“Are you sure about this?” Queen Sybil Palemarrow asked her boyfriend.

“Why wouldn’t I be? This isn’t a problem,” Leland Silver replied to his girlfriend.

To the side, Jude Brown coughed. “Famous last words.”

“Totally,” added Glenny Red. “Famous last words.”

Leland caught his friend's gaze, intentionally glancing up at his snow-white and streaky red hair. “Shut it, dandruff.”

Completely unfazed Glenny replied in the voice of an event announcer, “Here lies Leland, whose last words were ‘nah, it will be fine.’”

“That is hardly what I said.”

“It kind of is,” Sybil quietly said, her eyes darting to the corner of the room when Leland’s head spun to stare at her.

“I’m hurt,” he said, his hand on his heart. “I thought you were supposed to be on my side.”

Jude rapped Glenny's chest with the back of his hand. “See this Glenny? This here is what we, in the business, call the start of a ‘couple’s argument.’”

“’In the business?’” Leland and Sybil asked at the same time, each glancing at one another impishly.

Leland continued, “Because last I remember, you’ve never had a girlfriend.”

Sybil then chimed in, “I think it’s because he’s too thuggish.”

“Oh yes, he’s too thuggish, I agree.”

Unfortunately for the new couple, Jude only smiled. “And see here, Glenny? I call that, ‘fixing a couple’s potential argument before it starts.’ You can always count on making them see you as a common enemy. Works like a charm.”

He then looked Sybil dead in the eyes. “I charge by the quarter hour. You’re welcome.”

Sybil rolled her eyes. “You can pick up the gold from the bank.”

“Wait really?”

All three friends stared blankly at him. “No.”

“Oh…”

“Thuggish and gullible,” Glenny quietly muttered, creating a snickering contest between Leland and Sybil.

“Nuh huh!” Jude quickly countered. “I like to think of myself as trusting.”

“So you admit to being thuggish.”

“Well… yeah. It’s my aesthetic.”

“Your… aesthetic,” Leland slowly said. “Who taught you such a word?”

For a moment it looked as though Jude was going to answer honestly. But that might be cause for more teasing. So, instead, he went with the two words that won any argument and shut down any future banter.

“Your mom,” he triumphed.

Without batting an eye, Leland asked, “Ah. It had to be her. You’re mom probably doesn’t know that word.”

And just like that, Jude’s previously conceived notion that there were two words that ended all words, was bashed. So what, in the end, did he do? He sat there like a thug, his jaw locked out and his mouth slightly agape, trying to think of a comeback.

The others waited for a moment, but when it became clear he wasn’t going to respond, Leland said, “Anyways. I think it’s going to be fine. This isn’t the first time I’ve done this.”

Glenny stretched in his chair, his muscles still not quite one-hundred present. The battle with the Sightless King had taken more than just the majority of his hair color and morphed his eyes into something akin to black ink splattered on white paint. The healers said he’d make a full recovery, and he had no doubts in his mind that was true, but one thing was for certain. He had over done it and strained most of his body.

Luckily muscle relaxers were powerful and non addictive! He made a mental note to thank the next Legacy of the Alchemist for always being hard workers.

“You’ve already met him before, right?” Glenny eventually asked, his calves especially feeling the stretch.

“The very first,” Leland replied, grimoire in hand.

The discussion, or what really didn’t amount to much of a discussion, was about the Lord of Magic.

Cursed contract of the Lord of Magic:

Use: For the duration of the contract, all magical abilities are increased by a factor of 5%. Only usable once per hour.

Return: One greater mana potion offered at a shrine of the Lord of Magic at the earliest convenience, as well as an additional one in one year’s time.

And as it just so happened, the one year limit was upon Leland… sort of. It was true that technically, there were a few days before the contract finished. But boys being boys, neither Leland, Jude, nor Glenny could remember what day he made the contract on. It was around the time they killed the Witch Icewillow, which was definitely after Leland’s birthday, but the specific day was unknown.

“Worst he says is to come back later,” Leland said.

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“Or that you have angered him for the last time and that he’s going to smite you down.”

All eyes turned to Jude. “What?” he asked. “It could happen.”

Leaning back, Leland sighed and said, “Nah. He was cool. I think he’s under my Lord’s wing or something. They seemed close.”

Sybil took the moment to ask, “You have a mana potion of reasonable—” A jar appeared in Leland’s hand, one glowing softly with cobalt blue. “Of course you do.”

He smirked. “A mage always comes prepared.”

Glenny scoffed. “If you’re a mage, then I’m a trickster, not a rogue.”

Leland rolled his eyes then tenderly whispered, “You can be a trickster if you want to, Glenny. I won’t judge.”

“If he can be a trickster, I want to be a battle master!” Jude quickly said.

Again, Leland spoke tenderly, “Whatever you want buddy.”

Jude squinted at him. “I don’t think that’s genuine.”

Sybil giggled at that.

“Anyways,” Leland said, standing and stepping toward the door. “I have to offer this potion at a shrine.”

“There’s a Magic Lord shrine not too far from here. I can show you—” Sybil cut herself off. As much as the young Queen would like to exit the castle, she just couldn’t. Not as she stood now, at least.

