“Linden, my brother?” I repeated, pitching my tone to be slightly disdainful. “What’s next, you’ll say Xander Morgan is my brother, too?”

“Xander isn’t actually related to you, is he?” Zaire retorted, shaking me slightly. “Are you really going to fight Linden like that?”

“What can I do? He’s the one who challenged me,” I said. “Stop standing in the doorway and come in.”

This was a lot to take in. Was Linden a bastard that got adopted by the Morgans? A half-brother? What was going on?

Zaire sat at the kitchen table and watched me with a troubled expression while I put on a kettle for tea.

“No, really, Acacius,” he said. “Do you truly mean to kill Linden? The rumors around you are already bad enough.”

“What kind of rumors?” I said.

He hesitated, but seeing my calm face, said, “That you arranged your oldest brother’s death.”

Wow. What a piece of work.

I sat down across from Zaire.

“If you threaten someone without intending to follow through, it’s your own fault if it gets you into trouble. But I don’t intend to kill anyone without reason.”

Zaire looked relieved. “So you don’t actually intend to kill Linden?”

“Not if I can get away with it,” I joked, though I was careful not to smile.

“I heard he’s learning the Morgans’ secret sword arts. How do you plan on dealing with that?”

“It’s a secret.”

“No fair. After I helped you with so much this summer?”

Did he mean that stuff about abducting Dreyminn and taking it around the continent for mysterious reasons? “Don’t worry. If I need to ask you for help, you’ll naturally know.”

“You can ask me for help more than just when you need it.”

I pretended to think for a while before offering casually, “You could tell me any more of what you’ve heard about Linden.”

“I don’t think I know more than you. I mean, I wasn’t there when he cast off your family name and ran to the Morgans for help.”

The Duval family had quite the story, huh. What was stranger to me was that Cyprian had let Linden leave. He didn’t seem like the kind of person to just let someone escape from his grasp.

“What happened with Linden in the first place?” Zaire asked curiously.

I shrugged and changed the topic. “How have your classes been, Zaire?”

Thankfully, Zaire didn’t push. With just a few light questions from me, Zaire was more than happy to tell me about his Scholar track, his excitement about his Environmental Design class, and recent developments in his lizard breeding project. He talked to me for a while about interactions between Fantasm World ecosystems and Kosmonymia’s, which mostly flew over my head. Also, unlike Cynara, he appreciated my tea.

“I was kinda worried when I heard about the duel, but I guess you’ve actually mellowed out after the ritual,” said Zaire. “It’s nice to be able to talk like this.”

I really wondered what the hell Zaire saw in Acacius.

Having reassured Zaire that I wasn’t actually out to kill my blood-related brother for no reason, I sent Zaire off and bid him goodnight. Then I contemplated the implications of this new knowledge.

Acacius’ relationship with Linden was bad enough that Cynara didn’t find it unusual when I said I didn’t care about killing Linden, or when I asked her why she cared about him. It also made sense that Cynara thought Linden would reject my proposal; if Acacius had killed one sibling and estranged the other two, then claiming to back down out of what seemed to be sibling affection must seem like a huge joke.

This was awkward. I’d acted like a huge jerk, and I hadn’t even meant to this time.

I really didn’t feel like killing Linden anymore. That would just leave a bad taste in my mouth. So what should I do?

It still seemed like the quickest and surest way of making Linden leave me alone was to crush him in a duel. Plus, if I backed out now, wouldn’t that give Linden the idea that he could keep picking on me? So it made sense to go through with it. I just needed to win without killing him somehow.

The other problem was how to apologize to Cynara. It would be out of character, and also hard to pull off convincingly. But I did want to apologize. Anyways, everyone expected Acacius to be a bit different after the ritual, so it should be fine, right? I just needed to figure out the best way to get it across.

It had to be sincere, of course, but it couldn’t be overdone. Then the other party wouldn’t believe it at all. But how could I give Cynara a sincere apology if I still intended to beat Linden up?

I thought about the problem for a while before going to sleep.

Over the weekend, I finally had more time to self-study math and history, before heading down to the Pearl Dive to practice sparring with Etienne at night.

On the first day back at school, my home room teacher, Raoul Sattari, pulled me aside for a private talk.

“News has it that you’ve accepted a deadly duel,” he said.

“That’s correct,” I said.

Professor Raoul looked rather melancholy.

“I won’t ask if you are certain of your decision,” he said. “I’m sure you’ve had more than enough time to consider the ramifications. For those of us in the Noble Families, image and reputation is like a chain. Still, I hope you remember there are far more important things in life than saving face.”

