Master Derek Cosgrave was doing his best to appear calm and collected. He walked through the streets of Dorchester, politely nodding to the bowing commoners. It wouldn’t do to show his feelings to his subjects. He was an heir of Cosgrave, and he would act like it.

Yet, his mother’s words haunted him. He had barely slept the night before. After watching her dinner with that Nero Walker, he couldn’t forget her warnings. He had skipped breakfast, and was in the training hall trying to work through his feelings, when he received the message that prompted his current trip.

He had received a ping from a Great Noble house that demanded his immediate attention. It was a request from House Cranston for a long distance scry-meeting. His personal aid said that the request was sent in secret, and it specifically asked him not to mention it to anyone. Normally he would have asked his mother or sister their opinion regardless of the request for secrecy, but House Cranston had said the subject of the meeting would be Nero Walker.

For Derek, there was only one explanation; they were watching the events happening in the keep. Their intelligence was too good. A Great House could wield a great deal of power, and if they were following the events in Dorchester, than they would know if he spoke to anyone. He was well aware that he was no great player, but he knew the game well enough.

Eventually, he made his way to a scrying hall in the Tower of Mages. He chose to use a public meeting hall, rather than the one in the keep, in order to hide the scry-meeting. Entering the code into the console, he sent the connection request, and took a step back. He forced a dignified expression onto his face, and crossed his hands behind his back.

The hologram appeared around him, and he was facing two men. Derek thought the man on the right was a servant, as he was wearing house robes, and his chin was facing the floor. But the man on the left was clearly a noble. His robes were impeccable, and seemed to glow with an inner light. The man was tall, and his bearing spoke of refinement. His gray hair was cut short and parted neatly. Cold gray eyes regarded Derek with intelligence and intrigue.

“You must be Master Derek Cosgrave. Your image was accurate in our files. I am Lord Nilan Cranston. Thank you for your prompt response, as we don’t have a lot of time,” said the man with a soft but firm voice.

Derek gulped, and tried to keep his voice from shaking, “Lord Cranston, the pleasure is mine. What can House Cosgrave do for you?”

Lord Cranston’s face could have been carved from marble. It offered no hint to his mood, as he said, “I do not require anything from House Cosgrave. I have contacted you to offer an opportunity. The opportunity will aid your house, but it is really an opportunity for you. I’m aware of a great deal of what has happened in Dorchester, and I know about your problem. I only offer a solution.”

Derek tried to read between the lines. This wasn’t his area of expertise. He was a plain spoken man. A warrior. This double-speak was his sister’s thing. His mother would already have a counter-opportunity to offer the man. Squinting his eyes in confusion, he couldn’t understand what Lord Cranston was trying to say.

“Lord Cranston, to what problem are you referring? House Cosgrave has just won a noble war, and all is well. Is there something I should be made aware of?” asked Derek with concern.

Lord Cranston’s aide coughed lightly, trying to hide his laugh. And for the first time, Lord Cranston’s stoic face showed some movement. With one tiny corner of his mouth showing a hint of a smirk, he said, “Nero Walker. I’m referring to the new noble.”

Even more confused, Derek said, “How is he a threat to House Cosgrave?”

Lord Cranston realized that Derek was an idiot, and it was time to be more direct.

“Walker isn’t a threat to your house, but to you. Didn’t you listen to your mother? I’m offering you an opportunity to cut him down before he grows into a threat. I have a plan in place, but it requires someone from the city lord’s house to implement. Your mother is too cautious and your sister is incapable of action without her mother’s approval. You are the one who is threatened, and you are the one in position to do something about it. Is that clear enough for you?” asked Lord Cranston.

“Um.. Yes. Thank you. May I have a moment to think?” he asked.

Lord Cranston snorted and replied, “Take your time boy, it’s not like I have more important things I could be doing.”

Stunned, Derek tried to think it through. Well, the man obviously had a reason to want Nero Walker dead. Asking him what that reason was would be pointless. Yet, Lord Cranston seemed to agree with his mother about the danger the new lord posed. Was that commoner turned noble really that much of a danger to him? Deciding that he should err on the side of caution, Derek looked up to see Lord Cranston impatiently waiting for a response.

