The last two days of classes passed routinely, and soon enough, it was the morning of my day off. My progress in each subject remained unremarkable, and I was beginning to settle for a slow grind of improvement. Although I had always excelled in my lessons growing up, and my core and channels may be massive, it seemed I was not a genius with magic. 

I got out of bed particularly early and met with Sig for morning exercises. After our training finished, I returned to my room before washing off and preparing to meet Leon and Sophia. I noted with some satisfaction that my body was beginning to fill out with muscle, though I was still far from well-built, and my height was still below average. 

Moving through my supplies, I slipped around half of my remaining gold into my bag around my hip, going over everything I intended to buy tonight. I wanted to refill my supplies of herbs to continue cultivating, and I needed to find an enchanter for crystals. I had a few more possible purchases, but those could wait until I was in the alchemist shop. 

Around an hour after I finished my morning routine, a sharp knock came from my door. I debated on what to wear, but decided to stick to regular clothes instead of my uniform. Galavanting around dressed as an apprentice would be too noticeable for my tastes. 

Glancing at my appearance in the mirror, I smiled in satisfaction before walking to the door, opening it to greet Sophia and Leon.

"Good morning Vayne! Are you ready to leave?" Leon asked. 

I nodded before replying, "Of course, sir. Please, lead the way." 

The three of us walked from the Academy before making our way back towards the square of Volaris. This central location represented the heart of the city, and in addition to the Bronze Barrel, there were dozens of other popular locales. 

When we arrived, Leon moved to one unusually large shop which catered to high-end clothing. Sophia glanced at me before giving a minute shrug and following her brother. I sighed a bit, already regretting agreeing to accompany them but remembering that I needed Leon's friendship as insurance. 

After walking in, a nearby shopkeeper greeted Leon, bowing low with a polite smile. 

"Good afternoon, young master. How can I help you?" 

Leon gestured to Sophia and said, "We are in the market for formal attire, for a banquet specifically. We hoped to look at some of your wares and get some measurements done." 

Nodding, the shopkeeper, began leading us through the aisles, indicating various sample dresses and suits. We stopped in front of one particularly ridiculous suit of golden thread and blue silk, which likely cost more than most commoners made in their lifetime. 

I would be lying if I said I had no desire for the finer things in life, but a single piece of decorative clothing worth hundreds of gold was insanity. There was no purpose to it beyond flaunting wealth, and out of the corner of my eye, I saw Sophia turn her lip up before returning her features to a sharp look. It seemed I was not the only one who felt it was a waste of money. 

Breaking off from the rest of the group, I wandered the shop, examining the wares. Most were formal attire, but some were more functional and suited for travel. I noted a set of waterproof travel boots and a heavy travel cloak that I may purchase in the future. 

In the far corner of the shop, I found several sets of matching shirts and pants. They looked simple, with few adornments that covered most of the clothing I had seen so far. Reaching out, I ran a hand along the shirt, noting that it felt unusually bulky. 

"Can I help you, sir?" a voice said from a few feet behind me, causing me to jump.

Turning, I saw one of the shop keepers standing in front of me, with a polite smile plastered to his face. Looking back to the shirt, I rubbed the cloth between my fingers again. 

"I am a bit curious why this set feels so heavy and dense. It feels like cloth, but I have never felt a material quite like this one." 

"There are two silk layers, both enchanted to prevent fraying and insulate the wearer from extreme weather conditions. However, the real innovation comes from between these two layers." the shopkeeper said, reaching up and removing the shirt before handing it to me.

I held the shirt, confirming that it was a bit heavier than I expected, though not nearly as heavy as a set of armor. 

"In the middle is a third layer comprised of specially treated leather, enchanted for durability. The enchantment allows for thin and flexible plates, while still tough enough to stop a knife stab. As a result, these sets are popular amongst travelers, particularly so for customers looking for more discrete protection."

Handing the shirt back to him, I knew I had to acquire a set for myself. Magic could stop an attack well enough, but extra defenses could not hurt. 

"Fascinating. It must cost a fortune for a full set like this." I said, folding my arms behind my back. 

"A set properly sized can range from eight hundred gold to well over a thousand. The cost of enchantments and the time needed to produce a full set drives the cost up quite a bit", he answered, to my disappointment.

I had expected that it would be expensive, but that was far beyond the realm of possibility. My dreams of purchasing a set for myself would have to wait. I smiled and thanked the man for his time before leaving to find Leon and Sophia. 

