“So, do you have anything exciting for me yet?” I ask, as my overly ambitious enchanter hastily removes a stack of books from an uncushioned wooden chair for me.

  He winces with a faint blush. “Ah, no, not as such.”

  I shrug. “No matter, I have something for you to look at.” I place the Empress’s dagger and the strange bracelet I took from the Viscount’s mage on the small table next to me.

  “Oh, is this the fabled dagger then? The one given by the empress?” John asks, eagerly grabbing it and gazing at the hilt without unsheathing it.

  “You’ve heard about that, have you?” I ask with a sigh.

  “Hah!” he singly laughs. “I bet half the street urchins in the city have heard about it. I might not be in the thick of things at the court, but I do have a wide array of customers.”

  “I thought you were closing the store to focus on research?”

  “Hmm? Ah, well, mostly. Though I have kept contact with a small list of refined customers. It wouldn’t do to cut ties with them after all.” He looks a bit embarrassed, as if being caught doing something naughty.

  I shrug. “You’re right. Wouldn’t do at all.” He flinches at my gaze as I calculate how I might use these contacts for my advantage in the future.

  “Well, anyways,” he says, placing the dagger in a secure vice, well away from where it might be bumped into before finally, very gingerly, unsheathing it. “Oh, no visible symbols…Ah!” he smiles as he takes the telltale focused look of inverting the Eye. “Now that is a beauty. I’ve used three dimensional symbols once or twice, but only ever as a capstone to tie together and empower the standard sets. I’ve seen a few more complicated items, but never something like this, where it’s purely three dimensional with none of the standard set. The increase of complexity in the symbol relations… it’s staggering.”

  “Can you replicate it?” I ask.

  He laughs. “Maybe if I had a few years doing nothing else? But I get the sense you want to keep it with you.”

  I nod. “At least tell me what it does then.”

  He shrugs. “It cuts things.” I roll my eyes, causing him to laugh again, though a bit nervously this time. “I mean, I think it might be able to cut anything. But that’s just my initial speculation. To be honest, I have no idea what exactly it does or how it even cuts. Chance, I can’t even make out most of the symbols, and probably wouldn’t even know half of them if I could. I do have spells that can get me a better image, but… I hear it was used in a major ritual?” I nod, and he shakes his head. “Then I wouldn’t want to do any magic probes. It could wear off whatever layered effect it has. Which also throws out practical tests, of course.”

  I inhale sharply. “Is there anything that could do to help you with figuring it out?”

  “Hmm… Maybe. There are reference manuals for three dimensional symbols in various libraries. The academy that I went to had a few, but they were clearly incomplete. I’d imagine that your central academy might have a more complete set, but it’d probably be in a restricted section. I wouldn’t be able to access it, but you might.”

  I shake my head. “I’m not in any enchanting classes. I wouldn’t have reason to look in the restricted symbols section.”

  He laughs. “You’ll have a reason strapped to the waist. I’m sure they’ll let you in if you say you’re researching the Empress’s gift. In fact, they might even let you make copies.”

  I hesitate, but nod. I’m so used to doing things in the shadows that I didn’t even think to ask. “Alright, I’ll see what I can do.”

  “Just one thing,” he says, still staring at the blade. “There are two methods for recording three dimensional symbols for reference. One is to record images from different angles, and the other is to actually embed them into an object, usually an inert clay tablet. The latter is far better, if you can get it.”

  “…I’d have to learn a spell to manipulate substance inside an object, wouldn’t I?”

  “Hmm… Oh, I forgot that most mages don’t bother learning that – everyone at my academy knows that spell. Well, it’s not that hard to learn, or maybe the librarian would even make a copy for you if you asked.”

  “…Right.” Somehow, I think that they might be a little bit more protective of the more direct reference method, but I suppose it won’t hurt to ask. “So, what about the bracelet?”

  “Hmm?” He intones as he tears his eyes away from the blade. “Oh, it’s a haptic chronometer. It’s meant for precise timekeeping. It uses thermal feedback and vibrations to convey when preset amounts of time have passed from set points, or a programmed astronomical event.”

  “Huh… that seems simple.” I gesture to the packed array of intricate symbols.

  He laughs. “Well, it’s not. Time is a weird thing, and making items to precisely keep track of it without constantly referencing external phenomena is hard.”

  “I see,” I say, “I guess that explains why I couldn’t figure it out. I assumed something that complex did something more… dramatic.”

  “Don’t sell it short. Keeping track of time is plenty dramatic in the right circumstance. Sure, most people might not need to be that precise about it. Even mages who do need precision for astronomy-based rituals would rather just reference the associated phenomena directly. But for alchemists, it’s extremely valuable. In fact, I think just about everyone at my academy had one by the time they graduated.” He rolls up his sleeve to show me his.

  “Is it not very valuable then? If so many students could afford it?”

