Returning to the village in just under an hour, less than half the time it would have taken before, I walked back to the inn, moving with an inflated sense of confidence. Part of it was a purposeful inflection, mimicking the average noble, but another was from genuine satisfaction. I had taken a massive leap in strength after all, though it came at no small risk.

When I entered, the barkeep was already serving several people, but when he spotted me ducked under the counter, a mug of swill in his hands when he reappeared. I tried and failed to hide a grimace but still sat down, given him a nod of thanks. Arrogance and pride were no excuse for poor manners, after all.

"How'd it go, my lord?" he asked, a subdued tone in his voice. Although clean and dry, thanks to Amelia's ring, my clothes and armor still bore unmistakable marks of combat. That I appeared unharmed would only fuel the image of a prodigal, arrogant, and dangerous young noble, someone worthy of both respect and fear. Exactly what I wanted, truth be told.

"I believe your problems with the magical beasts should resolve itself over the next few months. I plan to leave in the morning but to be safe, I will show those young men I saved the basics of combat skills. They can teach the rest of you, which should keep your village safe until the attacks stop."

On the way back, I had plenty of time to theorize why magical beasts had begun to attack the village more often. My best guess was that the monster living in the oasis drove off the rest of the things that might typically use the waters for sustenance. As their hunger grew, they became desperate. With it dead, the natural balance should restore itself, and the attacks should stop, or at least lessen.

Although the problem was not solved, there was little more I could do to help. I could not right ever wrong in the country, and in truth, it was not my job. If I fixed every issue, that would only leave the village even more vulnerable when I left.

"Really? That's- that's amazing, my lord. I-"

I held up my hand with a smile, shaking my head.

"I would be a disgrace to my family if I did nothing. Think nothing of it."

Draining the mug, I stood, nodding once to the barkeeper before returning to my room. When the door was closed, I cast several defensive spells, ensuring no one would come barging unannounced.

Pulling out the vial of spring water I brought back from the oasis, I held it up to my eye. Even at a glance, I could tell most of the energy contained within had faded during our trip. The researcher who found the oasis noted that the power dissipated rapidly, and it seems he was not lying for selfish reasons.

Still, using the waters was less critical than understanding the reason behind its effects. If I could figure out why it held such power, I might be able to replicate it for my own use.

Slipping into my room, I pulled the vial of spring water I brought back from the oasis. It still glowed softly, but even within the hour or so it took to return to Thorndale, most of the energy inside had faded.

What is that?

Fortuna padded closer, staring at the glass in my hands, and I glanced over at him before holding it towards him to examine.

"This is water that absorbed Aether from a ley line. I am hoping I can figure out the basics of how it did that and speed my development."

Casting my senses into the water, I found that it felt... like water infused with mana. Nothing stood out, and in fact, it appeared distressingly ordinary. Still, I knew that there had to be more that I was not seeing.

Straining my senses as far as they could go, I scanned the liquid over a dozen times, desperate to find something, anything that might hint at its secrets. On my fourteenth examination, I found something, just barely on the edge of my awareness.

The Aether inside the water felt like it was attached to something, bound to physical matter. It was challenging to say for sure, but the effect reminded me of how mana bonded to flesh in magical creatures and in my own body. However, it looked as if the connection was less stable, which might explain why the energy slowly leaked from the liquid and dispersed into the atmosphere.

Did that mean that a better bond would let it last longer? Or could the effect be slowed if placed in the proper container? And was it possible to replicate the same thing artificially, using my own mana and some sort of gathering array?

Sighing, I shook my head. There were too many questions to solve this mystery in a single night. And I still had the corpse of a monster to dissect, though I would need to do that away from the town. I could explain glowing water, but not a mangled body that bled black fluids.

It feels potent. Why not stay here longer, and use the waters to grow stronger? You have grown, but you are still far too weak to defend yourself.

Looking over at Fortuna, I sighed, shaking my head.

"For one thing, I could only really use it to advance up to Mist before I ran the risk of my power outstripping my ability to withstand it. Cortos' chamber bought me time, but if I overdo it, I will go right back to struggling just to cast a spell without hurting myself."

And the other problem?

"I doubt I fooled the Archmagi in the Academy for long. They will launch an investigation soon, and when they figure out I survived, they will come looking if for no other reason than that I am linked to the death of a noble. If I had more time, I would stay here for a few weeks and get to Mist, but without that time..."

