As Cort told Iphos everything that happened, he just kept feeling worse. At some point Haley and Lin had taken seats in the tent. They had listened just as intently to Cort's account despite being there themselves.
Cort blamed everything on himself. He did not stop Emile from running off. He was the one that could not stop Lord Hamli from summoning the monster. He was not strong enough to take down the shadrat, put his team in greater peril, and caused Lin to come out.
It was because of Cort that they nearly died.
With the story finished, Cort fell back onto his own bed. He had hardly noticed Haley moving aside to give him the room. Somehow recounting the story and feeling all that pity for himself was more exhausting than the dive had been.
"Poor child," Iphos stated. "You're putting all of this on yourself, but you are not the one to blame."
"Did you not hear what I said?" Cort replied while not even bothering to look up at the masked mage. "I'm in charge of the group. That means it's my fault when it fails."
"That's the Imperial Army training talking."
Cort sat up at that. He was not making excuses for himself, so how dare Iphos make them for him? "Who are you even to judge me?" Cort spat out. "You're not down there with us. You didn't see what happened."
"You painted a pretty clear picture," Iphos replied with an unreasonably calm tone. "And I disagree with it being your fault."
"But it is!"
There was a soft thud as something hit Cort on the back of the head. He winced in pain and turned his head to see it was Haley who had slapped him with his dive journal.
"Shut up and let him talk," Haley ordered. "You keep beating yourself up, and I'm not following you around anymore."
"I wouldn't mind that," Lin whispered from her own corner in the tent.
"And I'll get to you in a bit, Lin," Iphos said before turning to face Cort again. "Cort, you're currently performing above my expectations. A young man like you on his third dive has successfully defeated two elite enemies and discovered the master of the labyrinth."
"How much does that even matter, though?" Cort asked. "We barely got out of there alive."
"True." Iphos looked down at Emile in his tank for a moment. "But you did live. Take joy in that. Learn from your mistakes, but don't wallow on them. If there is no one to mourn, do not mourn. Do not celebrate a victory won solely by good fortune, but recognize that this is not that."
Cort let out a heavy sigh as he absorbed Iphos's words. Looking at Emile himself, Cort had trouble not feeling sorrow. Everything else Iphos said he had an easy time understanding, and acknowledged that in time he could think that way as well.
Yet, when he saw his friend laying in a tank and breathing through gills, it was a challenge for Cort to feel anything other than frustration and inadequacy.
"Emile is his own person," Iphos added when he noticed Cort staring. "And he can be a grand fool. When he recovers, it will be up to you to decide on the discipline he receives, Cort."
"No discipline," Cort replied. After a moment of thinking on it, he did think of something he did want from Emile. "I want to hear the story about him and that woman. I think he at least owes us that."
"Very well." Iphos sounded relieved, and Cort could see why. In a different dive group, a more standard one, Emile would have been left for dead in the labyrinth. He had endangered everyone, and it would have been a challenge to evacuate him out.
"So what's the plan while Emile recovers?" Haley asked. Cort saw she was looking directly at him. He played with the ring on his finger as he thought, coming up with a further plan of action.
The first thing Cort thought of were funds. He had yet to see the magic stone and drop the elite shadrat gave, but judging solely on the strength it would be a valuable one.
Still, they needed to go back to the labyrinth. He wanted to strengthen his own Core, as well as the ones Lond/Lin and Haley possessed. More strength meant more security in the dive, and more experience and knowledge would further improve his diving.
Lastly, they needed a goal. Haley had told Cort that a large portion of the first goal had been mapped out, but that there were still hidden rooms. Walking around Veranus knocking on the walls hoping to fall through was not an effective method to grow stronger as a diver though.
Then, in that moment of trying to decide his dive group's motivation, Cort recalled the ent mother's domain and he smiled.
"We're going to beat Lady Spriggan," Cort decided. That gained a big smile from Lin, and wide eyed shock from Haley.
"We're not going to take her on right away," Cort continued. He watched Haley's face to gauge her reaction to the plan. "This week, we're diving as hard and as much as possible. We'll improve the Cores and get stronger, get coins, get magic stones for better spells, and anything else we need to do."
"Okay," Haley replied. Her utter shock and horror to the idea had lowered down to a light worry. "Okay. I can understand that approach. I think it's a strong goal. But is a week enough time?"
"It's a tree lady and I have fire magic," Lin stated as she rubbed the rings together. "If I increase the level of my ring enough, I can probably turn that whole corridor into ash."
"You mean Lond can," Iphos said. At some point when the youth were talking, Iphos had risen from his seat. Cort and Haley both sat there and watched as Iphos walked slowly through the tent to stand before Lin.
"Give Lond the body back, Lin," Iphos ordered. That calmness was still in his voice, but Cort could feel something else. An angry or frustrated hint buried within the words. Lin seemed to sense it, too. She lowered her head and nibbled at her lip.
"Lond will get us killed," Lin whined. "He's too weak for diving."
"I did not come this far to argue with you, Lin," Iphos said. "I have decided Lond is ready to dive, and if you care about him like you always swear you do, you will respect my decision and allow him to dive."
"Fine!" Lin shouted. "But when he ends up in peril again, I'm not bailing him out." Lin glared over to Haley and Cort, scowling at them. "And the same goes for you, waitress. Cort, you better not let anything happen to this body."
With that all said, Lin fell silent and stood still. Cort witnessed what Haley had seen in the labyrinth. Lin's body seemed to morph and change before his very eyes. Lin's body shape started to resemble a man's as it changed, and her face shifted as well.
Once it was all done, the body had gone from definitely Lin to definitely Lond once more.
"Gah!" Lond exclaimed in his own voice once again. He stumbled a bit but remained standing, breathing hard as he glanced around the room. He locked eyes with Cort, and Cort had that brief moment to realize Lond and Lin's eyes were the exact same.
"I'm so sorry," Lond said. He had regained his steady stance and composure, then immediately launched into a bow at Haley and Cort. "Whatever rude things Lin said to you, I apologize for."
"It's okay," Haley replied. She seemed less bothered by the Lond/Lin body situation than she had about the boss killing proposal. "She's the one I want the apology for."
"Unfortunately, I don't think that will happen anytime soon," Lond replied. "Also, I did hear the plan you had, Cort. I think it's a good one."
"Thanks," Cort replied. "And be sure to tell Lin I said thank you for saving us." Lond nodded, though he still looked troubled. Cort was unsurprised. However, he figured staying on some level of amiability with Lin would benefit them in the long run.
"If you are all satisfied at this time then I shall take my leave," Iphos told them, turning to walk to the exit. He did turn his head before leaving to say, "I have a tent near Captain Ulgrim's. I would like for you to see me in a few days, Lond."
"Yes, Iphos-Magus," Lond replied, bowing to his teacher before the older wizard stepped out of the tent.
"I don't know why you boys are just hanging around right now," Haley said, standing up from the bed and straightening her cloak. "We have plenty of work left to do."