Finding the right crystal, at least, proved easier. Orion was fairly knowledgeable about metals, but he had developed an understanding of the mana-transmission capabilities of crystals that could rival any master jewel crafter over the past months, at least within his specific interests.

  Vaar had a hundred different samples for him to try. Some were too opaque and were rejected immediately, while the glassier ones, which could be crafted into lenses with some cutting and alchemical treatments, were often far too pure for his tastes.

  He needed something structurally complex enough to withstand extreme stress from the massive data flow, and the fragile pieces Vaar was showing him couldn’t handle it, at least without sacrificing some of the programming to do so, which he wasn’t ready to do.

  When he finally gave up on secrecy and outright told the old man he needed them to fit in a frame to serve as lenses, he was brought something he knew would work.

  “These are crystals of monetite, a type of glass that is highly energy efficient and is commonly used by the Radiant Vigil’s medics. They have scrying tools designed to detect microfractures and stress, allowing them to cast extremely precise healing spells.”

  Orion listened with one ear as he focused on the yellowish piece of glass. At first glance, it looked too opaque for his needs, but that was mainly because of its thickness. For his purpose, he planned to carve out a thin pair of lenses, limited only by the amount of material he needed to leave to keep enough computing capacity.

  He looked questioningly at Vaar, who gestured for him to go ahead. He picked it up, pressing his fingers against the surface as he scanned with [Hypotheticism].

  As expected, although completely magically inert in its current state, he was able to notice a few interesting details. First, it was gradually absorbing small amounts of mana from the Local Field, even without any instruction.

  It must be the natural density. Mana that passes through gets trapped inside, attracting even more.

  The process wasn’t fast enough to justify using it as a battery, but he could already see some uses beyond the SDGs. In this case, though, that ability would be very helpful, as it would let him tap into the glass’s very nature to draw from the Field while he carved out the code.

  Secondly, it was actually quite durable. Not diamond-level, but enough to handle significant stress, which, along with the failsafes he planned to incorporate, made him think he might be able to push V2 further than he initially intended.

  Or at least, the buffer will be wide enough that I shouldn’t have to worry about them melting my face off.

  That would have been hard to explain to his mother, or anyone else, since they had kept him alive and well through the magical meltdown.

  “How much for this?” He asked.

  “Twenty silvers,” Vaar replied, making his grandson choke on his breath.

  “What? But we sold that at twice—ack!” The poor half-elf tried to speak, only to be cut off by a hand that moved surprisingly fast, sending him into another coughing fit.

  “Not every customer needs to be treated the same way, hmm? Didn’t I tell you that? When the project is interesting enough, and the buyer is likely to come back if things go right, you can allow some wiggle room,” Vaar explained, before turning to Orion as if he hadn’t just handed out physical punishment like it was candy.

  He eyed the poor guy, but found him mostly intact, and decided his body stat was probably high enough for such abuse to feel like love taps.

  A society where some people can be hit by a speeding train and walk it off, while others can erase mountains with their minds, is bound to have some peculiarities.

  Orion paid without complaint, knowing he was getting a pretty good deal, all things considered, even if his pouch, which had once held some of the proceeds from the sale of the monsters he’d hunted, was now back to its semi-empty state.

  I might need to take up some adventuring while I'm in the coven. Actually, that sounds like a good idea. It will help me stay out of Morliana’s sight, give me a chance to test my new powers, and earn some money.

  This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

  He wouldn’t have even considered it a real possibility before, but Orion was pretty confident he could survive most threats around Silverpeak, even if he had to avoid the higher mountains where the actual predators lurked.

  Ice dragons, for example, were tier three creatures, with some reaching tier four. There would be no escaping from those beasties, especially since they could fly after him even if he managed to ride a broom.

  He said his goodbyes to Vaar and his grandson, then left the alchemy shop behind and started heading back toward the embassy.

  Ophelia followed him with a gloomy look, clearly reluctant to let him go, but understanding he had important duties to attend to. Although he wouldn’t delay his plans any longer, he felt guilty enough to offer her a lifeline.

  “You know, tomorrow afternoon I will be visiting the Vigil’s embassy to have another round of sparring with the squires. It will be pretty short since I need to leave the next morning, and I don’t know if they’ll allow you in, but if you want, I’m sure your grandfather could convey your desire to spectate to them.”

  The bright smile she gave him made the risk of staying longer than planned worth taking.

  “So, you will be attempting to forge your glasses anew?” Asteria asked, peering down at his workbench and humming in surprise as she noticed several potions.

