“Sir, the boy just cashed in those two assassins,” Richard said as soon as he walked into the office. “I can imagine the looks on their faces when they got the news.”

“Mhm.” Headmaster nodded absentmindedly while reading an official document.

For a moment Richard thought he was seeing things. Headmaster Smith’s perception and mental faculties were so high that he could simply flip through pages of a book and memorize its entire content in an instant. Afterwards, he’d just need some time to process the information, but that was only true for complex subjects.

What kind of single paged document could capture this monster’s attention for so long? After several seconds of delay, Lord of Steel finally spoke.

“Dick, when’s that sham of a Soul Force test for that kid’s class?” he asked slowly, still seeming to mull his words over even as he said them.

“It’s Richard, Sir,” Richard said out of reflex before proceeding to answer his boss’s question. “The test is in half a month. Why do you ask?”

“Do you remember when I told you to tamper with the test so that we can confirm that the boy had reached the Eighth Order?” The headmaster stroked his chin, appearing like he was still thinking about something.

“Yes, Sir. I believe you were quite drunk when you said that.” Richard nodded in confirmation with a slight smile on his face.

“Scratch that order…” the headmaster continued seriously, ignoring his subordinate’s jabs.

“Not a problem. I never planned on doing it anyway.” Richard shrugged, but his shoulders froze in place when he heard the next few words his boss said.

“… set the test difficulty for the Tenth Order. Oh, and make sure not to get caught,” Lord of Steel finished his instructions without paying attention to Richard’s fooling around.

The Mage Academy’s secretary remained silent for a moment.

“Have you started doing drugs again, Sir?” Richard asked seriously.

Headmaster Smith didn’t answer.

He just threw the letter he’d been holding up into the air and let it fall down on the desk. That brief flash was all it took for the secretary Richard Alexandria to read the content of the letter.

“You think that Wolf boy is the True-Namer from that congratulatory memo?” Richard asked in disbelief.

In quick succession, shock, disbelief, ridicule and fear showed clearly on his aged face.

Headmaster cocked his brow as he looked at Richard. “Can you tell me the name of a single person we currently have among our academy’s staff who wouldn’t run all over the city, yelling at top of their lungs, proclaiming to the entirety of Silver City that they had just become a First Order True-Namer?”

“One name,” Headmaster repeated seriously.

“You’re a tad too extreme, Sir. They would’ve approached us and the Duke and then they would see who’s offering better terms. Worst-case scenario, they would hire town criers and wouldn’t run around themselves. Archmages still have some dignity.” Richard didn’t seem too confident in his words. Still, he said them, attempting to defend his juniors’ reputations.

“Since it’s not any of those louts, it can only be that boy. He’s a very interesting little fellow. I’m thinking of hiring him as my secretary.” Lord of Steel rubbed his chin, appearing to seriously deliberate the notion.

“I am your secretary, Sir,” Richard said coldly, with an equally frosty look.

“Exactly, and you are old and boring.” Headmaster Smith grinned.

Richard raised an eyebrow. “Excuse me, Sir. I have to step out for a bit to kill a runt.”

“Richard stop, you know I was joking,” the headmaster hurriedly said, stopping the man, even going as far as to call him by his proper name.

“So was I, Sir. I don’t have to step out of the room to kill a runt,” the old secretary said with a snort.

“Richard, come on, don’t be jealous. You’re my one and only secretary in this century.”

Richard harrumphed to this, but his lips made a tiny, pleased smile.

“You’re acting like a kid,” Lord of Steel muttered.

“As far as I can tell from the evidence at hand, you’re into kids, Sir,” Richard replied snidely.

“Oh, really now?” Headmaster spat out resentfully. “You want to play it like that? That blow was so low you might have hurt someone in the basement.

“Do you have any idea what women my age look like? They’re all either dried up, wrinkled hags barely standing on their own two feet, or succubi Sword-Saint whores from Highseat who’d turn me into a mummy if they ever got a chance.”

After he’d finished complaining about women of his generation, the headmaster cleared his throat. “Anyway, enough of this nonsense. Tamper with the test. That’s a command from your boss. For now, make it a Tenth Order spell scroll. Out of curiosity, what’s your exact Mage Order at the moment?”

“Seventeen Sir. I hope to break through to Twenty within a couple of decades.” Richard replied seriously, but said nothing about the directive he had just received.

“All right. You may leave,” Smith dismissed his aide. “When you have the time, drop by the Mission Hall. Tell them that certain nobles will have a five percent discount on missions they issue for a limited period of two. No, make that five years. I think you already know which nine I’m talking about.”

