The eighth day of the week is usually calm. It is mandatory to visit the temple of Tolmas in the morning and continue with daily duties in the afternoon. However, that morning the air was filled with ambition, curiosity… and competition.
Although she had not attended the prayer either in the main temple or the small one at the university, Dalia left her office a few minutes after the religious meeting had ended. From that moment on, hundreds of meetings with professors awaited her to organize the planning of the classes.
At twenty-five she was no longer just a young professor; she was one of the best rune carvers in the kingdom. And that made her someone highly sought after.
During the morning she attended to as many young people as she could. She moved from one tutoring session to another, between private meetings and technical consultations. Some young professors, barely older than their own students, tried to get her to reveal some of her secrets. Final-year students, on the other hand, looked for clumsy excuses to prolong the conversation and spend a little more time with her.
She smiled, answered politely, or redirected the conversation when necessary. Unaware of it, she sometimes adjusted her hair or slightly turned her wrist, letting the light reflect off her ring.
Sometimes she played with it while listening; other times she let it rest softly on the table, producing a faint sound. Eyes always ended up resting on the ring, though no one dared to ask about it.
Around midday, while crossing the main courtyard, a group of young men watched her from a distance. She was in a hurry to reach the dining hall, since she barely had an hour to eat.
― Isn't that the one who carves on Magiston crystals? ― said the son of a noble from the capital.
― The second-years call her the unconquerable. ―
― She's not as ugly as they say… watch this, I'm going after her. ―
Before Dalia could avoid them, the boys approached and ended up surrounding her under the excuse of asking about rune carving. She responded with just enough courtesy, trying to continue on her way, but every time she took a small step someone moved to block her again.
After a few minutes, the polite smile on her face began to stiffen. One talked about academic alliances, another about lineages, and another directly mentioned marriage, as if she were a prize that could be negotiated among them.
― Professor, if you would allow me to invite you to lunch… ―
― I believe I have not yet had the pleasure of properly meeting you… ―
― It would be a waste for someone like you… ― said one while trying to take her hand.
Dalia pulled her hand away and took half a step back. The young men cornered her even more. Dalia was about to finish conjuring a wind spell to push them aside when a firm hand separated them.
●― Dalia… Let's go. ― Neo took her hand and pulled her out of the circle.
The group parted with a thick silence. One of the young men tried to grab Dalia by the arm, but Neo reacted first; he gently moved her aside and placed her behind him.
― Can't you see she's talking with us, commoner? ― said a young man with a contemptuous smile.
Neo shook his head, but receiving no reply, the young noble, feeling superior, drew his sword in an instant, leaving the tip a handspan from Neo's chest.
Around him, the hands of his friends tightened on their hilts. Antón, without taking his eyes off the scene, placed his right hand on the handle of his sword, ready for whatever might happen.
Neo, however, did not step back. He stepped forward and, with one hand, pushed the sword aside. Without roughness, he leaned slightly toward the young man.
●― Swords are not drawn out of pride. ― he said, barely whispering.
Both held each other's gaze until the boy lowered the sword. He turned it and gripped it with his other hand, preparing to strike from below, but Neo, without effort, grabbed it by the pommel, preventing him from swinging it.
●― I do have something to protect. ― he said while gesturing toward Dalia. ― And your title won't stop me. ―
The young man swallowed, trying to pull the sword free from Neo's hand. But at that moment the boys' professor passed near them. From a distance he noticed the marquise's emblem on Antón's shoulder and, expecting the worst, decided to stop the young men's skirmish.
― Sheathe it right now! ― he ordered from afar.
The young man hesitated for a second. As the professor approached, Neo released the sword and the boy raised it again, pointing it at him once more.
― This commoner… ― said the young noble before being interrupted by the professor.
― My apologies. The festival stirs people's tempers. ― said the professor, grabbing Neo by the shoulder.
●― The boy only wanted to show me his sword. ―
The professor then looked at him more carefully.
Antón took the opportunity to step forward, firmly pushing aside two of the young men who were about to draw their weapons. He approached the young noble and lowered the sword.
