“Many argue that the Sens and their work have been as influential to the growth of the arcane art as the Woodsons. The druids and their family help solidify the most popular and successful mana systems and several vital arcane techniques. Meanwhile, we have Diya Sen and her clan to to thank for modern Spell Weaving and Aether Sword Arts.

The current rules, syntax, and script are all a product of Diya Sen and her uncle, Udit Sen’s, research and development. Meanwhile, the late Utpal Sen, her grandfather, invented the popular technique of condensing one’s aura into their weapon and armor.

If not for the Sens we’d all still be reliant on intent-based casting, limiting accessibility to magic. Their arcane scripts haven’t just changed what it means to be a mage, but have also made the fields of wardcrafting, aether smithing, artificing, and alchemy more consistent and economically feasible.

Only would fool would deny the Sens’ contribution to our victory against the gods.”

—First Class Arcane Scholar Amit Gupta, Scholar Arcanum, Dean of Arcane Research

The last few weeks of the semester passed at a snail’s pace. Everyone but Nox still had exams, research papers, presentations, and more to complete. None of his friends, Aria or Ingrid, had time for him. So, Nox found himself mostly alone. Mou and Sapna were busy running their individual workshops, leaving him to focus on research and development.

To alleviate his boredom, Nox studied the literature he gained from the Keeper of Knowledge. He had already spent considerable time studying Udit ‘Diya’ Sen’s journal. Sigil of Artisan had already committed most of it to memory, but he wasn’t yet ready to share the book with its rightful inheritor.

The alchemy manuals included a handful of creations Nox had never heard of. He didn’t recognize the ingredients either and planned a trip to the library. Herbology encyclopedias often list rare or extinct plants and those from alien realms. If Nox could figure out what essence they contained, he was sure replicating the formulas would be of no challenge. He also found several potions that existed under other names. The Imperium, Trade Empire, and powerful alchemists from around the continent closely guarded the recipes and regulated their sale. Now, Nox could recreate them for personal use or derive new processes to get around the patents.

Mou was just as excited to leaf through the pages. She immediately assigned apprentices to investigate the unknown materials and planning methods of circumventing the patent system.

“We’ll need to be smart about this,” she told him. “If we take over the market too quickly and undercut the competition, several superpowers will become our enemy. You’d either need to operate anonymously or under your mother’s protection in the Golden Isles.”

“Let's recreate as many of these as possible first,” Nox told her. “Then we can discuss what to do with them. Do you need me?”

“I’ll find you when I do. Let the apprentices do the grunt work first.” Mou paused, eyes narrowing as she studied her nephew. “What is your end goal? Take over all trade in the city? Rule the city? Start your own Trade Empire? What do you want?”

Nox thought about his answer for a moment. “If I were to make this my life and give up on Sundarshahar, then I want to expand. I’d like the Ratra name to be in every city around the continent. I doubt the Imperium would let me succeed unless they thought stealing our work and taking over the market was possible. But there are several lesser city-states who could do without creations.”

“That’s a lofty goal, Nox. How in Ygg’s name do you plan on accomplishing that?”

“First, we buy out the small, struggling alchemists who only sell their own products. They might resist at first, but we’ll let them keep some autonomy. I’m not sure how yet. Perhaps buy them good equipment, help refine existing recipes, and improve their general quality of life. Then we ensure they’re the only ones around stocking the unique Ratra products.”

Mou frowned. “It sounds feasible. Fixing the myconid crisis made Ratra a household name again. Or so I hear.”

“We’re already shipping cosmetics and contraceptives to several noble houses in the north. Demand in Sen’s Watch is almost unmanageable, too. Recovery brews use pretty common ingredients. If they’re made on-site, it reduces our shipping costs, and the load on you and Kishan goes down.”

“It's funny. You try so hard to emulate Pallav and distance yourself from Lydia, but I see so much of her in you.” Mou raised a hand when Nox tried to interrupt. “It's not a bad thing, Nox. We Ratras faded into obscurity because we struggled to be anything more than artisans. Mercer's blood and teachings gave you the tools to overcome our ancestors' failings. Take the best from everyone and filter out the bad.”

