*I'm going to give you five more minutes, and then we've got to get started,* Rine announced to Lily, annoyed.

The lich was currently floating with his metaphorical back to her, his eyes glued to a corner. Lily, on the other hand, was standing in front of a mirror, admiring her figure dressed only in her underwear.

When Rine had said that the ring burned fat when she was channeling, he had not been kidding. After her Ebb and Flow training last night, she'd gone right to bed due to being exhausted from the events of the day and how late she'd had to stay up. Because of that, she'd not realized just how effective that ring was. After a single session, she'd dropped a solid ten pounds of weight. While she was by no means slender now, especially compared to a beauty like Madeline, the loss of weight was significant and noticeable on her short frame.

She was tempted to use the ring again, just to see if she could shed even more pounds. However, Rile had been adamant that she use it only once a week, as losing too much weight too quickly could cause damage to her body. The lich had gone into some detail regarding a few times he'd had to help someone who had overused such a ring, and the picture he'd painted with his words had crafted a disturbing mental image. Wanting to lose weight was alright, he'd concluded, but moderation was the key. Lily was fifteen, he'd said, and she had her whole life ahead of her. There was no reason for her to get in a rush.

Curious, she put a hand to her chest and asked, "I don't suppose you can do anything... up here." While losing the weight was wonderful, it did draw attention to the fact that certain changes had not yet started for the young commoner.

The lich muttered, *Why do so many wizards have body image issues?*

After a moment, he answered, *Can I? Yes, if I had my full body. Would I do so if I could? No. I've assisted doctors at a biomancy clinic, back in the day, and I could tell you a few horror stories of teenagers with body image issues messing with their hormones without proper training to give nature a boost... only for it to go horribly wrong. Even an expert like me can't predict how using biomancy on you can play out pre- or mid-puberty. Until your body has sorted out what it wants to do, it is a risk we can't afford to take. That ring is the maximum in meddling you can safely do, and even that can be horribly dangerous if misused. I only allowed you to have it because you'll live a longer, healthier life if you drop a few pounds, and I know how hard it can be to lose weight at your age.*

*You're still growing, and as a skilled biomancer, I promise you that puberty has some surprises left in store before you turn eighteen. If you're unsatisfied with whatever gifts you're granted by nature once you've become an adult, yes, I can make a few adjustments. However, let me make this perfectly clear: I am not going to endanger your health and your life so you can make heads turn.*

Lily looked at herself in the mirror one more time, then sighed and said, "Fine." With that, she turned away from the mirror and started getting dressed. She did note that her uniform felt a bit looser after having dropped the weight. She'd need to see about getting measured and having a new uniform issued. "Alright, I'm dressed."

Rine turned to look at her, then said, *Good. Now, after our business with Madam Goldentone concludes this morning, we'll need to use a private area to train in. If you can get ahold of Madeline, we'll see if we can use one of the private gardens. Otherwise, we'll improvise. Your conduits are perfectly clean now and with daily cycling, they'll stay that way, so now we can move on to teaching you properly. Nothing too complicated or outstanding, of course, but enough to get you to the finals in the tournament, barring any surprises.*

*I do need to let you know something, though: My capabilities, while improved in this state, are still very limited, in some ways more than before. My ability to observe events is restricted to my proverbial eyes and ears. I can still manage basic spells, and although my definition of basic and yours are probably very different, one thing I definitely can't do is cast spells through you anymore. I can train you, guide you, advise you, and support you, but from now on, your actions are completely your own. I can teach you everything you need to know to make a fantastic showing at the tournament, but it will be up to you to pull it off. Understood?*

Lily nodded in understanding. She'd more or less realized that was probably going to be the case when she signed the familiar contract. She could have waited, and let Rine do the heavy lifting for the entire event, but as Rine himself had put it, there was no satisfaction to be found in winning battles that you had no chance of losing, especially if she had to cheat to attain that victory. Being a wizard, a real wizard, meant doing it all herself, for better or worse.

