Carlos ate quietly as he walked, barely noticing the taste of his sandwich. It was an excellent sandwich, lightly grilled, filled with three unfamiliar but delectable meats and a medley of sliced tomato, strangely long olives, and green leaves that tasted like lettuce but were much too small, with a slightly tangy layer of melted cheese just under the bread. In other circumstances he might have lost himself for a while luxuriating in the delightful mix of juices and flavors filling his mouth. But today, on this walk, all of that paled, pushed aside by his preoccupation with the discovery he'd made that morning and what it might mean.

There was a bug in how magic worked. He had found a way to make a spell do something that rightfully should cost mana, and have the spell gain mana instead.

That was just... wrong, on a level so profound he found it difficult to articulate. It was like discovering that reality itself had a bug. Reality wasn't supposed to have bugs. Reality was... reality. It just existed. All the laws of physics and mathematics came together perfectly, such that no matter what path you took through those laws and their calculations to solve a problem, as long as you did it correctly you would arrive at the same end result.

He shook his head. No, a bug in reality was not the right way to think about it. The fundamentals of reality could not have an inconsistency on the level of laws of physics, because that would literally break reality. That meant that the spellcasting system he'd found this bug in must be something less fundamental than that. Something possibly artificial, overlaid on top of the actual basis of magic. And that possibility suggested that someone must have created it at some point.

Could he learn to use the underlying foundation of how magic really worked? If he did, would it actually be better? Or was the system designed to enhance the capabilities of experts as well as nov-

"Hey! Carlos, are you even paying attention?" Amber shook his right shoulder and waved a hand in front of his eyes. "You haven't responded to a word I said since we left the inn, and you've barely eaten even half your sandwich. We'll be there in a few minutes, and you need to be ready."

Carlos blinked, looked down at the sandwich he was holding, and took a large bite. He chewed quickly and swallowed, nodding to Amber. "Sorry. I've been thinking about something I figured out that might have major implications." He bolted down another bite. "How much do you know about the history of magic? Like, how long has this system of highly structured incantations been around?"

Amber stared at him for a moment with an eyebrow raised. "As far as I've ever read, magic has always worked that way. Are you saying you think someone made it? That's- that's crazy, if something like that is even possible it would take an utterly absurd amount of mana!"

Carlos nodded calmly. "Even so." He took a deep breath, and consciously refocused on the appointment with Varlinden they were walking to. "There's no urgency to that discussion, though. Just don't try that thing I asked you about with the levitation spell."

"Huh?" Amber let out a quiet chuckle. "I have no idea how those two topics are connected, but sure. As long as you promise to satisfy my curiosity later. I will not be able to leave a mystery like that alone for long."

Carlos smiled. "Of course."

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

An attendant at the Crown Court led them directly to the same room as their soul inspection had been done in, with its high vaulted ceiling and stained glass windows reminiscent of a cathedral. Really, the main difference from cathedrals as far as Carlos could tell was the lack of pews, pipe organs, and a platform to preach from.

His eyes were drawn to the same window he'd noted the first time, with its depiction of a lone man slaughtering his way through an army, arrows and magical projectiles striking at him from all directions to no avail. Shockwaves of wind blew away the ranks of the man's enemies in the wake of his passage, and a giant figure three times his height was collapsing behind him, all but torn in two by an enormous gaping hole in its midsection. Arrows near the man were broken and scattered, and explosions chased him and cratered the ground but never touched him. The man was striking at the foe in front of him with a brilliant glowing blade that appeared to be a literal extension of his arm.

Something blunt dug into Carlos's side, then nudged again harder. He blinked, shook his head, and looked at Amber who was holding her elbow ready to nudge him a third time. She looked at him, looked straight ahead toward the center of the large cathedral-like room, looked back at Carlos, and pointedly nodded her head in that direction. He turned his head to look, and immediately spotted their host.

Assessor Varlinden stood tall and straight, immaculate in his perfectly clean and pressed black and dark orange uniform as always, his hands clasped behind his back. He watched Carlos with a knowing smirk, his eyes dancing in amusement. Beside him, another man stood impassively, dressed in a robe but with the same color scheme, black with dark orange decorations. The second man's arms were crossed in front of him, the loose sleeves of his robe tucked into each other, and a neatly trimmed beard extended the point of his chin by about an inch, the beard's dark brown color matching the man's short trimmed hair. Both men's souls glowed brightly like beacons to Carlos's mana sense, but the new stranger seemed more connected to the ambient mana, as mana in the air gently swirled around him.

Carlos walked forward, side by side with Amber, firmly setting aside the distraction of that window's dramatic artwork, until they stood at a comfortable conversational distance.

Varlinden broke the silence first. "Depictions of Kalor Founder's exploits are awe inspiring, are they not?"

