Dust motes floated on the breeze as morning light poured through the open window. Neil had been up for a few hours, showered, eaten breakfast, meditated, and had now gone to check on the man, who was still asleep.

  Mana depletion was something to avoid at the best of times, but Thad had overexerted himself by quite a lot. Still, he appeared relatively peaceful, hair falling across his face as he lay on his side.

  Neil glanced at the hint of gold in Thad’s brown hair, matching the golden hue his eyes had taken on after the racial evolution. Neil wondered whether a Celestine gift had replaced Thad’s human gift. At least it was his running theory on why Thad was now so proficient at teleporting.

  Though Thad had never brought up the racial evolution, which was odd, because that would have been something he would have bragged about nonstop before. He had even deflected when Neil had tried to ask him about it during training.

  Neil caught himself thinking about those golden eyes looking down at him with that smirk playing across his lips, and felt a strange sensation in his chest, the same one he’d sensed the day prior.

  He would need to run a diagnostic on himself when he got back. It could be nothing good.

  Should he wake him now?

  Dustin had also slept in, so it wasn’t like they’d decided to have an early start. And they would need to conduct a final recon of the surrounding areas before closing the contract.

  No, it was best to let someone recover from depletion naturally, if possible.

  And besides, Thad was going to be paying for the shared suite, so he might as well get his money’s worth.

  Neil pulled out a small book on healing rituals from his inventory and sat down in the room's armchair, lightly perusing it. He still wasn’t a master of the theory, nor were many people, as the principles changed drastically between ranks. However, he knew that theory helped in overall application, so he tried to focus on it.

  Thad let out a small groan as he woke up to a splitting headache.

  “Oh god, I feel hungover.”

  -Congratulations, you have completed a sub-task for [Contract Complete], subtask [Glass Cannon] (Learn to fight). You have gained access to [Power Toggle Advance]. –

  Thad bleary peered at the screen in his field of view, mentally dismissing it with little fanfare. He wasn’t sure it was worth his current headache.

  “Well, that’s what you get for not properly managing your mana. I can’t just top you up whenever,” Neil said, glancing up from his book to see Thad roll over to face him, pulling the blankets closer around himself like he wasn’t fully dressed already.

  “Neil, what are you... Wait, when did we get back here?”

  “Last night.”

  “You carried me back?”

  “It was mostly Dustin, you’re lucky you’re the lightest out of us.”

  “I didn’t realize I would pass out like that,” Thad said, sitting up and running his hands over his face.

  “To be fair, I’ve never seen you put out that much power in one go.”

  Thad then looked over at Neil with that stupid grin on his face.

  “It was pretty cool, though, right?”

  Neil pointed the book lightly at Thad with a scowl, not for a second wanting to be distracted by his smile.

  “What if we hadn’t been there, Thad, what then?”

  Thad’s expression sobered.

  “Oh, um… I guess you’re right,” Thad let out a small laugh. “I should probably prepare for that inevitable moment when you're both not with me.”

  Neil wanted to agree, but the statement didn’t sit right, almost as if Thad was waiting to be abandoned.

  “I’m not saying don’t count on us. But you should be able to fight on your own, just like during the field assessment… not that you really passed that.”

  “I’ll have you know in the eyes of the Society, I’ve passed it twice, Davone,” Thad said as he got out of bed and stretched. “What are you reading?”

  Neil looked back at the book in his hand.

  “Guiding principles of ritual healing through ambient magic, and soul repair.’ It's pretty—”

  “Oh, I know that one.”

  “What, you’ve read this?” Neil said as Thad lightly pulled the book from his hand.

  “Sort of, I just wanted to understand the basics,” Thad said, flipping through the pages.

  “Of healing magic?”

  “Why not? It’s fascinating, at least from my understanding of it. The fact that you could do ritual healing with enough ambient magic is wild. Oh! When you cast, do you envision the vasculature and all the other components that accompany it? Like, nerve endings would be crazy to visualize.”

