"This is the mistake most novices make when trying to grow their skillset. Having a single focus combined with a solid foundation in unaspected spells can turn even mediocre mages into great ones. Trying to expand the base too much is just as harmful as weighing the top too heavily," Madame Gokken smiled down at them, and although her eyes didn't point to anyone specifically, Nick knew she was thinking of him.

He couldn't even take offense. If he had been a regular kid, developing three elemental affinities, kinetic magic, and spiritual magic would have been overwhelming. He would have been stuck at [Beginner] for all of them, with a chance of reaching [Intermediate] only after a decade of hard work.

Yet, he was clearly head and shoulders above everyone else. He somehow didn't operate under the same constraints that had stifled the growth of most generalist mages, and that fact was driving her crazy.

The cloud of annoyance, intrigue, and barely suppressed desire around her is growing stronger every time I see her.

As the Magical Theory teacher, Madame Gokken was one of the most influential teachers for the first years, as she was known to take time off her busy schedule to help those who had strayed too far, guiding them back onto the right Path.

By all rights, he should have been one of those students who sought her guidance after struggling to keep up with the others, but he didn't seem to be slowing down anytime soon.

In fact, Nick's research areas were only expanding, with his Worldcraft meditation, [Territory] development, and demon hunting sessions, which wasn't to say anything about his duties as an Archmage's apprentice.

He knew he was driving her crazy, and that if she had a chance to do so without anyone finding out, she'd probably have him laid out on an examination table to cut him up and figure out what he was doing.

Unfortunately for the woman, he had become a notorious figure around the Tower, especially after his victory in the tournament a few days ago.

There would be no satisfying of her curiosity anytime soon.

I would usually be very worried about the massive number of sociopaths in this Tower, but I guess it's expected when most of a duchy's mages are packed together and competing against each other.

The bell rang at that moment, echoing through the classroom, and Madame Gokken turned away, breaking the moment. "Have a two-page essay ready for the next lesson about the compatibility of elemental affinities. Dismissed."

As was becoming common, a few students, those who had been struggling to keep up with the coursework, approached her, and she quickly started herding them to her study, not giving him another glance.

"She's so nice," Tim sighed, watching her walk away. Or rather, focusing on one particular spot.

Nick snorted. Yeah, she was nice. It boosted her image as a saint that she was very pretty and had a toned, elegant figure; she knew exactly how to accentuate her features without ever overdoing it.

It was fascinating to see how a Prestige witch, one who should have, by all rights, been above petty power games, seemed so focused on manipulating students everywhere.

"Eyes up," Eona grunted as she took the seat next to Nick after most of the others had left.

Tim jumped, stammering an excuse, but the blonde had already moved on. "I've heard word from Drusilla about some commotion in the upper years."

Nick tilted his head, intrigued. He hadn't paid much attention to them after the tournament, but he guessed that being the first class to lose Lasazar's prize would hurt their reputation. Willow had definitely been annoyed with him about it. "Anything particularly worrying?"

She gave him a sardonic look, by now knowing he wasn't genuinely concerned with their safety. "It seems that Emile had a bit of a reputation, and that his loss to you means other mages thought less of him. He's been challenging them to a duel whenever he hears a snide comment and has been mowing through the older apprentices with a vengeance. I would expect a repeat challenge in the next few weeks, though not anytime soon, since he'd seem like a sore loser."

Mulling it over, Nick nodded, "Yeah, I guess I should have expected it. He's certainly strong enough to face some of the full mages, so any apprentice talking smack would be easy pickings."

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Having finally regained his senses, Tim eyed him. "You're not thinking of doing anything about it, are you?"

"Nah, I've got way too much on my plate right now. If he wants to fight me, he'll have to come find me. That's the winner's privilege, I'm afraid," Nick replied with a lazy smirk.

Spending nights sneaking around Alluria had become a habit for Nick. His senses were sharp enough that he didn't need to, but with the city's security measures tightening each day as the auction drew near, he had to find new ways to gather intel, especially when most meetings took place inside warded rooms.

He was also developing the habit of showing up unexpectedly whenever he had to meet with One-Ear.

The information broker seemed to enjoy being mysterious and knowing everything about everyone, so whenever Nick managed a few wins, he would gladly accept them.

That night, he was testing a new stealth method, and it seemed to be working as intended.

Lessons with Master Tholm were quite rare since he was very busy with his research and the network of favors he had established throughout the Tower, but whenever they occurred, they significantly boosted his understanding of enchantments and material magic.

The final outcome of those lessons was the ring he was now wearing on his right index finger. Just as modest as the spatial ring, it held something many would hesitate to get near, much less wear: a curse.

