Settling accounts and a beggar

"I'm so bored..." Lorist said.

The table was littered with plates and cups. Having just enjoyed a delicious feast, Lorist leaned lazily against the wall and sighed.

"Damn, you're filthy rich now. Stop whining when you've got nothing to complain about. It's disgusting." Fatty Shi spat out the toothpick he had been chewing and gave him a contemptuous look.

"Heh, Fatty, how am I disgusting you now? Don't forget who treated you to that feast and paid the bill. They say you shouldn't bite the hand that feeds you, but you turn on me the moment you've eaten your fill." Since he was bored anyway, Lorist didn't mind trading barbs with Fatty Shi.

"I'm not turning on you. I'm envious, jealous, and bitter! Last year, you were just like us, running around and risking your neck for a few gold coins. But now? You can afford a whole building! More than five thousand gold coins, and you bought it without batting an eye. Over forty rooms, bringing in seven or eight gold coins in rent every month. How could we not be jealous? Telman, Yuri, Steve, don't you agree?" Fatty Shi began rallying allies.

The men at the next table nodded in agreement, backing Fatty Shi up.

Yuri asked curiously, "Locke, just how much have you earned these past few months?"

Lorist thought for a moment and shook his head. "I honestly haven't counted, but at least seven or eight thousand, I suppose. When El asked whether I was interested in that building, I went home and discovered I'd saved up that many gold notes. They weren't doing any good sitting there, so I bought the building."

"Let me work it out for you." Any mention of money perked Fatty Shi right up. "In March and April, you swept through twenty-seven academies in the Academy District and won all those interacademy duels. The old bastard called you into the dean's office and rewarded you with a hundred gold coins for each academy you beat. That was twenty-seven hundred gold coins, wasn't it?"

"Damn, how did you know?" Lorist felt his teeth ache. The old bastard had paid him in private precisely because he feared such a large reward would make people jealous. How did that damned fatty know all about it?

"Never mind how I know. It happened, didn't it?" Fatty Shi looked smug, wearing a know-it-all expression that begged for a beating.

Lorist nodded.

"That was your first income. The next big chunk came from the challengers. There were two hundred and forty in March, three hundred and sixty in April, six hundred and eighty in May, seven hundred in June, and five hundred last month, in July. That's twenty-five hundred in total. The finance department settles up with you at the end of every month, and you get three gold coins per challenger. That alone brought you seventy-five hundred gold coins. Add them together and it's over ten thousand. No wonder buying a building didn't hurt this brat at all." Fatty Shi really did remember every detail.

Damn. Lorist suddenly remembered that the academy's enforcement office, which Fatty Shi headed, also received a ten-percent cut from the challengers. No wonder he knew the figures so well.

"What's more, we've already held eighteen open challenge days this month. Hardly anyone is signing up now, but the academy has decided to keep going until we've had three thousand challengers. The morning after tomorrow is another open challenge day, which will bring this month's total to three hundred and eighty. We only need another hundred and twenty challengers after that, and Locke will have three thousand victories. So he's still got fifteen hundred gold coins coming from the academy's finance department."

Telman suddenly remembered something and asked, "I heard that if Locke wins three thousand matches in a row, the academy will spend over a thousand gold coins on a life-size bronze statue of him to put up on campus as a memorial. Is that true?"

"So what if it is? The problem is that those thousand-odd gold coins are going toward a statue of Little Locke, not a bonus for him. What damn good is that? If you ask me, they should just give Little Locke the money and have him stand around the academy pretending to be a bronze statue whenever he's free. Everyone would be happy." Fatty Shi had always loathed vanity projects that did nothing to fatten his purse, so he roundly criticized the academy's plan to erect a statue of Lorist.

"Get lost. You can stand around the academy pretending to be a statue. I'm not El." Lorist laughed as he cursed him. His remark reminded everyone of the time El had sneaked into the women's bathhouse and posed as a plaster statue, and they all burst out laughing.

