The Experiment Corner of the Bedroom Space.
Ruger chewed on a large chunk of roast meat, this time a diamond-shaped piece with a crisp outer crust. He liked stuffing slightly crunchy food like this into his mouth all at once, then chewing vigorously. Aisijin and Big Silly Hum usually did the same. As Dragonborn Kobolds, they had long, strong, tough jaws, but that was only one reason. Eating this way also kept crumbs from the crisp crust from falling, so not a scrap of food went to waste.
Ruger sat quietly on his own, his cheeks bulging, topping himself up one last time.
He admitted that he had been a little too lazy-or perhaps Barry Danton's remarks about his own difficulty advancing had frightened him. Out of caution, he had added another round of sleep meditation to his original plan.
Only when he was truly certain that continuing would achieve nothing, like a foolish Apprentice endlessly pursuing some illusory limit, did he stop.
After recovering, he had come here, quietly bringing himself into peak condition in the undisturbed Experiment Corner.
Advancing to a Three-Ring Wizard really wasn't such a big deal, Ruger reminded himself.
The true metamorphosis would only come after becoming a veteran Three-Ring Wizard.
He kept telling himself that.
His stomach was nine-tenths full. Just right. He wiped his mouth.
Let things take their course. When the time was right, it would happen.
He had confidence in himself, and he was no longer the ignorant Apprentice he had once been. These conclusions were all based on rational judgment. He had not read those books for nothing, nor had his self-analysis been pointless. His confidence had firm roots; it had not sprung up out of nowhere. Confidence without substance was arrogance.
He took one last sip of tea, cleared