金瓶梅第2部

Tycondrius reclined in his room's comfortable chair, listening to Lone detail the minutiae of after-dinner adventures.

"--and the nature trail was really nice! And we got to see the fireworks with the Basilica in the background, too! It's like-- a magical castle!"

"That is correct," Tycon mused. "The Basilica is a fortified structure, with magical formations guarding its walls."

"Fair enough," Lone chuckled.

Tres Leches let out a lazy yawn as the young Ranger stroked its metal coat. He was lying in his bedroll... prepared to sleep on the floor.

That was technically fine. The room only had a single bed and Tycon was not planning on sharing.

However, he found the very presence of the young man and wolf... baffling.

"Mister Lone..." Tycon pursed his lips... thinking carefully on his next words.

"Yes, Boss?"

"I recall... you used your own coin to purchase the use of an inn room."

"Well... yeah," Lone sighed wistfully. "It was really nice!"

So he'd... been to his room. Tycon paused, inhaling through his nostrils... "Then I must ask: why... are you here? In... *my* room?"

"I mean... is it okay?" Lone sat up, frowning, "I didn't want to sleep outside?"

"Well... yes. I would be a disservice to make you sleep outside if we have indoor lodging," Tycon pursed his lips, "I mean to say... why are you *not* in the room you paid for?"

"Oh," Lone sat up. "Coraline came to my room and... and we sat up and talked for a while. You know, we talked a little more about what we'd do tomorrow... like which beach we were going to? And we might go to a war museum?"

"...Go on."

"Well, Coraline said she wanted to sleep in a bed? So... I told her she could sleep in mine. So... I came here."

Tycon's eye twitched... it sounded... correct, but something seemed... off? Like there was a nuance either he or Lone was missing, "Very well... That was rather polite of you."

"Yeah," Lone shrugged, lying back down. "I just wanted to be a gentleman, y'know? I'm not... a noble or anything. But I tried to think... what would a noble do?"

That was not at all what an entitled noble would do. Tycon decided not to inform him of that.

"I asked her if she'd join our guild..." Lone sighed, "She uh... she didn't believe me when I said I was part of Sol Invictus."

"Ah, a shame," Tycon shook his head.

Coraline would have been an excellent addition to Sol Invictus, and it seemed she had a unique interrogation skill that would be useful for internal affairs. Sorina Capulet would be able to utilize her.

Unfortunately, Mister Lone's persuasive abilities were... unrefined. Also, their guild, Sol Invictus, had a certain reputation for being a very elite combat force. Tycon hypothesized that the young lady might have been intimidated.

"She said she wasn't ready to join a guild." Lone blew out an exasperated puff of air... "I mean, I didn't want to be pushy-- or to guilt her about it."

"Right..." Tycon averted his gaze.

Guilt and entrapment were strategies often used by Sol Invictus' Chief Financial Officer, Sorina Capulet. Using it, she recruited a number of excellent talents, including Maeva Leserre, Popoto Potata Pota, and Boxtholomaeus.

"I just wish..." Lone took in a deep breath... "That... I could just drop everything and go? Not that I'd want to... but, I guess I'd like the ability to. Does that make sense, Boss?"

"Don't be daft," Tycon chuckled lightly, "There are rules in place that would allow you to annul your contract."

Lone groaned, "Right... The only way is to buy my way out, right? And that'll take... a zillion years."

"Hah, no, you dolt," Tycon shook his head. "Why does no one read the terms and conditions of their service?"

"Boss, the contract was written in the language of the Holy Country!"

"Yes," Tycon furrowed his brows. "Is there... an issue with that?"

Lone bared his teeth, "That's not something normal people can read."

"...Fair point," Tycon conceded. "Very well. Outside of any legality loopholes-- unjust treatment and the like... you can contest your contract by way of Trial by Combat."

"Huh?" Lone furrowed his brows... "Who would I have to beat?"

"A combatant of my choosing," Tycon smirked. "Which would be me. I was the one who personally enlisted you, after all. As a side, the young Pale has the same conditions for properly earning the mantle of Invictus' Leader."

"Don't suppose you'd... let me win, Boss?" Lone grinned, "Or Pale, for that matter?"

Tycon rolled his eyes, "Not a chance... but take heart. That is yet another reason for you to train harder."

Lone chuckled softly, "Yeah... I'm getting there, though. Any advice?"

"A proper sleep cycle, for one," Tycon smirked. "You're going out with Miss Coraline tomorrow morning, are you not?"

"Hah, yeah. I am," Lone sighed contentedly. "I'mma go ahead and get some rest then, Boss. Turn off the lamp light, please."

"Very well," Tycon reached for the knob on the desk lamp. "Good night, Mister Lone."

...

⟬ The following evening... ⟭

Coraline took a deep breath of the cold wind atop the airship docks. The passenger airship she was going to board was a normal one, its passenger list in the hundreds. There wasn't going to be any small, intimate murder mystery on this trip-- or so she hoped.

"So what guild are you *really* from?" Coraline jabbed Lone in the side with her elbow.

"I told you, before," He grinned. "I'm from Sol Invictus."

She looked at the somewhat handsome cheek-scarred boy at her side. He was always playing the fool. His words were so sweet, so pure... yet the drivel that came out of his mouth couldn't possibly be true.

"Such a LIARRRR!!" Coraline giggled, rolling her eyes. "And then you'll tell me you trained under Lord Ranger Quies, himself?"

"I met him, once," Lone scratched his head, that broad smile of his never fading. "He seemed nice?"

"Hah?" The boy's absolute confidence made her hesitate briefly... "Was he really an elf?"

"Um. Yes?"

"Please form a single-file queue!" The airship guardsman announcement interrupted her thoughts. "Cersei's Rest to the City of Archangel! No stops to the Eastern States!"