She'd feel much more proud of herself if she managed to win the tournament through her own strength and development, rather than simply because some all-powerful lich was doing all the work for her. Taking a last look in the mirror to make sure her school uniform was in order, it being the nicest clothing she had at the academy, she nodded in satisfaction.

---------------------------------

Madam Goldentone had knocked on the door shortly after Lily had been dressed, true to her word, but surprisingly the elderly teacher had brought additional guests in the form of Madeline; Madeline's father, the Archduke de Alvorin; a young nobleman named Ryder de Fitzmyronis; and Lily's father, Arven Smythesson.

It seemed that the document needed to be witnessed being signed by multiple parties, including a member of the nobility of higher rank than the title being bestowed, and a neutral third party. Ryder, it seemed, was a certified notary despite his young age. In an academy that catered to nobles and royals, being a notary had allowed him to get a decent amount of pocket money for himself by acting as an impartial official in situations where one was needed.

Archduke de Alvorin had apparently arrived at the academy yesterday so he could visit with his daughter before officially observing the tournament, and at Madeline's request had visited Arven's office to offer to take the man on as his new barrister, as the Archduke's previous one had retired. This had the dual purpose of filling in the opening of the position and placing both the barrister and his family under the aegis of the archduke himself.

Even Crassus wouldn't be fool enough to risk angering an archduke over a personal grudge.

The archduke was a large, jovial man whose impressively muscled arms and legs spoke of an active youth, while his sizable paunch testified that those days were well behind him. The man's lengthy brown hair and bushy beard, combined with his very hairy arms gave Lily the impression of a bear, albeit a very friendly one.

Lily's father, short, thin, and bespectacled, with a rather bland face whose most noticeable feature was its lack of noticeable features, lacked the kind of impact of the archduke had... until you met his eyes, and realized that while he may not look like anything special, those eyes took in everything around him.

As a barrister, the ability to notice even minor, seemingly inconsequential details combined with that easily dismissable appearance had been the bane of more than one overconfident opponent on the legal battlefield through the years. Soft-spoken and even-tempered, Lily's father was a barrister who regularly served nobles despite being common-born, a feat that told you everything you needed to know regarding just how good he was at that job. It was often joked that you could hire Arven Smythesson to plead your case for you, or you could lose because the opposing side got to him first.

The contract signing itself was actually pretty uneventful, with all parties reviewing the document before signing it. Then, Madam Goldentone used her signet ring to place her official seal upon the contract, an action mirrored by the archduke. Afterward, Ryder reviewed the document and placed his notary seal upon it.

With that, the noble title of the Goldentone line would now pass to Lily when her teacher either retired or passed away, contingent upon Lily keeping her promise to bestow a portion of any rewards she received from the king to Madam Goldentone.

After everything was done, Madam Goldentone removed her signet ring, and said, "As my designated heir, I do hereby grant you the signet ring of my family line. With it, you may act in the name of the Goldentone family as an official proxy, until such time as the title is passed on to you officially. Wear it well, and know that from now until the end of time, you are considered a part of the storied Goldentone lineage... even if it has seen better days."

The ring felt heavier than expected, which Lily thought might have been intentional: Being a noble was a major responsibility, even if many nobles weren't very responsible, and even an empty title can have a lot of pull in some circles. Its unexpected weight was probably intended as a message from the founder of the line to future generations to make sure to take their responsibilities seriously.

Once the ring was placed in Lily's hand and the contract signed and stamped, the teacher seemed to relax noticeably. The elderly teacher had apparently worked long and hard to hold onto her noble title, even though selling it would have made her life a bit easier. Her pride had demanded that she keep it, but holding onto that title hadn't made her life any easier.

Being able to pass the title on her own terms instead of due to having a debt she needed to repay, seemed to bring her a great deal of comfort. After a few seconds, she added, "If you wish, after my passing, I would have no problem with you taking on the name of Goldentone as your own, but that choice is yours."

Admittedly, Countess Lily Goldentone the First did have a nice ring to it.

Placing the ring upon her finger, Lily said, "I'll consider it. Hopefully, I'll have a few years before I need to make a final decision on the matter."

