- When two Primary Circles collide in equal parts, it is common for the protective layer to suffer a very large shock - Felipe Vidian pointed to a rune suspended in the air, explaining to several high-ranking nobles. - My greatest difficulty was the concentration of these circles, trying not to expose each of them to an overload.
- Are you still looking for people to help you with this problem? - Gaston asked from one of the chairs, leaning his head on his hand.
- Yes, I am. The last one was the Bakers, but even they couldn't help me. - I didn't like to remember their magic circle being destroyed from the inside out and some of the professors laughing. - But, I could understand a lot of things going there.
Lucian, an Intermediate Scholastic, lined up the notes he had made, handing them to Philip.
- Your idea of Arcane Mechanics is good, young man, no doubt about it, but it has been two years since the best people studied this phenomenon and no one has managed to create a passive rune that matches it.
- It wouldn't hurt to try. - Philip sat down, crossing his arms, discouraged. - My father wants me to always try to be better, but this project is almost impossible to align. How could anyone have the head to think of a passive within a passive?
- Don't judge the ocean just because you know one drop. - Lucian sat down again, adjusting his baggy pants at the ends. - Here in the Boilers, two people are known as geniuses. I have seen them surpass older Magi in high-level Arcane matters.
- I've tried, but I couldn't arrange a meeting. The Germaco's are always very reserved when it comes to their relatives, and the Robertson's like to see us asking for help. - Philip clearly denied it. - Fuck them with their pride.
- If it's any consolation, your cousin tried to go after them and failed too," Gaston said. - She's the only heiress who can compete with you when it comes to influence.
- Silena? - The name alone made Philip bitter. - She got help from Cairo Rent, that old man. And to think I begged him to help me. I'm dragging my feet longer than I should to get help.
- Worse than Cairo, she got a pretty solid foundation," Lucian commented. - Yesterday, she showed three small projects on Ordinary Arcanism that surprised her father. She hadn't done it herself, but he supported her.
- Why wasn't I informed about this?
- Because you were crawling around asking for help," Gaston sneered with a wry smile. - Your cousin is much more cunning than she lets on. For your safety, I've asked one of my colleagues to follow up and find out who this person is. We should know later today.
A bit of calm reappeared over Philip. If he could find this person, he could pay twice as much, open a contract that Silena could never cover. Money was important for Magi and Scholastics because of books and research.
To support themselves, an average of more than two gold coins per month was needed. Lucian herself was one of these, who lived from research, being sponsored by Philip and helping him whenever requested.
- The projects she presented were quite different," Lucian confronted Gaston. - Half of the people said that it would take at least two years to create a sketch like that.
- And what does this have to do with it?
- It could be that Silena has already had help from this person for years. 'Medium Rune Explosive Charge', do you know that name? - Neither of them answered. Lucian continued: - 'When a rune has a charge, whatever it is, it gets a common concentration, let's say its value is 1. When we add more charge, this concentration increases. When the rune reaches its limit, it has the name Explosive Rune. It is a passive that they use for smoke bombs. They fill the inside with as much as possible, and to trigger it, they add some of the person's mana.
- It explodes on impact.
- That is the point. A bomb takes two to three seconds to explode. - Lucian's expression changed to a serious one. - The bomb Silena presented can be activated at any time by anyone who has their mana recorded in the bomb.
Gaston was the first to reveal momentary shock.
- This is too ingenious. Anyone could use one of these, and not get hurt. It's perfect for traps.
- That's why the project is being reviewed by the Elders. They want to send this project to the Order of the Magi on the continent.
- To the Order? - Philip almost lost his voice. - The Order.
- Yes, the Order. - Lucian felt his friend's sadness. Consoling him there would be complicated. - The chance to go is great since they need projects that will add a lot to Archaboom.
