Gerhard went on to explain his ideas of cutting back the official powers of the Dreki family, in part through the actual sale of land, rather than renting the entire island. The family would retain a position of prestige and power on the island, effectively acting as treasurer for the isle, while the king, parliament, and courts would be elevated into actual, real positions that didn't need to bow and scrape at the whims of the Dreki family.

The entire solution was far from perfect. While it presented the Dreki family as having only a quarter of the power they once had, economic levers were some of the most powerful ones that existed, especially for internal policy, so I estimated it would be more akin to a fifty-fifty split between the family and the governments.

But it was still a massive step forward in freeing the island, and would be enough to substantially improve the lives of everyone born and raised on the island. Especially if I could push Gerhard to make some concessions for the people living there.

"I can agree on a few conditions," I said. "First of all, once you have the funds for it, a fifty billion silver fund will be set up to improve access to food, water, and housing for everyone on the Isle who has a net worth below half a million silver."

Billions sounded like a truly staggering amount, and to an extent, it was. When measuring personal worth, someone with even one billion silver would have been richer than even most successful companies, and would probably have been able to buy something like the Charm and Fable with what was effectively their pocket change.

On the scale of nations, however, a fifty billion silver relief fund, while considerable, wasn't going to severely damage the budget, or make a dent in the nation's coffers. It was only about an eighth of the shoestring yearly public budget from when I'd been growing up, so it should be a paltry sum to Gerhard's new idea.

"Second, I want the position of king to be voted on, much as it is here. I know the island isn't large enough for multiple holds consisting of multiple regions, but we can still break it down to elected votes per county."

Gerhard blinked as if the idea had never entered his mind. He turned the idea over in his head, then nodded.

"That's acceptable, though I don't see why it matters. And be careful. Your first request was a large one."

I just sighed, not wanting to explain to him why it was important. Sometimes, I forgot just how inhuman my family could be at times.

"Finally, you should know that you don't control any of us. My friends and I are all free people, so we'll be treated like mercenaries. We can all take up or turn down contracts at will, and the minimum offer you can make will be half again the going market rate for a mercenary mage of our circle. It doesn't matter if we're standing in on a political meeting or helping you remove other Dreki elements from power, all of us are going to get paid."

"Done, but you should know that I won't accommodate any other requests," Gerhard agreed. "Having your support, even if only on paper, means something now that you've made international news. But your strength is also limited by time, so it doesn't matter enough for me to bend any further."

"Fine," I agreed. "But listen to me, Gerhard."

I met his eyes and projected as much determination and power as I could.

"If you renege on our deal, or if you so much as attempt to put a loophole in the relief fund? I will hunt you down and kill you. I've beaten you once, and that was under Holmgang rules. I couldn't use any potions, enchanted items, or wards that I didn't create. And I am in a school of magic Just how much more power do you think I could get my hands on to kill you, if I weren't burdened by such limitations?"

Gerhard bristled at that, and his dragonfear spread out around him. Before it could even reach me, however, the overwhelming power of Effervesce's own might crashed down on him. He staggered back, hit the wall, then fell to his feet. The godly power receded, and he stood.

"I understand," he said quietly, then reached into a storage ring and removed some papers. He started to write up the agreement, then watched in fascination as I waved a hand and animated the pen to start writing for him. The contract was completed within a few minutes, and then I cast scribe's friend to create four extra copies of it.

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"One for each of us, a copy for each of my friends to sign off on, a pair for me to file with both the Erudite and High King respectively, and one for you to file with the island government."

I doubted that either the High King or the Erudite would actually see the agreement, but I'd still file the paperwork to have it in the official records of the school and of Ocean Spires.

"That's quite a useful bit of magic," he said, poking the documents. "The ink is even dry already. Perhaps I should look into establishing a mage school or two on the Isle… They might not be Erudite colleges, but they could still offer useful abilities."

