With that finished, I had another visit to make that I wasn’t looking forward to quite as much.
I didn’t like visiting the hospital.
It was especially difficult when I didn’t even know if the person I was visiting was going to be alive.
Or if she was alive…I was a little worried that she hated me.
It didn’t take long to verify the first part. “Second floor, room 208.”
I knocked on the door.
“Didn’t you read the sign? It says clearly, ‘no solicitors’.”
There was no such sign, nor were solicitors likely to be a problem at the hospital.
I rolled my eyes.
At least Professor Vellum’s sense of humor was intact.
“It’s Corin.”
There was a brief pause. “…Ah, well, then. What are you waiting for, boy? Come in.”
I opened the door and stepped inside.
I expected Professor Vellum to be in a hospital bed, but I found her sitting back in a large chair, covered in an absolutely absurd pile of blankets. She set down a book on the table next to her as I walked in.
“Hmpf. No flowers? What sort of cheapskate are you?”
I chuckled and shut the door. “I figured you’d want something with a more practical application.”
“What, so you smuggled me some liquor, then? I could use enough to knock myself out for about a week.”
I gave her a shrug. “No, but this should keep you busy for a while.”
I set a stack of papers on the desk next to her.
She picked up the first page. “Application for the patent and distribution of….” Vellum turned her head to me. “You brought me incomplete patent applications as a gift?”
“Well, you do have plenty of free time on your hands. And since our last patent didn’t go through, I figured.”
“You are the worst hospital visitor I have ever encountered. And that’s impressive, because I’m including doctors on that list, and they have needles.”
I laughed. “You’ll be happier when you read through and see what I’m offering.”
“I sincerely doubt that.”
I smiled. “How many people do you know that can make mana regeneration items?”
Vellum’s eyes narrowed at me, then she glanced back to the papers. “Hmm.” She lifted up the stack, paging through briefly. “You want to patent something that only works when you make it?”
“It’s not literally something that only I can make. It’s just that, like you taught me, purifying magic is normally a horrendously inefficient process. Now, I’m not a patent lawyer, but from what I could tell from a cursory trip to the patent office… I don’t think anyone has ever bothered to patent mana regeneration items in general. People do make them, but they’re so rare and inefficient that no one is bothering with securing the rights. It currently has little value, but…”
“You think it will be valuable in the future.”
That was an understatement. “Once artificial attunements are more widespread, any number of people could have the same combination of attunements that I do. When that happens, it will be much easier to make mana regeneration items like mine. And I can already tell you that they’re extremely useful.”
Vellum nodded. “Very well. And why are you bothering to involve me? You’ve clearly gone through most the research process already.”
I shrugged. “I have no experience with filing patents, and I could use your expertise.” I hesitated, glancing away.
“And?”
“…And as something of an apology.”
“For what, boy? You aren’t the only one I rescued at the ball, you know.”
I shook my head. “I’m grateful for that, of course…but that’s not what I’m talking about.”
“Oh?”
“When I took your final exam…I wasn’t exactly honest with you. I, uh, didn’t really make a separate anchor for the teleportation necklace. And I uh, sort of implied that I had?”
Vellum broke into laughter, so hard that she ended up covering her face. “My dear boy, that was obvious. When I asked you about how the anchor worked, that was a jab. I was telling you that I knew you hadn’t made a proper anchor for it.” She laughed again, shaking her head. “You’re fine, dear. That was already reflected in your grade.”
“…It was?”
Vellum nodded. “The more important question is…did you fix it?”
I hesitated. “Yes, but—”
“Does it work now?”
“Yeah.”
“Good. Now, don’t make the same mistake again. Moving an enchantment from one item to another might seem simpler than making a new item from scratch, but there are additional layers of complexity that it’s easy to forget about.”
“I understand.”
“No, you don’t. Not properly.” She set down the papers and waved to another nearby chair. “Take a seat. It’s time for your lesson.”
I took a seat and listened attentively to my mentor’s advice.
There was one last trip to make before I left town.
No, not to Magnus Cadence.
He’d get a letter if he was lucky.
I pushed my way into the doors of the Climber’s Court. It was busy that day, with customers gathered around Lars as he told a story.
“…The wind lashed about us as we climbed toward the Wind Temple. And when I say ‘lashed’, I mean like a damn scythe. The living whirlwinds would tear you apart if they blew past you. But dangerous as they were, they weren’t the real problem. The razor winds had been called by Raizo, the wielder of the Cloudcutter.”
He paused, spreading his hands wide for dramatic effect, “And Raizo had a score to settle with me.”
The customers were so distracted that I don’t think they even notice me enter, but Lars did. “Corin, lad! Come here and listen. I’m just getting to the best part!”
I came over and listened to his story, leaning against a nearby counter to listen.
He drew us in with his story of swords and monsters, of legendary magic and heroes lost.
And then, when his story was done, he reached behind the counter.
“And here it is. A fragment of the Prime Crystal of Air itself, taken from that last battle in the Wind Temple.”
He lifted the glimmering crystal, which glowed with brilliant light even without my attunement active.
“One of my most precious possessions. A relic of times long lost, guarded by the tengu for centuries, and earned through battles hard-fought and won.”
He closed his eyes in a moment of solemnity, nodding to himself.
“Bidding begins at five hundred and eighty gold pieces.”
And with that, the auction began.
I didn’t leave that night with a piece of legendary crystal, or any other item from that shop.
But after the last customer left, and the night was dark, he gave me something more important when I said my goodbyes.
“Aw, leavin, are ye? That’s a shame. Ye might not be my highest payin’ customer, but yer still a good one.”
I didn’t know what to say to that, so I said nothing.
“Don’t look so sad, lad.” Lars smiled. “I’ll still be here when you get back.”
I never had a chance to say goodbye to Derek. He’d disappeared right around the same time I’d entered the spire. Elora assured me that he simply did this on occasion, and that he’d be fine.
I left him a short note thanking him for everything, and Elora assured me that she’d make sure it got to him.
I still didn’t trust Elora in general, but I figured I could trust her with that.