--------------------------------------

After everything was signed and official, Lily had, at Rine's suggestion, requested that Ryder instruct her on how to play Treachery & Deceit, a popular game amongst the nobility, after the tournament. If she was going to start moving in noble circles, the lich had explained, it would serve her well if she knew how to play. Lily didn't mind: So far as she knew, Ryder had never taken part in her bullying, and in fact, she'd barely ever seen him in the Academy before today, him being in a different class.

The young noble had been surprised by the request, but receptive to the idea, admitting that teaching someone how to play would be a refreshing break from taking Crassus' money every week: The brash and arrogant son of a baron might have known 'how' to play the game, but he knew nothing about how to 'play' the game. Ryder had, before leaving, whispered a warning in her ear.

"Don't count on Crassus trying to drag out the fight at the tournament tomorrow," the lanky young man had warned. "Now that your star is on the rise, he's likely to settle for a quick, decisive victory to embarrass you, rather than a long and drawn-out battle to torment you." With that, he'd departed, counting the coins he'd earned overseeing the proceedings. The others sat and chatted with Lily for a few minutes, in no hurry to leave.

*He's as good at playing people as he is playing Treachery & Deceit,* Rine observed, as the young man departed.

*Ryder's from a family notorious for being moderates, which is fitting since he's half-noble, half-commoner himself. Officially, they have no opinion on the king's policies, instead simply saying 'If that's what the king wants, that's what we'll do'. However, don't assume that just because he's officially a moderate that he doesn't have an agenda.*

*These are politically turbulent times, after all. No one is completely neutral, and even a family that has stayed neutral for generations is likely to choose a side before it's all over with. If there's one thing you can count on, it is that Ryder knows how to play the Great Game: He suggested that Crassus go for a quick and decisive win in the tournament last night over a game T&D, and now he's warning you about that change in plans. In short, he's playing Crassus so he can get into your good books.*

When Lily made a slightly surprised noise, not able to speak due to the presence of others in the room, the lich added, *The two of them aren't close, and asides from playing T&D they rarely hang out, from what I've seen. Even then, it's mainly because Crassus is an easy mark with deep pockets. More importantly, Crassus isn't a good friend, especially to someone who is an illegitimate son with half-common blood. If you weren't around, Ryder would probably be targeted for bullying instead, and he knows it.*

*In the overall social hierarchy of the school, he's below Crassus, who himself is not very high up on the ladder.*

Lily laughed at a story the archduke told, a rather amusing anecdote about a time he'd gone hunting while drunk which had ended in near disaster. Inwardly, she filed that information away: She was surprised to hear Rine say that: She'd assumed that if so many people were supporting Crassus in his treatment of Lily, he'd have been a more popular person.

*Don't confuse people supporting someone with liking them. Nobles will often support someone they despise if it will help forward an agenda. Crassus is an ass and a short-sighted idiot whose only redeeming quality is the perception that his massive mana core ensures he will be a powerful wizard one day,* Rine explained.

If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

*He's also the heir to a baron who is much more liberal than his son. His father's political position combined with his own toxic personality would be enough to make Crassus unpopular when most of the students here come from conservative families, were he not so blatantly pro-conservative in his actions and manner.*

*That's made him a useful tool for other, smarter conservatives within the academy, giving them a means by which to make your life a living hell while standing on the sidelines. The only reason Crassus has friends and allies is that he isn't smart enough to realize that they're using him. They egg him on and applaud his actions behind closed doors, but as soon as the king shows up, they won't hesitate to throw him to the wolves if they think it will save their skins.*

*Even if he doesn't get expelled, he'll spend the rest of his time at the academy a social outcast. He thinks he's a player when the truth is he's being played.*

So in short, Crassus was being used as a pawn by other, more cautious students who didn't want to get their hands dirty and who would desert him the moment he ceased being useful, and even his supposed friends were more than willing to manipulate him and then abandon him if it suited their purposes. He deserved it, of course, but it was pitiable that he was too dim to realize where his path would lead. The aristocracy, Lily realized, was far more cutthroat than she'd already imagined it to be.

