I detected that strange mana signature again two days after the previous incident. It appeared as I walked the grounds of the Academy, testing my ability to draw in Aether while keeping my senses fully extended. It felt like trying to look in two directions, and while I doubted I could manage it any time within the next few years, it was a start.

When I sensed my strange shadow again, I dropped all thoughts of practice and focused entirely on it. There was a brief flicker of mana that felt similar to Aether, but it vanished within seconds, leaving me to conclude either I was imagining it, the possessor was weak, or they were very good at shrouds.

I decided to play it safe and headed to the Archives, searching for protections against tracking and spying. That, in turn, led to disappointment.

While there were means to dissuade spies, none were applicable in the short term. Sure, I could improve my shrouds, and there were a few spells designed to block foreign magic from entering a certain radius, but neither would stop the oldest and most effective form of espionage: eyes and ears.

So, I settled on what felt like the best counter-measure. I would be patient, remain inside or with allies, and wait for my spy to make a mistake. Everyone did sooner or later, and I doubted whoever was watching planned to kill me or anything quite so overt.

Simon contacted his family with my proposal but warned me it might take weeks or even months to finalize anything. I could not wait to earn gold, so I moved on to one of my backup plans.

Leon and I had not spoken much one-on-one in the past week, but getting the young nobleman out of his quarters did not take much convincing. Simon and his family had finished crafting Leon's new bow, and my lord-to-be had not had the chance to test his weapon.

The one unexpected development was Leon's refusal to go to a training room. Instead, he wanted to test it outside, noting that he found wind mana easier to control in a more natural environment.

I had observed wind mana before, but it remained strange and unfamiliar. It was a chaotic, unpredictable energy that refused overt manipulations in favor of gentle coaxing and prodding. Directing wind magic required iron-clad will or a conscious surrender to its apparent whims.

All of that made Leon's new weapons true works of art.

The bow was massive, tall as a man, and covered in runes along its face. I recognized a few and knew from speaking with Leon and Simon that they would help ease the draw, contain more force, and direct as much power as possible into the arrows proper. Those arrows, in turn, had been designed to gather, hold, and direct his mana to maximize efficiency.

Leon had one arrow nocked and drawn, and I could sense his wind mana gently gathering and twisting along the projectile. It coalesced on the point, forming something akin to my Mana Edge. I tried not to notice how much more efficient the entire process was than my attempts and instead focused on Leon.

The nobleman held his stance for at least ten seconds, allowing his mana to pour into the arrow. Then, he relaxed, and the arrow seemed to slip free of the bow string. It flashed, slamming into a tree about forty feet away with a thunderous crunch.

Wind gusts and shards of wood flew in every direction as the arrow punched through the tree and sailed onward, leaving a fist-sized hole behind. The impact barely slowed its passage, and I lost sight of the arrow, though I could sense its wind mana moving off into the distance.

Leon remained still for a moment before lowering the bow and sighing, "I think I'm in love."

"Oh? Did your latest companion work out so well? As I recall, you seemed less than thrilled with her." I joked, trying not to consider what Leon's attack would do to a person.

Leon winced, "Founders, no. I meant this. Look at it! It's a work of art."

It looked like a bow to me. Yes, a particularly high-quality magical one that cost a small fortune, but I did not think "love" was the word I would choose. Then again, I had already thrown away several of my favorite weapons, so my opinion was likely skewed.

Rather than point that out, I laughed and nodded, "Yes, it certainly is an impressive weapon. Simon and his family do good work."

"Great work, I'd say," Leon countered, "Would you care to try it?"

"I have never shot a bow before."

"There's a first time for everything."

Leon's words had the feeling they were halfway between suggestion and command. I assumed the latter and took the weapon from him with a polite smile.

The nobleman was a patient, detailed teacher. He did not yell, gave clear instructions, and remained calm even when I failed. The bow had enough magic to make it effortless to pull back, even for a novice. Even my hand-eye coordination, once clumsy, had grown sharp with months of practice.

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When I finally took my first shot, it slammed into a tree trunk with a thud. I had opted for a non-magical arrow, but it still struck with enough force to sink several inches deep into the bark. The problem was I was aiming for a tree roughly five feet to the right.

I glanced over to Leon, who winced before catching himself.

"Not too bad. Would you like to try again?"

I snorted, "No if it is all the same, I think I will stick with my spears and spells."

Leon laughed, taking back the bow and launching another shot. His mana reserves felt deeper than before, though they remained at Vapor rather than Haze. Despite that, I estimated that his nascent style would make him incredibly efficient, using only a fraction as much energy as a comparable spell while also using his archery skills.

It was a simple, elegant solution, but as Leon straightened after his fourth shot, I noticed his strange expression.

"Leon," I said when there was a lull in his practice, "Are you okay?"

Leon started, then turned towards me and smiled, "More than okay. It's perfect! I couldn't be happier."

"...do I have your permission to speak to you as an advisor would?"

"Yes?" Leon raised an eyebrow.

"Then, I would advise being honest," I replied, "I would like to help you, if possible, but I cannot if you do not tell me anything."

Leon blinked, then after a few seconds, chuckled and shook his head, "I suppose that's fair. I'm...content, I suppose."

"Is there a problem with the bow? I am sure Simon would-"

"No, no, it's not the bow."

"Then what is it?"

