I didn't move at first. The drake seemed dead, but I had seen it regenerate from grievous wounds already. No sense in assuming anything.

Minutes passed as I waited for any flicker of wood mana or twitch of a muscle. I kept mana flowing through my body, purposefully ignoring my ever-draining core as I watched the drake for even a hint of life. If it were still alive, I'd need to retreat once more and try again the following morning. I had given myself a few days of leeway for that precise reason.

But the drake never made a miraculous rival. The only thing its body did was bleed, turning the sparse grass and dirt underneath it into a muddy red-brown mess.

I straightened up and relaxed, letting out a low breath as the magic within my body faded. My reserves were down to about one-fifth of their maximum capacity, a consequence not only of my spells but also of the lingering instability and inefficiencies that plagued me. I'd need to work on rectifying those flaws sooner rather than later.

Despite that, I marveled at how little sustaining those spells had strained my body. My core and channels felt unharmed, and my muscles were no more strained than they might have been from a moderately challenging workout. All in all, it was a remarkable change that sent a shiver down my back.

I walked closer to the drake, setting aside my self-satisfied pride in favor of the task at hand. My mana stretched out, and I pulled the spears from its body one by one with brief exertions of will. They popped out with sickening wet squelching noises that I knew should've turned my stomach. I had no regrets about killing the beast, and most of my squemishness had faded, but I couldn't help but note the sheer lack of a reaction. It unsettled me more than I cared to consider.

But all of those thoughts paled in comparison to a far simpler problem.

"How in the hell am I going to get you back to town?" I muttered, leaning on the spear still in one hand as I rubbed my chin with the other.

The obvious answer was to return to town, inform Flynn Sion of my success, and request that his town guards lend assistance. I was hesitant to risk leaving the body alone for even that short time, but realized after a moment that I was being overly cautious. There was nothing around that could feasibly carry off the corpse. At least, not without making itself known.

"That was quite the impressive performance," a voice commented from behind me.

My heart leaped into my throat, and I had my Traveler's Armor half-prepared before I recognized the voice. I released the magic with only mild reluctance before turning to face the speaker.

"Thank you," I nodded my head to Flynn, "How long have you been here?"

"Oh, the whole time," Flynn grinned. "You jumped two whole stages in a single day. I had to see how much you'd improved."

"How did you..." I trailed off. I hadn't seen or sensed him, so he must have some means of hiding his presence. Illusory magic, maybe? Or could he just be surpassingly talented with shrouding?

Flynn's smile widened as if he could sense my thoughts. He made a show of tilting his head to one side, his eyes sliding past me and onto the drake's corpse.

"Honestly, I was sure you'd fail," he remarked as he strode over to stand next to me. "You had barely improved since the last time we met. I figured it was a safe bet."

"I noticed," I replied, shrugging.

"Be honest, you thought the same thing, right?"

"I always think I could fail," I said, "Doesn't everyone?"

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"Fewer than you'd think. Plenty of mages walk around like they're the Founders' gift to the world or the lost reincarnation of some long-dead Archmagus. Regardless, you proved me wrong and won our wager. Congratulations."

Flynn flicked one hand, and sparks of light followed the movement. I tried, and presumably failed to hide the annoyed scowl that flickered across my face, judging by Flynn's laugh.

"A little celebration felt appropriate, all things considered. I thought you'd be happier, though. I'm plenty happy, and I lost."

"Why?" I asked curiously.

"I like being surprised, and you besting that drake proves I wasn't wrong the first time when I offered to bring you into my family," Flynn said, then leaned in closer, "But I can't help but notice you ignored what I said. Are you? Happy, I mean."

I turned back to the drake, considering the question for a long time. Eventually, I shook my head.

"No." I said, "Innocent people lost their homes and lives because of my inaction. I could've killed this drake more easily had I not been so unfocused since striking out on my own. Every part of my magic could be dramatically refined, and my style has multiple major flaws still present. I'm proud of how far I've come, but there's still so much to do."

"I meant, are you happy you won our bet?" Flynn replied, but something in his eyes seemed to have shifted.

"Ah," I cleared my throat, "I would call myself content. What might make me happy is continuing this conversation back in town, preferably with a roof of some manner overhead."

