Even though the dinner Aun prepared for all its simplicity - and what can be complex in fried fish with vegetables - was quite tasty, it did not significantly improve my mood. Cristo's death really unsettled me.
Firstly, it reminded me that earthlings die on Ain every day. This fact, which I tried not to remember too often, scratched my soul unpleasantly. Secondly, this death somewhat disrupted my plans, also showing how fragile these plans are and how they're built on too many assumptions. Though I wasn't heavily relying on Cristo. But I did plan to use him, and now it won't be possible, and for reasons beyond my control. But such is life - something always happens in it that you cannot influence in any way.
Shaking my head, I tried to drive away gloomy thoughts, but such a simple gesture didn't help. Getting up from the stool, I walked around the atrium and cleared some space by moving the sparse furniture to the walls. Then, with Aun's permission, I picked up an old broom, almost devoid of its bristles, and removed everything clean, leaving just the handle in my hands. Then I stepped into the center of the atrium, by the hearth itself, and, closing my eyes, regulated my breathing. On the third exhale, I began to move. Smoothly, steadily. The last few days had been too tense, and I had somehow forgotten about training; it was time to catch up.
I began the warm-up with the basics, the kata of twelve animals, in which each stance symbolizes some combat style. It features low, slithering positions of the snake and monkey schools that transition into high stances of the crane or dragon styles. To the uninitiated, it looks like a very simple exercise, but it's not; it demands flexibility and the ability to maintain balance in the most unexpected positions and transitions. Also, if you do everything correctly, it looks very beautiful from the side, like some unusual slow oriental dance. I repeated this kata a dozen times, periodically changing the sequence of stance transitions, and then moved on to more explosive exercises.
All the while, Aun watched me. Even washing the dishes and cleaning the pan, he tried not to lose sight of me, greedily following every move I made.
After half an hour of training, I leaned the broom handle against the wall and steadied my breathing. And only when I opened my eyes after a short post-workout meditation Aun pounced on me like a hawk:
"Master! Teach me!"
"But didn't your father teach you?" This was harsh on my part, but I didn't particularly want to teach the boy and thought that mentioning his deceased parent would curb his desire.
But the young man simply let my jibe pass by his ears and replied:
"He taught me: counting, writing, laws, the commandments of Elai, negotiating, how to haggle... I was taught many things, but not how to defend myself!"
"Really? Why?" Not that I was particularly curious, but I asked anyway, pouring myself some cold water from the fountain.
"My father told me: 'Your grandfather was excellent with a sword, but how did it help him? A trader's business is to trade, and you can hire others for protection!'"
The death of his grandfather probably hit their small family hard. But even without that, such an approach to upbringing was the norm in Ain. It wasn't the rigidity of the local population but rather a survival norm. This world is harsh and practical; those who live in the clouds don't last long here. Therefore, Aun's father's position was quite clear to me; millions of peasants live the same way, teaching their children to work the land, not to swing a sword.
"So maybe you should follow your father's advice?" I asked, tilting my head.
"I was going to!" The boy glanced away for a moment, then found the strength and looked me straight in the eye. He looked firm and determined. "But now it won't work! Someone is trying to kill me, and I, without the art of combat, feel like that sacrificial lamb being led to the altar."
"There is some truth in your words." A faintly sad smile twisted my lips. "But you can't learn the 'art of combat' in a few days or even weeks. For most, it takes years of hard training, and even geniuses need at least months. So tell me, how long did Evelan study before he embarked on his first campaign?"
"Six months."
"A true Hero, a demigod, the son of Eyrat himself spent half a year, and even then, he continued to learn all his life." I looked at Aun with feigned curiosity. "Are you so talented that you will learn everything in a week?"
"I don't..." As smart as this boy might be, he was too inexperienced and easily caught in such traps. Nevertheless, he quickly composed himself and continued, "I'm not asking to be made a master of combat in a week!!"
"So what are you asking for?"
"Teach me to defend myself!"
My palm involuntarily slapped my forehead at such youthful candor. How overconfident youth is! I put the empty cup on the table, stood up, grabbed the broomstick again, twisted it around, and then threw it to Aun. The boy deftly caught the stick and stared at me, a little puzzled.
"And what should I teach you?" I ask, starting to pace back and forth in front of the merchant's son. Not giving him a chance to answer, I continued, nodding at the stick in his hands. "The staff or maybe the spear? And how will this help you in a city crowd?" I took a sharp step toward him and loomed over him, "Maybe a sword? Yes, a sword? I wonder if you will be able to unsheathe it when someone slashes you in the back again, like recently?"
