“It’s an honor to meet you, Mr. Izz, Mr. Thuz,” Tandis said, shaking the lizardmen’s hands. “I had not heard we were expecting guests.”

“We arrived without warning,” Izz said. “Our visit was a surprise even to Mr. Hans.”

“That makes me feel a bit better about being unprepared.” Tandis looked at Hans. “If you plan to take them up the mountain, let me know, and I’ll prepare quarters for Mr. Izz and Mr. Thuz.”

Hans said Izz and Thuz were friends. They knew of the dungeon and would be staying in Gomi for the foreseeable future. “They’ve agreed to assist me in teaching the Apprentices as well.”

“That’s wonderful!” Tandis said. “Speaking of, here are six new candidates.” She put a list of names on Hans’ desk. “The second group of names are people interested in becoming harvesters.”

In addition to the names on the list, she had notes on each person’s age and previous experience. For the adventurers, that was any sort of combat training or military service. For the harvesters, that was any familiarity with crafting or processing meat and leather.

Three of the adventurer candidates were in their late teens. Two were in their twenties. One was in their forties.

Hans nodded, impressed by Tandis’ recruitment efforts. “When Terry rotates off, he’s going to cover classes for me while I’m up the mountain. If he’s okay with teaching an adult class too, everyone can start training as early as tomorrow.”

She said she’d let them know.

“Is Roland back yet?” Hans asked.

Tandis shook her head. “Should be any day now, though.”

As briefly as he could, Hans relayed the debate over how to handle Kane and Quentin’s interest in the Osare competition. Tandis was familiar with that much–the boys hadn’t stopped talking about it since the flier first arrived–but Izz and Thuz offering to chaperone was news.

If Hans left for the dungeon before Roland returned, he asked if she could pose the question and relay Roland’s answer. He worried aligning his schedule with Roland’s hunting trips would delay the process for weeks. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have bothered her with the request.

Tandis said she didn’t mind. She would ask.

“Has the Guild reacted to your growing roster of adventurers?” Thuz asked. “You have several times the average for a town this size.”

“That’s part of the secret. No one outside Gomi knows we’re training adventurers.”

When Thuz raised the issue of not having an official rank to accept Guild jobs, Hans admitted that was an unsolved problem. He thought about it daily. It was hard not to with how much he interacted with the Apprentices, but he still hadn’t thought of a solution. Until he did, none of the Apprentices could practice their trade outside of Gomi.

“An interesting problem to solve,” Thuz said. “The answer will come with time.”

“I hope so.”

“There is yet time.”

Olza came into the guild hall, a rucksack over her shoulder and a square leather case in her arms. “I'm so sorry I'm late. I got caught up with Willow and lost track of time.” She looked around. “No Kane and Quentin?”

“They're hiking up tomorrow with Tandis.”

“And I should be getting ready,” Tandis said. “It was good to see everyone. Miss Olza.” She bowed her head slightly to the alchemist.

A few minutes later, Hans was on his way to the dungeon with Izz, Thuz, and Olza. The lizardmen insisted on carrying her things. When Hans had offered to do so many many hikes ago, she had refused and threatened him if he asked again.

When he pointed that out, she said that Izz and Thuz were more charming. They agreed.

“I think I agree as well,” Hans said.

To break the monotony of the hike, Olza asked when Hans planned to begin the Takarabune project.

“Don’t misunderstand, I want to build it, but the materials we need make that complicated.”

“Is it any different from what we’re doing for reagents already?”

Hans said that the process would be the same, but the monsters they would have to grow were Gold and Diamond-ranked encounters. “The weakest monster on our list is a Diamond Elemental. The next weakest is a cyclops warlord, but those rankings are debatable. If either of those got to Gomi… Or worse, we lose its trail and it finds its way to a town like Osare…”

Izz added, “The need to grow a mimic and a fallen celestial give me the greatest trepidation. A fallen celestial would likely begin its escape as soon as it gained consciousness. They don’t take kindly to cages. If we are discussing the celestial we have heard about from Hans’ stories, Gomi would need a party of Diamonds to keep it from escaping.”

“Fair point on the fallen celestial, but aren’t mimics stationary?” Olza asked.

