-----------------------------

  Ar

  -----------------------------

  After going through the group, extracting Mana, Ar walked back to Thekka.

  He managed to get two whole yellow-ish Mana crystals, but he was not sure they were enough for what Noir wanted Thekka to do.

  Thekka, meanwhile, stayed in her place, her gaze fixated on him. It actually made him uncomfortable, but if he’d get something out of it…

  “Will that be… enough?” Ar asked, dangling the crystals in between them.

  Thekka seemed to snap out of her stupor and started nodding frantically. “Certainly! Contractor Ar! This will be more than enough to fix the issue!” She seemed to pause for a minute, weighing something, before reluctantly continuing.

  “Actually, the fix will use up only about one crystal’s worth of Mana. I was hoping You would be willing to… enlighten me of the purpose this branch will serve. So I can ensure it will serve to its best potential.”

  “Purpose?” Ar muttered, thinking of a proper answer. “I would say… company? A proof of… bond with this world… and… reminder… to your species? Of mistakes… and… second chances.”

  “A wonderful idea, Contractor Ar! We thank thee for showing us mercy for all our mistakes!” Thekka bowed deeply before accepting the crystals. She held them in one hand and the branch in the other, casting her spell.

  Ar watched her for a while, trying to decipher what she did, but got confused instead. He shook his head in dismissal and walked over to Zaanta, Ghanna and Naell.

  As Ar neared the group, he caught fragments of their conversation. It seemed like they were past the blaming stage and into the official speech. Ghanna was negotiating space for her people to practice and Zaanta was inspecting the cubical artifact Naell had brought with him.

  “You guys won't be using more than a quarter of the arena! Why do you force us to be confined to just one half of the field?!” Ghanna was gesturing wildly.

  “I agree with you, but I'd rather take precautions in case something goes wrong.”

  “You'll also want to have Ar train in his full size, unshrunken, so you can assess him properly.” Zaanta pointed out, not looking up from the artifact.

  “That is true. You wouldn't want your men to be assaulted by a wild strike or dropped weapon, right?” Naell asked Ghanna.

  “I don’t plan on… dropping… anything.” Ar called out as he approached, instantly getting all their attention.

  “Oh! Ar! Perfect timing!” Zaanta beamed and galloped over to him. “We have a bit of a disagreement over how much space you need to train without causing problems for Ghanna's men.” She looked to Ghanna before focusing back on him. “We would appreciate your input on the matter.”

  “You would… what?” Ar inclined his head in confusion.

  “We want to know how much space you need to exercise properly.” Ghanna offered a simplified answer.

  “Oh! Well… That depends… on the weapon I am to use…” Ar looked back to Thekka doing her thing behind him before speaking again. “Judging by the… things back there…, probably a staff, so three to four times the… length… of the staff.”

  “Are you certain?” Zaanta asked. “Don't you need more room to gain speed for your attacks? How about throwing? Or standard strength exercises? Those should require a lot of space, right?”

  “Not really…” Ar shook his head. “I will want some… space to run… around, but I can do that ar… along the sides. Right?”

  “That won’t be an issue.” Zaanta assured. “Our men will also train endurance. Care to join them?”

  “I’d love a… comparison.” Ar smiled and Naell nearly shat his pants at the expresion. “And… my dogs could use some… exercise… as well.”

  “Your… Dogs? What’s a dog?” Naell looked around in confusion just to see the two beings disguised as Bowlers approach.

  “My dogs.” Ar’s smile widened even more as he reached behind the Bowlers’ heads. Naell watched in horror as the illusion slowly dispersed, revealing the forms of Hound pups staring straight at him.

  That.

  That was enough for Naell to pass out.

  Zaanta looked at his passed out body with sympathy, before gesturing for someone to take care of him. “Please, Don’t just remove the collars in front of other people. It might be quite jarring to a regular person.” She reprimanded Ar, knowing full-well it would probably yield no result.

  “Couldn’t… help myself.” Ar nodded his head, his smile somehow growing wider. “Will be more… careful in the future.”

  “As if.” Zaanta shook her head in denial. “Moving on, let’s start the evaluation of your… physical prowess. Since we do not need Naell’s help with that.”

  “Very well.” Ar agreed. “Sooo… What do we… start with?”

  ----------------------------

  Naell

  ----------------------------

  Naell was a bit confused when he opened his eyes just to see the ceiling of his private quarters. He didn’t remember going back here. He was down in the arena with Guildmaster Zaanta and…

  He sat up, remembering what exactly happened. The Dendrae, The Law and its Contractor. And of course, the terrifying nature of that Contractor’s pets!

  “What in the world…” he muttered, shaking his head when he heard a knock on the door.

  “Sir?” One of Naell’s subordinates peeked his feline head inside.”I have been informed You might be awake.”

  “How long?” Naell asked as he rolled out of his bed.

  “Half an hour.” The subordinate informed as he rushed in to assist Naell, fetching his shoulder guards that had been removed before putting him in bed.

