Though Nick was tempted to grab the two thugs and parade them around the Tower to send a message, he wasn’t sure he could handle the backlash that would come from openly challenging Hone’s authority, so he left them in the dueling room with only a few parting words.

“I don’t care about whatever feud the Archmages might have, and I certainly don’t care enough about you people to hunt you down, but so help me everything that is holy, I will if I have to. Don’t make me come find you.”

His piece said, he swept out, with Eona and Bellamy trailing after him like lost ducklings.

“Do you expect that to be the end of it?” Eona asked, and he could tell she was conflicted about the whole thing.

The feeling of being trapped and pushed into a situation that should have been impossible for anyone else to escape was erased by how easily he defeated both Warren and Terry. However, she clearly understood that if an Archmage had gone so far as to send older apprentices after him, it was unlikely he’d be satisfied with how things ended.

“No, not really,” Nick sighed, “but they didn’t lie about things coming to a head soon. The Tower Master is expected to return soon, and he’s known to despise internal conflicts. And if Hone steps too far, Tholm will be able to use that against him and intervene himself.”

Bellamy was unusually quiet the whole way back to the lounge, but just before they stepped out of the elevator, he finally found the words he’d been searching for.

“I thought joining the Tower would mean leaving behind the constant politicking of the aristocracy. It turns out that even the great Archmages are little more than squabbling petty nobles, taking offense and retaliating at every turn.” He mused aloud.

Eona opened her mouth to say something, but Nick stopped her with a raised hand, knowing Bellamy wasn’t finished yet.

Pushing a blonde lock of hair away from his face in irritation, both at himself and the situation, he grit his teeth. “Are we forever condemned to this cycle? I don’t want to have to look over my shoulder in suspicion for the rest of my life! What kind of system even allows twenty-year-olds to ambush a teenage boy without fear of reprisal?!”

His breathing was heavy, and it was clear there were deeper issues than just Nick’s situation at play.

I wondered why he joined the Tower and went so far to hide his connection to the ducal family. Is it possible he was caught in a similar power struggle? But as far as I know, the Duke holds uncontested power in his House. Which would leave only the succession…

Although the current Duke Alluria was unlikely to croak anytime soon, not unless he did something very foolish, there was plenty of power and influence to be gained by anyone who was named his heir.

Even racking his brain, Nick couldn’t remember if there was an official heir. Several younger members of House Alluria were considered potential candidates and treated cautiously even by the high nobility, but they didn’t hold the much-desired title yet.

Nick had only met the Duke twice, but while he seemed like a pretty reasonable person, especially for someone in his position, he seemed the kind who wouldn’t hesitate to set his own family against each other if it meant creating a better future.

Looking at Bellamy’s bitter expression, he was pretty sure he had it right, but also that now wasn’t the time to ask. The wound was still too raw, having been ignored for a long time, festering under bandages that kept his friend from seeing it.

If he had been a better person, he might have pushed through his resistance and forced him to lance the wound, but Nick knew how valuable privacy was, and he respected Bellamy too much to intrude directly.

If he’s referencing the matter indirectly now, it means he, at least subconsciously, wants to discuss it, but I can sense he’s not ready yet to do so on his own. When he is, I'll be there.

The moment passed, and the elevator opened.

Eona and Bellamy stepped outside, but Nick remained inside. “You guys go ahead, I think I need a nap. I’ve had a really busy couple of days.”

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There wasn’t much either of them could say to that, not after seeing him face two older apprentices and not break a sweat.

“Alright, take care, man,” Bellamy said, and Eona gave him a slow nod, eyeing him thoughtfully.

Nick wasn’t the type to actually lie down in the middle of the morning and take a nap, or waste any waking hour, really, not with the wealth of knowledge still left to plunder in Tholm’s library.

But for once, his actions were catching up to him, and he was running low on energy, so he barely stopped for a quick chat with Tholm to explain what had happened in the few hours they had been apart, and then headed for his bed.

By the time he woke up, the sun had begun to set, and he realized he might have needed more sleep than he thought.

A body capable of breaking every Olympic record he might have, that didn’t mean he could completely ignore biology, at least not without using alchemical aids, and he had learned his lesson from his early days in the Tower.

With a groan and a pop from his spine, he stood up, heading toward the bathroom at the end of the corridor.

He could have washed up with a little bit of summoned water, and he didn’t really smell that bad anymore, even after everything that happened. But there was something comforting about taking his time with this kind of thing. Since he was about to have another session with Lasazar, he felt he could afford the luxury of a hot shower.

The water was already running when he arrived, and he saw that Raphael had the same idea as him, as he was lathering up under a steaming hot stream.