Fatty Shi continued tallying Lorist's earnings. "Little Locke's biggest income comes from the betting operation El and the others set up. He hasn't received it yet, and hardly anyone bets on him losing anymore, but they can't settle the accounts until the academy ends the event. Still, El and I went over the books last time, and this brat's share will be at least twenty thousand gold coins. Damn it! I can't stand thinking about him sleeping on a mountain of gold from now on. I could slave away at the academy my entire life and never earn that much!" The more Fatty Shi calculated, the closer he came to losing his mind.

"Hey, hey, don't get carried away. I earned that money fighting for my life in the arena. Don't forget that you spectators have made plenty off me too. Maybe not ten thousand, but certainly several thousand gold coins. Come to think of it, you're all reasonably wealthy men with thousands of gold coins to your names. Even if you can't afford a whole building, surely you can buy a little courtyard house? Fatty, if you want to sleep on a mountain of gold, that's easy enough. When I step down from the arena, you can take my place," Lorist said.

"Damn, if I had that kind of ability, would you ever have gotten your turn in the arena?" Fatty Shi muttered sourly.

"If you don't have the ability, then shut up. All day long, you're jealous of this person and envious of that one, running your mouth. If you've got so much spare time, go home and train. Reaching Gold rank sooner is what matters. Brother Locke earned all those gold coins through his own skill. You all know how many dangers he's faced in the arena these past few months. Which of you could go up there and guarantee you'd last even a day? Black Iron Locke, unbeatable among Silvers—he's one of Molent City's most celebrated names now." A voice cut in and gave Fatty Shi a thorough dressing-down.

"Damn it, El! Since when did you get to lecture me?" Fatty Shi sprang up in fury.

The newcomer was indeed El. He glanced sidelong at Fatty Shi, his lip curled in disdain. "What, not happy? Shall we go a few rounds in the backyard?"

"Damn..." Fatty Shi backed down. He sat down resentfully, raised his cup, and took a deep swig. "I'm a civilized man. I won't stoop to arguing with a gang member like you."

Two months earlier, El's dark attribute battle qi had finally advanced to Silver Three-Star. Delighted, he had gone to challenge Lorist, only to get the same result as always: the man destined to hit the ground still hit the ground. Afterward, however, El restored his confidence at Fatty Shi's expense. Fatty Shi had only himself to blame for standing on the sidelines and running his mouth during El's match with Lorist.

Fatty Shi had advanced more than a year before El. Seeing how easily Lorist knocked El down, he had assumed he would have no trouble handling a newly advanced rookie. Who knew El's dark attribute battle qi was far stronger than ordinary attributes? Combined with the assortment of rogue tricks El had dreamed up himself, it left Fatty Shi utterly humiliated. He tried three times and lost face three times. Refusing to accept it, Fatty Shi fought El privately another seven times over the next month. The publicly announced result was that Fatty Shi had proposed peace and harmony, but El had refused.

"Here. It's all taken care of." El handed Lorist a cowhide envelope. It really was made from cowhide, and inside were a property deed, a receipt for the administrative fee, a tax certificate, several gold notes, and a few gold coins.

El picked up a bottle of black plum wine from the table, pulled out the stopper, and took several gulping swigs straight from the bottle without bothering with a cup. "The property is now registered in your name. The administrative fee was half a percent, and the tax was ten percent. There won't be any other charges from now on. The leftover money is all in the envelope. Count it."

Lorist raised his cup. "Thanks, El."

"Don't mention it. We're brothers."

This was the first property Lorist had bought for himself in Molent City: a U-shaped building on Rose Avenue near the commercial district, with four Gothic-style stories and a steep-roofed attic. Each floor held twelve suites. It had originally been the residence of a count from the Duchy of Mobia, but some upheaval had occurred in that duchy three months earlier, and the count had been eager to sell the building for cash.

