Doggone Academy

Chapter 125 The Phantom of the Guardian Tree (4)

How long do you plan to keep me standing in front of your house?

Her inner conflict was all too clear in her expression. She couldnt simply turn me away since I was invited by her mentor, yet she was reluctant to let me in.

I had a feeling that if I insisted on a grand dinner as a guest, she might literally come at me with a kitchen knife.

Reluctantly, she allowed me entry.

Come inside.

I stepped into the mansion, taking in its interior. It was luxurious but lacked the spacious grandeur of a country estate, mainly because it was located in the central area of Rigved. Strangely enough, there were almost no furnishings. The exterior seemed suitable for antique paintings and decorations, yet the inside felt desolate, as if no one lived there.

She led me along the hallway with her hands clasped behind her back.

Why did you bring the sword?

She asked again, wondering if I was anticipating a fight with her. Unfortunately, I am someone who distinguishes right from wrong.

For self-defense.

She had me sit at a six-person dining table and lit the candles. There were no carpets, no plants, no chandeliers, nor any ornaments to be seen. It was as if I was occupying a house left empty by a departed owner.

Neither of us knew what to do next, the silence heavy between us. It seems I had been grossly tricked by the Swordmaster, and I was still feeling the sting of betrayal.

Have you had dinner?

She responded coolly.

Not yet.

She seemed to reluctantly treat me as the mentors guest. The very act of hosting me appeared to wound her pride.

She walked into the next room and returned shortly with a large basket, which she placed on the table.

It was filled with the rock-hard rye bread the same kind Sion would always eat in the dormitory hall.

I didnt even bother hoping for cheese or stew, but there wasnt even any milk or water. It was a chokingly dry setting.

I had no expectations, after all.

Then, Sion sat opposite me, took a piece of bread, and said,

Eat.

Forcing herself to take a big bite, she puffed out her cheeks like a squirrel, all the while keeping a sharp eye on me.

I reluctantly took a piece of bread and tore a smidgen off, lifting my mask a little to take a bite.

The silence. The atrociously bland taste. It brought back memories of eating oatmeal at the orphanage enough to make one cry with nostalgia.

Does she not have any joys in life? Subjected to such humiliation by her seniors, she returns home only to stuff tasteless bread into her mouth in solitude.

When I put down the bread and heaved a sigh, she glared at me as if I were a child fussing over food.

Why arent you eating?

Ive lost my appetite.

Raised in a wealthy family, were you? Such a delicate palate.

Sion may be a flawless swordsman, but in all other aspects, she was failing miserably. I wasnt exactly the most sociable person, but I could see that this girl had serious issues.

I wanted to tell her just how humble my origins were, but pride in such a background didnt seem fitting, so I kept quiet.

Now, I fully understood why her mentor, Gesin Greig, had sent me here. Leaving such a lacking disciple alone probably made him uneasy. It must feel similar to how I felt leaving Trisha alone at home when I had to travel far.

There were probably no other students capable of handling Sion, which is why he chose me.

It was as good as an indirect request. If I was insightful, I would know what he intended for me to do.

I stood up from the dining table. With a hefty sum already in hand, I couldnt simply let it pass without action.

Sion paused her bread-eating and gazed at me curiously.

What are you doing?

Im leaving.

She made no move to see me out and simply took another bite of her bread.

No, you should come out too.

Why should I?

You have a responsibility to treat a guest invited by your mentor. Would you have treated any other guest so poorly?

Sion replied as though agitated.

I would have turned away any other guest without letting them in.

I pondered what she meant by that for a while.

Does that mean she wouldnt have given any bread to someone else, and that sharing this hard bread with me was her version of special treatment?

I think I understand why the Swordmaster invited me, so follow me.

How can you be so sure about that?

Do you know?

Sion appeared to be at a loss for words. Finally, she stood up reluctantly.

Then she said, as if challenging me,

Lead the way. I want to see if you really understand my mentors intentions.

***

The first thing I did was to exchange the bills for gold coins at a currency exchange. The clerk swallowed nervously as he slid the coins over the counter. It was an exorbitant amount for just one evenings dinner.

My goal was to spend all of this money today. Since it wasnt given to me to skimp and save for myself, I had no intention of using it for personal gain.

After collecting the gold coins, I exited the building and was met by Sion with a sullen face.

Why did you even come here?

Dont worry, I dont owe you anything.

With that, I led Sion out into Rigved square.

My destination was a restaurant. High-end establishments, like the social scene, were strict about their entry requirements, so someone dressed as suspiciously as me couldnt enter.

My first objective was a casual, quality establishment where travelers and traders could dine nothing too extravagant, as that alone wouldnt be enough to spend all the gold coins.

After satiatin our hunger, I would think of how to spend the rest.

Sion followed me hesitantly, her expression still riddled with suspicion. Then, suddenly, she stopped and said,

Where are you taking us?

To a nice place.

I dont think so.

?

Just fight me and get it over with. Thats what your mentor would have wanted.

This girl believes everything should be settled with swords. No, I couldnt just leave her be, obsessed with the idea of a fight.

Fine, lets just say you won the fight. Now, stop talking nonsense and just follow me.

!

Shock was evident in Sions wide-eyed expression as if she couldnt believe what I was saying.

I remember children who couldnt handle or toss aside chess pieces sized statues if they bore the likeness of a deity. Strictly speaking, those were just objects, yet they imbued them with significance.

Sion appeared to have attached a sacred meaning to the act of dueling, much like those children to the statues.

Right, if she hadnt been like this, she couldnt have made it to her current position.