― Antón ― A gentleman does not point the edge at another man's chest just to show off his sword. That stance is incorrect. ―
― How many times must I tell you that this is not how you present a sword? ― said the professor.
With a clean movement, he disarmed the young man and took the weapon.
― If you are going to show it, do it like this. ―
He turned the blade with impeccable technique, holding the hilt with his left hand and the blade with his right.
― I apologize. The boy… ―
Antón held his gaze for a second.
― Antón ― It's nothing. Boys that age are like that. Who, in their youth, never made mistakes? ―
― Dalia ― Well… Neo was an apprentice of Durman. ―
The professor knew who Durman was and his strange obsession with refusing apprentices, as well as Durman's complicated relationship with Dalia.
― I understand. My apologies, sir… ―
●― Neo. ― He offered his hand to the professor.
For a few seconds the professor and Neo examined the sword together, pointing out mistakes in its use.
― See these marks? They're from your bad habits. Right now you're going back to the pavilion to train, and the four of you as well. ―
The young men stood stunned by the professor's seriousness.
― NOW! ― Without another word, he led the group away.
The young man turned before leaving while his professor scolded them for their actions. His eyes drifted unintentionally to Neo's hand. He suddenly stopped when he saw the gold of the ring, and when he noticed Dalia's as well, the pinkish tone did not resemble copper—it was a rare and precious mixture.
― That color… ―
― Only someone close to Durman could… ― murmured one of his companions.
None of them dared finish the sentence, not even the professor.
Antón, for his part, subtly signaled Dalia and Neo to continue on their way, uneasy knowing that the incident would have to be reported to the marquise as soon as possible. The young man in question was the son of the marquis of one of the five most important cities in the kingdom.
― Dalia ― You were very harsh on them. ― she said with a crooked smile.
●― Well… I suppose… ― She lowered her gaze to the ring and slowly turned it with her thumb.
― Dalia ― These things… or little scenes like that… can't happen here. ― she murmured. ― Now they'll think I'm… dangerous. ―
Neo stopped, looked at her, and without warning gently touched her cheek.
●― You are. About last night… ―
Dalia hit him on the arm to make him stop talking.
●― Hey, why are you hitting me? You were the one about to bury them alive. ―
― Dalia ― Ah… you mean that… ―
Antón cleared his throat softly without intervening. They began walking again, and after a few steps Antón spoke quietly, almost in a whisper.
― Antón ― This time it ended well. ―
Neo glanced at him from the corner of his eye.
●― In the end he was just showing off, right? ―
Antón took a second before answering.
― Antón ― Let's say… that was all it was. ―
― Dalia ― Stop talking, we need to hurry to the dining hall. I don't have much time left to eat. And Astrid is waiting for us. ―
The dining hall doors are not usually open at lunchtime, especially at this time of year. But thanks to this oversight, Neo could see from the entrance how, to his right, the students' area stretched out with long rectangular tables. And to the left, raised about two meters above the floor of the rest of the hall, stood the professors' platform. There, square tables more spaced apart and with high-backed chairs—dominated the space.
At the back of the room, on the wall opposite the entrance, several servants attended the counters, far from the busy kitchen that could barely be seen through the enormous glass panes of the horizontal window. The servants divided themselves to serve two lines: a long one for the students and the other, almost empty, for the professors.
Neo entered to the left of the doorway, and Dalia entered to the right. For a few steps they walked separated by the frame of the entrance. Then Dalia slipped her arm between Neo's side and the arm he had hidden inside his coat. The ring on her hand became perfectly visible. Neo barely frowned, since that posture always felt uncomfortable to him. He pulled his arm free and naturally took Dalia's hand, provoking whispers among the nearby tables.
Murmurs began to rise among the tables. One of Anita's students discreetly pointed toward him and commented that he was Neo. Another girl, who came from another city, repeated the name with curiosity, trying to remember it. Someone else added in a low voice that he was one of the ones who had humiliated the mathematics group, though he seemed too young to have that reputation. A little farther back, at another table, the conversation had taken a different turn. A girl leaned toward her friend and asked if Dalia was wearing a ring. The other replied yes, but then both stared more closely, and after a moment one whispered in surprise that he was wearing one too.
