Chapter 127 - Dinner Discussion

"You can't be serious, Jonon? I mean no offense to Oliver, but he's hardly an adept and so young. There's no way he could bear such responsibility without crumbling or failing to some degree," Mertin reasoned, appealing to common logic.

"I agree that he may not be as capable as Father and I, but Oliver is strong enough to hold his own. I've already tested his strength and Father agrees that Oliver should be capable of this."

"Jonon… Father, this--"

"He's right," replied Hurman, smiling at Oliver with a humble stare. "Oliver may be one of the rare talents whose true strength isn't merely bound by his realm. From what I've seen, Oliver is crafty yet mighty, strong yet astute, and able to adjust to any situation thrown at him. Also, he's come to Trighton City after spending nine or so months in the Taltin Mountains, giving him a great feel for the terrain as a guide to match his brutish build as a bodyguard."

Mertin took in a deep breath, trying to imagine what else he could say. "I won't condone this unless I see his strength with my own eyes."

"You don't need to condone this. I've already offered the job with Jonon as my witness and Oliver has already accepted it. Tomorrow morning, Oliver will lead an herbalist along with Johan and Leon into the Taltin Mountains."

"With them? But what of our classes!?"

"The smaller, younger classes can go without for a week. It would harm the budget less than either Jonon or I joining them and it would allow the two young men a chance to experience the world differently."

"... No offense to Leon, but how can he join this group when he can't protect himself in the city streets?" argued Mertin, blinking wildly to scramble for any debate he could make.

Hurman didn't reply immediately. Instead, he and everyone looked at Leon who remained silent. Oliver, however, spoke up, stating, "Master Mertin, in Leon's defense, how would Leon have managed to best defend himself against four thugs while also protecting Pauller, who was helpless?"

"HEY!"

"I distinctly remember Leon agreeing to fight at a disadvantage for the sake of them keeping Pauller unharmed," Oliver continued, disregarding Pauller's shout from reflex. "I assume a good herbalist would be at least as strong as Leon. And while I focus on the herbalist's direct defense, Leon and Johan would offer great crowd control should we encounter a myriad of beasts or bandits on the road. Taking away his weakness within the city, Leon would be a great benefit to the venture."

"Oliver, I'm sorry, but I see no reason as to why they should join nor how we could ever afford such a venture in our current state," Mertin explained. "I have no qualms against you and Father wouldn't agree if you weren't at least mostly capable, but--"

"Then there's no need for you to worry," Hurman cut in. "Oliver has agreed to unconventional means of payment, so his involvement won't affect our financials by any means. And Keldon is searching for the best deal on hiring an herbalist. Given that we'd be able to extract lilies ourselves, paying more than we normally would on a weekly basis is viable since we'd be able to secure our own supply and ration of lilies."

"Father… Why didn't you consult me on this? I'm the one in charge of finances and managing the family business. At the very least, you should have informed me of this before immediately hiring him," Mertin questioned with a soft frown.

"Call it a gut feeling…" nodding, Hurman sighed. "So long as Johan and Leon agree to tag along, they'll be leaving tomorrow morning at dawn."

"Johan will definitely be joining him, right son?"

"Y-yes, Father! Of course, I am!" Johan replied, smiling and jutting out his chest for all to see. 

It was very brief but Oli noticed something. Johan showed a hesitant gaze before quickly recovering and boasting of his strength superior to Leon.

"I'll be joining as well…" Leon nodded and agreed with a drawn-out sigh. 

Sisslia opened her mouth but took a moment to ask, "Son, you don't need to go if you're not confident…"

Leon nodded, blinking to reveal a small sense of confidence in his eyes. "I'll be fine, Mom, don't worry. I'll make sure to be careful and not get in Oliver's way."

"Then it's settled, you all will leave tomorrow morning at dawn. Make sure to get some good rest tonight," added Hurman, glad to see Leon's response.

"Father, how come you didn't involve me in this decision?"

"Mertin, due to the unexpected change in the market we needed to form a plan with haste. With your duties, you're always busy managing the household or away handling business and family ties," Hurman mentioned. "To keep from overburdening you, I consulted Jonon and we convinced Oli to accept private lessons in exchange for completing the job. This allows you to remain unaffected while also giving the household what we need most, Living Lilies. As for the herbalist, Keldon promised to find one within our budget. Supposedly, he has a lead on someone that may be willing to do it for quite cheap while still having the necessary qualifications."

Mertin sighed, blinking slowly. "I get it, Father. I appreciate you trying to not overwhelm me, but you still should've at least warned me sooner…"

"Well, now everyone knows. Let's finish up and let the young men get to bed. They'll want a good night's sleep before the journey."

"Then, please, allow me to leave first." Oliver stood slowly and bowed to the head of the table. "Thank you, Patriarch Hurman, for allowing me to stay here and for trusting me with such an important matter. I'll make sure to protect both the herbalist and your young masters."

"I concur," Mertin added, nodding slightly to Oli. "Should anything happen to them, I'll be sure to keep you from receiving any sort of reward, and even punish you for your failure."

"Mertin, there's no need--"

"Of course!" 

Oliver's reply surprised everyone, startling them with his confidence that wasn't fitting of an early-adept. "Should the situation become ultimately unsuccessful, I'll make sure to escort the young masters back as the greatest priority. It's only fair."

