Once the duel was over, everyone headed back to the central room. They still had a day without any additional arrivals, and another two before the full team was assembled. This meant that, for the rest of the day, they could rest and prepare for the operation.

In Hera's case, this meant talking with Blade. During the fight, the human had used a flashbang spell that was far more powerful than the one the Empress could use. Hera wanted to talk about that and see if there was anything she could do to improve her own abilities. Blade was also a seasoned veteran who had earned a nickname from the Guild long before Hera had even begun her journey inside the MAZE. Meaning she would likely have invaluable advice for the Empress, if she was willing to help.

Still, Hera did not rush to talk to the human. They had just fought, and both needed a moment to rest. This time, Ziltan took charge of the bar. And as much as the Ophidianite did not like the man, she had to admit he was a damn good bartender.

Neria was on the other side of the room, near the kitchen, with a tablet open beside her as the Triton went through various materials laid out on the counter.

"Hey, is everything okay?" Hera asked as she approached.

"Yeah. I am just seeing what I can use here to make potions. Ka'mal already knows what I needed, but it is going to take a while before he can get everything. So, I figured I would try to make some makeshift stuff to get a head start."

"Is that a good idea? I mean, anything you make now will not help during the operation, will it? Also, why are you the one making potions? Do not get me wrong, but we are in the Intelligence Agency. It is one of the best-supplied organizations in the entire Alliance. They should have a few excellent apothecaries on the payroll," Hera frowned.

"I know. I just need to do something. Also, I had an idea. What if I can make a potion that counteracts the strength mana?"

"That is an interesting thought. Are you going to use the basis of that liquid they kept the strength spirits in?"

Neria stared at Hera for a moment. "I did not think about that, but yeah, that is a great idea. After that, I was hoping Vulcan could help me test some stuff about the strength healing potion I was working on."

"Okay. So, what are you going to do?" Hera asked.

"I just told you. First, I am going to make the potions or antidote against the Soldiers of Strength. Then I am going to finish the strength healing potion with Vulcan's help."

Hera sighed. "Neria, look. You are not going to do both of those things. I mean that in the kindest way possible. You have been trying to figure out the strength healing for a few weeks now. And now you are talking about creating something completely new that acts like a temporary antidote or a neutralizer. You are amazing, you are a great healer, and I know you could do both if you had time and resources. But right now, you only have one of those. We're leaving in two, maybe three, days. I honestly don't think you'll be able to complete both of those ideas before we have to go. Doing one of them will already cut it close."

The Triton paused, turning to the Empress with a shocked expression. But that expression quickly shifted. Neria stayed quiet for a few moments before sighing. "Yeah, you're right. I need to focus on one thing specifically. If it works and I have time, I can try the other. Thank you. I think I'm just worried."

"You don't have to explain yourself. The only reason I'm not freaking out right now is because I just let off some steam in the fight," Hera said, pointing to the door that led to the arena. "But we need to be careful. Let's not think about this as the mission to end the war. It's just another job we have to do. No pressure. No high stakes." Hera spoke louder than she needed to, hoping the others were listening, and took the hint. Everyone needed to bring their best to the operation, and if they got stressed out now, they would all be too tired when it mattered most.

"That's a good call. I'm going to check the bedrooms later," Neria said, leaning closer to Hera and whispering, "Maybe if we have some privacy, you can help me let off some steam."

A moment after she said that, a message appeared on her tablet from Ka'mal.

'If you are going to bang, do it today. Starting tomorrow, people will be sharing dormitories. And yes, I know this feels intrusive. I didn't want to hear you two talking about that, but everyone here has good hearing, and you said it right after Hera made a point to get everyone’s attention.'

Neria turned purple, and Hera noticed Flint and Skyler shaking their heads with small smiles. The Empress chuckled and wrote on Neria's tablet: "Later?"

The Triton nodded before asking Vulcan for help. She had decided to focus on her ongoing project rather than starting a new one. Hera called Forge and told him what was happening before splitting off to talk to Blade.

"Hey, Hera. I don't think I said this before, but it's very nice to meet you. Sorry for not introducing myself earlier," Blade said with a smile, raising her glass filled with a drink that was a mix of orange and blue.

"You whooped my ass. I think that was a pretty good introduction," Hera chuckled. Before she could say anything else, Ziltan passed her a glass of wine.

This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

"Thank you," Hera said.

"You're welcome. I enjoy making cocktails, but I don't know your taste, so I'm not going to take a chance here."

"Wine is perfect. I only go for fruity drinks when I'm relaxing," Hera said, taking a sip.

"That feels a bit like a waste, but you do you," Ziltan shrugged and walked away from the bar. "Either way, that was the last drink I'm serving for now. Anyone else who wants one is free to come here and make them themselves."

Hera turned back to Blade, leaving the elf alone. "I know you must be tired, but do you have a moment to talk about the duel?"

"Oh, I’m not tired. Sure, what do you want to talk about?" Blade asked.

"A couple of things, but first, that flashbang spell you used. What was that? It was very different from the one I used against you."

Blade nodded. "Yeah. From what I saw, I assume you’re using some sort of light-based spell as the core for your flashbang."

