After their heart-to-heart, Edwyn and Elia grew even closer.
From then on, Edwyn spent his days sparring with the Magus Language, sometimes alone, more often bickering playfully with Elia over pronunciation, and his nights steeped in deep, focused meditation. Despite having extracted the language from another Mage's soul, using it fluently still required grit and repetition. He chewed through the grammar like it owed him money.
Fifteen days passed since Edwyn boarded the airship.
Every few days, the ship would slow to a crawl mid-flight for inspections. Maintenance crews and Mage Technicians swarmed like silver ants, checking mana circuits, recalibrating stabilizers, realigning the spirit engine. During those slowdowns, Apprentices were allowed out of their rooms for "recreation," though everyone knew it was just a chance to stretch legs before cabin fever claimed another mind.
"Edwyn! I connected to the Sea of Souls last night!"
Elia burst into the room like she was shot from a cannon, smacking his bed with both palms and grinning ear to ear.
Edwyn cracked one eye open and squinted at her like she was interrupting something sacred. "...Congrats, Boss Lady," he muttered, voice dry and gravelly from sleep.
"Oh, shove it." Elia punched his shoulder, not hard, but with feeling.
Elia beamed with pride.
"Don't worry! I've got your back!"
Her Spiritforce rating was only 12, which meant her raw talent was modest at best. Where Edwyn had slipped into the Sea of Souls like a fish returning to water, Elia had clawed her way in with blood and discipline. Seven full days of meditation. No incense. No potions. No external aids.
Still, she'd done it. And for most Apprentices, that was no small feat.
"Not bad," Edwyn said, sitting up and yawning like he hadn't just delivered a compliment. "Most of the rich kids out there would kill for that kind of progress."
He rubbed his eyes and scratched his jaw, now showing hints of stubble. His frame had filled out slightly, less hollowed scarecrow, more wiry predator. Meditation, training, and fortified airship meals were finally catching up to his bones.
Elia beamed under the praise, only for her victory lap to be cut short.
Knock knock knock.
They both turned.
Elia opened the door. A breakfast automaton stood outside, jointed limbs creaking, mouthless face expressionless, voice still too shrill to sound anything but unnatural.
"Room 225. Two breakfasts. Airship maintenance in progress. Apprentices may move about freely."
The puppet shoved a tray forward with a hiss and rolled off down the hallway.
Elia paled instantly.
"Free movement?" she whispered, her voice trembling as she closed the door. The automaton rolled off, its cart rattling down the corridor like a ghost on wheels. Elia turned to Edwyn, her eyes wide with panic. "Oh no. Oh no, oh no, oh no. I just linked to the Sea of Souls last night, but I haven't built my Mana Flow yet…"
Edwyn raised an eyebrow, his grin fading to a puzzled smirk. "Whoa, slow your roll, Goldilocks. Free time's a good thing, right? We've been stuck in this shoebox for half a month. Don't you wanna stretch those legs? My joints are rusting over here."
"You don't get it!" Elia snapped, pacing the tiny room like a caged cat, her pale gold hair bouncing with each frantic step. "If we can roam, so can they." Her voice dropped to a whisper as she recounted the horrors from before Edwyn boarded, the Black Bear Gang, a pack of thuggish Apprentices who'd prowled the corridors during the last maintenance period, preying on the weak. She'd stayed safe by hiding in their tucked-away room, but now, with free movement, she was a target again.
Edwyn's expression darkened, his hand scratching his chin as a complicated look crossed his face.
Guess I looked like a total pushover when I got here, half-dead peasant kid, all skin and bones. He glanced at his reflection in the desk's polished surface, his red hair tamed, his blue eyes sharp, his frame now lean with muscle from the airship's nutrient-packed meals. "Don't worry, Elia," he said, his tone light but firm. "Stay put. I'm gonna take a stroll, scope things out. Nobody's messing with you on my watch."
