Omen: 1, 12

Once Jurot had returned, the villagers had become far more kind. However, there were rumours that Sir Harold had also disciplined the others for making Adam work, since he had been there under his hospitality.

‘Oh, yeah,’ Adam had thought. ‘I was under his hospitality, wasn’t I?’

He shouldn’t have worked, partly as a favour for the King’s Sword, since it would be a blow against his pride.

Charlie approached Adam with a small gem in his hand. “Here.” The boy held up the gem to Adam.

“What’s…” Adam picked it up, squinting his eyes. “Is this a diamond worth three hundred gold?”

“Harold says that you should have it since you saved my life,” the boy said. “He says I was dead but I’m alive cause of you.”

“Is that what he said?” Adam asked.

Charlie narrowed his eyes. He had asked Adam in order to confirm it, but the vague response sowed doubt. “Did I die?”

“Don’t worry about it,” Adam said. “Just live your life to be happy, alright?”

Charlie groaned quietly, wondering if he should ask again. However, he decided against it. “Thank you, Adam.”

Adam nodded his head, pocketing the gem. “Tell Harold that this doesn’t count as the favour.”

“That’s Sir Harold,” the boy replied.

“How come you didn’t call him a Sir?” Adam asked.

“I’m a boy,” Charlie replied, letting our an exasperated sigh, shaking his head as he walked off. “Kids these days.”

Adam watched as the boy walked away. ‘You sure are chipper for a kid who lost his gramps a few days ago.’ Adam shook his head.

When lunch approached, so did Sir Landon and his two goons.

“May we join you this lunch?” Sir Landon asked.

‘Should I mess with him?’ Adam thought, before quickly shaking his head of the thoughts. “Of course.” He noted how Sir Landon’s expression had darkened for a moment before Adam had invited him in.

Jurot was cutting some fruit, not at all bothered by the appearance of the Nobles. Lucy frowned, not wanting to sit beside the Nobles, but since Adam had accepted, she shut up and returned to her drink.

Sir Landon sat opposite Adam, his Knights flanking him on either side. “Are you still looking for work?”

“If the pay is good enough, we might be,” Adam replied. “Do you have something for us?”

“I would like to hire the three of you to act as my Champions for the Noonval Tournament of East Aldland,” the Noble said, casually.

Lucy’s ears perked up, but she didn’t quite understand what it was. Jurot, on the other hand, had stopped cutting his fruit, and his eyes shot up towards Sir Landon. His jaw was tense, trying to stop the smile from forming on his face.

‘Someone’s excited,’ Adam thought. “That sounds pretty cool, but what is this Noonval Tournament of East Aldland?”

“It is a tournament which takes place during Noonval in East Aldland, specifically in East Fort,” Sir Landon replied.

Adam blinked. ‘This fucking guy, I swear.’ Adam turned to Jurot. “What is this Noonval Tournament of East Aldland.”

“It is a tournament which is held within East Fort, run by the Nobles of East Aldland. They bring forth Champions who will fight on their behalf. They must be below the age of thirty, and no greater than Bronze Rank. They try to find those who are young and powerful, those who have barely established themselves, who they can take for themselves to work under them.”

Adam slowly nodded his head, understanding the purpose of the tournament from Jurot’s explanation. “I see.” He assumed that those who were more experienced would be more troublesome. “What’s the prize?”

“The prize is-“ Sir Landon began.

“Excuse me,” Adam said, throwing a quick glance to Sir Landon. “Would you mind? I’m trying to ask my brother a question.”

Jurot raised his brow. ‘Adam is annoyed?’

Sir Landon furrowed his brows, clenching his fists. He bore with it, since Adam was quite a prize.

“So, Jurot,” Adam stated, bluntly, before slowly turning to look towards the Iyrman, “what are the prizes of this tournament usually?”

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“It does change slightly from year to year,” Jurot prefaced. “The top eight places are given a hundred gold each. The top three places are given more. Third place receives a thousand gold. Second place receives two thousand gold. First receives three thousand gold and a magical weapon.”

“Gold, eh?” Adam said, not really bothered about the gold or the magical weapon.

“Typically, those who were outstanding during the tournament, also receive offers of Knighthood by those they represent,” Jurot added. “If they are not offered Knighthood by those they represent, other Nobles from smaller families may offer Knighthood.”

Adam slowly nodded his head. It was a way of increasing both prestige and their force. “What does Knighthood entail?”

Sir Landon almost spoke up, as it was a matter he was familiar with, but seeing that Adam was still looking at Jurot, he let it go. ‘What a troublesome knife ear.’

“Swearing allegiance to a Noble,” Jurot said, noting that he was asked instead of the Noble. “They will receive a manor, a stipend, and will be expected to raise arms for their Lord. Any Knight who breaks their Oath is cast aside. They are also usually hunted down, officially or otherwise.”

“Rumours,” Sir Landon said. “Knights who break their Oaths are shamed and sent away. Some may be hunted if they had shamed their Nobles deeply, but most are sent away peacefully.”

“The Iyr sees the world as it is,” Jurot stated. “There are many Knights who had not been hunted officially but still found their bodies in one of the many rivers of Aldland.”

“You believe they were killed by the Nobles they swore their Oaths to?” Sir Landon asked.

“No,” Jurot said. “I know they were killed by the Nobles they swore their Oaths to.”

