On a cool autumn day, the Middle School turned into a field filled with fumes and clangor. One might think the estate under siege, until one realized the smoke and sounds were coming from within the school’s grounds.

To Daphne’s understanding, it was Artificer’s Week. She had previously observed that the people of this world preferred to channel their magic through objects instead of their bodies, but such workings did not always have immediate effects as in their spellcraft. Artificing was a mixed art that seemed to combine array formations with smithing, and its practitioners sought to create objects of power.

That a major school of the Empire dedicated an entire field of study to this endeavor suggested to her that the other great sects had similar ideas. It was strong evidence in favor of the theory that these people sought to raise the realm’s cultivation level through an accumulation of sacred relics.

Who was the mind behind such a scheme? The Emperor? Some wandering master who’d planted the idea within the sects? Difficult to say.

Daphne found herself both admiring that person for his arrogance, and wanting to strangle him for spreading a cultivation method that was aggressively loud. Even the deafening charms around her room failed to keep the noise out! How was she to meditate like this, or even hold a conversation?

If an arrogant young master were to scream “YOU DARE?!” right now she wouldn’t even be able to hear it!

“My lady,” Tracey said, “if the noise is bothering you, you could always withdraw to the library.”

“Would I find refuge from this racket there?” Daphne asked, scowling.

“It has the strongest noise suppression charms on campus. If there’s any refuge to be had, it’ll be there,” Tracey said.

Daphne rose to her feet. “Very well then. Lead the way, junior.”

“Junior?” Tracey repeated, though she got up as well. “You’ve never called me that before.”

“For better or worse, I’ve accepted responsibility for you,” Daphne said. “I have decided to teach you my secrets, so it is only proper I address you as I would any disciple.”

She was quiet for a moment, lips quivering. Tracey swallowed the lump in her throat and mustered the courage to ask, “My lady, does this mean you’ll be patronizing me?”

“For now, yes,” Daphne said. “If you honor me in the tournament with your performance, I will see to making this a long-term arrangement.”

“You’d really do that for me?” Tracey asked. “You’d make me oathsworn?”

Daphne frowned. What was with all these questions? Tracey had been right there when Daphne had discussed this with her cousin. “I am a woman of my word, and I have said what I have said. So long as you keep faith with me, I will keep faith with you.” Unsaid, of course, was that if she ever sought to court death, Daphne would cripple Tracey’s cultivation herself! It would be wasteful, but not more wasteful than throwing away her face.

“I understand, Lady Daphne,” Tracey said with conviction. “I won’t fail you.”

“See that you don’t,” she said as they walked through the academy’s carpeted halls. There were many sights to see on the way to the library. A sculpture moved through the motions of a sword art’s taolu, forms of martial arts sequences taught to disciples to familiarize them with the basics. One of the strawborn was following along its movements—and she knew he was a peasant for he used a stick instead of a training sword.

Through the windows, Daphne spotted Lady Victoria tending to her personal garden below. The flowers in their pots wiggled, as if dancing to some unheard beat. How they managed to hear anything with all the ruckus outside was beyond her though. It was interesting to see that this realm had spirit plants though. In her old realm, animals could become spirit animals easily enough, and plants like ginseng certainly had spirit roots, but this was the first time she was seeing spirit stems and spirit leaves.

She would have to be warier of Victoria in the future if she practiced such esoteric arts. Who knew what matter of trickery she might employ?

As they arrived at the sturdy mahogany double doors of the library, Daphne recognized the glowing words of Syngian the Sage etched onto the doors: “There is one virtue: knowledge.”

A stoneborn woman with full, red lips entered as they did. Daphne recognized her! She was the junior who had given her face the other day at the picnic. “Lady Daphne,” the woman said, curtseying.

Because she had given Daphne face, it was only proper Daphne return her face. “Good day,” Daphne said, tipping her head slightly in her direction. “I remember you, but I’m afraid I don’t know your name.”

“Ah, my apologise for not introducing myself then,” she said. “I am Lady Millicent of the House Nominal Fields.”

“Well met,” Daphne said. A house nominal was the lowest of the aristocratic houses, but still aristocrats nevertheless. “Are you here to escape the noise as well?”

“It is quite loud outside, isn’t it?” Millicent said. “But no, I’m here to help the librarian apply the new enchantments on the books.”

“New enchantments?” Daphne asked. Enchantments and curses, or katara as Hystor Maria classified them in her new Six Division Model for magical understanding, was different from artificing even though both involved magic and objects. Artificing imbued the object itself with power, while katara merely placed an effect unrelated to the object’s purpose.

“Security enchantments,” Millicent said, gesturing to the book in her hand. “For example.”

Through her awakened eyes, Daphne saw qi flowing into the object, forming an ethereal script invisible to those who could not see Mount Tai.

“Now, if you tried to take this out of the library without checking it out first…” Millicent continued, taking a few steps back, out of the library. The book began screeching like a petulant child who’d been spared the rod, or a young master upon meeting a hero, or both.

“Stranger danger!” the book screeched through some unseen mouth, flipping open. “Stranger danger!”

The noise drew some strange looks to them. With another exertion of will, Millicent silenced the book. She slammed the book shut with force, like a hero’s fist slamming into a lackey’s face. “That’s what it does. We’re hoping it’ll stop people from taking books out without registering. We lost quite a few tomes last year, but thankfully nothing irreplaceable.”

Daphne nodded approvingly. “I wish you great success.” Theft, of course, was a most despicable act unless it was done by heaven’s favored children to whom the whole earth belonged. This was only proper stewardship of their things, ensuring piddling non-beings could not escape with treasures and scriptures that rightly belonged to heroes.

And if the hero could not take these treasures for himself and overcome the obstacles, then they were no hero at all.

They entered the library at last, and she took a moment to appreciate the sound of silence. The qi here was not so strong that meditating would be a good use of her time, so Daphne picked out a table in the corner, far away from anyone else and looked Tracey in the eye.

“Today, I will be teaching you one of the most important lessons a jade beauty must learn,” Daphne said solemnly.

Tracey leaned forward, expressing great interest.

“Courtship and aphrodisiacs,” Daphne said.

“What.”

“As a lady connected to me, there will no doubt be some men who wish to court you,” Daphne said. “As a jade beauty to be, it is vital you know how to handle their advances, and how to court those you have an interest in. Be sure that the man you choose is worthy, however. I will not have you rut with some common boy.”

Tracey blinked at her.

“Now, there are different strengths and types of aphrodisiacs, which we can cover at a later time. What’s important is how you react to them,” Daphne said. “If you accept that they are courting, and not courting death, you must repeat this line to them: ‘wu, wu, wu, so itchy, so hot’, while fluttering your lashes.” She demonstrated. “This will let the man know you are reciprocating.”

Her jaw dropped.

“If, on the other hand, someone comes to you asking for advice on how to court a man, you must tell them to slip them an aphrodisiac. As they say, nothing can be done once the rice is cooked.”

“You’re telling me that if I’m interested in someone, I should drug them?”

“There are other considerations regarding status and cultivation level, but yes, essentially,” Daphne said, happy that she understood. “If you’re worried that it is not strictly traditional for women to do the drugging, don’t worry. We live in enlightened times where women can be daddy too.”

Tracey’s jaw opened and closed, not unlike a goldfish. After several heartbeats, she finally answered.

“What.”