"Still not finished?" Lyman's sharp voice sounded beside Lynn's ear.
"Almost done, Lord Golden Shadow." Lynn gripped a specially crafted engraving knife, focusing intently as he etched the magical power circuits.
His face was drawn with exhaustion. A cloth band was tied across his forehead to keep sweat from dripping down, but it was already soaked through.
Today marked the fifth day since Lynn began assisting with the modification of the wizard tower.
In those five days, he had slept less than ten hours in total. If not for the White Crow Swordsmanship bolstering his physique, and Lyman supplying him with a potion every twenty-four hours to restore his spirit and ease physical fatigue, Lynn would likely have collapsed dead at his workbench.
Even so, he had reached his limits.
He didn't know how much more time had passed before he finally completed the day's assigned task.
As he rose to his feet, his vision went black. He stumbled, the engraving knife slipping from his fingers and clattering to the ground.
"Careful."
Lyman called out, conjuring a great hand of mana to steady him.
It took Lynn quite a while before he regained enough strength to rasp out:
"Thank you, Lord Golden Shadow."
"No need to thank me." Lyman's expression was gentle. "You've worked hard these days.
"But time is pressing. War could break out at any moment. For every day earlier we finish modifying this tower, we gain another chance at survival.
"These past days, I haven't allowed myself a single moment of rest either."
Lynn nodded in silence. It was true that Lyman had worked even harder than he had, rarely closing his eyes.
But Lynn felt no sympathy.
In the end, Lyman was doing this for himself.
And besides, Lyman was a First-Rank Wizard, his stamina vastly superior. Five days without sleep was nothing to him.
Lyman went on, still praising:
"You did well today. Without my help, you still managed to finish a full set of power-supply units.
"Starting tomorrow, the number of units needed will be less. You should finally be able to get some rest.
"In fact, from now until… yes, six o'clock tomorrow morning, you won't be needed. If you want to get some air outside, go ahead, but be back before six."
These foundational power-supply units weren't standalone pieces. Instead, each one was embedded within the rest of the flight module.
So during construction, the power systems couldn't be assembled separately. They had to be integrated alongside the other spell components.
For the past few days, their process had been the same:
Lyman first constructed several complex spell units.
Lynn then added one or more power units among them.
While Lynn worked, Lyman moved on to build the next part.
And so the cycle repeated.
Most of the time, Lynn wasn't fast enough, forcing Lyman to make extra units to keep pace.
It was only today that Lynn finally managed to match his speed.
Hearing Lyman's words, Lynn froze for a moment. Then genuine relief and joy welled up in his eyes.
"Thank you, Master Lyman."
Lyman accepted the thanks without much reaction, then added:
"By the way, your work on the tower isn't unpaid. I've recorded your contributions in the Society. You can redeem them in the archives later for whatever knowledge catches your interest."
"Yes, Master Lyman."
Maintaining his outward courtesy, Lynn bowed slightly and left the underground chamber.
After he departed, Lyman muttered inwardly to himself:
"Another few days of observation… His talent with magical arrays is still a little lacking. But if it improves, perhaps I could truly consider taking him along.
"After all, an apprentice who understands magical arrays could bring me a great deal of profit."
...
Lynn stepped out of the Golden Shadow Society headquarters. The evening wind brushed past him as he gazed up at the dark sky, a feeling of dislocation washing over him.
Even back in my previous life, working like an ox or a horse never felt this exhausting.
He exhaled softly and turned toward home.
Just as he returned, Lynn nearly bumped into Adeline, who was preparing to head out.
"Lord Lynn, you're back!" Adeline said happily. "I was just about to wait for you outside the Society headquarters."
Since Lynn hadn't said when he would return, Adeline had been taking a carriage to the Society gates every morning and evening these past few days, waiting to bring him home.
"Good evening, Adeline." Lynn smiled back. Then, as though remembering something, he asked,
"You're still living here, Adeline?"
Her expression faltered in slight panic. But Lynn shook his head. "I was only curious, no need to be nervous. If you'd like, you can keep living here."
Adeline had hardly been staying for free; she often helped with chores around the house, and old Carter had praised her diligence many times.
And besides, she was his friend. Letting her stay without cost didn't really matter.
Adeline relaxed, though her cheeks colored faintly as she admitted,
"Since Green Vine Restaurant became the property of the Bloodmark Society, most of us former attendants were dismissed, so…"
Lynn was taken aback. He hadn't expected the Golden Shadow Society to give away even the Green Vine Restaurant to the Bloodmark Society.
"Oh, Lord Lynn, while you were away, Lady Elena Ross came looking for you."
So the garrison has returned to the city?
Lynn's heart skipped, and he turned to Adeline.
"Adeline, please prepare the carriage. I need to go to the Society garrison."
"Of course, Lord Lynn."
The night was deep when Lynn arrived at the Hossens Society's garrison in Emeraldwood City.
The guards at the gate recognized him. One hesitated before asking,
"Lord Lynn? Are you here to see Lady Elena?"
"That's right."
The guard nodded and gestured. "Please, come with me. Lady Elena instructed us that if you came looking for her, no matter the hour, we should bring you to her immediately."
Lynn inclined his head and followed the guard inside.
"Would you like something to drink, Lynn?"
In the meditation chamber, Elena asked warmly.
"No need," Lynn declined, glancing around.
The chamber was simple in decoration, much like Elena herself, but its fittings were far superior to what he possessed.
That was clear enough from the defensive, soundproofing array she had activated.
"I already know why you've come, Lynn," Elena said with a smile as she sat opposite him. "I can tell you what's been happening within the Society lately. But what can you offer me in exchange?"
Lynn shook his head. His voice was steady:
"I know the Herland Society attacked Hossen's students abroad. I know war is coming."
"…So your Golden Shadow master told you quite a bit already."
Elena's expression softened with a trace of surprise. She never would have imagined that Lynn's talent for arrays was high enough to make a formal wizard take him as a student.
"Perhaps." Lynn didn't confirm or deny it. Instead, he stated his purpose plainly:
"Do you know any way, in these circumstances, to safely reach the outside world?"
Elena narrowed her eyes. "You're thinking of escaping the Hossens Wizard Territory?"
"War is on the horizon, Elena." Lynn's reply was simple.
She sighed, leaning back into the sofa, and shook her head.
"No. I can say with certainty that until the war ends, all travel routes from Hossens will remain closed.
"In these conditions, there is absolutely no way a Second-Rank apprentice could safely pass through the Emeraldshadow Forest to the outside."
Elena had looked into this before, so her answer carried the weight of certainty.
Lynn was silent for a long moment before speaking again:
"What if I flew over the forest?"
Elena blinked. "You mean…"
"You know I have some talent with arrays.
"And I also know the method for constructing a flying craft called the Lambiel Skiff."
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