In my dreams, everything was burning.

There was a crow watching me.

“What are you doing here, you stupid bird?” I said. “There’s nothing good for you to eat. Soon, you’ll burn up too.”

The crow looked at me carefully before turning and flying away. It was too late. Fire dropped onto its wings and lit it up like an oil spill. I watched the crow burn away.

It was sad. Nothing here could be saved, of course. But it was sad to see anyways.

I woke up in a terrible mood for some reason, and then I had to put on Acacius’ stupid collared shirts and slick back his hair and go to class anyways. My notes felt sloppier than usual. It was frustrating.

Today was a B-day, so I had Practical Combat class.

Dalileh turned the class loose to exercise independently while she called us up individually to be evaluated by her. A large, opaque barrier of water took up half of the sandy arena for privacy.

This was a good opportunity to discreetly fight and learn without a life-or-death experience hanging over me. I did some running and stretching to warm up until Dalileh called my name. An entrance opened up in the barrier, allowing me inside before it sealed behind me.

The light that filtered in from the transparent top of the dome cast a cold tint on the dirt and on Dalileh’s wide smile.

“Hello, Acacius,” she said. “How are we feeling today?”

“I could be doing better.”

“Couldn’t we all.” She beckoned me closer. “Last class, I didn’t have the opportunity to assess your direct battle capabilities. We’re going to correct that now with a spar.”

“Do I get a weapon this time?”

“Did you bring one?”

Okay, that was on me for not buying one before school started. I pretended to pull out [Caller] from my sleeve.

Dalileh raised her eyebrow at the demonic pattern that shone from the blade. “That’s a good knife. Where did you get it?”

I pondered how important it was to stay in character in front of Dalileh and decided that since she wasn’t familiar with Acacius, I could make a joke. “Got it off some guy who jumped me.”

Dalileh laughed, which made me feel gratified. “Let me see what you can do.”

She spread her hands, conjuring up myriad spears of water that aimed my way.

Whether in magical speed or control, I didn’t think I could compete directly, so I circulated my ether and directed it into my shadow. A dark mist rose up around my feet, billowing out to swallow the arena.

“Your affinity for darkness is good,” Dalileh said. “But you can’t rely on this one trick forever.”

Her water spears broke apart into thousands of tiny fish that swarmed forward into the darkness. Even if she couldn’t sense me well, the sheer numbers would let her find me sooner or later.

So I made my second move. Now that the fog — my ether — had spread through the area, I converted the ether between us into fire and let it run rampant.

White-hot flames surged out wildly, evaporating the small fish it came into contact with. Though the sudden flash should have startled her, Dalileh was quick to gather water back to shield her from the heat.

In the gap left behind in her net of water magic, I rushed forward.

Dalileh’s water shield separated out into leaf-shaped darts that shot outwards in every direction. I forced out another burst of flames to deflect them in what I suspected was truly a waste of ether. However, it was sufficient for me to close our distance. I flipped [Caller] around just in case and swung the dull edge at her neck.

Dalileh grinned.

She leaned back, letting the knife graze by her jaw, and crooked her finger. All the water darts she’d sent out earlier came hurtling back towards us.

I complained inwardly. What was with her response time?

I gathered the dark mist back to me and released it in a wanton explosion of flames to blow away Dalileh’s myriad attacks. I didn’t bother worrying about controlling it; my own magic wouldn’t hurt me, and I suspected it wouldn’t hurt her, either. The ensuing clash between our spells gave me enough space to keep pressing Dalileh in close combat.

My petty tricks with the flames must have dazzled her eyes, since she was squinting and her eyes didn’t track my movements properly. However, she still responded quickly enough to exchange blows with me. At this proximity, could she sense my ether more accurately? I took the risk of dismissing my magic altogether.

Dalileh stalled. My next jab hit her accurately under the ribs, eliciting a gasp. I unleashed a quick flurry of blows to keep her off balance and swept her feet out from under her, and as she fell, I reached to hook my arm around her neck and press my knife against her neck.

