Zeke had enough excitement over the last couple of days. That was why he looked forward to today with such eagerness. Today was Markus' birthday, and Zeke had been counting down the days until he could finally give his friend the present he'd prepared.

He made his way to the Crafters' district, his heart pounding with anticipation. He was eager to surprise Markus with the amazing gift he'd put together. As he walked, a mage walked by his side, a constant companion since the attempted kidnapping. Maximilian didn't want to take any chances, and Zeke couldn't blame him.

Despite the extra company, Zeke didn't mind. In fact, he was grateful for her presence. After almost a year in the capital, he still sometimes had trouble finding his way around the massive city. But with the mage by his side, he felt confident that he could navigate his way through the winding side alleys without getting lost.

Zeke turned his gaze to his right, where a woman with a cheerful demeanor was surveying their surroundings. Gretchen, with her shining black hair and mischievous eyes, was today's appointed guardian. Standing at a petite height of 1.5 meters, her friendly gaze would occasionally dart toward passing faces before settling back on Zeke.

The diminutive woman was a maid at Maximilian's mansion. Zeke had often caught glimpses of her around the house but had never had the opportunity to speak with her. Initially, he had thought of her as lazy, due to the lack of maid work he'd seen her perform. Yet, after being assigned as his guard for the first time two days ago, he observed her core for the first time. The boy was taken aback to discover that she had already reached the Grand-Mage level.

Intrigued, he had asked her why someone of her power would work as a maid. Gretchen chuckled, but still explained the situation. It was because of the rules and regulations of the academy. The presence of combat personnel on school grounds was forbidden for extended periods. Maximilian had registered all of his personal combat forces as maids or servants to avoid going against the rules directly.

Zeke couldn't help but shake his head at the absurdity. What good were the school rules if they could be circumvented this easily?

But he didn't voice his objections. Instead, he turned to his guard and asked, "So, what are you going to do while I celebrate Markus's birthday, Gretchen?"

Gretchen tilted her head, a confused expression on her face. "Celebrate with you, of course."

Zeke blinked, stunned by her answer. "You're going to invade a stranger's birthday celebration just to pass the time?"

Gretchen appeared to give the matter some consideration, her eyes narrowing in thought. Finally, she replied, "No, not just to pass the time. I also want the cake." She grinned mischievously, relishing in her ability to annoy Zeke. If he had not known that the woman was already in her 40s, he would have assumed that she was exactly the bratty teenager her appearance made her out to be.

Zeke rolled his eyes but started to ponder something that had been on his mind for a while. The difference in appearance between Maximilian and Gretchen was confusing to him. The former, an Arch Mage, had the appearance of an old man, while the latter, a Grand Mage, looked surprisingly youthful. But even after deep contemplation, Zeke couldn't be sure of his answer and decided to ask.

"Gretchen," Zeke began, "how is it that you look so young, yet Maximilian appears so aged? Is it just that he has lived for that much longer, or is there more to it?"

Gretchen shot Zeke a flirtatious wink, responding playfully. "Have you fallen in love with my beauty, perhaps?"

Zeke rolled his eyes, unimpressed by her attempts to steer the conversation away from its original topic. "I said young, not beautiful. Now could you please answer the question, grandma?"

Gretchen's playful demeanor faded as she realized that Zeke was genuinely curious about how magic users aged. She adopted a more serious tone, ready to explain the intricacies of magical aging to the young man.

"Once a mage awakens their core and reaches the apprentice stage, they have an estimated natural lifespan of around 100 years," the woman began, observing Zeke's reaction. "This can vary based on their affinities, but it's easiest to think of it that way."

"Now, as a mage advances through each stage, they are granted additional time to their natural lifespan. This is due to the evolution of their core, which improves body functions with mana. For instance, when you became a True Mage, your core changed to embody your ingrained spells. The type of spells you have engraved will affect the way they nourish your body. Some affinities can even shorten your lifespan, while most will lengthen it."

She paused, gauging Zeke's attention before continuing. "I've heard that mages with the Death affinity will always pass away when they reach the Arch Mage level. That's why they will try to become undead before that stage. It's quite an unpredictable process, at least for me. I am sure there are some people who have studied the subject in detail"

Zeke was startled by the newfound knowledge of the mages' aging process. He had always relied on Maximilian to guide him in his studies. He was grateful for the old man's focus on only teaching what was relevant to Zeke's current situation and level. However, Zeke also relished the tangential lectures given by Gretchen. Even though she often deviated from the main topic, her unique perspective was always intriguing to Zeke. The girl was rattling off all her experiences in fighting against the undead now. Just as she was mimicking throwing a fireball at a huge zombie, she paused and cleared her throat.

