It took about a minute for my eyesight to return in full. That gave me ample time to smother my emotions and mentally recite congratulations to Sion. Though my pride stung, and I could not help but regret taking the duel, it was the best way to avoid insult. It was smart, though that did not make it enjoyable.

But when I turned to the noble, ready to speak, I paused. I had expected a grin or maybe a jeer.

Flynn's mouth was set in a thin line. His eyebrows were drawn low, casting both eyes in shadow, and his head faced not me but the audience. His posture was rigid, his shoulders straight, and I could sense the mana within his body quietly shifting.

I thanked any Founders listening that he was directing his glare at them rather than me.

"Explain," Flynn demanded as he stared up at the spectators.

Most nobles wore expressions of shock and mild fear, with wide eyes, open mouths, and shifting postures. The servants took the chance to retreat, practically running from the stands as silence crept over the stands like a thick blanket.

One noble in particular, a young man of maybe eighteen with bland features and unremarkable Mist-stage earth mana, seemed the specific target of Flynn's ire.

The earth mage opened and closed his mouth several times before visibly swallowing and clearing his throat before smiling, "I can assure you, young lord Sion, that I have no idea what you mean to imply! We were simply enjoying the duel, which-"

Light mana streamed off Flynn's body as he raised one hand. Wisps gathered in his open palm, and the other noble stopped speaking as if struck.

"Explain why, or you'll be dueling me next," Flynn commanded in a voice icier than Amelia's magic, "And I promise, I won't forgo any enchanted items with you."

The noble's eyes darted between Flynn and me before settling on the former. He seemed to consider what he would say, then raised his chin and met Flynn's eyes.

"You insult me, Sion. I did nothing, and you can prove nothing. That clumsy oaf of a commoner tripped, too eager to land a telling blow. Nothing more and nothing less."

And like that, it all snapped together. That ripple of mana and my unexpected stumble, two things I had dismissed as unrelated but now fit together perfectly. For all their claims of honor and fair play, it seemed the nobles would not shrink at cheating to humiliate an upstart commoner.

Flynn did not speak. I could feel his mana ripple and seethe. Then, it settled, and he turned towards the overseer, holding out one hand. The other noble stared at Flynn briefly, then started before retrieving the glasses he still held. When Flynn had them back, he turned and left the ring without another word or even glancing at me.

The moment he was out of earshot, the whispering began. I glanced at the spectators and noted a mixture of looks. Some sneered, disdain all but radiating from them, and others seemed to appraise me, weighing me like a piece of meat. How many challenges might I earn in the coming weeks, particularly once word of this duel spreads?

It took surprisingly little effort to push their looks aside as I retrieved my lost weapon. I placed both spears into my spatial pouch and nodded once at the overseer to maintain an appearance of humility. Then, I followed Flynn's lead, leaving without a word or glance at the spectators. They deserved nothing more.

---

I returned to the mines, partially to retrieve my remaining equipment and partially to meet with Rowen. The foreman seemed distressed, and I assured him of my plans to speak with masters back at the Academy. I would send word if there were anything they knew that might help the mines in their battles against the wilds.

That trip also provided me an excuse to head into the forest and retrieve more samples of Aether water. My existing supplies were enough for tests and at least a few months of regular use, but I could always use more. At worst, I could sell some to recoup any losses.

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The beasts of the forest seemed calmer than before, though that might be my imagination. Maybe I was so prideful that I was fooling myself into at least one minor victory.

With that done, I returned to Aresford to retrieve my horse. But as I was sitting in my rented room, waiting for Nick to finish preparing my horse, I heard a knock on the door.

I assumed it was the innkeeper or his son, but Flynn Sion stood outside when I opened the door.

"Fantastic," Flynn said as he strode past me without an invitation, "I was worried I'd have to head to the capital to track you down."

"No, please come in," I remarked as I closed the door and turned to face the light mage, "Can I help you?"

"Nope, but I can help you," Flynn said as he walked around my room before facing me. He smiled and flourished his right hand, and a ring set on his index finger flashed golden. When the light faded, Flynn held a thin, leather-bound tome.

I did not bother asking what it was, but that was not my hesitation.

"Why?" I asked bluntly, staring at Flynn Sion.

Flynn's smile flickered momentarily, and he shook his head, "Because you won our duel."

"I tripped."

"You were tripped," Flynn corrected, "And the only thing I hate more than losing is winning like that. Besides, my father would order me to turn over the journal if he found out what happened. Now, take it."

Flynn waggled the book for good measure, and I walked over to take it from him before flipping to a random page in the middle.