“A common misconception,” Izz answered. “They are capable of movement but they avoid it to preserve their camouflage. A mimic will, however, relocate if it finds its food source is lacking.”

“They have been known to hitchhike to towns,” Hans said. “Usually happens when they are younger and smaller, but once a mimic is loose, they are very hard to track down.”

“The textbooks tell a story of a mimic that found its way to a city on the water. The beast hid itself in the middle of a market square, using a grand memorial to disguise itself as one of its statues. The monster went undiscovered for two whole years, feeding on stray animals, the homeless, and unlucky drunks.”

“Is that true?” she asked Hans.

He shrugged. “It’s an old story, from long before our time, but I’ve never heard anyone doubt it.”

“If this is against the adventurer code or something, I'm sorry, but are these monsters why none of you aren’t talking about using the manual to get your next rank?” Olza asked.

The three Golds stiffened. Hans threw his arms up to say “I'm not touching that” and walked ahead of the group to distance himself from answering.

“What?”

Izz accepted the responsibility. “Inquiring about a promotion is bad form.”

“So you can't ask when you will be promoted?”

“It is best not to.”

Olza was taken aback by the answer. “This isn't requesting a promotion though. You would find the quests yourselves.”

“Promoting yourself is both bad form and an inescapable humiliation. Many adventurers have tried it. They are never respected again.”

“The first Diamond promoted themselves…”

Hans sighed. “Olza, you can't say things like that.”

“Why not? None of this makes sense.”

“It is straightforward, Miss Olza.”

The Golds argued, almost in unison, that promotions were a delicate topic. An adventurer’s lineage was an important part of their reputation. Who awarded them their ranks formed a breadcrumb trail back to the ultimate source of their training. Promotions from a Guild Master known to rigidly uphold their standards was more prestigious than a promotion from a lesser known or less respected Guild Master.

Asking about a promotion was an insult to your Guild Master. It suggested that you knew better than they did. Promoting yourself was like saying you knew better than every Guild Master in the organization.

“You're choosing to break a bunch of other rules already.”

Thuz said, “These are the unspoken variety. I would argue that these values apply to adventuring as a way of life.”

“Yes,” Izz agreed, “Adhering to them shows respect for our fellow adventurers.”

Their premise made sense up to Gold, Olza said. For the Diamond rank, the logic broke down. Diamond was the only rank contingent on completing a quest, which to her made it the most honest rank of all.

“Your argument is well reasoned,” Thuz said. “However, one’s values are not always driven by pragmatism.”

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“I can appreciate the tradition, but it's still crazy to me none of you would do the quest yourselves, especially after how you've been treated.”

“Adventurers dream of reaching Diamond from when they are children. The rank is an acknowledgment of your ability, handed down by adventurers who were themselves respected. Each of my promotions were meaningful because of the instructor giving it and the people present to celebrate it.”

“Hans and Miss Mazo?”

“Golds cannot traditionally promote students. Mr. Hans has only recently earned that honor by exception. We consider Hans and Miss Mazo to be our instructors, and their approval has great importance in our minds.”

“Mazo did promote them to Gold,” Hans added. “When she earned Diamond she gained the right to advance students up to that rank.”

“I still think it's crazy any of you would pass up a Diamond quest,” Olza said. “I mean really, Hans. You told me Diamond was a dream of yours.”

“That's behind me at this point. I went for it. I came up short, and I've accepted that.”

“You wouldn't try again?”

Hans said he would if he could, but he was well past his prime. “There's a saying that goes ‘be as bold as an old Gold.’ In other words, know your limits so you don't get yourself and your party killed.”

In his mind, he waged a new war against himself. He said attempting Diamond was behind him, and it was, for the most part. That was hard for him back when the Guild said they wouldn’t approve another run, but the choice had been made for him. Having no real agency over whether he could attempt Diamond again was a blessing in that regard.

Somebody else judging him was far easier than judging himself. Acquiring the Takarabune manual undid that. Pursuing Diamond again was now his choice. Facing that choice filled him with dread.

I don’t think I’d survive a fourth run at Diamond.

