“Herb gathering, probably,” Jordan offered first.

  Sofia’s eyebrows went up, but Natalie’s didn’t. Natalie and Jordan had, of course, talked this over before ing to Te, so where Sofia hadn’t heard Jordan’s logic for the choiatalie had. Herb gathering initially seemed like an odd harvesting skill for Jordan to pursue, but it made seh text.

  Back at Tinford, Sofia had run in different circles than Natalie and Jordan. They rubbed shoulders often enough, being from the same town, and had done plenty of sparring together, as up-and-ing delvers, but they’d never been friends.

  Maybe if Jordan and Natalie hadn’t been, then Jordan and Sofia would’ve spent more time around each other. The two of them had never seemed to csh like Sofia and Natalie did. Though, Natalie hadn’t a clue why. Sofia was just a generally irritating person, so Natalie didn’t know how Jordan tolerated her. Natalie’s skin grew hot whenever Sofia was close—that was how annoying she was.

  “Herb gathering?” Sofia prompted.

  “To help with my css,” Jordan said. “One of my first level skills is ‘Poison-Coat’. So, you know.”

  Sofia, an aspirant delver, didn’t need Jordan’s logic spelled out iail. “Ah,” she said. “Then, to gather your own poisons. That makes sense.”

  “Synergies are important,” Jordan said with a nod. “If I’m going to pick a harvesting skill, it might as well be ohat fits with my css. always ge it. Hardly a perma decision.”

  “And you?” Natalie asked Sofia.

  “Dueling.”

  Natalie shough she wasn’t sure why. It was a firacurricur, the most popur in the academy as Harper had said, and perfectly fitting to Sofia. Sofia literally referred to her css as a ‘duelist’ css, though that probably wasn’t its proper name.

  Natalie knew first hand how impossible beating Sofia in a one-on-one was. She’d do great in the dueling club. Natalie wondered how great, holy. Te was filled with the best of the best. How did Sofia stack up oional stage? Or iional?

  But even if the choice was reasonable, Natalie had o show some derision. Evehe situation didn’t call for it … or it didn’t make seo do so. That was their dynamic. She and Sofia were aloking at each other. Natalie couldn’t help herself. Sofia’s presence, like it always did, had something boiling in Natalie, a pressure that o be vented. Hehe gibes.

  “And you?” Sofia asked politely.

  Like right there. Natalie could see past Sofia’s ostensibly polite tone; she was making fun of Natalie. Probably. Somehow. She couldn’t figure out how, but she k was happening.

  “I dunno,” Natalie said sourly, poking at her food. “I’m thinking about it, still. I guess dueling wouldn’t be the worst. But now that I know you’re in it, I’m having sed thoughts.”

  Sofia hummed. Natalie’s barbs never did seem to get to her.

  “But pig a harvesting skill could be good, too,” Natalie added. “The funds would be nice.”

  “You do both. That’s what I pn on.”

  “Yeah, but it’s a time itment. Might be better to focus ohing.” Time was the most limiting resour the p; one skill refined was anlected. “Might focus on being down in the dungeon as much as possible.”

  Sofia g her. If Natalie didn’t know better, she’d say there’d been a flicker of . “Solo?”

  Natalie shrugged. “Or duo—whoever I find. Maybe. Some people do that. Too difficult to always have a full squad.”

  “Just pace yourself,” Sofia said mildly. “You tend to rush headlong into things.”

  There it was again—Sofia goading her. Implying Natalie couldn’t ha. Well, she wouldn’t rise up to the bait, obvious as it was. Sofia would have to work harder than that to get a rea out of her.

  “How are we w getting our fourth and fifth?” Jordan asked.

  “For the party?” Sofia asked. “Have you two met anyone?”

  Natalie had inteo do some socializing, but she hadn’t gotten the ce. “Too busy,” she said. They’d arrived te to Te, and had to py catch up on the administrative tasks expected on intake day. “It might be smarter to wait until csses start, anyway.”

  Sofia pursed her lips as she sidered that. “That’s too limiting, I think. Csses are only sixteen students, and while it’d be ve being in the same css, better to cast the wider.”

  “Then cast away,” Natalie said. She didn’t disagree; she’d probably try to get some names and faces from the different girls back at the barracks.

  “Better to work quick,” Jordan added. “Before everyoles down. I’d figure a det portion already have parties, made before Te. It seems like everyone here knows each other.”

  Natalie had noticed that too. Though, ‘everyone’ was going too far. A good portion of Te’s students were nobility … and nobility mingled with each other, obviously. Several likely had their adventuring parties structured before arriving to Te, or even being accepted. Many had grown up together, like she, Sofia, and Jordan.

  Not that it roblem how many of the nobility-based students were already teamed up. She’d rather not deal with those stuffy types, so it didn’t matter to her. A fake princess—Sofia—was enough of a headache, much less a real one.

  “We’ll have some time,” Sofia said. “There’s no rush. I doubt people will move that quickly. They’ll want to get a feel for everyone. Where the talent is, and what everyone’s csses are. The dungeon isn’t open to first-weekers, and I doubt eve is, parties will be ted.” She hummed. “The best thing we do is prove ourselves, tomorrow m. Draw attention from other talent. And, we should focus on finding personalities we mesh with, too. That’s as important as funal patibility.”

  Natalie found the statement a bit amusing, seeing how she and Sofia had tentatively grouped up. Obviously, they weren’t ‘patible’. Though, their partying up was more out of y and familiarity than anything. Sofia—or Natalie and Jordan—could very well split apart iure, for a team that better fit them. These were just loose pns.

  “But still best to get a move on,” Jordaed. “We ’t expect things to fall into pce.”

  “Exactly,” Sofia said.