After an hour, our group left the shop and made our way further along the street. Leon had placed an order for a dark set of clothing with silver trim, while Sophia gave measurements for a beautiful blue dress. When I saw Leon produce several platinum coins, each worth a hundred gold pieces each, I felt a surge of envy. 

As we walked, Leon turned to me curiously and said, "Do you have formal clothing picked out for the banquet, Vayne?" 

Blinking several times, I shook my head before replying, "No, sir. I am not sure what banquet you are referring to, either." 

Sophia let out a minute snort, possibly of amusement, and Leon shook his head. 

"The Harvest Banquet, of course! The Academy holds several of them every year, and the first is in a few months. Every student will be in attendance." 

"I was not aware of that, sir. I would love to attend, but unfortunately I lack the financial means to afford something to wear." I lied shamelessly.

I did lack the funds, but I also had no interest in a banquet. Dancing and large crowds were not things I enjoyed, and I would prefer to focus on more practical matters. Unfortunately, Leon immediately waved a hand at my words. 

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"Not a problem! I can contact my father and have him provide you with the money to purchase something to wear. You can't miss something like this. I won't allow it." Leon said, placing a hand on my shoulder and grinning. 

I bit my tongue and placed a fake smile on my face before saying, "Thank you, sir." 

We eventually arrived at a large tavern, clearly catering exclusively to nobility. After we entered, two people waved at us with a smile on their faces. Both looked to be around our age and, judging by their attire, nobility.  

Walking up to the group, Leon placed a hand on my shoulder and half-pulled me forward with a smile. "This is Vayne, an apprentice sponsored by my father. Vayne, I'd like to introduce you to Brianna and Bernard." 

I bowed my head and said, "A pleasure to meet you both." 

Bernard burst into laughter while Brianna giggled at my formal tone. 

Bernard smacked my arm and said, "Straighten up, Vayne. No need to bow on our part, any friend of Leon is a friend of ours." 

I smiled at his words and bowed my head again, remaining silent at his words. There was a fine line between friendly and overly comfortable, and I needed to maintain discretion. 

Our lunch was delicious, a mixture of fish and vegetables. Usually, I was not too fond of seafood, but the meal was one of the best I had ever tasted. 

As we ate, I listened mostly in silence to their conversations, occasionally engaging but never for long. Bernard and Brianna were both ordinary people, although nobles, with Bernard in training as a knight. Leon flirted nearly the entire time with Brianna, which was surprising considering she was not a mage. Then again, flirting was not marriage as long as Leon did not take it too far. 

My goal today was to become closer to Leon, and I knew it would be a long process to form a friendship. It would be difficult, in no small part, because he and I had vastly different personalities and interests, but I felt confident I could rise to the challenge. 

I felt torn at using him, but I knew I needed to keep anyone and everyone at arm's length. I remembered a conversation with Girem years ago, shortly after my tenth birthday.

The cook's sons had invited me to explore the nearby woods and visit the pond where they fished. It was the first time any of the servant's children had shown an interest in becoming friends. Girem had forbidden me, noting I had lessons to finish that took precedence.

When I made the mistake of protesting, Girem had become furious. I still remembered him yanking me close, before leaning forward and speaking in a deathly whisper. 

"Friends are a luxury that men like you and I cannot afford. Friendships can cloud your judgment, and we can never allow ourselves to be careless." he had said, with a cold look in his eyes. 

I had turned my head down, hiding the tears burning in my eyes at his harsh words. 

"Then what is the point of all of this, if we can never have friends or family?" I remembered asking, hating the tremble in my voice. 

Girem had stared at me, with a shred of what may have been sympathy. 

"It is not an easy life, but it is the one we must lead. Loyalty and duty do not need a reward. Never forget that." 

I shook my head, clearing the unpleasant memories from my mind and returning my attention to the meal. Leon was explaining the intricacies of magical beast anatomy, citing facts from the book I had gifted him. 

I listened as he explained to the table that several avian species used mana to manipulate wind and allow incredible speed and agility. Idly, I wondered if it would be possible to mimic the effect using mana, though my Aether would likely be unable to cause that effect.

After our meal finished, we bid farewell to Brianna and Bernard. Leon turned to me and said, "Ready to head back to the Academy?" 

I shook my head before replying, "Actually sir, I have a few more errands to run, and I would like to finish them before sunset."

Sophia raised her eyebrows at me, while Leon frowned. After a few seconds, Leon said, "We can accompany you if you'd like."

Shaking my head, I smiled at Leon in what I hoped looked like gratitude. 

