It wasn’t long before Riala got bored of our planning and took her leave to spend some time with her sister, while I sent Berla on her way to break the news to Reurig that he wouldn’t get to rest just yet. The pair slipped away in secrecy shortly after, on another journey back into the city of Alarna.

Meanwhile, Hayla and I huddled together, discussing the deal we had made with the moderators, the information she had been able to glean from Lait, and what happened in camp in our absence.

The moderators posed an unexpected twist to our plans, their willingness to join us a welcome surprise. It meant that we now essentially had a pack of nine additional guild members under our command, which in turn meant additional work managing them.

Going forward, Asena would keep us apprised of any anomalies she detected and act upon our orders to terminate them. I learned that the ability to feel such disturbances apparently came natural to moderators as they grew older, at which point they usually took on leading roles. We were fortunate to have gotten our hands on such an ally.

Our conversation then shifted towards Alarna, though much of the new developments weren’t surprising to us. The Rulers were desperately trying to placate the citizens, the uncertainty over their future fueling fear and contention. The scarcity of even basic goods only added to the already tense atmosphere, hence why they chose to finally make the trip to Cerus. We had been in their shoes only days ago, and things were largely proceeding as predicted. Though I didn’t envy the Rulers for having to deal with a populace that was more split than ever.

After a long day, and an evening filled with unexpected discussions, we were finally nearing the end. I shifted in my seat, trying to get more comfortable, but my exhaustion was taking over, and I couldn’t help letting out a loud yawn. It must’ve been well past midnight, and if I wanted to appear like a competent magic user in the morning, I would need to get some rest soon.

However, Hayla had other plans, and she launched into a detailed account of everything that had happened that day. From resources added to storage to finished furniture, she didn’t leave out a single detail. Despite my exhaustion, I listened patiently, knowing that every piece of information could prove valuable in the days to come.

Eventually, she reached the last item on her list, informing me of the people left behind at camp. “I told Fae and Oryn to stay hidden at first,” she began, “but after Lait decided they’d stay the night, I could hardly keep them out of sight the whole time. I made it clear that they weren’t to reveal any guild secrets, but I can’t say I trust them not to gossip. They’re too infatuated with everything you’re doing, and Oryn was with two of the guards when you returned.”

As I listened, I couldn’t help but feel a twinge of concern. I had already talked to Oryn about the importance of discretion, but I hadn’t taken the time to discuss it with Fae yet.

“I guess we should check in with them,” I mused aloud.

Hayla nodded her agreement. “Alright. I expected as much and told them to stay available. I’ll call them here in a moment. Once we’re through with them, you’ll have a few hours to relax.”

“About time,” I said playfully.

“You do deserve a treat for working so hard,” she said, her voice low and suggestive.

I raised an eyebrow, my facial expression unamused. “Hayla...” I warned.

A mischievous smile danced across her lips as she continued. “All I thought was I should tell you about something we found in the butcher area during cleanup, dear.”

“The butcher area?” I asked.

“That’s right. I’ll tell you about it once we’re done.”

My curiosity was immediately piqued, wondering what kind of surprise they could have stumbled upon amidst materials and intestines that might constitute a treat to me.

“Alright, let’s get them in here,” I continued, eliciting a strangely victorious grin from Hayla.

Standing up from the desk, she went to call for Fae and Oryn, while my mind was brimming with theories for what they might’ve found. Just a couple more minutes, I told myself.

Fae and Oryn soon entered the office, standing before Hayla and me with varying expressions. Oryn looked at me with a proud gleam in his eye, while Fae appeared anxious, worried she had done something wrong.

Unable to bear the feeling, she was the first to speak when prompted. “Uhm... I tried to hold back, I really did...” she began, her voice faltering as she shrunk in on herself with an awkward smile. “But one of their guards, Taeme, was really nice, and as we got to talking, I might have told her more than I should’ve. About your new building techniques... The mana tools... And a few of our construction plans going forward.”

“Hm... That’s it?” I asked, surprised.

Fae eyed me with uncertainty. “Yeah?” she said, a hint of hope in her voice.

“Hm. That’s not bad actually,” I said, nodding slowly in contemplation. “The construction techniques don’t need to be a secret, and if they share this with others, it will paint our life out here in a better light. You probably helped us.”

Relief flooded Fae’s face as she straightened up, her smile wide. “Phew!” she exclaimed. “And here I was worried I had seriously messed up.”

“Next time, though,” I said, trying to correct her behavior for the future, “it would be appreciated if you talked to Hayla first. But all’s well that ends well.”

“Gotcha!” Fae said happily, her anxiety melting away.