“Is Linden’s teacher giving him this same talk?” I asked, feeling somewhat amused.

“If they have any sense of duty, they should be,” Professor Raoul said. “Acacius, even if you’ve already accepted the duel, you don’t have to go.”

He really was an earnest guy.

“I appreciate your concern, Professor,” I said, but I didn’t say anything else.

Professor Raoul gave me a long look, and then he sighed.

“If you ever change your mind, or want to speak to someone, my office is always open.”

He wasn’t the only teacher who pulled me aside. At the end of Practical Combat class, Dalileh told me to stay behind for a talk.

“Acacius boy,” she said. “What’s this I’ve heard about mediating some foolish duel?”

She brandished a gilded envelope before me, presumably the invitation letter that Linden had sent.

“You don’t want to?” I asked.

“Of course I don’t. What kind of fight do you think you can put up with that lousy casting of yours?” She paused. “Though you’ve done well in persisting with my training exercise.”

“Really?”

“No. You don’t shift your domain smoothly enough when you’re not paying attention. Keep up.”

Yeah, that was what I thought.

“I think you’d be a good mediator,” I said. “If Linden or I were about to kill each other, you could stop us, no problem.”

“Wouldn’t that defeat the purpose of your little spat?”

I shrugged.

“Can you accept the position, Master Dalileh? I have a favor to ask.”

“Ha! Accepting the position isn’t the favor?”

I shook my head.

“First, I wanted to ask if you could put up your water barrier during the duel.”

She waved her hand. “That’s nothing. What’s your real request?”

I watched her expression carefully as I explained my thoughts.

Dalileh laughed.

“How interesting. Very well. Let me see what you have planned, young man.”

With that, I secured Dalileh’s cooperation, which was great, because that increased the chances of Linden and I both surviving in case of any unhappy accidents.

My routine didn’t change too much with my potentially deadly duel impending. I diligently attended school, took notes in class, and did my best to avoid talking to people who were acquainted with Acacius. It was just that after school, instead of catching up on academics, I’d head off campus to practice with Etienne instead, and if we got beat up too much, he’d get his friend Thais to heal us with her 6E water magic. I was learning that “light injuries” was a much broader term in this world than in mine.

If someone was injured, it was usually me. Aura users were really resilient.

“Why are you even a 6E user?” Etienne said to me one day. “All your fighting skills scream ‘close combat user’ through and through. Aura woulda been way more useful for you.”

I laughed. “Yeah, I guess so. Think it’s too late for me to learn now?”

“If you learn aura with half the speed you think of your little tricks, you won’t have any problems at all.”

We’d already finished the majority of today’s training, and right now, we were catching our breath on the riverbank. I felt confident enough about my progress that I wasn’t worried about wasting a little time, so I said, “Want to run me through the basics, then?”

“Sure, why not? First, stop playing around with your ether and let go of the 6E frame.”

It felt kind of awkward to do so after diligently training my ether domain these days, but I dispersed my ether and stopped circulating it in my body.

Etienne held out his hand. “Alright, let’s see what you’ve got.”

I took his hand. Red aura snaked down his arm and traced over mine. In response, I felt a resistant force rise up within me as well, pushing back even when Etienne’s aura tried to sink in.

“Feel that?” said Etienne. “That’s your aura. See if you can move it around.”

It felt like learning to consciously use a muscle I’d never been aware of before. Without Etienne’s aura provoking my own aura’s instinctive retaliation, I had a hard time noticing and moving my aura on my own.

After a few minutes, though, I finally managed to emit a wisp of black aura from my hand.

“Dark, compact, and sharp,” Etienne said thoughtfully. “Your disposition is pretty clear.”

“What’s it mean?”

“Means you’re the type who likes striking hard and fast at the most critical point. Bet it really gets on your nerves that you can’t use that kinda strategy against a Trajectory user like me.”

“How is it fair that you can get such a good read of me, but I don’t know how to do the same for you?” I complained with a laugh. “C’mon, tell me what your aura says about you, too.”

“What, haven’t figured it out after all our sweet time together? For shame.”

“Hold on, let me redeem myself. Red, blunt, and explosive… I guess you’re a straightforward guy who likes overpowering others with sudden bursts of energy?”

Etienne grinned. “It means I got the power to knock you six ways to Sunday, that’s what.”

“That’s not what our last practice session seems to say.”

“Hey. You forget your sorry state when you first asked me for help?”

I dodged his swat with a laugh, and he chased after me, starting up our practice fighting once again.

