Lily was definitely warming up to Madeline, she decided as the two of them ate a sumptuous late lunch in the small private garden. The young noblewoman had the tongue of a true gourmand, and the young commoner wondered how Maddy kept such a slender figure when she regularly ate such fine food.

"Your plan is going well," Madeline mentioned, daintily nibbling at a biscuit. "Crassus himself came to ask me why we'd met this morning, and he bought your story hook, line, and sinker, as the fishermen say." She paused, then added, "I also called him out and admonished him for what he's done to you since he took no steps in hiding it. I also reminded him that it was going to get him in trouble if the king caught wind of it. It went in one ear and out the other, of course. Honestly, the boy is a fool."

Lowering her voice to a conspiratorial whisper, she added, "And if he thinks the king hasn't had someone watching what is going on, he's the king of fools."

That surprised Lily. "Really?" She asked, curious. "If so, why hasn't the king done anything?"

"Well," Maddy began, her tone a bit more serious, "I expect that King August wanted to find out who would be willing to go against his will if they thought they could get away with it. If the students and staff thought that they were being watched, they might act differently, and be a lot more subtle in how they mistreated you. If there was more than just one commoner student here, you might band together, keeping bullies like Crassus at bay. But just one student, especially one with no offensive spells, and most especially someone who looks so weak and defenseless the way you do... no offense."

"None taken," Lily said, being more than willing to admit that she looked about as threatening as a sack of potatoes at even the best of times.

"Well, you'd be the perfect target for bullying, again no offense intended," Madeline concluded. "Anyone and everyone willing to mistreat commoners like you despite the king's orders would do so with impunity since they think they can get away with it. However, just one isolated incident is one thing, but a sustained six-month campaign of it being instigated by one or more students, with most everyone else, faculty included, either turning a blind eye to it or endorsing it?"

"At that point, it goes far beyond mere happenstance or coincidence, and there's no defense to any charges made to the perpetrators in question. I suspect that after the tournament, there will be a great many students expelled, and more than a few open positions amongst the faculty needing to be filled."

At Lily's gobsmacked expression, Maddy asked, "You really didn't suspect anything?"

After a moment, the young commoner admitted, "No. No, I really never thought anything like that was going on." She paused and admitted, "It almost makes me want to reconsider humbling Crassus at the tournament... almost."

"I wouldn't blame you if you changed your mind, but I think he more than deserves it," Madeline stated. "Even if he gets expelled, I can't say he'll change his ways. I mean, his father is pretty liberal, compared to his predecessors, and especially compared to his son, so I imagine that there would be some serious punishment coming his way when he gets home. However, getting humbled by someone he'd mistreated for so long might knock a bit of sense into his head." She paused, then admitted, "Maybe."

Suspicious, Lily asked, "And you? Are you trying to be my friend because it will make you look good in front of the king?"

Madeline put down the dainty she'd prepared to eat, then looked at Lily calmly and said, "I don't blame you for asking me that. If I were in your position, I'd ask the same thing."

After a moment of consideration, she asked, "Would being your friend make me and my family look good because we'd followed the king's orders? Compared to the other students, of course, it would. Is it the reason why I'm trying to help you and befriend you? No."

"Would being a well-known friend to a commoner who had long received torment and abuse from other members of the nobility make me good to the common folk, and be a major political boon, especially in turbulent times where an uprising or even a full-scale revolution is likely within my lifetime or that of my children? Of course, it would. Is that why I'm trying to help you and befriend you? No."

"Would having a friend skilled with both barrier magic and healing magic that I could hire to serve my household as a protector and bodyguard after she graduates or drops out be a major boon for my family? I'd be a fool if I said no. Is that the reason why I'm trying to help you and befriend you? No."

"I'm trying to help you and be your friend because I want to help you and be your friend. Everything else is just icing on an already delicious cake."

With that, she picked the dainty back up and nibbled on it.

Lily looked at Madeline, seeing her maybe for the first time. Maddy was the daughter and sole heir of an archduke, and a powerful one at that. While that sounded good on paper, she lived in a world separate from that of commoners, a world of lies, manipulations, and power plays. Her world was one where everyone had an ulterior motive behind every action, and no one was who they seemed. It meant that any girl in the nobility who wanted to be her friend was trying to get close to her for selfish reasons like wanting to spy on her or influence her, and any boy who tried to get close to her was hoping to wed her and bed her and become the inheritor of the lands and titles that would otherwise go to her.

