Several large leather bags sat on one of the tables in Cortos' sanctum, with dozens of supplies ordered next to them. There were only a few weeks left until the end of the semester, and classes did not have any tests until the end of the second semester. That left me free to prepare for my journey, and as Girem often told me, preparation was the key to success.

The fact that throwing myself back into preparations and planning also distracted me from overthinking my situation with Amelia was just a coincidence, or so I tried to tell myself.

One pack I filled with all the potions I usually used, enough to last for a full month. While it might be safer to leave them behind, I could not afford to slow my training down for even a month, which meant I needed to take the risk. I picked opaque, clay jugs rather than my standard glass vials to provide another obstacle to any prying eyes.

Also coming along with me on the trip was my notebook, which I had filled with simplified explanations on a dozen magical topics that I would study and practice in my free time.

Something Amelia had mentioned during the Harvest Banquet stuck out to me, about how one master had combined a fire elemental cultivation technique with his wind magic to produce an unconventional but effective fighting style. And I soon recalled that Master Clemons noted most students would eventually change their cultivation methods to something better suited to their skills and preferences.

I had decided to focus on Iron Forging, for now, to make sure my body was as robust as possible to resist Aether fully, but that did not mean I had no use for the others. Tranquil Authority and Endless Horizons both would provide extremely beneficial elements to my skills. Once my body had become durable enough to withstand my full power, I could begin mixing in these methods to patch up my weaknesses.

While most mages could spend their entire lives gradually developing their skills and forming a well-rounded style of combat, I had a decade or two at most. And though there were ways to save time and speed my training, I still needed to focus on practical techniques that would emphasize my strengths and cover as many weaknesses as possible.

That line of thinking led me to telepathy and telekinesis. Both were efficient fields of magic that would start powerful and become overwhelming with enough training, and both were well-suited to Aether. Even more ideally, if trained to mastery, there was a near limitless degree of applications that I could accomplish with either skill.

After all, how well could an enemy battle me if I sundered their mind with a telepathic attack? And who needed to control my surroundings with elemental magic when I could work around it with telekinesis and rip apart the battlefield with just my thoughts? I would never possess the precise control of someone who had an applicable elemental aspect, but it would be functional.

Telekinesis seemed straightforward, although it required unusually precise control and massive amounts of mana to be effective, while telepathy was far more demanding of a prospect. Like Master Julian had warned me months ago, the skill was extraordinarily challenging to learn, and most mages failed to develop any more than the most basic of defenses.

During my research, I noted that Archmagi Alexandria herself had written a dozen works on the subject, and freely called herself the greatest telepath in Ferren history. Although her books were by far the most useful, I always seemed to develop a horrible headache studying those particular texts.

I planned to fill the rest of my packs with traveling supplies, like food and medical supplies. Magic was by far the most effective tool at my disposal, but I knew no healing spells, and I could not count on my weak healing potions sealing up a slice to my gut. Although I could likely afford those with the gold I have earned, I had another idea. And I still had one other thing to consider for my journey.

Looking over to Fortuna, I pursed my lips and crossed my arms, leaning back against the table.

"Now, what to do about you? I cannot bring you along with me. It would raise too many questions for which I have no answers. What do you think about hiding in my pack and coming out only at night?"

He opened his eyes and yawned before standing and cleaning one paw. After several seconds, I felt the now-familiar telepathic touch on the edge of my consciousness.

Stay here. Safe

I raised an eyebrow at that, unsure if I wanted to leave him alone for an entire month.

"If I leave you here, can you take care of yourself? It seemed like last time, you nearly starved to death, and I have not had the chance to recreate a Draught to feed you."

Can hunt. Survive

Nodding and hoping he would be fine, I stood and returned to my bedroom, changing into a clean set of clothing before leaving and making my way to Leon's room. I hated relying on his resources for my needs, but logic overrode reason in this case, and I hoped I could convince him to purchase everything on my list. If not, I would have to spend my own gold, which I would prefer to save for future uses.

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Leon answered the door quickly enough, smiling and saying, "Vayne, nice to see you. How can I help you?"

I bowed my head, holding out a sheet of parchment and saying, "I have taken the liberty of compiling a list of supplies for our journey. Most of it should be straightforward, armor, weapons, and so on, but I wanted to provide you with a copy. Of course, I lack the means to purchase any of these things, but I should be able to acquire everything we need with your assistance. And I will do everything in my power to repay you, my lord."

Leon smiled, nodding, and looking over the list with a careful eye.

"Of course, we will purchase anything you need. Girem has already compiled a list of supplies and sent it to us, but I appreciate your forethought. Why don't we head down to the city now, and take care of this? Armor, in particular, will take a few weeks to get ready, and I want to make sure you are as protected as we can manage."