Clearing his throat, Derek stood at attention and said, “On behalf of House Cosgrave, I thank you for your help in this matter. What would you have me do?”

With a cold smile Lord Cranston replied, “Follow the plan, and the boy will be dead by tonight.”

-----

Sitting at a table near the kitchenette, they were still in the lab. Nero was cupping his glass of water with both hands as he looked across the table to Jennings and Nick.

With a serious, but calm voice, Nero said, “All right. What’s the theory? What’s with my stats and levels acting all weird?”

Nick spoke first, “Before that, I’d like to hear what you experienced. Your sensations and observations are essential to understanding what’s happening.”

Nero took a deep breath, then replied, “Everything started off normal. But when I started to use a star, my mind stat felt like an empty vessel demanding to be filled. The stat sucked in all three stars, and then seemed to pull in even more from the essence floating around me. And, I could also feel the chamber in my soul, the one where stars are stored, it felt like it was being squeezed. My entire soul felt like it was shrinking, while my head felt like it was expanding. I might have to trust you guys with some hard numbers; because without them, I don’t think you’ll understand.”

Jennings was keenly aware of the mage council watching through a scry. He didn’t want to turn off their entertainment, but he also didn’t want Nero to share his personal identity numbers. It would feel like a betrayal of Nero’s budding trust in him. He decided to steer the conversation toward a more general direction. The council would get something to talk about, and Nero wouldn’t have to get into specifics.

“Nero, let me tell you what I think is going on,” Jennings said, while holding up his hands to stop Nero from speaking.

“I think this all goes back to how you came into this world. I think it was a mistake to think that your mind suffered any amnesia from your journey through the upper planes. I think you remember everything. Isn’t that right?” Jennings asked.

Nick and Jennings both watched as Nero paled. He seemed to hide his agitation better than before, but it was still obvious.

Staring at Jennings, Nero seemed to come to a decision. His shoulder’s slumped and he took a big drink of his water.

“I remember everything. As Nick would say, I came into this world with a fully developed mind. I’ve already figured out that my previous experiences and personality have been speeding up my leveling. But I don’t see the connection to the stats in my identity, or why my leveling isn’t slowing down. I was hoping you two had some ideas,” he said with a wry smile.

Nick was vibrating in his chair, “You remember everything? Where did you come from? What was your past life like? Do you remember the journey through the planes? What did you see?”

Jennings didn’t seem surprised. He just nodded as if his theory was confirmed. He looked to Nick and said, “There will be time for that later, buy him a drink or something. The planes of reincarnation are not unknown to the mage tower. I’ll send you some books to read. It’s one of my hobbies to explore the upper dimensions. Right now, Nero needs some answers.”

Nick nodded, and forced himself to calm down. “Quite right. So what does this mean in a more practical sense?” he asked.

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Jennings didn't answer, he just pointed to Nero. Nick looked over to see Nero frozen in stunned shock. Nick and Jennings shared a look, and decided to give Nero some time.

Nero was flabbergasted, and he couldn’t stop his mind from racing through the worst-case scenarios he had imagined. Many times, he had played out the reveal of his previous life, and it never went like this. Instead of the shock and accusations he expected, he received curiosity. Not even overwhelming curiosity. It was like they found out that he used to be in the merchant marines, and now they just wondered what that was like.

They sat in silence while Nero stared off into space, trying to come to terms with what he had just heard. It took almost 5 minutes before Jennings saw that Nero was paying attention again, and then he proposed his theory.

“Here’s what I think happened. You lived a life somewhere else, and when you died your soul was released into the upper planes. Something happened that pulled you out of the cycle of reincarnation. You don’t have to tell us anything, it’s not our business. But whatever happened, you ended up crossing over to our outer realms. Rather than being purified of the remnant mind that was ingrained on your soul, you carried it with you through reincarnation. As your soul wasn’t clean, it couldn’t latch on to a new body upon reaching the upper planes.