*That's what it is like amongst the nobility, regardless of the era. You can spend the whole game thinking someone is a major player, only to find out that in the end, they were only ever someone else's pawn.*

----------------------------------

The little meeting between Lily, Madeline, their parents, and their teacher went on for about half an hour after the contract was signed before Lily finally mentioned her intent to get some last-minute training in preparation for tomorrow. Madeline had piped in, saying that she'd actually reserved their usual meeting place for the day to serve that exact purpose, to Lily's surprise. Their parents and teacher nodded in understanding and excused themselves. After collecting a fair-sized brunch to take with them, the two quickly retired to the garden to eat before starting.

After a sumptuous meal with pleasant conversation, Lily pulled out the quartz crystal that she'd been using for cycling training. "I don't think you'll make much progress before the tournament," she'd explained, "but I'll go ahead and show you the training method I told you about." She paused, then added, "I can't say it'll give you spectacular results as it did for me, though. You'll understand why once I've explained it to you."

With that, Lily explained the basics of Ebb and Flow training, as well as the principles behind it. Madeline quickly grasped the idea of it, and why it wouldn't give her quite the same results Lily had: Madeline was a rarity among modern wizards, a generalist who could use a wide variety of spells, which meant that while there may be some stagnant mana within her conduits, there weren't any actual clogs that needed to be pushed out.

It might make it easier for her to use magic, but it wouldn't be nearly as dramatic an improvement as it was for Lily. However, it did give Maddy an idea of what she might be able to do to expand on her own training

"You know," the young noblewoman noted, "if you use different conduits for absorbing and releasing mana, then there's no reason why you couldn't draw in mana from the world around you, even when you're casting spells, the same way you draw magic out of a mana crystal or an enchanted item."

*Smart girl,* Rine noted. *In my time, it was called Draconic Draining, and it's actually what the next part of your training is going to be about. That, and learning a few new spells for the tournament.*

Lily smiled, and said to Madeline, "Then that's something we'll need to try. I've got a couple of spells I want to practice for tomorrow, and I don't see a reason why I can't try doing that at the same time."

Madeline nodded, and said, "Alright. So, I'll practice cycling my mana while you work on that. In half an hour, we'll take a break."

Nodding in agreement, Lily said, "Great. Let's get started."

As Madeline sat with the quartz crystal resting in her palm, Lily closed her eyes and listened to Rine explain the first thing he was going to show her. Simply put, it was how to infuse elemental magic into a barrier spell.

*Elemental spells can be amongst the most destructively powerful a mage can learn,* Rine explained, *but they're also among the easiest to counter, provided you know how. Since Crassus only has two spells, and both of them are fire-based, it is actually very easy to deal with him.*

"Because ice and water cancel out fire, right?" Lily whispered quietly. Everyone knew that.

*While accurate, that's not the most effective method,* Rine stated. *Opposing elements cancel each other, so an ice-infused barrier would cancel out a fire spell... once. Since Crassus knows fire bullet, he could just unleash a constant barrage of bullets and beat you down in a battle of attrition, since his bullets would use less mana than your barriers. However, there's a very simple method for creating a barrier that he can't break even with a million fireballs and fire bullets.*

Rine explained, and Lily's eyes shot open in shock. There was no way it could be that easy. Rine insisted that it was, and explained how to prove it. It took her a few tries to create a small, square panel of a barrier to test, but once she managed it, she tried launching a weak fire spell at it. It proved every bit as effective as Rine promised. She stared awestruck at the little square of barrier, the ramifications of this new information earth-shaking.

Everyone treated elemental magic as a grand game of rock-paper-scissors. Once the knowledge of how even the most powerful elemental magic spells could be negated with one simple trick, it would radically change how magical combat worked forever.