My gaze shifted to Oryn. The realist that I was, I didn’t have high hopes for him. The arrogant smirk on his face told me that he believed he had done well. I prepared myself for the worst.

“You spoke to them too, I presume?” I asked.

“Indeed I did,” he confirmed. “They didn’t approach me as they did Fae, so I had to take the initiative. I overheard them talking about scripts and seized the opportunity to introduce them to magic. I also let them write a water script to demonstrate how easy it could be. Needless to say, they were immediately hooked. I doubt they’ll be able to keep any of this to themselves.”

Oryn’s eyes brimmed with pride as Hayla and Fae exchanged puzzled glances. “You taught them how to script?” Fae asked, perplexed. “Why would you do that?”

My anxious expression softened into an approving smile. “Because I told him to,” I revealed, prompting another baffled reaction from Fae. Turning to Oryn, I asked, “You followed my directions to a tee?”

“Without a doubt,” he assured me. “And from the sounds of their conversation, this ‘Taeme’ character is quite the gossip. I’d wager she’ll find it difficult not to spread her experience far and wide.”

I nodded approvingly, pleased to hear that he had done well. “Excellent. Whispers of ‘magic’ will likely spread throughout Alarna in no time then,” I concluded, glancing over at Fae and Hayla, who were still clueless. “We’ve been in need of a comprehensive term for these abilities,” I clarified. “If anyone asks, you can share this much: magic is a mythical energy that can be controlled by those who have undergone the proper training. Good job, Oryn.”

“Thank you, Master Miles,” Oryn responded with a respectful bow of his head.

My thoughts of praising him vanished abruptly, my eyes growing cold as suspicion crossed my mind. “You called me that in front of them, didn’t you?” I asked dryly.

“I did,” he said unapologetically. “It didn’t feel appropriate to mention your name without a fitting title, and as per your instructions, I said what seemed appropriate. As the foremost researcher of magic, and the leader of the Guild, I thought it very fitting.”

A sigh escaped my lips as I hung my head. I knew he had done something. I just knew, and my intuition had not failed me. “Oh well...” I muttered in frustration. “You still receive a passing grade. Did anything else of note happen?” I asked the two.

Fae’s voice suddenly rang out, filled with teasing excitement. “Not much... Except for the red stone! Did Hayla tell you?” she exclaimed eagerly.

“A... red stone?” I repeated incredulously, my voice rising in disbelief. The gears in my mind spun wildly. “Wait, you mean a stone stone? As in a blue stone but in red?”

“Exactly!” she chimed.

“I was just as surprised,” Hayla added, a knowing smile on her lips. “I didn’t even know red ones existed.”

I could hardly believe that they had waited so long to tell me about it. It was the first new color after blue, white, and black, and the only one I had never heard anything about. I needed a moment to digest this information before addressing Hayla with astonishment. “You found a new type of stone and didn’t tell me immediately?”

Hayla let out an exasperated sigh and furrowed her brows. “As if you would’ve been able to focus if I told you about anything mana-related earlier.”

“That’s...” I grunted in irritation, partially directed at myself, knowing that she might’ve been right—not that I was willing to admit it. “Come on now,” I said, feigning ignorance. “I could’ve waited a couple of minutes.”

“Well, now you don’t have to,” she said happily.

Hayla threw a meaningful look towards Oryn, who began rummaging through his pockets excitedly, pulling out the stone in question. “Here it is,” he said, placing it directly in front of me without further ado, as if it had been planned.

My eyes widened at the sight of the rough, thumb-sized shard, gleaming in a slightly transparent, crimson hue. I marveled at it in silence as Fae and Oryn joined me, equally captivated by the gem.

“It’s so pretty, isn’t it?” Fae breathed, enamored. “My parents sold blue stones for a while, but I’ve never heard of red ones before.”

“Neither have I,” Oryn said, nodding in agreement. “I have scoured every text remotely connected to stones and scripture sigils at the temple, but I’ve never come across any mentions of red stones.”

Randomly, Fae’s inner merchant seemed to take control of her. “I wonder what someone would pay for it... Even as just a novelty, it could fetch a hefty sum. And imagine the beautiful jewelry you could fashion from it.”

“What blasphemy,” Oryn scoffed playfully. “These stones were meant to be used in scripts, not for mere adornment.”

While the two continued to marvel at the stone and its potential uses, Hayla leaned in, whispering to me. “And that’s your reward for your hard work and enduring yet another meeting.”

She flashed me a warm, loving smile, like I was a child who willingly did their homework before playing. As she left the room without another word, I stared after her in confusion. I felt like I was missing something, as if she were attempting to manipulate me, but my suspicions were short-lived as I returned my attention back to the stone, my new toy to explore and marvel at.