Carlos yelped as something pointy dug into his side and he jerked awake. He blinked repeatedly as he sat up and rubbed sand from his eyes, his heart slowing back to a resting pace.

"Wow, no wonder it took so many tries to wake you up back at the inn. You sleep like a log."

Carlos yawned, but determinedly shook his head and tried to clear the fog from his mind as his situation came back to him in a rush. "I'm awake, you can stop poking now. Give me some privacy to get dressed."

As he put his clothes on, he spotted their friendly dungeon core hovering near the tent flap. [Purple? How's your recovery going?]

[Concentrating. Don't disturb.]

Carlos blinked, then shrugged. Purple's glow seemed steadier than last night, at least, and asking about whatever he was focusing on so much could wait. He hurried through cleaning himself up as best he could, then grabbed the final summary of his notes before he came out of the tent.

"Oh wow, is that bacon and eggs? That smells heavenly."

Amber smiled at him as she handed him a plate of food. "Yes, but don't get used to it. Most of our food is travel rations, made to last more than to taste good."

Carlos nodded. "Better save the rest of the good stuff for special occasions if we can, then. At least, that's my opinion."

"If we can, sure. It'll go bad if we wait too long, though. I couldn't afford the kind of enchanted travel gear that would keep food fresh long term."

"Right. Anyway, here." Carlos held out his summarized notes with one hand while he kept eating with the other. "I picked out the soul structure ideas I think are most important, and thought through all the synergies. What do you think?"

Amber glanced at the first page and immediately blinked and raised an eyebrow. "Is this your world's language? I can't read it."

"Huh?" Carlos looked at the writing and focused on his translation magic. "Oops. I guess the translation spell didn't kick in because I was focused on writing them for myself."

Amber nodded. "Ah. I can count the number of entries in the list, at least. Going for the full ten soul structures? That seems excessively ambitious. I'll admit I'm at least curious to see how many you manage to pull off."

Carlos shrugged. "Might as well try and see how close I can get. It would be a real shame if the only reason I don't manage it is that I didn't even try. Oh, that reminds me. You mentioned more soul structures and synergy makes for higher rank, but how exactly are the ranks defined, and are there benefits to the ranks themselves?"

"I suppose it's worth a try if you really think all the synergy links are there, but don't blame me for any soul shell mana you waste on a failed soul structure. As for the ranks, it's based on the number of soul structures and how many synergy links they have. A set with no synergy at all is copper rank, and cannot exceed four soul structures. Four or fewer structures, but with some synergy, is silver rank. The more soul structures you have, the more synergy is required for it to be possible. Five to seven soul structures is gold rank. Eight is platinum, and reaches some kind of structural limit and threshold that significantly amplifies power. Nine is mythril. Ten is adamantium or orichalcum. Nobles don't talk much with non nobles about the details of the highest ranks, but I believe the difference between those top two involves the amount of synergy.

"As for benefits of the ranks, well, higher ranks develop faster. I don't know all the details, but supposedly orichalcum rank absorbs mana and converts it into soul development at ten times the rate of copper rank. Platinum rank is a significant boost in power over gold. And, well, you'd have to ask a noble about mythril and higher and somehow get them to actually answer. There's something about the top ranks, especially orichalcum, that makes them utterly outclass low ranks, but I only know rumors for what it might be."

Carlos nodded contemplatively. "So if I pull off a design with ten structures and synergy links between literally everything, that would definitely be orichalcum rank?"

Amber chuckled. "Sure. If you pull that off. I'll believe it when I see it." She shook her head. "The only people I know for certain have orichalcum rank are the royal family. Anyway, you need to finish learning that spell first. That's your job for today. While you're doing that, I'll scout out the area a bit. Good luck."

----------------------------------------

Enchanter Tornay grimaced at the pre-dawn light coming in his window as his enchanted time-keeper rang a bell at him repeatedly. He hated getting up this early, but he dared not waste time in pursuing that dungeon core. He hurriedly dressed, tasked an apprentice enchanter with finding the identity of that arrogant rude man from yesterday as soon as possible, and ate breakfast while he waited. He barely tasted any of it, and his whole body almost ached with tension as he waited for results.

