The next morning, David woke up still feeling exhausted. His mind was still too focused on the day before. He lay there, eyes closed in a dreamlike state.

  The conversation with Aura was a major point in his new life. She didn’t chase him out on the spot, among other things.

  And yet, his shoulders were ever heavier. Even then, at a time when anything goes, he couldn’t find it in himself to share the last secret he held. The darkest of all–his identity. Aura understood him and cared for him.

  Because he was her son. But if she deemed that he wasn’t? At least not in spirit. It was just… too unpredictable.

  I won’t ever be able to share this safely. Not with her.

  At this point he started to notice various sounds around the room and began to actually wake up. He opened his eyes just in time to see Bert leaving their room with Sophie close behind.

  Aura was left sitting alone at the table. “Morning mom. Why is everyone in such a rush?” David questioned, trying to wipe the sleep off his eyes.

  “Morning sweetie.” She smiled at him, the gesture tired but sincere. “Your father was… annoyed with me. He just can’t understand our bond. Come, we have some leftover mosser soup.”

  “Third day in a row? Whose idea was it to cook so much of it in the first place?” David groaned softly, scanning the kitchen. “It probably went bad already, too.”

  I’m not picky, but a meat soup standing out warm for so long… just isn’t good news.

  “My little boy is now too grown up for such unrefined tastes?” She mocked. “Don’t worry, I added in a few drops of conservation potion to it, we can keep enjoying it until the whole pot runs out!”

  Is this… revenge?

  “Alright, alright. I see how it is.” David sighed as he poured himself a bowl of still warm soup. “Thanks for the meal, mom.”

  As he ate, he felt Aura’s eyes on him. What did she think of him now? ‘A reckless child’? ‘A compulsive deceiver’?

  When he finally stepped outside, he was met with the rising sun. The day’s lesson was with Greine, and she refused to teach him anything new until the rest of the class caught up, so being late was not a problem.

  As he walked, he still felt tense. So many secrets unveiled, and yet, when it was time to share the most important one, he chickened out.

  The life before this one. The truth he had carried alone since the moment he woke up in this world.

  David saw no good way to share it. Sure, Aura was caring and understanding–Because of their bond. But if the secret turned that connection itself into a question?

  Maybe he could test the reaction to it by talking with Sophie first? But what If it went sour and she told Aura?

  Still no good. Maybe I could reframe it?

  A revelation from the goddess, perhaps? Wouldn’t that be easier for them to accept? He thought of the figure of a golden woman who had sent him here.

  In truth he was David, who was born again. But claiming to be Marco, gifted with memories of David by the Goddess, wasn’t much of a stretch, right? It was technically correct.

  The thought made him pause mid-step. Everyone here spoke of the Goddess with such conviction. People of Grainwick sang and prayed to her before every eclipse, and yet they had no temples. Even in Ki-Elico, the only religious symbols were purely ornamental.

  How could a religion be so widespread without houses of worship and an organization devoted to its upkeep?

  He shook his head as he started walking again. Either way, the idea of claiming a revelation was a good, if risky, place to start. Religions of his old life mostly had some or other precedent for that. But here? He had no idea.

  If he wanted to do it at all, and he did, he would do it right. He didn’t survive all that shit, just to get crucified as some heretic.

  First I have to request that laboratory access. Then, probably talk with Bert. No, scratch that. I don’t want to see him, much less talk to him. Diana knows a lot, maybe I could get her to talk about religion?

  He went through a mental checklist, already groaning under the weight of so many branching paths ahead of him. He shook his head and continued down the straight road, the morning air cool against his face.

  One step at a time.

  Sophie followed Bert through the early light, kicking pebbles along the narrow, yet-unfinished road.

  By the time she caught up to him, he had already started a fire and was heating up the forge.

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  “Why are you so annoyed?” Sophie finally asked, voice sharp with frustration. “It’s her sword! Her choice.”

  Bert froze, staring into the roaring flames. “Because it’s always like this.” The creases on his face deepened as he spoke. “Aura will be reckless, go into grave danger and barely survive, only to forget about it in a day and repeat it all over again. And now she’s teaching Marco to do the exact same thing.”

  Sophie bit her lip. Between Marco’s exploits in Grainwick and his collaboration with the rebels, that did sound pretty accurate. But she participated in a fair share of those, so why…

  “Why aren’t you that stern with me, then?” She paused as she took a deeper breath. “It’s almost like you don’t care.”

  “I do care, but you’re different. Normal, I guess. You think of the consequences first. But Aura and Marco–It’s painful to watch. To slowly lose them.”

  She stepped closer before he could go back to work, wrapping her arms around him. He stiffened, then let out another of those long, weary breaths and held her in return.

  They stood like that for a while, only soft crackling of fire around them.

  But she was an adult now and had her own responsibilities. She couldn’t just stand there, hugging her dad like she wanted to.