"Right, right. Please, lead the way."

He gestured vaguely in the direction of the town. I almost followed the unspoken command, but paused after only one step.

"...I would prefer to bring the drake's body back with us, if possible."

"Macabre."

"Practical," I corrected, "This creature has its body reinforced extensively with mana and demonstrated an unusual magical talent. I want to find out why."

Flynn's amused look faded, and once more I saw the real man beneath the mask. He examined me for a moment, then nodded once.

"Understandable," Flynn said as he walked back over to the drake.

The light mage stopped before the corpse, placing one hand on its head. I watched, confused for a moment, before I felt the first shift.

A surge of mana rose up from Flynn's outstretched hand. It seemed to twist and turn around him, almost like a wet rag being wrung dry. Strangely, the drake's body seemed to follow this movement, stretching and curling inward. Then, with a soft popping sound, the corpse seemed to collapse in on itself and vanish entirely.

I blinked, my eyes widening as I stared at the light mage. My eyes wandered down to his hand, and it was there that I saw the tiniest glint of something on his index finger.

"Back to town, then?" Flynn asked, his smile carrying a hint of playful mockery now.

I wanted to push back but decided it could wait and responded, "Lead the way."

---

We reached town without incident. I had expected to fight off dozens of questions, but Flynn remained almost entirely silent. While he had asked about a few things, it was nothing he wouldn't have been able to puzzle out from watching my magic.

Even more strangely, Flynn didn't dismiss me or leave for the privacy of his tent. Instead, he gestured towards the head of his guard force, an older man with flecks of gray in his short, neat hair.

"Get the rest of the guards together, Harald," Flynn ordered when the man came within earshot.

"Yes, my lord," Harald inclined his head before walking away, barking orders to anyone he made his way into the camp proper.

It took only fifteen minutes or so, during which Sion remained quieter than I expected. I was almost tempted to break the silence myself, but that impulse lasted for only a few seconds.

When the guards had gathered into several neat rows, led by Harald, Flynn nodded once. He flicked his ringed hand, and mana flowed from his channels. The golden light twisted and curled, forming a perfectly round platform of raw magic.

Flynn hopped onto the platform, then looked towards me and asked, "Are you going to join me?"

I raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"So that we can do this properly. There's a way to do these things, as I'm sure you well know."

"Ah," I cleared my throat, "Right, of course. "

I didn't know, truth be told. Yes, I had won our bet, which meant I had, in effect, joined his family, but why did that merit special focus? I would be an honored and respected member of his household, closer to an allied peer than a servant, but it still felt unnecessary.

The moment I joined Flynn on that gilded platform, it rose. Within seconds, we hovered about fifteen feet off the ground, well above the heads of the guards.

Flynn stared down at them, and I saw the change come over him. His good humor vanished, his posture straightened, and his warm eyes cooled to the focused gaze of a duke's heir. I had seen a similar transformation in Leon before, but never to such an extent. This was what it meant to command, and it was a talent I knew I'd never possess.

"Hear me, loyal members of the noble Sion family," Flynn said, his voice stiff and his words formal, "And know that I speak with the authority of Duke Sion. I, Flynn Sion, eldest son and heir to my ducal house, do make this pronouncement. From this day forward, Vayne, former apprentice of the Academy of Ferris, banished servant to the Esttons, Aether mage and drake-slayer, is hereby adopted into my house as a full and honored member. He is to be granted the rights, privileges, and responsibilities afforded to such a position."

His words echoed across the camp, sharp and brokering no argument. It must be some familial tradition that demanded such an elaborate ceremony, as I couldn't much see the point otherwise.

I was about to ask Flynn to lower the platform when I saw something. There was a ghost of a smile on his lips, and his eyes flicked to me before he continued to speak.

"Furthermore, as the executor of my father's will and wielding the powers invested in me thusly, I declare before you witnesses that Vayne, now of house Sion, is to be recognized as my adopted brother and successor."

My blood froze at his words. I whirled towards the light mage, but his gaze remained fixed on the crowd beneath us.

The guards didn't so much as hesitate. Harald barked a command that I barely heard through the blood rushing in my ears. As one, then knelt, bowing their heads in deference to us.

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