I laughed. I couldn't help it. The fact that he'd acknowledged my power through combat in such a backhanded manner, still clinging to the supremacist ideals placed in him by our mother, only to directly approve of magic that made paperwork easier was just too much for me.

Gerhard was stony faced for a moment, then cracked a smile of his own and shook his head.

"Well, I am glad you saw some reason. I'll be in contact, Emrys."

He took his copies of the papers, then walked out, leaving me feeling strange. On one hand, I was glad that I wasn't going to have to try and open up a one man war against the Dreki family, but on the other, I didn't think I could just start over with him or the rest of my family.

Only time would tell how things went in that regard.

I was released a short time after he had left, and went to meet with Yushin, Salem, and Jackson, who were at a coffee shop that wasn't far from campus. We spent a while talking about summer courses, going over different options.

Without the looming threat of the Dreki family dragging me back, I actually decided that I planned to try out some lighter, less stressful courses, and that seemed to be a common consensus.

Jackson took a course studying divine magic, as well as a magical theatre course, which seemed entirely too interesting to me. Salem decided that it was worth taking economics and domestic magic. I also signed up for domestic magic, the course having caught my eye at the start of the year, and I decided to take the magical theatre course as well.

"Are you sure you don't want to join in on the theatre?" I asked my pair of friends who had skipped out.

"It would be a waste of my time," Yushin said flatly. She was the only one who would even be taking a battle magic course, as she'd be taking beginner's courses on shadow magic and alchemy.

Her affinity might not be able to let her completely shuck the normal limitations of either field, but it had crossover with both, especially when she combined it with her bloodline. It seemed like too narrow of a focus for me, especially since we'd have our fill of combat come the fall, but she was happy, and that was what was most important.

"I migh' consider it," Salem said. "Nah exactly big on public speakin' or nothin', but my mam loved it. My family might be comin' to visit me, so if they do, she'd be happy to see me in it."

He hemmed and hawed, before eventually biting his lip.

"Maybe I can work as a stagehan' or somethin' ah the sort."

After filling out our registration, we headed back to the school, and Salem and I swung by the hall of trophies, looking over some of the competitions that the school had once held with other Erudite colleges, honors that various people had earned, and more.

A bright pink sprite was happy to direct us to the list of students who had been members of the Coven of the Twilight Grotto, as well as assure me the rings were only bound in the sense of their magic only operating for the wielder, not in the sense of commanding certain actions. Annoyingly, he refused to explain what abilities were conferred.

"Now that would just spoil the fun! Here's a hint, though! The more you do, the more you get, the more you see, the more you know."

He laughed, his wings buzzing in concert with the sound, then shot down the hall, leading us to a large bronze plaque inset with the official seal of the coven: an open door frame with stars on the outside.

Beneath the plaque, there was a list of every member of the coven. Across the course of the school's history, there had been hundreds of members. I recognized the Erudite's name, as well as Syn, the Archmage Willow who had created Willow's Path, and more besides.

It seemed like each graduating class tended to have between three to ten members. That was what finally did it for me.

I drew out the papers, animated a pen, and signed off on them. Then Salem and I dropped them and our summer courses off in the central hall, where they'd be processed in due time.

As we walked away, I let out a sigh of relief.

It was finally over.

I had become a full citizen of Cendel, passed my first year at the Citadel of Ether, and even managed a deal that would help the people I'd been forced to flee.

What awaited me in the library, the mysteries of the coven I'd joined, and all the rest of my plans for the future could wait.

I had two full weeks of relaxation and vacation before summer courses or the solstice game signups started.

As Salem and I strolled out onto the campus greens, passing by the fountain that created dozens of reflections at once, I extended a hand to Salem.

"Want to grab lunch out in the city? My treat."

Salem looked at me for a moment, his faintly green, glowing eyes full of nerves.

"Are ya' sure? Even though m' way more likely to go aberrant?"

"I want to try."

He took my hand and nodded firmly. Then, with the slightly cool air of Ocean Spires mixing with the warmth of the sun, we set off together, walking into the city.

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