A wall of water hammered me in the side and knocked me back.

I rolled across the ground, gasping for breath, and pushing along the momentum to try and gain some space. Before I could get back up, though, a wave surged forward to wrap me in a watery cocoon, cutting off my mobility — and more importantly, my air.

I tapped back into the 6E system, circulating ether and releasing it all as an explosion of flame. The water imprisoning me trembled slightly, but in the end, I couldn’t overwhelm it with my power.

Ah, I really was weak in this world.

I released one last burst of ether, earning myself just enough leeway to raise my hands in surrender.

The water gently placed me back on the ground. I found my footing and watched Dalileh wick away all the moisture in my clothes until they were bone-dry.

During our fight, the barrier she’d kept up to protect our privacy hadn’t wavered even once.

Crazy.

“Very good,” Dalileh said, looking pleased. “Quick, flexible, and decisive. Your physical capabilities are halfway decent, and you know how to exploit gaps in your opponent’s abilities. Still, your magic habits are atrocious. Your casting is slow and uncontrolled, and your anti-mage strategies are more suited for a warrior than a mage. You use your magical firepower to support your physical abilities instead of the other way around. You have nothing I would expect from a fourth-circle mage.”

She conjured up a target in the distance and pointed.

“Let me see you cast your most powerful spell.”

Um. Could I do that after all the ether I’d used? It really wasn’t a joke. I guess wantonly setting off fires hadn’t done me any favors.

I focused my attention on the target, circulated my ether, and released a white-hot gout of flame that evaporated the target in an explosion of steam.

“Wrong, wrong, all wrong!” Dalileh said, gesturing emphatically with her hands. “Why are you going step-by-step like a beginner? A mage’s effective domain comes from their ether, so establish your domain first before manipulating what you need! Or will you limit yourself to always needing your body as a conduit?”

That made sense, but it also was different from the book I had read. “Doesn’t it take more energy to type your ether when it’s further away from your body?”

“Who taught you that nonsense? Your previous teacher?” Dalileh shook her head disapprovingly. “What you lose in energy, you make up for in versatility and control. Now, I understand that last year you were mainly a practitioner of plant magic, yes? Show me your best plant element spell.”

I grimaced inwardly.

“Master Dalileh…”

“Yes?” she said impatiently.

“Don’t get your hopes up.”

I followed Dalileh’s advice and spread my ether out into the earth around me before I began typing it.

With a bit of mental effort, grass began to sprout around my feet. A few creeper vines emerged cheerily, pointing their tender green leaves towards the light.

Dalileh looked at the results of my spell, then looked me.

“You’re even worse at this.”

“Yeah.”

She clicked her tongue. “I’ve heard the Duval family ritual can result in great changes, but I certainly didn’t expect this.”

Okay, seriously. “How do you know about that?”

“What? Your family ritual?”

“I finished that ritual less than two weeks ago.”

“Your father sent a letter declaring your formal candidacy for the Duval headship to all the Noble Families, brat. Anyone with some connections and a bit of knowledge knows what to expect.”

Huh. Like an open secret? It was nice to know that a lot of people would give me leeway for my differences from the original Acacius.

“So, your affinity changed, and your magical skills have degraded,” Dalileh continued. “But it seems you’ve earned some skills in close-range combat. Are there any other skills you have?”

After a moment of thought, I said, “I can shoot a gun.”

Dalileh raised her eyebrows. “Those toys from the mechanical combustion frame? Why such an impractical skill?”

What? “Impractical? It’s a fast, long range, lethal weapon with a way lower skill threshold than martial arts.”

“But maintaining an MC frame artifact requires specialized knowledge and depends on a logistical supply chain outside of your control.” Dalileh waved her hand dismissively. “For comparable speed and power, you may as well learn aura and the bow. Besides, those guns can’t beat the reflexes of a sufficiently skilled aura user, and they can’t detect the long-distance attacks of a mage with a well-developed domain.”