He was pleasantly surprised when the apprentice returned after not even a quarter hour to report the man's name. "Darmelkon? Excellent, that should let me find him in the Guild's records." Tornay waved the apprentice away, quickly finished his breakfast, and hurried to the archives room. Things were looking up. Anyone rich enough to easily spend gold on a bribe should be in Enchanters Guild records, so finding the man should be easy now. He could even feel some of his tension draining away in anticipation.

As Tornay rifled through the many many pages of records, however, a feeling of unease started building in the back of his mind. He paused, thinking. Why did that name seem familiar? He shook his head. Whatever the reason, he'd be reminded of it by the records soon enough. Just as he thought that, he found the right entry in the alphabetical index, and he felt his stomach sinking as he read it. 'Darmelkon: see entry in Important Persons files.'

Shit. Just how carefully would he have to tread? Tornay unlocked the Important Persons file cabinet, and quickly found the full entry he was looking for. He found himself having to suppress nausea as he skimmed through it. Darmelkon owned a merchant empire that had cornered the local market on several goods that were very important to the Guild as a whole, and his monopoly on those goods spanned the nation and a few neighboring nations besides. If Tornay offended him too much, it could cost the whole Guild a terrible price.

Tornay grabbed the whole file and took it with him to browse on the way. At least Darmelkon's home was nearby. Well, relatively nearby.

If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

He rented a carriage, and spent the hours on the road poring over Darmelkon's file and considering how to approach the conversation. A simple request for the information definitely would not be enough. Darmelkon had spent twenty gold on a bribe just to get the next lead for his own search for the dungeon core; he clearly knew the value of it. In fact, Darmelkon might even demand a higher price for his information than Tornay could pay. He might have to rely on the "reasonable expenses" clause and hope that the Supreme Enchanter agreed with his assessment of what was reasonable.

On the other hand, while Darmelkon certainly could hurt the Guild, the Guild could hurt him too. The transition would be painful and expensive, but the Guild could pressure government officials to remove Darmelkon's legal endorsements and protections, and then finance new competitors to break his monopolies. Maybe even start handling the business of producing those supplies themselves. Tornay grimaced. Even apprentice enchanters would hate being assigned to that. Buying from merchants let the Guild focus properly on enchanting, but perhaps handling their own production might be worth the price in the long run.

Tornay was still uncertain of the best approach when the carriage stopped at Darmelkon's front gate, and suddenly he was out of time. Darmelkon's home seemed oddly small and lightly decorated for someone with his wealth. Oh, it was clearly the richest house in the town, but far short of the opulence the owner of such an expansive business empire could afford. Tornay was ushered into Darmelkon's presence far more promptly than he expected, too.

Tornay squared his shoulders and mustered his resolve as he stepped into Darmelkon's office and bowed politely in greeting. "Lord Merchant Darmelkon, I am Enchanter Tornay. I am here on business that has come up in light of what brought you to my shop yesterday evening."

Darmelkon smiled, and leaned forward over his desk, clasping his hands under his chin. "You mean you lost your own lead on the prize we're both chasing, and you want me to give you mine."

Tornay struggled to maintain his composure, and on impulse decided to respond to Darmelkon's aggressive statement with some aggression of his own. "If you know the nature of the prize, and I expect you do, then you should know that it is of unique interest to the Enchanters Guild. The research opportunity it will give us is priceless, and you lack the expertise to take advantage of it properly. That dungeon core will belong to the Guild, and we will take whatever steps we must to ensure that outcome. Your monopolies can be broken, and your business shattered. When the dust settles, the Guild will remain."

Darmelkon blinked, and chuckled. "It's been a while since anyone tried to threaten me like that." He shook his head. "Your Guild can hurt me, yes, but only if they accept even worse losses for themselves. And whatever you think the cost would be, I promise you, I will make it much, much worse. Never forget, mercantile warfare is my specialty, not yours. No, your superiors are too selfish to accept that cost. Do not make threats you are not prepared to follow through on.

"That said, you do have a point that I lack the expertise to properly exploit this prize. I would likely have sold it to you in the end anyway. Regardless, whether it's now or after I acquire it, you will have to pay me an appropriate price. And speaking of payment, how about we start with a refund of yesterday." Darmelkon held out one hand expectantly.

