Dawn of the Last Dragon Rider - Chapter 030 - Trapping the Trapper (Patreon)

"You want him to do what?!" Hess shouted as he jumped off the couch. "You can't be serious!"

Fiola ignored Hess and focused on Kaen, who was watching the two of them act like children who could not get along.

"Let me get this straight," Kaen said, tapping his finger against his chin.  "If I attempt this more difficult test and pass, just pass, and I share with you my stats, you will let me start at silver.  If I fail the test or lie about my stats, I start as an iron with no points toward silver."

"Correct!" Fiola answered with a smile.  "Think of the renown you would gain from starting as a silver!  Even if you fail, you would still be an iron, and people would know you attempted the impossible!"

Kaen saw the perk of both of those things.  Starting as a silver would provide him with so many opportunities and wealth that an iron would take forever to acquire.  It would allow Hess to be free of his oath without any worries.

His biggest concern was not being ready for the next level.  Being silver meant that he would be expected to take on silver quests.  He often thought about his lack of experience and training in actual quests in the back of his mind.  He did not want to risk himself or Pammon on things they were not ready for.  He also had no idea what this test might involve.

As he considered those things, one last thought came to mind, and he knew it would be the one that made the decision for him.  Right before he started to speak, he felt his lifestone pulse.  It was different than all the other times.  Usually, it guided his hands, but now it wanted to guide his mind and words.

"How long do I have to decide?  Can I come back tomorrow morning and tell you my answer?"

Fiola smiled at Kaen and then smiled a little more as she turned her gaze to Hess, who was trying not to yell and shout.

"I will give you till tomorrow morning,” Fiola answered.

“No matter what I choose, I have a few other requirements," Kaen stated as he stood up and moved around the couch.

"Requirements? From me?" Fiola scoffed.  "Do you forget who I am?"

Kaen stood at the back of the couch and leaned against the backside of it with his arms. His lifestone was throbbing now.  He had to stand and lean over as it felt like it would rip itself out of his chest.

"I have not, but I also realized a few things as I think about all this.  If you want me to possibly pick option three, which I think is what you really desire, you will agree to them, or I won't even consider it.  Either way, I'll walk out of here as an iron ranked."

Fiola almost growled for a moment as she heard the way Kaen was speaking to her.  It was as if his father was standing behind him, coaching him how to speak.

"And what if I removed all those options and made you start as a wood?"

Kaen laughed and shrugged.  His lifestone told him to be brave.  To trust what he needed to say.

"I would start as a wood, but only after I told everyone about the three options you gave, how you defamed my father's name and accused a gold token adventurer of breaking the rules with no proof."

Fiola rose to her feet, and that white, ivory skin on her face turned red.  She started to open her mouth as she pointed one of those elegant fingers at Kaen and froze.  She saw him smiling at her.  She knew that smile.  She also knew she had just been trapped in her own snare.  She had let her frustration and anger with Hess blind her to what she was doing to herself.  The walls she had intended to put around this boy now enclosed her, and he held the key to her livelihood.

She knew if those words were spoken and the guild heard of them, an inquiry would be started, and she would lose her position.  She was crossing thin ice by having even offered that third option.  Her own pettiness had caused her to do such a thing.  She was furious, but that also meant she was not thinking right.

It took every ounce of her strength to lower her finger and close her mouth as she walked around the couch she had been sitting in.  When she reached the back side of her couch, she mimicked Kaen's stance and used her arms to lean against the couch.  A controlled breath let her face return to its normal ivory color.

"What are your two requirements?" she asked as meekly as she could force herself to be.

Kaen smiled and nodded.  His lifestone had a beat of its own right now.

Hess was sitting as quietly as a mouse, not moving as he had no clue what game Kaen was playing.

"First, I want whichever option I choose to start the day after tomorrow.  I'll give my answer and then have one day to prepare for it.  Everyone knows a good night's sleep is important, and I'll probably be tossing and turning all night trying to decide which one to choose."

Fiola scrunched an eyebrow at Kaen.  That request was not a terrible one at all.

"I accept. And the second?"

His lifestone moved him.  It emboldened him.  He felt the power of the situation and knew he needed to portray the strength he had.  Kaen stood up and appeared a little taller as he crossed his arms.

"I will only share my stats if I pass the more difficult test,” Kaen declared.  “If I fail it, my amazing stats stay a secret to only me, and I get to use my equipment during the test as well.”

Fiola tapped her fingers against the couch hard enough that they made noise.  Kaen was outmaneuvering her more than he could know.  She had anticipated knowing his stats beforehand and planned to strip him down to everything except standard clothes and a bow.  She wanted to see if his stats were like his father’s.  There had been rumors of how Hoste had grown so powerful, but no one really knew.  Some said it was how he always worked with a passion and gave everything he had.  Others thought it was magical equipment.  If she told Kaen no, she would have no chance at all until another time came, and with how Kaen was controlling her now, she was not certain that time would come, if ever.

“And if I say no?” Fiola asked, trying to control her tone.

“Then I say today or tomorrow, I can attempt the normal test, and we can let you get back to your usual duties.”

