The memory mist dispersed, and the image of Nick swinging his dagger down into the ritual circle was the last thing it could show before the magical backlash overwhelmed Anthony.

Since Nausicaa’s method depended on the vessel being conscious enough to perceive something, and the burst of mana released by the broken ritual had caused Anthony to fall into a coma, what happened next couldn’t be shown.

I’m very lucky, Nick realized, internally sweat-dropping. He couldn’t hide that he was the one who killed Changer, not after being seen entering the ritual chamber, but at least, the method he used to do so would stay a mystery.

Smell mercies and all that. I don’t think Tholm would be surprised, and Xander is far too stoic to show anything but mild contempt, but I’m not exactly eager to let it be known I can rip souls apart. It might not be demonic magic, but that distinction wouldn’t matter much in the eyes of an angry mob.

He didn't think he was at risk of being expelled from the city. The situation here was quite different from those in Floria. Back then, he had been threading a dangerous path, and could sense the suspicion and distrust growing among his fellows, at least before Sashara’s fall changed everything, and his father’s rise to Prestige put an end to any such notions.

That didn’t mean he was eager to reveal everything he was capable of to the public. There was a difference between being a prodigy and being a monster, and the less people knew, the more they would assume something reasonable.

“That was definitely something,” the Duke said, sounding more at ease than Nick expected.

He didn’t seem to think it was all over yet, not with the way he’d sent off his men to deepen the investigations, but the urgency from before had left him, and behind was only cool calculation.

“Indeed, your Grace,” Nausicaa nodded, waving her hands over the still form of Anthony and causing the powders that had covered him to lift up and flow back into her sleeves.

It wasn’t exactly the same amount she’d scattered on him, but her method seemed pretty renewable if she could recover that much.

“Well, I suppose rewards are in order now. My men will scour this secret lair, arrest everyone involved, and keep following the investigation for every bit of information we can get from them, but that is for me to worry about.”

Tholm raised an eyebrow at the final note in the Duke’s tone, clearly understanding it was meant as a light reproach for directly interfering with the investigation without going through him, but he said nothing in response.

He’d hidden his tracks effectively, the sly old fox, using Nick for his link to Devon, which allowed him to stay involved without it seeming like the Tower’s decision.

To find the lair, he had to confront a group of Tower apprentices, which only made it feel more like an internal matter, effectively sealing the deal.

That was the real reason for the Duke’s mild tone. He was actually in debt to Nick, and through him, Tholm. But bringing up the subject of rewards here, instead of later through less public channels…

Ah, I see what he’s doing. He believes that if the Archmages want to play a game of three cups, he might as well adhere to the rules when they work in his favor.

“Young Devon, although some might say you had a part to play in your unjust imprisonment since you attacked the soldiers who intervened to stop the brawl, I’m not petty enough to cling to such flimsy technicalities. Your name was nearly tarnished, and I understand how sensitive such an issue is for new Houses. As of now, your house arrest is lifted, and your record is cleared of any taint. Additionally, I will reward you with a gold coin for each day you were unjustly detained and will send a personal letter of commendation to your family, naming you a right and true nobleman.”

Nick watched his brother’s eyes widen, and the constrained smile he’d been wearing turn into a proud one.

“Thank you, Your Grace. I genuinely appreciate your regard,” Devon bowed, earning a nod of recognition from the Duke and a grunt of satisfaction from Xander.

Stolen story; please report.

For some, the reward for nearly being cast as a traitor might have seemed paltry, and if they only thought about the money, it was. Less than three days had gone by since Devon was put under house arrest, so even being generous, he’d only get three gold coins.

Enough to buy himself new armor, should he need it, but nothing compared to a tarnished reputation.

If that had been all, Nick would have been outraged, and he was pretty sure Xander would have taken offense. But that was only a small part of the reward. The letter of regard was a much bigger deal than a few coins, and would likely become the subject of the city’s gossip once things calmed down, and Devon’s reputation would soar far higher than any baron’s son could have hoped for.

Being recognized as a nobleman by a Duke was no trivial matter. It signified that from this point forward, House Crowley would be given the respect expected of any storied noble house, on pain of going against the Duke’s word.

It was a gift that money couldn’t buy, and at the same time, it cost the Duke nothing. He's really clever. I suppose now it’s my turn. Should I expect something to pull me away from the Tower? I guess I wouldn’t mind being given a tract of land somewhere, as long as I don't have to manage it myself, but it might come with conditions and vows I’m not willing to make…

Never had Nick been happier than he wasn’t in line to inherit, and having chosen to dedicate his life to something different from politics.

Facing demons might seem scarier at first, but that was only until the shock such abominations caused wore off.

