Weary and dust-covered, they rode back into town only to find the great oak gates slammed shut, iron bars reinforcing them, the walls bristling with armed men. Robert, a blush creeping up his neck, avoided Lysandra''s gaze, muttering a sheepish, "Oops." Lysandra sighed, shook her head, and urged her horse closer to the gate, calling out, "Ho there! Who commands the walls?" A moment of silence, then a gruff voice answered from atop the battlements, "I do, for now. Guild Master Swiftbow? Is that you? The Captain is with the Mayor, but he sent a runner looking for you. Seems we may need to muster the Guild." Lysandra frowned, her brow furrowing, "Muster? Whatever for?" The guard hesitated, a flicker of uncertainty in his eyes, "Surely you saw the sign of the battle? No time for details just yet, but we heard tell there''s a fierce battle brewing, a clash of mages, about ten miles distant. Once the town''s secured, we''re riding out to lend aid. Word''s already been sent to Knight Alaric, requesting his presence as well."


    Lysandra shot a withering look at Robert, who had the decency to appear properly chagrined. "You can stand down, guard," she called up to the battlements, her voice laced with wry amusement. "There wasn''t a ''group'' of mages, just one, and as to a battle, well, if it was a contest of skill, let''s just say there was a decisive victor." A beat of stunned silence descended before the guard sputtered, "What?" Lysandra chuckled, shaking her head. "My companion here was merely... demonstrating his abilities. Perhaps a touch overzealously. Rest assured, the lesson was well and truly learned. Now, if you''d be so kind as to open the gate, we''ll have a word with the Captain and the Mayor." The guard, clearly flustered, stammered, "He did that? By himself? And you want me to just let him stroll into the city?" Lysandra laughed again, a light, musical sound. "Well, he does live here. This is Robert Williams, proprietor of the new enchantment shop in town." Robert, finally recovering his composure, offered a sheepish grin and a small wave to the bewildered guard. "Hello. Apologies for the alarm. I truly thought we were far enough out."


    "Hold there a moment," the guard called down, his voice still shaky. "I''ve sent a runner for the Captain. This is far beyond my authority." A few tense minutes crawled by before the massive gates creaked open, revealing not only the Mayor but a stern-faced man in full plate armor, flanked by a dozen watchful guards. "Lysandra," the Mayor began, his tone a mix of concern and exasperation, "Pray tell, what is the meaning of all this?" Lysandra greeted him with a bright smile. "Thornton! Lovely day, isn''t it? Robert and I were overseeing a bit of fieldwork for some junior Guild members. Well, primarily Robert, I was merely observing." The armored man, presumably the Captain, spluttered, "Fieldwork? It appears as though a cataclysm struck a considerable swathe of the countryside! We felt the tremors from here." Lysandra''s laughter pealed out, light and carefree. "Magnificent, wasn''t it? You should have seen it, Victor! Robert utterly reshaped, I''d say, a good seven or eight miles of land, then, with a flourish, his spell restored and regrew everything, trees, grass, the works! It was the most breathtaking display of magic I''ve ever witnessed." Victor, for that was likely his name, could only stare, dumbfounded. "One spell... accomplished all that? And he cast it?" Lysandra nodded enthusiastically. "Indeed! Took him all of two hundred seconds, but yes, he did."


    Victor''s voice was hushed, almost a whisper, as he asked, "Do I even dare inquire as to the tier of that spell?" Lysandra glanced at Robert, a silent exchange passing between them, before she replied, "Might as well tell them. It''s not as though one of these eager young people won''t be spilling the tale within the hour anyway." Robert sighed, resigned. "Tier Six," he admitted. Mayor Thornton practically choked on the words, "Tier Six? Are you serious? What in the world is someone of your power doing here?" Robert''s gaze dropped to the ground, his voice barely above a murmur, "Living. Working. I''m seeking a quiet life, and this town seemed a good place for it. I truly apologize if I caused any alarm; it was never my intent." With a decisive air, Lysandra linked her arm through the Mayor''s, steering him away from the group. "Come along, you two," she said, her tone brooking no argument. "Let''s have a proper conversation." Then, calling back over her shoulder to the two teams of visibly awestruck junior guild members, she added, "You two, take your teams back to the Guildhall. Robert, see your apprentices home. I''ll handle these gentlemen."


