Barlow's words echoed in my thoughts as I walked to my next class. What sort of mage should I become? I was a ranged specialist in my original future, using conjured blades to tear apart my foes while employing spells to stay at a distance or block attacks. It was effective but also vulnerable to fast-moving, hard-hitting opponents such as that invader. Was it wise to follow that same path when it led to a dead-end?

But what was the alternative? That was a question without an easy answer, and I pushed it from my thoughts as I entered the Espionage classroom. While most had been popular enough, this was markedly quieter, with only three other students. Funnily enough, one of them was already familiar.

Amelia sat near the back, fingers drumming a beat on her crossed legs. After a brief moment of indecision, I walked over, sitting beside her and remarking, "And here I thought I would not see you until later tonight when we met up with Sig."

"Yeah, it looks like we'll be seeing a lot of each other. Are you okay? You looked less than thrilled when that master pulled you aside."

"I-well enough, thank you. Master Barlow offered some useful advice, which I am considering taking." glancing at her and flashing a smile.

I hoped she would drop it, but Amelia opened her mouth, likely to do the opposite. Before she could say anything, someone from the front of the room began speaking. Unlike most of my classes, this was a voice I recognized.

"Good morning, class! Or afternoon? I should see about getting windows put into this room, I think. My name is Master Julian Esteed, and it's my distinct pleasure to be your instructor."

Well, that was a nice change, at least. For once, I would have a teacher I knew and was friendly with, ulterior motives aside.

Julian clapped his hands together, saying, "So, first things first. What is espionage? Anyone? Anyone at all?" and staring directly at me.

As I was considering a response, someone near the front of the room said, "Spying?"

Julian nodded a few times, clapping his hands together in front of his chest, and said, "Nope! Anyone else? No? Alright, well, I suppose you aren't far off, but it's an oversimplification. Yes, espionage means spying in a broad sense, but it's so much more than that. It is the act of obtaining information or knowledge for the benefit of another."

He paused, possibly for what he considered dramatic effect, before continuing, "There are a hundred ways to do that, but all require a few shared skills. Among those are adaptation, improvisation, observation, and, possibly most importantly, the ability to hide. And that last one is tricky. Any guesses why?"

Again his eyes fell onto me, and I hid a sigh before standing. I had a good guess of the answer and said, "Our mana?"

"Exactly right, Vayne! Mana lets us do some incredible things, but it's the metaphysical equivalent of holding up a torch and swinging it around, hoping not to be seen. So, we'll have to learn to hide that energy."

"How do we go about that, master?" asked another apprentice near the front.

"I find that the best trick is actually to learn the other side of the equation. Once you can sense mana without your eyes, you'll have a much easier time learning to hide it."

As I understood it, mana 'leaked' from our bodies, usually due to inefficient control and a consequence of our biology. Channels and cores could hold most, but not all, of the energy, and some of it escaped. A mage could detect this lost energy, pinpointing another mage's location and approximate strength. Or a magical creature, for that matter.

We dove right into the lesson and spent the remaining time with our eyes closed as Master Julian sent orbs of mana floating around the room. His instructions were to raise a hand whenever one stopped over our heads, something that most seemed to fail at.

Most not including me, strangely enough. Over the last month, I had practiced mana gathering almost constantly. I had learned to draw it inside of my body, expel it and control it with varying degrees of success. All of this gave me a good sense of how mana typically felt, at least in my limited experience.

It was not sensing the actual orb of mana, so much as the changes to the surrounding energy. The closest analogy would be like feeling air blown by a fan. Even if I did not see the 'fan,' I could still feel the wind rustle my hair, so to speak.

While imperfect, I had still managed to sense the orb a dozen times successfully, more than any other apprentice. Not by much, as Amelia guessed right almost as much, but I could not help the brief smile on my face.

Master Julian nodded a few times, saying, "Not a bad start, all things considered. Here, take these," a hand wave sent sheets fluttering to land in front of each apprentice, "and study them for next class."

"Sir?" one of the apprentices asked with a hint of hesitation.

"Oh, right! I wrote down a few tips to help improve your sensory abilities. I kept a careful eye out and learned a little more about how each of you controls and detects mana, based on essentially how it moves and pulses around you. A bit confusing, but you all have tendencies that you should work with rather than against. If any of you have questions, feel free to come by my office, and I'll do my best to elaborate!"

Ever the showman, he then vanished in a flash of light-green, a teleportation spell I assumed. I had to believe it was for no other reason than to look fancy and rolled my eyes before tucking the paper into my pocket. When I had more time, I could read it closely, but we had training with Sig to finish.

After another long hour of combat training, which went about as poorly as the first time, Amelia surprised me, asking, "You want to grab something to eat?"

I was actually hoping to establish a bit of a rapport with her eventually, but her forwardness caught me off-guard, and I stammered, "I-sure. I mean, of course, my lady. That would be nice."

We both knew how terrible it sounded, and she rolled her eyes, responding, "I think we can skip manners after hitting each other with training weapons for a few hours, Vayne."

"Technically, you were the only one to do any hitting, but you might have a point. Sorry, but it is tough to-"

"Yes, I know, social norms and all of that. Less talk and more walk, please. I'm starving."

A half-hour later, I found Amelia waiting at a table on the fifth floor, a scowl on her face.

"Took you long enough," she remarked as I sat down.