Madeline didn't have friends. She had sycophants, leeches, and parasites who pretended to be her friends. Lily gained a great deal from being Maddy's friend, but far less than any noble did. It came to the young commoner that, despite being beautiful and surrounded by people who hung on her every word, Madeline was actually a very lonely person, perhaps as lonely as Lily, just in a different way.

Lily blinked, took a deep breath, and slowly let it out. She nodded, then said, "Thank you for being honest with me, and for helping me. I have something I want to give you." She paused, then carefully reached into the dimensional storage bag at her waist. Madeline's surprise at seeing a large object come from such a small bag was eclipsed when she saw what Lily had just extracted.

Gasping in awe, Maddy whispered, "I've never seen one so big..."

Placing the object upon the picnic blanket the two shared, Lily said, "I found it in the same chamber I told you about earlier. I'd overlooked it before, but when I saw it today and realized it wasn't warded, I had to take it." Jiggling the dimensional storage back at her waist, she added, "This was a little riskier but well worth it."

Of all the non-magical items that came from the labyrinths, none were as valuable or sought after as the precious ruby rose. A ruby, meticulously shaped like a rose in full bloom, such items were worth a fortune, even in the smallest of sizes. They could be small enough to be set upon a ring, or even the size of Lily's fist. However, as Maddy said, no one had ever seen one so large. It was easily the size of a grown man's head, and the light of the chamber sparkled across its surface so spectacularly it should have been audible.

"I can't possibly accept this," Madeline admitted, still staring at it in awe. "It's far too valuable. You should sell this. It's worth a fortune. It's worth a thousand fortunes." That wasn't an exaggeration: Something this precious was worthy of being a national treasure, despite not being magical. Still...

Lily shook her head, then said, "It's not as valuable as our friendship."

Madeline's only reply was to give Lily a tight hug.

--------------------------------

Word travels fast, Lily noted as Madam Goldentone knocked on the entrance of her dorm room. Making sure that her bag of dimensional storage was hidden under her pillow, with the chameleon charm Rine has advised her to place upon it on top of that, Lily opened the door. The elderly teacher, her hair bun bobbling as she gasped to catch her breath, asked for admittance. She must have literally come running as soon as the rumor reached her and Crassus.

Glancing quickly down the hall, she was not surprised to see her bully and tormentor standing in the hall, leaning against a wall and doing little to hide his interest. No doubt, the moment word had reached his ears, he'd run off to tell the teacher about it and asked her to do something about it. So, things were moving all according to the plan that she and Rine had hatched. Lily beckoned the instructor inside, then closed the door.

Taking a seat on the bed, the elder teacher beckoned for Lily to sit down beside her. After Madam Goldentone caught her breath, she mentioned, conversationally, "I saw your gift to young Madeline."

Lily nodded, and said plainly, "Just a present between friends."

With a surprised laugh, the teacher bluntly stated, "It's far more than that. It's easily worthy of being a national treasure. She's announced that she intends to gift it to the king on your behalf."

Lily kept her tone neutral and non-commital and simply said, "It's hers to do with as she pleases. That's how gifts work." Maddy had insisted on doing that, and Lily couldn't deny that it was a good idea. Better to have it in the royal vaults, rather than someplace where it might get stolen.

Madam Goldentone gave the young commoner a long look, then said, "I also overheard you found something else there. Something... magical." She paused, then said, "As a teacher, I have a duty to make sure it isn't anything dangerous."

"I won't deny I found something else precious in there," Lily stated, then carefully removed the ring she was wearing on her middle finger. "Madeline appraised it for me, so I know it isn't dangerous."

"Do you mind if I inspect it for myself?" the teacher asked. Lily gently placed the ring in her teacher's open palm and fought against the urge to hold her breath. If she knew her teacher as well as she thought she did...

The teacher's eye's widened as she confirmed that this was, as the rumors said, a Ring of Fire Absorption. Unlike lesser magic rings that protected against flames, this didn't simply grant protection or resistance from fire but outright nullified it completely, converting it into magical energy.

With such a ring, a man could laugh off the fire spells of the mightiest of mages, walk calmly into a burning building unharmed, or fight a dragon without having to fear its breath. As Rine had said, it was an item worthy of being a national treasure in this modern age, even if it was just a novelty in ancient times.

