Supervising young cultivators after a breakthrough was a time-honored part of belonging to a sect. It was also hilarious.

They could all push things around a bit, maybe cause a light breeze, but that was not why people dreamed of learning magic. Laurel stood at the side of their practice field watching her students, each convinced they would naturally master an external technique by instinct and without instruction. This mostly consisted of repetitive grand gestures where they assumed if they thrust their arms hard enough, fire or something else would appear and shoot out. A few had gotten the idea that if they shouted the effect they were after, that might make things easier. Phrases like "water jet" or "fire ball". Leander had even tried to add a small flip to his routing. Like if he made enough movement on his own, the air would follow.

She left them to it, with an admonition to bring three potential technique tablets for her to help them choose from later. Before she could make her way inside, a messenger came skidding up to the field. The drab brown uniform identified the girl as belonging to the corps of runners the city maintained for the thousand minute tasks necessary for the wheels of municipal government to turn.

"Ma'am," the girl panted, "you're needed in the Northwest Market District, Faelern street."

"What for?"

"I don't know. They just said it was an emergency."

"I'm on my way. Stop inside and ask Esther for some water before you go."

With no idea what was going on, Laurel didn't stop to make sure her instructions were followed. She soared over the city and up the hill, consulting her mental map of the patchwork of districts that comprised Verilia. 'Northwest Market District' was at least easier to remember than some of the other names. It took her a few minutes to arrive, and she stopped at the most likely spot, a large crowd congregating at an intersection.

She dropped to the ground and caused a small splash. Water was flowing down the hill and lapping at the edge of her boots, the source hidden behind the onlookers. A deft mana manipulation parted the crowd with gentle gusts of air. Laurel sloshed forward until she could see what was going on, past the – fucking tall – residents of this district.

A crag of deep blue crystal was growing out of one of the buildings. The sign over the door announced the name of a restaurant, a notice in the window proclaiming their new admittance into The Kitchen. Dismayed men and women in stained aprons stood closest to the crystal, keeping the steadily growing crowd of gawkers from rushing in. From one facet of the crystal, a torrent of water poured forth. It fountained out into the street, causing the impromptu stream to form.

"Excuse me," she said. She'd reached the front of the crowd and walked to the distraught restaurant employees. Spying who appeared the most likely to be in control she thrust her hand out, "Laurel Stormblade, sectmaster of the Eternal Archive. I'm here to help."

About half the chefs instinctively flinched back, but the matron in the center took Laurel's hand and gave it a firm shake.

"Anything you can do would be appreciated. The drains are handling it now but we can't open like this. Stop cowering!" The head chef turned to berate her staff and started doling out instructions for controlling the crowd.

Laurel approached the crystal and rapped her knuckle against the side. A clear chime came out, barely audible against the noise of the crowd. She inspected the crystal from every angle she could, ignoring the water soaking her trousers when she knelt down. Satisfied, she stood and pulled a short sword out of storage. Rearing back, she brought the hilt down once, twice, three times at the base of the crystal.

The crowd had begun shouting when she started, and only silenced when a loud crack washed out over them. The whole mob held its collective breath as the crystal broke off the wall and fell to the ground in two large chunks and a scattering of smaller pieces. Shattered, the water dropped to a trickle, then stopped entirely.

A cheer went up from the spectators, but they quickly dispersed when it was clear the excitement was over. Enough that Laurel could finally see the local guards that must have been the ones to send for her. They acknowledged her with respectful nods but kept their distance and focused on herding the throngs of people back on their way.

Laurel tipped the two larger pieces into the air with the toe of her boot, catching both before returning to the employees of the restaurant.

"Do any of you happen to be owners of the building?"

"I am," confirmed the matron from earlier, who had been the only one attempting any sort of intervention.

"Then these belong to you." She handed over the chunks of crystal to the woman, who hesitated before taking them with a strangled 'thank you'.

"Those are natural mana crystals with a water aspect. If you bring them to the Magician's Guild, they'll be able to broker a sale for you. Or set you up with someone who can install them as a water source without flooding the neighborhood."

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"Th-thank you," the chef stammered.

After a brief stop to talk to the guards and collect some more thanks, Laurel left the locals to it. She detoured to the guild to let Sabrina know about the crystal and then returned to the sect house. The afternoon was a pleasant reprieve from all of the tedious engagements that had dominated Laurel's time in recent weeks. Her students, newly aspected and rabid for improvement, had followed her advice and abandoned the dance moves in the training yard for actual research. She walked the four of them, along with Rebecca – who had progressed her bond with Flint enough to focus elsewhere – through options for basic methods they could build into their own styles.

*******

For once Sabrina was visiting them at the sect house. She breezed into Laurel's office, dropping a stack of papers on the low table between two couches and dropped down next to Annette. Laurel noticed she artfully missed the tea service set up on the same table. Annette must have noticed as well, and set to pouring a cup for their guest.

"You've done it again, Laurel." Sabrina looked exasperated but not upset. Laurel chose to view that as a good sign.

"What exactly is it that I've done?"