I had insisted on washing up before dinner, partially to make sure I did not fall behind on my treatments but mainly due to the sweat soaking into my clothes.

With only a brief apologetic smile, I responded, "Sorry for the delay, but I tend to use some herbal mixtures in my baths, and they take a few minutes to work. Next time, I will try to move a bit quicker."

Amelia frowned, leaning closer and asking, "Are you sick?"

"Cautious, I would say. My magic has disadvantages, and the treatments help."

"Really? Alright, let's order food first, and then I'd love to hear more. If you're up to it, I mean."

She seemed to change topics as fast as the wind, and I nodded, ordering a plate of fruit, vegetables, and some water. I had stopped eating and did not see the point in overloading my stomach without reason.

"So, tell me a bit more about yourself, Vayne. I don't even know your family name. Considering we'll be spending a lot of time together, we should fix that problem." Amelia said, leaning forward and resting her chin in the palm of one hand.

I briefly grimaced, replying, "I-I actually do not have one. I am a sponsored apprentice to Duke Estton and was too young to use my parent's name. The intention is to have me become the family advisor after graduation."

Rather than frowning or otherwise seeming surprised, Amelia smiled brightly, not skipping a beat as she replied, "You aren't a liar, then. Good."

"I...I am sorry?" I said, not sure what she meant.

"Honestly, I already knew from Sig, but I wanted to see if you'd lie to try and impress me. Or avoid it, and hope it went away. I prefer friends that I can trust, and that trust me. I know that might sound kind of...I guess rude, but-"

"Not a problem, my lady." I cut her off with a raised hand and smile. I was not particularly thrilled with the rest but could admit that she had a point. Nobles often would lie or manipulate, and I could appreciate her lacking trust, to put it lightly. In fact, considering I was hiding quite a few things, she might have an excellent point not trusting me.

She gave me a grateful smile, her posture relaxing a bit, and I continued, "And yourself? I can recall the Ruteh name but am embarrassed to admit I do not know much about them."

I was not particularly thrilled about random tests of loyalty, but I suppose she had a point. If she grew up in Volaris among the nobles, trustworthy people were likely rare, to put it lightly.

"I am glad I did not disappoint. And yourself? I vaguely recall the Ruteh name, but not many specifics."

"We aren't a very prominent family. Just a barony, with a few mid-ranking friends, though we managed to hold onto our ancestral home. I grew up here, at the family estate in the Upper District."

Our food arrived, and we began eating, in my case, for the first time in a few weeks. I had to admit I missed it, though not enough to waver from my plan. It did not save much time, but every little bit helped.

"That must have been nice. Volaris is quite impressive. Is that how you met Sig, then? Through your family?" I said, looking up from my plate and catching Amelia mid-chew.

She finished her mouthful of a sandwich before responding, "More or less. Sig is a family friend and often came by to visit. I knew he was a great warrior and always wanted to learn to fight. It was much more interesting than the dreary books my mother loved to shove down my throat. Only took a few months to break down his will, but I'm stubborn."

"He taught you well, it seems. I suspect it will be a few months before I manage to keep up at all." I remarked, holding up my arm and pulling back the sleeve to reveal my newest collection of bruises.

She laughed, replying, "Well, I have a few years under my belt, so I'm sure you'll catch up. But what led an advisor to pickup combat training? Just looking for the exercise?"

"I like learning and have a bit of a perfectionist streak. Having such a glaring blind spot is annoying, to say the least. That and one of the masters here set me up with training. Master Julian, actually."

Amelia blinked a few times, picking at her food and responding, "Oh, him? Funny, it didn't seem like you two were friendly in class. Any ideas why he's helping you?"

"A few, but nothing conclusive."

"I see...does it have anything to do with your magic? You said it has disadvantages, so it makes sense that a master might be helping."

"Well...in a way. He helped me identify my element and explain some of its shortcomings."

"Oh? Like?"

I was unsure how much to tell her but decided it did not matter much to lie. Amelia would find out sooner or later, and it was not much of a secret.

Raising one hand, I conjured a small orb of mana and said, "I am an Aether mage. It provides quite a bit of power but-"

She cut me off, frowning as she said, "But it could kill you, right? I've read a bit about it."

I blinked, replying, "Well, yes, but only if I am reckless, which I do not plan on being."

"Well, I hope you don't kick the bucket early. I'd hate to lose my new sparring partner," she remarked with a grin that reminded me only a little of Sig.

Amelia had that in common with Leon, a sort of natural charisma that broke down my guard. She set me at ease and made jokes that might seem offensive if not for the warmth in her tone. And, of course, she was my training partner and in several of my classes. Even if she was unpleasant, it would still seem prudent to remain amicable.

The rest of our conversation was relatively uneventful, mostly stories about the classes we did not share. Amelia was actually taking, interestingly enough, a course on healing magic. I suspected it was linked to her interest in melee combat, but she was surprisingly a little hesitant on the details. Strange for her to grow shy, but I would not push her.

After finishing up, we parted ways, but I went back downstairs and headed to the Archives rather than returning to my room.

I was no genius, unfortunately, but I was not a fool, either. And Master Barlow might have mentioned those two Aether mages as a way to demonstrate how difficult my path might be, but that left me with unanswered questions and possibly leads to grow stronger. What sort of apprentice, or mage, would I be if I did not seek out those answers?