Chapter 221: Eight Coppers an Hou

Arthur parted ways with Emily near the main quadrangle, still grinning about their spar.

His left wrist ached, and he was hungry enough to eat just about anything the dining hall was serving. Then he remembered something.

Fuck. Iris.

He’d promised Sylvia he’d speak to Iris Rowan today.

Arthur glanced toward the dining hall, then turned toward the east dormitory annex instead.

In the game, Iris Rowan became the White Queen, an endgame boss who could freeze entire battlefields. Arthur had spent four fucking days trying to beat her. Right now, the White Queen was a broke first-year who’d taken an eight-copper-an-hour job at the south gate starting tomorrow.

The east annex was crowded with students returning from lectures or heading out for dinner. Inside, the common room was packed with study tables, battered armchairs, and a notice board covered in club flyers.

Arthur walked up to the duty desk near the stairwell.

"I’m looking for Iris Rowan," Arthur said, resting his hand on the wooden counter.

The second-year residence monitor recognized him. Of course he did. Arthur Vance’s old reputation hadn’t exactly disappeared, and showing up at the first-year residence asking for a girl by name probably wasn’t helping.

"I’ll let her know you’re here," the monitor said, his voice tight. "Wait by the entrance."

Five minutes later, Iris descended the wooden stairs. She wore a simple gray academy tunic. Her pale hair was tied back in a messy knot, her fingertips were stained with ink, and she had a smear of white chalk across her cuff. She looked like someone who had been fighting a chalkboard for three hours and was losing the argument.

"Vance," Iris said, stopping a couple of feet away. "Are you here to tell me you forgot to ask your guildmaster?"

"I asked her yesterday," Arthur said. "She’s interested."

Iris crossed her arms. "Interested in what, exactly?"

"A paid practical assessment. Obsidian Hand handles salvaged equipment. Sylvia is willing to see if you can map a magical array."

"What kind of arrays?" Iris asked, her voice losing some of its defensive edge. "Standard commercial wards?"

"Ancient ones. We pull mostly dungeon salvage. Old defensive wards, structural enchantments, occasionally weapons."

Iris leaned forward slightly. "You have recovered dungeon enchantments at your warehouse? Intact ones?"

"Some of them, I think," Arthur said. "That’s part of what Sylvia wants checked."

"Most of the examples we study are reconstructed from old diagrams," Iris said, her words speeding up. "I’ve never had a chance to examine an original array. Do you know what kind of base structures they use? If they’re Second-Era, they might be relying on environmental mana rather than internal cores."

"You’re asking the wrong guy," Arthur said. "Most of the ones I’ve encountered were trying to kill me."

Iris stared at him. "You still must have noticed something."

"Usually I’m too busy avoiding whatever the damn thing is shooting at me."

Iris winced. "You could at least take notes. If the inscriptions are still intact, I might be able to figure out how they were built."

"You’d have to come down to the warehouse first."

"I’m beginning to think you should’ve mentioned this before the money."

Arthur laughed.

Iris leaned in again. "Would I actually get to handle the pieces myself?"

"With supervision, sure. Sylvia wants to see what you can do."

"Good. Reading about them is one thing. I want to see the markings up close."

"I’m getting ahead of myself," Iris said. "My shift at the south gate starts tomorrow at five. The city pays eight coppers an hour, and those hours are guaranteed. What does Obsidian Hand pay for an assessment?"

"The trial’s paid," Arthur said. "Sylvia will confirm the amount before you come in. Regular work depends on how it goes."

Iris gave him a flat look. "You’re the one offering me work, and you don’t even know what it pays?"

"That’s why I have Sylvia."

Iris let out a short breath. "I have lectures until three o’clock on Thursday, and a practical demonstration on Friday morning. I can give your guildmaster some time on Thursday afternoon after classes."

"I’ll confirm the time with Sylvia," Arthur said. "Tolan will supervise you. He’s our alchemist."

"Fine." Iris glanced back toward the stairs.

"What are you working on?" Arthur asked, nodding at her chalk-stained sleeve.

"An assignment for Array Mechanics. The instructor wants us to stabilize a high-yield kinetic array."

"Having trouble with the output?"

Iris’s jaw tightened. "The standard structure requires a massive initial surge to prime the nodes. My output isn’t high enough to force the mana through before it collapses."

"Can you just string two smaller arrays together?" Arthur asked.

Iris gave him a look. "They’d interfere with each other. I’ve already tried."

"Right."

Arthur glanced at the chalk on her sleeve. "How many tries?"

"Lost count. The last one actually held together until I increased the output." She sounded almost pleased about it.

"That’s progress."

"It’s something," Iris admitted.

"I’ve got another idea," she said, looking down at the chalk on her sleeve and rubbing at it with her thumb. "I just haven’t made it work yet."

"What happens if it fails?"

"I start over."

Arthur glanced at her ink-stained fingers. "Again?"

"Probably."

A group of third-year students brushed past them, arguing loudly about a levitation charm. Iris barely noticed them. She looked back up at the stairwell.

"I’ve still got that assignment to finish," Iris said. "Send the trial details to the residence desk."

"What, I’m not welcome?"

"You’re welcome when you have a time and a number."

Arthur laughed. "Fair enough."

She started toward the stairs, then stopped.

"Vance. Those old wards you mentioned." Iris looked back at him. "If I find an intact array structure during the trial, can I document it for my own research?"

"I’ll check with Sylvia," Arthur said. "Should be fine as long as Tolan approves what you’re using."

Iris nodded. "Make sure you mention that when you send the details."

"Thought you only cared about the pay."

"I care about both."

She headed upstairs before he could answer.

Arthur watched her disappear around the landing.

What a pain in the ass.

He was still smiling when he finally went looking for dinner.