[Jack's POV]
Math class was next, but it wasn't very interesting.
The teacher was Amanda Arrow, and while she did a good job teaching the class, I wasn't really paying attention. I was more occupied with thinking about what to do when dealing with the shadow and Aaron.
Thankfully, the average level of math being taught here on Primus was equivalent to 5th grade back on Earth, so I wasn't worried about falling behind. I was more here to keep up appearances and help out my friends if they needed it.
And other than Ark, who is a little inexperienced but was taught by his grandfather, none of them had problems.
As we stepped into the corridor, Ark glanced at me, his ears twitching slightly.
"Jack… why do we need to take this class anyway? I get the basics — counting, measuring, paying for supplies — but this?" He gestured back toward the classroom. "Feels pointless."
I smiled, hands sliding into my pockets. "For most people, yeah. But for mages? Math isn't just about numbers. It's about survival."
Ark blinked. "Survival?"
"Yeah. Wizards and artificers like me and Zek need to run calculations in our heads constantly. Mana cost. Power output. Distance. Trajectory. Speed. How the environment affects a spell. All of it." I tapped my temple. "Casting a spell is like solving an equation mid-battle."
Ark tilted his head. "But… I don't do that. I just… feel the magic and let it go."
"Exactly." I grinned faintly. "You are a sorcerer, you cast on pure instinct. No calculations. That's what makes sorcerers so fast. But…" I leaned closer, voice dropping slightly. "You know what I fear more than a wizard or a sorcerer?"
"What?"
"A sorcerer who casts like a wizard."
Ark froze, staring at me like I'd just described a monster. "Wait… is that actually a thing?"
"Not common," I said. "But possible."
Ark turned to the others. "Is… that true?"
Araki nodded. "Yeah. I can't cast like Jack or Zek, but I still do some calculations when I use mana through my gear or infusions. It's less demanding mentally, but it does have a higher mana cost."
Orin added, "From what I've heard, sorcerers are faster but more limited. Wizards are slower but way more versatile." He glanced at Zek on his shoulder. "Right?"
Zek nodded. "Exactly. Sorcerers can unleash raw power quickly. Wizards can do almost anything — but need time. Combining both?" He let out a low whistle. "Picture someone waving their hand… and a hundred magic circles appear. That's terrifying."
Ark shivered. "…Yeah. That's terrifying."
I nodded. "But that's not the worst thing I can imagine."
Four sets of eyes turned toward me.
Araki asked, "What's worse than that?"
"Personality," I said simply. "And personal circumstances."
Orin gave me a thoughtful look. "You mean… someone with nothing left to lose?"
I smiled faintly. "Exactly."
Araki frowned. "What does that have to do with strength?"
I gestured with my hands, framing the thought. "Imagine three people of equal power. One fights for greed. One fights for their family. One has lost everything. Who's stronger?"
Everyone gave their guesses, but Orin said it first: "The one with nothing left to lose."
I nodded slowly. "That man… he wouldn't care about injuries. Or collateral damage. He'd push past pain, past reason, until the fight was done. But… he probably wouldn't survive it either. Winning wouldn't mean living."
I raised a finger. "The man who fights for greed? He's the weakest. Too focused on protecting himself to risk enough to win. After all, you can't enjoy the loot if you're dead."
Then I looked at Ark. "The one who fights for their family? That's the most dangerous kind of fighter. They'll do whatever it takes to win, not because they might die, but because losing means more than just their own death."
I shrugged. "In the end, it depends on the fight. If it's about protecting others, the fighter with something to live for wins. But if it's about pure destruction… the man with nothing left takes it."
Ark absorbed that in silence, ears twitching. Orin gave a quiet nod, like he'd already known.
Araki looked uneasy.
Zek… just stared at me, eyes sharp and thoughtful.
'He's wondering why I know that,' I thought.
And I couldn't blame him.
"Alright," I said while clapping my hands. "That's enough existential dread for a morning. Guildmaster Zareth wanted to see us, so let's head to the Guild."
Everyone nodded. Orin fell in step beside me. "Why does the Guildmaster want to talk to us?"
I shrugged. "My guess? Aaron."
Orin frowned. "Why would the Guildmaster want anything to do with Aaron?"