  “I only understand half of what you just said,” Neil answered, feeling a little on the back foot now that Thad was talking about healing magic of all things. Where had this come from, and he seemed to know what he was talking about.

  “I find it intriguing that different principles of healing magic apply at different ranks, you know, with the changes that take place. Bone mending vs. Soul mending, I guess. Although the ritual principles for non-essence users are actually more complex than the other way around. It's somewhat unfair if you ask me. It would save people a great deal of time and money if they could simply perform the rituals at home, you know? Circumvent the need for an essence user or potion altogether.”

  Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

  Neil watched Thad ramble in the way he sometimes did now, emphasizing specific points with his hands and adding random flourishes to certain words. The book waving around as he continued.

  When had he ever been one to talk with his hands like this?

  It was distracting.

  But not as distracting as the fact that Thadwick Mercer was talking about ritual healing magic, and how it could help the common folk.

  The common folk!

  “Who are you and what have you done with Thadwick Mercer?”

  “What?” Thad stopped dead, looking at Neil with big golden eyes. “I… Neil, I’m—”

  -Don’t you dare think of telling him. Or I will penalize the Redacted out of you. -

  “Oh Thad, you're alive and awake, excellent!” Dustin said as he walked into the room before stopping and looking between Neil and Thad.

  “Did I interrupt something?”

  “Nope, you know what? I think, I’m just going to go… anywhere else,” Thad said, tossing the book back at Neil and grabbing his boots from beside the bed before walking out of the room, the door slamming behind him.

  “What did you do, Neil?”

  Neil looked at the door and then at Dustin.

  “I think I might’ve just sent him into an identity crisis.”

  “Why would you do that?”

  “He was explaining healing rituals to me, and how to help everyday people. And he knew what he was talking about.”

  “What, how?!”

  “That’s what I wanted to know!”

  Dustin and Neil both looked at the door.

  “We should go get him before he gets lost in the swamp.”

  “Yep.”

  -You were going to tell Davone. Just like that? Asked once, no denying it.-

  I panicked, ok.

  -It’s what you get for being so out of character. -

  Yeah, like I could be a convincing Thadwick.

  -You could try. -

  How would that help exactly?

  -…-

  Thad stopped before reaching the stairs and slid on his boots.

  -Well, at least Davone wouldn’t be asking questions. -

  That was true, though maybe he hadn’t been asking literally who he was.

  It wasn’t an uncommon phrase in his past world when someone said something out of left field. But it still had rattled him.

  Thad took the stairs two at a time and almost made it out of the inn before a small hand caught his.

  “Um, Sir?”

  “Oh! Well, hi there.” Thad said, looking down at the young elf girl who was looking up at him with big eyes and a shy smile.

  “Dusty told me you’re the one who got rid of the frog.”

  Thad took a knee, matching the elf’s height.

  “Did he now? Well, let me set the record straight, it was a team effort.” Thad said with a smile.

  “Is that why they carried you in last night?”

  “Yep, I have a pretty good team,” Thad said, a little embarrassed she’d seen that.

  “My Momma wants to talk to you, come on this way.”

  The girl tugged on his hand and started walking towards the kitchen entrance. And while Thad wanted to get out of the inn desperately, he followed behind.

  Neil and Dustin watched from a distance as Thad was led into the kitchen by the little girl.

  “At least he’s not lost,” Dustin said.

  “He thinks we’re a good team,” Neil said, which made Dustin give him a side glance.

  “We’re a great team, at least you and I are. Though I guess if someone would just shut up and let him sort himself out, Neil, he could be good for us too.”

  Neil grimaced. Why did he care so much about the guy not acting like his old self?

  Thadwick had completely shut down about magic after the incident six years ago, despite an unhealthy obsession with ritual and array magic. And now that he was trying to show an interest, even a passion for something magic-related again, Neil had bungled it.

  Just like when he hadn’t reached Thadwick’s parents in time to stop the ritual.

  “I hate when you're right,” Neil said, walking towards the kitchen.

