“They will have observed you and Zavira while you fought in the dungeon,” Master Kairos said from the other side of the manatech vehicle as we rode together to the reception. Nobody had joined us in our carriage, and it had been warded against eavesdropping so we could talk freely.

“How much of a threat do you think they pose?” I asked.

I’d given some thought to the matter as I robotically greeted the members of my sect who’d stopped by to congratulate me. Most belonged to the Headquarters, though a few elders from other branches, along with their respective Branch Leaders, were also in attendance.

“Your new affinity will complicate things for the Sovereignty Sect – or anyone else who might target you. But it likely won’t be enough to stop them.” Master Kairos looked at me consideringly. “In their place, how would you handle someone like yourself?”

My eyes drifted to the window as my mind considered the question.

“Should I assume they have access to people with a wide variety of affinities?” I asked.

“You should.”

I nodded to myself. “Given that, and the assumption that they would have witnessed everything not hidden by the dungeon since I encountered their disciple, I’d wait to act until I was reasonably certain that no Tier Ten Time Mage would swoop in and undo everything with Rewind,” I said, giving him a pointed look.

“If they were to act in your presence,” I continued, “or even in close enough proximity for you to respond, their efforts would be wasted since you could revert most things. Now, if they have some kind of [Time Locking] formations or chambers, that might be a little different. Even so, I wouldn’t act while you were around since it adds an unnecessary complication.”

I mulled over the question a bit more. I definitely couldn’t see a direct attack while a Tier Ten Time Mage was around unless they got desperate, but if they could isolate me, even just for a moment, that would be different.

“I would probably focus on neutralizing my target’s ability to use mana. I would specifically target internal mana since basic mana suppression cuffs won’t stop someone from triggering a talisman or using inventory-type storage. They have to know I use both, even if they aren’t aware of the upgrades I’ve made since reaching Tier Eight.”

“Poison would be a good option,” I continued. “If my attackers could expose me to the right poisons, I’d be virtually helpless against them. Without the ability to use mana, I wouldn’t be able to Restore myself or Teleport away. If it was a very good poison, I wouldn’t be able to defend myself physically, either.”

My mentor nodded encouragingly. He’d probably given the topic more consideration than I had, but that was to be expected. I’d only just learned the elven elitists were still an issue.

“There are a few types of poisons that could do what you are describing,” he said after a moment. “I could make you a few antidotes, but they’ll be of little use to you if you are incapable of retrieving them from storage. You’ll have to carry them on your person.”

“I keep forgetting you’re an Alchemist,” I said. He’d mentioned it a long time ago, but it wasn’t something we’d ever discussed in much depth since he was also a capable Enchanter, and we both knew my preference.

Alchemy was something I could do, but it wasn’t something I was very interested in. Even after decades, my Alchemy skill was barely Intermediate, and that was only because I’d relied on the skill for making Enchanting reagents.

Making antidotes for the types of poisons I was thinking of wasn’t something I’d be capable of doing, though I could make a talisman that would serve a similar purpose with enough effort.

Master Kairos had included several Alchemy lessons in my inheritance, which I’d studiously completed. But we both knew the field wasn’t something I was passionate about – unlike my mentor.

“I’m a very good Alchemist,” Master Kairos said with a smirk. “Perhaps we could develop something to combat such an attack together. You might not be able to get to an antidote in time, but if you incorporated something like what you did with your new E3 talismans…” He let the implication hang.

“I was just thinking something similar,” I replied with a grin. “So that would handle poisons, at least in general. Somehow, I doubt that’s the only method they’d use. How likely is it that they’d go after my family?”

That was my real concern. I could defend myself well enough, but if someone targeted my family, they’d be practically helpless.

Thankfully, the shift in my mentor’s demeanor made it clear that such a thing would not be an issue.

“If they, or anyone else, did such a thing,” he said with a dark expression, “the Council would have them wiped out. Assassins of the same or lower tier might be dispatched to come after you, but nobody would go after your family in this type of situation unless your family acted against them. Should your parents, brother, or sister-in-law decide to get involved, even peripherally, they would no longer be protected. But as long as they remain firmly outside of the conflict, they should be safe enough.”

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I was relieved to hear that.

“Good. So, aside from poisons to keep me from using mana, there are a few other tactics I’d probably use against someone with my abilities,” I said before sharing my thoughts with my mentor.

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

“It’s nice to finally meet you, Zavira,” Mom said as she reached for my friend’s hand. Shaking hands wasn’t a particularly common practice in the Alliance, but it also wasn’t so odd that people didn’t know how to react when presented with the gesture.

“It’s nice to meet you, too, Avery Mercer of Earth,” Zavira replied. “I hope your relocation to Hadier has gone well.”

The whole ‘of Earth’ thing was new to my parents, but I’d gotten used to the nuance a long time ago. Unless someone gave up their surname, the addition was included to make it clear that their surname name did not imply any skill or connection.

