Chapter 757 (1/2)

Dubiously, Shal lifted the knitted hat and put it on his head. The bright red cotton ball at the top could be felt even through the fluffy material of the cap and made him profoundly uncomfortable. Woodenly, Shal turned to Rumi.

“You look ridiculous. Like a training spear that uses a droopy pillow as a blade.” Rumi said critically, rubbing her chin. “But I bet if they could make a doll version of you, thousands of young women spear users would snap it up. Your glower makes you seem unapproachable and distant, yet hyper-competent. That’s catnip for young women. I would know.”

Shal snorted. As if to prove that she had a legitimate point, Rumi held up another small doll. The two were currently standing in one of the larger C Corporation pop-ups, selling memorabilia for the under 25 tournament. The doll that Rumi proffered for Shal’s study was the Helen doll. Shal had no doubt that this was the most enthusiastically made doll of the eight; although there were other women in the final eight, they lacked some of Helen’s… charms.

“Such things are unnecessary. I am a spearman; I move with a purpose. These things… they simply distract.” Shal said bluntly.

Surreptitiously, Rumi squeezed the Helen doll’s stuffed bosom. “Mmm. Perhaps. Or are you perhaps worried that your spear skills aren’t advanced enough to satisfy thousands of young women…? Although some might just buy you for collector’s sake, others might take you to bed with them…”

Shal shook his head. “Your ribald humor does not dissuade me. I have made up my mind. You will be my woman.”

Rumi contorted the dolls limbs. “I’m not seeking the boyfriend at the moment, but thank you for your inquiries. Believe me, you would be on the short life of candidates.”

“There is no need for a list. It will be me.” Shal flashed his teeth. “Give me these other names. I will demonstrate my superiority as a mate by dueling them. Out of respect for you, I shall let them keep their meaningless lives.”

“Arrogance isn’t attractive,” Rumi said, but Shal noticed her quick smile as she attempted to turn away and hide it. “Besides, we are getting ahead of ourselves. We are here for the tournament. What are relationships but dressing around our god, the spear? Who do you think will pretend to kill the best in this tournament?”

Grandly, Rumi spread her arms to indicate the four bins of the final eight contestants. Shal pointed confidently.

Rumi’s eyebrow quirked up. “Really? Azriel Blanche? If you are right, you can make good money on such a bet. Although her half of the bracket is definitely the weakest…”

Leaning forward, Rumi picked up a male doll from one of the bins. As she straightened, Shal’s eyes flicked up from admiring her long legs to meet her gaze. “If you ask most people… they would say this man. Althumber Veir. Heir to some Style or other here in the capital. Beyond that, the people’s favorite… well…”

With a disgusted shake of the head, she gestured to Helen’s buxom doll. Shal rubbed the back of his neck. The amount of detail that went into these dolls was somewhat disturbing to him. Although he didn’t want to admit it, he acknowledged that certain foolish young men would take the doll for… less than savory reasons.

“But if you ask me…” With two long and slow steps, Rumi crossed over to the far bin. This bin, out of them all, had the most dolls remaining. Of them all, this was obviously the least popular. The slim male figure looked washed out and pale in Rumi’s figure as she gently lifted up the doll. Her lips were thin and bloodless as she forced a smile. “Silo will win. I just can’t… picture my brother losing.”

Shal had spent the past few weeks avoiding the topic of Rumi’s brother. As he delighted in the lovely young woman he had encountered randomly on a farm, Shal was only too happen to leave the subject untouched. After all, after she returned to Hastam, Shal had made the connection between Silo Rune and been disappointed that she would depart to meet her brother. But she hadn’t.

“Why have you not seen him?” Shal knew this wasn’t the best way to deal with the issue, but this was his way of dealing with it. He was like the spear he had spent so long handling. A direct approach was often the best.

Rumi tilted her head to the side and gave Shal a twisted smile. “I wonder. A woman’s intuition, I guess…? Well anyway, care for a bet?”

“A bet,” Shal said, cracking his knuckles absently. “On the tournament.”

“Just so.” Rumi waved away a C Corp employee that had begun approaching and leaned close to Shal conspiratorially. “But first, a question: Shal, why do you wield a spear under that woman from a foreign School?”

“I am a spear-user. I have given promises and now I fulfill them.” Shal grunted. “Responsibility is the weight behind my spear. It is my geas and my strength. Until my promise is fulfilled, I will follow Ophelia’s orders.”

“Hmmm…” Rumi’s expression seemed to flash sour as she stepped away from Shal as the worker took the hint and avoided them. Shal’s hands twitched as the impulse to pull the girl close to him rose in his chest, but suppressed it. There was no meaning to such things if she did not come willingly.