Her mother moved around the kingdom by herself, checking in on nobility or stopping problems before they arose. But she was powerful, immortal in a way. There was a saying, “no one died in the presence of the Queen.” And while that was true for the previous Queen, that just wasn’t the case for Sybil. Yet.

Part of her queendom was access to all of the previous monarchs to the Palemarrow Kingdom, her mother included. They spoke nearly nonstop to her, each adding their opinions or muttering stray thoughts about whatever she encountered.

New soap in her bathroom? Grandmother didn’t like the way it smelled and said to have a butler throw it out. A dignitary from a neighboring land making queries into buying debt because of all of the capital’s recent problems? Great great grandmother had a string of choice words on that matter – Sybil had never seen a man go so red with embarrassment when she recounted them.

One thread of conversation Sybil had forbid her ancestors from speaking about was Leland. Unless it was specially pertaining to the kingdom or if they thought he had ulterior motives about something, they were tasked with being silent. But luckily, they only had nice things to say. Great grandmother didn’t like him, but she didn’t like anyone as the others had promptly stated when the topic was first brought up.

“Don’t worry about it Sybil, watch this,” Leland said, taking only a step or two out of the Queen’s Chambers.

“Famous last words,” coughed Glenny and Jude both.

They followed him to a small alcove carved into the castle wall. It wasn’t much, only large enough to hold a mana candle and a vase with budding flowers, but it was enough. Leland pushed the vase to one side, placing the mana potion onto the shelf-like landing.

“To all those of power and renown, I, in name of the Calamity, dedicate this alcove to be property of the Lord of Magic. May he, uh, like it and protect it or something.”

The others were staring at him wide-eyed, but he ignored that. If there was one thing Leland felt he excelled at, it was making things up as he went. And while he wasn’t sure if such a dedication would work, there were plenty of clues that it would.

Firstly, he had done something similar before. Months ago, he had called for the Lords to pass judgment on a Harbinger of the Toymaker. They, of course, agreed with Leland’s branding, marking the Harbinger with the “W” of the Witch.

Secondly, and more recent, the Lord of Curses mentioned “lists.” As she openly shared, the Lords often made lists with potential candidates and names for all manner of things. Need a new Lord for something? There was a growing list. Want to create a new Lordly rule? Again, a list.

And along with these lists, Leland was told he had a voice in calling to the heavens. Would the Lords necessarily respond? Most likely not, but that wasn’t for lack of trying. He did hold a Claim of Divinity, after all.

But all of that was for future Leland to deal with. Right now he needed to deal with altars and shrines.

“Did it work—”

As if someone begrudgingly opened a door to let a cat out for the fifth time in one night, a blue sheen befell the small alcove. The vase shimmered, the mana candle changed from orange-red to white-blue. The flowers bloomed, showing off impressive spirals of vibrancy. They twisted and grew, becoming one with the chiseled stone of the wall.

And most importantly of all, Leland’s mana potion was gone.

“I’d say it worked.”

Everyone gave him flat stares.

Sybil then flicked a wrist firing off a small burst of magic. Calcium and bone dust was her ammunition, the blast slowly maneuvering through the doors to her room and clanging into a small bell beside her bed.

In just a short moment, a regal man wearing black formal wear stepped from a hidden doorway within her room. He peered around for a moment, finding the group, and more importantly the Queen, standing just outside. He crossed the distance with speed.

“You rang, Your Highness?”

With a sigh, Sybil pointed. “That has just become the newest Shrine of the Magic Lord.” She massaged her temples. “Just— Uh. Hold on.”

Everyone present was used to these short hangups, as they all understood what they meant. The ancestors were discussing something with her, and based on the timing, it was important.

Eventually Sybil turned to Leland. “Please make no more shrines within the castle’s complex. Also, and I agree with Great great grandmother here, if a Champion of Magic shows up, you’re dealing with it.”

Leland gave a nod. He expected as much.

She then turned back to the butler. “This is a Shrine of the Magic Lord. As it happens, that means quite a bit, as well as holds prestige and honor. Uh, see to it everyone in the castle knows this and properly pays respects when applicable. Also, make sure no one places anything on the shelf without meaning for it to be an offering.”

With that, the butler bowed and left.

“Wow,” Jude said once the man was out of ear shot, “I’m surprised he was able to hold a straight face. Give that man a promotion.”

“He’s one of my best,” Sybil said without missing a beat. She turned to Leland. “Please tell me if you are going to do something like that again. Mother is very irritated that you’ve already ruined her alcoves. Apparently she spent some time with a designer working out something modern and stylish.”

Leland glanced at the alcove, wondering how it was modern or stylish. But he held his tongue. Best not to anger the people inside his girlfriend’s head.

“I understand,” he said, leaning over and giving her a peck on the cheek. “But you’ve got to admit, having a shrine right in front of your room is pretty cool.”

A curl at the corner of her mouth betrayed the emotionless Queen mask she was trying to go for. And despite the scarring along her lip and cheek, she was more than cute when she tried to be a serious monarch and the like… at least Leland thought so.

“Just… get on with it, please. Better find out if he’s actually angry now rather than later. Maybe shrines have a warranty or something.”

Leland smirked. “Okay fine, fine.”

He cleared his throat, rolled his shoulders, and said, “Lord of Magic, I humbly wish to renew our contract.”

And just like that, he was hurtling through the endless white Void.