After a moment, Madame Goldentone returned the ring, and said, "Since it isn't dangerous, I'll allow you to hold onto it. Since you found it in the labyrinth, it is yours by right and by law, and what you do with it is up to you."

She paused, then added, "But I must remind you, the rules of the tournament state that magical items are not allowed. I realize that this seems unfair, especially given how much of an advantage this would give you in a fight against Crassus, but the purpose of the tournament is to show your own personal growth, not show off the power of whatever equipment you get your hands onto. Otherwise, the student with the deepest pockets would win, rendering the tournament pointless."

A typical Goldentone argument: Sound, logical, and based on tradition, even if it was intended to screw Lily over. Lily had come to realize that if Madam Goldentone was evil (Which was debatable), it was a lawful kind of evil: The elder instructor would do anything in her power to make Lily miserable at any opportunity, but never in any way that went against the rules.

She might be a bitch, but she was a by-the-book bitch. It was, Lily supposed, the difference between her and Crassus, who flagrantly broke the rules and didn't care if anyone saw him doing it. Perhaps that explained why she held such enmity towards Lily. Lily wasn't here because of noble or loyal lineage, but rather because the king had drawn a name out of a hat. Lily's presence was a violation of time-honored traditions, and Madam Goldentone was a traditionalist above all else.

However, her teacher's love of the rules meant that her ability to screw Lily over was limited, and she could be worked around, so long as Lily obeyed the rules. Lily nodded, and while slipping the ring on her finger, she admitted, "I'll admit to being tempted to try and bring it to the tournament, and that it feels unfair that I can't use it." She paused, and then admitted, "However, I understand that the rules have to apply to everyone, or else they apply to no one."

Madam Goldentone seemed to genuinely beam at that statement, and said, "My sentiments exactly. I'm glad that we understand one another. Now, my advice would be that you present that ring to the king tomorrow evening when he arrives. It would be quite the feather in your cap, and I doubt anyone else could reward you quite as well as his majesty could." That was surprisingly sound advice and something that Rine had already recommended.

"I'd also heard mention that you'd found... other treasures, ones you couldn't collect?"

Lily nodded in confirmation, then said, "Very heavily warded. I doubt anyone but maybe the king's court mage or a circle of archmages could collect them safely. I was planning to present that information to the king as well."

The elder smiled appreciatively, and with a soft clap of her hands said, "An excellent idea. If the other items are anything like this ring, I have no doubt that the finder's fee you'll receive will make you a very wealthy young woman indeed."

She paused, then leaned in conspiratorily, saying, "If you have an interest, I have a business proposition for you. I plan on retiring in a few years. I'm not as young as I once was. Unfortunately, I am ashamed to say that while I was fortunate enough to have kept my family's title, my fool of a brother and his family had sold nearly everything we had, save the title I now carry, before they all died in the fire that claimed the estate years ago. It took much of my adult life to pay off the debts they left behind, but I did it on my own and held on tightly to that title despite all of those hardships."

"Unfortunately, I had little time for love, and now I'm the last of my line. With no husband or children of my own, my title dies with me. So long as that title exists, my name and my family's history is recorded in the royal archives, a part of the kingdom's history. If I die without anyone to pass that title on to, my family becomes a footnote in those archives, and will inevitably vanish into the annals of history. I don't want that."

"Additionally, my salary from my position here was never great, and my savings are meager, so my retirement will not be an enjoyable one as things stand, so selling that title is the only thing that will give me the ability to live in any kind of comfort in my final years, as well as ensure that my family name and title will live on for generations to come, even if it isn't through my own kin. If you'd be willing to buy it, I could sell you my title for a reasonable price. In addition, I could promise you a much easier time with our school, going forward."

Lily's eyes shot wide open at the suggestion. The idea had never even occurred to her, that with the amount of money about to fall into her lap she could easily become a member of the peerage. A lot of her problems could easily be solved if she took that offer. However, it also felt as though it was a betrayal. It was joining forces with the people who had made her life a living hell...

*A title of countess carries a lot of weight and a lot of responsibilities,* Rine chimed in. *It would certainly open a lot of doors for us in the future, but there would be some drawbacks as well. However, anything that will make your time easier here at the academy is certainly a boon. It's your decision to make, but if I could offer a suggestion...*

Lily listened, then smiled. Yes, that could work. It was a compromise, but one that would work out well for everyone involved.