"But... I... I need..."
"Do you know what best protects from killers?"
"What?" The youth squeaked.
"Constant vigilance, readiness to act, and... fast legs!"
But, it seemed, he wasn't listening; the boy stood, immersed in himself, then looked up at me with bright eyes and said:
"One moment!"
And dropping the stick from his hands, he ran off somewhere into the house, only his heels flashing. Sighing heavily, I waved my hand and sat down on the stool again. But I relaxed too soon - not even a minute had passed when Aun appeared before me again. His face was radiant, and in his hands was a small sheath, and pushing it toward me, he asked:
"Teach me this!!"
In my hands lay a well-worn, clearly battle-hardened small sheath with a similarly diminutive blade within. My palm touches the hilt, worn down by thousands of grips, and I slowly unsheathe the blade. A mid-sized dagger with a double-edged blade. A small guard, stylized as twisted ram's horns, separates the blade from the hilt. Like the weapon gifted to me by Larindel, this one is also forged from Wootz. These two blades are pretty similar in many ways: size, balance, grip, sharpness, and material. I scrutinize the weapon closely, trying not to overlook even the smallest detail. Then I raise my eyes to Aun, standing rigidly beside me, and ask:
"Where did you get this dagger?"
"It belonged to my grandfather." That is probably true. "It's valuable, isn't it? I can tell by your eyes!"
This damn hereditary huckster! Regardless, I wasn't planning to lie to him:
"Valuable? If you're asking if it's an artifact, then no, it's not. Tell me, did your grandfather practice any elemental magic?"
"Air and lightning."
"I thought as much." I nod to him and, lifting the dagger, show it to the boy. "See this thin copper stripe that runs all the way through the hilt, through the guard, and then touches the blade? It seems a bit out of place."
"I see it."
"So! Basically, this isn't an artifact in the strictest sense of the word, as it doesn't contain its own energy or imbued magic. However, it was made in the Artifactors' Guild." I point to the nearly invisible, almost worn-out symbol on the blade. "This dagger would be useful to someone who commands Lightning. It allows lightning energy to flow through it far better than a typical weapon. In essence, it's a useful and interesting object, but not for everyone. Do you command lightning?"
"No." Aun shakes his head dejectedly.
"In that case, for you, this dagger will simply be a well-forged wootz weapon. Which, nevertheless, is still pretty good."
After a brief thought, I pull my own dagger from its waist sheath and hold it in my other hand.
"Look here." The young man leans over to examine both blades. "My dagger and your grandfather's weapon – they even look alike externally."
"Just like two brothers!" The boy agrees with me. "Except yours is younger, and my grandfather's is older, more experienced."
"That's because this form is optimal for a dagger. Just like all galleys somewhat resemble each other in their forms because they were built with the same goals, weapons with the same purpose will often look alike."
"Ah, I understand."
"See, that copper stripe I mentioned - if you don't specifically look for it, you won't notice it."
"Yes, the color of the hilt's wood is chosen in such a way to hide the copper, I see!"
"Do you guess why it was done this way?"
"So that the enemy doesn't notice this detail, and it would be a surprise to them…" The lad answers after brief contemplation.
"Correct." I nod, extending both blades to the young man. "Very similar, aren't they?"
"They even feel the same in the hand!" Aun replies to me with cheerful perplexity.
"Yes, for you, there's no difference." I nod at him and immediately go on the offensive. "But as I command Lightning…" As proof, a Discharge forms on my palm and snaps crisply in the air, "There is a difference for me. So I suggest we swap."
"Ahem." Aun lifts his gaze to me, his eyes carrying a silent question: 'Do you take me for a fool?' But he has enough tact not to voice it and instead casually asks, "But my dagger is more valuable, isn't it?"
"From the point of view of materials used, their cost is the same," I try to tone down his expectations a bit, "The difference is just a few grams of copper." No, he won't be fooled that easily, so I concede and tell the truth. "But the Artifactors' Guild keeps the process of creating such a weapon secret. It's not just a matter of smelting a copper strip, and that's it. There are unknown rituals involved, and the process of connecting itself also follows the complex magical laws of Affinity. Despite its apparent simplicity, manufacturing such a weapon is quite complex." I raise my finger. "Not costly, but specifically complex. Only a very skilled master can merge such simple things and have everything work properly."
"And what's the difference in price?" Like a true merchant, having ignored almost everything else, Aun demonstratively weighs the two daggers in his hands as if on balance.
The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
"Threefold. At least," I admit.
It's so challenging dealing with smart interlocutors.
