Ghost spoke to Alistair just as he reached his door, the orphan now wearing a suit provided to him by Felix.

“Grab your dagger.”

“His men will check me,” Alistair said as he tried to get comfortable in his new clothes. The jacket was made of velvet and it had a strong, musky scent to it. The shirt beneath was crisp and itchy.

“Then at least equip your wand.”

“His men—”

“I know, Alistair, the Baronblades. But we can’t, I repeat, we cannot meet Felix without being prepared. I would bring my sword if I could, but a wand is easier to stash. Unless?”

“We’re not sticking the sword in my pantlegs, I know that. These things are tight as it is.” Alistair tried to adjust the pants.

“That’s because you’re getting stronger, more muscled than puny Felix was when he was your age.”

“You think this suit is that old?”

“I don’t know, and I don’t care. Punch your fist against your thigh, you’ll see what I mean. Our training is working. Just wait until you see yourself a month or so from now. It’s easier, you know, to get strong at this age. It gets harder as you get older.”

“Whatever.” Alistair pressed his shoulder blades back and noticed that the jacket was a half-size too small as well.

“Kanda has her wand. Get yours.”

“I didn’t see hers.”

“That’s because she doesn’t a wand need to cast spells.”

“So she doesn’t have it.”

“I’m tired of arguing with you. The dagger, the sword, or the wand—take your pic.”

“Fine.” Alistair placed his wand in its sheath and brought the belt around his waist. He tried to hide it under his jacket as best he could, but gave up.

“Summon Noctarii as well.”

Alistair touched his chest and flicked his hand out. For a split second, there was the image of a card, but then it formed into the shadow fae.

Noctarii buzzed closer to him, his facial features obscured by his mask. “Why are you all dressed up?”

“There has been a change of plans.”

“Ugh. I hate it when that happens. Is this a good change or a bad one?”

“Likely bad. Possibly terrible. Ghost wants you to go ahead of us, keep to the shadows.”

“My speciality. I should level up soon, you know. I can feel it.” The fae stretched his wings.

“Can you?”

“Should be soon, Alistair.”

“We’ll look at your evolution later, then.”

“What does Ghost want exactly?”

The assassin took over. “Since we don’t know where we’re going, just keep to the shadows around us for now. Once it is clear, see if you can’t do some eavesdropping. After we’ve left— I’m going to assume that we will leave tonight’s meeting—stay back.”

“Because we are bonded, I can’t be away from Alistair for very long.”

“Then stay back as long as you can.”

“Will do.” Noctarii removed his mask and faded into the shadows at the corner of Alistair’s rooms. Alistair had seen the fae do this before, and knew that Noctarii could move in this way as well. “One more thing,” he said from the dark. “Do you want me to kill him if I can?”

Alistair hesitated at this suggestion and Ghost responded: “We need to see why he is here first, and what we can gain from it. Felix may have been sent by Kang as a test, and if he is killed, things might get ugly here at the Academy.”

“Why would you assume that?” Alistair asked. “And wouldn’t the Academy be able to defend itself?”

“Of course, it would. I don’t think you realize what you are up against, not only the Unknown Souls and their connections, but the Dracolich Empire and the enchanted items that they use.”

“Like the dagger we have? It doesn’t seem so enchanted. It has Resonant Mana, just a bit, but that’s about it.”

“Just because you don’t know what it does, doesn’t mean it isn’t enchanted. It might need to be unlocked in some way. I don’t know. What I’m saying is if Kang wanted, if he planned and he got the right people, he could likely kill most of the students at this Academy before the professors intervened, even if they have God-Tier level powers. Do you remember how we blew up that building in Lumina? You know assassins are capable of poisoning people, right? There are many ways to take on a collection of enemies, especially when they are all gathered sheep, unaware of the wolves, especially when they all eat at the same dining hall, pigs to the slaughter.”

“So… don’t kill him?” Noctarii asked. “Or do you have another animal comparison?”

“Not unless I give the word. We still need Felix, especially now that we have Kanda in the palm of our hands. I want him to suffer, but before he does, others must fall. Unless.”

The fae moved in closer. “Unless?”

“Unless it is the perfect opportunity. So be ready, Noctarii. And Alistair?”

“Yes?”

“Try not to be awkward with Kanda.”

Alistair was still shaking his head by the time he met the older girl outside of his dorm.

“There you are.” She reached forward to dust something off his shoulder and gave it a squeeze instead. “Wow, you’re getting stronger. And look at that, you even washed your face.” It seemed like she was going to pinch his cheek, but she didn’t.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

“I did.”

“Good. My uncle will like that. This way.” Kanda turned to the gate of the Lumina Battledeck Academy. “What did you get into today?”

This question brought a slight grin to Alistair’s face. “A quest with Juno and Zola which turned out to be a trap set by Tarnis.”

“Ah, I’ve heard of him doing that before. Sorry. Anything else to report?”

“Nothing.”

“What did you want to do later at Beacon’s Row? You never told me.”

“What does your uncle want?”

“I asked you a question first, Alistair.”

Ghost: Just tell her the truth and see what she says. It might impress her. And tell her that she looks nice in her dress. Women like to hear things like that.

Alistair: What? No.

Ghost: No to which part?

Alistair: I’m not hitting on her.

Ghost: I didn’t say to do that. I said to compliment her.

Alistair tried not to shake his head again at the assassin as he returned his focus to Kanda. “Professor Lysander. He keeps tormenting me. Like with Laertes.”

“Not the Undergasts. They’re the worst.”

“I had a sparring match with Laertes. Lysander prevented me from fighting him, freezing me in place. I would have won. He had me fight Juno the other day just because we were friends. I think he has it out for orphans.”

