Aurelius smiled serenely as he reached the table. “Greetings. I couldn’t help but overhear your conversation.”

No one had any illusions that the air caster had used a spell to eavesdrop on them but they maintained polite expressions. He was a master caster. The title meant more than a large mana pool, though the minimum five hundred coefficient meant decades of practice. There existed casters with the required coefficient who never received the rank of master because more than anything, it implied mastery. With enough power, any wind caster could blow apart a city’s wall. Only a master could silence a city by holding the air hostage.

Theoretically, anyone with the title of master could rival Dunwayne, though the Harvest Hero could be considered a master amongst master. He was powerful enough to be owed a certain amount of respect. Even from Alyssa, who didn’t pay mind to such matters. Enough to not send him away despite her impression of the man lingering somewhere between murderous thieves and her oppressive, bastard of a father.

“What do you want, Aurelius?”

“A simple chat.” He turned as a waiter arrived at his side with a chair, setting it at the table before bowing away. The air caster brazenly sat with them, ignoring the awkward atmosphere. “I heard you mention Kierra.”

“And we all know about your unhealthy obsession with her.” Alyssa refilled her glass with a sigh. A part of her felt bad for the man. He seemed intent on capturing the elf’s attention and it was destined to fail. She’d made as much clear to him but Aurelius refused to give up.

At first, she had been ambivalent to his pursuit. Perhaps she felt a little bad for Lourianne. No one wanted to be cuckolded and it hardly seemed a fair competition. Aurelius had money, power, and prestige. More importantly, he seemed to have genuine interest in Kierra herself more than what she represented. To anyone from the outside looking in, it seemed a foregone conclusion.

Having seen the interactions between the unusual couple, Alyssa’s pity shifted to her peer. There was no space between the two women for Aurelius to step into. He was poised to make a fool of himself, a blow she feared would hit especially deep because of his determination. “So? What did you want?”

Aurelius sighed. “I erred in the grandmaster’s office. My accusation against Lourianne Tome was premature and unjustified. She was correct in saying that it was uncouth for someone of my position to accuse her of crimes without proof.”

“No kidding. Especially when she’s innocent.”

“All I can say is that the possibility occurred to me and I was so offended that I let my outrage cloud my judgment. To be fair, I fully believe Miss Tome to be capable of such.” He frowned. “She does not strike me as honorable. Or pleasant.”

“Aren’t you embarrassed to be badmouthing an initiate behind her back?” Cynthia said with a raised brow. “For shame, Aurelius.”

“You have not met her.”

She scoffed. “So far, this girl sounds absolutely delightful. Ally, do you think she will pass her end of year assessments? Does she have any interest in alchemy? I’d be more than happy to have her as an assistant if it means getting the goods on the elven continent.”

“You could at least pretend to not have ulterior motives.”

Aurelius cleared his throat and Alyssa looked at him with a frown. “As I was saying, I would like the chance to apologize for my behavior but Kierra is…avoiding me. I was hoping you could mediate.”

“Saints damnation, why would I want to do that?” was what the fire caster immediately thought but she managed to curb her reaction to “That sounds like a pain. I don’t actually know her that well.”

“Well enough to be invited for dinner.”

“My cloak is only big enough cover my ass, so to speak.”

“What did you do to get on her bad side?” Cynthia asked. “Kierra’s so agreeable, it’s hard to imagine. Did you feel her up?”

“Nothing of the sort.”

“No, he simply declared that her marriage was a sham and wanted to arrest her wife for the illegal use of the mental affinity,” Bruce said without looking at the man.

Lane winced while Cynthia looked a horrified. “Saints, were you trying to get that girl killed? After that mess in the capital, the crown is particularly stringent on mental casters. If they thought it had been used on someone as important as Kierra—”

“I’m sure he understands exactly what he did,” Alyssa said, unable to keep from glaring at him.

Aurelius accepted it all without a twitch in his smile. “As I said, my emotions got away from me. Which is why I’m so eager to rectify my mistake before feelings are left to fester. If there is something I could offer you for your assistance—”

“You’re not going to bribe me to—” Alyssa paused, taking a deep breath. Then she let it out, leaning toward the air caster. “Actually, you know what? I’ll put in a good word for you if you answer a question for me. Why are you so hot for her? I’ve seen plenty of women throw themselves at you and you barely gave them a glance. There was a bet you swung the other way.”

Aurelius chuckled. “No, I don’t swing the other way. And as for your question, isn’t it enough that I like her?”

“Yeah, but what about her? She’s good-looking sure, but I didn’t think she was your type. Loud, violent, brash, arrogant.”

“Loud and brash can also be called confident. Violent? A fierce desire to improve herself and others. Arrogant? She has the right. She is also smart, adventurous, good-humored, and caring. There are many things to like about her.”

“…boring.” She was sure that the man was hiding something from her, but it’d be boorish to persist further. “I’ll let her know you were asking about her but that’s the most I can do.”

“I overheard something about a gathering—”

“And you heard what I said to the others, didn’t you? How welcome do you think you’d be?”

“If you could simply pass on the details, I’d like to test the theory for myself.”

Alyssa weighed the value of a favor from Aurelius to the succubus’ cooking and more of the Herbanacle.

Then she kicked Aurelius chair, making it wobble. Unfortunately, she couldn’t see him flailing, a burst of air stabilizing him the moment the chair tilted, his smile unflappable. “Fuck off and get your own invitation.” She wasn’t ruining her chances at a good meal to help someone chase a married woman.

“Are you sure? I know you’ve been meaning to organize a new class with the aim of taking students out on hunts and short expeditions. Ambitious. That’s what guilds are for. However, I could speak a few words in the right ear.”

“You—” She swallowed the words slimy bastard. “Don’t go out of your way. It’s a matter for the combat instructors. And you seemed tied up in fruitless pursuits, so I doubt you have the time to do something useful.”

He chuckled and stood from his chair. “I suppose I should leave while things are still civil. Sir Bruce, Lane, Miss Cynthia.”

A series of half-hearted goodbyes followed him as he left the table. Lane let out a sigh of relief once he’d gone. “That guy gives me the creeps. The way he looks at people isn’t right.”

“And he buys far too many skin care products,” Cynthia scoffed. “I’m all for a well-groomed man but the amount is a little excessive.”

“Why do you know that? You keeping tabs on people?” The question wasn’t entirely innocent. The combat instructors doubled as law enforcement for the Hall. Spying on other staff wasn’t illegal but it was immoral, and Alyssa wouldn’t let her get away with it.

“Would I do something like that? You know how much people like to gossip and consistent sales stand out. But never mind. Tell me about this night out…”