Right. As long as Dalileh spread her ether over a certain area, she’d be able to manifest and control water wherever she wanted. She could probably directly tear a gun out of the shooter’s hand, and someone using the MC frame wouldn’t be able to sense a 6E ether attack in advance.

Still, it felt sort of ridiculous to be in a world where guns were looked down on this much. Or was this just Dalileh’s personal bias? If things continued on this track, she might tell me that people like her already had the power of a weapon of mass destruction, so it was better to invest in other walking weapons of mass destruction instead of hot weapons and mag-tech.

I quickly stopped that train of thought. No need to tempt the devil, right?

“If you want to pick up a new frame, I’d recommend aura,” Dalileh said. “I suspect if you didn’t have the talent before, you have it now. Have you ever considered using a sword?”

Speaking of impractical weapons.

“Can’t it be a spear at least?” I said. “I don’t think a sword is as good as my knife.”

“And what makes a spear superior?”

“Well, outside of battle, a long sturdy stick is always useful for stuff like carrying things around or setting up a shelter. And if you can remove the tip, it can serve as a makeshift knife. But a sword probably can’t even do as well as a knife if you want to skin a catch or make some tinder…”

Even if using a sword looked really cool.

Dalileh looked at me like I’d said something strange.

“There’s no reason why you can’t learn a spear instead of a sword,” she said. “As long as you can find a teacher, that is.”

“Do you not know how to train aura?”

“I’m a mage, not a martial artist. Come to my office hours if you have trouble finding someone; I’ll write a recommendation letter for you.”

In other words, she wanted me to try on my own first, huh.

“I think it would be better to focus on what I know for now,” I said. “Do you have any advice for practicing 6E magic?”

“What do you want to improve the most?”

That was a hard question to answer.

“I can’t think of anything I don’t need to improve,” I said, which made Dalileh laugh. “What do you think is the best way for me to practice from here?”

“The best way to practice? Hmm.”

Dalileh raised her hand and gestured. Thousands of water droplets gathered around her in the shape of a dome.

“Your range and effectiveness depends on the domain you establish with your ether, which speeds up your spellcasting and eventually enables you to sense your surroundings. The most simple and versatile domain is a dome centered on yourself.”

The dome changed shape, transforming into a rectangular prism that started with Dalileh at one end and me at the other.

“This formation is used to reach enemies who are far away.”

The water droplets shifted again, forming a cross centered on Dalileh that rotated rapidly around her.

“This formation can extend the range of your dome, at the cost of introducing certain blind spots.”

The water droplets dispersed into a fine mist, scattering out of sight.

“You already know this, and you have practiced it before. However, your skill is not up to par. My assignment for you is to maintain your ether domain at all times while rotating between formations. Keep doing it until it’s unconscious as breathing. Until you can do it in your sleep.”

Was that the usual standard? I really was behind. “Okay.”

Dalileh smiled. “Then shouldn’t you get started?”

I listened to her suggestion and began circulating my ether again, spreading it out in a dome around me. Until I typed the ether, it would just exist invisibly like that. I looked at the water barrier that Dalileh still had up. Her domain must be huge. I couldn’t sense her ether with my own domain, though. Would that change when I became more skilled?

“Now, we’ll be conducting spars between students starting from next class,” Dalileh said. “Although your 6E skills are subpar, you’re still fit enough to participate. I’ll be arranging the matches. You can name two people you’d like to challenge, and I’ll consider it. Do you have anyone in mind?”

“No.”

“Very well. If you choose, you can also name two people you want to avoid.”

I definitely had candidates in mind for this one. “Luka and Xander.”

“Are you sure? You would learn a lot.”

“I’m sure.” Though if Dalileh matched me with them anyways, there wasn’t much I could do about it.

