Chapter 42: Interest Rate Zero
“But just because every team needs a healer, it doesn’t mean we need to pick you,” Encio said.
“What? What’s wrong with us?” Eufemia crossed her arms, ready to counter.
“What’s wrong with you?” Encio smirked, not unkindly, but pointedly. “You two are both untrained. Even if we need a healer, do you think we lack options?” He gestured to himself with a flourish, his reputation self-evident.
John and Eufemia knew he didn’t lack options; Erin Nisei’s investigation results told them as much. A diamond ranker’s grandson could line up the adventurers of Sanshi and leisurely take his pick. However, they did not know that was the last option Encio wanted to use to find his teammates.
“What do you want us to do? Get on our knees and beg to be let into your little party?” said Eufemia with the tone that she would rather die than debase herself that way.
He turned to Nara, “Are you really going to let two untrained essence users join the team? Just because one of them is an outworlder from your world?”
“That’s true,” said Nara. “If it's just going back to our world, I can just promise to send you there when I have the ability to do so. I can just give you my contact information. We can keep in touch.”
“How can John possibly trust you’d do that?” Eufemia asked. “You’re just going to disappear and never contact us again.”
Unintentionally, Eufemia’s statement revealed her goodness; her concern was for John and his safety, and she had not been particularly excited to join them despite his family name. This, Encio approved of.
“You’re asking us to trust you on our team. Do you have any idea what you’re asking for? In a moment of life or death, you need to have our backs. I think trusting that Nara brings you along is the lesser ask. What do you take adventuring for?”
Encio would know, Nara realized. His sister and his childhood friend died as adventurers. She didn’t know the extremes or the risks of adventuring, but Encio had experienced it. She felt a pang of guilt—she didn’t know the risks of adventuring either. Maybe her first fight with the midnight wolf had not been so coincidental. Amara wanted to show her the tip of the iceberg—the undercurrents of danger.
“So what? We need to prove ourselves?” Eufemia said, “I don’t care for being tested, but if that’s what John needs, I can deal.”
Nara knew Encio well enough to know he had reached his goal.
“It’s true, your ability grants benefits to Nara just for joining her as a team member; I suspect it's even an incentive generated from John’s ability to raise his chances of success. But there’s no reason it must be permanent.”
“Doesn’t that feel a bit cheap?” Nara said. “Getting the rewards then splitting?”
He rolled his eyes, “All outworlder abilities are ‘a bit cheap’. I think your ability is far worse.”
“Cheap, is it?” She wondered aloud.
Encio’s expression was a little regretful, but he continued, “We set a time limit. Within two months you need to pass the adventure society exam.”
“Two months? Are you insane? We know next to nothing about adventuring or fighting.”
“Nara did it in two months.”
“She had some gold rank mentor to help her!”
“So you had her investigated? Who investigated her? Was it you two or someone else?” Encio’s smile was well-controlled, the image of a mastermind with pawns moving the way he liked.
Nara could have sworn she saw crackling sparks fly between the two of them.
“You think we don’t know the name Edea?” Eufemia deflected, “She’s a famous adventurer-inventor.”
“Oh, she is,” Encio said, “but you don’t have to bother to lie, although I find your effort amusing. John, was there something you didn’t understand about your Innocuous Disguise ability?”
John thought for a moment. He knew the wording of his ability by heart, “You’re referring to the aura portion of the ability. That worked, didn’t it? Even if I don’t understand it.”
“Oh, it works fine, what you don’t understand is how aura works,” Encio said. “The aura is a reflection of your soul, and for any untrained normal or iron ranker, it also reflects your emotions.” He leaned back, oozing casual dominance, his high-born upbringing revealed, “We can read the both of you like an open book. So, how was Nara investigated?”
Eufemia gnawed on her lip. “This is hardly necessary.”
“You’re asking for our trust, so I demand yours. Who is concerned with my teammate is of concern to me.”
“This isn’t trust, this is an interrogation!”
