Food in adventure guild is decent. Tasty, with pretty low price, gives you strength before next mission. Something you miss while eating your packed food rations and makes you want to come back. But damn, nobles are certainly eating better! In guild, if chef decide to make a cooked pork, you are eating a fucking pork. Simply because there is nothing more. If all won’t be eaten in the first day, then you can be sure that in the very next day you will eat a bloody cooked pork too.

And here? Pork and beef and poultry meat and something that I would not even want to guess where it came from… reptile? Maybe? And wine and beer and liquor and whisky and… living the dream. Still, unlike certain dragon slayer, I decided to at least pretend to have some basic courtesy while eating.

“You certainly did not hold back.” Head of family started the conversation “Actually… I did. I am sure that teacher Jericho mentioned it already, but I am mostly a mage. I could set an explosive rune on the floor and detonate it as he would be approaching. Sir, this wasn’t a duel. In duel one side has at least slightly chances of winning. “ “Still you send my son back to the healers.” “Nothing permanently damaged. He has broken nose and maybe one or two ribs broken. Nothing that can’t be healed within a day by skilled medic.” “… I will honor our agreement, Esteban. I am going to sign my son out of guild… without withdrawing honorarium. Apparently you did all you could to taught my son a lesson, yet he simply proved to be far too stubborn.”

Fat man only bowed his head a little with gratitude

“If that’s all you wanted to achieve… there are easier ways.”

The man turned his head back to me

“I am all ears.” “Cut his spending to bare minimum and force him to work physically in town for a lowest salary. Make him unload cargo from merchant, work by building site… or as far as I know you have some business of your own? Let him work at lowest position for few month and each time some period would pass promote him. This way he will learn few things: way your business is working, what kind of problems your workers have, the value of work and coin… and what it really takes to be head of the family.” “It will humiliate him…” “More than getting bruised in front of his family? Being adventurer certainly can learn a thing or two, but you have to ask yourself: is your son going to earn a coin with a sword? Or with brain? Fencing may be important to defend your family honor, but if you want your family to have the very honor, first you have…what?”

I asked

“Prospering family.” Old man nodded “Indeed. Which means – a coin.” “Mr. Zariel. It almost sounded as if you were talking of your own experience. Pardon me if I am prying too much, but did you belong to any family…” father of fiancée started “They are all dead.” I cut the conversation. Technically I wasn’t lying “I am sorry. I didn’t want to bring unpleasant memories.”

The dinner continued. We were all talking about neutral topic. As we were all finished, old Mortworh excused himself telling us that he will check his son’s condition and we are free to roam around his mansion. He suggested visiting his private garden. Who knows, maybe I will do so? Mostly to not offend the host?

Head of the house opened the door to private room of his son, where he was being healed by priest. Bruises covering his face were mostly gone, right now he was healing his nose to remove his breathing problems.

“Leave us.” He started from very doorstep. Healer raised from his chair, bowed his head and left the room waiting right behind the door “How are you feeling?” “My body is more or less in one piece, but can’t say same thing about my dignity. I am sorry father. I failed to…” “You failed nothing. I did. I have raised you to believe wrong priorities.” “F..Father! What a silly things you are saying! As soon as I would get back in shape, I will train even harder and challenge him…” “No. You won’t. I have collected few information about him. The time may come when you could double your strength. But up to this time, his will quadruple. He is a monster on level of his own. Inspired warrior. For us, son, fighting is a tool. For him, it is life. I taught you to be proud of who you are, so you could protect the honor of family, but in same time I didn’t show you how to protect the family itself. Sometimes, on your path, you will encounter different people. Most of them shall be more or less meaningless. Someone you could consider hiring or ignoring. But then, there are people you should either make your friend, or avoid irritating. Few of them may be strong, few may be wise, and many may be unpredictable. It’s job of family’s head to know what kind of man you are opposing. I sign you out from the guild. From now onward you will work for me.” “But…” “One day, our family business will be yours. This is the best way for you to understand how we work for our living. I am not going to be forgiving. What do you say?” “… For my whole life I believed that your decisions were made to benefit our house in best possible way. You never made mistake. I am going to follow your advices believing that one day I will be man as great as you. If this is your will, I will comply… and I am sorry for not meeting your expectation… “ “Rest for today. I believe that one day you will become greatest head that our family will ever have.”

Man raised from the chair and left the room.

The Garden of this family was really nice. This is how shrine of Aria should look in capital. Maybe later I would invest some coin for this particular project? At least that much I can do for someone that was protecting my ass when I was defenseless.

The garden had many wonderful plants, well kept shrubs, equally cut trees putting shadow over nicely made gazebos. In one of such gazebos a woman and her father were sitting, discussing something in quiet voice… Gentleman would never try eavesdrop on private conversation!...

… but since I don’t consider myself to be a gentleman, none should take offense, am I right?

“… so that will be my future husband?” “Not quite your liking, is he?” “On one hand, he seem to be completely boring. On the other… it should make it easier to influence him. Think nothing about it, father. One has to put needs of family over needs of his own…”

So, another political marriage that was set by parent in order to achieve gains by both side?