If you cant trust me, I can write you a guarantee, but lets go for now.

***

We settled into an inn that had a restaurant attached. Around us were dockworkers, sailors, merchants, and travelers unwinding with beer after their days work, all talking about the notable astrology-seer who had come to Rigved.

The dimwit eldest son of the Dalton family rushed to get his fortune told.

Just throwing their money away.

Damn them. If theyd give me the money, I could concoct a better story.

Occasional glances were cast our way, but they bore no malice, so I didnt feel the need to be alert. Attacking Eternia students was an unlikely occurrence in Rigved, or so I heard.

Sion sat rigidly opposite me, hands resting on her lap.

Whats all this for?

Cant you tell? Were having dinner.

Arent you worried about what they mightve put in the food?

Where on earth was she raised? In a place where crime flourished like breathing, perhaps?

Have you only been on the receiving end all your life? How did you manage to eat that bread?

Its ingredients are transparent. Water, salt, aged sourdough. Thats it. And I detest crowded places.

Immediately, the food we ordered began arriving at the table: roasted duck, beef stew, boiled potatoes, fresh fruit juice, and steamed fish. Seeing the food soften the suspicion in her eyes.

I pushed the elaborate dishes toward Sion, as it was cumbersome to eat with my mask.

Ill abstain from eating, so go ahead. Even if the food is poisoned, Ill protect you.

Seemingly convinced by my words, Sion cautiously began to pick up her cutlery and eat.

I watched her from the side, noticing how she never let her guard down, almost like a wild animal with heightened survival instincts.

She ate well, thankfully. I was a little hungry, but seeing someone who usually only ate bits of bread and jerky enjoying a proper meal made me feel somewhat gratified. To pretend it hadnt bothered me since the welcoming ceremony would be a lie.

Suddenly curious, I asked her.

Is this your first time at a place like this?

No. Its just that I cant trust places like this.

With such strong wariness, you dared to snatch someone elses jerky during practice?

The herbs in jerky can be identified by smell.

Her sense of smell is that sharp, too. She truly is a wild creature.

Sion didnt bother inviting me to eat and focused on her meal alone.

***

After the meal, we walked along the riverbank next to the docks.

As I held back Sion, who was ready to return home now that dinner was over, I hurriedly thought of ways to spend the remaining gold coins.

There was still too much left.

Whats your purpose in detaining me?

Without any words of gratitude for the meal, she first doubted me. Luckily, her apprehensive attitude had softened compared to before.

Just follow me.

I led her to a nearby jewelry store, only to quickly retreat after getting a glimpse of the prices.

Apparently, I couldnt stomach the inflated prices on the craftsmanship due to my occupational disease.

Then we entered another jewelry store, where I began to look for an accessory to buy for Sion.

Using a magnifying glass provided by the shop, I carefully examined the materials and finish.

She watched me with puzzled eyes.

Whatare you doing?

Wait a moment.

I gently placed a necklace against her neck.

Im not sure what games youre playing, but Ill reserve wearing necklaces for when I have enchanted artifacts. And just because you buy me something doesnt mean.

Really?

I cut her off and immediately switched from looking at necklaces to bracelets.

Bracelets would get in the way of wielding a sword.

Young girls her age usually invest generously in adorning themselves, considering it a natural endeavor. What beliefs does she hold to be behaving this way?

I held up a pair of silver earrings, round as the full moon, and inspected them for a long time with a magnifying glass.

When held up to her face, they seemed to soften her sharp and cold features just enough.

Hmm.

???

Although I wasnt entirely pleased with the marked-up price, I eventually purchased the earrings since nothing more suitable was found.

As we walked out of the store, the evening sky was ablaze with fiery reds.

I handed Sion the box with the earrings. She took the box and asked me,

What are you doing?

Theyre yours.

Her face twisted in suspicion, shooting me a doubtful look.

Why are you doing this to me?

Just try them on.

I dont want to. Ill never wear them.

Thats a pity.

I didnt expect her to warm up to the idea overnight. Perhaps she resisted simply because she disliked me.

The task the Swordmaster gave me was to earnestly entertain Sion, and I had done my duty to the best of my ability. Whether my methods were clumsy or not, as long as I did my best, that was enough.

With that, I spun on my heel and moved to walk away.

This time, I didnt tell her to follow, but she tailed me anyway.

There was still plenty of money left, and the evening was far from over. The next destination remained undecided. Ending things now might not be such a bad choice.

Yet, something felt incomplete.

Then, out of the blue, I broke the silence.

Do you believe in destiny?

***

The impulsively formed plan hadnt gone as expected.

Where can we make a reservation?

There arent any. You simply wait fervently.

Upon inquiring, the Prophet of Stone, Galliar the seer, could only be consulted at night, and hundreds of people crowded Rigveds square awaiting nightfall outside his lodging.

By my estimate, more than half seemed willing to pay more than I possessed, contentedly.

That money isnt going to cut it. Why do you think all those high-fliers are waiting outside his door if it was just about the money?

There were too many waiting customers.

Small-stakes astrologers hoping for some spillover from the client crowd had set up shop in the bustling central square of Rigved, each aggressively hawking their services.

If you want to look deeper, seed-casting is the way to go!

There isnt a seer who can beat me when it comes to marriage predictions!

Phrenologys predictive power has been scientifically proven!

The place was in disarray.

Realizing there were no gains to be made, I began to regret wasting time on seeking a fortune.

Moreover, when I returned after making inquiries, Sion was entangled in a heated argument with a fortune-teller who had spread out a mat on the ground.