-total mana used in proportion to the strength and range of the gravitational effect. I believe that with more data, I can produce a reliable ratio which-

The writing was cramped and scrawled in such a way that I doubted the author intended to share it with others. I spotted places where a hand had smudged ink and a stain near the corner where someone might have spilled wine.

I almost thanked him, but something about this still prickled at me. Though Flynn seemed more honorable than I expected, this was too decent. I did not believe in such altruistic, upright behavior. Not from a stranger and certainly not from a man I had dueled not even five hours earlier.

"With all due respect," I started, "Why else are you here?"

"Well...I did technically win our duel. And we did wager that you'd answer my question if I won."

I raised an eyebrow, "Your question?"

"Yes. Why are you doing all of this?"

The truth was simple, straightforward, even dull. I had died in my visions and did not want to die again. If I could save my home and my friends along the way, then all the better, but base fear drove me.

Yet, as I considered it, I wondered. Was fear all drove me? Was survival the only thing I wanted out of life? Was my fate to run from a future that might not even come?

I should have deflected or refused to answer but found myself replying, "I...I want to see more. To know more. Magic is a journey without an end, and I want to walk it as far as possible."

"You want to reach Archmagus?"

"Maybe," I shrugged, deciding not to be too honest.

My answer was incomplete but close enough to the truth. If anything, it might speak to who I was at my core than I had meant to reveal.

"Then I have one more thing to discuss," Flynn said, breaking into my thoughts.

"What?"

"I want you to join me."

I had expected several things, including veiled threats, mocking jeers, and even a joke at my expense. But this? It sent my thoughts off-course, and I did not reply for several seconds. Finally, I gathered myself enough to respond.

"I must have misheard you. It sounded like-"

"No, you heard me well enough," Flynn said, walking over to my bed and sitting down, "I want you to leave the Esttons and join my family instead. Not as an advisor or servant but as a real mage—a noble in full."

"You could do that?"

"Not yet, no. But my father can, and he respects strength. You effectively beat me, you know."

"Only because I had several advantages over you," I countered, "If you had used enchanted items or if you had not been so..."

"Arrogant?"

"I would have said 'overconfident,'" I finished.

Flynn snorted and shook his head, "Close enough. The important part is that you nearly won. And more than that, the challenge helped push us as mages."

"Us?"

"Next time we fight, that mana wave trick won't work as well," Flynn replied with a grin, "And I'll have a way to stop your spear. Either way, I want you to join me, if only to prove a point."

"And what point is that?"

"My family has believed for centuries that we can create Archmagi with the right resources and training. We believe that anyone can rise with enough potions and magical secrets."

"You probably can," I replied.

Flynn shrugged, "Maybe. But what I think matters more than anything isn't want, but need. Magic has always grown from necessity. Challenges. A rival. Another mage just as determined as you, with the same goals as you, who pushes you and who you push in turn."

"And you want me to join you and become that rival?" I filled in.

"Exactly!" Flynn stood and clapped his hands together, "If you join me, we can walk this path together. Reach the places where even Archmagi don't tread."

It was a ludicrous gesture, an offer that the Esttons would likely never match. Accepting would gain my independence from my sponsors, and in a few years, I might be unrecognizable. The Sions had unmatched magical secrets, and Flynn had a point. I had grown faster and further than I thought possible in just a week.

But it would be trading one lord for another and spitting on the help the Esttons had already granted me. I could still learn more from the Academy, especially now that I had Markov's journal.

And Amelia was back in Volaris.

Still, Flynn's words had rung true on some level. I had a rival already. It just was not Flynn.

I had split oceans. I had shattered ships. I had battled, not as a man or a mage but as a walking calamity, a being of incalculable, incomprehensible might. And I still failed. That was who I was comparing myself to, not Master Julian, my classmates, Amelia, and certainly not Flynn Sion.

"Respectfully, I decline," I said. Flynn's smile faltered, and I continued, "Your offer is generous—more than I would ever expect. But I cannot just abandon my previous responsibilities. I am an apprentice of the Academy and a sponsored student of the Esttons."

"Don't you want to be more?" Flynn pushed.

I did, but that did not make accepting his offer a wise move. So, I remained silent.

Flynn stared for a few seconds, then sighed as he stood and walked to the door. He opened it, then paused and said over one shoulder, "If you change your mind, come and find me. Or if you want to duel again."

I nodded at him, and Flynn paused before exiting the room, leaving me alone with my thoughts. I did not move from where I stood until Nick told me my horse was ready.

Finally, as the midday sun burned overhead, I departed Aresford with my mana denser than I arrived with, a near-invaluable journal in my pack, and a head full of conflicted thoughts.