99 Salty (1/2)
It was raining.
Cori ran a hand over the cold glass of the window overlooking the yard. Her eyes were red and swollen. She wondered how to escape her situation. Her hand ran over the glass as tears streaked down her face.
A man was standing in the rain, his arm stretched outwards. He was holding a scroll the rain wouldn't appear to touch. In fact, the scroll was glistening. Its feeble golden halo rejected the downpour.
Vidio furrowed his eyebrows as he squinted slightly.
A Quest promulgated by the Mana Congregation, he sighed.
Beritius was wearing dark clothes that gave him the most collected look. Vidio's tunic, on the contrary, was creased and stained. Vidio's face was poorly shaved. An onlooker could easily mistake him for some tramp instead of a member of the Mana Congregation. Vidio was a bird from another feather than Beritius and his finely shaved beard.
On one side stood an untidy youngster, on the other stood a nobleman.
Vidio relaxed his muscles as he ceased to let Mana flow through his body. He inhaled, stretched an arm and grabbed the scroll without any comment. His gesture betrayed no fear nor anxiety. Despite Beritius' extremely oppressive Aura, Vidio's expression remained just as lazy and listless.
Swine know no etiquette for sure… Beritius knew that Cori had a thing for this man, but he wouldn't see what could possibly be so attractive about that shabby-looking one.
Vidio's eyes quickly ran over Beritius before reading the entire scroll through. ”You're free to go now,” Vidio said smiling. He didn't cast him a second glance. Beritius could be considered one of the biggest shots in the Mana Congregation. He already took part in the national branch of the Mana Congregation, while Vidio wasn't even Master yet. Therefore, Vidio's manners were to be considered quite disrespectful. If the Congregation hadn't had such strict rules following a fellow's murder, most likely Beritius would have already ripped his head off.
Even though Beritius could hardly bear the presence of the dishevelled, rude man, he made up his mind he would wait there anyway, just to witness Vidio's expression change drastically as he read the Quest scroll.
”So apparently,” Vidio said as he put the scroll inside his Interspace Ring, ”the Congregation wants me to clear a Dungeon and pick up some materials for our blacksmiths, huh? Second Phase Late stage monsters likely to be there, huh? Sounds fine. Count me in, fellow. No problem.”
Beritius was about to cough up blood. The unconceivable allusion to some sort of fellowship had shocked him. Nevertheless, he forced a smile and remarked: ”Yeah, you're definitely gonna enjoy it. I'd love to help you, but I've been so busy lately. Things to do, you know, when you take part in the Council…”
Vidio interposed immediately. That dude's words bored him to death every time. ”No problem. I'm sure that in your age, you always need to pay attention to waste the least energies. I see. Like, if you were too strained, your thing down there couldn't raise its head, fellow. Oh, and by the way, if you need anything, I have some friends in the Alchemy Department, you know… you only need to ask and they'll take me a couple of those Elixirs that can bring some youth out of even the oldest ones…”
As Vidio's foul speech went on, Beritius felt an increasing urge to bite off the heart of that insolent man while still pulsing. He panted coldly and turned around. He was aware that, whatever he would say, that oaf would find a way to make him lose his temper anyway.
Never chat with idiots, they drag you down to their level and then beat you out of experience; this was what Beritius concluded.
After some more small talk, Beritius walked away and left Vidio with his almost finished bottle.
Cori hadn't stopped weeping yet. She was upset about her near future. She just couldn't handle it. She was her father's only daughter, so there was no way out of an arranged marriage. None could have taken her place.
The corners of Vidio's mouth curled up in an enigmatic smile as he perceived Cori sigh from the upper floors. Vidio shook his head, and the mist clouding his heart vanished.