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"Thank you once again, Leonardo. It's great to see her so spry on her feet again."
It had been a few hours since his daughter awoke, and despite intending to leave and rendezvous with the Manus Umbra, his plans went awry. The duke rather inconsiderately showered him with gratitude and praise, all the while holding him in as a 'guest' despite the late hour.
Leonardo hinted a few times that he wanted to leave, but ultimately feigned defeat and chose to stay overnight. The duke invited him to dinner and they shared a meal, before he was finally allowed to retire to his quarters.
Sitting cross-legged in his room, he chanted a few mantras then pushed his perception out of his body. Surveilling the city from a bird's eye's view, he soon located Sana's ship and projected his voice into her ears.
"Sana, the duke might be a bit sketchy. He might have realized something last night. Have the Manus Umbra retreat as soon as they finish administering the cure.
"Pull out of the harbor and dock 20 miles South of here. There's a neat place you can hide in. Try not to get followed, and eliminate any tails as you deem fit."
Tugging his perception back, he spotted dozens of guards still awake around the premises. He planned a few escape routes, should the need come for it, then finally assuaged his worries.
Dispelling his perception spells, he set up a simple alarm trap by the door then decided to rest. He couldn't bring himself to sleep in the lion's den, but fidgeting restlessly would be of no use either. As such, he settled down and sunk into meditation.
Luckily, the night passed uneventfully and he was soon summoned for breakfast. Sana's entourage safely retreated from the cities and most of them had already gathered together, so Leonardo's mood wasn't too terrible.
"Good morning, lord Duke. Miss Silvia, I see you're in good health already."
Greeting both with feign enthusiasm, he smiled appropriately and took his seat. The girl had a tinge of rosiness return to her cheeks after a healthy good night's sleep. Then again, filled with pure primal energy, even a corpse would have a little pep.
Noting his close gaze, the girl turned her head away to hide a blush. Leonardo on his part acted as if he didn't notice and continued to study her condition, before nodding in satisfaction and facing the duke.
"My lord," he addressed him directly, "Might I ask what plans you have for me today?"
Sipping his tea, the man pretended to look around in ignorance for a moment, but this only made the tension between them more palpable. Even Silvia felt something wasn't quite right.
"Leonardo of Malta, orphaned at a monastery. Parents unknown, education unknown, work experience unknown…"
As he was reciting that, the man set his gaze on Leonardo as he emphasized each 'unknown' as if it were a crime.
Leonardo for his part pulled a long face, but soon recovered and met his gaze with a challenging spark.
"Malta is an isolated place, my lord. It doesn't surprise me your reach doesn't extend there."
"Does isolation explain your outright legendary prowess with crafts or medicine, then? Quite a few people taut you as a doctor of renown, even from an age as young as twelve."
To the contrary, the man proved he clearly looked into Leonardo. Even going as far as digging his history in Valetta. With clashing gazes, the man tried to overly probe for information. Leonardo on his part wanted to hide what he could.
Their impasse was broken an instant later when Silvia stepped in.
"Wow! That's amazing!" she exclaimed with a wide smile, genuinely impressed. "I am lucky to have met you, sir Leonardo."
"I'm just a commoner with a passion for books, you overpraise me, my lady."
Bowing slightly, he made an overt lie and also made his stance clear to the duke. Whether the man believed he self-taught himself on some forbidden tomes or learned from a heretic, it ultimately wouldn't matter.
"Regardless, you saved my daughter and have my personal gratitude. I'm told most of the other patients recovered across town as well. The crown itself thinks you've earned a great merit and deserve to be rewarded."
"Oh? My primary goal here was to save lives. If you cover my expenses, it will already suffice."
Whether feigning modesty or not wanting to bite more than he deserved to chew, Leonardo smiled like a little saint and pushed a detailed bill to the duke. It just barely sufficed to pay for the side ingredients and the ship's trip.
"Is this a joke?" the duke grunted in mock anger as he crumpled the paper and tossed it aside after just a glance, "The lives of nobility are worth far more than few thousand tari. It would be an insult to us if we didn't reward you properly."
"State your requests, Leonardo."
Briefly glancing at Silvia, who probably read too many stories because she blushed thinking he'd ask for her hand, Leonardo pretended to think for a while then made his humble demand.
"You did mention that I have no history of prior education. I'd like to amend that by joining the University. I hope you could make that feasible."
"Oh?" The duke seemed surprised, having expected a more material request.
The Naples Federico II University was the oldest state sponsored university in history, and had opened some two centuries earlier in an attempt to subvert the papacy's grip on higher education. It tutored secular administrative staff that would one day become essential to governing the kingdom. Be it judges or city councilors, they all made their debut in those halls.
The research branch was also well renowned in Europe, though Leonardo held little interest in their primitive science. He was more interested in the people and networking, as well as propping up his image. Graduating from the place would earn him some legitimate prestige and friends in high places, which could act as a safety net against enemies if he played it well.
"That can be arranged easily. Is there anything else? The crown has already issued a small estate for you in Naples."
Despite being a public university, it was still populated strictly by nobles and scions of very rich merchants. Leonardo's common upbringing would normally bar him entry, but the Duke could certainly pull the needed strings with ease.
"I have few wants, lord Duke. I am still young and have little to do with a home so large…"
Staffing an estate, no matter how small, required a ton of manpower. Leonardo had no plans to spend time in Naples for the long term, so he waved off the property without a second thought.
"Don't be so quick to refuse," the duke grinned toothily, "You'd ruin the prestige of nobles if a knight had to sleep in a common inn."
"Huh?"
'Say what!?'
"Hahahaha," he laughed uproariously, finally venting the small victory he had over the boy, "You should see the look on your face… and here I thought nothing could break that facade."