Despite Riniock’s peculiar questions, Linry remained unaware of the conflict brewing between him and the acolytes from her academy.

Good. She knows nothing of this. Best to keep it that way until I can figure out how to handle it on my own, he mused.

His gaze swept over the group one last time, lingering on Rodgut and Frisian. Their hostility was unmistakable, radiating like a storm cloud. Any lingering doubt about their involvement had vanished.

Suspicion or not, Riniock thought, I can’t act recklessly. Not with the college on high alert after what happened with Jorian. Killing those two outright isn’t an option.

His eyes flicked to Linry, who had returned to her book, her face lit with a carefree smile.

I must keep her out of this, he resolved silently.

Stretching his arms, a plan began to form in his mind.

‘In two days, we have another Martial Magickal Arts lesson,’ he said casually. ‘Do you think your academy will be there to watch?’

Linry glanced up from her book, tapping her lips thoughtfully with a finger. ‘In two days? Yes, I believe the entire delegation will be present, just like last time.’

A sly smirk crept across Riniock’s face, dark and calculated.

‘Why do you ask?’ Linry inquired, her curiosity piqued.

‘Oh, nothing much,’ he replied, his tone light. ‘I’ve been planning to improve my duelling skills over the next couple of days. Thought it would be nice to have a proper audience.’

Linry giggled, her laughter as melodic as ever. ‘Still embarrassed about my win last time, aren’t you? I’m glad to see you haven’t lost your determination.’

‘I learned a lot from that duel,’ Riniock admitted, his tone sincere yet guarded.

‘Good,’ she said with an encouraging nod. ‘Go train, then. Don’t let me hold you back.’

Riniock offered a small nod before turning to leave, the smirk lingering on his face. His plan was beginning to take shape.

Without delay, Riniock made his way to the arena – Professor Evondiel’s domain for teaching martial magicks. Upon arriving, he noticed the professor was absent, and a staff member was overseeing the area instead.

‘Good morning,’ Riniock greeted with a polite tone as he approached the reception booth.

The woman sitting at the entrance lifted her head, her expression lighting up with recognition. ‘Well, if it isn’t the poshie prick from Tilaadea!’

‘M-Miss Mathilia?’ Riniock winced, recalling their last encounter vividly. ‘It’s been a while…since the admissions day, I believe.’

Mathilia stood, her movements unexpectedly lively for her age. With a playful gesture, she tapped her cheek. ‘That’s true. So, did you come looking for me?’

‘A-Actually, no,’ Riniock stammered. ‘I’d like to use the arena.’

‘Oh,’ she said, her tone dipping into mock disappointment as she leaned against the counter. ‘You’re here to train, huh?’

Riniock nodded, stepping closer to her booth.

‘One hour inside will cost you 250 lunaris,’ Mathilia informed him, flipping through a pamphlet on the desk. ‘If you want complete privacy, there’s an additional fee of 300 lunaris. What’ll it be?’

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

‘I need privacy,’ Riniock replied without hesitation.

‘Alright then, that’s 550 lunaris,’ she confirmed before glancing back at the pamphlet. ‘Any other services you’d like to add to your session?’

Riniock raised an eyebrow. ‘What kind of services?’

‘Let’s see,’ Mathilia began, scanning the options. ‘We offer enchanted target practices that move unpredictably, or training dolls equipped with magickal catalysts capable of retaliating for advanced difficulty. That’s just to name a few.’

Riniock thought for a moment before shaking his head. ‘I want my training to feel real, but without involving others. Revealing my skills in front of an audience isn’t a wise move right now.’

Mathilia raised a finger, signalling him to wait. ‘I think I’ve got just the thing for you!’

She rummaged through the drawer attached to her desk, pushing aside several pamphlets until she found what she was looking for. With a satisfied smile, she pulled out a specific flyer and handed it to him.

‘What’s this?’ Riniock asked, tilting his head as he examined the image on the page.