“If someone would ask me, I would tell that last sentence you said is a total and utter bullshit. But you are free to ignore me and my opinions. In the end I won’t be the one sleeping with you.”

I said biting into an apple

“M…Mister Zariel! How long have you been here? It is very… rude, to sneak up to people having a conversation!” Father raised from his chair “This is why I let you know I am here as soon as I came bit closer, rest assured that I haven’t heard much, from the part when lady was dissatisfied with her next husband, and finally, I am not going to use this knowledge for any gains of my own. I am not interested in politics. Really, feel free to ignore me.” “…You may be saying so…” “If I was into politic, I would take a seat offered by Senate, if I was into moneys, I would become licensed alchemist, for such job was also offered to me. Honestly, I couldn’t care less about which family get what from marriage. I am leaving this city in couple of day and I doubt I would come back anytime soon. Yet I will allow myself to continue the thread that I started with… I hate people not following their desires. Is it really all you want to achieve?” I asked sitting in front of fiancée of Mortworh “… to get married, have couple of children, watch over a business, get into a party once a week, have conversation about boring topics with boring people on boring parties? Oh, those parties could be very exciting, if you are into gossips, that is… But now, as my curiosity has been piqued, mind telling me your desires?”

I rest my head over my hands joined together.

“What do you find interesting? What you want to see? What do you want eat? What do you want to achieve? Are you into travel? Into religion? Into…” “I am studying books about technology, architecture and art. I am fascinated in the way ancients build their city. Aqueducts, public baths, system of providing water to the city, for example… You heard about it?” mockery appeared in her eyes.

Foolish girl

“Once or twice. Recently I had a quest in old city of ancients, yet there their [Water bridges] were mostly destroyed. My honest though? Building such system over ground provide far too many problems. You simply have to waste too many resources for repairs that will be needed after exposing the structure on so many external factors. Wind, rain, differences of temperatures between day and night, summer and winter… There must be a book in capital library, if I am correct, I mean, come on! They have a book about everything there.”

It left her mouth shut.

“If you want to live for your family, do it. But made it your own decision. The reasoning [I will do so, because family needs it] is sickening me.” “What would you do on my place then?!” “I would check my option, and pick the one that suits me best.” “Studies requires moneys.” She smiled “ Traveling to the capital, living there, access to the library, it all cost.” “Can you read? Can you count? Then you can be hired in every merchant guild. Adventurer guild also is an option.” “I have never had a weapon in my hands!” “Who is talking about fighting? Guild has also administration section. Selecting jobs, checking guild spending, spotting new possible quests…” “…My family wouldn’t like that..” “Oh, of course they wouldn’t! Picking such life usually means being disowned!” I chuckled “…You can’t have your ideal life! To gain one thing you always have to sacrifice the other! Of course that you can be part of family AND make your studies in same time. Of course then you won’t have any time left for sleeping. WHAT you treasure more? Family? Becoming great scientist? Pick and chose, sit and lose.” “Pardon me, Mr. Zariel… “ Father of young lady finally spoke his mind “…Are you trying to make my daughter abandon her poor old father?”

He was actually laughing.

“I am never forcing my will on anyone. I am merely pointing out possibilities. I had no choice! Someone made me to do it! We are shifting the blame to others, we are looking for excuses. We ALWAYS have a choice, we merely don’t want to face consequences, thus we aren’t living our life fully. We are slowly starting to regret our decision of the past. Why am I teasing her? Why am I tempting her? To see what she will do. No more, no less. It’s just for sole purpose of entertainment.” “It’s just fun to you? My-my. Young Mortworh made himself an enemy of someone as bad as devil.” “Ah, stop it! You are flattering me! What will I do if I would blush in front of you? Now, pardon me, but I will take my leave. There are so many monster on this world, and so few adventurers. But, hey! That’s actually nice thing! It means that I will never run out of job and by running out of job, I mean running out of coin.” “Wait! Why did you chose being an adventurer? You are strong, you could easily make a career in military, and you have wide knowledge, you could become great scholar or researcher? Why are you diving into dark, dirty dungeons for handful of coins?”

I turned one last time

“You want me to answer on such fundamental question in a moment? It’s impossible. Because village that you would save would treat you like a hero? Because you can made a difference for those people, when scientist and military wouldn’t? Because this is exciting, I hate being bored? Because I want to see the world with my own eyes, and not just read about it? For cheesecake would I would buy after getting back to the guild? Because I hate being manipulated and used on someone’s else plans? All of them… but mostly because of cheesecake.”

I turned around.

Ah, did I just plant a seed of doubt and hope in this little pure heart? Did I just break possible marriage? Did I sent daughter far away from home into unknown land? Who knows what threats can await for her? Would she be robbed by bandits or attacked by monster on her way to capital? Or maybe, if she would stay with her family she would sink into dissatisfaction, regretting of never choosing the other path?

It gets so lonely being evil…

What I’d do to see a smile,

Even for a little while,

And no one loves you, when you’re evil…

I AM LYING THOUGH MY TEETH!

Your tears are all the company I need!