Kalem stood near the carriage, leaning against Onyx as he flipped through his notebook, scribbling notes on the performance of his enchantments during his duel.
The hardness-sharpness enchantment on his sword had worked well—better than expected. Even when clashing against a noble-forged blade, his weapon had held strong without chipping. That was a success.
The mana coating on his armor had been even more interesting. Lucian's strikes should have left deeper impacts, but the energy dispersion had worked. His armor had prevented serious cuts, though the force still rattled him. Maybe he needed to adjust how the coating interacted with kinetic energy.
He tapped his quill against the page, thinking. Should he test layering an impact absorption sigil over the coating? Or would that interfere with the flexibility?
Nara stood beside him, arms crossed, eyes sweeping the area. She wasn't looking for threats, not really—just lingering in case something did happen.
Jhaeros arrived next, walking with that silent, predatory grace of his. Velka padded beside him, her coat sleek despite the battles they'd fought. She yawned, showing sharp fangs before snapping her jaws shut.
Kalem glanced up. "You took your time."
Jhaeros raised a brow. "I was gathering my things."
Kalem nodded, already turning back to his notes, but Velka sniffed at Onyx, making the bull huff and stomp. The dire-wolf's ears twitched, but she didn't react beyond that.
A few moments later, Lyra approached, rubbing her temples, clearly irritated.
Kalem blinked at her. "What happened?"
She let out a long sigh and muttered, "I hate politics."
Kalem and Nara exchanged glances.
"That bad?" Jhaeros asked.
"Worse," Lyra muttered.
She pinched the bridge of her nose, as if trying to fight off a headache. "After the duels, I was called to speak with certain noble representatives. My family's position is stable for now, but Lucian's loss is already making waves. His backers are furious."
Kalem frowned. "I just fought him. That's how tournaments work."
Lyra gave him a flat look. "Yes, Kalem, that's how tournaments work. But nobles don't just care about skill. They care about reputation. You didn't just beat Lucian—you made him look bad. And for them, that's a personal insult."
Kalem scratched the back of his head. "That sounds… dumb."
"Welcome to noble politics," Lyra muttered.
Nara snorted. "Sounds like their problem, not ours."
"Unfortunately, nobles don't see it that way," Lyra said. She sighed, crossing her arms. "There were a lot of eyes on all of us today. They're already reevaluating who they support and who they oppose."
Kalem wasn't entirely sure why that mattered, but he didn't argue.
"So what?" Nara shrugged. "Let them be angry."
Lyra shook her head. "It's not that simple. They'll look for ways to control the outcome. Some will back new competitors. Others will start interfering with sponsorships or training opportunities. Some might try to sabotage future matches."
Jhaeros listened, but he didn't seem particularly concerned. "That's assuming they can actually do anything. The tournament rules are strict."
"Yes," Lyra admitted. "But rules can be bent. And broken."
Kalem sighed. "So, what's the plan?"
Lyra hesitated. "For now? We prepare for the next round. Keep an eye on who gets suddenly stronger or who suddenly seems favored."
"Sounds easy enough," Kalem said. "But I still don't see why they care so much."
Lyra exhaled. "Because to them, this isn't just a tournament. It's power. Influence. The ability to shape the next generation of warriors, leaders, and magic users. And some of them?" She glanced at Jhaeros, then Kalem and Nara. "They don't like seeing outsiders disrupting their plans."
Jhaeros gave a slight smirk. "Let them be uncomfortable."
Lyra shook her head. "That's what worries me."
Kalem closed his notebook and tucked it away. "Well, nothing we can do about it now. Let's just keep moving forward."
Nara cracked her knuckles. "If anyone does try something, I'll handle it."
Jhaeros rolled his eyes. "Subtle."
Lyra sighed again, looking at them all. "You're all impossible."
Kalem grinned. "And yet, here we are."
Velka huffed. Onyx snorted. The group lingered a little longer before finally moving toward the carriage, preparing for whatever was coming next.
As they walked, Kalem thought back on Lyra's concerns about the nobles. It seemed like a lot of petty power games, but he didn't care about that. What caught his attention was something else Lyra had mentioned.
"The Bank," Kalem said, his curiosity piqued.
Lyra raised an eyebrow. "What about it?"
"You mentioned it a while ago. You said something about the Bank's influence."
Nara looked at Kalem. "You don't know about it?"
Kalem blinked. "I mean, I know the Bank sponsors the academy, but that's it. They handle the money and sponsorships, right?"
Lyra sighed, rubbing her temples again. "You really don't get it, do you?"
Kalem shrugged. "What's the big deal? They give scholarships to students who show talent. The academy doesn't care about noble lineage or connections, just whether someone can do the work."
Lyra stared at him. "Kalem, they're not just any sponsors. The Bank is the organization. They're the neutral force that keeps the world's balance in check. Every major empire, merchant guild, and even entire nations work with them. And you don't even know how much power they actually have?"
"Isn't that… obvious?" Kalem asked. "I mean, they don't make a big deal about it, but I've heard people talk about them like they control everything. They have that Vault place where they store everything, right?"
Lyra nodded. "Exactly. But they don't just hold treasures. They control the flow of power through contracts. Soul contracts. If a soul contract is broken, there are consequences… terrifying ones."
Nara rolled her eyes. "Great. So we're dealing with rich folks who have magic contracts that can't be broken. This just keeps getting better."
Jhaeros remained silent, as if he was already aware of this—his expression unreadable.
Kalem looked at Lyra. "So, they only really interfere outside the academy, right? Since they're the ones who sponsor the school."
Lyra nodded. "That's right. They maintain their neutrality here in the academy. They don't play the politics game in the tournament. But when we leave—then it's a different story."
Kalem thought about that for a moment. "So, if I want to avoid political drama, I should just stay in the academy forever?"
"Wouldn't hurt," Lyra muttered.
"Well, I guess that's settled." Kalem smiled. "No politics for me. But no guarantees about avoiding drama either."
The group shared a laugh, knowing that whatever came next, they'd have to face it together.
Because, after all, no matter what the nobles or the Bank decided, there was one thing Kalem was certain about: he wasn't backing down.