***

The Apprentices and the Silvers flocked to Izz and Thuz like they were celebrities. Terry was the only person who had met the lizardmen before, but he wasn’t an adventurer then. Like the other Apprentices, he now saw upper-ranked adventurers as walking tomes of knowledge, someone to study and learn from. Terry asked if he should stay longer instead of rotating out in the morning. Hans said he should still take the rest and promised that everyone would learn anything Izz and Thuz were willing to share.

Becky was excited to greet the visitors as well, though she looked back down the trail as she shook their hands. “Where is Miss Mazo?”

“She had business in Hoseki and sent us in her stead,” Thuz said.

The dwarf frowned. “Happy to have you all the same. Won’t be quite the same without the halfling.”

The lizardmen agreed it would not be the same.

After exchanging pleasantries, Hans pointed out that Bel, Lee, and Chisel all used spells. Honronk was not present, likely because he was in his dungeon home. Kane was a caster too, but he would arrive the following day with Tandis, Buru, Quentin, and Yotuli.

“Do we get to see Bel and Lee spar with Golds?” Sven asked, curiously.

Becky elbowed the Rogue in the ribs.

“Ow! What?”

“Lower ranks ain’t supposed to ask an upper rank to spar. It’s rude.”

Sven looked at Hans. He nodded that Becky was correct. “If that happened in Hoseki, the upper-rank could refuse, but they’re more likely to beat your ass to teach you a lesson.”

Olza clucked. “That sounds incredibly mature.”

“We didn’t make the rules!” Becky said.

Sven sheepishly apologized to Izz and Thuz.

Hans caught Olza looking at him. He could tell she wanted to argue about that custom as well. Her face made her position clear: It was stupid. On this matter, Hans did not disagree.

“I never forced my students to follow that rule, but they had to know about it for their own sake if they trained with anyone else,” Hans said. “I don’t understand the point of discouraging questions and curiosity from students.”

“Do not worry, friend,” Thuz said to Sven. “We will not break the custom out of respect for our superiors, but we are not offended when a student asks to spar.”

“I would accept such an invitation,” Izz offered. “I understand one of the Silvers is a Black Mage?”

Bel stepped forward. “That’s me.”

“I am a Black Mage as well. My brother is a White Mage. Have you trained today already? We can wait until you're rested if so.”

“No, I'd love to spar.”

Looking around at the uneven terrain and imagining a stray spell ripping through the dorm, Hans suggested they take the match into the dungeon.

***

Thuz marked a sparring area with a few well-placed stones in the staging area of the Forgeborne Mines. Hans stood off to the side with the Apprentices. He made sure Lee, Honronk, and Chisel were closest to him. He wanted to actively discuss the match with them to wring as much learning from the moment as they could. The Apprentices had very little exposure to advanced magery, and no one but Hans had ever seen a Black Mage like Izz in action.

Olza asked why Thuz appeared to be casting a spell each time he set a rock on the ground.

“That’s a training spell,” Hans said. “It’s like a warrior using a blunted weapon. Any magic within the boundary will have its deadliness reduced. A fireball that might have killed you in a real fight feels more like a punch to the stomach. When they shake hands within the boundary, the spell remains active until a concession is accepted.”

“Don’t take it easy on me,” Bel said. “Master Theneesa has talked about you. I know you’re good.”

“I would not insult an adventurers’ ability in such a manner,” Izz said.

The pair shook hands and stood at opposite ends of the ring Thuz constructed. The audience positioned themselves behind mine carts and crates to have at least some level of cover should a spell come their way.

Thuz confirmed both adventurers were ready, and then called the start of the match.

A Force Bolt immediately rocketed at Izz. When he expertly sidestepped out of its path, his form split into two and then four copies of himself. They moved in unison, all appearing to cast the same spell. An Angel Shield appeared in front of the right-most copy, and that copy only. The disk of energy would automatically swivel into position to block an incoming attack.

“Is that a misdirect?” Chisel asked while Honronk watched intently.

“Is it?” Hans asked back.

Bel stomped the ground, sending a wave of rock across the ring, wide enough to strike each version of Izz. The lizardman stomped back, sending his own wave of rock forward. When the two met, their collision nullified any danger they posed to either adventurer.

Izz returned fire with a Force Bolt of his own, each of his doubles launching their own projectile.