Carlos blinked, and glanced back at the window for a moment. "That's Kalor Founder up there?" Kalor was the name of the royal house, right? And of the city, and of the nation, come to think of it. Did that mean the man shown in that window was the founder and first king of the whole country, progenitor of the Crown's line?

"Indeed. That window shows the greatest of the battles involved in founding this nation, centuries ago. A memory from one of the soldiers who fought there, extracted and set into glass to commemorate his glory and the proof that none can stand against the Crown. Three of the mightiest self-styled kings and queens of his day banded together and mustered all their forces, even fighting side by side on the battlefield themselves, only to shatter and fall before his Majesty's power."

Carlos stared at the window again for a few long seconds, his eyes wide, noting the circlet adorning the head of the man's target, then shook himself and shuddered. If that depiction was even remotely accurate, he did not want to piss off anyone who could wield that kind of power. "I... My apologies, Assessor, but I grew up in a remote area where the details of the Crown's power and glory were not spoken of much."

"So I gathered." Varlinden waved a hand dismissively. "It is no matter. The common people rarely interact with the Crown directly. But as high nobles now, you must know your allegiance. The Crown endeavors to be fair, and repays loyalty with loyalty, but will not tolerate rebellion."

Carlos nodded solemnly. "I understand." Beside him, Amber was vigorously nodding, her eyes wide and her lips pressed together so tightly they were turning pale.

"But enough of that. It is incidental to the main reason you are here today." Varlinden brought his right hand out from behind his back to reveal a steel plate, about two inches tall by five inches wide and just thick enough for its rounded edges to be comfortable to hold, with thin curvy lines inlaid of a black metal that seemed to drain light from its surroundings, making the whole plate and parts of Varlinden's hand appear darkened in shadows. The black inlay formed letters, spelling out Carlos's name.

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

Amber gasped. "Is that...?"

"Adamantium. Yes. This plate represents the formal recognition by the Crown of the founding of your house. The metal used to write the name matches your soul rank, and it is imbued with a sample of the founder's mana signature. Your mana, Carlos Founder." Varlinden nodded at Carlos. "The plate itself is enchanted to resist wear, and is imbued with a sample of King Elston Kalor's mana signature. Theft, intentional damage, or falsification of such a plate is a high crime against the Crown. You may show this plate as proof of your nobility whenever you deem it necessary." Varlinden presented the plate to Carlos, who gingerly accepted it.

"However, the Crown would prefer that you keep that plate securely in your home, once you have chosen it." Varlinden brought his other hand out, holding two rings, simple bands of a silvery white metal. He held one ring out to Carlos and another to Amber. "For more everyday affairs, you can use these platinum rings to signify your noble status. They are enchanted to create a fascimile image of the plate whenever you supply them with mana. You may replace them with adamantium if you wish, but you will have to fund that yourselves. Perhaps if you find a vein of adamantium in the Wilds and clear the dangers around it."

Carlos smiled wryly as he put his ring on. "I'll keep that in mind." He reached out mentally, trying to push a bit of mana into the ring, and after a few seconds of nothing happening he jerked in surprise at the unfamiliar sensation of mana flowing out of him at his own direction but without the framework of a spell. The flow was minor, comparable to what a dim light spell would take to maintain, though perhaps a bit greater. At the same time, an exact visual duplicate of the adamantium-inlaid steel plate naming his house abruptly appeared a few inches above the ring. It even had the same light-draining effect around it, though waving his other hand through it encountered nothing solid. He withdrew his mana, and the image vanished just as abruptly.

"My apology, Assessor, for my partner's delay. Despite his brilliance, he is curiously inexperienced and unfamiliar with many things." Amber grinned cheekily at Carlos.

"Hey!" Carlos paused, then schooled his face back into calm professionalism as he turned to Varlinden again. "I am ready to proceed. What comes next?"

"Apology accepted." Varlinden's voice was gravely serious, refusing to openly acknowledge any humor in the interaction. "In light of your exceptionally low resources and soul development for a new noble house, the Crown offers the following things to support your initial growth." Varlinden nodded towards the robed man beside him. "Crown Mage Felton will teleport you directly to your chosen headquarters city of Dramos as a one time free service immediately upon your acceptance of this offer."

Varlinden reached a hand out to the side and beckoned a pair of armored figures Carlos hadn't noticed to come forward. The two were covered head to toe in steel armor, though the plates and joints moved smoothly and quietly as they walked. Though there were no visible inlays or tracery of other metals, which seemed to be the basis of how magical items were made from what Carlos had seen so far, he could nonetheless sense a great deal of mana lying dormant in the armor, and also in the various weapons they bore. Each figure had a sword at the waist, a bow and quiver strapped to the back, and carried a spear in the right hand. They marched in precise lockstep to one pace away from Carlos, then stopped and planted the blunt ends of their spears on the floor.