Gretchen, seeming to have noticed that she had strayed from her original point, quickly brought the conversation back on track. "Now that you understand the basics, let's put it all together. If there are no special circumstances, a mage who has advanced to the True Mage stage would typically get an additional 100 years to their natural lifespan. Can you tell me what your total lifespan is now?" she asked, a glint of challenge in her eyes.

Zeke was surprised by her challenging demeanor. Wasn't this a simple math question? He was starting to suspect there was a trap. But if the girl really wanted to trick him that badly, then Zeke had no reason to ruin her fun. He decided to take the bait and simply replied with the most obvious answer.

"Sure, let's give this a try. After I awakened as an apprentice, I had around 100 years. Add another 100 years from advancing to True Mage. That would equal 200, correct?" Zeke left out his dragon heart. It would most likely grant him an infinite lifespan, but Gretchen didn't need to know that.

Gretchen's smirk revealed her mirth after she had caught him in her trap. "Ah, you thought so too, didn't you?" she chuckled. "Unfortunately, that's not how it works. Here's the real calculation: you had 100 years initially, but you advanced at the age of 15, which means you had already used up 15% of your total lifespan. Therefore, you only received 85% of the new increase in lifespan. The percentage of your already used-up lifespan is not granted when you advance to the next stage.

"For example, if someone with a weak affinity only advances to True Mage at the age of 60. They have already used up 60% of their total lifespan and will only receive 40% of the new increase. Do you understand now?"

Zeke was shocked by this revelation. He stood there, staring at her, flabbergasted. Gretchen nodded sympathetically, understanding what was going through Zeke's mind. It took him a moment to think through all the implications of this system. After he had gathered his thoughts, he could only sigh.

"No wonder," Zeke muttered. "No wonder everyone thought I wouldn't be adopted by any family. The slower advancement of multiple affinities is a much bigger drawback than I expected." He paused, considering the impact this could have on his future. "It might not be as big a deal in the early stages, but how much time would I lose if I'm slow to advance to Arch Mage?"

Gretchen's expression grew grim as she nodded. "Your teacher, Maximilian, wasn't born into a noble family either, you know? He was a bit of a troublemaker in the academy, from what I've heard. But because of his Duo-Greater Affinity, a minor noble family still adopted him and gave him a chance. The von Hohenheim family was already in decline and had no worthy successors at the time, so they gambled all their cards on Maximilian."

She paused for a moment, recalling the story. "He reached the Grand Mage level at 25. Which is quite the achievement for a Duo-Affinity Mage, I must say. But then his family ran out of money and could no longer support him with essence crystals.

"Your mentor decided to serve in the army to earn enough money to fund his consumption of essence crystals. He knew the importance of advancing at a good pace. But pay for a Grand Mage is usually not enough to advance quickly. The army doesn't want commoners to have an easy way to advance, after all. He was forced to take on the most dangerous missions with the highest payouts. He needed to advance to Arch Mage as early as possible. That is because the added lifespan of an Arch Mage is around 300 years. This means that every year you don't advance from Grand Mage costs you just as many years of added lifespan."

Zeke crunched the numbers in his mind. If Maximilian had achieved Grand Mage status at the age of 25, that would mean he had already used up approximately 15% of his new, extended lifespan. If Zeke's assumption was correct and becoming a Grand Mage added 200 years to one's lifespan, then Maximilian should have still had around 170 years left.

But as Zeke pondered, he couldn't help but question the sanity of his mentor's approach. What good was an extended lifespan if it came at the cost of risking one's life every day?

His thoughts must have been written all over his face because Gretchen started to smirk. As she spoke, it was as if she had been reading his mind. "I know what you're thinking, kid. You think people shouldn't risk their lives for a few extra years, right?"

Zeke could only nod, acknowledging that she was indeed correct. Gretchen continued, "It's not just about the extra years, boy. What people don't tell you is that once a Mage surpasses certain milestones, their bodies continue to age. If a Mage achieves Arch Mage status at 100 years old, they may still appear to be in their 20s or early 30s. But if they achieve it at 140, they may already appear middle-aged, and if they wait until later still, they will look old for the rest of their lives. If you had centuries to look forward to, would you want to spend them in your prime or as an old man?"