When Neo, Dalia, and Antón reached the serving counter, no one was left waiting. Several sample dishes were set on the table. The servant bowed her head.
― What would you like, Professor Dalia? ―
― Dalia ― The first dish. ― she said, pointing to it.
― Only the first? ―
― Dalia ― Yes, I'm in a hurry. I have a meeting with the headmistress afterward… ―
Neo examined them all, looking for the best option, until he found the students' dish: a good piece of meat with barely any vegetables.
●― And you? ―
― Antón ― I'll order later. ―
●― Don't be ridiculous. I'm paying for you. ―
Antón observed the second dish for a moment and, with a slight nod, indicated that he wanted that one.
●― Two of those. ―
The woman looked surprised.
― Excuse me, students must order in the… ―
― Dalia ― No, no. It's fine, they're with me. This is my… ― she said, raising a hand. ― …husband and his friend. ― she added, somewhat embarrassed.
― My apologies, my mistake. ― said the woman, flustered, afraid she might have offended them. ― That will be nine copper in total. ―
Neo put his hand in his pocket, took out a silver coin, and placed it on the table. The young woman searched for a copper coin to return the change, but Neo discreetly refused it by raising his hand.
― Thank you, sir. ―
She took out a small wooden triangle with a number carved into it and handed it to Dalia.
― Please wait on the platform, Miss Dalia. We'll bring your food shortly. ―
― Neo Dalia ― Thank you very much. Have a very good day. ―
The servant remained looking at them for a moment.
― Thank you… ―
●― Since when do you say that…? ―
― Dalia ― I heard you say it that day when we were shopping, and it seemed like a nice gesture to me. ―
As they walked away, Antón observed the scene from the corner of his eye. It wasn't just the coin; it was the tone and the way Neo influenced others. When he looked forward again, Neo and Dalia were already climbing the stairs toward the professors' platform. From that height almost the entire dining hall could be seen.
As Neo, Dalia, and Antón crossed the platform between the tables, the scent of soap could be subtly perceived—just enough to draw attention. Several conversations faded, and some gazes turned toward them. Whispers began to pass from table to table: that was Neo, Durman's former disciple, the one who had invented something to copy documents, the new toy of the marquise—the printing press. But soon the gazes stopped on the rings, his and Dalia's, and the tone of the murmurs changed. Some wondered if he might be a noble, others shook their heads, saying the name didn't sound familiar. From a nearby table, two professors from another city watched them with interest.
At a table in the back, near the wall, Astrid was sitting with three other women: Elara Varnhelm, Silvia Oak, and Lyra Axebright. The four of them were chatting calmly until Astrid looked up and saw Dalia, then she smiled. A moment later, when her gaze met Neo's, she raised an eyebrow.
― Astrid ― Well, well. ―
Neo raised a hand in greeting.
●― Hello. ―
― Astrid ― I didn't know my daughter's husband would be joining us today. ―
Neo sat down without giving it much importance, and Dalia took the chair beside him. Astrid looked at Antón, recognized him immediately, stepped closer to him, and pointed to another chair next to Neo.
― Astrid ― There's more room. ―
― Antón ― I'd prefer… ― he said, looking for another seat not too far away.
― Astrid ― Sitting with us is less suspicious. ― she said almost in a whisper to him.
The three university professors and wives of guild masters observed with curiosity.
― Lyra ― It's been a long time since I last saw you, Neo. ―
●― Not since that day? ― he said, surprised.
― Silvia ― We've heard quite a lot about you lately. ― she said, glancing at Dalia.
●― That's never good. ― Neo replied with a laugh.
― Elara ― I'm still surprised that Durman chose you as his apprentice. ― she said, resting an elbow on the table.
●― I'm not anymore. ―
― Astrid ― Not everything he learned came from Durman. ― Her eyes lowered to his hands. ― For example… your way of proposing marriage. ―
― Silvia ― Is that the rose gold we've been hearing about all morning? ―
●― It's just a nice alloy. ―
Lyra looked at Dalia's hand.