“You see, a baby requires a fresh soul, one it can grow with. However, your soul couldn’t find a suitable vessel, so it just floated around the upper planes. I doubt you could even sense time there, so you could have been floating for a very long time. Eventually, circumstances aligned by chance. A body that was near death released a soul. I’m guessing it was a very weak soul, and it couldn’t hold onto its material body. But the body was capable of holding a strong soul, and your soul was pulled like a kite on a string. The recently ‘dead’ body acted like a magnet and drew your soul through the planar walls.

“When a soul is pulled into a body, it is usually small enough to slip through the planes without issue. But your soul was so large that it ripped a path open. That tear was what I observed from my tower in Hennings. When the body received the new, more powerful soul, it was reinvigorated. Your ‘birth’ used the essence the soul brought with it to heal the body and you were born anew. As your soul already had an identity, it immediately created a mind and now here you are. Sound right so far?”

Nero was amazed. He’d met smart people, but Jennings was like Sherlock Holmes had a baby with Stephen Hawking while using Gandalf as a surrogate. All Nero could do was nod and mutter, “I remember looking for a world of magic and wonder. I saw a gate that called to me. I threw myself toward the light. I just remember burning, then waking up at the merchant caravan.”

Jennings leaned forward. Slapping his hand on the table in excitement, he said, “That’s the missing piece. I assumed your mind was already attuned to the magic of a different realm. We would have had to study the differences. But you’re implying that your previous world didn’t have magic at all. When you say ‘wonder’, I hear adventure and excitement. You CHOSE this world with that in mind. Don’t you see?!?” He was waving his arms around frantically with a wide smile.

Nick and Nero were both surprised and confused at Jennings’ outburst.

Nero said, “I see you freaking the fuck out. I’m assuming that we’re missing something significant.”

Jennings nodded and said, “The choice Nero. You were an insubstantial soul. Souls are essence infused with an identity, or in other words, realized potential.”

Nick started nodding as he interrupted with an excited shout, “Oh! I see! His memories were there, but his soul was the motive force. It’s still shaping the container. He came to this world with the promise of magic and adventure in his very soul. His unconscious formed before his conscious mind took control. Using the framework of his memories, a mind was created. That explains his obsession with magic. His utter disregard for doing anything productive.”

Nero was feeling his pride rise and fall along with Nicks words. He grimaced and said, “Hey, I’m not being influenced by anything. In a world of magic and dragons, I’m not going to focus on boring crap.”

Jennings chuckled. “Nick’s not saying you don’t have a choice or anything. He is simply pointing out that your body, mind, and soul are being influenced by your inner desires. That typically starts to occur at higher tiers. What you’re experiencing is a VERY weak case of ‘unity’.”

Nick’s eyes lit up with wonder. “That’s possible?” he asked.

Jennings nodded proudly. “That’s my theory. It explains his absurd casting ability, level breaking psychic field, and ridiculous leveling speed. His entire existence is quite literally built for the pursuit of magic and adventure. The first tier is about finding your purpose. Nero here, came into this world knowing what he wanted. It’s been less than a week, and he has grown toward that goal like it was the only light in the room. ‘Unity’ can be achieved during tier 2 by embodying a goal or an ideal. It’s usually based on a person’s pillars, but during Nero’s testing, I saw the world recognize his purpose while he was on the podium.”

Nero nodded. He thought it made sense in a way. He was only a soul that created a mind and hijacked a body. As his stats showed, his identity was all over the place.

With a curious look, he asked, “OK. So now what? What do I do with that information?”

Jennings thought for a moment, and said, “Well, you live your life. Your mind had grown too fast, and required more essence to form. From now on, make sure to keep your confluence higher than your other stats, and you shouldn’t have a problem. You’ll balance out as you level. Just keep in mind that you won’t be able to compare yourself to anyone. Your situation is so unique, that your level is relatively meaningless. I’m guessing that some of your stats are probably the same as someone who is around level 50. You just don’t know anything yet. And your soul is probably very old, and very strong. Good news is that you’re probably able to ignore most illusion magic. Your sense of self and connection to the world around you is too strong.”