  He had taken them from her supplies, so it was no surprise she recognized them, but they weren’t particularly valuable. They were simply solvents he planned to use as cleansers and treatments to make sure no impurities interfered with the forging process.

  “They will be better than ever,” he replied, not taking his eyes off his calculations. The programming part was almost finished, but he wanted to make sure he could run the whole thing smoothly before he started coding.

  Cielinite was very costly for his budget, and although he had enough to make at least two pairs of glasses, he wanted to get it right the first time and then experiment with the rest.

  “And are you sure you don’t need help?” she pressed, with enough intent in her voice that he finally turned, giving her a questioning look.

  She held his gaze for a moment before sighing. “Moonbeam, I am very proud of how far you have come, but what you are attempting is not easy, nor should you treat it as such. The System is a heavenly creation, whether you believe it comes from the Moon Mother or not. Attempting to understand it fully is a fool’s errand, and even grasping a tiny part of it far exceeds what any tier two should be trying.”

  Orion held back his initial annoyed response. He had already gone through this once before when he was much weaker and less experienced, so he didn’t see the point of making a fuss now, but the emotion in her eyes told him it was a genuine concern.

  So he took a deep breath and held her hands. “What is this about? You have seen what I can do.”

  Asteria pressed her lips together. “When did you grow up? You used to be so cute, ignoring all social cues and doing your own thing.”

  Warmth rushed to his cheeks, and he shot her a look to urge her to get to the point. Jeez, it’s almost like I was a real kid, the way she treats me. I guess I was a bit too socially unaware back then. I have grown.

  She chuckled. “I’m just worried about our return to the Sanctum. Many there would see what you are doing as potentially blasphemous, though I know for a fact at least two Elders have similar artifacts, if made through more traditional methods. I just don’t want you to feel like you need to run away from it, so I worry.”

  “Mom,” he said, meeting her eyes and trying to show how serious he was. “I do not resent the Sanctum. I have in the past, and there are many things I would change about it if I could, but I don’t hate it. That, however, does not mean I will change myself for it.”

  She closed her eyes and nodded. “Alright. Yeah, alright.”

  She moved closer, kissed his hair, and then ruffled it, making his white locks even messier than usual, which was saying something.

  “Hey!” he called, trying to get the bird’s nest in a semblance of order, and she walked away, shoulders straight, and a clear look in her eyes.

  Orion surreptitiously locked himself in his lab, hoping no one would bother him again. He didn’t hate having heart-to-hearts with his mother, but he really needed to finish his glasses, or he’d go crazy trying to figure out everyone’s levels and classes.

  “At least with V2 I should be able to learn much more than the basic info I got before,” he murmured as he poured over the cauldron he’d repurposed as a cleansing vat.

  Inside were the two main components he’d be using, the monetite and Cielinite, and they were bubbling and fizzing as any kind of ambient mana residue was pulled out of them by the concoction he’d requisitioned from his mother’s cabinets.

  Once that process was complete, he telekinetically lifted them, creating a shield of his own mana to prevent any contact, and placed them on two sterilized cloths, carefully dabbing the potion away.

  Then he picked up the ingot and placed it inside a stone crucible he had also taken from the embassy’s lab. They were often used to melt metals for crafting ritual knives, and since the last holy day for quite a while had just recently passed, he was confident no one would notice their absence until he returned them to their proper place.

  Steady beams of pure light were summoned beneath and around the crucible, heating it to a bright cherry red, and the Cielinite began losing its hue until it finally melted into a dark red goo.

  With great care, Orion wrapped the entire thing in another layer of telekinesis and poured it into the mold he had made, careful not to spill.

  Once the frames were completely filled, he eased away and did the same for the remaining cielinite into another mold, this one a smaller ingot that would have to wait until he could ensure his privacy in the Sanctum before he started working on it.

  Back to the frames, he quickly siphoned heat away, causing the metal to warp slightly under his ministrations, and telekinetically added the details, from the hinges that allowed the frames to open and close to the space that kept the lenses securely locked in place.

  Once everything was finished, the metal let out a final groan before his mana flooded its structure to quench it, providing enough resilience and elasticity to withstand the rough treatment and settle down into a hardier composition.

  Orion took a moment to critically examine the finished product, using all his senses to check for weaknesses, but found none and smiled with satisfaction.

  He didn’t allow himself to indulge in the feeling, though, and quickly walked over to the monetite. More light mana coalesced around his finger, and he set about carving sufficiently thin lenses that would fit into the frames yet hold the power he needed them to.

  That they would resemble a pair of sunglasses from Earth was just a coincidence, and he wouldn't hear anything to the contrary.

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