“What better foundation for trust is there than honesty?” He countered, “If you cannot bring yourself to be open and truthful, how can we trust you with our lives? Or, I can make my request to Erin Nisei.”
Eufemia paused, suddenly still. “…You know Erin Nisei?”
“Please. Do you have any idea what preparations I’ve made before I came here? The local head of the Nisei family and the Nisei family’s activities is but an open secret.”
“You made preparations?” Nara said.
“Did I not say I’m inherently political?”
Nara stared at him blankly.
He sighed, resigned. “Yes, I made preparations.”
John finally spoke up, “We can tell you everything. We’re just ordinary people, beyond our origins. And it's true, I had no idea what we were asking of you. If passing the Adventure Society examination in two months is the proof, that is a small ask.”
“No, I just said that to rile her up,” Encio admitted.
“You’re an ass.” Eufemia sulked.
Encio shrugged, “I have strong feelings about adventuring. The two of you don’t know much about adventuring too, but the exam is not nearly as difficult as everyone thinks. Iron rank essence users need to make money, especially if they aren’t part of an adventuring family. As long as you can swing your weapon and hit a target—” Encio demonstrated by swinging his arms, “—and you’re receptive to the advice of the examiner, you are unlikely to fail. The two of you are intelligent.” He stopped. “At least one of you is intelligent.”
Eufemia’s glare would kill if she could hit Encio with it.
“The only issue is whether you can hit a moving target.”
Nolan represented a typical essence user, and he passed in the end. What Mona taught him was the primary purpose of the exam—do not trust contracts, err on the side of caution, retreat early before things go awry. Once that judgement was developed, they’d worry less about new adventurers dying to their ego. Iron rank contracts were not do or die contracts, typically. The deaths of new adventures were from poor judgement, under preparedness, or bad luck.
Eufemia frowned at him but restarted the negotiations. “Beside the two-month time limit, we don’t have the resources.”
“I will pay for your tuition at the academy.”
Eufemia stared at him doubtfully, “And now you’re suddenly generous.”
“I can make it a loan if that would feel better.”
“Interest rate?”
Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.
“Zero. I don’t want your petty money, I’m a wealthy scion.”
Eufemia looked disgusted but she had no counter for cold hard facts and cold hard cash.
“Why are you offering to help us now?” John asked. “After taking such a strict stance earlier? I’m happy with this change of heart, of course,” he added quickly.
He gestured with his thumb to Nara, “Because she wants to help you.”
“I haven’t said anything about wanting to help them.”
“Am I wrong?” He challenged.
“...No.“ His smug expression said ‘I told you so’ without words. “Being an outworlder from my Earth is a compelling enough reason. What can I say? I am a stranger in a strange land. Seeing a fellow stranger made me happy.”
And, Nara thought, she may need someone with concrete memories of Earth.
“What now?” Eufemia asked, turning to John, “Do we shake hands and make up? Sign a deal?”
“Or just, say it out loud?” Nara offered, “Welcome to the team?”
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-[Essence Case 3] has been completed
-Rewards have been added to the [Detective’s Stash].
-External rewards have been sent to [Nara Edea].
-The racial ability, [Case Files], of [Outworlder, John Aurelius] is trying to trigger a racial ability evolution.
-[Guide] will be transfigured into [Party Guide].
-[Accept, Y/N?]
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“Uh... Encio what’s a Racial Ability evolution? I know about the human Essence Gift ones but that’s about it.”
“We forgot to discuss that, hadn’t we? Racial abilities are known to evolve in a variety of circumstances. Only one racial ability evolution is possible per racial ability, and they usually serve to specialize, synergize, or add versatility to an essence user. So, all celestines may have the same six racial abilities, but over time, especially through challenge, they will change.”
“So, it’s usually beneficial?”
“Always. I hadn’t heard of a negative racial ability evolution, but if anyone broke expectations, I’d expect it to be an outworlder.”
“That doesn’t reassure me.” She assented anyway. Her body began to glow with an iron grey light which caught the attention of those around her.