Nick nodded and added, “You should just follow the plan you had before. Learn what you want, and live your life. Your stars should be in balance now. Don’t let your level stress rise too high, and you shouldn’t have any problems.”

Nero said, “I think my book showed level stresses really low though. Like under 20.”

Jennings spoke up, “20 would usually be considered a monstrous level stress. Typically you shouldn’t get higher than a 6. Yet, there are always outliers. You should be safe as long as you stay under 50, maybe 60 at the highest. Also remember, you’re still adapting to this realm. It will take time and levels for your body, mind, and soul to reach equilibrium. I’d be surprised if you still had problems after level 10. Just focus on your training. Now that you’re going to be a noble, you’ll have plenty of options.”

Nero stared at Jennings and said, “That's the most useless explanation I’ve ever heard. I’m just as confused as I was before you started talking. And what options are available, now that I’m a noble? Can I go to magic school?”

Ignoring Nero’s question, Nick chimed in, “Speaking of your upcoming nobility, Vera has some things to speak with you about. She wanted to have lunch with you. Thank you for honoring her by appointing her as your proxy. She won’t admit it, but she loves getting into it with nobles.”

Jennings chuckled. “That woman is really fun to watch. She is a superb player. I wasn’t surprised to see that she was raised in a noble house. I’ve met her mother, another formidable player. Nero made a wise decision choosing her as his proxy,” he said.

Nick stood up from the table, and said, “You’ve got a few hours before lunch, so just stay here and read. I have to go calm down Kendra. What would you like me to tell her?”

Nick watched, as Nero rubbed his chin in consideration, seemingly lost as to how he should handle more people knowing about his past. Nick tried to help by adding, “All of your data is useless by the way, so you don’t have to worry about it being published. However, I would recommend keeping your history quiet. Much like your uniqueness it would be a bother to continually answer questions. Maybe you could write a book on your past life or something. Or just keep it secret. Your choice.”

Nero fidgeted in his chair. He wasn’t very proud of his past life selling cell phones and trolling people on the internet with provocative memes.

“Well, if you trust her, you can tell her everything. Just let her know not to spread it around. And my data isn’t useless. It’s like the data that was screwed up by Dorken or whatever his name was. The data just shows something different. What you learn from it is up to you,” said Nero.

Nick smiled and replied, “Right. I’ll review everything I have. I’m sure there is something to learn from what we observed.” Turning to Jennings he said, “Feel free to stay here with Nero, or do whatever you want. Is there anything you need from me?”

Jennings understood Nick’s gesture of respect, and replied, “No thank you. You’ve been very accommodating. Go about your day. I’ll stay with Nero for a bit. With Nero’s permission, I’d like to look at the data you collected.” He turned to Nero, to see his reply.

Nero shrugged, “Sure, you seem like a stand-up guy. Just show me how to do that shield thing you do, and 3 combat spells. Then we’ll call it even.”

Nick started laughing. He turned to Jennings, “Never ask Nero for anything without being prepared to pay for it.”

Nero added, “By the way Nick, nowhere in our agreement did it state that your end of the deal was canceled if my data turned out to be worthless. Just because your assistant, David, never finished the contract, doesn’t mean that we don’t have a verbal agreement. I’m a noble now. That’s a promotion that comes with lawyers.” He leaned back into his chair with a satisfied smile, and crossed his arms in victory.

Nick’s jaw dropped. Then he started laughing again. “Of course Lord Walker. I’ll abide by our agreement, but I’m sure we’ll have to amend it over lunch with Vera. As your proxy, she’ll have an opinion on how you should be spending your time,” he finished with a smile of victory all his own.

Nero’s smile dropped. “She will. Won’t she,” he muttered.

With a bow to Jennings, Nick left the lab. He was enjoying his moment of victory, until he heard Nero’s parting shot.

“I’m sure she’ll have a comprehensive lesson plan that you’ll have to follow along with me. In addition, I think you’ll be taking the trials with me, Lord Salvatore,” Nero shouted to Nick’s back.