Hanging out with Etienne was pretty fun.

The day before the duel, Cynara came to visit again. Her expression was cold and dark.

“Father sent me with a letter to you.”

“He could have sent it directly to me,” I said.

“And let it go through the public delivery system?” Cynara snorted. “Just open it.”

The letter was very short.

Acacius,

I have received word of your duel with Linden.

I have high expectations for you. Do not tarnish the family name.

Your Father,
Cyprian Duval

Way to crank up the pressure. Well, I’d already decided the outcome I wanted, so Cyprian would probably be disappointed in the end.

Seeing Cynara’s eyes trained on the back of my letter, I tossed it onto the table so she could read it herself.

She pressed her lips together, crumpling the paper in her hand.

“So, there’s no reason for you to back down, is there?” she said bitterly. “Whatever you got from the ritual, it sure has made you confident. You really think you can do this, third best?”

I raised an eyebrow. “Is Linden willing to back down?”

“Of course not.”

“But you came to criticize me instead of him? And after I wrote such a sincere proposal for compromise, too.”

“I’m not in the mood for your jokes.”

How cold. That was really enough to hurt a guy’s feelings, you know?

Cynara really did look down, though. Would she have shown these feelings to the original Acacius? Maybe not; I felt like her attitude towards me had only shifted because of what happened in the moon path realm.

It was true that I was playing Acacius’ role now, but that didn’t mean I had to treat his sister the way he did.

“Cynara.”

“What.”

“You seem like you’re blaming yourself.”

“That’s ridiculous. This is clearly all your fault.”

“Yeah, that’s right.”

Cynara lifted her head to frown at me. “What?”

“I said, it’s my fault. And Linden’s. We both decided for ourselves what we wanted to do.” I leaned back in my chair. “Or did you think that if you were just smarter, stronger, or more well-spoken, that you could have changed our minds?”

Cynara narrowed her eyes. “What are you trying to say? That I’m a fool for trying to talk you out of an even more foolish affair?”

“I just mean that people are always going to do as they intend to do,” I said. “And people don’t change for others. So don’t waste your energy worrying about us.”

There. That seemed sufficiently ambiguous as to whether I was offering her comfort or just being a jerk. Plausible deniability was my friend.

Unsurprisingly, Cynara’s mouth soon twisted down into a scowl. “I suppose it’s easy for you to ignore family ties, but the rest of us aren’t so talented at heartlessness,” she sneered.

“Is that so? In my opinion, Linden is doing a fair job at it as well.”

“What would you know?”

I shrugged.

“At the very least, I think I’ve tried to listen to you more than he has. Third best has to try and catch up somehow, hmm?”

For some reason, Cynara didn’t think I was funny this time, either.

“When have you ever cared what I had to say?” she snapped. “I hope you really do die tomorrow.”

She stormed away from my dorm room without trying any of my snacks. If she kept on only visiting me when she was unhappy, she’d never be in a good enough mood to enjoy my hospitality.

With the duel upcoming, when I went to sleep that night, I decided to try using [Bound Prophet of the Single Path].

I dreamed that I fought Linden. He surprised me with a power I didn’t expect. I won, but I didn’t get the outcome I wanted.

As I knelt beside the body, blood soaking my clothes, I looked up at the sky with a sigh. A crow circled above me and flew away.

So that dream didn’t seem too auspicious. But if this “prophetic dream” stuff was really true, then I’d learned some important things. Hopefully enough to make things go as I wanted.

On the day of the duel, I followed my schedule as usual. I carefully dressed myself in Acacius’ clothes and style, covered up [Caller]’s tattoo form with waterproof makeup from a local store, took notes in class, and spruced myself up for the Fellowship of the Silver Wing. Once again, Cynara didn’t speak to me at the gathering, and once again, the food was delicious.

I checked the clock on the wall: a quarter to eight. It was time for me to go.

“Excuse me for leaving early. I have an appointment to keep.”

There had already been weird undercurrents at the table around me this whole dinner, but that instantly drew every single gaze my way.

“You look confident,” Xander said with a snort. “Are you sure you don’t want to leave your last words behind?”

Nastaran narrowed her eyes. “Xander,” she warned.

“What? No matter what he got from his ritual, you really think he’ll come out on top?”

I examined his body language before saying, “And yet, you don’t seem happy. Why is that?”

Xander clicked his tongue. He looked at the rest of the table. “Why am I the only one speaking up? Are we really letting this happen?”

“This is a family matter, Xander,” said Javier. “It’s best not to interfere with the internal affairs of another Noble Family. Don’t you think?”