Dalileh wrote on a small notebook before slipping it back into her pocket. “Then that’s all for our consultation. Any questions before I call in the next student?”

I thought about it.

“Do you know a lot about different frames?”

“More than the average person, less than a scholar.”

Still more than me. “Have you ever heard of frames that deal with multiple, uh, realities?”

“As in illusions?”

“Or quantum technology.”

“I don’t think I’ve heard that term. However, it’s not uncommon for minor frames to deal with dreams or illusions in some way.”

It was good as long as she hadn’t heard of it. I really didn’t want the technology of my world to make it here.

Dalileh finished her one-on-one consultation and sent me back out to train by myself. I sat at the edge of the arena and played around with my domain.

The effort to maintain it consistently was noticeable with time. It was sort of like constantly holding a small weight out at arms’ length. I slowly moved my ether between different formations and watched my classmates; no one seemed to take note of my practice.

I hadn’t been able to feel Dalileh’s domain. Maybe my classmates weren’t at that level, either.

It was interesting, actually, that I couldn’t really sense my surroundings with ether. My untyped ether simply permeated through objects and air without interaction. If I focused, I could get a vague sense of areas suitable for my elemental affinities, like the large shadows cast from the wall, but that was it.

I spent the rest of class exploring that sense while continuing with the exercise Dalileh had given me.

Once class ended, I shrank the size of my domain to only a few feet around me. Otherwise, I didn’t think I could keep it up for the rest of the day. As it was, splitting my concentration like this was already making me slower at the things I needed to do, like cleaning my room, organizing my notes, and getting ready for the first meeting of the Fellowship of the Silver Wing tonight.

At six o’clock, I arrived at the Dawn River Suite in a freshly ironed suit from Acacius’ closet. Like the rest of his suits, it was magenta. I wished he had expanded his wardrobe past this one color, but he looked really good in it, so I guess it was fine.

The suite was at the top of a tall conference building at the edge of campus, boasting an expansive view of the city and the river flowing through it. The velvet curtains, elaborate lighting fixtures, subtly patterned wallpaper, and elegant furniture combined to create a refined atmosphere. A large table covered with a satiny tablecloth was laid out with fresh food.

The young woman who had given me the letter was sitting at one head of the table. At the other was a young man in a white waistcoat with long, green hair tied back in a ponytail. The embossed name cards on the table in front of them read YUGRAZAL KAMARA and JAVIER BASCHET respectively.

“Welcome, Acacius,” said Yugrazal. “Please take a seat.”

She gestured towards the middle of the table, and I sat down in front of Acacius’ namecard. Sitting across from me was Mehran Sattari, from combat class. He offered me an awkward smile when we locked eyes, which I didn’t return. Acacius wasn’t a friendly guy.

Moments later, a girl with a long, dark braid, hazel eyes, and a confident smile entered the room.

“Welcome back, Nastaran,” said Javier. “Take a seat.”

“Hello, Javier, Yugrazal,” she said with a smile. “It’s a pleasure to be back this year.”

She seated herself next to Mehran, in front of a namecard that read NASTARAN FARZAN.

To my mild surprise, the next person to enter the room was Cynara. She was wearing a knee-length dress with layers of frills along with a smart, almost military-style jacket. Her silver rapier was strapped to her waist. After exchanging greetings with Yugrazal, she came and sat next to me.

I glanced at her from the corner of my eye, but she didn’t look or speak to me, so I didn’t start anything with her, either. We watched silently as Nastaran began to chat with Mehran and the two co-presidents of the Fellowship.

Then, a few minutes later, Xander sauntered into the room, taking the chair on Mehran’s other side. He clicked his tongue when he saw me, but otherwise didn’t bother talking.

Yugrazal began eating first, then Javier, then everyone else. I watched the others carefully and copied how they folded their napkins over their laps and changed utensils between different dishes. No one gave me weird looks or scolded me for my lack of manners, so I considered it a success.

