533 Nuance (2/2)
”Don't be daft,” Tycon chuckled lightly, ”There are rules in place that would allow you to annul your contract.”
Lone groaned, ”Right... The only way is to buy my way out, right? And that'll take... a zillion years.”
”Hah, no, you dolt,” Tycon shook his head. ”Why does no one read the terms and conditions of their service?”
”Boss, the contract was written in the language of the Holy Country!”
”Yes,” Tycon furrowed his brows. ”Is there... an issue with that?”
Lone bared his teeth, ”That's not something normal people can read.”
”...Fair point,” Tycon conceded. ”Very well. Outside of any legality loopholes-- unjust treatment and the like... you can contest your contract by way of Trial by Combat.”
”Huh?” Lone furrowed his brows... ”Who would I have to beat?”
”A combatant of my choosing,” Tycon smirked. ”Which would be me. I was the one who personally enlisted you, after all. As a side, the young Pale has the same conditions for properly earning the mantle of Invictus' Leader.”
”Don't suppose you'd... let me win, Boss?” Lone grinned, ”Or Pale, for that matter?”
Tycon rolled his eyes, ”Not a chance... but take heart. That is yet another reason for you to train harder.”
Lone chuckled softly, ”Yeah... I'm getting there, though. Any advice?”
���A proper sleep cycle, for one,” Tycon smirked. ”You're going out with Miss Coraline tomorrow morning, are you not?”
”Hah, yeah. I am,” Lone sighed contentedly. ”I'mma go ahead and get some rest then, Boss. Turn off the lamp light, please.”
”Very well,” Tycon reached for the knob on the desk lamp. ”Good night, Mister Lone.”
...
⟬ The following evening... ⟭
Coraline took a deep breath of the cold wind atop the airship docks. The passenger airship she was going to board was a normal one, its passenger list in the hundreds. There wasn't going to be any small, intimate murder mystery on this trip-- or so she hoped.
”So what guild are you *really* from?” Coraline jabbed Lone in the side with her elbow.
”I told you, before,” He grinned. ”I'm from Sol Invictus.”
She looked at the somewhat handsome cheek-scarred boy at her side. He was always playing the fool. His words were so sweet, so pure... yet the drivel that came out of his mouth couldn't possibly be true.
”Such a LIARRRR!!” Coraline giggled, rolling her eyes. ”And then you'll tell me you trained under Lord Ranger Quies, himself?”
”I met him, once,” Lone scratched his head, that broad smile of his never fading. ”He seemed nice?”
”Hah?” The boy's absolute confidence made her hesitate briefly... ”Was he really an elf?”
”Um. Yes?”
”Please form a single-file queue!” The airship guardsman announcement interrupted her thoughts. ”Cersei's Rest to the City of Archangel! No stops to the Eastern States!”