  He shrugs. “Typical one goes for about two large gold.”

  I stare blankly, making him laugh again.

  “Well, anyways,” he says after calming down, “if you don’t want it, I can move it for you… Actually, how did you come by it if you don’t know what it does?”

  “Hm… oh, it was a gift sent by someone. Probably wants to earn the favour of someone who seems to have the Empress’s favour. I got a few such items, but this is the only standout.” I lie very convincingly, especially since there really have been a few such gifts that arrived in my absence, or so one of the servants mentioned as I was leaving to go to Greg. Apparently, Allan had them all stacked up in one room and was planning on going through them with me when I got back… I guess we’ll see if that will happen.

  “Oh? I guess the Empress’s favour isn’t just its own reward after all.”

  I shrug. “Anyways, I guess I won’t be selling it for now.” It might actually be useful in some minor but persistent way. “But do please go over it to make sure it doesn’t have any hidden features I should know about.”

  “Of course, of course, wouldn’t want it to explode while wrapped around the hand that feeds me; now would I?” He smirks as he swivels around on his stool and examines the object with a magnifying glass. “Nope, nothing interesting, I’m afraid. Just your standard band. I guess your gift giver only moderately cared about getting you to like them. Anyways, put it on and I’ll show you how to work it.”

  You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

  He spends the next hour (seven minutes and twelve seconds, to be precise) going over the band’s features. Once I’m done, I go back to my dorm room. There are a few rods knocked over, but nothing important, and everything else is in order. The plants in particular seem well watered, and everything is clean.

  I ring for Marcus. He’s probably not even in, but I know the rope that rings the bell also knocks something over that’s supposed to alert him to my need when he returns. For some reason though, I decide to start a timer on the chronometer to see how long it takes him to arrive, sticking my hand outside to cast ‘gather water’ for my plants as I wait.

  He comes much sooner than I expected, having clearly been in his room. “You’re back, my lord? I expected you to stay at lord Lihnhal’s place.” He’s a bit flustered, as he apparently rushed to come, but everything in his uniform and general appearance is in order, at least within the range of propriety.

  “Yes… I um… have things that I need to do…” I gesture with the foot wide water orb in my hand, which I place into the watering can before ending the spell. “And a task for you…Actually, now that I think about it, how much does Allan pay you?”

  “Um… three medium copper a day, my lord.” He scrunches his face at the sudden question.

  Three times the wage for a basic labourer. About right if a little high. “Right, well, I think I’d rather pay you myself while you’re serving me from now on.”

  “Oh, well, I’m not sure if…”

  “I’ll make it four medium,” I say, my gaze focused on my plants as I water them.

  “Ah… in that case, I’m happy to serve you, my lord… provided that I’ll be able to go back to Lord Linhal should you suddenly no longer require my services.”

  I shrug. “I’ll see to it.”

  He smiles deferentially. “Excellent, my lord…forgive me, my lord, but did you perhaps get in a fight with the Baronet?”

  I look away from watering the plants to regard him. “Sigh. Why do you ask that?”

  He chuckles nervously. “Well, my lord, shuffling servants around is the normal pattern for such things. You perhaps want to make sure I’m working for you now, whereas before you were content to trust that my service to Baronet Linhal was compatible with my service to you.”

  “… Sigh, I guess I was pretty obvious about it; wasn’t I?”

  He nods. “Rest assured though, while Allan was still paying me, he formally seconded me to you. Meaning I wouldn’t have told him anything you wouldn’t have approved of, regardless. Though it is still better this way if you’re worried, as it eliminates a few grey areas.”

  I stare at him for a few more seconds, then nod and turn back to my plants. “Good.”

  I see him nod from the corner of my eye. “Happy to serve, my lord… though may I ask what the disagreement was about…” he flinches as I eye him warily, “or rather, what sort of things do you no longer trust the Lord Linhal to know?”

  “Sigh… I don’t even know… Actually, I do still trust him, I just don’t trust my trust.” He winces at my turn of phrase, so I turn the question on him. “What about you? Do you think he’s trustworthy?”

  “Ah, my lord, I really should not compare my closeness with the Baronet to family such as yourself.”

  I roll my eyes at the obvious obsequiousness. “But you’ve known him longer, yes? How long have you been employed as a servant?”

  He smiles at the factual question. “Eight years, my lord. Three with the Barronet and five with others… and two minutes with you, I suppose.”

  I chuckle. “Quite… and how does the Lord Linhal compare to your other employers?”

  His eyes glance away as if seeking memories and composing a thought. “I… do prefer the Baronet. He has his… eccentricities, but they’re easier to facilitate than others… Less stressful at least.”

  “And have you ever known him to break his explicit word?”

  He glances down in thought again, then looks up with confidence. “No. At least, not to his servants. Though how one treats one’s lesser often differs from how one treats one’s peers in unexpected ways. You shouldn’t try to infer one from the other.”

