Andrew Rowe - Sufficiently Advanced Magic

I opened the pouch, pouring it out. A few coins dropped into my hand.

Gold coins.

“What the—”

“Sera finally got paid for that whole stage thing she did. I guess they told her to set a big chunk aside for taxes, but she still got more money than I’ve ever seen out of it. That’s about half of it, I think. Sixty or so silver worth in gold coins. She wants you to make her something. Should be a note in there, too.”

Ah, her first hint of wealth and she’s already sending people to do her bidding. Oh, Sera. Mad from power at such a young age.

Or, maybe there was another explanation.

I felt like a bit of a jerk for not checking on her more frequently. “Is she feeling okay? That Survival Match took a lot out of her.”

Patrick glanced from side-to-side nervously. “Oh, yeah, she’s fine. Got a bit of a cough, but the Mender said she’s recovering. I volunteered to bring the coin coins for her because, uh, I wanted to ask you something. And to do something nice for her.”

I still wasn’t seeing where this was going. “Okay?”

“I could kind of use your advice. You aren’t, um, seeing Sera, are you?”

I blinked. Rapidly. “…no? I mean, I know it’s recent, but she’s supposed to be my family now, right?”

“Ah, um, that’s good. I mean, you two were always close when you were younger, and I thought maybe there was something, like, romantic…”

I waved a hand to cut him off. “It was never like that. At least, not for me. She was supposed to be trained to be one of my retainers. We were close friends. We still are. Kind of like my friendship with you, actually.”

I still wasn’t clear where this line of questioning was leading. Why would my feelings for Sera be relevant?

“Oh, great. That’s… well, you see, I’ve been thinking about asking Sera to the winter ball.”

Oh.

Oh!

I laughed, to which Patrick’s expression turned to utter horror.

“You… oh… I don’t have a chance, do I? Is it really that funny?” His cheeks flared crimson.

I waved both hands. “Oh, no! Sorry, Patrick. I was laughing at myself for completely missing what you were getting at until you hit me over the head with it. I never realized you had any interest in Sera!” I paused, scratching my chin.

I never really asked either of them about how they’d been getting along in the years I was away. Honestly, I didn’t really ask either of them about how they’ve been doing in general. I need to be better about that.

Either way, I can’t see how Sera would have a problem with Patrick just asking.

Having reached my conclusion, I continued, “You’re fine. I don’t see any problem with you asking her.”

Patrick turned his head to the side. “Yeah, except that I’m not good enough .”

Okay, definitely not seeing what’s going on here again.

I folded my arms. “How so? You’re athletic; you’re doing fine in class…”

He chuckled. “I’m a nobody, Corin. That might have been fine when we were kids. She was a retainer for a noble house, but that’s only one rung above a commoner. Not insurmountable. Now, she’s like you. A full-on noble.”

“You really think that still matters these days?”

He gave me a solemn nod. “Yeah. It really does. It’s great that you don’t care about that sort of thing. It’s something I like about you. Lots of people our age don’t care about it. But think about your dad, Corin. Would he approve of Sera Cadence going to the winter ball with the son of a carpenter?”

I frowned. “No, not really, but I’m pretty sure he wouldn’t approve of her going to a dance with anyone. My plan would be to not tell him .”

“Would that be Sera’s plan, though? She cares about face a little more than you do. She’s proud to finally be a noble. And it’s not just ‘a dance’. The winter ball is a big event. It’s not just for our school; it’s a city-wide event. All sorts of nobles are going to be there, and she’d probably want to be dancing with one of them .”

I hadn’t really considered that. Maybe the title meant more to her because she hadn’t been born with it?

Would she really care enough about status to turn down a friend for some kind of stupid school dance?

Probably not , I decided, but she might be disappointed that she was going with a friend instead of someone she considered to be a worthy suitor.

I scratched my chin. “Did you want me to ask her on your behalf or something?”

“Oh, goddess, no.” He held his hands over his eyes. “I have something bigger to ask for, actually. Something I’d been meaning to ask you anyway, outside of this.”

I waggled my eyebrows at him. “What, you want to take me to the ball instead?”

He let out a weak laugh in reply. “No, but I do have a serious request.”

He stood from the bed, straightened himself to his full height, and then knelt down in front of me. “Corin Cadence, will you accept me into your service?”

What.

I blinked. “Uh, what are you doing?”

I mean, I knew , but—

“I’m asking for you to formally make me one of your retainers. I know that’s not a simple request. I…uh, brought a copy of the oath, if you’re willing.”

I laughed, putting a hand to my head.

I’d…always wanted a retainer. Someone to watch my back, to tell me when I was being an idiot. Someone who could cover for my weaknesses and reinforce my strengths.

Of course, I’d expected it to be Sera kneeling in front of me. If life had taken a little different path, we would have taken formal oaths to each other the day after we’d received our attunements.

This was better.

I didn’t want someone to be my bodyguard because their family had pressed them into my service as a child.

Patrick’s motives might have been skewed by a desire to be close to Sera, but that was fine.

He’d stepped in to defend me against Teft on the first day of classes without me even needing to ask.

He’d stepped in to deflect a shot that would have hit me right at the beginning of the war cane test. Then we’d fought side-by-side.

And, moreover, he’d treated me like my three year disappearance had never happened. He was still the same friend I’d known since childhood.

That was the kind of person that I could trust.

If he was willing to take this serious of a step in order to be closer to my family… All the better. I couldn’t see how having a retainer with a close connection with Sera would have a downside.

I smiled and knelt down, my eyes level with his.

“I’m bad at tradition,” I explained. “But I’d be honored to have you as a retainer, Patrick. You’ve always been a loyal friend. And if you want to say the oath, I know the words.”

He winced. “I’m going to need the note.”

“Well, get it out, then.”

Patrick opened his pack, retrieving a carefully rolled scroll. A scroll . This really was formal.

He broke the wax seal on the scroll and unrolled it, and he began to read.

“I, Patrick Wayland, do hereby swear my loyalty to Corin of the House of Cadence.

I offer him my strength of arms, my wise council, and my life’s blood.

I will serve no other master.

I will make no other oath that would betray this one.

I will take no action that would betray my master’s trust.

I offer this service of my free will and with honest intent.

May the goddess witness this oath and bind me with this pledge.”

I felt a foreign pang of emotion that I couldn’t quite characterize. I’d never been good at emotions, but there was something bittersweet about the scene we were playing out. I think a part of me wanted to let out a few tears in that moment.