Amy let out a sigh of relief as Healing flowed out of her and into the birds in front of her. Slowly but surely, the Treat Wounds worked its wonders, their pained and panicked faces seeming just that bit more at peace. Anger still smouldered within her, but it had been put on the back-burner to prioritise what really mattered at the moment. Those officers said Janice will be released so I only have to care for them for a little while. I'll just have to do a bit of research about their diets, if anything's changed or whatever. Beatrice on the other hand...

"Felin," Amy said, still staring at the recovering hawks. "What did you mean earlier, when you talked about the Tier of that Fire Magick?"

The feline Familiar was still summoned, laying on top of her bed in the inn his eyes glazed over in thought. At his contractor's question he perked up, answering, "I meant what I said. The lingering imprint on the Ocean was at a level expected from high level Journeyman Spellwork. Possibly even greater."

"How much greater?"

"...Archmage, my dear Apprentice."

"...I see," She muttered.

"I doubt it's any higher than that. And even the possibility of it being Archmage is low, with the level of corruption I witnessed. It's only a possibility."

"...I've calmed down a bit, now that I'm away from it all."

"Does that mean you won't pursue whoever caused this?" Felin said hopefully.

"Perhaps. If they truly are that powerful, then it is as you say," Amy acquiesced. "I cannot hope to hold a candle to an Archmage."

"Good-"

"A Journeyman, however? I might be able to contest that."

"Oh Amy," Felin groaned. "A Journeyman is still a Journeyman, Amy. They aren't someone you can so easily discount!"

"I understand that, Felin. And who said I would discount them?" Amy glanced at Felin from the side. "No. I will prepare accordingly, no holds barred."

"You must understand Amy there is a large difference between what you've dealt with before and a Journeyman, especially one at the apex of their Tier. This could be a Master, Amy, and if it is one, then you have no hope."

"...You never did explain what made someone a Master Mage, did you? Only that a Journeyman Mage can become one before Archmage."

"I did not," He sighed. "You were early in your path back then. There would've been no point in explaining it."

"What about now?"

"...I could, I suppose," He grumbled. "You see, Journeyman might be one of the most unique Tiers of Magehood compared to the rest of them. This is because of their maxim. It is simple, yet much depth can be drawn from it. This varies from person to person due to them having their own personal interpretations. This maxim is a 'Life to Live'."

"That's certainly vague," Amy laughed, still healing the birds.

"It is indeed, which is what makes it unique. There are many ways that maxim can be interpreted, and they are all correct in their own right, their own path. I don't need to bore you with the rest of Journeyman advancement, but to put it simply, a Master Mage is someone who has mastered themselves, and completed the maxim to the fullest extent. They have found the very soul of their being and crystallised it into something... other. Of course, it is not a true crystallisation, for they are not Archmages. But it is close to one."

"Is that why the next Tier is called Archmage? Because they are the pinnacles of their own selves?"

"...Correct, to the degree that you currently understand. It's a bit more involved than that, but you guessed the broad strokes of it," Felin said, slightly surprised. "You put that together quickly."

"I've always wondered why a Tier called Archmage is not the highest Tier you can reach. It's in the name, isn't it? So you'd expect an Archmage to be, well, the most you can be," Amy said. "After that, there being a next Tier called Monarch always seemed strange."

"Indeed. Moving on," Felin said, leaving the conversation mysteriously behind to Amy's annoyance. "A Master Mage then has access to an ability unique to Archmages earlier than expected, which sets them apart from almost all other Journeyman Mages and even some Archmages. A Mage who becomes a Master is someone who's destined for greatness; or that is at least what is expected of them after their ascension to the next Tier. If this is a Master Mage, then I forbid you from pursuing this, perhaps more so than if this was an ordinary Archmage."

"A Master would have a backing. Is that what you're trying to say?"

"Yes. Random unaffiliated Archmages do indeed exist, but that cannot be said for the majority of Masters. Exceptions always exist, but in this case? Unlikely."

"Going after this supposed Master would be too risky then, right?"

"Too risky to even think about."