Between observing others, listening to conversation about weather patterns and recent trends in luxury goods, and keeping up the domain exercise, my eating pace was rather slow.

“Yugrazal, will you be running for Student Council president this year?” Nastaran asked.

Yugrazal nodded. “However, Javier is uninterested in vice-presidency. Are you?”

“Sorry, I’m the same as Javier. I’d rather be handling the treasury.”

“Xander?”

“I can’t be bothered with that Student Council nonsense,” said Xander.

“Those will be our future contemporaries in the government, Xander,” Mehran rebuked softly.

“So what? I won’t be sitting around in the capital after I graduate.”

“And you, Acacius?” Yugrazal asked.

“I plan to do other things with my time,” I said.

Yugrazal nodded. Next she looked at Cynara, but she didn’t extend an invitation to her; maybe it was because Cynara had only just joined the school. So Yugrazal’s eyes finally settled on Mehran. Unlike with the rest of us, there was a long pause before she spoke.

“Are you interested, Mehran?”

A subtle undercurrent formed as everyone’s attention, hidden or otherwise, moved to Mehran’s response.

He gave Yugrazal a polite smile. “Of course, with your support, I would be happy to.”

The table’s gazes moved back to her.

“Then it is agreed,” Yugrazal said calmly. “I will send a letter with more details tomorrow.”

So what was the deal with Mehran?

“It’s good to have a united front in the Student Council,” Javier said with a light smile, silver glasses glinting under the light. “After all, it’s hard to control all the seats. Do you need help with your campaign, Yugrazal?”

“Your input is welcome. An alliance of our three families will be useful.”

Xander smiled meanly. “Hah, what’s this? The three Great Families joining together? I guess one of us should aim for leadership in the Council after all. How about you, Nastaran?”

Nastaran paused, then smiled right back. “If you want me to do that kind of work for you, then you should present me with some benefits.”

“The benefit is that you can keep an eye on them.”

Nastaran’s smile became more sunny. “I would be happy to join as Javier’s assistant treasurer if the price is right.”

“This is why I can’t stand dealing with you merchants. Always calculating the price. If it needs to be done, then it should be done.”

“What are you saying, Xander? It couldn’t be that you think we should guard against our caring seniors and our fellow classmates, could it?”

Whatever faction Nastaran and Xander belonged to, their alliance seemed quite shaky. I had the feeling Nastaran was refusing more because she disliked Xander than because she thought it was a bad idea.

Cynara put her fork down with a loud clink.

“Senior Yugrazal,” she said. “I’d be interested in learning from the Student Council this year. Is there a suitable position for a new student like me?”

Wow. Was the Duval family part of this faction, too? So why was Xander so hostile towards me?

With Cynara’s intervention, the Fellowship’s Student Council alliance expanded, and Xander backed down. Crisis averted. The conversation became civil and trite once more.

Putting the pieces together, it seemed that the three Great Families were represented by Yugrazal Kamara, Javier Baschet, and Mehran Sattari; the relationship between Mehran and the others was delicate. The rest of us were in an oppositional faction, but Xander didn’t get along with anyone, and it looked like Acacius didn’t either. Clearly we were more of a mess than the other side.

Come to think of it, if I just stayed quiet and minded my own business, that would probably put me leagues above whatever Acacius had done in the past. Shouldn’t they be thanking me for my good behavior?

The end of the gathering soon came around. I thought things would end just like that, but then someone kicked the door open.

I lifted my gaze from my plate to look at the young man walking in.

He was tall, with pale skin, sharp amber eyes, and wine-red hair that flowed down to his waist. The fluttering black coat draped over his red vest was adorned with a pale sword hanging at the waist. A silver eagle crest, just like Xander’s, shone on his chest.

Yugrazal placed her silverware down with a clink and delicately wiped her mouth with her napkin.

“Linden,” she greeted. “What is the meaning of this sudden intrusion? You have long forfeited your claim to this gathering.”