Sir Landon shook his head. “I’m not here to debate fact from fiction towards you, Iyrman.”

“Anyway,” Adam interrupted. “I assume that you won’t ask an Iyrman, a Half Elf, or a Devilkin to swear their Oaths to you. I’ll ask you to speak plainly, Sir Landon, what is it that you want us to do?”

“I would like for you to do well in the tournament,” he stated, before quickly adding, “I would like any of you to come in the top eight places. The more of you who are in the top eight, the better.”

“Aiming for the top spots isn’t a huge deal,” Adam said, nodding his head slowly. “Though, I’m sure you have something to offer us for our fighting.”

“I will pay you one hundred gold each for entering the tournament, and an additional one hundred if you are able to place in the top eight. If you are able to place top three, I will double your reward.”

“We also get the prize money from the tournament, right?” Adam asked, raising his brows. It would have been silly if they had to give him even a portion of their prize money to him, and as much as it was insulting to ask, Adam trusted the Noble as much as he trusted a toilet.

“Of course,” Sir Landon replied, trying to not grit his teeth.

Adam tapped the table as he thought, picking up a piece of bread to bite it. As he chewed on the bread, he chewed on his thoughts.

“Noonval. Noonval.” Adam hummed quietly. “When does it take place, exactly?”

“The last month of Noonval,” Jurot said, quickly. He was trying to give Sir Landon some face by being quick to the response, so Adam wouldn’t dig a deeper hole with the Noble.

“The entire month?” Adam asked.

“Yes.”

“Oh,” Adam said, sighing. “Then I definitely can’t.”

“Why not?” Sir Landon asked, surprised that Adam had dropped his eagerness. The Half Elf had deflated like his purse after paying for the group during their adventure.

“It’s my holiday,” Adam stated, simply. “I can’t work during that time.”

“Holiday?” Jurot asked, looking to Adam. This was the first he was hearing of it. “We worked this Noonval.”

“Right,” Adam said. “We did work really hard this Noonval, with a Noble too.” Adam shook his head, his mood suddenly sour.

He bit into the bread angrily, grumbling as he ate. “I’m not going to spend my Noonval away with another Noble just to get betrayed in the end when I inevitably annoy them. I’m spending the last month of Noonval in the Iyr to celebrate the festival with my adorable little Lanababy. We’re probably going to miss Dawnval’s festival in the Iyr, so we have to go back for Noonval.”

Jurot nodded. Since Adam had invoked their sister’s name, there was no chance that he would go back. “Then we will return to the Iyr during the last month to rest.”

Lucy frowned, but only for a moment. ‘There’s no way the tournament has more hunks than the Iyr. Summer in the Iyr?’ She swallowed quickly, stopping her drool. She didn’t want to look like an idiot in front of Sir Landon.

“It is a great honour to participate in the tournament,” a Knight said. “You would gain prestige, fame, and gold.”

“As if I care about that,” Adam said. “Prestige and fame? I might need those eventually, but I’m still young. Gold? I’ve got gold, a lot of it, and I can always go around hunting for more gold.”

Sir Landon clenched his fists tight, annoyed by the Half Elf. ‘I spent all that gold only for you to refuse me?’

Adam could see that he was annoyed. “If you have something else you need, Sir Landon, I’d be willing to hear what you have in mind. No offence, but Elder Wolves aren’t exactly that exciting for our group.”

Sir Landon quickly relaxed. ‘He’s right.’ Adam, Jurot, and Lucy were one hell of a force. Even his Knights could barely compare to any of them. With five powerful Experts, couldn’t he hunt for something far greater than an Elder Wolf?

“There is a Twilight Fox nearby,” Sir Landon said, after thinking for a long moment.

“A Twilight Fox?” Jurot said, nodding his head. “It is Nightval.”

“What is it?” Adam asked.

“A vicious creature,” Sir Landon said, before pausing, waiting for Adam to interrupt. “Small. Foxy. It has a sharp bite, and a tail which could clash with an Iyrman’s blow. The Guild has a request to slay one for two hundred gold, but I will also pay you for its fur.”

“Is there anything special about its fur?”

“It is valuable, and gorgeous when it is processed properly,” Sir Landon replied.

“It is usually gifted to a partner,” Jurot said.

“How much will you pay us for protecting you and slaying this Twilight Fox?” Adam asked.

“Five gold each per day for your protection services, and an additional one hundred gold for the fur,” Sir Landon replied.

“How much is the fur worth?”

“It is worth that much raw,” Sir Landon stated, wondering if Adam was picking a fight.

“And processed?” Adam asked.

“Five hundred or so,” Jurot said, since Sir Landon had taken a moment to think.

“Alright,” Adam said. “That two hundred gold from the guild. How will it be split?”

“That two hundred gold will be split with your party, I assume to the four of you,” Sir Landon said.

“Four of-“ Adam quickly stopped, glancing aside to Sir Vonda, who had been eating peacefully and silently the entire time. “Right. Then, if you are also willing to pay the Porters five gold a day each as they come with us, I don’t mind.”

“The Porters?” Sir Landon asked, staring at Adam curiously. “Very well?”

Adam stared at Sir Landon, wondering why he was looking at Adam like that.

‘Wait. Didn’t we leave them in Ever Green?’