Clive wasn’t sure why all of Thad’s team and Jason needed to be involved with a basic ritual of awakening. He was also unsure why Thad, if his suspicions were correct, would need one.

  Jason didn’t need a ritual after all.

  But maybe Thad didn’t possess the ability to bypass a ritual, or perhaps he was using the event to mask suspicion, not that anyone other than Clive was probably suspicious of him.

  Regardless, he watched as Thad adjusted one of the ritual lines on the floor with a satisfied hum before strolling over to his team’s healer, working on his own section of the ritual.

  “Oh, You have a steady hand, Neil. that looks perfect. Definitely using you for more ritual set-ups in the future.” Thad said, checking over the elf’s work.

  Clive didn’t think the work was perfect; however, it was passable.

  A sentiment that he and the elf seemed to share.

  “I’m not actually that adept at rituals, though,” Neil responded as he looked down at Thad, who’d now linked arms with him, placing his head against his shoulder.

  Hmmm… Clive had noticed it once before, but both men seemed relatively close. Maybe the healer would be a good person to question regarding recent changes to Thad’s personality.

  “I’m pretty sure I could teach you the basic principles. Oh, I’d be like your very own private tutor. Then you could walk me through healing rituals,” Thad offered enthusiastically.

  Clive noticed Thad glance over for a second.

  “Though Clive may be more of the expert at those sorts of things, so it wouldn’t hurt my feelings if you wanted to learn from him.”

  “I never offered to teach, only to check over work,” Clive stated, not for a moment wanting to get distracted from his research to go over basic principles people should be able to master on their own.

  He, of course, didn’t mind expounding on complex topics, but it was better to have someone who could keep up with his train of thought, like Jason.

  “Oh, that’s right, I forgot your husband was the professor. My mistake.” Thad said with a smirk.

  Oh, not this again.

  “Wait, you're married, Clive?” Neil asked with a barely perceptible note of relief in his aura for some reason.

  “No, I most certainly am not!” Clive said, with a stern look directed at Thad, who’d started snickering to himself, only to be joined by Jason

  “You’re welcome for that again,” Jason added, continuing to laugh as he sat atop the room's only desk, a sandwich in hand.

  “You’re lucky I decided to look over the ritual at all,” Clive noted, causing Thad to stop laughing. “You know, Jason, didn’t you say that you could absorb awakening stones without the ritual, as a racial gift?”

  Clive glanced from Jason to Thad, hoping for a response from the young noble. It didn’t come, which was frustrating.

  “Yes, I just think about absorbing the stone then, presto, new ability,” Jason said, waving his sandwich in the air slightly.

  “Oh, that sounds mighty convenient,” Dustin said as he leaned against the wall, his eyes focused on Jason’s sandwich.

  “It is. I feel bad for you lot,” Jason said, pulling out another sandwich and handing it to Dustin, who looked at Jason with adoration.

  “At least we get to practice rituals, as prep work,” Thad said contentedly.

  “I wouldn’t call creating the ritual you're about to use practice. It’s more application at this point.” Neil said, looking down at Thad, a complex expression noted on his face.

  “I mean, the rituals for me, but we still need someone to activate it,” Thad said, looking up at the healer with a smile, which the healer proceeded to look away from immediately.

  “And you want me to do it?”

  “I mean, you’ve been trained in basic magical theory, so why not? Though I can have Clive—”

  “I’ll do it,” Neil said firmly, turning his gaze on Clive.

  Had the elf just glared at him? What had he ever done to him? Wait, was this because he was a commoner?

  “Perfect! Then, are we good to go, Clive?” Thad asked, looking over, not appearing to notice the look being shared between the scholar and the healer.

  “Yes, the ritual’s adequate, if one required a ritual for an awakening stone that is,” Clive said, looking at Thad pointedly, who just obliviously smiled back and walked to its center.

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

  “Then let's do this. What power do you think I’ll get?”

  Clive suddenly felt foolish. Were his suspicions not warranted?

  “It’s hard to say with certainty. There isn’t a registered combination with your essences. The Mercy awakening stone is also a versatile one; it’s utilized in several combinations, from stealth-based fighters to healers,” Clive lectured, deciding to focus on things he did know, instead of his uncertainties.

  “I guess there are multiple definitions of mercy; maybe I should’ve kept it,” Jason mused as he listened to Clive’s explanation.

  “I did offer for you to keep it, so can you just make up your mind, Jason?” Thad said, his hands resting on his hips.

  “Well, Mercy’s not really my thing.”

  “You're such a Chuunibyou.”

  “Hey, how do you know what that even means?”

  Jason's question caused Clive to perk up with hope. Maybe he would finally be vindicated.

  “Context, Jason, I’m not an idiot,” Thad said, throwing out his hands in an exasperated manner.

  “Yeah, and we heard Gilbert talking about it. It means you're edgy or something, right?” Dustin added between bites of sandwich.

  Wait, the team had heard the word from Jason’s tailor… and even the Defender knew what it meant. Clive felt his earlier vindication evaporate.

  “Well, it's more nuanced than that,” Jason pouted, crossing his arms.

  “But that’s basically it, yeah?” Neil asked, looking at the affliction specialist, who proceeded to run his hands across his face with a sigh.

  “Shut up,” Jason said, looking slightly embarrassed. “Thad, pull the stone out, so we can see what manna wasting power you're gonna get.”

  “Manna wasting… I can’t help the abilities I’ve to work with!”

  “He’s not really wrong, though,” Neil said, looking at Thad with a shrug.

