“ As an otherworlder one of the most important things you can learn about etiquette is to read a room. Or in terms, of what your kind is more familiar with. Don’t be a pain.”
Jeff could not help but chuckle at that. He was decent at that.
“ I swear I remember it was like yesterday when the heroes were summoned and the first words out of one of them was, what the hell is going on? To a full room of royals and nobility no less. But that was then and this is now. So let us continue... There are several things you need to do once you walk into a room...”
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“ Today we are going to work on your wing gauntlet blocking of projectiles. And in more detail how to turn your entire arm so that you are not pointing your dueling dagger at yourself, or at the very least it will only rebound off your skull instead of being thrust into your eye...”
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“ By divine law, a lord can only claim one emergency tith from their lands yearly. This is usually done when they are...
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“ There are three general categories of elves, there are the isolationist elves, the communal elves, and the nomad elves. Most elves you have or will meet are of the latter two categories. But let's begin with isolationist elves. In short, they are a bunch of selfish bigots that...”
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“ No, we can not compete with the big two. Sure we might be able to squeeze a new idea or two that they do not have a monopoly over but you know as well as I do they will disassemble, deconstruct, and disseminate what they find for their benefit. What we got to do...”
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“ The art of riding is not as easy as getting on the back of any old beast of burden...”
The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
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Jeff sighed as he slipped into his usual seat in the red dorm community area. Unlike usual, only Janice was present. Instead of a deck of cards, a chess set was already set up. With nothing better to do, he moved the first piece from the unclaimed side. Janice seeing this, moved a piece soon after. It was not long till Janice broke the silence
“ Amanda will not be here today. She got an overnight outing where she is looking for wagons and beasts of burden to pull them. Bobby, well I have not heard from him.”
Jeff pauses a moment to consider his move of threatening a rook and bishop with his knight, but that left his queen open to be threatened as well. Without hesitation, he decides the price of two powerful pieces for his most powerful a worthwhile trade.
“ So when are you two going to start dating?”
This caused Janice to recoil her hand from a set-up pawn threat and she then decided to reposition her remaining rook instead.
“ How did you know?”
Jeff shrugs and advances his pawn to secure the center of the board.
“ Didn’t, but if you are anything like me. I have not called on the special list of services. Hell, I have not even done a solo yet. Too damn nervous to be in the mood. I was a lonely teen with zero love life. So I can not imagine how frustrated you are. And with the nature of this place... You are only going to do that with someone you trust.”
Janice did not even blush as she moved her queen to exploit a small opening he left on purpose. Seconds later he takes it from her, giving him a sizable three-piece lead and a dominating presence in the center of the board. Reading the board better than seconds before, Janice tilts her king.
“ Damn, you are better at chess than you are at cards.”
Jeff sighs in response.
“ I have been working on getting the [Noble] and [General] subclasses. Since we are all technically minor nobility, the first is just me waiting for my official designation to be received. Which should happen sometime next month. [General] however has me doing a bunch of wargames with some strategists. Those are a pain in the rear. My best game with them was a ten-minute stalemate of rapid redeployments and feigns. And that is against someone who is a junior aid. I hate to think what would happen if I went against a proper general.”
Janice finishes resetting the board and moves the first piece. After about twenty minutes of silence except for the occasional spectator, she sighs hard.
“ Look, I was young, dumb, and full of love with my first boyfriend. He was... on the school sports team. After six months of dating, but not really... I found out I was the side girl. After that, I started streaming. At first, I used the attention to badmouth my ex... then invited one of his teammates for a... victory lap when they won a game. The dense prick did not even realize it till he found out I was why he was denied for varsity.”
Jeff winced at that guessing that is how she died.
“ So, I am taking it slow, dropping subtle hints and hoping he did not fall for one of those hunney traps.”
Jeff winced again before taking a pawn.
“ Just do not wait too long to become blunt. He was a professional gamer, so he probably got action, but he had to pay for it.”
Janice winced this time to the comment. It did not take long after that for Janice to give up again.
“ So what about you? Any girls on your radar?”
Jeff was about to openly refuse but paused.
“ There is Rachel. The healer I told you about. I... we were getting close before she was kidnapped by those charmers. Now... we both have endured traumas. I, with the realization of what awaits me even if I do succeed in freeing lands from demons as I plan to, and her... with the charm. I have dinner with her tomorrow.”