“Well shit, I should’ve done this in private later. It’s not like it was time limited.”
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-Racial Ability [Guide] has been transfigured into [Party Guide].
Racial Ability: [Party Guide]
Transfigured from Racial Ability [Guide]
Interpret reality through a recognizable medium.
Create a party to share the functions of [Party Guide]. Maximum party size is determined by rank. Current limit: 10
Functions:
* Interface
* Contacts
* Voice Chat
* Map
[Interface]: Active information display.
[Contacts]: A record of those you have had significant contact with. You can initiate a [Voice Chat] with anyone on your contacts list.
[Voice Chat]: Communicate telepathically with others on your [Contacts] or within your party. Party members can initiate a [Voice Chat] with other party members.
[Map]: Display an active mini map with enemies and allies. This is a tracking effect. Synced with [Archive].
-The functions of [Status], [Inspect], [Archive], [Note], [Query], and [Display] have been consolidated into the [Interface] function.
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Nara had mild telepathy powers due to her experiences as a soul in the astral and her aura control practice with Laius and Redell. She wondered if that experience was reflected in the evolution of her racial ability. It seemed the map function also got an upgrade. It now displayed enemies and allies, instead of just showing her own location in the immediate area. But most importantly, her entire Guide ability could be shared with others, up to a ten at a time.
People had stared at first, but after the light show died down, so did their attention. Magic was common in this world, even for those that had none. She was just another iron rank adventurer in a city of iron rank adventurers.
She immediately invited Eufemia, John, and Encio to her party.
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-You have been invited to join the party of [Nara Edea].
-[Join? Y/N]
-------
Such a message popped up like a game menu to John, Eufemia and Encio. The interface message was only visible to each person.
-------
-[Enciodes Aciano] has joined your party.
-[John Aurelius] has joined your party.
-[Eufemia Teresina] has joined your party.
-------
Eufemia was the last to join, the most hesitant over the strange power. John, even though he was somewhat older than Nara, was not so old he hadn’t at least seen a few video games, whether at his children’s insistence or his own experiences. He was surprised, but that was all. He was used to being surprised by magic.
Encio was chuckling, tilting his head away and suppressing his laughter.
“What’s the matter with you?” Nara asked.
“Isn’t it ironic?” He managed between his laughing shudders. “The first person to ask you to join his team is the only person to fail to do so!”
Nara shrugged, abashed. “That’s just kind of how life turned out. If you tell Sen that you’ll make him pout.”
Nara wolfed down the last parts of her sandwich she had ordered at the café. She waved a server over and passed him the iron spirit coins for all of their portions.
“Anyone leaving leftovers who doesn’t want them?” She asked.
“I don’t need mine,” Eufemia said. “It’s cold now.” She eyed the cold panini with distaste.
Nara took her plate and set it on the floor. Thanatos devoured it like the embodiment of a black hole. Or perhaps, the embodiment of a black lab. He already had his own sandwich, but Thanatos would never say no to seconds.
“Let’s head over to Encio’s place and discuss things further.”
*******
Eufemia and John had never been to such a nice hotel before. John hadn’t in either this world or the last world. He had never stayed in a suite that occupied half a floor.
John stared at Eufemia briefly.
“I know what you’re thinking John. No, I’m not some rich scion. I’m so sorry you lost the outworlder partner lottery,” she said, voice dripping with sarcasm.
“I wasn’t thinking that,” he denied. “You’re a brilliant partner. Quick on your feet and sharp with your words.”
Eufemia turned away quickly, embarrassed, and not wanting to show it. She stalked around the room, feigning observation of a decoration of a flowering branch and swallows carved of jade and encrusted with jewels.
They sat down around the living room table. The wood was dark, a polished black wood that brought out beautiful and swirling natural grains. The couches were soft, with high quality padding and cloth, crafted with meticulous detail despite their simplistic design.
Eufemia sighed, running her slender fingers across the felt of the couch, “I could get used to this.”