‘A golem outfitted with a psychorite eye,’ Mathilia explained, tapping the flyer for emphasis. ‘These golems can mimic real maegi movements, adapting to how you want them to behave. If you’re looking for enhanced realism in your training, this is your best bet.’

Riniock blinked in surprise. Though his knowledge of geology was limited, he was aware that psychorite was often used to create magickal constructs capable of following commands.

‘And what’s the catch?’ he asked cautiously.

Mathilia leaned forward, resting her arms on the booth. ‘It’s experimental – developed a few decades ago by the college’s artificing professor.’

‘Let me guess,’ Riniock said, piecing it together. ‘Some of the tests didn’t go quite as planned.’

‘Exactly,’ she admitted with a shrug. ‘So, what’s it gonna be?’

Moments later, Riniock stepped into the arena, his focus sharp and his nerves steady. Across from him, a portcullis creaked upward, and the golem Mathilia had described entered with a jerky, mechanical gait, its movements punctuated by occasional glitches.

‘Amazing,’ Riniock muttered, marvelling at the construct’s design. ‘Even as a failed experiment, it’s fascinating.’

The golem wandered aimlessly at first, its head swivelling as though searching for something. Riniock reached into his pocket and retrieved a small bell Mathilia had provided.

‘Time to give you a purpose,’ he said, shaking the bell gently. Its chime resonated through the arena, and the golem’s head snapped upright, its glowing eyes locking onto him.

‘Golem,’ Riniock commanded, his voice firm, ‘engage me in combat. Use your magick as you see fit. Evade, retaliate, and do not stop until one of us is knocked flat on their back.’

The bell emitted a radiant glow, and the golem’s eyes flickered in acknowledgment.

‘As soon as I put the bell away, begin.’ He waited a beat, then tucked the bell into his pocket.

No sooner had he done so than an icicle shot through the air, aimed directly at him. Riniock reacted instantly, twisting his wrist and summoning a gust of wind to propel himself aside.

His reflexes, honed through past encounters, felt sharper than ever. As Lazrus had once told him, experience shaped instinct. With his improved mastery over wind magick, he left no gaps in his evasive movements.

Without hesitation, he channelled energy into his fingers, a spiralling current of wind coalescing in his palm. He launched the compressed force at the golem, but his opponent was already adapting, raising a rock wall to block the incoming blade of wind.

The golem shifted seamlessly to a new element, switching magickal affinities like changing masks.

Riniock extended his arms, preparing a new spell. One hand stabilised the other as he crafted a long, spinning projectile, wild in its energy. The spear-like spell flew, homing with precision, shattering the stone barrier.

Beyond the crumbling wall, the golem retaliated, summoning a wave of fire that surged towards Riniock.

He smirked, recalling lessons from his duel with Linry. Flame-based spells no longer fazed him. Clapping his hands together, he spread them wide, dispersing the flames into harmless embers.

But the golem was relentless. True to its programming, it gave no respite, launching a volley of fireballs from its mechanical arm.

Drawing on a manoeuvre he had perfected in the arena before, Riniock summoned a gust of wind beneath him, gliding effortlessly across the battlefield. He weaved through the barrage, the fiery projectiles exploding harmlessly behind him.

Seeing its attacks rendered ineffective, the golem shifted elements again. With precise gestures, it summoned a sheet of ice that spread across the ground, freezing Riniock’s feet in place.

‘Damn it,’ he muttered, struggling to break free.

Before he could, the sky above darkened. The golem, now channelling lightning, unleashed a bolt from the heavens.

Riniock shattered the ice binding him just in time, hurling himself backward. The lightning struck where he had stood moments earlier, leaving the ground scorched and a smoking crater in its wake.

Riniock lost. The golem, adhering to its programming, stopped its assault and stood idle, awaiting further commands.

Panting heavily, Riniock wiped sweat from his brow, his expression a mixture of relief and exhilaration. ‘That…that was incredible,’ he breathed, a grin spreading across his face. ‘I’ve never felt more alive.’

He straightened up, his eyes glinting with determination. ‘Golem, let’s do this again.’