The Greywing arrived at the Oakheart estate early in the afternoon. As expected, Lord Oakheart was too busy to greet them but Annabelle found time to do so. Two carriages collected the party from the airship port. They transported the party through the titanic grounds—which included a forest, vast green lawns, flower gardens, a maze, game courses, and more—to the noble house’s palatial mansion.

“I was expecting you yesterday,” Annabelle said. She rode with Nox and Aria. Brianna, too tall for the carriages, sat out front with the driver. “It's a good thing you didn’t come, though. Things were a mess, and I was busy helping Father put out a bunch of fires. Now, I can take the time to show you around.”

“Would you mind if we leave that for later?” Nox asked. “We have limited time, and I would love to get a head start on my research.”

“That’s okay.” Annabelle’s shoulders drooped. She continued to smile, but her tone betrayed her disappointment.

“Why don’t we let Mr Workaholic do his thing, and you can show the rest of us around?” Aria shot Nox a glare. “I’m sure you know how he gets when he has a project in mind.”

“I do,” Annabelle said. “I thought if there is anyone who could get Nox to change his ways, it would be you.”

“Separate Nox from work?” Aria laughed. “I doubt even death could do that. He’s as obsessive as always.”

“Wouldn’t you be anxious to progress if you stagnated an entire year?” Nox asked. Much to his annoyance, his wife-to-be and past partner only laughed before returning to their conversation. He didn’t particularly like the pair getting along. Unfortunately, Nox couldn’t think of how to articulate the issue without sounding insecure and thought it best to leave it alone.

A grand lunch awaited the party when they reached the Oakheart mansion. Nox couldn’t hate it more. The food was delicious. In fact, it rivaled the Edelweiss Brasserie’s cooking as well as Leanne’s rustic culinary creations. However, the formal meal had several courses and followed strict decorum, which meant he couldn’t speed through his meal and rush to the library.

Halfway through the meal, Wilson visited the dining room. He stiffly greeted everyone and pecked Annabelle on the lips before approaching Nox. The man didn’t wear Oakheart colors or uniform; instead, he dressed more like a man of his future station. Wilson’s cold stare almost had Nox fidgeting. It took a great deal of self-control to remain impassive and maintain a polite smile.

“It’s good to see you again, Wilson. How are you?”

“Not too well since I’m being forced to share secrets my family has held dear since before Ygg sprouted,” Wilson replied. He placed a heavy grimoire on the table. When Nox reached for it, the taller man stopped him. “Please do not touch it when handing food or beverages. We have multiple copies, but this one was a gift from my grandfather and his personal annotations. I’d also appreciate it if it never left your person. It is also acceptable if you leave it in the head library vault master’s care when not studying it.”

“Thank you, Wilson,” Nox said, maintaining his smile. “This will go a long way toward developing my mana system.”

“I think it goes without saying that anything you learn and develop—”

“As agreed with Lord Oakheart, what I learn from your family tomes will remain secret. However, anything I develop using the knowledge is to do with as I please. The work will be registered with the guilds. Unless they determine it's too derivative of what you have already patented, I can do with it whatever I want.”

Wilson clenched his jaw and fists. His eyes darted between Annabelle and Nox and lingered on the first for several seconds. He seemed to wish for her to say something or interject, but the noblewoman held her tongue. Nox didn’t know the status or the nature of her relationship. He guessed she prioritized the house’s interests. Opening a bar in the Galleria was important to their economic growth. A perturbed husband or son-in-law wasn’t too big a concern for them. Nox and Annabelle’s history likely didn’t help the matter.

Even though Nox had moved on from Annabelle a long time ago, he still had a distaste for Wilson and Lord Oakheart because of how they sabotaged and broke the relationship. He guessed the two men had planned and manipulated events from the start. Wilson had joined the party as Annabelle’s bodyguard once she officially joined Nox. He had interrupted several moments and hovered, ruining romantic situations. Nox initially wrote it off as a lack of tact, but he now knew better. He probably had instructions to keep the relationship from progressing so it would be easier for Annabelle to end things. Nox didn’t care that the relationship had ended. Instead, he blamed Wilson and Lord Oakheart for the brief period of hurt and loneliness that followed.

Nox didn’t see the situation as an opportunity to one-up the man or put him down. He just didn’t feel the need to hold back and treat him with the softness and consideration Nox would give someone he respected or considered his equal. In his eyes, Wilson was as much a snake as the pathetic gorgon minions outside the boss rooms.

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

“Don’t cannibalize my family’s most prized possession, please,” Wilson said before turning on his heel and marching away.

After the man's departure, a heavy silence hung over the dining room. The staff and Annabelle awkwardly looked everywhere but at Nox for the rest of the meal. Aria made a polite conversation with the noblewoman. Afterward, the staff showed everyone to their rooms before Annabelle took them on a tour of the estate. Fortunately, Nox was released from his social responsibilities and free to visit the Oakheart library.