A Force Wall materialized in front of Bel, blocking the bolts. The illusory projectiles fizzled into smoke on impact while a lone bolt broke into a shower of sparks. Tracing its trajectory, Bel determined that the real Force Bolt came from the far left duplicate.

The tusk unleashed a volley of Force Bolts in response, firing one after another in a study rhythm. Izz blocked with a Force Wall of his own, but the barrier quickly began to crack beneath the barrage. The lizardman seemed unconcerned.

A Spectral Gauntlet shot from the finger tips of every duplicate. Then another, and another, and another.

Bel smiled and cast a new Force Wall to block, prioritizing the attacks from the left-most copy, the one who had sent the actual Force Bolt at her a moment before. When the first gauntlet wisped into smoke on contact, her eyes widened. In a panic, she scanned for the other gauntlets, but she was too late. One locked onto her ankle, then one snatched each of her wrists. Once the gauntlets closed their grips, they were immovable, locking the target into place the moment they touched.

A fourth gauntlet went to Bel’s throat. She conceded.

Izz’s duplicates faded from existence, leaving only the version of Izz who had cast the Angel Shield.

Becky started to clap. The Apprentices joined her soon after.

“Oh now that was dirty,” Bel said laughing as she caught her breath. “I hate Illusionists.”

The lizardman smiled politely. “As do I, which is why I am not an Illusionist. Duplicate is the only spell from that school I use in combat.”

Hans asked Izz to talk more about the tactics he employed in the match.

“A duel for sport is different from a battle in the field. I suspect Miss Annabel would agree.”

She nodded that she did.

“She is clearly a skilled and experienced mage. Knowing her rank and that she studied under Master Theneesa suggested that was so, but the speed of her opening attack was a confirmation.”

The lizardman went on to say that he avoided fighting to an opponent’s strengths. When he saw that Bel could cast Force Bolt so quickly, and was equally as speedy with Force Wall, he adjusted his strategy. He preferred swift attacks as well, but didn't want to challenge Bel where she was strong, so he slowed the pace and set up his attack.

Izz explained that any kind of misdirection, whether the feint was with a sword or with a spell, should make one’s opponent believe they were making the right choice with their attacks. If that choice aligned with their preferred strength, then an opponent was more likely to take the bait and lose sight of the battle’s bigger picture.

The more right your opponent believed themselves to be, the more effective your feint.

Izz cast Angel Shield as a failsafe for if Bel saw through his charade, while also using the spell as its own misdirect. Would a mage be so obvious as to cast Duplicate and then mark the real version of themselves with a visible spell? That question seeded a great deal of doubt that took an opponent’s brain in circles, and he completed the deception by summoning a real Force Bolt in front of a double. When Bel saw that Force Bolt make impact, she believed she had the right answer and leaned into her offense, attacking a mirage.

By the time she realized which Spectral Hands were real, she was already ensnared.

“You could have blasted me out of my boots,” Bel said.

“You are an excellent mage,” Izz said sincerely. “Master Theneesa has trained you well. With time, you will surpass me, but at present our difference in experience gives me a great advantage. For us to both learn from our match, it is my duty as the upper-ranked to fight in a way that levels the challenge.”

“So you held back?”

Izz shook his head. “Not so. Spectral Gauntlet is a recent focus of my practice. For our match, I used a Silver-ranked spell for my attack.”

“What do you mean by Silver-ranked spell? A lot of Irons learn Spectral Gauntlet.”

“Mr. Hans, you can explain this idea better than I, but before I cede the stage, I want to congratulate Miss Annabel again. It is clear to me that you are Master Theneesa’s pupil.”

***

Open Quests (Ordered from Old to New):

Progress from Gold-ranked to Diamond-ranked.

Mend the rift with Devon.

Using a pen name, complete the manuscript for "The Next Generation: A Teaching Methodology for Training Adventurers."

Expand the dungeon with resource-specific monsters for each of Gomi’s major trades.

Find a way for Gomi adventurers to benefit from their rightful ranks in the Adventurers’ Guild.

Secure a way to use surplus dungeon inventory for good.

Confirm Roland and Uncle Ed’s decision on the Osare tournament.

Finish transcribing the manual and decide on the next course of action.

Help Izz and Thuz bring new opportunities to their home village.