When El heard the news, he remembered Lorist mentioning that he wanted to buy a building and privately took him to see it. Lorist liked it and entrusted El with purchasing it on his behalf. He was very pleased to acquire a building worth over seven thousand gold coins for only fifty-four hundred, but the property transaction tax of ten percent and administrative fee of half a percent, payable afterward at city hall, pained him considerably. The consolation was that once those two charges were paid, the building truly belonged to him. He would not have to pay any further taxes or fees on it for the rest of his life.

"What are you planning to do with the building?" El asked.

"Hand it over to Ledos. Isn't he setting up an association that supplies labor? I'll entrust the building to him and have him find tenants and manage it for me. He only needs to give me half the rent each month," Lorist said.

"Sounds good. I'll have Ledos come see you in the next couple of days to sign an authorization and a management agreement." El nodded, thoroughly approving of Lorist's idea.

"Uncle Locke, I want another big chicken drumstick." Little Alisha ran over and tugged at Lorist's arm. She had been playing with her brother Shiward in the Red Raven Tavern's backyard.

Bordefinger, the middle-aged mercenary at the peak of Silver rank who hailed from the same region as Lorist, had spent over two months recovering from his injuries in Lorist's home. During that time, the two had hit it off and become close friends. Lorist had also grown very fond of Bordefinger's two children. Shiward was an exceptionally considerate boy who loved learning and worked hard. Once, when Bordefinger saw Lorist teaching his attendant Ready swordsmanship, he said that after Shiward awakened his battle qi in a few years, he would have the boy study swordsmanship under Lorist.

It had been little more than a casual joke, but Lorist asked him quite seriously whether he meant it. Bordefinger nodded in bewilderment. Lorist then called Shiward over and had him kowtow three times, followed by a deep bow to Ready. And so, before he knew it, Shiward became Lorist's second disciple, with the attendant Ready as his senior fellow disciple.

Lorist treasured the younger child, Alisha, even more. Whenever he saw her, he thought of his little daughter from his previous life, so he doted on Alisha and granted her every wish. He even hired craftsmen to turn the little attic into a bedroom for the siblings, much to their delight. Bordefinger became jealous: his daughter was closer to Uncle Locke than to her own father.

After recovering, Bordefinger wanted to leave with his children, but Lorist insisted that he stay. He had plenty of reasons. First, the children liked it here, and the living conditions were better than anything they would have while traveling around with Bordefinger. Second, Shiward was already his disciple—what sense did it make to take a disciple away from his master? Third, Bordefinger had no particular destination in mind. How could he drag the children into hardship when he hadn't even settled himself? The final reason was utterly unbeatable: Bordefinger could leave whenever he managed to defeat Lorist.

Seeing both children firmly siding with Lorist, Bordefinger could only agree helplessly to stay a little longer. He would take them away once he found somewhere to settle down.

Lorist had originally intended to recommend Bordefinger for a position as a Silver instructor at Dawnlight Academy, but Bordefinger refused because he did not want to settle in Molent City. Unable to force him, Lorist let the matter drop. He then took him to the Red Raven Tavern, introduced him to old Garilando, and arranged for him to pick up commissions there from then on.

It was now August, and most of the academy's departments were on vacation. Only a few dozen students in the battle qi enlightenment class Lorist oversaw were still undergoing their final training. They would attempt to awaken their battle qi at the end of the month. The eldest son of the Peterson family was among them. After a hellish weight-loss regimen, the enormously fat young man, who had once weighed over 185 kilograms, had successfully halved his weight. Although he was still slightly overweight at around ninety kilograms, it would no longer hinder his battle qi awakening.

When Chairman Peterson came for a private visit the previous month, he had crouched in the bushes and wept with joy at the sight of his precious son's new appearance. Before leaving, he frantically pulled gold notes from his pocket to express his gratitude. Had Lorist not stopped him in time, he might have received the promised reward of three thousand Gold Fude right then and there. Even so, Chairman Peterson had forced nine gold notes into Lorist's hands that day.

