving one soon after, as more misery fell on the survivors, leading them to their deaths one after the other.”

  That was a lot. A very sad ending for what must have been a storied house, but then again, fallen nobility could never expect pretty backgrounds.

  It was a miracle that his house still survived to this day, and while he had no intention of ever taking charge of it, he would make sure it thrived in the future.

  “Thank you for telling me,” he said quietly, softer than usual, and the Duke nodded, a sympathetic look in his eyes.

  Together, they left the vault shortly after, and Nick was once again unsettled by the feeling of not sensing anything behind him as he walked away, until the low hum of the ambient mana masked the emptiness.

  “I would like to continue our talk, but unfortunately, I have a lot to do, young Crowley. I’m sure we will see each other again, as I plan to host a ball to dispel the gloom completely, but for now, my men will take you to the Bursar.” Having said that, the Duke left.

  Nick watched his retreating back, still feeling conflicted about the whole situation. The rose cross was undoubtedly very valuable, and not just because of its materials, although those alone would have made it a worthy reward.

  The Duke implied it was highly valued by the Head of the House, suggesting it probably had magical properties he was eager to uncover, but that would have to wait a bit longer.

  “This way, my lord,” one of the soldiers gestured down the corridor, and Nick followed.

  After he’d been relieved of the vast majority of his wealth, Nick left the castle feeling a sense of urgency, unsure of where to focus his energy.

  Many things demanded his attention now, each worth his focus, but he couldn’t do them all at once if he wanted to keep his high standards.

  Eventually, he decided that a preliminary testing session with the orichalcum, followed by the Rose Cross, would be enough for the day, and that tomorrow he could investigate concentrations of negativity to see if anything truly needed his intervention, and act accordingly.

  Back in the Tower, he sent a quick message to Tholm to let him know he was safely back and, more importantly, that he hadn’t gotten himself caught up in any more dangerous situations. Then he settled into one of the testing rooms set up for the apprentices.

  He did feel a bit guilty about not looking for his friends, who would surely wonder where he’d been, but there was only so much time he had, and he knew that if he went down to the student lounge, he wouldn’t come up for hours.

  With a sigh, Nick cast a few privacy spells, freezing the air around the room and distorting it just enough to prevent any scrying from getting a clear view.

  Not that he thought anyone could bypass the Tower’s wards, but for what he was about to work on, he needed total peace of mind. That could only be achieved if he was sure no third parties could interrupt him.

  Having finished his preparations, he reluctantly called forth the orichalcum on the testing table. With a thud, the onyx metal dropped onto it, pushing some air out of the way.

  Under the weak glow of the Duke’s vault, it almost seemed to absorb the light, but beneath the fluorescent lights, Nick could notice its matte finish. It appeared as if it could be polished to a shine, yet he knew that no ordinary products would alter its texture.

  No, this was a material that could only be affected by magic. He pushed the metal with his hands, applying enough force that it should have moved, but it didn’t budge, despite it not weighing that much, in the grand scheme of things.

  Nodding to himself, Nick gathered some of his mana in his hand and opened his mystical senses to the fullest, doing his best to ignore the constant glare of the Tower around him.

  This time, as he slapped his hand against it, the orichalcum reacted.