“Cultural and social ceremonies and rituals change drastically the further one moves from Ygg. The world tree's presence significantly reduces magic beasts, rifts, and dungeons in the immediate area. So people can afford to let their hair down and take their time to celebrate special occasions without fear of their festivities attracting creatures that will rip through the merrymakers at night.

There are surprising similarities between weddings in the Arctic Wastes and Alkebulan. Combat and violent magic are at the heart of the wedding rituals. They ward off attackers and forge bonds in blood. In the lands of Nihon and Han, powerful wards, enchantments, and wards guard the quiet and constrained ceremonies. Very few places in the world sing, dance, and feast with little worry as we do in the central continent and Imperium.

—Lorraine Woodson, Dungeon Researcher, Stone Golemancer

Things around the Oakheart estate got busy the day prior to the upcoming event. An army of staff appeared on the ground, running maintenance, erecting colorful canopies, and decorating everything with elegant fabrics and flower arrangements. During lunch, Nox heard whispers among the servants about a weather mage visiting earlier in the day to ensure rain or fog didn’t ruin the day.

Nox managed to stay out of their way by sticking to the library. The Woodsons and Joey went for a ride. At the same time, Aria and Brianna helped him with his studies. It was the last day he had for his research. The following day would keep him busy, and they would need to leave straight after the event to make it back to the city in time.

Nox made the most of the little time he had, exploring the tomes he hadn’t given much priority to. He didn’t waste time processing or building on what he had already found; there would be time for that later. Nox invested his time in exploring tomes, grimoires, and scrolls he hadn’t yet studied.

After wading through a lot of useless, outdated magic, the endeavor proved fruitful late in the afternoon. Nox found interesting articles on pressure systems. Although he didn’t have the right tools for weather magic, he believed there was scope for the concept of spatial magic. Nox wasn’t sure how it would translate or the application, but he copied it anyway.

Nox also found records of mana weapons that could help while further improving Ratra’s Bow. He copied the best bits for Sapna to analyze. She intended to produce lesser mana weapons to sell in Artifice and Nox looked forward to the profits.

Meanwhile, Brianna found valuable grimoires dedicated to arcane tattoos and sigils. Gloria Stone appeared perturbed by them scouring the inner library and studying the Oakheart's secret and treasured tomes. The giant northern woman’s presence seemed to annoy her especially. Local stereotypes often labeled the Free Folk barbarians. Nox saw the head librarian flinch several times when Brianna handled the more delicate tomes and scrolls.

“Outsiders digging through protected knowledge,” Aria whispered. “We’re ruffling feathers.”

“It's a fair trade,” Nox replied, keeping his volume low. “The Oakhearts expand their business, and we get knowledge to do what we do better and get more patents.”

“We’re getting the far better end of the deal. Shortsighted is what they are.”

Social obligations and politeness cut their time in the library short. Wilson’s family arrived in the evening, and the pre-festivities started. It wasn’t surprising when Nox and the party received cold and stiff greetings from them. It was likely a fair deal of discourse surrounded the sharing of the Stasis spell. Nox did his best to be as polite and charming as possible. He almost slipped a couple of times when navigating snide remarks. Aria’s presence helped him maintain his unshakeable composure.

The Oakhearts relied on the family for their Imperium connections and land trade routes. Nox was hoping to break into the giant market and couldn’t afford to antagonize a party with influence further.

Lord Oakheart joined them for dinner. His daughter sat on one side, and the future in-laws on the other. Nox was glad to sit with his fiancee and friends on the other end of the table. The food was as good as it had been the past couple of days, and it was tempting to indulge in Spirit Caller’s Tea to make the evening pass quicker, but Nox resisted. He busied himself mulling over the spatial and temporal magic he had encountered during the past couple of days.

Nox had hoped to walk away from the trip with an idea for a spell. He had a bunch of new toys and building blocks but nothing concrete. A new spatial planet would be easy, but Nox didn’t think it was enough. Even though he had nothing to confirm the hypothesis, Nox believed he needed to tame the temporal half of his second star to restore the first to its former glory. Expert rank was within reach, and it was the only obstacle in his path.

An easy option lay ahead of Nox. Wilson’s Stasis spell was a perfect piece of spell crafting refined over several generations. He saw no possible improvements to it. It also came with a second spell that reversed an object or person's time by a few seconds. Combined with Fold Step, Nox could foresee himself becoming an even better control mage and providing his companions with emergency healing. However, it didn’t feel like enough.

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Every heavenly body in Nox’s mana system carried a unique spell. Except for the second star, he had constructed each himself; adding someone else’s work to it felt like an easy way out. However, his pride and ego stood in the way, and rushing to reach ascension sooner felt stupid.

At the same time, the miniature time-reverse spell tempted Nox. Making it function without Stasis would demand significant modification. He would need to adapt it to his star as well. Nox didn’t know where to start.

“What are you doing?,” Aria whispered, poking him during dinner.