“As for you, young Nicholas... Without your help, I would have never discovered the conspiracy in the first place, and you went even further, preventing a great injustice, defeating a villain like no other, and uncovering an entire secret lair in the depths of my city.”

Nick knew the duke was exaggerating a bit, but he didn’t doubt for a moment that he was actually thankful. If he hadn’t uncovered the plot, and the attack had gone ahead as originally planned, not only would he have suffered a major hit to his reputation, but his claim over the West would also have been jeopardized.

No doubt, his opponents in the Royal Court would have seized on the tragedy to declare him unfit, using the base hidden right beneath their noses as evidence.

It probably wouldn’t have resulted in more than a slap on the wrist, but even that would have been hard for a proud man like the Duke to accept.

“Tower mages are usually seen as a separate entity, and I’m sure your master wouldn’t appreciate me trying to lure you away from him with honeyed promises and cushy positions,” Duke Alluria continued, earning an amused nod from Tholm. “But there must be some reward. I’ve heard you’re interested in joining the auction, and that you’ve been selling valuable thunderhoofs to the meat markets to raise money for it. I’d like to help with both efforts, if you’d let me.”

That was actually a pretty good reward. Not enough to make up the mortal danger he’d been in, but then again, Nick knew exactly what he was getting into the moment he realized it wasn’t just a group of lowlifes behind the conspiracy, but a major organization, and he still decided to go through with it.

He’d done the Duke a big favor, but it wasn’t like he was asked to do it. In fact, he was told to stay away, and he did the exact opposite.

If I can get him to buy the matriarchs at a good price, I will have enough money to buy the orichalcum. And if he refunds my auction ticket, I might even have some leftover for a small purchase.

Honestly, he’d been worried about selling such valuable beasts. He had confirmed over the weeks that Mr. Bloom was more than capable of handling even the sale of Alphas, but the man told him that people were starting to snoop.

If matriarchs, which were almost never seen on the open market, suddenly flooded the zone in the numbers he had… Yeah, that could have caused trouble, and with how busy he’d been lately, he hadn’t been able to break up the sale in chunks as he should have.

Nick was about to accept when an arm was placed between him and the Duke, stopping him.

“Now, now, I understand your desire to reward the youth with things they might enjoy, but surely you aren’t going to stiff my apprentice like that, Your Grace?” Tholm asked in an eminently reasonable tone that was undercut by his hooded gaze.

The sudden change in atmosphere created a lull, as people tried to interpret what he meant, but the Archmage didn’t let that bother him, simply fixing his gaze on the most powerful nobleman for hundreds of miles as if he were an unruly student.

“I believe I’ve been quite generous, Archmage. Especially considering the amount of law-breaking that had to happen to get here today. Some might even say that by rewarding the young Crowleys, I am neglecting my duty as His Majesty’s representative in these lands. It is not a simple reward I am handing out.” The Duke had been entirely affable so far, but that seemed to have ended very abruptly. Though his face remained as still as a pond, his emotions churned visibly, causing Sonya to step back in fear.

“Laws are but mere indications, to those like us,” Tholm replied, not giving an inch. “As long as the common people are not disturbed, the Royal Court will never intervene in a dispute between the Tower and the Duchy, and let me tell you, there is little that annoys me more than seeing someone who should be grateful turn around and act magnanimous.”

Though the rings concealed his presence, Nick was fairly sure he had a good sense of who Tholm was and what motivated him. He had seen the man happy, amused, annoyed, and even disappointed at times when his apprentices did something foolish and tried to hide their mistakes.

He had never seen him truly angry before. It was unsettling, since he was still shrouded by magic, but his facial expressions alone made it clear he wasn’t joking.

“Are you willing to go that far just to see your apprentice rewarded more?” Nausicaa asked incredulously, then flinched sharply as the Archmage’s attention shifted to her.

“Be silent, child,” Tholm rumbled, turning back to the Duke. “We all play this game for keeps, Your Grace. The Tower will have its due, whether it’s a single copper or an entire king’s ransom.”

The Duke stared a moment longer before pursing his lips and nodding slowly. “I see, I suppose it was stingy of me. Very well, what would you like me to give your apprentice, in addition to what I’ve already promised?”

Nick doubted it was a common occurrence for the Duke to give up on a matter of pride, but his opinion of the man only improved because of it. If he had tried to be stubborn about it after being saved from disaster by sheer luck, he would have shown himself to be arrogant and inattentive.

He doubted the man enjoyed being spoken to so directly, but he was at fault here, and fixing a potential rift with the Tower was more important than his pride, especially at a time when another major organization was operating in his city with malicious intent.

“Don’t ask me,” Tholm snorted, albeit with less heat than before, “ask him. Nicholas, what do you want?”