Vin was background to their plot to murder Kaelix. The Ravenours, who'd previously been acting alone, were now under the great Maeve's command, thanks to Gideon's contribution. A princess who Vin found abnormal was there. Guards were naturally bound to their leader's side, but it was unusual for a royal to seek out their underlings. This further established there was something more than a relationship of duty that tied the three young Ravenours. After seeing Hughton blend so seamlessly with the rebels and how easily he slaughtered his fellow men the night of the human genocide, Vin unconsciously categorized him with the rest of the brutes. But there was something different about Gideon, Tristen, and Meave. Something fragile about the three that didn't make them fit to be among the ranks of the barbarians. Not physical weakness? But... Vin picked up his gaze, looking at the three. 'They're unusually sentimental for a race of savages.'

While Vin was scoping them out, he saw Tristen begin to unsheathe an item. That item was the very reason he agreed to stand in on a stuffy meeting in place of Gideon. The excitable Ravenour pulled a skateboard from a discreet sack, grinning, "You said I can keep it all day, no takebacks."

Gideon crossed his arms and indifferently clarified, "Only in private."

Tristen swung his hand, denoting the current setting, "Looks pretty Private to me."

As Maeve finished her current dialogue, she summoned her guards to join her inside the base. Gideon swiftly heeded her but cautioned Tristen first: "The armory guards think I took that thing out on Maeve's order, so don't break it."

Tristen saluted sarcastically. "Yes, Sir!" The next moment, a devious aura seeped from him, and the young man slowly and devilishly turned toward the human sitting against a building while reading his Journal. The ends of Tirstens lips curled far upward as he sang, "Heyy, Vinnn~."

Vin squinted in annoyance. Tristen slapped the skateboard down on its wheels, plopped one foot on it, then used the other to propel himself forward. He sloppily kicked one pace, then stopped, then accelerated, then stopped. All in all, his off-foot was on the ground more than the skateboard, but it was progress. The jittery Ravenour reached the human and then grinned. "Well?"

'It physically hurts to watch,' he thought.

"At least you didn't fall," Vin casually replied. He stood, nudged Tristen off the skateboard, lifted it, and turned it upside down. "I learned something in a memory."

The antsy Ravenour stood back with a questioning look, his wild, pinkish hair drooping to the side of his head. "What memory?"

Tristen rubbed the back of his neck, watching Vin hover his hand over the item. "Also, you're learning Vulcan quickly. It's almost scary."

"Are all humans this smart? You also learned how to use the Center gravity spell quick. I used the scroll five times a day for months before I could cast the spell without having it on hand."

"What are you doing now? Is t-"

"Hush for a moment," interrupted Vin. He'd held his Journal in the right hand while touching the skateboard with the other. While looking at the image of the intricate magic circle that correlated to the Center gravity spell, he channeled energy in his left palm, which began to radiate a purple light. The Elven woman had a particular use for the Marking spell. In the memory of her, he recalled seeing a spell circle on the axe that one of her companions wielded. That simple scene hinted that this woman, and perhaps others, scribbled magic circles onto objects, not just paper.

As Vin glanced at the Center Gravity spell, his mind copied the complexities of its design, then pasted them as one glowing marking onto the skateboard. Tristen saw this; his eyes widened, and he yelped in amazement, throwing himself over Vin's shoulder and gawking at the symbol. "You _____ it!?"

Vin hurled his head away from Tristen, then launched it into the man's skull, injuring him and causing him to jolt away, "Hey! What was that for!"

"You're too touchy," Vin grimaced. He lifted the wheeled tool and inspected the magic circle he marked it with. It was a perfect copy, and the way Tristen reacted proved his little experiment may have been a common occurrence in that world. "You said I did something to it. What did that word mean?"

Tristen pouted, rubbing his head while grumbling, "I was hoping you wouldn't be a ____ like Gideon."

The lack of understanding was becoming frustrating. That young Ravenour had little sense of focus, and he disregarded that Vin was still learning the language and often used words he didn't know. Vin found a twitch in his brow, wanting to smack the antsy fellow, but that'd be counterproductive.