Next, Nox turned his attention to the literature on essence and began experiments for the Grow Essence project. Udit Sen’s journal reinforced his suspicions regarding the nature of essence. The man claimed to create fire, lightning, and ice effects with nothing but ink and runic script. After several hours of study, Nox ran an experiment.

Thanks to Joey, Nox had frost essence in the plentiful. He inscribed a shard with a simple Frost Cloud spell and activated the magic, channeling a tidy chunk of mana through it. The destabilized essence exploded into an icy fog. Before it could spread, he enveloped it in Crystalize Essence, dissolving the conjuration. Only a chill lingered.

Nox’s heart skipped a beat. It wasn’t much, but he now had more essence than before. The theory was correct, but turning it into a usable spell was easier said than done. Nox needed to formulate a spell that remained uniform across a large variety of essence types. Using fog spells with everything wouldn’t work. They diffused far too quickly, and the mana-to-essence conversion ratio didn’t feel efficient.

Vortices—like in most cases when it came to Nox’s magic—felt like the best possible solution. Elementalists loved tornado spells because of how much energy and destruction they caused. Talented mages and Spell Weavers didn’t have trouble containing and controlling them either. Efficiency would drop with a more abstract essence type, but it still felt like the best option.

Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

Nox was in the middle of formulating a spell to test his Binary Mana System’s limits when Udit Sen gave him an idea for another bit of magic. It was one that his twin stars could share. The long-dead mage had named it Essence Infusion. He had found a method of modifying his constructs during battle by imbuing them with additional effects. They allowed the man to adapt to the battlefield, creating counters or defenses based on his current opponent. Nox couldn’t contain himself anymore and visited his favorite professor.

“I was wondering when I’d next see you,” Diya Sen said. It was late in the afternoon, and she had just finished invigilating an exam. The ancient professor appeared exhausted. She appeared to have aged years since the evening when she protected the rescuers and helped them escape. Nox guessed intensive magic at her age took a toll on the body. “What can I help you with, Sir Ratra?”

“Please, Professor. Just Nox is fine.”

“In that case, you must call me Diya when we’re alone. You’re no longer my student, and I’d like to think we’ve become friends over the last couple of years.”

“I don’t know about that. It feels awkward and wrong. You always felt—”

Nox hesitated, catching himself mid-sentence. The older woman always left him feeling much too comfortable, and he struggled to keep his guard up around her.

“Felt like what?” Diya asked, sounding amused.

“Like the grandmother, I wished I had.”

Diya laughed. It was a deep, hearty laugh one would expect from someone more significant and far younger. “You’re a sweet young man, Nox. It's a shame the Mercers failed to look past their politics and embrace you. If you ever need someone to talk to, find me. I’m always happy to lend an ear. And that’s not just because you’re the finest Spell Weaver I’ve taught in a decade. Now, why don’t you tell me the purpose of this visit? Does it have something to do with the Cabal?”

“I imagine you heard everything from Dean Woodson?” Nox asked. The Woodson siblings had shared the information from Perry with their grandmother. The party trusted the druid to keep the information under wraps, tell her inner circle, and use her own resources to investigate the matter.

Diya nodded. “The majority of the city council want to believe that the matter is resolved and has been put to rest.” The abductions and murders had stopped altogether once the ritualists were captured. “But the deans and we senior professors disagree and have been preparing since. We kept Elgin Thorpe out of the matter because of his closeness to Lord Highwater, but we've secured the campus and will be doing our best to defend the city when Warmonger enacts their plan.”

