The mage stared at Claude, his face a mix of shock and doubt.
“Thirty years, you say?”

“Yes. That’s the standard for becoming an official mage of this territory. It’s not a long time, really. We’ve got folks here with contracts over 200 years… I mean, other territories enforce similar terms. If it’s less than that, it’s hardly a proper arrangement.”

“W-Well, I suppose that makes sense…”

The mage nodded reluctantly, though he knew it wasn’t entirely true. Contract lengths varied widely depending on the mage’s skill and goals—some lasted only a few years, while others spanned decades. But …