Of Arms and Arcane Chapter 158

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After the boss golem was out of the picture, the rest of the other golems were not a problem to deal with, I did not even need to maintain the sandstorm to take them down, it had already done its job gunking up all their joints, by then the golems had more trouble moving around than a drunk man with full body arthritis.

When the lights in the eyes of the last golem dimd, the boss golem’s stone throne slid to the side, revealing the exit.

When I opened the door to see what the next trial was, I found myself facing the balcony where the royals were seated.

Before I figured out what was happening, the announcer inford and everyone else, “Congratulations on clearing the Battle Mage trials. It seems we have a new record for this year. 11 minutes and 4 seconds!”

I bowed to the royals and was led to the rest area to wait with those who completed the trials.

By the ti the whole event for my year was completed, only thirteen people, including , completed the trial, and of those thirteen, only and two others were called to receive prizes.

I was awarded 1st place for the best ti, while 2nd and 3rd places were not that far behind, both of them being behind by about one to two minutes.

When the king ca to present the trophy, he once again gave that crazed smile while reminding of the job offers available to once I turned sixteen.

***

I decided to skip out on watching the Battle Mage trials for the other levels and went for a walk to see the other attractions I missed.

It was there, at a food store selling so kind of fried pastry that I saw Elise, my first opponent in the Spellcasting Duels.

I tried to look for her imdiately after the Spellcasting Duels event to offer her a future position as my family’s retainer, but I could not find her. But now that she is in front of and alone, now was a perfect ti to make my offer.

When it was Elise’s turn in line, she ordered a fried pastry, “One please.”

“That would be one copper.” the woman at the stand said.

But as Elise was fishing around her pocket for the coin, I ca up beside Elise and told the woman, “Make that two pieces.” as I put two coppers in her waiting hand.

The woman just shrugged and bagged two fried pastries for us.

As we walked away, food in hand, I said “Follow , there is sothing I want to discuss with you.” and led the way to a nearby tea house. As we walked there, it was plain to see that she was extrely nervous, as she walked almost robotically. Her discomfort was so obvious that people around seed to think I was leading her under duress and started giving dirty looks.

Not wanting to make a big scene, I just bore with it and led her to a teahouse where I requested a private booth.

When we were seated and asked what I would like to order, I just asked the waiter for sothing with a mild fragrance. When the waiter asked Elise what she wanted to drink, she squeaked in surprise and stuttered in indecision. So I took over and requested sothing floral for her.

After the waiter left to process our orders, I turned my attention to Elise who suddenly found the table to be very interesting. Not knowing why she was so nervous, I decided to not beat around the bush and ask her.

“Elise, are you ok?” I asked as she squeaked and looked at nervously.

“Ye-Yes!” she replied, but her tone and deanor said otherwise.

I just sighed, I did not know what was going on in that head of hers, and I did not feel up to figuring out this riddle, “Elise, it is clear to that you are not fine, but I can most definitely say that whatever you are thinking I am going to ask or do to you, is not going to happen.”

She looked up at wearily, “Really?”

I did not know what she thought I would ask her, but I just answered to reassure her, “Yes, really. What did you think I was going to ask you?”

She just blushed and whispered sothing I could not pick up, and asked her to repeat it louder, “I- I thought you were going to ask to be your concubine and buy from my parents.” she said while covering her face.

I just sat there as I felt the cogs in my head stop and start a few tis while trying to put together how she ca to that conclusion, but after a few seconds, I decided to just ask, “And how did you co to such a conclusion?”

With her face still in her hands, she replied, “My parents and other people in the capital warned that nobles sotis buy girls from their families to beco concubines… I thought you were doing the sa thing.”

What the actual fuck! They do that here? To the point that a twelve-year-old is worried about it?! If they are openly doing this kind of grey-area bullshit, that ans there are a lot worse things that people do not know about, I am starting to feel a lot better about that huge purge that the king did.

But now that I look at her properly, Elise does look cute, in a timid mousy kind of way that invokes the urge to protect her. I could see it in my mind, if I slapped on a pair of fake mouse ears on the top of her head, I would say she could pass for one of the mouse folk.

“No, I am not going to ask you to be my concubine.” I said and she sighed in relief at the words of conformation that ca out of my mouth, “What I ca to talk to you about was to offer you a position as one of my house’s retainers when you graduate.”

Hearing my offer, it was her turn to blank out, and when she began to stutter while trying to answer, I raised my hand to stop her and said, “This is a decision that you should not answer at the spur of the mont. You have three years until you graduate, that will be the deadline to revive your answer. I assu you are going to visit your parents during the end-of-year holiday?”

She nodded in the affirmative.

“Good, take your ti to ask any questions you have, and discuss it with your parents before you make this decision.” I said as the tea arrived.

From there, we talked about the future and what would be expected of her should she accept my offer. I answered what was within my power to answer, for those that I could not, I promised to ask my father when I went ho for the holidays. To make things easier on myself, I offered to bring her ho along with Dave and Sam to see my dad who was actually holding the purse strings.