Amy sat in silence for a while after that, simply concentrating on healing the hawks, and growing happier as she watched them get better. Soon, their treatment would almost be complete. They'd need to be fed afterwards too as magical healing is always strenuous on the body. For now, she'd just have to feed them what she had been when they were young fledglings. Felin would have to go hunting for more mice, it seemed. Retreating back to her thoughts before, Amy came to a decision.

"...I want to investigate them."

"What?" Felin perked up from where he had been resting, thinking their conversation about her foolish endeavours was finished.

"If this Mage is indeed a Master or an Archmage then I do what is sensible and give up. However... if they are a Journeyman, then... I don't know what I'll do. But I want to do something, anything, for what they did. They killed Brook, they hurt the birds, they... They just need to pay."

"You do realise that just investigating them could be just as dangerous, right?" Felin said, his mouth hanging open.

"Obviously," She shook her head. "I... First, before anything else, I need to pay Beatrice back."

"For what? If anything, she needs to pay you for what you did, not the other way around."

"I know, but I still feel somewhat responsible for what happened. She gave me the opportunity to get that robe, and... I imagine if I never did take part, if I never did steal that robe, they never would've gotten in trouble with Mages."

"That may be true Amy but they knew the risks better than you. They knew there was always a chance of it going wrong like this."

"An Archmage though, Felin? Could they imagine an Archmage coming down on them?" Amy finally burst, putting the birds down as she rose up from her seat. "Why would someone of that calibre even need to do all of that anyway? If they just needed to be arrested, why would they need all of that? Why would they need to kill Brook in that horrifying way if they wanted them in a cell?"

"...It is a bit odd."

"A bit odd? It's downright bizarre!" Amy yelled. "You've been away for a long time Felin and were at the top of the chain when you were here so maybe you have a different idea of how things work than I. Nowadays though you just don't see an Archmage casually dealing with something as small as this. Even a Journeyman wouldn't interfere if this one is as powerful as you say. I've never even come close to an Archmage in my life before that dead monster back in Triesen, let alone a human one. And now I might be in trouble with one?"

"It is a large scale robbery however, with magical implications," Felin suggested.

"Regardless, they'd be able to tell this was just an Apprentice Mage and dispatch a Journeyman enforcement squad to deal with them, not, I don't know, an Archmage. What could possibly cause that? This damned robe?"

"It's not entirely preposterous to think it related to the robe," Felin frowned. "But there is nothing special to it that the association doesn't already know. You heard them describe it in the museum; it had expended its research purposes and was gifted to them for exhibition."

"Then is it the way I did it? Is Unknowable really that serious?"

"...It could be," Felin said, contemplative. "They didn't know about Unknowable when talking about the robe. Perhaps, even the researchers who looked into the robe didn't know either. So if they find something akin to the robe in a robbery to do with it... It could set off some alarms. Maybe someone who researched it was this supposed Archmage and took special interest in hearing about how it was stolen."

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"What... what if it's deeper than that?" Amy said. "What if it's to do with... that?"

"...I know what you're thinking, and I doubt it's to do with the disappearance of the Wizards. What you're suggesting would mean some grand conspiracy from the entire Empire to make the Mage populace forget about Unknowable and hunt down any users of it. It is possible, but not to the extent of what I've witnessed. Even the Ascendants are gone and that means it runs deeper than any mere mortal scheme."

"I guess..." Amy trailed off, looking back to the birds. "...Do you mind taking care of them? When I go?"

"...Are you leaving already?"

"Just to visit Beatrice. Maybe free her, if I can."

"A police station is going to be higher security than a museum, Amy. You need to be careful."

"I know. I'll scope it out first, but... I think what I have now is enough. After my advancement from the heist, I might even be able to push for Tier 5. Elevating Witch's Cloak to that Tier would help a lot."

"What're you thinking of changing?"

"I'm not sure if I even want to change it. I might just try widening the scope of its effects and increase its overall power. That should be enough for the next Tier."

"Good luck then, my dear Apprentice," Felin said unhappily. "Be careful."

"I will," Amy smiled, shadows deepening around her as Unknowable began to coalesce in her mana pool. As an abyssal mantle descended onto her shoulders, surrounding her in darkness, Amy spoke, "Make sure to keep them fed."

Then, she disappeared.