"I have a counteroffer." After a professional pause, Aun speaks, and in response, I lift my left eyebrow quizzically. "I agree to the exchange, and you teach me how to use the weapon!" His eyes shine like someone who just pulled off an impressive trick.
"Alas," I would love to possess this weapon, but there's a catch, "I won't be able to - I simply don't have the time. I won't be staying in Tries any longer than necessary. And you can't really learn much in such a short time!"
"I am fine with that!" The boy nods. "Any little thing can save my life."
Rising from the stool, I take a few steps. There's a conflict inside me between profit and honesty, and honesty wins. Stopping next to Aun, I reply:
"I'm afraid that's not how it works. You are Copper! And even if you had been studying for a year or two, even then, it wouldn't save you from a Bronze-level opponent, let alone Steel." Taking a deep breath, I continue, "Even I, with all my skills, would probably be killed if attacked by someone two or three ranks higher. No skill would help me except perhaps allowing me to resist a little longer than others in the same circumstances. You are Copper, and only Wood is lower." I add a bit of theatrical regret to my voice. "Yes, I am interested in your grandfather's dagger, but I am not Eyrat the Almighty and cannot perform the impossible."
As I speak, Aun's shoulders drop lower and lower with each word I say, and by the end of my speech, he looks like a deflated balloon. Patting his shoulder, I continue:
"Yes, you are a born merchant. Your strength lies in money and connections. Your father was right about that. But! Life in Ain is inseparable from the Spiral of Elevation. In-se-pa-ra-ble." I emphasize each syllable. "And I think I won't be mistaken if I say that a merchant at the Ruby level will make far more profitable deals than a merchant stuck at Copper." I explain my point, "Simply because more doors are open to a Ruby, and the personal nobility that comes with the Precious Coil would certainly not be superfluous for a merchant. Isn't that true?"
"Truth can be different," the young man muttered almost inaudibly in response, looking away.
"So, when we eliminate the threat to your life, I'd advise you to consider an Elevation. Then you can hire a professional teacher if you still want to learn the art of combat."
"I can't..." Aun said even quieter and sobbed.
"What?" I tried to clarify.
"Advance in rank!!!" he almost shouted.
"Why not?" I didn't understand.
"Because..." Tears stood in his eyes, and I saw in them some old, long-standing fear that had seeped into his very essence.
"Sit down," Taking his blades away, I settled the boy on a stool and sat beside him. "Tell me."
"There's nothing to tell." He sniffled. "There are hundreds, thousands of stories like this."
"What kind of stories?"
"Ordinary!!!" The boy was almost losing it, but he still managed to pull himself together and continued more calmly. "I almost got stuck THERE!"
He didn't specify where "THERE" was and what he was talking about in general, but I understood him anyway:
"In the Void..."
"Yes," the boy agreed, a shiver running through his body. "When I went through my first Elevation, I almost got stuck THERE. It seemed to me that... No... I don't want to remember." He was literally shaking, like a leaf on a choppy wind. "I'd rather stay on Copper forever than go through that again!!"
Getting up from the stool, I patted the boy on the shoulder and said:
"Many succumb to a similar fear. Look around - most people stay on Copper or Iron, not moving further along the Spiral. And it's not because they lack talent or something is holding them back; no, they just don't want to go through an Elevation again. I myself almost got stuck THERE the first time." I exaggerated slightly, but the first elevation in the "Last Cycle" was indeed very tough. Aun, raising his head, looked at me distrustfully. "But I had no choice. To stop at Copper meant to die for me. No options. And I had to move on."
"But I can't... I can't move on."
"It's too early to talk about it." I smiled in response.
"Being stuck THERE is scarier than death!" The boy was clearly out of sorts, sitting white as chalk.
"The old me" met earthlings who were also afraid of Elevation, afraid to the point of spasms, but each of them had to overcome it. Because, unlike the locals, none of them could afford to stay on Copper, as questers' tasks must be completed. Perhaps some of the earthlings could not overcome their fear of Elevation, but I don't know about them, as they were probably Erased in the first weeks of staying in Ain.
"I'm familiar with this fear." Shifting my stool, I sat down closer to the boy.
"You're brave." He sniffed in response to my words.
I would have argued with him because he confuses bravery with being cornered, but if I said so, I would have to explain too much.
"And you're not as cowardly as you seem to yourself." I can say this for sure, remembering some of his actions and deeds.
"But 'this'," he rolled his eyes, "this Void... it's too much for me."
"Alright..." Getting up, I patted him on the shoulder. "But when you're ready to transition to Iron, I'd advise you to try overcoming your fear again."