Elia's eyes widened, her voice rising with indignation. "Hey! I spent days teaching you Magus Language, and you're just gonna ditch me? At least help me figure this out, you jerk!"
Edwyn waved her off, his grin returning as he wolfed down his breakfast in three massive bites, the fish's smoky tang lingering on his tongue.
"Relax, Goldilocks. I'm not out there shouting, 'Yo, I've got a cute roommate up for grabs!' Keep the door locked, stay quiet, and nobody's breaking in. I'll be back before you can miss me." He slipped on his boots, feeling a surge of strength in his limbs. The Sea of Souls connection and the airship's food had done wonders, turning his frail body into something ready for action. "Time to see what this sky whale's hiding," he muttered, stepping into the corridor.
The airship's interior was a labyrinth of wonder, its organic-metal walls pulsing with arcane energy, their surfaces etched with runes that glowed like fireflies in the dim light. Edwyn made his way to the observation deck at the tail, a massive, dome-shaped chamber with transparent walls that revealed a breathtaking sea of clouds stretching to the horizon, their edges tinged gold by the rising sun. The air smelled of ozone and polished wood, and the deck hummed with the chatter of Apprentices spilling in from their cabins. Nobles and commoners split into two camps, their divide as stark as a battlefield trench. The nobles, clad in fine tunics and polished boots, lounged with smug confidence, while the commoners huddled in nervous clumps, their patched clothes marking them as prey.
Edwyn stood apart, leaning against a railing with his arms crossed, his grin sharp and unbothered.
Bunch of clowns, acting like they own the sky, he thought, his eyes scanning the crowd. The nobles were chatting in Magus Language, their voices low to keep out eavesdroppers. Thanks to the Forge, Edwyn understood every word, and he kept his face blank, pretending to admire the clouds while his ears drank in their gossip like fine wine.
"You sure about this, Emily?" a noble boy asked, his voice dripping with skepticism. "Your brother really connected to the Sea of Souls?"
"Of course!" replied a freckle-faced girl with blonde hair, puffing out her chest like a proud peacock. "Why would he lie to me? He's not some peasant grasping at straws."
Her words sparked a murmur among the nobles, their faces a mix of envy and disbelief. Most had read How to Become a Mage Apprentice, but without incense or potions, linking to the Sea was like chasing a mirage. Edwyn's lips twitched, his grin hidden. Keep talking, rich kids. I'm already ahead of the game.
"What about the Medici crew?" another noble asked, his tone sour as vinegar. "Didn't they shell out ten Mana Stones for meditation lessons from a Mage?"
"Ten Mana Stones?!" a girl gasped, her eyes wide as saucers. "That's like 100,000 gold coins! The Kingdom's yearly taxes are only 500,000. They're basically royalty."
"Still crashed and burned," a boy sneered, his voice thick with smug satisfaction. "No incense, no potions on the ship. They're stuck like the rest of us."
"Well, ain't that a crying shame," another noble muttered, his lips curling into a predatory grin. "One less Apprentice means one less predator in the exam. More orbs for us."
Edwyn's fingers itched to flex his Magic Missile, but he kept his cool, his grin a mask of indifference.
You snobs have no idea what's coming. I've got a Mana Flow, four cantrips, and a sword style that'll make you eat those words. The nobles' assumption that peasants couldn't speak Magus Language made their chatter a goldmine, and he filed away every tidbit.
Then, a scream sliced through the air, sharp and panicked, cutting the chatter like a guillotine. The nobles froze, their faces twisting with disdain.
"Tch. Black Bear Gang again," one muttered, rolling his eyes like it was a minor annoyance.
"They've probably worked their way through every pretty commoner girl on board," another sneered, smirking as if it was a sick joke.
Freckle-faced Emily wrinkled her nose, covering her mouth like she could smell the filth. "Animals. Can't keep their pants on."