Leon sighed as he drew another arrow and aimed at another tree, "I always expected Sophia would do better than me at magic. She's always been more focused and harder working, and when we learned about our potential, it felt right. I can be the face of our family, and she'll be the prodigy. And don't get me wrong, I'm proud of her. She's a Haze, and that's fantastic."

"But?" I asked after he trailed off.

"But it's not just Sophia. A few others have already reached Haze. I'm not blind to my shortcomings, but I'm being left behind. This bow helps, but it's just a trick. Even you're ahead of me, and you're not even a noble. You're just-"

The nobleman froze, lowered his bow, and spun to me before bowing, "I'm sorry, Vayne. That was entirely unwarranted. Please accept my apologies."

I waved a hand and tried to brush past Leon's comment, "Forget about it. I am sure you did not mean any insult."

"What I meant doesn't matter," Leon replied as he straightened, "My frustration doesn't make what I said acceptable."

His comment stung and reminded me of how even Leon, my friend, saw me. I was a commoner, a non-mage given access to something beyond my station. But dwelling on the insult would accomplish nothing, so I moved past it.

"As it happens, I might have a way to help with your problem," I said, reaching into my pocket and pulling out a thin booklet.

"What is that?"

"A return on an investment," I replied, "Although my mentor kept me busy, I promised your family that I would help you improve your magic. And I wanted to keep that promise."

Though I did not have much chance to observe wind magic up close, I had ample opportunities to pick Julian's brain before our falling out, read up on the element, and observe Leon's existing abilities. The short booklet was a collection of notes, references to other works to read, and some exercises that might bolster his control and efficiency.

Leon slipped the booklet into one pocket with a smile, "Thanks, Vayne."

"Like I said, I wanted to keep my promises," I replied.

I had planned to use this opportunity to propose a joint venture to Leon. He was a skilled hunter, and with his help, I could pursue more dangerous and valuable opportunities. But for better or worse, the conversation had turned uncomfortable after his accidental insult.

We exchanged some minor pleasantries, made plans to have dinner the following evening, and eventually made our way back to the school. Though the conversation was ultimately a failure, I learned a few things along the way.

There was some irony that we shared the same worries and woes. Leon was the son of a duke, with all the wealth and power that came from his station. He had a charmed life that many nobles would kill to obtain.

Meanwhile, I was a nobody. My family came from essentially nothing, and my fortune so far was down to the whims of the rich. I would bet each arrow Leon so casually used cost more than my parents would earn in a year.

Yet here we were, both worried about falling behind and failing as mages.

It also revealed an unpleasant truth that I had always known but never confronted.

Leon was not my friend. I was his servant and nothing more. Though our relationship was friendly, a true friendship required parity, and we lacked that. Until we stood as equals, that would always hinder any true friendship.

Rather than linger on that, I made my way to my other obligation for the night, making one brief stop at my quarters.

Sophia was already waiting for me in a training room, dressed as if she was ready for a duel. She had spoken with me several days earlier, demanding a private meeting, and I knew better than to refuse. While Leon might play at being friends, his sister did not waste her time with such illusions.

I tried not to notice the still-smoking burn marks across the far wall as she turned to face me.

"You're late."

I inclined my head, "I apologize, but I was speaking with Leon and-"

"You're a Haze now."

"Yes, my lady, and-"

"And you dueled Flynn Sion."

"I...yes, I did. Forgive me, but-"

"Tomorrow," Sophia interrupted, "We're dueling after class."

I raised my head to find the noblewoman staring at me. She had an icy look in her eyes, and I could sense the lightning mana in her body. While not as strong at a glance as Flynn Sion, I did not want to fight Sophia yet.

And besides that, I had made preparations for both Esttons, not just Leon.

"If I may...what if we postpone our rematch for a time until you finish this?" I produced a second booklet, thinner than the one for Leon but still at least thirty pages thick.

Sophia stared at the book, then back up to me, "Are you a coward?"

"I would call myself pragmatic."

Sophia snorted, and her face remained blank as she walked over to me. She took the booklet and flipped to the first page rather than put it away like her brother.

"You want me to copy the Titan-Bane?" Sophia asked after a few seconds.

"He is the strongest mage to ever live, barring the Founders," I replied, "Why set your sights any lower? Besides, he is the only one to leave any sort of detailed records about his magic."

It was not entirely a lie. Torros the Titan-Bane was the strongest Archmagus, at least in direct combat, and he had left extensive information on his magic, from his spells and methods of improving his mana to his preferred strategies and tactics.

He also was a monstrous prodigy whose magic was so impractical that no one had ever managed to fully replicate his abilities. But as I said to Sophia, why not strive for such heights?

Sophia closed the book and then returned her attention to the targets on the wall. I took the chance to retreat before the other sibling decided she wanted to test my skills now rather than at a nebulous time in the future.

However, before I could manage that, Sophia half-turned over her shoulder and said, "Bribing me won't change facts, Vayne. You owe me another duel."

I considered her words, my tendency to avoid confrontations, and my indecisiveness with Amelia. And I realized Sophia was right. I was being a coward.

So, instead of bowing, I returned her look and replied, "Then you will have a rematch. But, if I may act as your advisor for a moment, you should not hold back."

"And why is that?"

"Because you are not Flynn Sion," I replied.

Sophia's eyes widened, and I wondered if I had misjudged her character. Then, her lips twitched upward a hair, and she nodded once.

"Have a good night, Vayne," Sophia said in a tone that threatened friendliness.

"You as well," I replied, bowing my head once out of habit more than anything before making my exit.