Kaen stood there as if he was watching grass go and did not have a care in the world even though he felt his heart and his lifestone thumping so hard they would burst in his chest.  Something was happening, but he was not sure what.  He somehow knew he had the upper hand in this whole conversation.  The whole telling everyone what Fiola had told him was more of a bluff as he did not want to think about how many different ways could go wrong.  He just knew if he could pull this off, everything would work out for Hess.

Fiola fidgeted first.  Her options were limited, and her plan had backfired.  She had not anticipated Kaen realizing he held all the power and that she could never achieve what she had hoped for.  Worse for her was that Hess was getting a front-row seat to this all.

“I will accept,” Fiola said, “as long as we agree none of our conversations is ever mentioned in public, regardless of the outcome.”

Kaen nodded and moved around the couch to stand near Fiola as he held his hand out to her.

Fiola eyed Kaen up and down.  This teen boy had just bested her, and she knew it.  Even worse, she knew Kaen had realized he had bested her.

They shook hands, and Kaen smiled.

[ Haggling Skill Acquired ]

[ Haggling Skill Increased x9]

[ Intelligence increased by 2 ]

“Thank you for giving me this opportunity,” Kaen declared as he let go of her hand and gave a deep bow, putting his hand to his heart.

The bow was not an actual show of respect but to allow him to put his hand on his heart and try calming it down.  He held the bow a few seconds and rose, noticing Fiola’s weird glance at him.

“If there is nothing else you need from the two of us, would it be ok if we departed? I need to get back to our room and consider the best course for myself and how I can help the guild the most.”

Fiola smiled and shook her head.

“I believe you may be worse than him,” she muttered, motioning for Kaen to go with her hand.  “Remember our agreement, and I expect you to be here tomorrow at the same time with your decision.”

Kaen nodded and motioned for Hess to come.

Hess glanced back and forth between Fiola and Kaen and quickly got to his feet, giving a slight bow as he made his way to the door.

“What in a dragon’s turd were you thinking?” Hess hissed as they walked down the stairs.  “Do you realize what you just did?”

Kaen laughed and led Hess down the stairs as he let himself enjoy the moment.  He reached out and could feel that Pammon was happy and content also.  Soaring across the sky to the southeast somewhere.  He knew Pammon could feel how he felt too.

“We will talk outside where it will be safer.  I’ll explain everything in a moment, but first, we need to turn those ears and heads in at the counter.”

Hess grunted as he followed Kaen down the stairs.

Blast Hoste, he thought.  That man must have known who his son might turn into.  In mere moments after coming into this place, Kaen seemed like a different person.

The men and women behind the counter were excited to see what Kaen presented, and other adventurers came over to hear what the commotion was.  Many were amazed that an untested person had accomplished these things, and none wanted to argue how improbable it could be with a gold adventurer by his side.

“Hess!”

Kaen and Hess turned and saw Herb appearing from a door behind the counter.

“I heard from Fiola that Kaen would be turning in his trophies!  I wanted to see the orc he shot through the eye in the cave,” he proclaimed louder than he needed to.

The others around them started murmuring.

He shot an orc in a cave and somehow struck him in the eye!

Look at the bow! It must be magical!

Could a kid really do that? I am not sure I could even do that!

Chuckling, Hess acknowledged Herb and waved him over.  He knew what Herb and Fiola were doing.  Word would spread quickly about Kaen, and no matter what decision he made, the others would be hard-pressed to complain about it.

“This is the one he shot in the eye,” Hess declared loudly, “and this one is the one he shot in the neck after firing two arrows at once and killing his warlock and shaman.  The other is the one he killed while getting shot in the chest by its bow.”

Some of the adventurers came up and started congratulating Kaen and asked to hear his story.  Not wanting to miss an opportunity, Kaen shared what he had shared with the inn last night but found better ways to pause at the right moment and when to increase or lower his voice.

When he finished the story, all those gathered in the hall cheered and laughed, impressed with his feat and ability to tell it so well.

[ Story Telling Skill Increased ]

“When will you take the test?” one of the bronze adventurers asked.

Kaen smiled and shrugged.

“Guild Master Fiola wanted to look over some things, and she asked me to return tomorrow to discuss that.  So tomorrow, I expect to know how things will go. Maybe I will take a test, and maybe I won’t!” Kaen exclaimed.

“Won’t take the test?! Is that even possible?”

A gold token adventurer who was standing next to Hess chuckled.

“It is rare, but it is possible if this boy is telling the truth.”

Kaen grinned and looked around the room.

“I plan on taking a test if I can.  I hear there are people all over town betting on how my testing goes and what rank I will end up.  I don’t want to disappoint anyone for sure!”

Adventurers around Kaen started murmuring, and there was discussion on what rank he might end up at.

“If you will excuse me, all I need to do is head back to the Fluffy Ignot and rest up for tomorrow!  Feel free to stop by if you want, and you can share your stories with me,” Kaen said as he motioned for Hess to go.

Hess chuckled, patted the gold token adventurer next to him, and started to leave.

“Looks like my charge has summoned me,” he stated with a smile.

Laughter followed, and some well wishes for tomorrow also.

Kaen was grinning ear to ear as he knew his plan appeared to be working out the way he had hoped it would.