The academies of Galintea followed a peculiar and very relaxed academic calendar, with two terms each year, one long and one short. The long term began in March, with summer vacation beginning sometime between late July and late August. September was the month of harvest celebrations, and that entire month was an inviolable holiday. Classes then resumed on October 15 and ended on December 15, followed by a break lasting until March of the following year. Lorist guessed that the long winter vacation might have originated in the old Galintean custom of holing up for the winter.

Furthermore, although Dawnlight Academy claimed to have over five thousand students, having more than two thousand actually attend classes in any given term was already quite good. Most were merely enrolled. Some worked part-time at the academy, as Lorist once had. Others could not scrape together their tuition and had to work until they had enough money to return to class. Still others were there for the cheap student housing. When Fatty Shi took his men to inspect the residential area last time, they had even discovered several married couples who had already had children but were still living in student dormitories. Their records showed they had enrolled five or six years earlier. They had never graduated and had simply made the dormitories their homes. In short, the academy gave its students so much freedom that Lorist sometimes felt it was less an academy than a large community.

Just as El had said, Lorist really had become a celebrity in Molent City: Black Iron Locke, unbeatable among Silvers, the renowned Black Iron Gold Instructor of Dawnlight Academy. There were even rumors that in the academy rankings at the end of the year, Dawnlight Academy would finally surpass the towering obstacle that was Saint Maso Academy and rise one place. Lorist's victories over the Silver instructors of twenty-seven academies in the interacademy duels had played a major role in that.

After July, fewer and fewer Silver Swordsmen came to Dawnlight Academy to challenge Lorist, even after Dean Levens raised the reward to five hundred Gold Fude. As Garilando, the owner of the Red Raven Tavern, put it, "Five hundred gold coins certainly look tempting, but you still need the ability to claim them. Rather than chase that bubble of imaginary wealth, you're better off holding on to the ten real gold coins in your hand."

That was why Lorist felt rather bored. After several consecutive months, the duels had become a habit, and the lack of challengers left him at a loose end. He couldn't go off on adventures as a mercenary with his companions as he once had, since there were still matters at the academy to wrap up. So today he had brought the two children and Ready along, gathered his friends from the academy, and come to the Red Raven Tavern for a feast.

Lorist affectionately tweaked the nose of the little girl clinging to his arm and said indulgently, "All right, all right. Uncle Locke will order a big drumstick for our little princess right away."

He looked up and called toward the counter, "Landlady, have Madoff bring us another plate of fried chicken drumsticks."

Behind the counter stood Louise, the former head waitress, who had become the landlady just over three months earlier. After agreeing to marry old Garilando, she had gone to Mithralla's temple to buy and take a restoration potion. Barely three months into their marriage, Louise was pregnant. Everyone praised Garilando for retaining his vigor despite his age. Getting Louise pregnant when he was nearly sixty was truly admirable, and old Garilando was immensely pleased with himself. El, however, privately told Lorist that the old bastard had swiped several bottles of Terence Donkey Whip from him. If even those hadn't worked, the old bastard's equipment really would have been useless.

The golden fried drumsticks soon arrived at the table. Alisha took two, saying she would bring one to her brother Shiward, and skipped off to the backyard. Before long, however, she came running back and wanted two more.

"Huh? Alisha, how did you eat so quickly? I've only taken two bites. Is your mouth bigger than mine?" El teased the adorable little girl.

"No, it isn't! Alisha's mouth is really, really tiny, not big like yours. I gave those two drumsticks to a beggar. He's so pitiful." The little girl pouted, unhappy that El had called her mouth big.

Lorist picked up another two drumsticks and handed them to her. "Don't give these two to the beggar as well. If he's pitiful, you can just ask your brother to give him a couple of copper coins."

The little girl took the drumsticks and replied innocently, "But Brother already gave him all his money. Brother said he's from the Northlands too, and he came to Molent City to look for a young master called Norton Lorit or something. Auntie Louise said she'd never heard that name, but she felt sorry for him and gave him a bowl of oatmeal. Alisha only gave him drumsticks because he didn't have anything to eat with it."