"As much as I appreciate the confidence, even I can't earn a first degree in a year." And fifteen would've been only a year after the incident that let him start learning in the first place. "I put in the bit about the punch to throw you off. And for the record, I injured my hand far more than anyone's face."

The first— and last&mdash time he resorted to violence of that particular sort. Afterward, any questions about his legitimacy were handled with the more verbal kind.

"So it appears we're even." He frowns. "Though I suppose that was less a test of lying and more a test of how well you've memorized my history. Perhaps I should avoid things based on date. You know, to give you a chance."