The engineering lab's basement hummed with the sound of poorly maintained equipment and questionably legal modifications. Ash's "private workshop" was actually a repurposed storage room, but he'd managed to disable most of the monitoring systems through what he called "creative reinterpretation of corporate security protocols."
"So," Ash said, spinning in his chair as Zeph entered, "ready to tell me why you're setting off every detection ward in the east wing? Because I've got to say, watching the security system try to classify your power signature is better than premium entertainment feeds."
"Oh good, another technical enthusiast," Thaddeus's words appeared with visible disdain. "Because what we really need is someone else poking at things they don't understand with corporate tools."
Zeph had propped the book open on a workbench, against its grumbling protests about 'undignified positioning' and 'the utter lack of proper magical archives these days.'
"Be nice," Zeph muttered to the book. "Ash is probably the best magical engineer in our year."
"Considering the state of modern magical engineering, that's about as impressive as being the most graceful troll in the swamp." The words appeared with what Zeph swore was an audible sniff of disdain.
Ash's eyes widened as he watched the exchange. "Is that... is your book sassing you? Please tell me you found a sassy magical book. This would explain so many of the weird readings I've been getting."
"I am not," the text appeared with imperious dignity, "a 'sassy magical book.' I am Archmage Thaddeus Blackwood, Grand Archivist of the First Age, and if you call me 'sassy' again, I'll show you exactly how we dealt with impertinent students in my day."
"He's always this charming," Zeph explained, fighting back a grin. "You should hear him critique my resonance patterns. Apparently, I have all the magical grace of a drunken mountain goat."
"A generous assessment," Thaddeus commented. "At least mountain goats understand natural flow dynamics."
Ash let out a delighted laugh. "Oh, this is perfect. An ancient grumpy wizard trapped in a book? Do you have any idea what this does to like, twelve different corporate regulations about preserved magical consciousnesses?"
"Sixteen," Thaddeus corrected. "They added four more after the Incident with Archivist Pendrake's enchanted tea set. Apparently, they didn't appreciate being told their tea-brewing technique was 'an insult to hot water everywhere.'"
```
Status Update:
[Corporate Violations: ACCUMULATING]
[Sass Levels: CRITICAL]
[Friend Status: POTENTIALLY HELPFUL (IF ANNOYING)]
[Security Risk: WORTH IT FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT VALUE]
```
"Focus," Zeph said, though he was having trouble keeping a straight face. "Ash, I need your help with something. But first..." He raised his hand, letting true magic flow in the patterns Thaddeus had taught him. Power swirled visible in the air, following natural currents rather than corporate channels.
Ash's jaw dropped. "That's... that's not standard magic. That's not even close to standard magic. That's..." He grabbed a monitoring crystal from his workbench, then frowned at its readings. "That's impossible. According to this, you're not doing anything at all. But I can see..."
"Ah yes, corporate detection equipment," Thaddeus's words dripped sarcasm. "About as useful for measuring true magic as a sundial in a cave. Though given the general state of modern magical education, I'm surprised they haven't tried exactly that."
"The Houses can't detect magic that doesn't flow through their channels," Zeph explained, demonstrating the camouflage technique. "They built their system on top of the natural flows, but they've forgotten how to see them."
"Forgotten is a polite way of putting it," Thaddeus interjected. "More like 'deliberately ignored while strutting around like peacocks with crystalline blindfolds.' At least peacocks have the excuse of being birds."
Ash was already pulling out tools and diagnostic equipment, his eyes bright with technical fascination. "This explains so many anomalies in the monitoring system! I've been tracking power fluctuations that didn't match any known patterns, but the corporate sensors couldn't properly categorize them. It's like... like..."
"Like trying to measure water by tracking the bucket while ignoring the river?" Thaddeus suggested. "Your corporate metaphors could use work, by the way. Almost as much as your magical theory, which I must say is quite the achievement."
"Don't mind him," Zeph said quickly, seeing Ash's expression. "He was this encouraging with me too. And by encouraging, I mean he spent our first lesson comparing my magical control to various clumsy animals."
"The animals won," Thaddeus added helpfully. "Though you've improved to merely 'intoxicated forest creature' levels of coordination. I'm sure somewhere, a particularly uncoordinated deer is feeling very proud of you."
But Ash was already deep in technical analysis mode, barely registering the book's commentary. "If we modify the detection matrix... and maybe add a resonance filter... Could you do that flow pattern again? The one that looked like a spiral?"
The next hour was a blur of technical experiments, magical theory, and Thaddeus's running commentary on the state of modern magical engineering ("Like watching someone try to understand an ocean by measuring it with a very official-looking teaspoon").
Yet despite his constant complaints, Zeph noticed the ancient archmage seemed almost... pleased as they worked. Especially when Ash started asking intelligent questions about pre-corporate magical technology.
"At least this one has enough sense to doubt the corporate nonsense they're teaching," Thaddeus admitted grudgingly. "Though his modification techniques look like something designed by a committee of confused squirrels."
"Love you too, gramps," Ash replied absently, deep in the process of rebuilding a detection array. Then he froze, realizing what he'd just said to an ancient archmage.
The book was silent for a long moment. Then: "...Gramps?"
"Would you prefer 'O Ancient One'?" Ash suggested. "Maybe 'Most Venerable Tome of Snark'?"
"I preferred you when you were afraid of me," Thaddeus grumbled. "Is it too late to go back to that? We could start over. I could be properly intimidating."
Zeph couldn't help it. He burst out laughing, true magic swirling around him in patterns that reflected his amusement. For a moment, even the corporate dampening fields seemed to lighten, as if the natural flows of power were joining in the joke.
Then every piece of monitoring equipment in Ash's lab started shrieking at once.
```
Alert Status:
[Power Surge Detected]
[Unknown Magical Patterns]
[Corporate Systems: CONFUSED]
[Detection Arrays: HAVING AN EXISTENTIAL CRISIS]
[Thaddeus's Patience: DEPLETED]
```
"Ah," said Thaddeus as they scrambled to shut down the wailing equipment. "I suppose this would be a good time to teach you the advanced concealment patterns. Unless you'd prefer to explain to corporate security why all their sensors are simultaneously registering a magical signature they categorize as 'ERROR: PLEASE RESTART REALITY'?"
As Ash's modified detection crystal displayed increasingly distressed readings, Zeph had to admit – learning magic might be challenging, but at least it wasn't boring. Especially not with a mentor whose teaching style could best be described as 'aggressively sarcastic encouragement.'
"Your resonance is still off," Thaddeus added, because of course he did. "Though compared to these corporate detection systems, you're practically a magical prodigy. Which, I feel compelled to note, is not actually a compliment to either of you."