“You might even have that chance,” Encio pointed out, “John also can loot enemies. I haven’t seen many outworlders, but clearly, it’s a staple.”
“Oh,” Nara realized, “We’ve doubled up on looting. Do they stack?”
“They should,” Encio said. “While looting powers are rare outside of outworlders, it is not so rare that they don’t have recorded using being used simultaneously. There’s a limit before the magic of the monster is fully consumed and no more looting powers can be used, but we have not reached that limit with just two.”
Encio pulled out a few documents from his dimensional rift, “These are the application forms for the Sanshi Adventure Academy, as well as various materials about their available classes, schedules, and other services. As for housing, you’re welcome to use this suite. I have more than enough space.”
It was a full floor suite. Nara wondered if he had anticipated this when he arrived in Sanshi. There was no way…or perhaps it was simple to assume the two of them would eventually want to expand the team. She looked briefly at Encio, who flashed an annoying smile that was not at all helpful as to discerning whether this was foresight or unconcerned utilization of wealth.
“You just had these on you?”
“I’m carefree not careless.”
“Yeah, but you didn’t even know this would happen today.”
“Oh, but I did,” he said, “I lied when I said I would contact Erin Nisei. I had already contacted her. She sent me a missive this morning,” he waved around a letter in his hand, evidently the missive in question.
John and Eufemia stared at him.
“Wow, you’re a scary dude. Like, in a good way?” Nara said.
“Why is that a question?” Encio said with the confident tone of someone who was never wrong.
“You knew about us?” Eufemia asked.
“Not exactly. I told Erin Nisei to contact me if anyone asked her to investigate me or my partner. Then, I asked her to investigate them in turn, and inform me of their movements.”
“…What did you trade for that?”
“Money, of course.” He added after a pause: “and some information in turn.”
“What sort of information?”
“My grandfather’s current location, as well as his most likely next move.”
“You sold out your grandfather?” Eufemia said incredulously.
“Information on him is valuable,” he shrugged, “and nobody can threaten him directly. He’ll be fine. If anything, someone may offer him a deal or ask him for help. If they did, they’re likely offering something very valuable in turn, appealing to his morality, or cashing in a favor. No one tries to cheat a diamond ranker.” Encio turned to Nara and winked: He’s not particularly hard to find either. Although, Nara realized, the location of Sezan’s Aviensa haunt was information of value. It was a chance for others to negotiate, and more importantly, to bet.
“You just cheated a diamond ranker.”
“I’m his grandson, and he’s diamond rank. If he got mad at this, he’d be very petty.”
“He might stop being your favorite grandfather,” Nara joked.
“Have I ever said he was my favorite grandfather?”
“It’s not mutual?”
Encio grinned. “I keep him in suspense.”
Eufemia pointed at Encio, finger shaking with horror, “You’re not right in the head!”
“If Sezan didn’t want Encio to be crafty he shouldn’t have let him hang out with Wisteria,” Nara mused.
“Who’s Wisteria?”
“The old lady the three of us play table games with. She’s very good at it. Routinely beats a diamond ranker.”
“Enough of that. I may be impressive, and I’d usually bask in your compliments, but I don’t need your praise when we have business to conduct,” Encio said, waving his hand dismissively. “Do you see the tuition?”
Nara had a feeling he stopped the topic to avoid mention of his own significant losses to her.
John looked at it, “It’s honestly not that bad. We can pay it with the money we’ve gotten from our cases.”
“The intention of the Sanshi Adventure Academy it to train essence users that could not otherwise afford private schooling in the other cities,” said Encio. “Hence the lack of an entrance examination. If you have your essences and the tuition money, anyone can seek an education there.”
“So the next order of business is getting these two essenced up,” Nara said. “Are you going to use the combinations your ability gave you?”
“Free essences,” Eufemia said. “I see no reason why we shouldn’t. I certainly don’t want to pay for these things. I’ve seen the prices. Are they really worth all that? Gold coins for a single one?”
“I think you will find they are,” Encio said, his voice solemn. “Most do.”