None of them moved, content to let the peasants tear each other apart. Not our problem, their expressions screamed. Edwyn's grin vanished, his eyes narrowing as another scream rang out, higher, more desperate, and chillingly familiar.
"Elia," he growled, his heart slamming into overdrive. He spun on his heel, shoving through the crowd like a bull, his boots pounding the deck as he sprinted toward Room 225.
You idiots picked the wrong roommate to mess with.
The corridor was a blur, its glowing runes casting eerie shadows as Edwyn rounded the corner to their room. A scar-faced brute was slamming his shoulder into the door, the wood splintering under his bulk. His arms were like tree trunks, his face twisted with a predatory leer. A half-dozen lackeys crowded around, their jeers echoing like hyenas. They weren't as burly as their boss, but their patched clothes and scarred knuckles marked them as tough by peasant standards.
"Open this damn door, girl!" the scar-faced boss bellowed, his voice thick with menace. "You're gonna regret making me break a sweat!"
"Yeah!" a lackey cackled, his eyes gleaming with cruelty. "Open up now, and maybe we'll go easy. Wait till boss busts in, and you won't walk for weeks!"
Inside, Elia's voice trembled as she hissed to herself, "You idiot, Elia! Why'd you stick your head out?" Cabin fever had cracked her resolve, the weeks of confinement driving her to peek outside for a breath of freedom. She'd thought it was safe, just a glance. But the Black Bear Gang had been prowling, and her pretty face was like a beacon to their twisted desires.
CRACK!
The door's latch snapped, the wood groaning as it gave way. Elia's heart sank, her body pressed against the desk she'd shoved against the door, her arms trembling as she fought to hold it shut. With the lock gone, nothing could stop them.
But then, silence. No one barged in. Instead, shouts and pained groans erupted outside, followed by a heavy thud. Elia peeked through a crack in the door, her eyes widening in disbelief.
Had a Mage intervened?
The Black Bear Gang was sprawled across the corridor, their bodies crumpled like discarded laundry. Standing over them, one foot planted firmly on the scar-faced boss's face, was Edwyn. His lean frame radiated a quiet, burning fury, his blue eyes blazing like twin storms as he ground his boot into the brute's cheek.
"You sick bastard!" Edwyn snarled, punctuating each word with a stomp, his movements fluid and precise, guided by the Wind Crow Sword Style's deadly grace. "You kicked down my door! Terrorized my roommate! And you thought you could come after me? You dead-ass pervert, take this!" He delivered another kick, the boss's groan muffled under his boot, his scar twisting as he tried to squirm free.
Elia flung the door open, her face a mix of shock and relief, her pale gold hair catching the corridor's faint light. "Edwyn! You… you took them all out?" she stammered, her voice trembling with awe.
Edwyn glanced over, his grin returning, sharp and reckless, like a gunslinger after a showdown. "What, you thought I was just a pretty face, Goldilocks? Told ya, I've got this under control." He stepped off the boss, who was barely conscious, and cracked his knuckles with a theatrical flourish. "These clowns didn't know who they were messing with."
He turned to the lackeys, who were scrambling to their feet, their faces pale with terror. "Yo, losers!" he called, his voice dripping with mockery. "Next time you think about playing tough, remember the name Edwyn. Now scram before I test my Magic Missile on your sorry asses and turn you into target practice!"
The lackeys bolted, tripping over each other in their haste to flee, their footsteps echoing down the corridor. Edwyn kicked the boss one last time for good measure, then turned to Elia, his grin softening as he leaned against the broken doorframe. "You okay? I told you to keep the door locked. What's with the jailbreak?"
Elia's eyes shimmered with unshed tears, but she managed a shaky laugh, her hands still trembling from the adrenaline. "You're insane, you know that? I thought… I thought I was done for."
"Nah, you're stuck with me," Edwyn said, winking as he surveyed the splintered door. "Gotta keep my nerdy friend safe, right? Now let's patch this mess up before more idiots come knocking."