Confusion rapidly evaporated while her anger spiked but it was well constrained by embarrassment which she wrestled with for all of a moment before rapidly rejecting it and going in for the attack.

“Clanners have no need for civility with those not worthy.”

“Well… there you go. Then you have no need for me. Please be on your way.”

“I may have no need for civility, but you will train me!”

“And why on Earth would I ever choose to train those who do not return even basic civility.”

“It is the duty of the common to support the leadership.”

“It is the duty of the leadership to serve the common.”

She spluttered at this, anger spiking wildly out of control even as she struggled to reply. Struggled, however, proved to be the wrong word as she absolutely rejected his statement. It seemed she was more flabbergasted by the insanity of his idea.

“Why would leadership ever serve the common?”

Joe rolled his eyes, “So foolish. So young. So narrow minded. Why do any people follow the Galgandar clan in this city? They do so because they gain from it. They gain safety, food, and a home. The clan gives this to the people. If the clan did not, no one would live here, and where would the wealth of the clan be? The majority of the wealth of any city comes from the business of the city. The same is true for a region. If you do not protect your people, you will have no people! If you have no people, who will clean your house, clean out your chamber pot, wash your clothes, feed you, clean you, wake you, and put you to sleep like the child you are? Telnia, I reject your request for apprenticeship. Leave!”

If she was angry before, the anger that rolled off of her seemed absolutely palpable. Joe even seemed to feel a rather strange tension in the air that that seemed to actually press against his skin subtly. Telnia rapidly pulled out a thin long sword, almost a rapier, and launched herself at him. Joe gasped in utter shock.

He’d been holding his spoon spear and using it as a staff, his bag tossed on his back over only one shoulder. Her charge was fast, her thrust quite well aimed, and deadly. It took a second for Joe to process it all, but when he took in where her strike was aimed, his frustrated irritation immediately flattened, erased behind cold indifferent rage. She’s actually trying to kill me!

His hand swept the spear in front of him and slapped the sword thrust easily out of the way before he stepped into her reach, dropped a shoulder, and pounded it hard into her chest. She bounced off of him like a rubber ball, her head, arms, and legs flipping forward like an over the top ragdoll. All her limbs and head, when they snapped forward, did so so rapidly it almost felt like she’d been in a car accident, the forces involved quite a bit more than a normal simple shoulder bash. Arms and legs came up to slap around him even as her head brushed past his and clanged hard into the backpack that had risen up in reaction as well. There was a muffled clang and Joe grimaced as he realized she’d head butted some kind of metal tool or weapon.

Well… crap. Hope she’s ok?

She crumpled to the ground without even a whimper, completely knocked out. Everyone seemed stunned. His group of people hadn’t even moved, although Joe did notice the Matriarch softly and discretely sliding her weapon back into its sheath. Telnia’s staff members just seemed to stare, seemingly uncertain of what to really do. Everyone just kind of looked on, Telnia lay crumpled on the ground.

“Uh… um… Sorry?” Joe awkwardly offered to the waiting nervous staff.

They looked up at him, staring but did not reply or do anything. Everyone remained frozen for a bit before the Matriarch stepped forward.

“Gwenvair, First in Line for Matriarch of Galgandar? What have you for this?”

Gwenvair seemed to jump at this, staring at her mother, even as all of Telnia's staff also seemed to hide their own shocked response. She dithered, uncertain, staring at her mom. The two seemed to have some kind of communication which firmed Gwenvair’s resolve.

“Matriarch. Might I request a room for Telnia, First in Line of Soonesia, to recover in?”

Ok… something weird’s going on! All Telnia’s staff jumped at that. Something… Joe’s thoughts cut off as Gwenvair’s moth… the Matriarch responded.

“This seems wise, and acceptable.”

The butler came forward quickly. He bowed and replied.

“Greetings, Matriarch of Galgandar and Coushar. We gratefully accept.”

The Matriarch bowed her head a bit, and Joe frowned, “And we ignore that she tried to murder me?”

The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

Gwenvair and her mother fell silent at that, but both looked towards Telnia’s staff with weight. The butler seemed to stutter, concern coming off him in waves. Joe snorted and shook his head.

“Just keep her away from me. She is a pain in my rear and I have no desire to deal with her anymore.”

Joe turned away and entered his house, exhausted now, both emotionally and physically. Behind, he heard the others clamber in after him, silent in speech but loud in movement.

* * *

Gwenvair saw her mother’s hand flash and she nodded softly, her mother following in after Joe and the others. Gwenvair took over calling some servants over to help prepare a room and move Telnia into her accommodations. As the guards came and lifted Telnia to carry her away, Gwenvair caught her chief of staff before he could leave.

“If I might advise, Joe McConnell should also be considered a clanner as he has explained it. Even amongst his people, he could become Patriarch, if he wished.”

The man gasped softly, well controlled and perfect for his position, but still not well enough to hide it from her strong ulvan senses. It mattered little to her; her mother long ago teaching her the importance of proper respect even for commoners. Reasons for such easily seen played out before her now.