"I tried... to overcome it," Aun replied, looking down at the floor.
"And yet," I sighed heavily, repeating my thought, "when you're ready to transition from Copper to Iron, try again."
"But I'm telling you, I tried!" The boy raised his voice, slamming his fist on his knee.
"What?" I asked again. No, I heard him, but it seemed he'd misunderstood my words.
"I've been ready to transition to Iron for a long time..." the annoying boy mumbled, trying to avoid looking at me.
"For a long time?" I asked through clenched teeth.
"Since the day my father died..." He didn't finish, apparently on the verge of tears. However, he didn't cry, just fell silent.
"I see." Exhaling slowly, I sat down next to Aun again. "You do realize they want to kill you?"
He nodded.
"You must have figured out that the higher your rank, the better your chances of survival when an assassin is tracking you, right?"
Another nod.
"And you've noticed that I can't be with you all the time, everywhere?"
A double nod.
"So, your head is working fine. You understand that Elevation significantly increases your chances of survival?"
"I understand." Finally, he found the strength to say something. "But I can't... Just can't... I don't..." And then he fell silent again.
I also struggled to find the right words. If Aun were an earthling, I would have known what to say, but in his case, I'm not so sure. The sensible thing would be to shrug it off and forget. Yes, this boy is helpful for now, but the fact that someone wants him dead brings plenty of problems, too. Plus, once the tournament ends, I'll have enough money to travel through the Portal Network, and I'll leave Tries, likely never to return. So, why should I care about this boy? However, despite my "memory of the future," I apparently haven't fully transformed into the callous cynic I became in the Last Cycle. I don't know whether this is good or bad. Maybe my lack of cynicism will hinder me somehow; that's possible. But right now, I look at this boy, who's no more than seventeen, who has suffered so much at such a young age, left all alone, and I can't simply remove him from my thoughts.
"Alright, I understand you." I lifted my hand from his shoulder, got up from the stool, and walked over to the hearth. I stopped by the smoldering coals and asked casually, "And your future bride, is she ready to remain at Copper her whole life?"
"But she doesn't have to!" Aun quickly retorted.
"Yes, technically, a wife is not obligated to be equal or inferior to her husband in rank. But in reality, if a couple diverges significantly in ranks, by three, four, or more steps, they're rarely happy." This rule doesn't always apply, but there's indeed such a pattern.
"I... She..." He wanted to argue with me but remembered that he hadn't even spoken privately with his betrothed once. He couldn't claim to know what she really wanted, what she felt, or what she was thinking.
Continuing to gaze at the coals without turning my head, I said in a bored voice, "Think again about what's more important to you: your life, your future with your beloved, or your fear."
"I... I just can't... Can't do it again..."
"Most people could." I shrug.
"I am not most people!" He flares up. "I'm always unlucky!! I'm always getting into trouble. And I know that on Metal, nearly every tenth person stays THERE during Elevation!! And I... I know that if I try again, I'll be one of them!"
One could dispute the number he stated, but it's pointless right now; he won't accept such arguments. Instead, I approach from another angle:
"Are you really an unlucky one, though?"
"Yes! Things are always happening to me; I constantly get into trouble; I..." He stops listing and just waves his hand dismissively.
"If it were as you say, you would've been long dead. Right? Could an unlucky person get the achievement 'When death turned away'?"
"Eh... Perhaps." He understands my point but seems to dismiss it.
"Moreover, you have the Divine Blessing on you, and it will be active for at least a couple more days." I keep pressing my point.
In response, Aun jumps to his feet and says angrily:
"Do you think I don't understand all this?" his anger is directed not at me but at himself. "I understand everything!" He taps his forehead with his finger. "I understand it all here!" This burst of energy doesn't last long, his shoulders sag again, and he falls back onto the stool. "But I can't do anything about it."
I look at the dying embers and can't tell what's stronger in me right now, anger at his spinelessness or sympathy for this boy. On the one hand, I have no reason to waste time on him; on the other hand, I've nothing better to do this evening, and I just don't feel like walking around the city at all. Stirring the coals with a stick, I say:
"Tell me about your first Elevation."
The boy retreats into himself for a while, then finally says:
"I wanted to surprise my father. We were outside the city then, at Uncle Alar's villa. And when I realized that I was finally ready to move from Wood to Copper, to become truly grown-up... I... I ran into the field... And there... I would have stayed there if Uncle's workers hadn't found me late in the evening. They revived me, but I'll never forget the time I spent THERE!!!"
I look at him, and I don't understand. How can someone with a brain like his be such a fool?!! Stretching each word out slowly, I ask:
"So, you went through your first Elevation alone. Without support or help?"