“So you want to break into Lysander’s office and see what you can uncover? That sounds like fun.”

“I think. Yeah. I guess I should just be honest with you.”

“You can always be honest with me, Alastair. That’s why we’re friends.”

Ghost: Good. Now—

Alistair: I’m not telling her she looks pretty!

Ghost: I wasn’t going to say that. I was going to drive it home, to keep her feeling sorry for you. Tell her how hard it is being an orphan, and what it’s like to be the underdog. People love underdogs.

Alistair: How about I just let her talk?

Ghost: That works too. But you should complement her. It will help. Try it.

“Um…”

“Yes?” Kanda asked.

“I like the color of your dress.”

“Thanks?”

Ghost: Abort!

Alistair: It was your suggestion.

Ghost: I didn’t say to tell her that, I said to…

Alistair tuned the assassin out as they reached the gate, the two quieting down as they passed a pair of students serving as guards. Kanda seemed to know the pair, the older girl turning up the charm as she complimented their latest trials, whatever that was.

Soon, Alistair and Kanda were walking on the road toward Lumina, where they picked up the conversation about Lysander again. “Anyway,” Alistair said, “I don’t know exactly what I will uncover, but I feel like something is there. The only problem is, his office is protected by a summon named Lionel.”

“Lionel, yes, his Umi Hoshi Kraken. That should be easy enough to deal with. Many of the professors only have their summons out when they have office hours. Your slime, is it with you now?”

“yes.”

“So it’s not in your room.”

“No. Ziggy is with me.”

“See? Professors are similar. I have a few things that we can use to confirm, but we should be able to get to the office. I’m interested, is what I’m telling you. Orphans deserve a chance as well.”

They reached the town, and started in a direction Alistair was familiar with.

More people were out than he expected, many seated outdoors because it was such a nice night. It was seeing the people at their seats that reminded Alistair of this, the orphaned mage so distracted by what was happening that he had realized how pleasant it was at the moment, especially for a pleasant evening stroll.

“Almost there,” Kanda said as they turned down the alley that led to the same restaurant she had introduced him to, and he had later eaten at with Juno and Zola.

Ghost: Are there no other restaurants in Lumina?

Alistair: Maybe Felix owns it or something.

Ghost: Or, he owns the person who owns it and eats for free. That is the more likely scenario.

“Ah, Mr. Blackstar.” The man at the front straightened when he saw Kanda. “Ms. Bancroft. Yes, right this way, please.”

Kanda: How does he know your name?

Alistair: Long story.

Kanda: We have time.

Alistair: Do we?

Alistair glanced around and noticed that they weren’t heading toward the private room at the restaurant or the back patio, as they had on his previous visits. They seemed to be going in a different direction, toward a set of ivory stairs.

“Zola wanted to treat Juno and me,” Alistair told Kanda. “She took us here.”

“Ah, how sweet of her. I’m assuming my uncle took care of the bill.”

“Yes, he did.” They took the flight of stairs to the second floor.

Kanda: In that case, you should abuse the tab he has for you here. I certainly do. Bring your whole coterie if you want.

Alistair: Seriously?

Kanda: Seriously, and remember, we had no part in what happened the other night. The fire. He will be angry about that, but he won’t suspect us. Never.

They came to a pair of double doors made of a blackened wood that seemed to absorb the light around it. The host opened the doors, and motioned the two students into a waiting area.

Three of the Baronblades were here, all masked, two men and a woman.

“Kanda,” one of them said, the man in a jeweled mask with black paint around his eyes. He had a pair of swords sheathed at his waist and a dagger across his chest.

“You don’t need to search us.”

“It is not you that I plan to search. Hands up,” the man told Alistair.

“I have my wand with me,” Alistair admitted.

The three Baronblades exchanged glances upon hearing his confession.

Kanda stepped past Alistair, annoyed. “Of course, he does. Fledglings always have their wands on them.”

“He can’t take that in there, Ms. Bancroft.”

“And he can’t leave it with you, it would go against our code.”

“It would go against our code to let you take that the wand—”

“Uncle!”

The lead Baronblade straightened immediately. “Please be reasonable, Ms. Bancroft.”

“I will not be reasonable. Now step aside.”

The man hesitated.

“Do not make me call for him again.” Kanda told the cutthroat in a firm voice.

The man stepped aside and placed his hand on the hilt of his sword. “As you wish.”

“Good. your obedience won’t go unnoticed.”

Ghost: She’s a monster and it’s going to be very helpful in the future.

Alistair: Just try to keep quiet. And she’s not a monster. I’d be annoyed too if Felix was my uncle.

Ghost: I can’t fault you there.

“Come on, Alistair.” Kanda held her head high and traveled through another door, where they came to a large dining room, the table filled with delicacies.

Felix sat at the other end of the table in a perfectly fitted suit also made of velvet, the leader of the Baronblades with a sour look on his face. He was joined by Goran, the Scholarly Mountain, wearing maroon robes, and a woman in all black with a black silk scarf tied tightly around her neck. The woman’s head was shaved, as she turned to look at Alistair, he saw that the entire right side of her face was scared, her right eye a milky white.

Ghost: That’s Senka. This isn’t good.

Alistair took her in again, the beautiful woman so disfigured on the right side of her face that he found himself naturally looking away from her. She was one of the people on Ghost’s hit list.

Felix spoke again: “It has come to our attention that trouble is brewing here in Lumina.”

“Good evening to you too, Uncle—” Kanda started to say.

“Sit, dear, and spare me the pleasantries. Kang may have been right. He may actually be here.” Felix shifted his gaze from Kanda to Alistair. “Now, I want you to think carefully about what you say next: you haven’t heard of anyone named Ghost, have you? And before you answer that, Alistair, what happened to your eyes?”