Kathryn and I spent several hours wandering through the gardens, talking the entire time. Our conversation never returned to magic, at least not in any specifics, but I learned more about plants than I had since leaving the Academy. What's more, I found myself enjoying her company now that we had gotten past our initial tension.

While I doubted we would've ever interacted if not for Flynn's prodding, it still felt like a good use of my time. It was relaxing, friendly, and devoid of the irritating social games and posturing that most nobles often played. More importantly, Kathryn seemed to lack any ulterior motives. Well, beyond the obvious interest in staying on Flynn's good side.

By the end of my tour, I had a much greater idea of the mana flow throughout the Graythorn gardens. I still didn't have a firm grasp on how they were directing the energy, but I was now certain that they were somehow. So long as I knew it was possible, I could figure out the mechanics given time and effort.

Eventually, Kathryn ran out of things to show me. We made our way back to the mansion, discussing idle interests as we walked. She led me through the halls of her home and into a smaller sitting room. Flynn waited for us there, but he wasn't alone.

Another man stood beside my adopted brother. He was older than the rest of the Graythorns, likely in his mid-twenties, and looked almost identical to Kathryn save for his more imposing status and his far more impressive mana.

Wood mana flowed around him in a dense, tightly controlled aura. It pulled on the ambient energy around us, a telltale sign of a liquid density mage, and I could tell based on the relative lack of waste that he hadn't neglected his fundamentals. I suspected I might have a chance against him, but not much of one.

Flynn noticed our entrance, muttering something to his companion, and the two of them walked over to join us.

"Welcome back!" Flynn exclaimed, stopping a few steps away. "How was the tour?"

"Enlightening," I replied, turning to Kathryn and inclining my head. "Thank you. I hope we can speak again."

"You're welcome," Kathryn matched my smile. "And I hope we do."

I turned my attention to the older Graythorn, who watched that brief interaction with a strange expression. I had expected haughty arrogance, a condescending smile, or even a wrathful glare. Instead, he seemed almost amused by the whole thing.

"So, you must be the newest Sion," he said in a booming voice. The man extended a hand towards me. "Allistair Graythorn. Pleasure."

"Vayne Sion," I replied, the name still unfamiliar on my tongue. "Likewise."

"I hear you put Tobias in his place."

"I…" I trailed off. Was this a test?

The older Graythorn waved a hand and laughed. "Not to worry. I love my baby cousins, but they can be a bit...overzealous, let's say. A little humility won't hurt, and bruised egos can heal just fine. Now, if you had come to blows, that might've been a different story."

Tobias was an ass whose ego far outstripped his talent, but I chose not to mention that.

Instead, I nodded once and replied, "I understand, and appreciate your understanding," before adding, "And your restraint."

Allistair waved a hand dismissively, then turned towards Kathryn, saying, "Why don't you show our guests to their rooms? Dinner will be served in several hours, but I'm sure they'd like to get some rest first. How long are you intending to stay?"

Flynn sighed. "Unfortunately, just the night. My father contacted me several days ago, saying in no uncertain terms that we were to keep our visit brief."

"Then we'll need to ensure you eat the best our family can offer!" Allistair replied, clapping Flynn on the shoulder with a smile.

The conversation carried on for several minutes longer, but whatever force that granted people such as Flynn or Leon seemingly endless patience and social energy had long ago worn out for me. I was ready to sit alone and think on what I had seen in the gardens while such memories remained fresh.

Finally, the conversation died down. Kathryn led the two of us up to the second floor, moving down the eastern wing to the guest quarters. We were each given a suite, consisting of a bedroom with an adjoining sitting area, a bath, and even a small balcony overlooking the fields outside.

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The instant Kathryn left, presumably to get ready for dinner, I entered my room. Flynn followed a second later, walking into the suite as if he owned the place. I didn't either, of course, but it was the principle of the thing.

"So," Flynn said, turning to me with hands on his hips and a smile on his face. "How did it go? Did you manage to charm the young lady of House Graythorn?"

"We had a nice conversation," I replied, folding my arms over my chest. "Was that your intention? To play matchmaker?"

"Would you be irritated if it were?" Flynn asked, tilting his head to one side.

"Is it?" I responded, still staring at him.

Flynn returned my look for a few seconds before sighing and shaking his head. "No, Vayne, that wasn't my intention. I won't pretend I don't find it a little funny. You should've seen your face. But truthfully, I felt it was a good chance for you to make friends and learn to be a real noble in one fell swoop."

"I know how to handle nobles," I replied, a hint of defensiveness in my voice.

"No," Flynn shook his head. "You know how to handle them as an advisor. Your training always assumed you would be their social inferior, always deferential and defensive."

"I'd argue I've done less of that in recent times. I was more than upfront with you."

"You can be, and that's half why I liked you when we first met years ago," Flynn granted. "But you always have an air of insecurity, as if you're trapped between trying to prove something and trying not to offend someone. The only time that fades is when you're particularly annoyed, driven into a corner, or sense you have something to gain."