Fortuna did not respond for a minute, staring at me before finally replying.

The best rewards often require the most significant risks. If it was easy to become powerful, everyone would do it. Failure to grow resigns you to a life of mediocrity and early death. If you do, please be kind enough to hide Cortos' ring so that I may find another successor.

"Once more, your concern for my well-being is staggering," I replied dryly, closing my eyes.

If I left and continued south tomorrow morning, I could reach the border within another month and a half. Maybe less if I pushed my mount at its limits. Ferris was massive, and tracking me even with magic would take time, but that would still be cutting it close. It was the safe move and the one that might ensure an easy escape.

But could I afford the safe move? After all, I had failed in my future even with priceless elixirs bolstering my progress. Could I afford to let any advantage, even a relatively minor one like this, escape my grasp?

In the end, I made my decision. Tomorrow morning, I would let it slip that I was headed back north, towards Volaris to "visit family." After leaving the village, I would go around and into the forest, headed back for the oasis. Then, the instant I reached Mist, I would make for the border at my full speed.

But before that, I had a promise to fulfill to a few young men desperate to learn how to defend themselves.

Standing in a rest position, I held a length of wood around six feet long in one hand, staring at the group of a dozen villagers in front of me. Most were men somewhere in their mid-teens, but two were young women, staring at me intently. Some in the group seemed to dislike their presence, but a year of losing most battles to Amelia had driven off any lingering senses of chauvinistic pride. With enough skill, we were all equally killable.

"I do not have enough time to teach you all to become expert combatants, but what I can do is provide the absolute basics that you can use to improve your skills. To that end, we will be learning the simplest and most effective weapon around, the staff."

Several looked confused, and one, the same young man who approached me for training, stepped forward with a furrowed brow.

"Sire, please forgive mah rudeness but wouldn't 't be better ta use a sword? Ah always hear' a blade was the best weapon around." he asked, an apology in his tone.

I smiled, remembering that I had felt similarly when Sig first taught me to fight months prior. My smile vanished as I remembered that they all likely thought I was dead, and if not that I was a cowardly traitor and a murderer. It was doubtful he, ort any of my friends, would ever want to see me again.

Shaking my head to clear away the melancholy thoughts, I returned my attention to the villager's question.

"Please, stand here," I said, indicating a spot in front of me.

The young man winced and turned pale, seeming to expect some sort of punishment. Despite that, he nodded and walked forward, eyes downcast towards the ground. When he got within six feet, I held up one hand and coughed gently. Freezing in place, the young man still did not look up, eyes focused on his boots. Only when he raised his gaze did I begin my explanation.

"This is the average range of a spear, give or take a foot. Now, take a few steps forward if you will."

Although not understanding my point, he still obeyed my command, walking until I held up my hand again, this time at just under three feet.

"And this is the range of an ordinary sword. Does anyone see the problem?"

No one responded, not surprising, given their lack of military or combat experience.

"In battle, maintaining distance is key to survival. Keeping something like a wolf an extra three feet away might be the difference between life and a torn out throat. Besides that, you can make a good spear from a sturdy length of wood sharpened to a point, while a quality blade might cost a fortune to make. Do not get lost in visions of glorious sword battles, and realize that a strong spear is preferable most of the time."

Several faces cleared, and the young man in front of me nodded a few times. I almost missed the sigh of relief he let out and tried to not let it bother me. They thought I was a noble, and plenty of them were all too casual about displays of cruelty.

Over the next few hours, I instructed them in a few basic strikes, blocks, and parries. None of them would become anywhere near skilled in such a short time, but some training was better than none. Hopefully, they could keep themselves alive against any monsters that might attack the village.

And besides that, teaching others the same skills I learned was helpful for my own development. Strange though it seemed, demonstrating my abilities helped notice minor flaws in my techniques that I might have missed before.

The next morning, I rode out from the village from the northern exit, keeping my head up high as I went. After an hour of riding, I checked my surroundings as far as possible. When I was confident I was alone, I pulled the reins hard, turning my mount to one side and back into the thick underbrush of the woods.

Just like Fortuna had said, if I wanted to grow powerful, I needed to take risks. It was time to see if this one would pay off or if I was making a fatal mistake.