"Remember this, Zeke," Gretchen warned. "The reason for the increased lifespan from advancements is due to how the new core enhances the body with mana. However, this process cannot undo prior damage, such as aging. That means that once lost, youth can never be regained."

Gretchen sighed, her voice tinged with unease. "Many prefer a single affinity, as it allows for specialization without as much pressure of timely advancement. But in truth, only a small percentage of mages ever reach the level of Arch Mage at all. Most become stuck at the peak of Grand Mage for the rest of their lives. That's the reason why we have over ten thousand Grand Mages in the empire, but only around 100 Arch Mages" she concluded.

Zeke recognized that her words were more meant for herself than for him. He placed a comforting hand on her shoulder and offered a warm smile. "I have faith in you, Gretchen," he said.

Gretchen returned his smile, her eyes shining with amusement. "Aww, you're just the cutest," she teased. "No wonder Viola and Sophia are all over you, you womanizer!"

Zeke felt a hint of embarrassment at her mention of the two girls, but it soon passed as they arrived at Markus's home.

Zeke and Gretchen entered Markus's home without knocking, as Markus had previously instructed. Inside, Zeke found a gathering of more people than he had anticipated. Most of them were fellow crafters, and it became clear that Markus was well-liked among his peers. To Zeke's surprise, Markus's family from Feldstadt had also made the journey to the capital. Even Markus's little sister was in attendance.

The girl caught sight of Zeke and blushed, her crush on him well known. Zeke waved and joined Markus's family at their table. Their families had been close friends for years, with Zeke practically considered a second son. Markus's parents greeted him warmly, and the celebration continued with the same warm, hometown atmosphere that Zeke expected.

As Zeke enjoyed himself, he couldn't help but constantly think about the gift he had brought for Markus. He wouldn't reveal it in front of outsiders, as it was a matter of confidentiality. However, he was sure that it would be safe to present it once only close family members remained.

After most of the guests had departed, Zeke called Markus and his family over. He retrieved a regal-looking box from his pocket and presented it to Markus with a gravity that suggested he was presenting an object of great import. Markus, understanding the play Zeke was going for, knelt as he took the box, mimicking the posture of a knight accepting a gift from his liege. Markus's family chuckled at the display, but their amusement faded as Markus opened the box to reveal its contents.

Markus had shared with his family that his dream of becoming a magic blacksmith was unlikely. He would never be able to acquire the proper spell to engrave onto his core. But the book inside the box seemed like it was written to solve exactly that problem. It was emblazoned with the title: "The Secrets of [Metal Manipulation] and the Proper Application in the Forging Process." Markus was stunned, staring at the book in disbelief.

"Where did you get this, Zeke?" Markus asked, a hint of suspicion in his voice. "I hope you didn't do anything shady to get it for me."

Zeke merely smiled and pointed to the small text beneath the title. Markus looked back into the box and read the indicated line out loud. "Written by your most loyal supporter and best friend, now and forever," it read.

Markus immediately teared up upon seeing the line on the cover of the book. He was at a loss for words to describe the significance of the gift. He walked over to Zeke and leaned his forehead against his friend's shoulder. Zeke wrapped an arm around Markus and used his hand to support the back of Markus's neck. He allowed his friend to regain his composure as he held him in a one-armed embrace. He could feel hot tears through his shirt on his shoulder, and his own eyes were also starting to sting a little.

Zeke had noticed long ago that Markus had not been fine after he was forced to give up on their dream of becoming Mages. Still, due to the circumstances, the boy had no choice in the matter. He had put all his blood and sweat into the pursuit of becoming the best crafter he could be instead. Only to learn that he would always be a second-class craftsman as well, due to his lacking magic affinity. Zeke understood how much this must have weighed on Markus's mind every day. It was hard to describe how much it meant to him to be able to help Markus with such an important milestone in his life.

Zeke lowered his head to Markus's ear and said silently enough for only his friend to hear,

"In my heart, I have no doubt. You and me? You and me are brothers. And I would rather give my right arm than allow my brother to waste his talent like this. Don't you worry about a thing, I've got your back, now and forever. Now and forever, do you understand?"

Markus merely nodded, and Zeke could feel the tension in his friend's body ease. The two stepped back, and Markus simply gave Zeke a nod, conveying his gratitude without words. Zeke didn't need to hear anything from his friend to understand. The two stood together, united in their friendship and their commitment to each other's success.