Flynn's smile had faded, taking on the more serious cast I had come to associate with the 'real' man. "You're the adopted son of a duke, and you're a talented mage, particularly for your age. It's time you learned to act like it."

A part of me wanted to make a retort, to grow defensive or frustrated. Instead, I took a few deep breaths, drawing mana into my body as I considered Flynn's words.

Was he right? I couldn't deny that some part of me was envious and bitter towards the nobility for their often lackadaisical attitudes towards magic. They could do almost anything if they put their minds to it, yet they allowed their gifts to wither and die.

Yet at the same time, another part of me...feared them? No, not feared. That wasn't the right word, but Girem's training had instilled a sort of unconscious deference towards nobility. I still believed myself their inferior, and that in concert with my envy would lead me to ruin.

"What did I do wrong today?" I asked.

Flynn shrugged. "Honestly, you weren't awful. You pushed back on Tobias, which was great. But you accepted too many insults from him and, more importantly, those servants with far too much grace."

"Should I rise to cheap provocations?"

"Of course not, but you shouldn't take insults lying down either. It makes you look weak."

I wasn't sure I fully agreed. Flynn's words made sense, but at the same time, how much did appearance really matter? No one would accuse Elden of being weak, regardless of what insults he might let stand.

Flynn stared, seeming to realize I wasn't fully convinced. Rather than argue, he let out a low sigh before smiling and leaning in closer.

"So," he said with a gleam in his eyes. "You're hoping to see Kathryn again?"

"I'm starting to think I should've refused your offer."

"Oh, don't say that. Brothers are supposed to do this...or so I've been led to believe. Never had one, so I'm making it up as I go."

"I can tell. Now, if it's all the same to do, I'd like some privacy. I have a few things to work on before dinner."

"Oh, like what?"

"Nothing you need to concern yourself with," I said, meeting his eyes and squaring my shoulders.

"So you can stand up for yourself!" Flynn laughed.

I leveled a flat stare at him, and Flynn raised both hands in mock surrender before making his escape. The moment the door clicked shut, I let out a low breath that was half sigh and half yawn. My strengthened body could go longer without sleep, but my stamina was far from limitless.

After a brief debate, I decided rest could wait. Instead, I threw myself back into more important work.

Hours vanished as I wrote down everything I could remember about the gardens into my notebooks. I recorded my observations, sketched out the arrangement of plants, flowers, trellises, hills, and irrigation systems, and even noted the angle of the sun. Some of the details had faded, but what I could still recall was enough to fill entire pages.

Native mana flow and density were foundational principles of magic. A prudent mage would work with these natural tendencies and concentrations to aid in spellcasting, with the Academy itself being the foremost such example. As far as I knew, it was home to the densest and most consistent inflow of mana in the world.

But what if I could create such a locus artificially? The applications were near-limitless, and possibilities blossomed in my mind, though few would ever see use in combat. All of my ideas would take weeks, if not months, of careful preparation, which wasn't feasible in a battle.

One idea that was feasible was refining the array I'd used to strengthen my body. I had already started work on the next iteration and flipped to those sketches, looking over them with a critical eye.

I still had enough Ocean density mana within my core to repeat the process several more times, but that wasn't sustainable in the long term. So, I had come up with another idea to store Aether somehow, then draw upon that to rebuild and refine my body at semi-regular intervals.

The problem was that I had no idea how long such an endeavor might take. I couldn't get a firm grasp on the gap between my mana and Ocean dense Aether, but I suspected it would take months to gather enough energy for even one of those body refinement rituals.

If I could instead extend this artificial flow across a sufficiently large radius and combine it with my array, I could reduce the preparation time. Instead of wasting months painstakingly gathering mana, I could craft a magic circle and allow it to prepare itself while I advanced my training in other ways.

By the time dinner arrived, I had brainstormed several lines of inquiry for future research. I would need to spend weeks studying natural mana flow, and at least a few months testing out various array designs, but the notion filled me with excitement more than anything else.

Dinner was remarkably unremarkable. A servant led us down to a dining room with a long, ornate table, plush chairs, and white porcelain tableware, all decorated with Graythorn vines and plant motifs. Kathryn and Allistair joined us, as did the other, less friendly members of their family, but none of their older and more powerful relatives attended.

The conversation was boring, overall. Flynn took the lead, bringing up topics of music, dining, and visits to places across Ferris. They table danced around any discussion on magic, as if avoiding it on purpose in favor of more boring diatribes about the latest plays they'd seen, books they'd read, paintings they'd created, and so on.

I did my best to contribute, but my mind kept wandering back to my magic and how to continue refining it. Although this visit was illuminating in a way, I was eager to return to my training and studies. Time was invaluable, and I never had enough of it.

Dinner finally ended and, blessedly, I was able to make my escape. It turned out that excuses about "long trips" and "early departures" worked wonders. Not many people would keep a tired traveler from their bed.

I returned to my room and, once more, debated on actually getting some rest. Then, with a sigh, I pulled out my notes and got back to my last project. One hour of work, maybe two, and then I would sleep.

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