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Or, better said, someone surprising popped out.

“Zeph?” I said, making him draw his sword, in a repeat of our first meeting.

He stared at me, for a few moments, then squinted.

“Silvester?” he asked doubtfully.

“Yes, that’s me,” I said, not letting go of my sword. “It’s a small world, it seems. How come you popped out of a forest now? Are you playing the part of the elf?”

I didn’t exactly feel threatened by him, but it was natural to be cautious. It was fine and dandy to chat while separated by enchanted steel bars, but I could still die if I let my guard down, and he’s played the part of the mysterious guy too much for my taste. Also, suddenly popping out of the forest wasn't normal.

“I advise you to be careful with your words,” he said with an unpleasant face. “I’ll let it go since I know you didn’t mean anything by it, but never compare me to an elf again.”

Didn’t think I’d touch a nerve there… what’s wrong with elves?

“And yes. I concur with you in saying it’s a small world.”

He then fell silent and kept staring at me without offering any explanation for his sudden entrance.

“So?” I asked after a few more seconds of silence.

He looked at Freya and me alternately, then asked. “I will answer your query, but before I do, I need to know what happened in the capital and why you are here.”

Why should I be the one to answer first? I asked a question before him, I thought, annoyed. Still, I already knew his character. He usually didn’t speak about himself at all, so I supposed it was already a concession on his part.

I could still leave without answering, but I didn’t have anything to hide, aside from Freya being an escaped slave, and I could just lie about that. I was also curious about his answer.

“There was an attack on the capital, by soldiers that were probably from the Duchy of Calos. I have no idea their number, or how they reached the capital unnoticed, but they infiltrated the arena where the First Oligarch was having another event and exploded it before attacking the survivors. I also heard explosions in other corners of the capital. My thought was that they were being attacked by the Duchy army, so I ran in the direction where I heard less commotion to see if I could get away. I found a group of soldiers running inside the city, and, after I avoided them, I escaped past the open gate. And here I am.” I said all in one breath. “Your turn now.”

He took a moment to elaborate on what I said before hinting at Freya and asking. “And what about the girl?”

“She was gifted to me by the arena’s manager. As an apology, he said.” I lied. He wasn’t from around here and seemed ignorant of how things work. I was probably fine.

“I suggest you learn how to lie before you try doing it,” he said, sheathing his sword. “I’m guessing you just picked her up and ran. But it’s fine, I have no obligation to do anything about it.”

… okay, that didn’t go as planned. He sheathed his sword, though, so I considered that an improvement.

“I mean no harm,” he said, lifting his hands. “I was in the dungeon praying like the other days when I heard an explosion and the ceiling collapsed. The shield I previously installed for an eventual attack held long enough for me to escape through an opening. I used the river to escape the Capital using one of my Skills, then followed the riverbank until I reached the forest.”

I was about to speak, but he continued, “Now, if you don’t mind, I have a proposal for you.”

I was a bit at a loss, so I just nodded for him to continue.

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

“I have to travel to Caldris, and I would like to hire you to act as my…” he trailed off at the end looking at me skeptically, “… adopted older brother.”

I know we don’t look anything alike, but I feel insulted for some reason.

He then looked at Freya and said, "She will be my little sister."

Turning back to me, he continued, “I can pay well. Half now, half when we reach Caldris. Of course, I also expect you to fight to protect me in case we find ourselves in a dangerous situation.”

So... I’m getting my first mercenary job right after I said I wanted to become one, before I can even register at the guild, from a mysterious noble who looks like he’s playing some dangerous game.

Eh, no. Even if this hadn't been so damn strange, there were too many alarm bells in his behavior until now.

If I had to believe him, he put up some sort of magical shield that held up tons of stones, because he feared being attacked by someone that supposedly warranted a shield like that — like hell I’m going to guard him. How would I even guard him?

I’d just be used as bait in some way without knowing it. I wouldn’t even be able to run away with the money.

“I refuse.”

He tilted his head. “May I know the reason?”

He was just standing there calmly gazing at me.

It’s a milder response than I thought.

“Well, I don’t know you, but I can guess you aren’t on a nice sightseeing tour, and I don’t want to be ensnared in your troubles. They look like the kind of troubles that would easily get me killed.” And I wanted to enjoy life a bit more now since I was out of that damned place.

“What do you think, Freya?” I asked suddenly.

She widened her eyes, panicked, looking at me and Zeph alternately.

“See how scared she is? That’s how dangerous the job is.”

He raised an eyebrow but then said.

“How about this, then? I’ll pay you daily, and you can part ways with me whenever you wish. And before you refuse again, let me explain the reasons why you should accept,” he said, raising a hand with one finger up, before I could speak.

“First of all, to address your worries. I can say that most of the troubles that would follow me have been temporarily, if not permanently, diverted. I am still on guard, but if there were to be problems of that kind, most of them would come at least a few months from now, and by that time our contract would have already ended.”

He raised a second finger.

“Secondly, to address your situation. You are, right now, without much money, aside probably from some small change you snatched somewhere when you ran from the city.” He pointedly looked at the swords and pouches on the ground. Yes, yes, you’re a sharp guy. Tch. “And, as I said, I will pay you well. One gold coin per day.”

Hell. Is the guy nuts? I thought as he raised the third finger. That was a ton of money.

"And thirdly, to address the situation in the kingdom. You may know that the kingdom is embroiled in a civil war, but have you ever thought about what that means? Right now, the whole territory of the kingdom is in a disastrous state. Some lords still maintain some semblance of order in their domain, but in most places, the bandits abound, thieves roam the cities, and you never know when you could get attacked. Just looking at someone the wrong way could cause a conflict in some places — and no one will move a finger, even if you die on the streets. That’s why it’s too dangerous to roam the land alone. That’s also why you need someone who knows where to go and how to reach his destination."

He closed his hand.

"That’s the last of the reasons, and why you’ll accept my proposal."

“You seem awfully sure I will,” I said, sullen.

“If you have some sense in you, you will,” he said, convinced.

“Moreover, while I’m young, and I admit my Level is low, I am sure I can hold my own in combat — I also have a few trump cards if the situation turns dire. And if you’re doubtful of anything I said…” he said, pausing for a moment, “… you can just walk away with the pay of the day.”

He opened his arms as if welcoming me.

“Just so you know. I’m paying you so well, and wasting my time to try to convince you, because I admire your skill. I have seen that fight with the orc, and I was absolutely mesmerized by it. Your skill in a fight is out of this world. But while I admire your ability, I have to say that your actual strength is lacking if you want to safely travel around here. So I really hope you’ll accept my proposal.”

...

Damn, he’s just making it harder and harder for me to refuse. It seems too damn good, but he’s also making a lot of sense. What do I do?

“Freya, what do I do?” I asked my prospective disciple for advice.

She looked at me appalled. No help there.

I hope I’m not being duped in some way, I thought with a sigh.

“Fine, I accept,” I said, instantly hating his smug look. Can I punch my employer?

He clapped his hands.

“Wonderful. I must say it was quite the novel experience to negotiate with a half naked man, but now you should get dressed and armed. I want to move while there’s light.” The boss was already bossing me.

“And here’s your pay for the day,” he said, tossing me a coin.

It drew an arc in the air, shining in the sunlight.

I caught it and then held it between two fingers to admire it. So this is how my new life as a mercenary begins.

I still wasn’t sure I made the right choice.

But at least the pay was good.

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