Hera took another sip of wine. "It started off as a basic light spell, something to illuminate a dark place. The idea was just to make it brighter."

"Exactly. That is not the best way to go about it. Do not get me wrong, the effects are great. The flash really messed me up for a moment, but you had to protect yourself from the light, didn’t you?" Blade asked.

"I did, and it did not feel as strong as yours. When I use mine, I just blind people. You messed with my head."

"That is because the fundamentals of the spells are different. Yours creates a flash of light. Blinding someone is not the main objective of the spell, just an added effect. The primary function of your spell is to illuminate a wide area, even if you are not using it for that. Because of the elemental base behind it, that is what happens."

Hera listened intently. "So, the intent is the problem. Even if the idea behind the spell was to blind people, since the base of the spell was designed for something else, the effect does not go beyond the basics."

"Sort of. You can make something better, but you need to tweak the spell. I could tell it was very basic. I'm assuming it is an intermediate spell at most."

"It's novice, actually," Hera admitted.

"Oh, girl. Yeah, that's not going to cut it. It's too basic. If you want a more advanced effect, you need to modify the spell further. Combine it with another element or add more effects. You cannot expect a spell that simple to do more than the basics."

Hera paused, realizing a big mistake she had been making. Aside from a few buffs, she had not attempted to improve most of her spells. The only truly advanced ones she had created were Pool of Styx, Shroud of Tartarus, and Elemental Poison Storm. Those spells were much more complex than anything else in her arsenal. However, complexity did not always mean better, and she knew that. Even simpler spells, like Poison Needle, were using techniques she had long since outgrown. Yet she had continued using the same obsolete spells without considering how to improve them.

"Holy shit," Hera gasped.

"By the look on your face, I'm guessing you just realized that most of your spells are outdated," Blade said with a smirk.

"Yeah. And it's not like I stopped making new spells. I created a few really good ones, but even one of those is kind of old now. I should be able to make better versions of them at this point."

Blade smiled. "I'm happy to help. If you want, I could give you the code for Blinding Sun. That's the name of the spell you asked about."

"I appreciate it, but I'm a conceptual mage. The code will not help me much."

"Then you are on your own. I have no idea how you do magic, and honestly, it doesn't make sense to me. You say you are a conceptual mage, and you don't need codes or math, but you still use spell circles, runes, and things like that. What's up with that?"

Hera shrugged. "I don’t know. That’s just how it works for me. But if you don’t mind, there was something else I was hoping you could help with."

"Sure. It’s not like I have anything better to do."

Hera gestured for Nimbus to come closer. "This is Nimbus. He is my first titled blade, meaning the first member of my Court who got a body. My Court are the weapons that fight with me. Those are the names the legacy gave them, not me, just to be clear. Anyway, he had some questions about that barrier you created, the one that parried their attacks. Could you show it to him again or explain how it works? We are hoping it's a spell, not a skill, so he can try to make something similar."

"I would really appreciate your help. As the Sentinel, my job is to protect Hera and the rest of the Court. A power like that would make a big difference. I can create mana shields, but they don't have the same versatility as the flares you used," Nimbus added.

Blade stared at the bipedal griffon in front of her, wide-eyed. "You really are independent, aren’t you?"

"I am, but I do have some limitations. I cannot stay too far away from Hera, for instance. And except for a few unique circumstances, I'm unable to learn new skills. Spells, on the other hand, are a different story. That's why I am hoping you can help."

Blade downed her drink. "I won’t say no to that. Especially because I kind of want to see you figure out a new spell. That flare is a mix. It is a spell I attached to one of my skills." She frowned. "No, that’s not a great way to describe it. It's a spell I made to interact with the skill. I can't just use the skill and have the spell appear automatically, but if I activate them at the same time, they work in tandem."

"That sounds fascinating. Do you mind if I join?" Viper appeared behind Nimbus, startling the griffon slightly.

"Sure. The more the merrier. Actually, no. I think three is my limit. If too many people join, I'll feel like I’m teaching a class, and I'm not doing that again," Blade said, shaking her head.

Hera noticed Lurize was about to ask if he could join, but pulled back after Blade spoke. The Empress smiled. "Would you be okay with teaching, or at least showing, how to do that to Nimbus, Viper, and Lurize?" She pointed to each of them to make sure Blade knew their names. "The stuff about spells made me think, and I really want to work on my own ideas."

Blade nodded. "Do they all have that distance restriction?"

Hera turned to the trio and gave them a Royal Quest. Everyone else found the sight odd. The three kneeling and kissing her hand, but once it was done, she turned back to Blade. "Not anymore. Sorry about the theatrics. The skill that lets them move freely needs that kind of ritual."

With a chuckle, Blade started walking back to the arena. "Don’t worry about it. I have a skill that requires me to say its name out loud to activate it. It sucks, especially because it’s my strongest skill. Now come on, boys." She paused, looking at the trio. "Actually, are you boys? Never mind. That sounds like a can of worms I don’t want to open. Let’s get started."

"Tell me how all of that works later," the Empress told the trio telepathically. She figured Blade would understand that the weapons could share the information with her, but it felt rude to say it out loud. While they worked, Hera turned her attention to her own task. She wanted to remake some of her older spells to make them more powerful.