  “Neil! I don’t have to take that sort of harassment from you.”

  “And you can, from Asano?”

  “Jason just says whatever comes into his brain first. I won’t fault him for that deficiency.”

  “Hey!”

  “Thad, be nice to Jason,” Dustin admonished, having finished his sandwich.

  “Thank you, Dusty!”

  “He’s just saying that cause he thinks you’ll give him another sandwich,” Neil accused, garnering a look of betrayal from Dustin.

  “You’re just mad I got one, and you didn’t!”

  “Are we going to do this ritual or not?” Clive asked, ready to get on with his day, finding it so far, a bust, as it hadn’t helped prove his theory one way or another.

  It would be nice if he could categorize an awakening and essence combination, though.

  “Oh yeah, sorry, Clive,” Thad said with a sheepish grin as a softly glowing stone appeared in his hands. “Neil, you ready?”

  The healer nodded, walking to the edge of the circle and completing the ritual, magical energy coalescing, until the awakening stone disappeared into Thad’s hand. His eyes glowed with the same warm light of the stone as the magic integrated into him before dimming back to their golden color.

  A stupid grin appeared on the young noble’s face as he looked at his empty hands.

  “What did you get?” Neil asked as Thad walked out of the circle.

  Clive watched the young man reach for the standard ritual tools laid out on the workbench near the desk and pick up a dagger.

  “Thad?” Neil asked, looking a bit concerned as suddenly the young man lightly pricked the tip of his thumb, blood welling up slightly.

  “Oh, gentle breeze, ease our pain.”

  A light breeze tousled Thad’s hair, the small wound disappearing, with only the blood as evidence it ever existed.

  “I don’t know how you can possibly eat any more, you’ve already had two of Jason’s sandwiches,” Thad said, watching Dustin finish his second plate of dumplings.

  “What, it takes a lot of stamina to maintain all of this,” Dustin said, waving up and down his body before taking his chopsticks and trying to grab the last dumpling off Thad’s plate, who looked aghast, pulling the plate out of reach.

  “Hey, I’m almost finished with this one, steal from Neil!”

  Thad was not about to lose an easy meal for his task number.

  Dustin laughed, but stopped when he saw the elf push over his barely touched plate.

  Thad and Dustin shared a glance.

  “Neil, you ok?” Thad asked lightly, reaching his hand over, only to stop as the hand was pulled away. It stung.

  “Yeah, why wouldn’t I be?” Neil grumbled.

  “You’ve seemed upset since the ritual of awakening,” Thad said, rolling one of his chopsticks back and forth with a finger, his anxious energy palpable on his aura. “Is it because of my ability?”

  Silence followed.

  “You know you bring a lot more to the team than just healing, right?” Thad asked, only to see Neil lean back in his chair and cross his arms. “You're pretty much our team's leader.”

  “What? But you—”

  “Dustin’s second in command after you, so don’t even think of putting that role on me,” Thad said, waving off Neil, who looked more confused than hurt now.

  “I mean, I wouldn’t mind being the leader,” Dustin said, only to get a small consolatory pat on the shoulder from Thad.

  “Listen, what I’m trying to say is, I can’t even imagine being able to do what you do. But, I also don’t want to be a burden… I think that’s what happened at least. Why my ability manifested.”

  “You’re not a—”

  “I’m trying not to be, but still, now I can heal you a bit! Isn’t it time I covered some of the team's weaknesses other than just being one?” Thad said with a small smile. “Besides, it’s not like anyone else would join my team at this point, so you’re both stuck with me till the end.”

  “That’s kind of selfish of you,” Dustin said, stealing a dumpling from Neil’s plate.

  “I mean, I kind of excelled at being selfish in the past, so I think this is a slightly more palpable level.”

  “Dustin’s just sad you haven’t asked Phoebe to join the team yet,” Neil said as a beleaguered sigh came from the defender.

  “She wouldn’t even join if he asked… she thinks it’s healthy for us to be on different teams this early in the relationship. She wants to give it a few months!”

  Dustin laid his head on the table, distraught.

  Thad wasn’t sure whether to point out that a few months wasn’t that long a time, or the fact that Phoebe was being pretty reasonable, all things considered.

  “I mean, it’s a good thing to take things slow sometimes in a relationship.”

  “How would you know, Thad? You’ve never been in a relationship.” Dustin groaned.

  “What? But I… I mean, well…” Thad ran his hands through his hair and looked away.

  This caused Neil and Dustin to share a glance.

  “Yeah, I guess from that perspective… I’m not really one to be advising on this. I hate to say it, Neil, but Dustin may be the most experienced out of us.”

  “I think that’s a matter of interpretation,” Neil said, looking at Dustin, who flushed. “I mean, he’s the only—"

  “We are not discussing this in public,” Dustin said, grabbing another dumpling off Neil’s plate.

  “I mean, you’re the youngest, so it makes sense. There’s nothing to be ashamed of,” Thad said, trying to be comforting, only to receive a scowl.

  “Just because I’m not a person to have one-night stands like you and Neil, doesn’t mean I’m ashamed. I just… well, I want the first time to be special, you know.”

  “And I’m sure it will be,” Thad said, somewhat surprised by the realization that Neil was more experienced than he’d initially presumed.

  “Did you know that she said it back?” Neil asked Thad, who looked absolutely delighted by this news.

  “What, really! Wait, when did she say it… How did she say it?”

  good place reference... no its not about Dustin figuring out anything important, he just knows roughly what a Chuuni is.