Xander banged his fist on the table. “Screw your politics, Javier. Linden already got rid of the Duval name.”

“So then, a representative of the Morgan family wishes to find fault with the Duval heir?” Yugrazal said. “Is that the will of the Morgan family?”

“No, but—”

“Then a retainer of the Morgan family has gone rogue and is acting against your family’s best interests,” Yugrazal continued coolly. “It’s well within Acacius’ rights to deal with an unstable element like that as he sees fit.”

Xander practically growled. “Nastaran, say something.”

“What is there to say?” she replied, not dropping her smile for a second. “Acacius, at this point, only your choice can stop the duel from proceeding. What do you want to do?”

These inter-faction politics sure seemed messy.

And there was something I wanted to correct.

“It’s not just my choice keeping the duel going,” I said.

Xander bristled. “Linden has every right to challenge you.”

“Yes, it’s easy to blame Linden too.”

Cynara, who’d been studiously glaring at her plate for this conversation, looked up sharply.

“But you know,” I said. “Linden and I aren’t the only ones who can fight. If any of you really wanted to try and stop me, you could. But you haven’t. Because neither Linden’s life nor mine is important enough.”

Mehran looked like he’d been stung. “Between noble families, there are boundaries you can’t cross.”

“Do you want to spark an inter-family feud?” Xander growled.

I smiled.

“That’s why your conviction to protect Linden is weaker than mine to kill him.”

Which was hilarious.

“Do you think this is some kind of game, Acacius?” Cynara snapped. “We all have our family names to think about!”

Yeah, that was right. Every person in this room represented not just themselves, but their noble house. If they tried to interfere with Acacius’ duel, it wouldn’t just be a personal matter anymore.

But so what?

“What about you, Cynara?” I teased. “If you act, it’s still an internal affair of the family.”

“You know why!”

“Because of the letter?” I said. “It’s okay. You’re only doing the same as everyone else, after all.”

“Are you blaming us for choosing not to act?” Javier asked softly.

“No. I just wanted everyone to be clear that it is a choice.” If these were potentially my last words, then didn’t I have the right to be playful? “Your family’s benefits, or someone’s life. Shouldn’t it be obvious which is more important?”

Well, I didn’t think I would die, though.

Xander stood up and drew his sword with a snarl. I leaned back and met his eyes, raising an eyebrow.

But he just stood there, clenching the hilt of his sword. He didn’t have the resolve to follow through.

“If anyone wants to stop me,” I repeated, “I’m waiting.”

I turned away, showing my back. One step, two steps, three steps…

And I was out the door.

As I moved down the hallway, I heard someone knocking plates and silverware to the floor. No one chased after me.

This Fellowship of the Silver Wing was kind of funny. Maybe I should come more often.

It didn’t take long for me to arrive at the arena where Practical Combat class took place. There were students loitering at the edges, whispering curiously to each other as I strode to the center of the arena. Dalileh was already there, as was Linden, who was performing light stretches as he waited. He was wearing practical-looking clothes along with light black leather armor.

As for me, I was still dressed in Acacius’ fancy clothes for dinner. Yep, as I thought, I seemed like a huge asshole.

Linden straightened up when he saw me approach, eyes cold.

“You came after all.”

“How could I refuse such a sincere invitation?” I said.

I thought no one would laugh, but Dalileh let out a little “Ha!” so I felt gratified.

Linden scoffed and unsheathed his silver rapier. It glinted under the cold white lights that lit the arena in place of the disappearing sun.

“I warned you before,” he said. “You shouldn’t have joined the Fellowship. I won’t let a single Duval approach the throne.”

When did the throne factor into any of this…? “If that’s your goal, you should be aiming for whoever holds the position of Duke, rather than me.”

Linden’s expression darkened. It looked like I’d hit a sore point somehow.

“Enough talk,” he said. “Let’s see if you can put your money where your mouth is.”

He raised his voice.

“I, Linden of the Morgan Family, request Dalileh Khan, the Unrelenting Storm, to guarantee the sanctity of our duel!”

Dalileh smiled.

“Is everyone ready?” she asked, looking at me.

“I’m ready,” I said.

Linden tightened his grip on his sword. “Ready.”

“Then by my honor, I, Dalileh Khan, shall protect the honor of this duel.”

She spread her arms theatrically. In a swirl of water, a barrier rose around us, blocking out all our spectators and darkening the incoming light.

And so, just like that—

“Let the duel begin!”

Chapter 13 Chapter 15