“I know we didn’t have the most pleasant past, but can’t you do any better?” Lord Oakheart asked. He and Nox met the following Thirday. They sat in the Galleria’s newly refurbished commercial space with a table full of cheeses, cured meats, wines, and an assortment of fine liquors. They had sampled most during their discussion, and Nox struggled to go back for more, betraying his fondness for a few. Lord Oakhear looked over the paperwork in front of him again. “The Edelweisses can’t be paying this much to use your space.”

“Of course, they’re not,” Nox replied. “Aria and I were already officially courting when the property came into my possession. Now that we’re engaged, they get more benefits. She’s the heir, and it will all be joint property eventually.”

“Even discounting that, this too much, Nox. You’ll be significantly biting into our profit margin with this. Given how great we’ve been with supplying everything, you could at least give us some leeway.”

“Despite how it seems, Lord Oakheart, you’re still getting a decent deal. I’m asking much more of the other interested parties, and they’re willing to pay.”

“Let me guess. They’re on the city council or intimately tied to them and, therefore, don’t pay a fortune in import taxes.” Lord Oakheart sighed, putting down the contracts and leaning back in his chair. “Tell me what I can do to make this more equitable. If you weren’t already engaged, I would’ve offered you Annabelle’s hand in marriage.”

Nox laughed. “Yeah. its a bit too late for that. She appears reasonably happy with Wilson, too. Do you really want this place that much? Your projected profits can’t be that high, can they?”

“It's more about showcasing the Oakheart name and product. The bathhouses, your stores, and the brasserie are attracting names from the Imperium and around the continent who don’t usually trade with us. The wine bar will help us win them over as clients. So, is there anything you can do to make this better for me before I sign your contract out of desperation?”

“Despite how we started, you’ve always been a good supplier and business partner,” Nox said. “Ratra’s Brews wouldn’t be where it is if not for Annabelle. So, I think I could shave down my cut by forty percent. Does that sound acceptable to you?”

Lord Oakheart’s eyes narrowed. “What do you want in exchange?”

“Access to the Oakheart libraries. I want to study and copy everything you have on spatial and temporal magic.” Nox raised a hand when Lord Oakheart opened his mouth to speak. “I would also like the details of Wilson’s spell and everything his family has on time or stasis magic.”

“That is a tall ask, Sir Ratra.” The older man’s voice turned cold. He stared daggers at Nox. “You expect me to strain the relationship with my daughter’s future in-laws for this venture?”

“You’re the more powerful party in the coming union,” Nox said. “Can they really say no if you ask?”

“No. But they won’t be happy about it.”

“I’m willing to drop my cut to half of what’s on the contracts if you’ll comply. That’s just a bit more than what I get from the Edelweisses. All I ask in exchange is knowledge.”

“More specifically, you want to uncover closely guarded secrets. What’s stopping you from publicizing them afterward or using them for your profit.”

“Temporal and chronomagic is for my personal use. I promise you that neither will be patented or publicized. I might pass them down to an heir or apprentice in the future. We can draw up strict contracts if you’d like.” Nox smiled, maintaining a level tone. He didn’t want his eagerness or desperation to show. “However, I can’t make the same promises regarding spatial magic. You should know, though, that Sapna and I have made significant advances. She’s almost ready to patent and sell true spatial storage devices within a couple of months. They’re bound to draw a greater crowd to the Galleria.

“A moment please, Lord Oakheart.” Nox used Fold Step from his seated position, moving to a counter ten feet away. “Here it is.” Lord Oakheart jumped, widened eyes moving from the empty chair to where Nox stood. Another Fold Step returned him to his former position. Now that the planet had progressed, it wasn't as physically or mentally draining. However, the two uses drained the heavenly body and also took a chunk out of the connected star's stores. Nox placed a new contract on the table. “I had this prepared in case you agreed. It includes privacy clauses relevant to all time magic I pick up because of your cooperation.”

“Why am I not surprised?” Lord Oakheart mumbled, reading the document. He took a few minutes to scan its contents and read a few sections out loud. “Everything here seems reasonable. There is only one thing I'd like to add. No tomes or scrolls, mine or Wilson's, are to leave my property. You will take a vessel down to my estate.” He paused, drawing an envelope decorated with pink flowers from his coat, and placed it on the table. “Bring your fiance and party if you'd like. I'll save a table at the event for your lot. At some point, we'll formally announce our partnership. You can stay a while before and after, looking through and copying whatever materials you'd like.”

Nox's eyes widened when he checked the letter's contents. “I'm not sure if the timing is right for this. My party and I intend to complete an adept rift first. Perhaps—”

“That's perfect then. Adept rifts have been popping up around my lands, especially along the Imperium border. My and their armies are taking care of them, but they haven't been as proactive with the ones to the north. If they're not sorted soon, the local city-states and eventually the Edelweiss Barony might face problems.”

“Have you informed the university?” Nox asked.

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

Lord Oakheart nodded. “I usually send messengers when there are far too many for me to sort in a timely manner. Since I'm in the city for business and social calls, I did it personally this time. The staff seemed excited. Feels like rifts of the level are currently few and far between.”

“They are.” Nox sighed. “Too many high-ranking parties wish to delve, and the dungeons are overcrowded. The Imperium are hoarding all rifts within or near their borders. I'll need to bring this to the party soon and set off as soon as possible.”

“My scouts tell me they're not close to evolving or breaching. So, the priority levels aren't particularly high. But I'd make them a priority. There is also talk of a floating island with a newly ascended adapted dungeon floating down from the leylines to the north. So, you can take your pick.”

