Initially after James' question, Maddox simply shrugged. But after a brief pause, he looked back up at him. "Some years ago, long before I joined Phoenix Wing, I got my hands on some books about magic," he began. "At the time, I was enslaved to a Dark Guild. So I read everything I could to find a way out. I've read about many types of magic and learned a few that way. Paladin Magic was something mentioned in one of the books. If I still had them, I would let you borrow them. Lots of interesting stuff." Throughout his entire explanation he kept a straight face. No smiles from him. "Lots of things in them, but I wasn't able to learn them all. Clearly." Maddox let out a sigh. His story was true but it was slightly spun. He found the books and learned that way. However, he kept the details of his involvement with the Dark Guild to a minimum. There was no need to tell someone like James that he was once a Dark Mage himself. 

With that realization, a slightly amused chuckle escaped him and the smile was back. "Surprising that someone like me is both educated and formerly enslaved. Usually throws people for a loop." All this talk was getting too close to bordering on his past and the truth. This made him remember his vow from the previous night and he immediately shuddered. To compensate the anxiety, he couldn't resist any longer. Withdrawing a cigarette and casually placing it in his mouth, Maddox pointed the tip of his finger at the end of the cigarette. "I mentioned before I could use multiple types of magic. Here's a preview of another one," he joked with a grin. A faint red light appeared at this fingertip, which lit the cigarette after a few seconds of contact. With that done, the light vanished and his hand went back to his side.