“Nothing.” Nox grinned, hiding his journal under his table. He had pulled it out to note an idea before he forgot about it. After adding the note ‘research and testing needed,’ he tucked the leather-bound, hand-sized book away. “I know we agreed I won’t work at the table, but I can’t afford to forget this.”

“I don’t care about that,” Aria waved. “Did you come up with something? Do you have a time spell already?”

Nox shook his head. “I’m afraid I have a long way to go before it can count as a spell. I might just have an idea—” He paused, peeking at the rough diagram. “No. It's closer to the inkling of an idea. Even if it doesn’t work out, this has potential as a ward.”

“That looks… complicated. Your brain doesn’t sit still, does it?”

“Sometimes it feels like there is a hive of bees in my head,” Nox replied. “Each bee is buzzing something different. Work and only a handful of other things can shut them up.”

“What kind of things?” Aria asked.

“Alchemy, battle, spell weaving, and research.” Nox grinned. “None are as effective as you, though.”

“Are you considering a career as a bard, Sir Ratra? That’s probably the corniest thing I’ve ever heard.” Aria leaned closer and pecked his cheek. “It's sweet, though.”

“I thought corny and stupid was spot on,” Caitlin said from a seat over, grinning. Nox hadn’t realized the Woodson woman was listening to their conversation. He put his notebook away and returned his attention to the now half-melted dessert.

A cheese board, fruits, and more drinks followed dessert. Nox rejected the offerings and stuck to the sweet fortified wine. Sigil of Immunity kept it from affecting his body, but that didn't keep him from enjoying the taste. While the extended Oakheart family chatted with the Wilsons, Nox, and his friends discussed magic in hushed tones. All but Caitlin had spent ample time in the inner library and discovered new avenues for their magic.

Brianna had copied Nox's Mana Zone technique to use with her aura. She intended to add spell knowledge gained from the library to add to Agony and turn it into a more potent weapon. She was still a long way from Expert but expected the development to help her stand toe to toe with more formidable foes. Since the party already had an excellent vanguard in Caitlin, she didn't worry too much about acting as the vanguard. Because of the rage-inducing nature of her primary magic, the party agreed she was better off functioning outside of formation as a source of chaos and disruption on the battlefield.

Meanwhile, Joey had two new cantrips to his repertoire. The list now featured Cold Snap, Forge Touch, Feather Fall, Haste, Fae Fire, and Shadow Puppet. The last was a minor cantrip meant to animate shadows for entertainment or distraction. It also served as a minor scouting tool. Joey changed his mind about healing magic and chose to prioritize his investigative pursuits. The cantrip increased his stealth abilities even further, and Nar apparently claimed it could even help him Shadow Walk. The rare piece of magic allowed its user to short-range teleport through shadows.

Everyone in the party but Caitlin had something new, and the matter didn't seem to bother her. She was still integrating Ygg's seed with her wood elemental and needed to master the aquatic essence that came with it. Shaping and Manipulating water had proved invaluable on the battlefield. Her mastery of the latter spell-casting discipline could have been better, and she intended to focus on intent-driven magic more than developing spells.

Nox felt bad that Aria missed the opportunity to explore journals on spirit walking, but he waved off his concerns.

“It's a hobby for now,” she told him. “Once I'm better, it will help draw better rains, improve harvests, and nourish the forests around the barony. I'm still a novice regarding spirit walking, and it's not a big loss. You, the business, and the growing House Edelweiss are my only current concerns. Helping you develop your magic was far from a waste of time.”

“I love you,” Nox said, kissing the woman on the forehead.

“I know,” she smiled before nodding to Lord Oakheart. The man rose from his chair and clicked a desert spoon against his wine glass.

“Thank you all for coming,” the man said. “I know the festivities don't start until tomorrow, but today is just as important to me. We have current family, family-to-be, and Annabelle's dearest friends in attendance.” One of the visiting Oakhearts whooped and got laughs and chuckles from everyone but Wilson's overtly stern parents. His father shot Nox a glare, probably annoyed that he was included in the toast. “Once tomorrow starts, I'll be too busy for everyone but the future bride and groom. So, I just wanted to thank you all for coming to my oldest child's engagement party.

“The official announcement won't happen until tomorrow, but you all should know that Annabelle is now my heir. She graduates from Woodson University this semester but will stay on in the City of Ygg to take care of our interests there. And in a decade, or sooner if I die, she will take over as the ruler of House Oakheart.” He turned to his daughter and smiled. “I'm sorry it took me so long to finalize, my love. I needed to ensure you were ready for the role and that you proved yourself in the past year. You make me proud, and I hope you can someday forgive me for all the ways I've failed you while you were growing up. A man couldn't ask for a finer daughter.”

Annabelle rose from her seat and hugged her father. Most people around the table, except a handful of the visiting extended family section, cheered. Once father and daughter broke away, they beamed at the guests. Annabelle’s eyes lingered on Nox momentarily, and he raised his glass for her. Sadness flashed across her face for a moment, but she nodded at him, raising her glass too.