* * *

Beatrice rested against the stone brick of her cell, looking out through a small window at the very top of the side wall. When she had been tossed here, she had hoped it was one of those cells in the newspaper cartoons, with bars you could see through and break free easily from. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case in reality. There were no gaps here but the grated window, too small for anything to fit through, and the gaps in the doorframe. She had been stuck in a daze ever since she had been captured, not knowing when night had fallen and the moon had started to light up her cell. During that time, several dark thoughts had crossed her mind. Had she been betrayed? Had Amy sold them out? Was she a stinger the Mages had put out to catch someone like her out? Someone who'd dare reach above her station and challenge the magocracy?

The only things that distracted her from her musings were the occasional noises from outside the cell that leaked in, either that of animals outside scurrying the streets, or the moans of others in the same position as her. Sometimes she heard guards patrol the cells, checking in through the small grates on the doors and then moving on when there was nothing amiss. They had done that twice so far, but with no way to track the time, it was hard to time the exact rotation. She estimated every half hour or so even if it wasn't accurate to any degree she would usually accept. Even when she tried to distract herself with minor details like that, her mind kept wandering back to what happened in the shop. What happened to... Brook.

As the memories resurfaced once more, she couldn't help but let out a racking sob at what she heard, at what she saw. There hadn't even been a body when she was brought downstairs, just that horrific shadow. Beatrice could've sworn she saw something in that shadow, a face in the dark, the one he had made in his last moments. Recalling that only made her crying worse.

A sudden noise broke her out of her depression, a noise from just outside the cell door. She hadn't noticed anything before that, though, so what could it be? She couldn't have been that out of it, could she?

Standing up tentatively, she turned to face the door, wiping the tears from her eyes, still feeling the stains from where they had run down her cheeks; there was no cleaning those up. Then, a rattling rang out from the lock, as if someone was trying to turn the key. But, as Beatrice peaked over, there was no one behind the grate. She took an instinctive step back as the rattling intensified as if someone was banging against the door, desperate to get in. She pushed herself flat against the back of the cell, putting as much distance between her and the door, but the noise never stopped. It only grew and grew. Until, with a small click, it all stopped.

Beatrice didn't even dare to breathe, still stuck staring at the empty grate immersed in silence. She stood there for what felt like an age when she finally let out a sigh, thinking it just a delusion she made up in her isolation. It could've even been the pipes for all she knew, making a racket. At least that was what she hoped when the door creaked open.

Behind that door was a ghost made corporeal, a grim shadow, radiant darkness sliding off them like sludge, burning the image into her eyes. With horror, she realised who this figure was. Like a vengeful revenant, the Witch had made her appearance.

"A-Amy?" She sputtered, still against the wall.

"...Beatrice," The Witch muttered, the Cloak around her receding slightly, letting her see her face. Not Amy's face, but that of the Witch.

"D-d-did you...?"

"I'm sorry, Beatrice," She smiled sadly. "I did not mean for things to happen this way."

"Wha-"

"I didn't sell you out, nor am I coming here to kill you, or any of the other things I have no doubt you're thinking of. I... just want to help you. And, in return, I might hope for some answers."

Gulping heavily, Beatrice - after some time spent collecting herself - said, "A-alright."

The Witch glided into the cell, the Cloak barely moving with her walking, almost as if she was floating and the Cloak dragged across the floor with her. At that detail she hadn't even noticed before this, Beatrice took another step back.

"What... Can you tell me of what happened in the shop?" The Witch asked, her face disturbingly neutral.

"We- we were waiting for you, to hand over your money," She began, "When someone, I don't know who, barged in. They took Janice first- Wait, do you know where she is? Is she safe? Is she-"

"I've already checked on her. Do not worry. From what I've heard she'll come out of this relatively unscathed. Rather, it's yourself that you should worry more about."

"That's... something, at least," Beatrice sighed in relief. "W-when they took Janice, we heard it from upstairs. Brook went down but... he- he-"

"I know," the Witch put a hand on her shoulder, her face the same as always. "I'm sorry."

"I- I- don't remember much, after that," She managed after a few heaving sobs. Trying to calm down, Beatrice began to focus on the details, analysing what happened more clinically to distract herself. "There was man, heading it all, along with what seemed like a servant. He- he was obviously a noble, and the man who did it. I think... the servant called him an... an Archmage."