"I'm not entirely sure. According to the top story there, you averted disaster in an uptown market district. In the second one, things are more vague but they are insinuating you plotted with the palace to cause the crystal to appear, to harvest later, as it is apparently quite valuable."

"At least it's our own government we're conspiring with this time, and not Laskar."

Annette ignored the discussion and pulled the papers towards herself, flipping through the articles. "That's true, and it looks like it's only the fringe papers reporting anything of the sort. The Express at least is upholding the truce. Their article is more about the restaurant and its new guild affiliation. But there are a few with less than friendly tones. Even the complimentary ones aren't reminding people to bind to the Core."

Laurel slumped back and let her consciousness travel along her link to the Core. Much about it had evolved after the advancement to a Town. With stabilized mana flows, Laurel had an increasing amount of control over what information she could see, or features she could access.

She directed her mind toward the facet of the metaphysical crystal dedicated to its own growth. Inside she could sense a lakebed. Vast potential, but almost empty. Liquid pooled in the bottom, filling maybe a third of the reservoir. As she watched, a drop fell into the pool, sending ripples out for a brief moment before settling back into placid anticipation. Laurel had seen enough, it was the same as it was the day before when she checked, and the day before that. Not the flood she was hoping for. They had simply run out of people willing to join to support them. And convincing others to submit to magic bindings for vague future benefits was harder than she expected. Even with the palace certifying the safety and encouraging the citizens to join. These people had gone too long without needing sects or magic, and trying to get them to do a favor for her and for the city was not working.

She blinked back into the conversation. Sabrina was going on about some other news about Merchant Guild politics, with Annette focusing like there was going to be a test later.

"Are we overthinking this? What do Verilians like? Besides tea and very specific stationary?" she interrupted.

If either of the other women were surprised at the sudden change of topic they didn't let it fluster them at all. They also didn't answer, and watched Laurel until she was compelled to elaborate.

"Maybe we've been too subtle about getting people to bind themselves to the city. As things stand, we're a long way from getting enough people for the next step. A long, long way. That would work if there isn't some madman out there trying to control all the magic in the world. Maybe we can just do this in a way the mortals understand and trade them something."

Sabrina tapped her finger against the rim of her teacup. "You might be onto something. But you can't just pay people. There are a half dozen laws and regulations to prevent it, and no one would trust it anyway.

"I think what you need is a spectacle. Support swelled right after the leviathan attack. And everyone, Verilians included, likes some excitement in their lives."

"It always comes back to monster attacks. That was my first plan when I got to the city, but we started healing people instead," Laurel told her. "We could probably find something and drive it here."

"Or, we could do something less terrifying and likely to come with collateral damage?" Annette said.

"If we must." Laurel waved her hand. "What do you think then?"

"Maybe play up the mystical connection? Some sort of ancient cultivator festival?" Annette said.

Sabrina was nodding fervently in agreement. "That would work. But do you have the money to fund something like that?"

Annette's slumped posture was enough of an answer. The sect was doing well, and the initiates were each producing knick-knacks to sell each week. But it barely covered their operating costs. Laurel still had some gold bars and antiques in storage, but burning their safety net on a gamble was a big risk.

"The palace…?" Sabrina posited into the sudden silence. "They will occasionally spend money on celebrations for the city.

"Our relationship with the palace hasn't been the most cordial in recent months," Annette said in a spectacular understatement.

"They know we're working towards it.The King understands why Core growth is important. He just refused to order people into it," Laurel added. "Probably the only reason we've gone as far as we have is their announcement about binding to the Core being safe."

"But it's been months without much change. You said one of the benefits was magical upgrades to important buildings. Are any of those military in nature?"

"Yes." Laurel didn't have to look. The potential upgrades when they finally reached a City status were technically limited, but from where they were now, that was like saying the sky or the ocean had boundaries. True, but so far off as to be unimportant. Laurel had spent hours pouring over the options. Most had been new to her. The Core for her old sect had only just become a City, and artisan workshops were the priority when there wasn't a standing army or huge population to take advantage of some of the others.

"There are barracks that can keep soldiers more energized on less rest. Some command centers that can map out logistic routes, training halls that can speed up how fast someone learns to fight. And a half dozen others."

"With everything going on in Laskar, do you think they might be persuaded to reconsider?"

Laurel pursed her lips but didn't say anything. The palace was lucky her sect was here. Should she go grovel for scraps from the people she was protecting?

"Ahem." Sabrina cleared her throat and continued. "I know it's not fair, but it might achieve our goals, yes?"

Laurel thought back to Borin and what stubborn pride had already cost her. She thought of her friends and students, committed to a goal they didn't fully understand, but trusting her to get them there. She thought of the still-faceless enemies trying to stop them and take control of the whole world for themselves. Yes, she was going to have to grovel. Pride was easily sacrificed on the altar of necessity.

"Fine, come up with some fake festivals and I'll bring it up at the next council meeting. Nicely," she added when Annette opened her mouth to say something.

"Now I think that's enough of the boring stuff," Laurel said. "I'm teaching a class on physical-element cultivation basics. Feel free to join in, Sabrina."

Laurel stood and fled her own office. Some practice with the kids was just what she needed to get in the right mindset for begging the mortals for help.

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