When Charity appeared in front of Lindon to take him back to the Uncrowned King tournament, he felt like she was tearing points away from him.

He wanted to see Yerin again, and of course he needed to witness the rest of the tournament, but how much would his team slow down without him around? What would happen to his points?

Charity noticed his hesitation, raising one eyebrow. “Did you enjoy it here that much?”

“Apologies, no, I’m…I’m ready to go.”

“When my father was younger, he would have stayed in battle rather than returning home. Sometimes for months.”

“It’s not battle that concerns me. I just can’t afford to stay where I am.”

And every day he was gone, the Uncrowned would be growing stronger. He would be left further behind than he was already.

The tournament would only remind him how far he had to go.

“I had to visit for my own reasons in any case. If you would like me to leave you here—”

“No. No, my mind is made up.”

If for no other reason, he hadn’t seen Yerin in a month.

Charity nodded, giving him an hour to speak with his team and pack. Only when he was certain that they would all dedicate themselves to earning points while he was gone did he feel any sort of comfort about leaving.

Just like their trip to Sky’s Edge, their trip back took half a day of transporting through seemingly random locations. This time, Charity was in a more talkative mood, asking both Dross and Lindon about their experiences in Sky’s Edge.

“And you haven’t seen any hint of the other Dreadgod cults?”

“Only Abyssal Palace, although other teams may have seen what I haven’t.”

She waved a hand. “No, that lines up with what my father said. It simply concerns me. But how about you? You were placed at the head of a team with no time to prepare.”

Lindon wasn’t sure what kind of answer she was looking for, so he gave a noncommittal answer. “It has been a valuable learning opportunity for me, and a good chance to earn contribution points.”

“I see.” Purple eyes watched him, and he couldn’t read them. “And your team members? Have you grown to know them better?”

“We often work separately, but I have spent time with each of them.”

Less so with the Maten sisters, who seemed not to talk any more than necessary to anyone but each other, or the two lowest-ranking Akura Underlords. Douji and Courage went out of their way to avoid Lindon whenever possible, no doubt worried that he might take revenge for their treatment of him in Moongrave.

Their fear was not improved by Dross, who kept whispering threats into their minds as they tried to sleep.

“Hm.” She raised an arm, and an owl of living madra came down to perch on it. She scratched it behind the head as she asked, “What do you think of Grace?”

Lindon sensed danger, but since he still didn’t know where the Sage was headed, he continued to answer safely. “She has performed admirably, both in and out of combat. I can trust her judgment more than…others.”

He had almost given in to his temptation to insult Pride.

The Sage of the Silver Heart turned and speared him with a gaze that examined him far beyond the point of comfort. “What if we allowed you to marry her?”

They had stopped in a beautiful glade, where Lindon sat on a plush cushion of moss, but suddenly he couldn’t find a comfortable position.

“I…would be…flattered by the offer, but certainly she has better prospects than me.”

Charity continued examining him as she rested her hand on the owl. The owl, too, stared fixedly at him.

“How many better prospects do you imagine there are?” the Sage asked. “You must know that you caught my grandmother’s attention. She instructed us to tie you to the family, and this would be the easiest way.”

[Wow, marriage is easy! I had always imagined a lot of nonsense building up to it, but this is nice and fast. You should do it.]

Lindon focused on watching dew bead at the end of a huge leaf so that he didn’t have to keep staring into piercing purple eyes. He declined as graciously as he could. “Apologies. I doubt I can live up to your expectations. I have never interacted with Grace as anything other than a teammate.”

“You will become a significant power in the future,” Charity said. “It is in our best interests to tie you to our name as early as we can. As for Grace’s personal feelings, while I intended to propose this issue to her, she brought it up first.”

For a moment, Lindon had a hard time believing that. But the Sage would have no reason to lie.

Then he couldn’t help but be flattered. More than he would have expected.

He understood the reality of Grace’s position: she saw him as a good prospect that her family would accept and that she could get along with. He had no illusions about his own charm.

“I am honored,” he said honestly.

“Good. We would also like to avoid the possibility of any…missteps…on your part. We are aware that the only young women you have spent significant time with are Yerin and Mercy, and we would like to act before you develop too much attachment to either of them.”

Lindon studiously examined the dew-spotted leaf.

“Mercy cannot afford any distractions until she reaches at least the peak of Archlord, at which point she will make her own decisions. And Yerin is not a member of our family. Yet. But we will be doing what we can to change that.”

“I appreciate your honesty,” Lindon said automatically.

“Yes.” Charity waved a hand, dismissing her owl. “Now, I would appreciate some from you.”

While Lindon couldn’t detect any clear change in her expression, somehow she seemed more relatable. Less like the Sage of the Silver Heart, and more like Mercy’s aunt.

Or, technically, Mercy’s ancient niece.

“I am genuinely flattered by the offer,” Lindon said, “but I am interested only in Yerin.” That was uncomfortable to say out loud, so he tried to soften the statement. “Presuming she feels the same way. I would like to try, at least.”

Charity folded her arms. “I knew we had waited too long when I saw your reservation at the Sundown Pavilion.”

He gave an awkward laugh that he didn’t feel. “Ah. My apologies.”

“None necessary. If you’re serious, you should strike sooner rather than later. Yerin has become one of the most eligible young women in the world.”

Lindon tried to imagine Yerin’s reaction to a stranger asking her for a stroll in the moonlight.

He couldn’t picture it going well.

“Pardon if this sounds too proud,” Lindon said, “but I don’t think that’s my greatest concern.”

When Charity made the final jump to the Ninecloud Court, she told Lindon to expect that they would emerge at the end of the cloudship dock.

So when he ended up inside a familiar gray, simply decorated room with Northstrider standing in the corner, Lindon was caught off guard.

At first, Lindon thought Charity had brought him to Northstrider as the result of some secret deal, but the Sage spoke in a flat voice. “Monarch. You could have summoned me.”

“I did,” Northstrider said. “Now I dismiss you.” His muscular arms were folded, and he stared into the walls as though watching something far away.