He scoffed. “And what is this gathering worth?”

Ah, it was the guy Cynara hoped would teach me a lesson. I glanced at Xander. He was leaning back in his chair, arms folded behind his head, and when he saw me looking his way, he gave me a challenging smile.

Was this unexpected intrusion aimed at me? It was too bad. If Acacius hadn’t been one of the starring actors, I would have loved to enjoy the show, too.

When I looked back, Linden locked eyes with me. In a few long strides, he arrived before me. I pushed my chair back from the table so I could have some maneuvering room if push came to shove.

Linden pulled out a thin ceremonial glass flask from his coat. He drank one sip, and then he threw the flask at my feet. Broken shards and water scattered on the marble floor.

“Acacius Duval,” he said. “I, Linden of the Morgan family, challenge you to a duel.”

Wow, scary.

I had a lot of questions, but not many I felt comfortable asking in front of this crowd. Plus, at times like this, you had to put on a strong front.

I picked up my own glass and took a sip before answering.

“Give me a reason.”

“What?”

“Your reason for dueling me. Let’s hear it.”

Linden laughed, low and hateful. “The enmity between us is too deep to settle any other way.”

So he wanted to force me to accept in public, and fail in public? That would be my guess.

“And how do you want to carry out the duel?” I said.

Linden’s gaze was burning.

“With real weapons,” he said. “To surrender… No. To the death.”

Hmmmm?

“To the death?” I repeated, raising an eyebrow.

“To the death,” Linden confirmed, eyes blazing. “Do you dare?”

Oh.

So he was an enemy who wanted to kill me.

I smiled.

“Okay, sure. To death.”

Xander straightened. Behind me, Cynara breathed in sharply.

Linden narrowed his eyes.

“Choose the time and place,” he said.

“In two weeks, at this time, at the arena behind the gymnasium,” I decided. If Linden was able to publicly challenge me, then a place like that should be fine to actually hold a duel, right? And two weeks wasn’t so far away it would feel like a delaying tactic, but it would still give me time to practice combat with this world’s systems. “And we should have a witness we both trust to oversee it… Hmm, that’s hard. I guess we should just pick someone we both distrust.”

No one laughed at my joke. It was sad.

“Hey…” Nastaran began. “Isn’t dueling to the death a bit… extreme? There’s no need to go that far.”

“Are you the one he challenged?” I said coldly. “Stay out of this.”

With that, Javier and Mehran, who were both on the verge of speaking, shut their mouths as well.

Good. I didn’t want anyone to stop me. If Linden was this willing to kill me in front of others, how much more willing must he be where no one could see? The approval of the law was a convenience, not a requirement. I didn’t believe for a second that backing down would pacify him.

Since he was aiming for me, it was better to clean up the problem once and for all.

I turned back to him with a smile.

“Do you have candidates in mind for overseeing the duel? Why don’t you make a list and send it to me? Then I can tell you who I’ll accept, too.”

Linden stared at me hard before he slowly nodded. His fist clenched the scabbard of his sword, but he didn’t make a move to draw.

And that was all that mattered, right?

“You’ve got more confidence than I thought,” Linden said lowly, “but it won’t be enough to change the outcome. I’ll see you in two weeks.”

He turned on his heel and strode out the door.

The room was silent. Xander wasn’t smiling anymore.

I finished my glass before addressing Yugrazal.

“It was a good dinner. I look forward to the next. Still, I hope you can excuse me for leaving early that day.”

Since I’d have to make it to the duel, after all.

Yugrazal regarded me quietly.

“Are you certain of this course of action?”

I held back a laugh. I thought it might be too mean of me.

But it was just so funny.

“Yugrazal,” I said, trying not to sound too mocking. “Why are you asking me?”

In the ensuing silence, I put my glass down and stood to go.

No one stopped me as I left.

Chapter 11 Chapter 13