For years Philip had wanted to show his father that his energy spent in gaining people's trust would lead him to the prize of becoming a great leader. Little by little he remained at the top, without looking down, and when he had a chance to glimpse the abyss between his opponents, Silena Vidian stared at him, climbing stone by stone to meet him.
The first time they had talked about being leaders, she had not shown much enthusiasm. Now, the woman's hungry eyes narrowed on him.
- I need someone who can solve this problem as quickly as possible," she said, more to herself than to the others. - Isn't there anyone in the Boilers in Advanced Arcanism?
- One person," Gaston answered immediately. - But you won't like to know who it is.
- Speak up.
- Monique Aurelius, the creator of the Tallos Theorem.
- The woman on the coast? - Lucian denied it with his hand to Philip immediately. - Don't even think about going after her. The last one who tried was sent flying. She works with Arcane Evolution and knows how to change arrays.
Felipe didn't know the woman. In fact, the stories he had heard since he was little were that the woman was in her thirties, and that her skill with Arcanism was different from other people. She did not follow the natural laws or the Four Pillars.
Lucian and Gaston had contact with her in the past, but were eventually sent away without an iota of respect. Monique Aurélius was the only person in the Islet Boiler who was allowed to live without answering to anyone.
- And would she be able to help me? - Philip ignored Lucian's comment. - Create a project from scratch to impress my father?
- Didn't she get permission to live in isolation? It's kind of obvious that she will.
The author's content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
Lucian didn't approve of anything, but Gaston kept giving him a flurry of provocations to go. His options were running out, and his podium would be gone at any moment.
- Do you know where she lives today, Gaston?
- Strange if I didn't. - The young man smiled mischievously. - I'll take you there today.
I
Orion waited in the back of Raimundo's store. This was a day of rest, without having to exercise, without having to practice Arcanism, without having to deal with his father's challenges.
Days like that, where he grabbed a cup of coffee and read a fantasy book about the ancient Magi of the past were too passionate, too slow. And with the vast majority of the people in the square coming to store in the store, he spent most of his time alone.
The most ordinary day of all, however, awaited a somewhat expected visit.
- Madam," Raimundo's voice sounded more cheerful and humorous. - In the back, please. He has already arrived. Gentlemen.
Four people came to the back, and Orion looked away from his book. His eyes went from one to the other, quickly. The woman nearest was clearly Silena Vidian, her posture and also her aura were noble. The old man in his Mage robe and white beard was Cairo Rent, at which he gave her a corner smile. The other two he recognized from pictures. Rosana Mixer and Trish Agors, two Magicians who stayed in the Vidian houses.
- Is this brat in the chair the person who did that project? - Trish revealed more surprise than shock. - He probably doesn't even have hair in his armpits. Raimundo, are you sure it's him?
Raimundo was about to answer when Silena approached and stretched out her hand.
- It's a pleasure to meet you, Orion Baker.
Orion stood up and greeted her politely.
- Pleasure is mine.
- If you don't mind, I'll sit down. - Silena pulled out the chair beside him and did so, keeping a close eye on the boy. - I should start by saying that Cairo complimented you on coming here. He knows how to make a person expect.
- He complimented me? - He watched the old man sit down as well. - Even after I finished you off in an Arcanism duel? Did you see the symbol on the blueprint?
- You little pest, when I saw it, I thought I was going to have a heart attack. How has your father been?
- Stressed out, as usual. Most Scholastics are like that by nature.
- You don't seem to be - Rosana said. - You're young and you have a huge talent, it should be easy.
- Genius has more to do with discipline than ability. - I meant no offense, but Rosana snorted. - Half of the people think that having a good memory is just memorizing and they already know everything. I wish it were that easy.
- Isn't it? - Silena asked. - Your projects were all so well done. Some were even praised by the Elders.
- These are the most basic ones I've done. I wanted to sell my fish, and I did.
- Helping me in the process.
- Orion, why didn't you apply for the Scholastic Conjunction last year? - Cairo asked very curious. - You could have made your name and helped many people. If these projects had come out earlier, the Order would have an immense advantage today.
