Kalie stared at me for a long time. That smile on her lips never faltered. Then a sound escaped her, a deep rumbling sound that resembled laughter.

  “You aren’t the first man to try and flatter himself into my home and you won’t be the last.” She reached over the counter and ruffled my hair.

  I closed my eyes and enjoyed the feeling. It was nice, really nice.

  “However,” she continued. “I don’t adopt strays, certainly not those who wish to become mercenaries. That is, unless you explain why.”

  “I need the money,” I explained, internally mourning the loss of her touch. “I wanna buy a ride back home.”

  “And where’s home?” She asked curiously.

  “The empire.”

  She poked out her burned cheek with air before letting out a long whistle. “That’s back on the main continent, you’ll need to cross the inner sea and that’s not a cheap thing, kid.”

  I’d assumed it wouldn’t be.

  But I’m not waiting a year here either.

  “Well yeah,” I replied. “But being a mercenary could bring in a lot of money.” Jax puffed out his chest with a grin. I continued, “though, I won’t see any of it if I sign up with him.”

  Kalie glared at Jax, who visibly deflated.

  She then sighed. “You’re right about that, I’ll sign you as an independent. If you pass the combat aptitude test.”

  “What’s that?”

  “Long story short? It’s a cage match with a goblin.” She explained dryly. She didn’t look thrilled.

  And neither was I.

  I remembered how fast that little thing was and I did not want a rematch. I mean sure I could kill one, but those things are terrifying.

  Jax shook his head and hands. “Whoa, whoa, who said anything about being an independent? He’s signing with Eric and me.”

  He was sweating bullets now. He was actively watching his cash cow go up in smoke.

  Gotta say it’s kinda funny, though I do feel a little bad.

  Kalie pulled a sheet of parchment from underneath her counter and pushed it towards me while answering Jax.

  “No, he’s not.”

  Jax frowned. “That’s bullshit, how are you gonna pretend that you care about this kid when you’re sending him to fight a goblin?”

  Kalie glared at him again. “That’s his choice, being exploited by a couple of D-ranked cowards, is not. You’re free to go.”

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  Jax gritted his teeth and tightened his fist. He looked like he wanted to punch her, but thought better of it.

  He turned his attention to me.

  “You fucked up, kid. When the right person finds out about you, and they will. The only thing you’ll have is a cracked chest.”

  He turned and stormed off.

  I gripped the counter and watched as he pushed through the door with unnecessary force. The guild was silent one moment, then back to chatting the next.

  But there was this strange feeling.

  I felt I had made a mistake writing him off so quickly. Maybe I should’ve played my cards better.

  Welp, no use crying over spilled milk.

  Kaile sighed deeply, “This continent is filled with nothing but fatherless fools who care for nothing but themselves. They live of this world and they will die by it.”

  I gave her a curious side eye.

  “Were you with a church or something? Because that sounded like an awesome line a nun would say before chopping a bad guy in half.”

  Kaile huffed with a soft smile. “Just sign the paper.”

  I laughed as I signed my name onto the parchment with the nearby pencil, again, no eraser.

  Kaile took the signed paper and stamped it. “Follow me, Mr. Lafayette.” She stepped around the counter.

  She led me to a wooden door to the left of the counters. She pushed past it and we walked downstairs illuminated by Ouro stones.

  Yellow things with a quiet hum.

  At the final step, we entered a large, basement-like area, packed with steel cages and tracks on the floor.

  The sound of growls and hissing filled the foul-smelling air.

  It smelled like wet dog and shit.

  I covered my nose as my eyes watered. “It stinks.”

  Kalie kept walking.

  She approached a cage near the back wall, one that held a snaring black goblin with sickly yellow eyes. It hissed at us and ran to the edge of the cage, reaching out its arm.

  I jumped back and raised my fists.

  Kalie approached the side of the cage and pulled a massive wooden lever. The cage rocked with a click, before it dropped onto the tracks.

  She stepped behind the cage and stared at me. “Are you going to help?” She asked calmly.

  My eyes widened briefly before I quickly nodded. “Yes ma’am.” I rushed to her side and helped push the cage along the tracks.

  The goblin inside rocked and hissed.

  “So, this is a fancy setup.” I looked up at Kalie. She glanced down at me.

  “Is it? It’s one of the smaller ones, the demons have one nearly the size of a noble’s estate. They live off this kind of thing. Fighting that is.”

  We emerged into an open space that had a massive, steel-caged ring in the center. We pushed the cage against a square hole in the cage and Kalie locked it in place with another lever.

  She stepped back and placed her hands on her hips. “No, it’s no secret you’re a noble, so I’d imagine you can handle this with Ouro alone. However, should you want a sword…”

  She gestured back to a massive armory filled to the brim with all kinds of blades, bows, armor, and even a cannon!

  “Can I have the cannon?”

  I put on my best puppy dog eyes.

  There’s no way she’ll say no.

  “No.” She said with a flat expression. “It doesn’t even work, how would you even fire it in time?”

  I shrugged with a pout. “I don’t know, but if I can’t have the cannon then I’ll just use my body.” I puffed out my chest and slapped it.

  Kalie rolled her eyes.

  “Never in my 17 years of existence have I seen someone as annoying as you.”

  My jaw dropped. “You’re 17?!”

  She crossed her arms. “Let me guess, you thought I was younger? I bet that explains your shameless flirting, doesn’t it?”

  I thought she was 30… what did the demon continent do to this poor, poor woman?

  I chuckled nervously as I scratched my cheek. “When is the fight again?”

  Kalie stepped behind me and pointed at a door to the cage. “Step inside and let me know when you’re ready, I’ll release the goblin then.”

  I gave a quick nod and jogged around the cage. When I reached the cage door, I took a quick breath before stepping inside. The floor of the cage was covered in sandy dust.

  Above me, a massive Ouro stone sat.

  Kalie stood next to the goblin cage with her arms crossed. I looked into the cage to see the goblin clawing at the bars to get out and at me.

  Last time I was caught off guard by its speed and didn’t have time to prepare.

  I flooded the surface of my skin with a thin water film to act as a shield. It was a constant drain on my Ouro, but with proper breathing techniques, I should be able to make it last.

  I turned to Kalie and gave a thumbs-up. “I’m ready!”

  She nodded, wrapped a hand around the lock on the side of the cage, and pulled. The metal bars dropped and the goblin sprinted out of its cage on all fours.

  I clapped both my hands together and fired a pressurized beam of water. The beam shot and sliced the goblin’s ear clean off before cutting into the bars that held together the cage.

  “Lafayette!” Kalie shouted.

  “Sorry!” I cried, quickly dispelling the beam of water. The goblin rolled on its side with a hand on its ear. It was only shaken for a second before coming after me again.

  I dashed back and waved my hands down to summon several water clones behind the goblin. Three of them. They all fired high-pressure water balls at the goblin.

  It dodged all three of them while moving like a drug addict. It launched itself at me. I raised my hand and manipulated the water around it into a blade.

  I sliced into the goblin’s shoulder. Its arm dropped with a thud as it landed on my face screaming. It grabbed onto my head with its one good hand and kicked into my chest.

  “Gah!”

  It felt like I was hit with a sledgehammer.

  I stumbled back, both my hands gripped the goblin’s side and I threw it onto the ground.

  It crashed with a thump and kicked up sand, I stomped my foot on its neck and rapidly fired water balls into its face.

  Bang.

  Bang.

  Bang.

  I kept firing until the creature’s head was nothing but green goop. Then with heavy breaths, I pulled my foot off its neck.

  I turned to Kalie and held out both my arms. “Am I good or am I good?”