"I see," the Witch frowned, what seemed like disappointment of all things in her eyes. "What did he look like?"

"He looked young, too young to be an Archmage. Almost looks like your age," Beatrice grimaced. "He wasn't too tall, maybe a little taller than you at best and was a bit on the stockier side too. He had a little scruff of chin hair, and his hair was curly and black. But, other than that... I can't really say much."

"That's plenty Beatrice, thank you," Amy smiled, squeezing her shoulder.

"...How- how did you even get in-"

"You have two choices in front of you, Beatrice," the Witch returned, her expression solemn. "I can leave you here, and let you go on your way. You can leave through this open door, or let the justice system take you away. Either way, it's completely up to you."

"...Or?"

"Or I can help you one last time. I will cast this Spell I am currently using on you. It won't be as good as what I'm currently wearing, as I won't be able to sustain it for too long otherwise. However, it should be enough to allow you to sneak out of here with some time to spare. With it, you can possibly get out of Harth for good. Get a train out of the city and don't look back."

"...Is there even a choice?"

"Of course there is."

"I mean- when you put it like that, of course I'd choose option two," She laughed.

"Are you sure?" The Witch asked, uncertain. "You won't be able to linger. You wouldn't be able to check on your holdings or gather your things-"

"I wouldn't do that anyway. The police have no doubt already found my hideouts and are staking them out, waiting for people to approach and catch them. I'll just head to an emergency stash I have for something like this. It'll be quick, and no one knows of it. With that, I'll be able to get out of the city."

"...I see," the Witch murmured, almost looking embarrassed, but Beatrice was surely mistaken about that. "Where would you go?"

"Maybe deeper into the Empire, or to the closest coastal city so I can escape the Empire quickly. Sail to another country or continent and live out a new life, away from all of this. Either way, Evyria is probably the next stop."

"Are you sure? You'd be leaving all of... well, everything behind."

"I always knew, someday, I'd have to," Beatrice said, her gaze growing distant. "I mean, with this latest job, I was planning on it anyway. This has all just pushed things forward in the schedule. I won't be able to say all the goodbye's I would like to, but they'd understand. The only one I'd really miss is Janice."

"I'll make sure to say goodbye in your place then, when she's let out."

"Thank you," Beatrice brought the Witch in for a hug, Amy stiffening up in her embrace.

"Beatrice?"

"Thank you, really. I mean it. You made my dream come true and even going out your way to get me out of here, even if it lands you in trouble."

"It's nothing, honestly," Amy said, squirming to get out. "You need to escape sometime soon. I 'suggested' to the patrol officer to delay it a little but he'll be getting up soon to patrol, and I don't want you lingering and getting caught."

"...Alright then," Beatrice said, letting Amy escape from her grasp. "Stay safe though, alright?"

"I will," the Witch smiled, but it didn't quite reach her eyes.

"If you ever travel to Evyria, look for me. If I'm still there I'll be staying at an inn on Garven Street. It's the only one there, so you can't miss it."

"I shall," the Witch nodded, as the gloom around her started to strengthen. Before Beatrice knew it, she was shrouded in that same impenetrable Cloak, the dark clinging to her strangely as she felt it with her hands.

"It feels... real."

"It's meant to. Now, be quick," Amy patted her on the back pushing Beatrice forward.

"Alright," Beatrice grinned, turning back to the Witch before she took off. "Goodbye, Amy. I won't forget this."

"Goodbye, Beatrice. Safe travels."

And with that, she left.

Left in the moonlight of that cell, the Witch stood alone. Her thoughts sank deeper and deeper, her mind keeping her trapped in her own ruminations and deliberations. Just like she had said to Beatrice, she would need to leave soon too. The Barriers she had casted on the sensors in the rooms she had passed would only last so long, and the Command wouldn't last too long with how much the officer resisted it despite not being a Mage; he likely had a strong wish to patrol, and without casting it at a higher Tier, it could only affect him so much.

"Archmage, huh?" The Witch spoke aloud, her fingers twitching as if weaving Spellwork. "We'll see about that."

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