    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    Lysandra ushered the two men into the Mayor''s office in the town hall, the heavy door closing behind them with a thud. "Lysandra, what in the heavens is going on?" Mayor Thornton demanded, his voice tight with concern. "Robert had two students nearing Guild eligibility," Lysandra explained, "and he was seeking a junior team for them to join. I put in a request to the capital, and they sent these two teams for evaluation. One of the team leaders, unfortunately, has an inflated sense of self-importance due to possessing a rare class." Mayor Thornton interrupted, his eyes widening, "Wait, one of them has a rare class? Surely they''re staying, then?" Lysandra shook her head, a wry smile playing on her lips. "Not at present. They weren''t selected, so they''ll be returning to the capital to complete their team before coming back here." Victor frowned, bewildered. "Why on earth would he pass on them? A rare class is called that for a reason!" Lysandra leaned forward, lowering her voice conspiratorially. "Because the team leader is an utter ass," she confided, "and I''ll need your solemn oath that this goes no further." Both Victor and Thornton quickly gave their word, their curiosity piqued. Lysandra continued, her voice almost a whisper, "Both of Robert''s apprentices have at least an epic class." The two men practically leaped from their seats, the Mayor stammering, "Are you certain?" Lysandra nodded, a glint in her eye. "Absolutely. And furthermore... I''m not entirely sure what his class is, but I''d wager Robert''s is even beyond epic."


    "And he wants to live here?" Mayor Thornton asked, still struggling to reconcile the idea of such power residing in their quiet town. "He does," Lysandra confirmed, a hint of amusement in her voice. "I''ve spoken with him at length, and he genuinely appreciates the peace and quiet." She chuckled softly, shaking her head. "He''ll be kicking himself for this little display, I''m sure. It''s rather the opposite of what he was hoping for." Captain Victor, his curiosity getting the better of him, finally asked, "But what was that display really about?" Lysandra''s smile turned a bit mischievous. "Kael, the young man with the rare class, seemed to believe he was the most impressive thing this town had ever seen," she explained. "He naturally assumed not only that Robert would be awestruck, but also that the girls would be falling over themselves to join his team. Robert, as you might imagine, took exception to this attitude and decided to deliver a rather... memorable lesson in humility. I suspect it''s one Kael won''t soon forget."


    <div>


    "So, to summarize," Victor said, a touch of irony in his voice, "we have an exceptionally powerful, and likely high-level, mage residing in our midst, mentoring two young women who are on track to become exceptionally powerful themselves. I can''t possibly imagine what could go wrong." Lysandra leaned forward, her gaze intent. "You''re missing the crucial point, Victor," she said. "We have a formidable individual who has chosen to make our town his home, and he has people here that he will protect, no matter the cost. This town''s safety is now intrinsically linked to his presence. It''s a mutually beneficial arrangement." Victor shook his head, a hint of unease lingering in his eyes. "Unless someone in town manages to anger him. Then what?" A confident smile touched Lysandra''s lips. "Then they''ll face the consequences, naturally. But I can assure you, he wouldn''t harm innocents. I''ve seen enough of his character to know that much is true."


    "Well, one thing''s for certain," Mayor Thornton declared, "we''re not about to ask him to leave. Besides, his shop has already garnered significant attention. I''ve received word from the capital that an official is being dispatched to evaluate his wares. It seems the reputation of his craftsmanship is spreading rapidly." Lysandra nodded, a thoughtful expression on her face. "As it happens, I like him," she stated. "And so does Sir Alaric. And I think we can both agree that the two of us are fairly discerning when it comes to character. I can also tell you, from the way he defended his apprentices, he possesses a strong moral compass. He simply tends to forget that he''s, shall we say, formidable. Which can be a double-edged sword... but mostly, it''s an asset. At any rate, that''s your update. Now, if you''ll excuse me, I need to return to the Guild and sort out these two junior teams. Good day, gentlemen."