“Thank you, Lord Oakheart,” Nox said. “I suppose I'll see you in a couple of weeks.”

Nox got all of his friends together in the evening. He shared the invitation and the leads regarding the rifts and dungeon. Since Aria had reliable employees running the brasserie, she was more than happy to take some time off for a little voyage.

The villages and city-states North of Lord Oakheart's lands had only just started recovering from the Terrastalia disaster. The titan trampled their fields and homes on the way to the Edelweiss Barony. Then, the myconids poisoned their lands and killed hundreds. Nox’s flame slime concoctions and its accompanying brews helped them overcome the threat and establish mushroom farms.

The food helped them sustain their population and livestock during the emergency. The myconid farms also enriched their soil with life essence, assisting agricultural communities in rebuilding their farms and profiting swiftly. Unfortunately, the communities and city-states had failed to recover their military strength enough to take care of rifts or a floating, adept-ranked dungeon. So, Aria hoped to visit them as a representative of the Edelweiss barony, broker trade deals, offer relief and assistance, and win political points. Many currently favored the Oakhearts, and she hoped to change that.

“If we make it look like House Edelweiss helped quell the dungeon threat or at least the rifts, it might just encourage them to prioritize trade with my father over the Oakhearts,” Aria said. “People already claim that they prioritize their relationship with the Imperium over the smaller neighbors. I get it. They’re a major power.”

“But that doesn’t mean you can’t capitalize on lingering resentment,” Alexander stated. “This political stuff gives me a headache.”

“Doesn’t Dean Woodson have you taking a bunch of them?” Joey asked. He shared a loveseat with Caitlin. The party’s vanguard looked dainty as she sat in her training shorts with her legs across her partner’s lap. The pair had no issues with public displays of affection and were lucky the rest of the Woodsons weren’t especially involved in such aspects of the younger generation’s lives.

Alexander nodded. “She claims everyone will try to use and manipulate me once it gets out that I’m a druid and her heir.” The party and their close friends knew Alexander’s secret. “Apparently, it happened to her father and then her once she reached adulthood. Knowing how to navigate the political landscape and avoid becoming a tool in someone else’s game is a vital part of my training.” He hesitated, glancing at Caitlin. “I might have some bad news.”

“Let me guess.” Nox sighed. “You’ll leave the party once you’re an adept?”

“Not straight away,” Alexander said. “It might not be permanent either. Once I’m adept, my grandmother wants me to take a few years training and building my druidic arsenal. The cabal and similar parties will want me dead once the news is out, and she wants to ensure I have enough strength to protect myself.”

“It’s understandable, I suppose,” Nox said. He turned to Caitlin. “Does this mean you’ll ditch me, too?”

She shook her head, smiling. “Alexander has picked his future, and so have I. Working towards eliminating the expert and archon dungeon feels like a worthy goal. As long as we can assist Joey with his investigations, too, I’m all for it.”

“We’ll need to survive and perhaps take down the Cabal. Detective Joey’s skills will be essential for that. Speaking of which, how is the investigation going? Are my little birds doing their job well?”

“Ingrid is born for this kind of work,” Joey replied. When Caitlin twiddled her toes, he rubbed her feet. The smiles and giggles amused Nox. It didn’t look like their relationship had a subservient and dominant party. The couple appeared to just enjoy taking care of one another. “She and April make a great team, too. Their connections have helped pinpoint a couple of gangs who might be behind the trafficking.”

“Let's tell them to take it easy while we’re away from the city,” Aria said. “They’re eager and headstrong. If things get ugly, you won’t be there to pull them out of any mess they create.”

“I already told them to take a break and just collect intelligence from their sources instead of getting directly involved.” Joey turned to Nox. “I might need your direct involvement once we return. It might not just be an investigation. You’ll need to help me crack some heads.”

“Of course. It's why I hired Brianna. She’ll be excellent for such endeavors. Her experience in the student police force will also make things easier.”

“Shouldn’t you take this to the guards?” Aria asked, forever gravitating toward the lawful paths.

“We’ve achieved more in the past two weeks than they have in six months,” Joey replied. “Either they don’t care, or they have moles who warn the murderers and traffickers prior to the raids. Speaking of Brianna, will she be joining us?”

“I want to stay on her good side,” Nox said. “The longer she stays happy, the longer Sapna and I get to study her tattoos. So, my answer is automatically yes. But, a vote might be ideal.”

“I like her,” Alexander said. “I vote for her joining us.”

“You like everybody.” Caitlin rolled her eyes. “She’s unpredictable, and those chains make her unpredictable in longer fights. However, I don’t want to be the crabby woman who doesn’t want another girl in the party. So, I’ll leave it to the three of you.”

“She’s fun,” Joey stated. “I like having her around. Brianna comes across as the type of combatant you can throw at a problem and not worry too much. She’s reliable enough for a delve or two. If Alexander is on his way out, we might want to get ahead on future party members, too.”

Nox nodded. “I had the same concern. We can’t let the party dip under the minimum numbers. Otherwise, the university will demand we re-register.”

“Do I get a vote?” Aria asked.

“Unfortunately not, love,” Nox answered. “Why are you jealous?”

Aria snorted. “She’s gorgeous, but she’s too big for you, fiance. Given how rough the Freefolk get, she’ll break you if you get together.”

“I’m pretty sure she thinks you’re cold and weird, too,” Caitlin added.

“Yes. She looks at you like you’re mad.” Alexander chuckled.

“Why did this just turn into a game of pick on Nox?” Nox asked, frowning.

The party and Aria laughed. They moved on to the upcoming Oakheart event without answering the question.