"These two Crown Guards will accompany you to Dramos. Their primary duties will be to protect the legitimacy and integrity of your house. You may bring them with you into the Wilds if you wish, but their foremost purpose is to deal with any who defy your legitimate authority until you develop the power to enforce your authority yourselves. They are also well versed in the laws and customs of nobility, and will provide whatever knowledge on those topics you find yourself in need of. They will serve in whatever other capacities you deem necessary, but do not allow yourselves to remain reliant on them, for their assignment to your house is temporary."

The two guards doffed their helmets and bowed deeply in one smooth movement, revealing heads of close cropped hair, one brown and the other a slightly lighter shade with hints of gray. They kept their helmets at their side as they returned to standing straight, in perfect parade ground posture. The one with gray in his hair had a rough face with a few creases in it, a blunt and craggy nose, and dark blue eyes. The brown haired guard had brown eyes and a rounder face that seemed more feminine to Carlos, though he wasn't sure with armor covering the guard's entire figure. The guard certainly wasn't wearing scanty armor designed to show off a female body more than to protect it as so many video games and stories featured, but that was a ridiculous and unrealistic trope anyway.

Varlinden continued the moment the guards finished their bow. "They will also periodically report on your situation to the Crown. So long as these guards remain with you, and they continue to report satisfactory growth in your domain, your earned respect, your soul development, and your independence, the Crown will postpone public announcement of your house's founding until you are ready to stand on your own as proper peers to the rest of Kalor's nobility. If you fail to progress at an acceptable rate, the Crown will withdraw its special support and immediately announce your house to all. In that event, you will likely be forced to subordinate yourself to a rival house in exchange for their protection from the rest."

The Assessor allowed a few seconds of silence for the import of that statement to sink in. "Do you accept this support, or do you want to discuss alternatives?"

Carlos looked at Amber, but she just shrugged and took hold of his hand. He frowned, and spoke quietly. "Are you sure?"

Amber nodded. "I studied magic theory, not the Crown and nobles and politics and social maneuvering. I'd gladly discuss spell design principles all day long, but I'm not prepared for this kind of decision. But you?" She shook her head. "You talked our way out of that cave with a gambit that I would never have even thought of. You haggled better than I ever could. You've made comments about the workings of politics that I had never considered, but you thought were blatantly obvious. You might be better prepared for this kind of decision than I will ever be. I will trust your decision."

[Purple?]

[Hmm? Oh. You want opinion? My opinion?] Purple's mental voice paused a moment. [I'm dungeon core. Not know politics.]

Carlos suppressed a chuckle. In hindsight, asking Purple had been silly. Of course a dungeon core would know nothing of politics, nobles, and the reasons that this offer might be good or bad. He took a deep breath. There was one important point the offer didn't cover. "Assessor, I want to discuss a small addition to that support, if that is allowed."

Varlinden nodded gravely, and waited.

"We reached an agreement with a student at the royal mage academy, named Trinlen, that he would come to give certain services to our house after he graduates next month. These services will be important for our development, and we would prefer to avoid delays in receiving them."

"Ah. Yes, it would likely take him a few weeks to travel to Dramos by the roads, and a competent teacher is invaluable for mages. Very well, the Crown will provide one time teleportation to send this Trinlen to join you. I will make the arrangements. Anything else, or are you satisfied?"

Carlos nodded, and bowed slightly. "With that addition, I accept the Crown's offered support."

Felton, the Crown Mage standing next to Varlinden, stepped forward, spoke a few words, and mana grabbed the two new nobles and their borrowed guards faster than Carlos could follow. They abruptly found themselves in a different room somewhere else.

Amber recovered from the surprise first. "I guess when he said 'immediately', he meant it."

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

Their guards wasted no time in browbeating the local guard into escorting them all from the teleportation receiving room to a private meeting with the mayor of Dramos. The mayor's receptionist took one look at the heavily armored pair and promptly opened the door and stepped aside. Carlos just watched, bemused, having not given even a single order, as the pair of guards marched in, stepped to each side, turned to face each other in unison, dramatically crossed their spears in front of the doorway then pulled them back to open passage, and spoke in chorus as though rehearsed. "Presenting, High Lord Carlos Founder and High Lady Amber Carlos, new rulers of the city of Dramos in the name of the Crown!"

The mayor looked up at them from his desk, gaping over several piles of papers covering most of the desk's surface. His hair was graying and thin, his brown eyes alert as they flicked from the guards to Carlos to Amber, his hands stained with ink and holding a pen over some document. He squared his shoulders from the hunched over position he'd been in, straightened up, and closed his mouth.

Amber had been excitedly looking around at everything as they walked from the arrival building to the town hall, and she was almost vibrating as they walked into the mayor's office. Seeing the mayor straighten up and prepare to treat with them seriously, she couldn't contain herself anymore. She blurted out, "Is- Is it true that Sandaras started his adventuring career here?!"

The mayor dropped his face into his hands, producing a resounding smacking sound, in a double facepalm fit to match Captain Picard after one of Q's escapades.