Luke walked on, his thoughts spinning as he replayed the encounter with Malena. How should he approach this? He knew deep down that trying to reason with Malena would only get him so far. She was tough, practical, and not easily swayed by words—especially not from someone she didn't fully respect.
But it wasn't just Malena that worried him. If he continued pushing the idea that he was a mage, he'd risk drawing unwanted attention to Admiral. The Association of Schadenfreude was a terror group, and their targets were those connected to the Noirist faith. Mages and their followers were seen as the same. Luke realised the risk he posed—if the Association learned that Admiral harboured a mage, it might paint a target on the city's back.