'If only Hughton or Gideon wasn't busy right now.' He thought, massaging his head. The best way to learn Vulcan was by speaking it as much as possible, but Tristen had driven him into their mutual mind chat. There, they backtracked to the beginning. First, Vin answered Tristen's early questions. No. He couldn't confirm that his fellow humans would be fast learners in Auroraan because he hadn't met another one in three years.

Second, he told Tristen how he learned the spell of Marking. The Ravenour described Vin's feats as "impossible." A simple spell like Center Gravity was one thing, but he'd been advancing far too rapidly for someone who'd just learned about magic. Tristen expounded. The "Energy" Vin always felt was usually just called magic. However, the name of the quantity released was "Mana." Mana moved through the body of living things and created magic when manipulated in characteristic patterns. For example, the Center Gravity spell transferred Mana from the person to the designated location of the object that they wanted to balance. That was demonstrated concisely through the memory Tristen's parents had created so he could simply write Vin off as being "smart." However, Vin learned the spell of Marking through a live, adrenaline-rushed experience in one go. It wasn't a tutorial; in fact, in the manner it was presented, it made sense that the Carpenter had it stored away, collecting dust. How could anyone focus on the spell's usage when so much is happening around it?

Apparent vexation had drowned Tristens face. He was curious but, at the same time, frightened. Vin had accepted that memories were meant to be lucid experiences. Yet, Tristen shakily clarified that he was wrong. The reason it took months to years to learn a single spell was that each dive only presented vague details of information to ordinary people. Like having a long dream and waking up knowing you'd dreamt but being unable to regurgitate anything that happened. In Vin's case, the dream was not only in high definition, but he unconsciously recorded it. With both of these things, he could learn and utilize spells quickly.

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He was an abnormality, one unlike anything Tristen had ever seen. Vin already had a hunch he was unnatural; however, considering he was reborn by a flaming phoenix, it was hardly the most startling news he'd heard.

Fast-forwarding, he had the Ravenour enlighten him on the technique he used on the skateboard. Tristen told him that imbuing magic onto inanimate objects was referred to as "Enchanting." A spell circle was more than just a trigger for a memory; the drawing itself, when activated, had the properties of the spell. While common practice in Elven territories, Ravenours had difficulty properly recreating magic circles on their tools. It required far too much magical precision, which they lacked.

Unrelated, the word Tristen had thrown at the human earlier was an insult. He said that, like Gideon, Vin was grouchy. Sure.

More importantly, Vin wondered if enchanting the skateboard with the Center Gravity spell would make Tristen more balanced. A quick ride killed that idea, as the Antsy Ravenour quickly fell off. He attempted this on a whim, but it was still disappointing. Before giving up, Vin marked the youthful individual's shirt without notice, then asked them to try again.

Tristen stood upright on the skateboard as he usually did. A blink later, his jaw dropped in astonishment. He rubbed his lower abdomen, murmuring, "It feels weird."

"Your center gravity should be lower when skateboarding to keep balance."

Tristen pushed forward steadily. Any faster than a cat's prowl caused him to shake, but that slight boost allowed him to actually skate. At the level of a child, anyway. Vin rubbed his chin, pondering, 'Why did the spell work on the shirt, but not the skateboard?"

‘Well... A skateboard with four wheels is already centered, so I guess that explains why there weren't any changes there. Suppose it just depends on what's being enhanced. If it's the person receiving the effects, we'll mark their clothing; if it's the item, I'll put the mark on its surface.'

After a lap around the shady, back ally area, Tristen lept off the board and ran to Vin. He tugged at his magically imbued shirt, shouting far too loud for someone outside a secret base, "You enchanted my shirt!"

"I see that," replied Vin.

Tristen elevated, exclaiming louder to emphasize the gravity of what he'd done. "YOU ENCHNATED MY SHIRT."

"Enchanted items are rare here. The few we have come from other tribes and sell at least 10 gold!."

"Is that a lot?" Vin asked.

"You could buy a full set of armor and a new weapon!"

As the light-haired Ravenour continued, several men stormed from the base with livid faces. Gideon dashed past the aggressive unit and shoved his partner onto the worn stone ground. He angrily leaned over him as Antsy, confused, yelled at their audacity. His face furious, Gideon grabbed Tristen's collar and pulled him off the floor, grumbling quietly, "Are you out of your mind!? Do you know what those people will do to you if they get ahold of you!"