Ducking back into his room, Leon exited after a minute with a small pouch in one hand. Looking to me, Leon said, "A gift from my father. It is a spatial distortion pouch and a large sum of platinum for any expenses that would come up in preparation for our journey. You'd be shocked how bulky and heavy coins can get, and how useful a bag that makes it a tenth the weight can prove."

We went to a high-quality armorer, who was more than happy to provide me with bracers, pauldrons, a chest piece, and greaves, all made of flexible leather. Typically, blacksmiths crafted these pieces from metal, but I requested a lighter material to maintain speed and agility. Of course, I already had armor for my torso, but Leon would not know about that.

Leon also purchased a short sword for me, noting that it would be a perfect weapon to carry for self-defense. I would have preferred a spear, having found them more to my taste after months of practice, but Leon was insistent that a sword was the weapon of a noble, and I would be better served with a blade.

After paying for everything I needed, Leon and I met Sophia for lunch, where we went over the basics for our trip.

"So, Girem will be coming here the day after classes end, to make sure we are all prepared for our expedition. While we will have an escort of several masters, the Academy does not provide anything and expects students to take care of all of their own supplies, so we will need to make sure we have horses, camping materials and food for the trip. Vayne, do you think you will be able to handle riding by yourself?" Leon asked, looking at me with a mixture of amusement and concern.

I chuckled and nodded, replying, "I think so, but I may need a short refresher, if it would not be a problem, sir. As I am sure you remember, I am not the best equestrian."

Laughing loudly, Leon shook his head, saying, "I'll give you some pointers next week after classes, so you don't get bucked off the second you hop onto your mount. It would be a bad omen if a broken leg slowed the first step of our journey."

Sophia coughed gently, drawing our attention.

"On our journey, you will need to stay close to us both, Vayne. You lack any skills in combat, and as our servant, it is our responsibility to keep you safe. Due to that, it may be best if you stayed with us, in our shelter." she said, staring at me with a stern expression and pursed lips.

"My lady, that feels somewhat improper. I am just an advisor, and I would not dream of taking up the limited space, or infringing on your quarters."

Leon chuckled and said, "You have never seen the shelters a noble has when they go out of the city, have you Vayne? Magic can solve plenty of problems, and let's say that space will not be an issue for us. I agree with Sophia. It will be easier to keep you safe if you stay near us at all times."

Internally, I swore, but externally, I bowed my head and thanked them both for their concerns. I would prefer privacy, but I had no reasonable excuses left to deny their invitation.

Though I was still annoyed at Leon for his actions during the Banquet, I found it difficult to dislike him. He seemed genuinely concerned for my safety, rather than just protecting an asset, and he was generous to a fault. Although Sophia was by far the more intelligent one, I started to respect how dangerous charisma and a friendly attitude could be in the right hands.

I bid the two of them good night and returned to my room, ready to spend the rest of my night finalizing my preparations. When I finally turned in for the night, I felt confident in my plans for the rest of the semester.

The remaining weeks passed in a blur of activity and planning. Classes were easy enough, nearly all review of topics I had already studied in my free time. Strangely, it seemed first-year courses were painfully slow and monotonous, likely to build a firm foundation. Smart, but far too gradual for the strict schedule I set for myself.

Amelia and I continued to spar, although I now felt somewhat uncomfortable around her, unsure how to act. I had resolved to keep her at arm's length, but every time we practiced together or ate lunch, I found it increasingly difficult to keep in mind.

And the fact that she seemed to delight in teasing me about my shyness and uncertainty did not help in the slightest. At least not to my knowledge, we did not share any more physical contact or romantic moments, but every interaction felt strangely tense. Maybe I would ask Leon for advice, since he was far more experienced with these matters than me.

Simon and I occasionally still practiced together, though our sessions had mostly stopped yielding significant improvements. I was more than a little surprised when I found out he would also be going along with us.

When I said as much, he told me, "These sorts of trips are excellent for making friends, and my family relies on friends to earn a living. Or at least, that's what my father has always told me. Truthfully, if it was up to me, I'd stay home and study my formulas, but my father was insistent that I needed to broaden my horizons."

Leon had found the time to give me a refresher on riding, though all it did was serve to remind me of how much I hated horses. If there was one thing I wanted to make sure I learned, it was a spell to allow travel without sitting on top of one of those hooved monsters again. Judging by how little they heeded my directions, the feeling was mutual.

For his part, Sig seemed surprised when I informed him that I would be leaving for a month after the semester. I got the impression that he expected me to stay at the Academy and continue training. However, he should have known at a minimum, I would be returning to the Estton estate after the semester ended.

"The day before you leave, meet me down here at night. I have something to give you to hopefully make sure you come back alive. I would hate to lose all the time and effort I put into you, making sure you were competent." Sig said to me one day after class.

All too soon, the last day of classes came and went, and I found myself on the eve of my first journey outside Ferris's borders