*It honestly amazes me that no one has figured this out yet,* Rine admitted. *It's such a basic concept that it should have been observed by someone by now. The same goes for the existence of conduits or how magic ebbs and flows in the body. Then again, modern civilizations have not yet implemented a standardized outline for how to study and explore how magic works. Without a 'scientific method', for lack of a better word, to apply to magic your civilization's ability to understand the workings of sorcery is severely curtailed.*

*For now, take a bit of time to practice generating elemental barriers of each element. We need to make sure you can call up a barrier as soon as a match in the tournament begins. Be sure to try Draconic Draining as you do so. After your next break, we'll begin the next spell.*

The Draconic Draining name that the lich applied to the method was unusual, but it made sense given what she knew of dragons: While a trained wizard could fight off many powerful creatures, the great scaled tyrants of the skies were another story entirely. It was known that in the presence of a dragon, wizards could not replenish their mana nearly as quickly as normal unless they used something like a mana crystal. If dragons had an innate ability to drain magic from the world around them at a stronger rate than other creatures, it would explain a lot. A massive creature like a dragon would certainly have a stronger 'pull' than any other creature would.

When she whispered an inquiry to Rine, he chuckled and answered, *That's true, but not the full story: A dragon is a creature that, without magic, dies, as every aspect of their being is reliant upon it. At some point in their development as a species, they gained an instinctual understanding of magic and of how it could be used to bolster their bodies. Over the generations, it allowed them to go from relatively small reptiles to the massive, flying, fire-breathing creatures they are today, but they are now totally reliant upon that ability.*

*Their bodies can't fly or breathe fire, for a start. More importantly, their minds go from being wise and powerful to being those of dumb beasts, their internal organs wouldn't be able to perform the basic bodily functions needed to sustain their lives, and their bones wouldn't even be strong enough to hold up their own weight.*

*On a world with magic, they're a powerhouse. In a world without magic, they'd be a few tons of rotting carcass for the crows to pick at. Still, yes it was the understanding of how dragons can prevent wizards from replenishing magic that led the wizards of my time to the creation of this method.*

Whatever the source the knowledge may have originated from, Lily couldn't deny its effectiveness: After creating barriers dozens of times, she should have been nearly empty. Instead, she was filling back up almost instantly. She couldn't 'overfill' herself, but she could easily maintain a full mana core with little to no difficulty, so long as she remembered to do it.

*You're making excellent progress,* Rine stated, a note of pride in his voice. *This can be a more challenging concept for some students to manage, but within half an hour, you seem to have it down pat, even while simultaneously working an unfamiliar series of spells. You have an impressive aptitude for the arcane, my apprentice.*

He allowed a moment to allow that to sink in, then added, *But remember, right now, you're only at the level of a ten-year-old from my time. We'll have a great many more lessons to go before you'll be as strong as someone your age would be.*

Even with those qualifiers, Lily felt a measure of pride from Rine's compliments. For someone with his capabilities to say that she had an 'impressive aptitude' and was making 'excellent progress' meant a great deal more than it would if it was one of her teachers saying it.

However, she also understood the reason why he added those qualifiers, as it wouldn't do for Lily to get overconfident. She was only fifteen, and even with the advantages she now had, she had no meaningful experience in magical combat, so she would still be spectacularly outclassed compared to older, more seasoned wizards if it came to an actual fight.

As she came near the end of the first half-hour, an idle thought occurred to her, based on something Rine had said earlier. She whispered, "Just how long have you been watching me, or this academy? Because I know it was longer than just a couple of days." There was no way that Rine could have gathered as much information about events within the academy as he had if he'd only been around for a short time.