  Sophie pulled away and Bert returned to work without a word, his face constricted. As she walked away, she heard bursts of hissing, as droplets of water hit the embers.

  Despite having a lot to do, David’s next days came and went rather uneventfully. He had submitted his petition, attended the, now almost pointless, lessons and plotted how to get the necessary intel about religion.

  Until a new development hit him straight in the face.

  “Congratulations to lady Diana, as the first to properly master the first level cube.” Lady Greine announced at the end of their lesson. “She has demonstrated proper focus and resistance to interruption. Since everyone has achieved the basic understanding of mana control, from tomorrow, you’ll learn to cast in earnest.”

  The annoying woman had a particularly nasty smirk on her face. Not directly aimed at him, but… It was almost as if Greine was trying to rub it in his face.

  All that because he had the audacity to push ahead?

  Diana was in fact making steady progress, where David almost stagnated… but she wasn’t struck with sparks, chunks of ice nor gusts of wind to interrupt her.

  That doesn’t add up. Is it because she’s a noble? I wasn’t too cocky or anything, was I?

  The lesson was over and everyone filed out of the classroom. David walked toward one of the administration rooms, but he was still consumed by thought about the second revelation of that day.

  Aura had finished analyzing the vial he was given by Greine, and while it wasn’t deadly, it was a potent hallucinogen. Had David drunk it in class, without realizing, he would have made an absolute fool out of himself. Maybe even got expelled.

  Between that and the antagonistic approach of their teacher, it was really hard not to jump to conclusions.

  Someone had it out for him.

  Is it because of my commoner status?

  He shook his head. Why would he be targeted, and not Lia? Or both of them.

  She was contract-bound, but that likely made little difference on its own. He had to figure it out and quickly, but, there were just so many reasons someone could hate him.

  He shelved it for later as he entered the office..

  The cramped office was covered in hardwood, which was barely visible behind the mass of bookshelves full of documents. In the middle of the room, was a single desk with a middle-aged man behind it and a few chairs by the wall.

  When David previously came by to deliver the paperwork, he had taken the time to bring some modest sweets and get acquainted with the clerk. It was one of the things his father had taught him.

  Bureaucracy runs better when you grease the wheels.

  “Hello Mr. Cedric.” David bowed lightly to the commoner clerk, much to his approval. ”Was my petition looked at, by chance?”

  “This one?” Cedric handed him a familiar parchment, with a bright red stamp.

  DENIED

  “Huh? My stated case fits all the requirements to be assigned a laboratory.” David questioned, more out of curiosity than anger. “Why would it be rejected?”

  “Not sure, but I hear it went all the way up to archmage Loren.” The clerk gave him a pitying look. “You may oppose the verdict, but I doubt they’ll give you time of day.”

  “I see. Thank you mister. It's a hard life for us commoners, isn’t it?” David probed the man.

  “You can say that again.” Cedric rolled his eyes. “Though it’s a bit peculiar. I don’t remember Archmage Loren ever having a class bias. And your petition did seem well written. You had someone from the academy staff help you write it, right?”

  “Something like that. I’ll revise it and hopefully it will work next time.” David bowed, thanked the man for his assistance and left.

  The whole academy seemed to be one long uphill battle for him. Well, the conversation with Cedric all but excluded class bias from the list of potential causes for his situation.

  On the other hand, if it was just some personal grudge some people at the academy had against him, even if he didn’t know the reasons, that was something he could bruteforce his way through.

  He had made a powerful acquaintance lately, after all. One with a lot of knowledge and connections. Well, he didn’t even know what house she came from, but she behaved like she was a big deal.

  David still didn’t trust her fully… But maybe they could trade some information.

  David found Diana at her usual spot in the gardens, sitting on the stone bench near the noble quarter’s entrance. The late sun caught the edge of her silver mask, scattering faint light across the marble path.

  He approached her with a polite bow “Lady Diana. May we talk?”

  She turned her head slowly, her posture as impeccable as ever. For a heartbeat she simply studied him, then she gave a small nod. “We may.” She then chuckled softly. “You have perfect timing, I was about to call for you.”

  David blinked. “For me? Why?”

  “I finally managed to organize something I was looking forward to.” She leaned back, "As my friend, or a lackey, as you so graciously called it, you’ll obviously participate, right?”

  She continued without waiting for his answer. “Tomorrow, meet me here instead of attending mr. Rafiel’s lessons.”

  “Do I even get to ask for some details before I skip class at your whim?”

  “No, I’m afraid you’ll have to trust me. It’s a surprise, if you will.” She tried to keep her face straight, but he could see the corners of her lips curling up.

  David of course loved surprises. Especially those set up by slightly unhinged, masked noblegirls.

  Stay calm. Do what she wants. You need that laboratory David.