The morning air in the Capital was crisp, but the interior of the Maden Mage Tower smelled like old parchment, ozone, and the distinct, lingering scent of my "Nothingwood Forest" candles, clearly, even the mages weren't immune to my marketing campaigns.
I marched through the halls with Viking trailing behind me like a shadow made of silk and daggers. I'd sent Sir Alex and Jin on a "Secret Shopper" mission to the Merchant Guild. If those traders were price-gouging my Ketchup and Asspirin, I wanted names, ledgers, and a very detailed list of people I was about to bankrupt.
Prince Ford and Arthur walked on either side of me as we entered the grand receiving room. High Mage Alias hurried forward, his robes fluttering. He looked ten years younger since I'd helped him scrub the political sludge out of the Tower's foundations.