Tornay sighed, and reached into his belt pouch to pull out a small bag that clinked lightly as he moved it. "Fine, but I will need to know the nature of your lead before I can agree to any payment for it." He held out the bag over Darmelkon's hand, but kept hold of it and raised an eyebrow.

"I tracked them with an aura tracer, and at the spot where the aura trail ended I found the disintegrating remains of a recently used scroll. Now, if you want to know where that was, you'll have to make me a meaningful offer. If you had other leads you would not be talking with me, and I refuse to be ripped off." Darmelkon grabbed the bag, and Tornay released it without resistance.

Tornay crossed his arms and scowled. "Fair enough, but the Guild also refuses to be ripped off. We will not pay the full value of a dungeon core up front for merely a chance to potentially gain one in the future. Nor will we pay that value for a lead that you cannot profitably use without our aid."

Darmelkon snorted. "The Enchanters Guild are not the only ones capable of tracing a teleport."

"Are you saying you have a mage capable of it on call? By the time you could bring in such a mage without prior arrangement, the mana traces will have faded beyond detection. I, on the other hand, have a teleport tracer item in my shop's secure vault. Said item is, of course, not for sale at present."

Darmelkon simply gazed steadily at Tornay for several seconds, then grimaced and sighed. "Regrettably, I do not. A lack that I will remedy in the future. Very well. It seems that to claim this prize we must work together in a joint venture. I grant that my interest in this is solely monetary, so I propose to sell my share in the indivisible reward of this venture to the Guild, to be paid when the venture is complete. Make your offer."

Tornay sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "The most I can offer on my own authority is ten percent of the dungeon core's value. Any more than that will have to be contingent on approval from my superiors."

Darmelkon nodded. "Of course. For a deal this large and time sensitive, I will travel with you to Trillen and wait for you to get that approval, and then show you the teleport origin point immediately afterwards. Name a price you think will be approved."

"Half. An even split of the value gained."

"Surely you jest. We will have to have a royal assessor evaluate the core's value to ensure an unbiased assessment, and you said yourself that the research opportunity from it is priceless to your Guild. Your unique interest in it makes it far more valuable to you than a royal assessor would account for."

"A fair point. Very well, sixty percent of a royal assessor's valuation of it."

"Ninety percent, and be thankful I'm not counting your research opportunity as doubling its value, or more."

"Seventy."

"Seventy five. Three quarters of the monetary valuation. If your research pans out, you will still gain multiple times that back from it in the long run."

Tornay grimaced and rubbed his forehead. "Fine. Seventy five percent of a royal assessor's valuation. But you may need to help convince my superiors that it's reasonable."

"Not a problem." Darmelkon stood up and quickly grabbed a few items from drawers in his desk. "I'll draw up the formal contract and a cover letter on the way to Trillen."

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Carlos took a deep breath. This was the moment of truth. Or, well, a moment of truth, at least. He'd learned in his soul every word in the light spell's incantation. Time to try it out.

Carefully, reading from the book as he went, he pronounced every word of the spell in the correct order, and focused on the idea of making the light appear on his right palm. And nothing happened. He sighed. This wasn't entirely unexpected. He'd wondered if there might be something essential in getting the structure of the whole spell into his soul too, and apparently that speculation was right.

So, he scanned over the incantation, and brought each already-learned word to mind, carefully building a wordless concept of "that one, then that other one, etc.", envisioning it as taking all those parts and compiling them, as if in an ersatz mental computer, into a complete spell "program" to make light. Holding all the parts in mind at once was difficult, though conceptually grouping them made it easier. He only had to strain with mental effort for a few minutes before he felt the whole incantation inscribed into his soul, though. The etching of it was many times larger than any single word, but he got the feeling that it was still a great deal smaller than the total size of all the words in it. Poking at it mentally gave him the impression of a collection of links to the etchings of all the individual words.

Carlos took another deep breath, and recited the incantation again. This time, he didn't even glance at the book. He didn't need to. The knowledge of the correct sequence of words to say sprang to mind effortlessly, read from his soul. As he spoke the last syllable, he stared in wonder as he felt the tiniest trickle of a strange energy coming from his soul, through his body, and emerging from his palm as a dim white glow of light.