  “What is the situation in the arena?” Naell questioned as he pushed his axe behind his belt.

  “Well…” The subordinate hesitated. “They… started physical exercises. Stretching and endurance run around the inner walls of the arena.”

  “How is the big one doing in comparison with the rest of Guild’s forces?”

  “The big one… he stretched his legs for about two minutes and he’s been running laps ever since.”

  “...What?” Naell stopped mid-step, turning back to look at the servant. “He’s been running for… almost half an hour? Non-stop?”

  “Yes sir.” The servant bowed. “We have not observed any breaks he might have taken.”

  Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

  “Well, color me surprised!” Naell murmured, resuming his walk to the door. “I’ll have to see that myself.” He closed the door behind himself, leaving the servant to clean the room as they should.

  Once in the hallway, Naell wasted no time as he rushed out to the arena. The view that greeted him was… certainly unusual. The sandy strip of land along the outer edge of the arena was rough, shaped by running legs, with exhausted participants lining the inner circle, some still gasping for breath and others slowly recovering after a long rest.

  Along the edge, Naell could see several figures still running in different stages of exhaustion. Quadrupeds that barely dragged their feet as they staggered forward, their heads hanging low and staring at the sand in front of them, as well as several bipeds hunched forward, seeming like they would collapse at any second.

  Between all of them, Ar in his smaller size, didn't appear bothered at all as he ran faster than the rest of the group, ducking and weaving in between exhausted participants. His Hounds followed after him, playfully snapping their jaws at him.

  “What the…” Naell murmured as he maneuvered into the inner circle of exhausted participants. “What happened here?” He asked a brown-coloured Raakteig that seemed somewhat recovered by now. Her only answer was to point at her Guild Master before falling onto their back to look to the sky, perplexing Naell greatly.

  He made his way to Zaanta, making sure not to step on any tails or limbs in the process, unlike some of the exhausted participants who were carelessly dragging themselves through the crowd. Zaanta appeared to be in a heated discussion with Ghanna, since she didn’t notice his approach for a long while.

  “Welcome back Naell.” Zaanta greeted him without looking back, shattering his illusions of being sneaky. “Good thing you’ve joined us. We could use another opinion regarding classification.”

  “You really think my opinion would matter?” Naell grumbled as he stood next to her. “I passed out just seeing those Hounds.”

  “I thought you would know those things weren’t Bowlers.” Zaanta teased him. “Someone as knowledgeable as you, mister low noble, can surely recognise a basic illusion spell.”

  “Of course I can!” Naell bristled in response. “I knew it was a disguise, but I had no idea what it was hiding with nothing to help me see through it! I’m not an illusionist, you know?!”

  “I’m just messing with you.” Zaanta looked at him placatingly. “I am sure it’s hard to survive with a class like yours.”

  “There’s nothing wrong with my class!” Naell shot her down. “Spokesmanship is an honest occupation. I’d be worse off had I been a Rogue or something like that…”

  “I wouldn’t make those remarks in front of Ar if I were you.” Ghana warned him. “He could take it as a personal insult to his comrade.”

  “Does he already have a party?!” Naell asked. “Dammit! I wanted to sponsor him… What’s his party’s name?” He inquired.

  “You know as well as I do that selectively sponsoring adventurers is illegal.” Zaanta shot him down immediately.

  “Of course! Of course! I was just joking!” Naell backtracked. “I just wanted to… Offer them seats for the tournament… as a sign of good will, you see? No… monetary gifts… or anything like that!”

  Zaanta eyed him suspiciously, but did not say anything. Instead, she tossed him his artifact and gestured to one of her aides to signal the end of the exercise.

  As the sound of a horn carried across the arena, the troops that were still running promptly collapsed where they were, giving in to the exhaustion. Ar and his Hounds gradually slowed down to a leisurely stroll toward Zaanta while the Hounds continued their snapping game.

  Naell was impressed by the speed with which Ar's hands moved to escape his Hounds’ sharp teeth while provoking them to more attacks. The control he had over the Hounds deserved recognition, but Naell couldn't quite grasp how Ar did it.

  “Is that… all?” Ar asked as he approached them, not even breathing heavily.

  “I don't think my men would last much longer.” Ghanna laughed bitterly. “And since our time is limited, we should probably get through the evaluation.”

  “Alright.” Ar agreed while catching his Hound’s muzzle without looking at it. “I will go… to… check on weapon.”

  “We’ll tag along.” Zaanta looked pointedly to Naell. “Ghanna? Please make sure everyone gets plenty of water, or I’ll have you fill out the paperwork for dehydration incidents again.”

  “Sure, whatever.” Ghanna waved her off. “You will be grovelling in front of the Dendrae anyway. Not interested.”

  Zaanta just waved her goodbye and walked after Ar to the still-kneeling Dendrae.

  “Aren’t you going to reprimand her?” Naell asked. “That is no way to speak to your superior.”

