Louisa's expression softened, carrying both fondness and mild bewilderment.
"That is precisely the interesting part," she said. "In an age of mana and magic — when every family of power is cultivating, training, competing for ranks and titles based on their children's power — my sister decided she wanted to be a scholar."
Julian raised a brow. "A scholar."
"A scholar," Louisa confirmed. "History, languages, old texts, dead civilizations. She has apparently read more books than most libraries contain and can discuss about the kingdoms that ceased to exist four hundred years ago."
"And the mana?" Julian asked.
"Average," Louisa said, without apology. "She is perfectly aware of it and completely unbothered by it. She says that mana fades with time but knowledge compounds." She paused. "I told her that was very easy to say when you weren't in a duel."
Julian smiled.
"What did she say to that?" he said.