- I don't mind the war.
- The war is important for the entire continent," Cairo replied. - Today, the Scholastics do their best to be able to assist in the best way possible with passive runes. Yours were by far the best so far.
- My father always says the same thing. War serves to show which side is stronger, only that the strength they think they demonstrate on the battlefield comes out of thinking heads here in the Boilers, or in other safe parts of the world. - There was no contempt in the voice. - Not that I don't care about people's lives, but a war is not won with power.
- Nice words coming from someone who has never participated in a war," Trish amended with a frown. - And what do you win with? Words and manners? Boy, the day you see a friend of yours lying dead next to you, you won't care about the theory. The only thing you're going to want to do is get everybody on the other side.
- I hope with all my heart that I don't have to go through that. Words don't win wars, that is a fact, so much so that Prosna never managed to convince the First Pope in a truce.
- Prosna, the First Fire Mage? - Silena asked.
- The story of a man who tried in every way to explain the events that occurred in mana, but never managed to get the blessing of the great god-worshipers. For more than fifty years, he talked openly with the great Pope Julius I about the infinite power if the two could unite. The result of this? Julius and Prosna killed each other in a flowery field on such a quiet day. The story of a man who tried in every way to change the world peacefully, and what he got was pain and death. - He let out a muffled laugh. - Ironic, don't you think?
Silena knew the story. Prosna wanted to keep a small group of students while he tried to negotiate peace with Julius I. His confidence in finding peace led him to be careless, being killed in one of these negotiations.
The story was clear to her. Silena and Orion were not part of the same group, of different thoughts.
- Which side are you on?
Orion stared at her and took a moment to answer.
- Neither of them. Prosna died because he blindly believed in peace. Julius died because he blindly believed that the gods would help him. - He touched his own chest. - Trusting something I can't touch is very substantial.
- A third way?
- A third way. If you can call it that. I want my family's honor back.
Raimundo was the one who mourned the most when he heard this.
- Orion," he said from the corner. - Try to be reasonable.
- I know, Uncle. I know, Uncle.
- The name Baker comes from an ancient line of warriors who fought in the war in the past. - Rosana couldn't help but believe that this boy was just fooling him with pretty words. - My father and grandfather were with them, in the trenches. But after what happened here, the robbery and the murder, no one would clear your name.
- Do you think I don't know? Last week Felipe Vidian came to my house asking for help with a project identical to the ones you had in hand.
The quartet looked at each other. The appearance of the Vidian direct heir was not in their plans.
- And what did you do? - Silena was the most uneasy.
- I did what I had to do. Ernesto Vidian humiliated my father in front of many people when I was small, and I reciprocated with great pleasure. - He made an explosion gesture with his hands. - I split his design in two, exploding its layers, one by one, with runes of counterpoint.
Cairo grimaced rigorously.
- I remember when Ernesto did this to your father. I had just arrived, about ten or eleven years ago.
- Twelve years, three months, two weeks and two days. - Orion recovered perfectly. - He simply used his title to hurt my father's pride and say that it was his fault that a treasure like Full Magic was stolen.
- Did Mr. Ernesto do this? - Silena asked softly. - Most people know his handsome face, but few have had the opportunity to see how short he can be.
- He was much worse than that, Silena. - Raimundo spoke with regret. - Orion's family had been through a lot that year. No food, no water, sometimes they even stayed on the streets trying to find a way to get something to eat. That's when I found them.
- My uncle did something for me that few people would do. - Orion's fist was closing, little by little. - The war doesn't matter to me if I continue to watch my family suffer for mistakes that were not made by us. And even if it was done, the punishment should be immediate, not eternal.
- And you think Ernesto has a feud with you because of this? - Cairo said. - He is not a man who cares about many people, even his son has been lost with all this competition.
- I wish I could believe it, but my father suffered a lot at the hands of a person who never looked him in the eye.