I couldn't help the small chuckle. "Zareth isn't some powdered noble or paper-shuffling bureaucrat. He's a retired S-rank — and one of the city's main protectors."
They all stopped for half a heartbeat and stared at me.
Orin basically blurted, "The Guildmaster is an S-rank?!"
"Yep." I started walking again. "Back in the day he was known as the Sealing Master."
Orin mouthed the title, trying to place it, and came up empty. I laughed.
"He kept a low profile when he was younger," I said. "Didn't chase fame. That, and… being part demon didn't help public opinion. People feared him a little. He never stopped helping people, though."
We traded looks and kept moving. Zek — blue scales catching the light — tilted his head. "What exactly was his specialty? I mean… 'Sealing Master' sounds like wards and defensive magic."
"It's part of it," I said. "If you want the full answer, ask him. I'm not sure what he's comfortable sharing."
Zek nodded, satisfied.
"Then let's go," I said, rolling my shoulders. "We've got time before our afternoon class."
We left the academy and walked along the dirt road toward the city.
The moment we passed under the stone arch of the outer gate, the energy shifted — Raventhorn was buzzing. People clustered in knots at corners and carts, voices low and fast.
"—I'm telling you, my niece's a student — felt the mana pulse in her bones—"
"Gate magic? At night?"
"From the capital, they say—"
Ark glanced at me. "What do they mean by [Gate]?"
Zek answered before I did, eager. "Every major city has a permanent teleportation arch. Lets you move across the kingdom in a blink. It's rarely used — huge mana cost, serious security risk — and it only opens if both sides agree."
I gave a confirming nod. "Raventhorn's [Gate] is somewhere in the city, but its location's kept secret. As far as I know, only the city lord and the Guildmaster know its location and have the keys."
Ark nodded, filing it away.
Araki murmured, "If someone really came from the capital, they must have a good reason."
"Yeah…" I said slowly. "And the timing is… interesting."
'If those three are still trying to pull on strings, they're getting clumsy. Or desperate.'
We cut down Market Row, past the spice sellers and glassblowers, then up the lane that climbed toward the Guild. The building loomed ahead — stone and timber, banners snapping in the breeze, the big bronze plaque over the door catching the pale sun.
Halfway up the steps, I stopped.
A prickle ran across my skin, under it, through it — old instincts flaring. I lifted my eyes to a second-floor window.
Zareth's office.
"Shit."
There it was. Threaded through the air like a hot needle. A type of mana I hoped I wouldn't face any time soon.
Ark noticed my face and moved closer. "Jack? You okay?"
I didn't look away from the glass. "Be on guard," I said quietly. "Whoever came from the capital isn't just a royal envoy. They're from the Holy Church. And they're in Zareth's office."
Everyone went a shade paler.
"They seem to be a high-ranking member too, from the feel of it," I added.
Zek swallowed. "You're sure?"
"Yes." I kept my voice even. "Anyone can use holy magic if a god bothers to listen. This is different. This is [Sun Magic]."
Zek blinked. "Sun… magic?"
"Think of it like light and fire braided together and then… sharpened," I said. "It's one of the outer elements, like Space or Time. Like Ark's affinity for Moon. Rare and very strong in the right hands."
I finally tore my gaze from the window and looked at them one by one. "We don't pick a fight. We keep our heads down. But if this turns, it could turn fast."
Orin nodded once, jaw set.
Araki flexed his fingers over the pommel of a dagger.
Zek slipped a hand inside his cloak where his wands lived.
Ark edged just behind my shoulder, eyes calm but focused.
"Alright," I said, exhaling. "Follow my lead."
We pushed through the Guild's brass-rimmed doors into a rush of cool air and noise — clerks at high desks, a board covered in quest slips, adventurers in travel-stained gear arguing over pay splits. A few eyes tracked us; most went back to their business.
I didn't slow. We took the side stairs two at a time, the wood creaking under Orin's size, and turned down the quieter upper hall. At the end, the door to Zareth's office was clear.
I raised a hand and put up a soundproof barrier, and I kept my voice low. "Two things. First: do not say the Sun's name. Second: if I say 'shutter,' you fall back, no questions."
They nodded, serious now.
I let the barrier drop, knocked twice, then pushed the door open.