Ignoring Codrin’s grumbling, Aldric made his way over to Lilianna and Nadrina. The former was busy manipulating water from a liquid to a gas, transferring it from one wooden bowl to another, while the latter was tinkering with a mana lock he’d given her.

Mana locks were devices used just like any regular lock, the only difference being they ran on rune scripts, not keys. They were more secure generally, unless you were trying to keep a sorcerer out of something. Aldric had given them to Nadrina to practice recognizing rune formations, then breaking or interrupting them.

Aldric had underestimated her. Again. He’d given her three to start off with, thinking it would take her a few days at least. She came back to him fifteen minutes later, asking for more. After several weeks of this, it basically became a game to work on in her spare time. Aldric kept designing them to be progressively more difficult, but he was fighting a losing battle against her insatiable desire to learn. He’d specifically designed this latest one to be one of the hardest he could make, just to spare him from making so many more. He had no doubts she’d get through it one day, though.

Blessedly, that day didn’t seem to be today. Nadrina was frowning at the small device in her hands with fierce concentration, and didn’t even bother to look up when he approached them. “How’s practice coming along?” he asked.

Lilianna looked up and gave him a tired smile, looking relieved to have an excuse to take a break. “Quite well, Professor. I can transfer the water between bowls a full five or six times before I tire myself out and have to rest.” She absently wiped a drop of sweat from her brow as she beamed with pride.

Aldric only nodded in approval. Internally, however, her progress genuinely surprised him. Lilianna had taken to learning and training almost as much as Nadrina. More than once, he’d reigned her in a bit before she hurt herself. She didn’t strike him as the type to be reckless, which made her attitude so surprising.

Aldric chalked it up to not being allowed to explore her limits when she was still being tutored by her family. He could certainly relate to the feeling of having one’s talents constrained by the expectations of others.

“Oh, and look what Drina made me!” Lilianna picked up both water bowls and displayed them proudly to Aldric, like she’d made them herself and wanted praise. Nadrina’s head shot up when she registered what her friend had just said.

“Wait! Lilly, they’re not—!” she started, but cut off when she saw Aldric’s sudden pointed interest in the bowls. “Um, they’re not really perfect just yet. I’m still trying to iron out the kinks. They’re more like prototypes. I’m sure you could do much better, Professor.”