“The party and I have been preparing in secret too,” Nox said. “We train often, hoping we're good enough to counter whatever plot is brewing. The Galleria is secure. I've also been storing away essence arrows, brews, and tools in Otis’s spatial storage for when the time comes. The Galleria's defensive wards have enjoyed a much-needed upgrade as well. I'm also considering hiring mages and aether warriors for greater protection. I'm sure there are plenty of talented students keen to make more money than whatever the student police force pays them. The city might be relaxed about the matter, but my people and I are not.”

“You're not the only ones worried about the Cabal and Warmonger. I'm glad—”

“They aren't why I'm here, though, Diya.”

The ancient professor’s mouth fell open when he placed Utpal ‘Diya’ Sen’s journal on the desk between them. She reached for it, then hesitated, eyes shifting between Nox and the journal. For a brief moment, she looked like a nervous, anxious little girl struggling with temptation. Diya took a moment to gather her wits. Then, she sighed, picking up the weathered, leather-bound tome. Instead of opening the journal, she sniffed it and hugged it.

“That silly, silly girl,” Diya said. “Did she rope you in with the Keeper of Knowledge and his Web of minions?”

“No, but we found our way to the Keeper anyway. Kris left us another inheritance, which we received when we became Seekers. This was part of what she left me.”

“It's yours then.” Diya frowned, holding it out for Nox to take. “Why are you giving it to me?”

“It's all committed to memory thanks to my Sigil of the Artisan. It's helped me improve a few spells and come up with a few new ones already. It should return to its rightful owner now.”

“Thank you,” Diya said, dabbing at her damp eyes. She opened the journal to the middle and smiled. “I'm named after my uncle, you know. His mother had hoped for a daughter and had the name Diya picked out. My father jokingly kept it alive as a nickname, and it stuck. Life separated them for a while, and I was born then. Baba was sure he'd never get to see his brother again, and he died before Kaka found us. Udit ‘Diya’ Sen took over as a paternal figure.

“Kaka was like you,” she continued, voice quivering. “He had a keen talent for Spell Weaving and runic scripts. I learned everything I know from him. He was an Ink Mage, and I grew up to emulate him.”

Diya closed the journal and kissed its spine. “Thank you, Nox. I intend to will this to you. When I'm gone, my uncle's work will return to your possession. I hope you'll raise the next generation of Spell Weavers using it.”

“I already am, Prof—Diya,” Nox said. “Alexandrea Ingrid Eriksson is my apprentice. She's in your Introduction to Spell Weaving class. I took her in after the Terrastalia incident and have been training her since.”

“That explains why she is so far ahead of her peers.” Diya chuckled. “I should've put the pieces together when she evolved her star. Ingrid will do incredible things. She's mischievous and a handful but driven. The girl treats every challenge like an opportunity that might slip away.”

“She led a gang of urchins in Market Ring when I found her. She was far from the oldest and biggest but successfully controlled the older boys. Ingrid refused to join me until we found all her younger wards homes in the Edelweiss barony. She demanded we get her friends into trades as well.”

“Are you aware she has a following?” Diya asked. “The younger common-born students see her as a leader.”

“I didn't.” Nox laughed. “But it makes sense. Ingrid has a way of drawing people toward her.”

Diya rose from her seat, slowly walked around the table, and placed a hand on Nox's shoulder. “I hear Sapna Ratra isn't the most compassionate of people and doesn't share her emotions often. So uo, I want you to know this. Most men with pasts like yours turn cold, cruel, and greedy when they gain wealth and power. You make time for the needy, take care of your people, and give opportunities to those who deserve it. I’m proud of you. I don’t know if your family knows how to articulate it, but I’m sure they are too.”

A lump formed in Nox’s throat. He smiled at the older woman and resisted the urge to hug her. It felt inappropriate. “Thank you, Diya.”

“Are you graduating this semester? I understand you’ve met all the requirements.”

“It all comes down to how my dissertation is received.”

“Are you aiming for this year's Scholar Arcanum title?”

Nox shook his head. “I never expected to receive it. There are far better and dedicated researchers and scholars in the department.”

“Then, I wouldn’t be too worried,” Diya told him. “You’re set for whatever future you desire.”