  “First of all, Ghana is my teammate, not my subordinate.” Zaanta corrected him. “Second, even if she was my subordinate, I would probably tolerate it since I personally like my head attached to my neck.”

  “That… Happened?” Naell looked back to Ghann’s figure behind him.

  “She felt like some nobles looked down on her.” Zaanta admitted, shrugging. “Dismissing her for her birthplace and family traditions. A big no-no for her.”

  “So she just… attacked?” Naell inquired.

  “She wanted to, but… Tiina choked her out and we left with no issue.”

  “How does a mage choke out a combat class?” Naell whirred around.

  “Tiina is a barrier mage. She just formed a bubble around Ghanna and let her exhaust herself. No noise to alert the nobles and no harm done to our reputation.” Zaanta smiled.

  “But to make a soundproof barrier you need to…” Naell started before blood drained from his face.

  “You need to cut off the air, yes.” Zaanta finished. “You would be surprised how little Ghanna needs to breathe during her… episodes.”

  “You are terrifying…” Naell whispered, creating some distance between them.

  “If you think this is terrifying, I would recommend not researching any other advanced Adventuring parties.” Zaanta glanced at him. “We have to get a little crazy to wield the power we do.”

  With this not-so-subtle warning, Naell watched as Ar stopped in front of the Dendrae Elder. It looked… different. Somehow older and more tired. Its bark was dark and fractured, its appendages slightly trembling as it presented the noticeably lightly colored branch in its degrading palms.

  “Contractor Ar Agami.” The Dendrae exhaled, its voice barely audible to Nael. “Please, accept this apology from our species. We are aware of the trouble we have caused both You and Sir Noir, blessed be his name.”

  Ar carefully reached over, his fingers closing around the branch. “That I shall.” His voice was strong and clear, especially contrasting with Dendrae's weakened state. “I hope… your kind will… heed my contractor’s words… and… implement the changes… you promised.”

  “I shall see to it personally.” The Dendrae bowed low, its joints creaking. “In regards to the gift… I have linked the branch to your person… It will act as one of our branches, shaping itself to your needs in the future.”

  “In the future?” Ar asked, giving the branch a once-over. “Can I… shape it… in any way?”

  “The branch will shape in order to serve you on its own over time.” The Dendrae replied regally. “If you desire it to take a particular shape or size, simply provide it some Mana and Will it to shape itself.”

  “Will.. it?” Ar asked, staring at the branch while patting his pockets in search of something. He pulled out a small crystal that Zaanta seemed to recognise for some reason. Ar raised the crystal in front of his eyes, focusing on it and seemingly decreasing its volume and… opacity?

  Naell and Zaanta carefully watched as the twisted branch in Ar’s hand started to unwind and straighten. It shaped itself to be as tall as Ar, with a continuous width that seemed perfect for his grip.

  “Well…” Ar murmured and swung the reformed branch in the air. “That is… interesting.”

  “That is a general consensus among everyone, contractor.” The Dendrae moved to bow, but one of the branches it used as arms snapped off instead, freezing it in place.

  “It seems this is the limit of this vessel.” The Dendrae said, dejection clear in their voice. “We, as a community of nature’s spirits, hope that you and your Patron will continue working with us in the future.”

  With that, light disappeared from the singular eye and the whole ‘body’ went stiff, the Dendrae spirit leaving to attend to other matters.

  “Now that this is… done…” Ar turned around, beaming at them. “I think… it is time to… test… my new stick.”

  “You mean the lethal weapon bound to your person?” Zaanta walked forward to examine the transformed branch. “The thing most people would kill to get their hands on? Sure. Let’s call it a stick. That way, at least you won’t draw as much attention.”

  “Should I… conceal it?” Ar asked as he presented the branch. “It does have some… Mana leaks… but it’s not THAT bad. Right?”

  “No, I don’t think you need to do that… Just don’t transform it in front of people you don’t trust.”

  “Noted.” Ar nodded and moved his hand in a vague gesture to his forehead that Naell assumed was some cultural sign. “Shall we… proceed… to the actual… test?” He pointed the branch to the artifact in Naell’s arms.

  “I agree.” Zaanta agreed. “Let’s move to the edge of the arena. Ghana can take care of the rest of the cadets.”

  “Will they… participate? In the… evaluation?” Ar asked as he filed in behind them.

  “They might. We would have to base it on your capabilities or ability to moderate your strength.”

  “Do you not trust me?” Ar acted hurt.

  “I do, but you know what they say: Trust, but verify.”

  “Actually… I don’t.” Ar grinned. “I had no… contact… with the outside. Except you, and… Maria.”

  “Well… That is… correct.” Zaanta seemed to feel uncomfortable. “But… I’m pretty sure your species surely has a saying like that as well.”

  “We do.” Ar agreed. “Exactly the… same… actually.”

  “What a coincidence.” Naell muttered as he activated the cubic artifact.