“Ah, you are alive, then!” His fellow apprentice called out.

Nick snorted, setting his clean clothes aside and hopping a few faucets to the side, as was proper, then turned on the artifact with a flicker of mana and groaned in relief as the water hit him.

“They couldn’t have killed me even if I’d let them have a hundred free shots,” he finally replied, only slightly exaggerating.

Of the two he’d faced that morning, it was Warren, the less powerful of the two, who had come the closest to defeating him, given his well-developed ice control spells, but even he hadn’t been able to do more than make him mildly uncomfortable.

Raphael chuckled, shaking his head. “I’d call you arrogant, but the entire Tower knows you handed them their asses. I’ve known Terrence for some time, and I’ve seen him sneak a win against people ten levels higher than him multiple times, so it’s quite the accomplishment.”

“You actually know him?” Nick asked, somewhat surprised. Of course, after a few years in the Tower, people tended to recognize each other, especially among the Archmages’ apprentices, but given how aggressive the two had been, he thought it unlikely they were on friendly terms with Tholm’s people.

“You do know you're not exactly having the typical experience, right? The number of people who have gotten into as many messes as you can be counted on one hand, and that's over many years!”

“Heh,” Nick shrugged, summoning some soap from the dimensional dispenser and rubbing it all over with the help of a handy bit of telekinesis. “I’d like to say that trouble comes looking for me, but that’s not totally true.”

“At least you are self-aware.” Raphael didn’t seem very convinced of his innocence, and Nick had to admit he hadn’t done much to help his case.

And I’m not even done yet. I need to hurry and go to the basement for Lasazar’s lesson. Then, tomorrow, I have to meet with the Duke’s representative to handle the sale of the matriarchs. Finally, the auction is coming up. That’s all assuming nothing else happens with the Circle of Pure Souls, and for all that the Duke assured us he’s on top of it, I have some doubts it will be resolved that easily.

Raphael turned off the water and dried with the help of another artifact, a moisture-dispersing white stone tablet against the far wall, which reminded Nick of the old hand dryers, but less dirty and more effective.

“Well, you seem able to handle yourself so far, but remember you're not alone. Hone’s plan might have failed this time, but I doubt he’ll be satisfied with just this much. If you ever need help, I’ll be glad to give it.” With his parting shot said, Raphael left him alone, and while his tone made it seem like it was a casual offer, Nick could tell that the other was deadly serious.

Huh, good to know.

Left to his own devices, he enjoyed the warm water a little longer before drying off, then put on fresh slacks, a freshly pressed shirt, his cloak, and headed down to the Tower’s underbelly.

There, he met Lasazar, who seemed to be experiencing some conflicting emotions. “Nicholas, welcome,” the larger man said, guiding him into the summoning chamber.

“Sir,” Nick nodded, surveying the area for any changes. Unlike before, the resting spot was noticeably empty, with the sofa and table moved elsewhere.

“I’ve been pleased with your progress so far and would have gladly continued our sessions at the same pace, but I recently learned that you’ve gotten into a bit of trouble.”

Gossip really spreads at the speed of light, huh? It’s not surprising Raphael would know, since it happened within our cohort, but for Lasazar to already know means everyone has heard. I guess Eona and Bellamy did the work.

“Normally, I stay away from this kind of thing. Matters should be settled between people of the same rank, as they always have been, but I recently received a request from an old friend to take a short leave from the Tower to help with the dwarf situation in the north. This isn’t very surprising, as I’m one of the leading Battle Magic experts, but the Royal Army has gone to great lengths to avoid asking for help from any Tower until now. I trust you understand how these two matters might be connected.”

Nick felt his eyes widen despite himself. Would Hone go so far as to call in a favor to pull away any support Nick might have from the upper echelons of the Tower?

Stupid question, of course he would. He’s proven to be a petty old man, and if he can't punish me directly for beating up his son and apprentices, he'll do it indirectly.

“Now, this friend of mine isn’t someone I can say no to, unfortunately, but I managed to negotiate for a couple of days of grace before I have to be on the northern front. Apparently, demonic creatures have been sighted, and I would need to wait for a team to be assembled to hunt them down anyway,” Lasazar continued conversationally, as if he were talking about the weather.

Nick, on the other hand, suddenly felt a bad feeling. His father was on the northern front, and knowing the Crowley luck, it was unlikely he wouldn’t get caught up in this new mess.

In that case, Lasazar's departure is actually a good thing, even if it means ending my lessons early. I would feel better knowing someone as capable as him is there to support the efforts.

But his teacher wasn’t done yet, and his eyes took on an almost sadistic look. “As for what this means for us… Well, we need to cram the next four weeks of lessons into two days, so I hope you are ready.”