Looking Madam Goldentone in the eye, she said, "I definitely appreciate the offer. However, I can't simply say yes." At the elder teacher's expression of disappointment, Lily raised a hand and said, "At least, I can't just accept the title immediately. The king placed me here to attend the academy as a commoner. If I gain your title, I'd no longer be a commoner, so he'd likely choose another one to enroll here."

"I don't want to go against the king's wishes, and it wouldn't be fair to have someone else get dropped into the school in the middle of the school year just because I became nobility." She paused, then added, "But I think I know of an arrangement that would work for both of us."

"Please, do go on," the elder teacher said, interested.

"Designate me as your official heir," Lily said explained. "For now, I'll remain a commoner. However, after I graduate, you can retire and pass the title to me. In the meantime, if something happens and you pass on prematurely, the title still goes to me, so you won't have to worry about it disappearing. And as to how much I'll pay you, let's say..."

She paused to think, doing some mental arithmetic, then stated, "Twenty percent of however much I'm given by the king in exchange for the ring, plus a tenth of the finder's fee I get for my discovery in the labyrinth. Bargain struck?" Lily extended a hand so that the two could shake on it.

Madam Goldentone's hands flew up to her face, covering her mouth, and a tear ran down her cheek. At that moment, she wasn't Lily's tormentor, her enemy, or her teacher. She was just an old woman whose prayers had been answered. That sizable a cut from such valuable items would be more than enough for her to live comfortably in her retirement, even if she lived to be one hundred and twenty.

After a moment, the elder teacher lowered her hands, then shook Lily's and smiled. "Bargain struck and struck well, young lady. I can have the documents we'll need written and ready for you to sign first thing in the morning," Madam Goldentone said, clearly overjoyed. "My barrister is a night owl, so he should have no problem getting them done up by dawn. As to the money itself, you'll need only inform the king that you've decided to deed a portion of your rewards to me, and he should have no problem making it so."

Lily nodded, shaking hands with her teacher. The future was looking a great deal brighter.

After Madam Goldentone left, Crassus stuck his head in, his expression making it clear that he was uncomfortable with the fact that his greatest ally had left Lily's room practically singing from her good cheer, and had likely shared some harsh words with the student before leaving.

He stood there in the doorway for a few minutes, and then stated, "I don't know how you got so lucky, but don't think for a second that I'm going to go easy on you in the tournament Monday, dirtball." He paused, then said, "Well, maybe I could be convinced to let you just concede without a fight if you happened to have something to offer me."

Two days ago, Lily would have gladly emptied out her dimensional storage bag in response to that offer. That almost seemed like a lifetime ago now. Instead, Lily glared at him, and with six months of anger and frustration bubbling up from within, she said in a flat, even tone that did nothing to disguise her contempt, "Go fuck yourself, Crassus."

His expression a combination of anger, shock, and confusion, the young nobleman asked, "What did you just say to me?"

"I didn't stutter," Lily stated, her tone louder than before. "But I'll repeat it, just for you: Go. Fuck. Your. Self. Crassus. Now get out of my room before I lose my temper."

The young nobleman glared at her for a moment, then laughed out loud. "Ha! So now you've finally decided to grow a spine. Congratulations." Giving his characteristic evil grin, he added, "Don't think for a second that will help you, though. See you Monday." With that, he closed the door behind him and left.

*It is going to be so satisfying, watching you shut him up and shut him down,* Rine admitted.

Lily made a noise indicating agreement, hesitated for a moment, and then said, "Rine, thank you."

Seeming to be surprised, he asked, *For what?*

"All of this," she said, then specified, "the teaching, the plan, the things you've given me. Saving my life. All of it."

*No problem,* came his immediate reply. *It's nice to actually be able to do something, instead of watching from the sidelines for thousands of years.*

Lily contemplated that, then asked a very important question. "So, what do we need to do to initiate the familiar contract?"

*You're sure?* Rine asked, seeming to be taken off-guard. *I mean, there's not a rush. If you want, we can wait until after the tournament.*

"You've already done so much," she said in response, "so there's no reason for me not to do something for you in return."

Rine took a few minutes to contemplate that, before saying, *Alright. We'll need to wait until after dark, near midnight. We'll need a sack of salt, a sack of sugar, and that candle we constructed back in the dungeon. What you'll need to do is...*