“Was that really necessary?” Aria asked when the pair had a moment alone prior to the parting. “I know you have bad blood, but I’d think you’d have moved past the resentment.”

“I know.” Nox sighed. “It wasn’t my best decision. Perhaps I’m just power-mad. Maybe—”

“You’re not still holding a candle for Annabelle, are you?”

“By Yggdrasil, no!” Nox exclaimed.

“Then why did you have to humiliate the man? Isn’t it bad enough that you strong-armed his family secrets and treasured magic out of him?”

Nox didn’t have an answer for her.

“I know you don’t foresee any consequences because you have the upper hand, and the Oakhearts need you right now, but the balance might change in the future. Annabelle might treasure as a friend, but once she and Wilson grow closer as husband and wife, do you think she’ll still favor appeasing you over him?”

“I let past anger get the best of me,” Nox says. “I’m sorry.”

“Are you going to say that to him?”

Nox shook his head. “No. I meant what I said. My delivery might’ve been cold and lacking my usual professional courtesy, but that doesn’t change the truth. Wilson’s family is now a subsidiary of Oakhearts, and this is part of the business deal. His displeasure or happiness won’t change the minutia of the agreement.”

Aria rolled her eyes. “I hope I know what you’re doing. The exchange did not paint anyone in a good light, and I expect better from my fiance.” She marched out of their room, back straight and stern. She paused by the door before leaving. “I prefer it when you’re painfully charming instead of cold. It's a far better look and what I enjoy most about you.”

Though true, the words weren’t pleasant to hear. Nox had allowed his darker streak to get the better of him. Yet he had no intention of apologizing. He identified it as juvenile stubbornness and knew he needed to work on it, but now wasn’t the time. An attendant waited outside, and when Nox exited the room, she guided him to the Oakheart library.

The space was significantly larger than Nox expected. It occupied half of the estate’s gigantic western wing and rivaled Woodson University’s second library. Uniformed individuals wearing the Oakheart symbol walked around pushing trolleys, stocking shelves, and maintaining books. Several well-dressed individuals sat at the tables, reading and writing at the tables. Nox’s guide led him past all of them, deeper into the library, where the corridors got thinner, and the walls carried more wards.

An elderly woman in robes and wearing the Oakheart crest in gold greeted him past the vault-like doors leading into the inner library. “Welcome, Sir Ratra. I’m Gloria Ambergris, the head librarian and keeper of the Oakheart knowledge trove,” she said, her tone stern and formal. “Lord Oakheart instructed me to assist you with whatever you need during your visit.” Gloria led Nox to a broad desk with times piled high on either end. Parchment and quills sat between them. “I’ve already retrieved everything we have on temporal and spatial magic. If there is anything else you’d like, please don’t hesitate to ask.”

“Thank you, Mrs Ambergris,” Nox replied, excitedly reading the spines of all the times. “Could you also get me anything you have on Mage Hand, including its evolutions, variations, and upgrades? I’d also like the same for Slow and Haste.”

“That’s a lot.” Gloria retrieved a notebook from inside her robes and took brisk notes. “I don’t know if you’ll have the time to go through everything during your time here. It would help if you could go into more detail.”

“My requirements are fairly complicated. Maybe—”

“I’m a Journeyman Mage, alumni of Woodson University, and fell just short of Scholar Arcanum. Whatever your requirements, I’m sure I can find what you need.”

“I apologize.” Nox smiled sheepishly. “I meant no offense. My apprentice made Mage Hand her protostar’s core, focusing more on volume and fine control than strength. I’m looking for paths that she could take on her way to Apprentice.”

Gloria nodded, taking notes.

“As for Haste, I specifically want research or spells that focus on Hasting the mind or speeding up non-biological processes.”

“And the same for Slow?” Gloria asked.

“Indeed.”

“I’ll get the apprentices on it straight away.”

“Thank you, Mrs Ambergris,” Nox said, opening the tome he had received from Wilson. His heart fluttered as his eyes fell on the powerful and secretive Stasis spell.

“There’s one more thing, Sir Ratra. A request, if you will.”

Nox raised an eyebrow, looking up at Gloria.

“Lord Oakheart might’ve given you free rein, but I implore you not to take anything out of the inner library. I’ll ensure no one touches the books or tomes, including Master Wilsons. Everything will remain in the state you leave it. I’ve dedicated my life to protecting the Oakheart’s magic and have assisted in growing the collection. It will hurt and embarrass me dearly if anything goes missing or is damaged. I make the same requests of the Oakhearts, including Mistress Annabelle.”

“I understand, Mrs Stone,” Nox replied. He saw it as a tactic to limit how much content he could get through, but he doubted Lord Oakheart knew about the gifts he received from Sigil of the Artisan. In fact, he struggled to recall whether he had shared details of it with Annabelle either. “Nothing but my notes and journal will leave these halls.”

The head librarian nodded before departing, and Nox finally got to work.