"Yes! When I was fourteen, Grandpa told me that my father had surprised him like that, and Grandpa was very pleased. So I wanted to repeat it..."
'A family of fools!' I thought, almost smacking myself on the forehead, but of course, I didn't say it out loud. Instead, I cleared my throat, calmed down a bit, and continued:
"You do know that the first Elevation is the most difficult and dangerous, don't you?" I can see from his eyes that he knows, so I change the subject a bit. "I must say, your family has some rather strange traditions."
"I just wanted to do the best I could..." Aun frowns in response.
Oh! If only he knew how many tragedies happen for a similar reason!
"Firstly, calm down." The poor guy is shaking like a leaf. "Secondly, I'm with you right now. I've been an Anchor before, and I know how to ease the Elevation. Thirdly, it would be foolish not to take advantage of the Divine Blessing that is about to end. Fourthly, there's alchemy, which can help in such situations, like a powder called 'Easy Step'."
Upon hearing this name, the lad perks up a little, comes to life, and asks with a touch of anger:
"'Easy Step'? Do you know how much it costs?!!" Ah, I see: he seized the moment to change the subject, hence his revival.
"I haven't specifically checked, but Tries is a large city, so, I guess, fifteen gold." I intentionally play along with him.
"Seventeen!!" The young man throws his hands up in genuine indignation. "Seventeen gold coins!!"
"Expensive?" I ask slyly.
"Seventeen gold!" He repeats, oblivious to the trap. "It's a robbery! The ingredients themselves aren't even worth half of that price."
"Especially in your situation, when your family lost almost everything after the ship your father bought was sunk by pirates."
"Yes! Exactly!" The young man agrees with me, relief apparent in his voice.
"Now tell me, our impoverished friend..." Turning to Aun, I flip a gold coin in my hand, which I had previously taken out of my belt. "Did you place a bet on the group Bronze stage of the tournament today?"
"I did..." He knows he's been caught, and now his eyes are darting about.
"And that bet was on me going further, right?"
"Yes..."
"And what were the odds?"
"Not as high as I would have liked..." He mumbles but then adds, "You're a foreigner, a Westerner, and because of this novelty, quite a few people bet on you."
"So, what were the odds?" I ask again.
"Only two to one." He responds disappointedly.
Indeed, that is low, considering nobody in town knew me or my capabilities. I hadn't planned on betting on the group round myself so as not to show my confidence in victory too early. Probably a mistake. Two to one is not much on the one hand, but on the other, it practically doubles all the money I have!
"And how much did you bet?" I continue to inquire.
"I split all the money I had into two equal parts." Aun begins from afar, hesitates a bit, and then apparently decides that hiding something from me isn't the best choice. "I kept one part as an untouchable reserve..."
"Sensible."
"The other part, I bet it all."
"How much?" I ask again, a bit tired.
"One hundred and nine gold and seven silver." He blurts out rapidly.
I flip the coin again and catch it, then, after carefully examining it, I look up at Aun:
"So, you're saying you made one hundred and nine gold and seven silver...in one day?"
"And I spent five gold!" He blurted out.
"When did you manage that?" I didn't understand.
"Connections are connections, but who would let me read a fleet report for free?" He asked, bewildered.
"Alright, minus five gold," I easily agreed with him. "So, your profit for today is one hundred and four gold, five silver, and thirty-three copper."
"One hundred and four gold and seven silver!" He corrected me.
"I deducted the cost of fish and vegetables at the market." I didn't hide my smile.
"Oh!" He calculated something in his mind and nodded. "You're right."
"Of course." Nodding at his admission, I said in a slightly mocking tone, "So, having earned more than a hundred gold in a day, you consider an expenditure of seventeen coins, an expenditure on which your future depends, to be excessive?!"
"I didn't..." He began to justify himself but fell silent mid-sentence.
I worry about him; I would like everything in his life to work out. But I'm not his babysitter, not a family psychologist. I'll help as much as I can, but begging him, getting into his head, and convincing him more than I've already tried? Not really. I point to his grandfather's dagger and ask:
"May I use it for training?"
"Huh?" He looks up at me. "Yes, of course."
Taking the new dagger in hand, I began the elemental kata movement set. And after just a minute, I understood that the Discharge spell flows through this blade much easier than through the one Larindel gifted. And the more I train, the more I like this weapon. I'll have to worry about getting something similar when the opportunity arises.
As I move smoothly around the atrium, Aun is still sitting on the stool. Thinking. Well, let him think. It will do him good.