Richard stopped mid step. He turned around and looked at his boss wide eyed with admiration. “You suspect the boy is a True-Namer and yet… Sir, you are evil incarnate.”

“Thank you,” the headmaster straightforwardly accepted the compliment. “It’s about time someone knocked the teeth out of those complacent kids who are living off of their ancestors’ glory.”

Lord of Steel really hated these descendants of his long dead mates and enemies. He couldn’t believe such lions and tigers could spawn repugnant little vermin like these. In fact, he dearly hoped those people were someone’s bastards and not their direct descendants.

The only ones he hated more than those degenerates ruining his youthful memories were the wallowing swine who came from the loins of people he’d hated back when he was young.

Richard left the office with an amused half-smirk.

He really is one hell of a bastard, the secretary thought. But working for him is the most amusing job in the entire duchy, maybe even the empire.

***

Unaware of this old couple’s quarrel, Wolf went back to his and Wayde’s room. As usual, his roommate was nowhere in sight, so Wolf decided to check whether Anna and Matilda were in. He knocked on their door. And after a brief wait, Anna opened it.

As soon as she saw Wolf, the young woman blushed and heaved a breath of relief. Her smile threatened to split her head in half, but that anxious and shy happiness only lasted for an instant. As her brain caught up with her heart and hormones, the young woman’s expression darkened.

Anger, which bordered on fury, turned her face even redder than it was.

“You imbecile,” she shouted, losing control of herself. “Are you insane? What kind of mission did you take? Do you have any idea how worried I was?

“Those bastards kept going around, saying how you were so poor you went to kill yourself over a handful of Academic Credits.” Anna’s lip quivered as she said that. “Thank gods you gave up on it and came back.”

“Huh? Oh? Um… That? I already came back. It was two hundred credits for an extremely easy mission! It was practically just a stroll,” Wolf reassured Anna, causing the young lady to pale.

“Easy your foot, you maniac!” Anna finally exploded. She was so worried she couldn’t sleep for the last couple of days. “That was a pair of Fifth Order Sword-Sages! Only a Mage of the Eighth Order and above could say that it was an easy mission!”

“It really was easy. I— I caught them by surprise.” Wolf faltered while baking a half-assed lie.

Well, technically, it was true. He really did surprise Silence and Darkness. Even if their surprise was short-lived.

“I’m glad you’re safe.” Anna mumbled, then took a step forward to hug Wolf.

Her body moved on its own, but then she immediately took a step back and looked at Wolf awkwardly. She could tell the chaperone and the hallway monitor were already looking at them because of her outbursts and if she’d hugged Wolf now it would border scandalous behavior.

“Oh, by the way,” Anna said while looking at the floor. “Thanks to you, Matilda reached the Fourth Order yesterday. She didn’t make it official or anything, but it’s only a matter of time.”

“That’s great,” Wolf exclaimed happily. “That means her family will allow her to go on missions from now on. But what does her advance have to do with me?”

Hearing that one of his friends had finally reached this threshold where she could travel with him made Wolf feel excited. True, it would be better if he could go with Anna, but still…

“Her father rewarded her with various resources for her unexpectedly excellent result on the last exam,” Anna explained. “Barbara and I also got some potions from our parents as incentives. I hope I'll be able to advance my Order soon.”

Anna had a long face and felt hesitant about making any claims. Advancing her Mage Order turned out much more difficult than she’d originally expected. After a moment of awkward silence, Anna changed the subject.

“Regarding Matilda and going on a mission,” Anna started. “She said she’d wait a couple months before heading out. She wants to learn some Fourth Order spells. Otherwise, her advancement is completely useless.”

Wolf disagreed. The more columns you had, the better your perception and information processing speed. If Matilda used mundane weapons in a fight, her performance increased considerably. But he didn’t want to interrupt Anna.

“… and to be honest, four star missions are hardly worth her time. While some poorer nobles go on them for Academic Credits, Matilda doesn’t need the money. She wants to gain experience and build up a relationship with the rest of us,” she was about to say Matilda was waiting for her to advance her Order, but faltered.

Matilda’s consideration made her feel guiltier. This was the perfect chance for the young Marchioness to get closer to Wolf, and Anna knew it. Like everyone else, she also wanted to draw him into her house, or at least turn him into an ally.

“I think Matilda called me,” Anna lied after yet another awkward silence.

She hurriedly closed the door, leaving behind one stumped Wolf.

It sure is nice being low Order, he thought about Anna’s blatant lie.