The lich didn't answer right away, but after a few seconds, he said, *I don't want to over-flatter you, apprentice, but time and again you impress me with the sharpness of your observations. The truth is, within the last six months, I'd felt something drawing my attention to the academy, the way that iron filings get drawn to a magnet. I soon realized that it wasn't idle curiosity, but some unknown force that was calling to me. As such, I turned all my efforts towards searching the academy for the source of this pull. I searched high and low, but it was only within the last couple of weeks that I realized that the source came from you.*

*I've spent a significant amount of time trying to reason out why, but currently, the answer eludes me. Perhaps one day the reason will present itself, but for now, I can only say that in the thousands of years since my imprisonment, you're the only person who could in any way have an effect on me despite my status outside of reality. Perhaps your torment within the academy caused you to release a metaphysical 'distress signal'? I cannot say, but I suppose the idea makes as much sense as anything else.*

*It would explain why I only became aware of you in a general way within that timeframe, rather than any time beforehand: Up until you joined the academy, you were not under sufficient 'distress' for the signal to begin.*

He paused, then admitted, *However, while I could definitely receive this 'signal' you were releasing, I could not reach you despite my best efforts. Despite this one unique quality, in all other ways you perfectly ordinary, as such lacking any means of perceiving my existence. And believe me, I tried every way I possibly could imagine to reach you, both while you were awake and asleep.*

*I was doing the equivalent of jumping around and waving my arms in front of you while screaming at the top of my proverbial lungs at all hours of the day and night, yet you were as blind and deaf to me as anyone else within the confines of reality. When I saw you setting up that noose, I freely admit that I was on the verge of hysterics for the first time since my imprisonment began: Here I was, with the one entity in all the known cosmos that was able to somehow reach me, and yet I could not reach you.*

*However, as you came closer to death, that 'distress signal' became stronger than ever before, opening a link between us that I could use to reach you. Had I not been so focused on you at that moment, desperately banging my head against the metaphorical walls that divided us, and your impending doom slowly approaching rather than being quick and sudden, I would not have been able to reach you in time.*

*I doubt that the correct combination of factors that would allow me to reach anyone else in reality will be likely to occur any time soon.*

So, in the end, it really was just dumb luck?

She hadn't realized she whispered it aloud, as Rine replied, *More or less, apprentice. That's why we need to proceed cautiously in the future. We cannot count on being that lucky ever again.*

-------------------------------

After a short break, where Lily and Madeline compared the results of their respective training, Rile began instructing Lily more on how to use her barriers, as well as a new spell.

*Versatility is going to be the name of the game,* the lich began.

*I can't give you a single, all-powerful spell that would wipe away the competition. The good news is, most of the students have specialties that the elemental barriers will be able to render useless. However, a combatant like Madeline would be a challenge due simply to the fact that she could change up her attacks faster than you can adapt to them. However, your standard barriers have a great deal more versatility than most people realize.*

Lily reflected on what that meant for a moment, remembering how Rine had saved her a few days ago by conjuring a barrier to hold her up until the noose was undone. She'd always seen her barriers as a means of protecting herself. The fact that they could be used in such a manner opened a world of possible options.

*On the subject of versatility,* Rine continued, *I will be teaching you the first spell I, myself, ever learned. It is a remarkably versatile, and dare I say, powerful spell, one that I used often, even well into my days as a member of the Celestial Sages. Now, follow my instructions, and we'll work on getting it cast the first time.*

Following the lich's instructions, Lily began pushing magic through her conduits in a new configuration. Rine had a knack for explaining the process for using a new spell that was easier to follow than the lessons noted in books or lectures given by teachers, and in just a few minutes, she was able to conjure forth the intended result of the spell.

A small, white-gloved hand hovered in the air in front of her. She willed it to perform several tasks, including making a fist, pointing, and even a few rude gestures just because. It didn't seem to be special, and the young commoner noted that keeping it active required a small amount of mana to be continuously supplied. Nothing major, even if she didn't 'Draconic Drain' to supplement her mana, but it certainly didn't seem like much.

Confused, she asked in a whisper, "So, what's so special about this? It doesn't look like much."

*I'm glad you asked, especially since, on its own, it really isn't all that impressive,* Rine answered.

*See, this is a very low-cost spell that, while requiring a continuous upkeep of mana, costs practically nothing. You can also cast numerous instances of the spell, so long as you have the mana for both the initial and continued cost for it. It's easy and intuitive to control. Admittedly, it only has the strength and capabilities of one of your own two hands. However, that is the secret to this spell's power: There are so many things your hands can do.*