  “Is that why you’re always so grumpy?” Dustin quipped, which earned an eyeroll from Neil.

  “I’m glad to see you're ok, my wife says you were unconscious when they brought you in last night.”

  Thad saw the human woman who Neil had healed the previous day looking at him from a pile of dough she was working with. Flour covered her hands and a few spots on her face.

  “I may have overdone it, but I’m glad to see you up and about,” Thad said, genuinely happy that the healing had taken so well. Magic was truly something. It would have taken months of healing and physical therapy in his world to get her to the point she was at now.

  Thad hadn’t really gotten to see many of the success stories of the hospital. Belonging more to the ‘treat them and yeet em’ crowd. However, sometimes families would bring in food or stop by to say hi after they had recovered, and those moments were always nice.

  Thad watched the woman wipe her hands on her apron and move out from behind the counter. Her daughter got up on a stool and started working the dough in her mother’s place with steady hands for one so young.

  “I told your friends how thankful I am that you all came, but I wanted to make sure to tell you to. So, thank you.” The woman walked up and hugged him.

  Thad hadn’t realized how much he needed a hug, and he felt his heart shudder for a moment before he pulled himself together. He was not about to cry in front of this woman just because she’d hugged him. He gave a cordial pat on the back.

  “I’m just happy we could help. Though we should probably finish clearing the area so y'all are truly safe.” He said, taking a few steps back with a forced smile.

  “Well, before you go, let me make you breakfast first.” The woman said with a smile.

  “Oh, that’s not necessary,” Thad said, taking another step back.

  “I know you adventurers don’t always get to eat while out on contracts, I insist!

  -User, don’t be rude. You will accept this lovely woman’s offer, and you will thank her for it. -

  Oh, that’s rich coming from you, and I have spirit coins, there’s no need—

  -At least tea. -

  Does this world have coffee?

  -What’s coffee? –

  “Do you have tea? I’m not really a breakfast person.”

  “Oh, yes. I have some Mistrun tea around here somewhere.” The woman said, searching around the kitchen.

  “Great, well then I’ll wait out there,” Thad said, walking out of the kitchen and almost straight into Neil and Dustin, who were posted up beside the door.

  “You like tea now?” Neil asked, to which Thad threw his hands up in defeat.

  “Yeah, it’s the head trauma, what can I say, Neil?”

  “Wait, only we’re allowed to make that joke,” Dustin said as Thad went and sat down at a table.

  Mistrun tea was pretty good, Thad decided as he sipped at the tea that had been placed in front of him. It reminded him of black tea, but with a zing at the end. However, he couldn’t tell if it was the tea or some other component. Either way, it helped with his headache.

  Dustin and Neil had both sat at the table, and while Dustin was making small talk with Thad, Neil had kept quiet, which was now making him antsy.

  “Neil?” he asked, trying to cut the tension.

  “Hmm?”

  “Your family produces tea, correct?”

  “Yes, we have holdings in the Mistrun valley.”

  “Is all Mistrun tea like this? Thad asked, which seemed to do the trick because Neil poured himself a cup and tasted it.

  “This is a reasonably standard cup, not from my family, though. The oxidation could have been managed better. However, I think it's from a single farm; I would have to see the tea leaves to know for sure. Maybe from the Laselle family.”

  “Ahhh, yes,” Dustin said. “This tea has subtle notes of leaves.”

  Thad laughed at the scowl this won Dustin, which in turn made Neil smile, relieved that Thad didn’t seem to be as upset anymore.

  “I think it's pretty good,” Thad said, taking another sip.

  “Well then, I will need to have you over to try some of our teas. So, you will have a proper example to compare it to.”

  “Oh, are you inviting me over to your house?” Thad asked with a smile, which made Neil want to rethink the invitation altogether.

  “I’m inviting both of you,” Neil added, trying to figure out why he was feeling off-kilter.

  “I would like that,” Thad said, finishing the last of his tea.

  “When did I ever need an invitation to come over?” Dustin asked, which Neil decided to ignore.