Mentioning where someone was from or who their parents were was also a fairly common way of identification for those without surnames, as well.

I’d opted to eschew my last name in the first timeline to avoid confusion and distance myself from the bad reputation that Earthborn had developed, but it seemed the small changes had done a lot to mitigate such problems this time.

I listened to the exchange of pleasantries distractedly.

I’d already informed Zavira about the threat, though I wasn’t sure it applied to her anymore. The elves in the dungeon had taken offense to her heritage more than anything, and I doubted the Sovereignty Sect was inclined to continue that conflict now that we were outside.

Especially with her backing.

Even so, I didn’t want her to be caught unaware – not that I needed to worry about that since the information had been passed between our respective Patriarchs.

“She seems nice,” Mom said when Zavira excused herself to greet a few new arrivals moments later.

“She is. I’m glad she was there with me.”

“Me too,” Mom replied quietly. “I worried about you a lot. Knowing you had someone watching your back helped.”

I could tell there was more that she wanted to say, but the words remained unspoken.

It didn’t take long for one of the Branch Leaders to approach. A quick check with Lisa revealed he was the Branch Leader for the sect on Hadier, a Tier Seven Fate Mage named Julius Sors. We’d met briefly after the promotion ceremony, but we didn’t interact much beyond pleasantries.

Even so, I couldn’t say I was surprised when the dark-skinned man in lavender robes approached within seconds of Mom stepping away.

His ears were slightly pointed, making me wonder if he had a bit of elven heritage. The almost perfect symmetry of his face gave credence to that theory, as elves tended to be far more balanced that way than most of the other races.

“Congratulations again, Elder Momentia,” the Branch Leader said politely as he stepped next to me.

“Thank you, Senior Sors. And thank you for ensuring the well-being of my family while I’ve been away.”

The Fate Mage smiled gently. The corners of his eyes creased in lines that proved the expression was common enough for him.

“It was no problem at all,” the Branch Leader assured me before addressing the reason he’d approached. “The Patriarch tells me that you’ll be taking a short vacation before you begin teaching.” His comment was somewhere between a statement and a question.

“That’s the plan,” I agreed. “I’ve been gone for a long time, if only subjectively. There are things I’d like to see and do while I have the chance. I fear the opportunity will pass if I wait until the next time I leave the dungeon.”

“Nobody will begrudge you a vacation,” Leader Sors replied. “Do you plan to settle into your new apartment before leaving? We’ve set aside one of the penthouses for your use at the branch on Hadier. We were going to have a standard Elder residence built for you, but the Patriarch assured me the penthouse would be acceptable.”

He looked at me with a hint of nervousness. Having someone of a higher tier residing at his branch had to be uncomfortable, especially given the other factors involved.

“I’m sure it will be more than sufficient,” I said with sincerity. “I don’t require much.”

Though there was no obvious change in the man’s demeanor, I could sense his relief. We chatted for a few more minutes before the man excused himself, and I found myself momentarily alone once again.

It didn’t take long for the void to be filled.

“It’s amazing to think you were newly awakened just a decade ago,” Rhona said with a friendly smile.

“Your Highness,” I said with a bow.

While there was an undertone of cheekiness, I tried to hide it since Aegeas was Rhona’s family’s territory. Outside of the kingdom, I might get away with being less formal, but my etiquette lessons had made it clear that anything less than a formal greeting was not acceptable in such settings.

Even with my new status, there were certain expectations I needed to uphold when interacting with royalty, even with those who held an honorary title based on their familial connections.

Thankfully, Rhona didn’t stand too much on ceremony.

“I’m glad to see you made it through the first part of the dungeon relatively unscathed,” she said after looking me over. “Elder robes look good on you.”

“Thank you.”

“I also heard that you managed to pick up a third affinity,” Rhona said with a gleam in her eyes.

“I did,” I replied. “It was a close thing, and it really barely qualifies.”

The attractive brunette waved a hand. “An awakened affinity counts, regardless of its strength.” Tapping her chin, Rhona asked, “I don’t suppose you’d be interested in contracting with a royal family?”

“Not particularly,” I said with a strained laugh. “I only have ten years before I have to reenter the dungeon. I’d rather not add any more demands or responsibilities.”

“Hmm, maybe once you finish your task,” she mused. “It isn’t completely unheard of for someone to leave a little bit of themselves behind before ascending. It may even be better that way.”

I looked at the former Administrator in surprise. “Who said I’m ascending anytime soon?”

Rhona raised a brow. “Are you not?”

I was a little surprised by the question. While the topic had come up recently, I really hadn’t given it much thought. As far as I was concerned, ascension was still a very long way away.

“I… probably not?” I replied after a moment. “At least, not anytime soon. I’m not in any rush to leave everyone that I know and love behind.”

Rhona looked at me uncertainly. “Well, whenever you do decide to ascend, the Quartz Kingdom would be happy to work out a deal if you’re so inclined.”