"Thank you, sir, but I would hate to take up your time. It is nothing fun, just some herbs from a nearby alchemist and a stop by an enchanting shop." 

Leon opened his mouth, but Sophia placed her hand on his arm while looking at me. 

"I'm sure he can handle himself, Leon," Sophia said, giving a slight smile at me. I had the feeling she knew I wanted to be alone, and I shot back a smile at her. Once again, I reminded myself that she was the more perceptive, and potentially more dangerous, of the twins. 

Walking down the street alone, I slipped into Thorpe's alchemy shop, breathing through my mouth to avoid herbs' smell. Thorpe himself greeted me with a smile and a handwave. 

"Good afternoon, Vayne. Late visit today. What brings you by?" 

"A few things actually, Thorpe. First, I wanted to buy the usual supplies. Same as last time, please." I answered, reaching onto my belt and retrieving my gold.

Thorpe nodded, walking away with my bag, and preparing my order. While he worked, I moved through the shelves, searching for several more things I needed. After a few minutes, I returned to the front desk with a glass vial and a small wooden tub of wax. 

Thorpe raised an eyebrow at my purchases but kept quiet and quickly counted the cost of everything as he slipped them into my bag. 

"One more thing, Thorpe. I am in the market for mana crystals, low-grade ones in particular. Do you have any recommendations for shops, preferably ones that have them at a good price and are not too talkative." 

Thorpe rubbed his chin with one hand, before nodding and reaching for a piece of parchment and writing down a simple map. "Take a left here and head a mile down towards the Lower District. There's a shop there run by an older woman named Hannah. Tell her I sent you, and she should be able to help you." 

I thanked him as I grabbed the parchment before retrieving the supplies and leaving his shop. Looking up, I saw that the sun was beginning to creep under the horizon, and estimated that night was around an hour away. 

Debating for a few seconds, I decided to take the risk and buy the crystals now. Classes meant I would not have the free time to come back until a week from now, and I did not want to wait that long. The sooner I started working on filling crystals, the sooner I could earn gold. 

Walking down the streets, the pristine Upper District began to give way to dirtier houses and stores, with several beggars along the roads. I had never been to the Lower District, but I knew guards rarely patrolled, and crime was a noted problem. A half-hour of walking and I reached my destination, a small shop on a side street.

Entering, I noticed that most of the wares were jewelry and what appeared to be mundane antiques. Not a single magical item was in sight, which was confusing. 

However, when I mentioned Thorpe's name to the woman behind the desk, she smiled and led me to a back room stocked with magic supplies. Her selection was minimal, but I noticed she had plenty of low-grade crystals for purchase.  

I asked why she seemed to focus on mundane items, and Hannah sighed and shook her head. "The biggest magical traders have the market cornered. I can get my hands on the small things, but I don't get the business to survive off of just their sales. Although I am looking into expanding if you are interested." she finished, a cunning smirk on her face. 

After some debate, we struck a deal on crystals. I would purchase them empty for one gold each, fill them with Mist-grade mana and return them, where Hannah would buy them for two gold and nine silver. I was no expert on prices, and I suspected she was getting the better end of our deal, but I still would turn a massive profit with our arrangement. 

Stepping out of the store, I looked up and realized that night had fallen. I must have spent much longer than I realized inside Hannah's shop. I swore and began walking quickly, moving down the street with rapid steps. If I stuck to the major roads, it would take me another half-hour of walking, but I noticed a side road that was a straight shot towards the Academy. 

Turning down the dark road, I sped up my pace, hoping to get back before it got much later. Before I got far, I heard steps and a whistle coming from behind me. Whirling around, I saw three figures standing in the gloom of the alleyway's mouth, one noticeably taller than the others. 

"Evenin' pal. Couldn't help but notice ya came out o' old Hannah's place.  Pricey stuff there. How about you hand over the bag, and ya get to walk away?" he said, his horrific diction almost as bad as the realization of the danger he posed.

"If it's all the same to you, I would prefer to keep my purchases," I replied, taking a step backward and swearing at myself for making such an idiotic mistake. 

I knew that it was a risk cutting down alleyways and wandering around at night, but my impatience had overwhelmed common sense. I  attempted to teleport using my ring, but I realized I must be too far away when nothing happened. Maybe if I was lucky, I could turn and run for it. 

Even as I considered this, I heard footsteps along the cobblestone street from behind me. My heart sank, and a glance confirmed that four other men were blocking the other end of the alleyway. 

Well, this was not good.