But his studies before entering the Tower had been enough to reveal the true nature of curses, and although Nick would not claim to be a master artificer, or even a particularly talented one, he had enough experience and control to create something this basic.

The ring carried the [Curse of Unknowingness], something that had taken him some time to get just right.

It was something inspired by the amulet he'd bought on a whim at that witch's shop, and would allow whoever wore the ring to completely disappear from magical senses, at the cost of being unable to use their mundane senses.

For most people, it was a terrible deal. Even advanced mages would hesitate to use it, because even if they knew a sensory spell good enough to ignore its effects, they would be focused on that magic and would be much less effective at casting anything else.

Nick, on the other hand, had [Parsimonia], which made dual and even triple casting a simple matter. He could easily duel with someone while wearing the ring, though if he got into a life-or-death fight, he'd probably just take it off.

Basically, the ring was custom-made for him and would be a much worse fit for anyone else.

It had earned him ten thousand exp, which just showed that the System truly considered everything. If Willow had been the one to craft it, she probably would have earned a tenth of that. At the same time, I know she gains much more from learning runic languages than I do. With access to Tholm's library, it's no wonder she managed to grow so much despite having little experience in the field.

Slowing down as he crossed a slanted roof in the seedy parts of the city and carefully avoiding the line of sight of the crossbowmen watching the sky and the alleyways, Nick finally sensed his quarry emerge from the sewers and gently jumped, falling so softly that he made no sound.

One-Ear spun around, a dangerous-feeling dagger in his hand, and shock visible on his face. "What the—"

"Ah, my apologies," Nick said with a grin he didn't bother hiding. "I've just been testing a new spell, you see."

The broker stared for a moment longer, clearly shocked that his methods of sensing approach had been foiled so easily, but eventually slumped. "This kid will be the death of me."

"Now, now, no need to be so dramatic. I'm sure you still have many years of skulking in the dark ahead of you!" Nick replied, earning a snort.

"Alright, you've shown off your new toy. Can you turn it off? It's creepy as hell to see you, but not be able to sense you." One-Ear asked, and Nick could tell he was genuinely taken aback.

Since his hands were hidden in his large sleeves, it took only a second to recall the Ring of Unknowingness into his pocket space, which finally allowed his associate to relax.

"Whew. I was almost worried it wasn't you, but only one person can have that baby face and still be that smug," One-Ear said, and Nick noticed the crossbowmen who had been tensely waiting on the nearby rooftops relax.

They were all sporting some kind of alchemically treated device, and he'd bet good money that their bolts could pierce most mages' shields.

"Have things gotten that tense?" He asked, casually glancing at where one of the men was lying in wait behind a chimney.

One-Ear sighed, either because of his question or because he revealed he knew about the men. Or maybe it's just that I'm so casual about it. It means I don't see them as a threat, which can't be very comforting to hear. But then again, they're not here for me.

"You know they have. The goods are about to be transported to the Tower any day now, and the only time anyone will be able to access them before they're sold is during their move from the Tower to the Duke's castle, since it's handled by individual people, and after they are sold. Once they are inside the ducal vault, they'll be inaccessible until someone buys them, and since all the participants are seasoned, it won't be easy to steal anything without significant risk." One-Ear replied, then eyed him and added, "Well, not all participants, but I guess anyone who tries to steal from you will quickly learn their mistake."

Nick hummed, nodding thoughtfully. If the gangs that usually kept their heads down out of fear of the Duke's wrath were even considering staging a robbery during the transfer, they must have gotten their hands on something very dangerous. Or maybe, someone.

"Should I expect an attack on that day, then? You know the Masters of the Tower don't really care about what happens outside, but if any of their own gets hurt in the process, there will be hell to pay." That was, if anything, an understatement. Archmage Tholm was among the most relaxed of the powerhouses living inside the Tower, but the thought of any of his apprentices becoming a casualty during an attack like that…

The entire city wouldn't be turned upside down. No, that's probably not accurate. It's the whole province that will. They will target everyone involved.

One-Ear nodded grimly. "I have heard some disturbing voices that someone among the local gang leaders has managed to hire a dangerous man who specializes in killing mages. I don't know if they'll be bold enough to attack during the transfer, as that would probably provoke the wrath of both the Duke and the Tower, but anyone who buys stuff at the auction should be very careful. Your safety will be ensured only as long as you are inside the castle."

"I see," Nick said. That made more sense than a daytime terror attack, but it also meant he couldn't count on his growing reputation as a defense alone.

I guess it's time to face the music. There are two people who can handle that kind of threat. Hopefully, I can convince one of them it's real.