She waited patiently for the guards carrying the blacked out Telnia and others to leave before turning to head into the common area of Joe’s residence and she allowed her calm to softly fall from her. Excitement returning to her as she quickly followed the others into the room. She found the others in the common area, enjoying their time in happy conversation with one another. Joe, as usual, was rather silent, but her mother seemed to be speaking quietly with him while the rest of the younger generation chatted with each other excitedly.

Gwenvair joined them, finding the other three still excitedly babbling over Joe’s now legendary fight against a Boss Slime, the first Boss monster she’d ever seen, let alone even a Champion, Guardian, or Master. Her mother had slain a Master goblin once with her group of slave warriors, only losing two in the fight. Still, her mother had returned deeply hurt, several broken bones and even lost her weak arm, requiring the costly attention of a greater healer from the greater clans.

Gwenvair mostly listened to their conversation as she’d been out of it while dealing with the others. Gwenvair’s return did shift the conversation.

“Who was she?” Kilniara leaned over the whisper to Gwenvair.

Gwenvair looked at her before leaning in, “You heard. She’s likely the next Matriarch for Soonesia.”

Kilniara stared at her, small confusion hidden behind a blank face so Gwenvair explained, “I’m sorry. It is a small clan far from us up beyond Lakeside several weeks travel. It is a small clan in a deep forest with one small town little more than a village with walls. Their wealth is in primordial growth and the harvests available in the deep forests. The village is predominately a mix of races while the elves of the clan live entirely in the forest far beyond the sight of most other races and Soonesia.”

“So… wealthy.”

“Wealthy but of little consequence.”

“But incredibly beautiful!”

Joe snorted at Kilniara’s observation and both girls looked up at him, Gwenvair responding, “You do not find her beautiful?”

Joe sighed and shook his head, “No. She is beautiful. Very beautiful, but no more than many others I’ve seen.”

“You’ve seen beauty as great as hers before?” Gwenvair asked, quirking an eyebrow in surprise.

Joe smiled, obviously cocky, “I see several in this room even now.”

Kilniara blushed, turning aside, first away from Gwenvair then towards her, seeking comfort in a sister. Gwenvair struggled to keep her own embarrassment tamped even as her face flushed a deep red.

“Very smooth, but the beauty of elves is well known.”

Joe chuckled, “She is beautiful. She is. But as I said before, there are many like her.”

Gwenvair smiled at that, “So you are attracted to her.”

Joe grimaced at that and shook his head, “No, not at all. She’s not someone I would want anywhere near me. She is no catch.”

Gwenvair seemed surprised, “An elf First in Line for Matriarch is not a catch?”

Joe rolled his eyes, seemingly completely unimpressed which gave Gwevnair even more comfort at his dismissal of the elf. He spoke quite bluntly, “Her beauty is completely overwhelmed by her poor character. Only a fool would have anything to do with her and only a fool would ever want such poison anywhere near them or their household. Just thinking what kind of children I would have if she were the mother makes me sick to my stomach. If she treats people this way, how would any children learn otherwise? I have no desire to fight with my wife trying to train and raise my children well when I would always be in conflict with her. Who would ever wish to live in a home with such a poisonous woman?”

Gwenvair’s eyes rose at that, her mother smiling softly as well. Gwenvair smiled at him for a few moments before shaking her head, laughing softly.

“You are a strange man.”

Joe shrugged, “Not entirely. When one sees women of great beauty often and easily, beauty becomes less important.”

“And you have seen people of great beauty?”

Joe smiled, “Hmm… amongst my people, people of great beauty are regularly and often seen. With the great web of connections between all people, it is so easy, almost too easy, to watch people of great beauty all the time. They often gain their wealth this way.”

* * *

“With the internet, it is so easy to follow beautiful people. They usually gain their wealth this way,” Joe explained, kind of understanding their surprise. It would make sense that the rarity of beauty would make examples of such beauty shocking, surprising, and even stunning. Still, her attitude was so obnoxious Joe found it impossible to believe that anyone would ever put up with her.

Everyone had fallen silent at that and Joe allowed the silence to occur before Gwenvair spoke once again.

“Is there anything you would have me do for Telnia? Or… something you wish me to speak to her of?”

Joe looked at her then grimaced and snorted, shaking his head, “Nah. I think she has what she needs. Hopefully she’ll leave me alone now. I’d just rather not see or deal with her anymore.”

“You really are not interested in her?”

“I’m only interested in her leaving me and never seeing her again.”

Gwenvair actually laughed brightly at that, shaking her head and Joe grinned. Kilniara giggled softly and then Gwenvair simply nodded at him and their conversation faded away, the two girls quickly chatting amongst themselves on topics Joe really wasn’t too interested in. With the women no longer speaking to him, the two guys quickly began interrogating him on his combat with the slime monster and they began digging deeply into the fight, asking specifically about the slime fight itself but also wondering about fighting slimes in general.