"This place is hidden for a reason, and you're out here shouting like you want the Scarlet Flame to find it!"

"But Vin! He-" Tristen began, only to get cut off.

"Shut up and get inside! Maeve is talking with their leader, if you cause trouble for her I'll beat you myself!"

"Just shut up and look!" He said, showing his companion the glowing spell circle on his shirt."

Gideon halted, questioning, "W-what is this? A magic circle?"

"I've been trying to tell you! that Vin enchanted my shirt."

It became quiet on set. Even though Vin was already believed to be the son of their God, all the Ravenours outside portrayed awe. Before anything else, everyone was forced inside the base. Tristen became even more unruly around the warriors, showing off his enchanted shirt and claiming it would be a game-changer for battle. "With the Center Gravity enchantment, I'll never lose my balance in a fight!" He stated.

He may have looked like a fool, but Vin understood his enthusiasm. The youthful fellow loudly proclaimed his parents' name, giving them full credit for the spell and hyping it up as something that would reshape combat. According to Gideon, Tristen's relatives had been killed because they presented a spell deemed useless to the King. Tristen had gone his entire life with their teachings being looked down on, and only then could he wipe the dirt off their family name. The antsy fellow even volunteered to take his top off so others could try it. Anyone who tried on the enchanted felt the immediate shift in their center of gravity, which didn't mean much to Vin, but that possibility meant so much to those who fought on unpredictable terrains.

One of the men asked Tristen how they would obtain such an item, to which Vin pinched his mind, asserting that he would not be aiding anyone else. Zero chance he would give those brutes any enhancement that would better allow them to slaughter humans. Vin had only been returning the favor to Tristen for teaching him the spell of Center Gravity without asking for anything in return. Or so Vin told himself, though; conceivably, he'd disliked that Ravenour a little less than the rest.

Not enough to help Tristen climb out of the hole he dug himself. He was probably a greater salesman than a swordsman, and he'd pushed a product that wasn't on shelves to eager men. The base grew noisier by the second. Meanwhile, Vin sat and thought about how he'd distribute enchanted armor to the humans so they could survive in that world. Center Gravity was just the beginning; as he collected more and more powerful spells, he'd attach them to many articles of wear. He spent about an hour there before Maeve wrapped up negotiations in a backroom. Vin endured the constant gaze in his direction the entire time and commended the brutes for not approaching him.

The princess and her cohort left, promptly returning to the castle. The uproar surrounding Vin was still afloat, but as residents had time to think, they may have realized how... Unagelic Vin was. He didn't fit the tale of the Ravenour immortal who slew hundreds of dragons alone. Still, no one dared to threaten him, and those of the Violet Order always bowed in respect when he passed.

On the way, Maeve lectured Gideon for acting alone. That den had housed some of the most dangerous Ravenours in that town. In the same way that the Order of the Scarlet Flame had a few rotten eggs that assassinated the opposition, the Violet Order also partook in the slaughter of their fellow Ravenour. Gideon gave his defense. He claimed he was practically invited by Hughton, who made it obvious he was leaving the castle to deal with some "urgent matter ."The older man, experienced with his years, had hoped someone would follow him and lead to that result. It would have been easier to just take them, but Vin supposed the man may have been sworn to silence.

Maeve didn't make light of Gideon's work regardless. It was in good timing, as she stated it'd been two days since Kaelix left to join the war on humans. Considering how quickly his unit departed, they couldn't have packed much equipment and rations. Even if they camped with other Ravenour tribes to save their stock, they were just a tiny force compared to the millions on the battlefield. She hoped he was killed by a stray arrow or a surprise attack from the Elven armies. But, otherwise, it wouldn't be long until he returned.

She had a lot to prepare, but first, she accompanied Vin back to the castle. He was given his award, and then Maeve and her guards went about the rest of their day. Maeve must have gotten the hint that he didn't want a part of her busy schedule of politics and ceremonies because she hadn't tried to convince him to join her.

The path ahead was still uncertain, but one thing was clear. Vin had no intention of being exploited any longer.