***

Over the course of two weeks, Anna finally reached the Fourth Order. As did Barbara.

Wayde, who had more talent than either of them, didn’t. He lacked the finances to purchase expensive elixirs, which were a much needed shortcut.

However, being denied an easy way came with certain advantages as well.

Wayde would eventually have enough money to purchase these items. Since the potion increased one’s natural ability to focus and generate Soul Force it would remain equally useful regardless of the user’s Order. The only question was how long a Mage would wait before consuming it and how desperate they were to advance.

On the day of the exam, Wolf and Wayde were the only ones who sat in the classroom. The freshmen were exempt from this test, while everyone else had successfully increased their Order and passed by default.

Wolf was relaxed. He could pass any kind of test they threw at him. As for Wayde, the young Duke was in trouble.

He silently cursed his luck and cursed the Mage Academy faculty for implicating him in this affair. As for Wolf, Wayde put in the mental effort not to be angry at his roommate. And yet, no matter how much self-control he had, he couldn’t help but silently grit his teeth at his absurd circumstances. He was once again collateral damage.

Wayde was engrossed in his thoughts when the professor walked in and gave him and Wolf a furled vellum scroll.

“The requirements of this test are simple,” the man said while sitting down. “Each student will get a scroll with a restriction Spell Formation scribed on it. To pass the test, all you have to do is undo the restriction.

“You do this by injecting more Soul Force than the Spell Formation can handle. The Order of the restriction Spell Formation is higher than your current Mage Order so that we can see whether your soul has made any advancements.”

“For instance, student Northshield’s restriction requires Soul Force equivalent to what we need to prepare three Fourth Order spells. If you can’t break the seal within the timeframe, you will be demoted to the regular class and won’t advance a grade. That is all, you may begin,” the man finished explaining the rules to the two elite students, and now waited for Wolf to fail.

The urchin’s test was naturally tampered with. The Spell Formation was originally supposed to be of the Fifth Order, however, the examiner replaced it with a Sixth Order one. Naturally, using an even higher Order would’ve been preferable, but it would be too obvious if Wolf failed the test by too much.

As far as the plotting nobles were concerned, this was enough to get Wolf demoted, which would mean he would have to work for his scholarship, which in turn meant he wouldn’t have the time to study.

The conspirators were unaware that Headmaster Smith and Richard already knew about this childish ploy of theirs, and that Lord of Steel had ordered Richard to replace the Sixth Order seal with a Tenth Order one.

Richard, as dutiful as he was, personally scribed the Spell Formation, but “accidentally” got carried away and instead of a Tenth Order restriction he’d made a Twelfth Order one.

Richard cared little about how well Wolf did. As far as he was concerned, the boy wouldn’t be able to pass with the Tenth Order restriction, so upping the stakes didn’t matter.

The secretary had also prepared the whole righteous indignation speech about his student failing because he was framed by the examiner who switched his test for a higher Order one. Then the beggar boy could redo the test next week with a proper restriction or simply cast a Fifth Order spell. Either was fine, since both options would allow Wolf to advance a grade and enter the next elite class.

Richard kind of felt bad for the kid who wanted to steal his job from him. He’d done nothing wrong, and yet two groups plotted against him. One did so out of fear and envy, while the other prodded him out of boredom and curiosity.

The secretary wasn’t certain which was worse, but this went to prove that the boy really was a genius. A genius at attracting trouble.

“How much time do you think he will need Dick?” Lord of Steel asked while looking at the scrying mirror.

“It’s Richard, Sir.” Richard said reflexively.

“An average First Order True-Namer would need around twenty to twenty-five minutes to fill out a restriction that emulates three Tenth Order spells,” Richard lied through his teeth in the way Mages often did, without saying any falsehoods.

He acted as if the scroll he had made was a Spell Formation with a Tenth Order restriction.

“Well, he has half an hour, otherwise he automatically fails. I’m thinking he’ll take around ten minutes.” Headmaster said as he struck his beard, unaware of Richard’s half-truth.

Yeah, fat chance of that, the secretary thought with a straight face.

“Sir, if he can overload a restriction designed for a Tenth Order Mage in ten minutes that would mean he’s close to being a Thirteenth Order Mage,” Richard said, barely holding himself back from asking his boss whether he’d started doing drugs again.

“We’ll see, we’ll see. Anyway, they are starting now.” As Lord of Steel said those words, Wolf and Wayde started their test. There was nothing much for an observer to see, other than two boys holding sheets of parchment with fancy diagrams skillfully drawn in deep purple ink.