  “Noted. So, what about his peers then?”

  “Well, I suppose I haven’t heard of any broken word to other nobles either. But, then again, I was only ever a middle-ranked servant in his house. I seldom found myself in his direct presence, and certainly not for any compacts he may have made with other nobles.”

  “I see,” I say, turning back to water my plants. “Thankyou for your precise honesty, Marcus. I’ll take it into consideration. For now, I have a task I’ll need you to perform. I need you to find someplace nearby for a trio of children to stay. Rent or buy, but you have until Primday night to finalize it.” I make a gesture to indicate the height of the children and therefore their approximate age.

  “I… see, my lord,” he says, evidence that he doesn’t clear on his face.

  “They’re clients,” I explain. “I’ve agreed to aid in their initial magic training… they’re from one of the low security sections. So, I also need you to find someone to teach them – writing foremost, and other subjects. Though that can wait until a little later. They’ll also need a servant and clothes appropriate for the area.”

  “… Understood… My lord, am I to take it that you’re making some play in a low-section?”

  I glance at him and half nod. “Not as yet, but I foresee I might in the future. This is to prepare for that. Why? Do you know something of it?”

  “Um, not directly, my lord, but I’ve heard other servants talk. It’s my understanding that it’s a sort of… playground for certain nobles. Most of which do not have the best reputation.”

  “Hm…” I smile, going for a wistful expression. “Playground? Are there rules to this playground?”

  “You mean you don’t know, my lord?” His tone takes on that of alarm.

  I shrug. “I know some things. But another perspective might help.”

  “I see… well, my understanding is that it’s a sort of game with loose rules. Each noble is meant to build a ‘tower’, is what they call it. By which I mean uplift one of the gangs, giving them resources to surpass their neighbours. The goal is to extract as much value from the invested gang while ‘toppling’ their rival’s tower before they can recoup their investments. I understand that most don’t quite make their investment back, while a few might make several times it.”

  I nod. It’s a bit of a different of a different picture than what Greg painted. The term ‘tower’ is certainly new to me. Maybe it’s something nobles only discuss amongst each other. Not something they would say around an upstart merchant, but would around their servants.

  “That’s more or less how I understood it. Though you make it sound more formalized than I thought.”

  He makes a wishy-washy motion. “To an extent. Not everyone views it as entertainment, but they tend to stick to the rules either way.”

  “Any particular ones I should know about?”

  “Hm… well, nothing is set in stone, but the general idea is to not escalate too quickly and not to bring in outside forces. So, no hiring empowered to go in and kill everyone, but training empowered from the section is a common move.”

  “Is it usually effective?”

  He shakes his head. “The gangs don’t usually last long enough to turn them into anything. Then again, if you take them out to train, you still end up with loyal empowered, so it’s usually considered worth it.”

  “hmm… Well, good to know. Thank you for your insight. Anyways, try to find someplace decent, but not prestigious. I’m willing to pay a large gold for the purchase. The servant should be all works… use your judgement for their pay… I don’t really care if they’re discreet, but do pay enough that they won’t immediately sell my information to whomever will buy it. Same with the teacher, though that can wait. If you can’t find a place in time, then just find an inn until you do. Take this money for the clothes and other expenses. These are their measurements, and this is a signed letter of inquiry.” I hand him a small purse filled with silver and two sheets of paper – one simply folded and the other in a sealed envelope.

  Marcus takes everything with a short bow. “As you wish, my lord. And, may I say, it is good to see you do the things nobles are wont to do. Though, if you are moving out of your cousin’s shadow, perhaps a larger place would be prudent. Someplace with a room for yourself and maybe an attachment to keep a horse and carriage?”

  I look at him side eyed. He’s not suggesting the unreasonable. If I need it, better to have it now than later. If I don’t, well, it’s not that much more… though I will be cutting it close with my reserves. But then again, I’ll be gambling some soon. Who knows what I’ll win… or lose. “Agreed,” I say, a thrill going through me at the suddenly increased stakes of the imminent game. “Though try to keep it under two large gold… three at the absolute maximum.”

  He nods and leaves me to my plants. It’s time for my experiments.

  The first thing I find out is that the fast growth spell is inefficient in terms of soil quality. It quickly consumes the nutrients in the dirt, and the plants wither in fewer than half the iterations than with the base spell.

  I’m certain there’s some sort of metaphor there, but I refuse to see it. It’s probably inane anyways.

  Still, this is rather disappointing. Though I do learn how much fertilizer is needed between each cycle for indefinite growth. It’s… sizable. Much more than I hoped, though extrapolating it to the base spell is a bit more promising. Moreover, after several hours of iterations as I soak in the bath, I find that the area growth spell doesn’t have the same inefficiency as the rapid one. So that’s something at least.

  Another metaphor is probably there, but it really doesn’t seem worth thinking about.