― Silvia ― But it's quite beautiful. ―
― Elara ― I would say it's exquisite. ―
Astrid extended her hand toward Dalia.
― Astrid ― Let me see it. ―
Dalia handed it to her. Astrid held it in such a way that the inscriptions inside were hidden from view.
― Lyra ― This gold is beautiful. ― she murmured, and then looking at Neo ― And yours? ―
Neo removed it and passed it to her.
Astrid held both rings between her fingers, positioning them so that the inside remained covered by her hand. The three women leaned slightly closer to see better.
― Silvia ― The color is beautiful. ―
― Lyra ― I've never seen gold like this. ―
Astrid slightly turned Dalia's ring.
― Silvia ― How did you make it? ― she asked, lifting her head.
Neo shrugged.
●― By trying things. ―
― Lyra ― That doesn't answer anything. ―
●― It's the real answer. ―
At that moment a servant arrived with the dishes.
He placed Dalia's first, and then the other two.
●― Thank you very much. ―
― Enjoy your meal, sir. ―
●― Thank you very much. It looks perfect. ―
― I'll tell the cook. ―
The servant left, and Silvia followed him with her eyes for a moment.
― Silvia ― You're very polite with the servants. ―
●― After all, they work just like we do. ―
― Lyra ― Well then… how did he propose to you? ―
Dalia leaned slightly over the table, and the three women leaned in to listen closely.
― Dalia ― Do you remember that room… ― she said in a whisper. ― He took me there, got down on one knee, and pulling out the ring asked if I wanted to be his wife… ―
― Silvia ― Neo… well, that was bold… ―
While the four women talked about the rings and the marriage proposal, Dalia kept eating and answering hurriedly.
― Antón ― What room could she be talking about? ― he whispered to Neo.
― Astrid ― The guest room. ― she whispered from behind, startling him.
When she finished eating, Dalia stood up, put the ring back on, and said goodbye to the four women.
― Dalia ― Will you be home early tonight? ― she said, looking at Neo.
●― Actually, I have a job with Durman. ―
― Dalia ― Alright, see you later. ―
She stepped closer to Neo and kissed him on the cheek.
Neo blushed and, almost trembling with embarrassment, straightened the two chairs before saying goodbye to the four women.
In the afternoon, while Neo was focused on melting more gold, Hunt was cleaning and preparing the molds when Durman appeared. After a brief explanation, the hammer blows began to echo while Durman watched, frowning.
― Durman ― No, no, no… ― he finally said. ― That ring is only gold. You can't treat it like the alloy from Dalia's ring. You're striking it too hard; you could damage it. ―
Neo let out a sigh and paused for a moment.
■― Do you want to do it yourself? ―
― Durman ― No… ―
●― Then be quiet. And by the way, it's not pure gold. ―
Durman raised an eyebrow, intrigued.
― Durman ― Really?… leaving that aside, how difficult was it to take Astrid's finger measurement? ―
Neo made a small upward gesture with his hand.
●― Yeah… well, it's almost the same size as Dalia's. ―
― Durman ― Then there's no problem… and sorry, I didn't mean to criticize. ―
●― It's fine. ― he replied. ― I just warned Dalia never to work while wearing the ring. It's dangerous. Her finger would come off before the ring would. ―
Durman shook his head firmly.
― Durman ― That won't happen. I'll be careful. ―
Neo raised an eyebrow.
●― Yeah, my uncle said the same thing… and now he can only count to nine… ―
Durman snorted, resigned.
■― Ah… That's why he's missing a finger… I didn't know. ―
― Durman ― …I'd better take it off while I work. ―
Neo nodded, somewhat satisfied, and added in a practical tone.
●― You could buy a necklace or something, but even then working with a ring or a necklace is super dangerous. For the girls, or for Astrid, it might work, but for you it's an unnecessary risk. ―
After a few hours, Durman finally put it on his finger, turned it, observed it from every angle, and finally nodded with satisfaction. Neo cleaned the surface of the ring and began engraving Astrid's name with a steady hand, while the still-warm gold reflected the light of the workshop. Each stroke was precise, joining technique with the affection and trust that existed in that family workshop.