Orion took the book he was reading and carefully handed it to Silena.
- This is the 'Indomitable Spirit of the Haul'. The man who made the world know the beauty of magic before he disappeared. He didn't give up wanting to know, he didn't give up for anything in this world that magic could be what connected people.
- I read it a few times.
- The quote on the last page says: "Only the strongest know beauty in pain, and the luckiest, the world without it. To the lucky, pain exists only in the past. For the strong, it exists wherever it goes." - He smiled showing his teeth. - Frankly, Haul was an idiot, but he believed in something until the end. And I want to be someone like that, who can make the world a better place, but starting with where I live.
- Here, in the Boilers.
- Yes," he said at last. - Here.
II
- Will you finance me with your projects? - Silena and Orion were walking together along the shore of the Euge Sea. Disconcerted, she asked again. - Why do you want to do this so openly? Your name would have an impact, and could help your family even more.
- You know little of the Scholastic world, don't you?
- Only what Cairo and Rosana tell me.
Orion stopped and stared at the blue immensity that stretched for countless kilometers.
- Here, in the Boilers, the Scholastic Conjunction is formed every year, and anyone can make a name for themselves. A Baker participated last year, and when he achieved a certain fame, he was approached by the Vidian and the Germaco. The story of this person goes back to the present day, a woman who never came back from there right in the head.
Silena stared at him. A name came into her mind.
- Monique Aurelius?
- She was my friend. Her skill in Arcanism was as good as mine, but she was better than me at many things, and finding faults, the least of them. - Orion gestured with his hand, drawing a circle. - Someone with an innate talent for unraveling riddles.
- What happened to her?
- Many things, but the worst was that her mind was scrambled. She used her family name and thought she could make it big, but it was too soon. - Orion felt the pain as he remembered her being carried away by Mages and Knights. - The last thing she told me was not to worry because she knew what she was doing. I never saw her again.
- That's why she doesn't want to use your name.
Most noble houses really had the capacity to ruin a life. Silena had a certain appreciation for Orion's story because she knew how people within the Vidian territory behaved.
Broad smiles in front of them, knives and daggers at their backs.
For them to have taken a woman just because she made her name, to have managed to create a little hope, just showed how much evil existed. Orion didn't seem nervous about the subject, but treated it gently.
- My father always said that patience is the strongest weapon of all," he said to her. - I want to tell you that your family is very dirty, but what family isn't? The Bakers try to create intrigues among themselves just to get more to eat. And half of the young men train every day to become Knights.
- Don't you?
- I have trained for more than ten years and I get tired quickly.
- And now, you are a Scholastic.
- I have always been one," he corrected. - But I want you to know this. I don't trust you.
She laughed.
- Why would you trust someone you just met?
- Because I need to, but I don't want to. I want to help you, but to do that you have to help me. - He took a small piece of paper from his pocket and gave it to her. - Here are five projects that are going to be my foundation for recognition, not only in the Boilers, but on the continent, and I want you to be my foundation.
- So that you can get a name and I can get my position. So you expect me to help you in the future. - Silena understood the deal well. - Are these projects that you have written recently?
- It has been more than ten years since I wrote these. I rewrote them this week.
- And what makes you think they will be so well regarded? - She wanted to know more than anything why Orion had such great strength in words. Silena in her twenties depended on several people in her household, and this boy in front of her seemed to have the world in his hands when he could not even walk without being judged.
Was this unshakable confidence? What did he believe in so much? In himself or in his ideas? In his ability or in the future?
Silena wanted to know.
- Because you came to me, and if I can impress someone who has the largest library in the Boilers, I can impress anyone in the world.
Those dark eyes, Silena wasn't sure if the winds had changed or if the world had become brighter because of them, but she openly felt if she came any closer, she would be consumed by an infinite abyss.
And a small part of her mind, deep inside, was begging her to go.
Who the hell was Orion Baker?