"I'm glad we see eye to eye. Then I'll add my consent to the mission, wishing you all the best." Letting loose a long sigh, Mertin grabbed his glass and poured himself another round of wine.

"Please excuse me, as well."

"Me too."

Nodding, Hurman replied, "Thank you for accepting this last-minute assignment, you two. I look forward to hearing about your exploits and for you to gain more real-world experience."

Both Leon and Johan nodded, sharing a strange glance before exiting the dining room behind Oliver.

"May I?" Melinda asked shyly, wiping her mouth with a napkin.

"Go right ahead, sweety."

Given the okay from her mother, Melinda got up and bowed to her grandfather. After that, she scurried out of the room with nervous steps.

"Me too!"

"Finish eating, Pauller."

"But Mom--"

"Pauller, listen to your mother. You've got plenty of time to grow still, so don't feel bad," Hurman spoke up, taking a bite of firm leg meat off the bone. "You'll get stronger with time and we'll find you a fitting technique soon, don't worry."

"Really?!"

"Calm down and eat, Pauller," Sisslia insisted. "Thank your grandfather and finish your food."

"Okay…"

Outside of the room, Oliver had been briefly stopped by Leon. The young swordsman bowed his head and stated, "Oliver, I'm sorry for intruding on your mission. I'll be sure to hold my own weight throughout the mission and keep from holding you back."

Oli chuckled, heartily slapping one of his hands onto Leon's shoulder. "Leon, you'll be fine. You're more capable than you think. So long as you're not outnumbered and don't need to worry about Pauller, I think you'll surprise yourself. I may not be able to handle everything, but I should be able to handle what you can't, okay? Worst case scenario, we rush back here without the lilies. Nothing will--"

"Oliver, we must get those lilies."

"... Agreed. But don't chase after them if it will get you killed. No one wants that to happen, including your father."

Leon opened his mouth to reply but hesitated. No words came out immediately.

Before Leon could reply properly, another voice rang out towards them. It was softer and more feminine but there was a hint of nervousness and hesitation as well. "Leon, are you sure you'll be okay?"

"I'll be fine, Melly."

"Hey, don't call me that!"

"But--"

"We're in front of guests, Leon, someone that I've only just met."

"Melly sounds like a fitting nickname," Oliver remarked. "I don't see what's wrong with that."

"Well, maybe I like Melinda more. How would you feel if I started calling you… Oli without asking permission?" replied Melinda, acting both playful and easily excitable.

"On second thought, Melinda is a fine name and I think it's very fitting for you. Just call me Oliver, okay?"

"Thank you, Oliver."

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll be retiring early."

"Oh… I thought we would have some time to chat…" Melinda mumbled loudly.

"Perhaps after our return. For now, I want to make sure to rest while I can. Leon, you should probably do the same," added Oli, waving goodbye. "I'll see you tomorrow, Leon. And it was a pleasure meeting you, Melinda."

"Good night!" Melinda waved back, feeling dejected to not converse with Oliver. She also waved to Leon with a friendly smile, "Sleep well, Leo. And good luck."

"Thanks, Melly."

As the family dinner drew to a close, Oli had already entered his room and prepared a meditation cushion. Tonight he would rest physically while meditating within his spirit jade. Oli allowed essence to gather around him, finding the common amount of earth essence in his surroundings. He didn't dare train his dark essence just yet as he still hadn't revealed it or committed to showing it, though the stranger who had supposedly helped him ascend said having dual essences here shouldn't cause much trouble.

The night grew calmer and calmer… Eventually, the family property began to quiet down for the night along with the majority of Trighton City.

Everything was dark. Most all rooms had no light shining from inside through the cracks of the door and little to no one was up to traverse the open areas of the property. But someone was walking through that darkness with the utmost tranquility.

Hurman slowly walked through the quiet property. His keen senses made exploring the familiar layout of the property easier than eating his evening meal, letting him hop silently from rooftop to rooftop. There was a clanging sound in the distance, one of the reasons Hurman was up and exploring. He soon reached the training grounds and spotted a familiar face. Then, he spotted another familiar face, one that surprised him. Acting quickly, Hurman stepped off the roof and landed beside his startled grandson. "Shouldn't you be resting for tomorrow?"

"I-I don't need rest. But I've got to make sure I'm stronger than--"

"Johan, there's nothing wrong with being nervous for something like this," Hurman added. "You'll be fine. This shouldn't be anything more than a common extraction with some common encounters, so there's nothing to worry about."

"Who said I'm worried?"

"Johan, you need to be more honest with yourself. Otherwise, it's your cultivation that will pay the price for your unnecessary arrogance. Now finish up and rest. That's more important than last-second training, attempting to grow substantially the night before you leave."

"That's--"

"Now go."

Johan closed his mouth and nodded, picking up the training dummy and returning it to the side of the open yard. The young man then bowed to his grandpa and fled the scene toward his room.

With that resolved, Hurman turned his attention to the second familiar face. He hopped back onto the rooftops and followed after the other man. Before long, Hurman stopped after finding the other man standing outside of Oli's locked door.

That man then sighed and turned to his father standing above him, "I thought he was going to sleep?"

"So did I, but why are you here, Mertin?"

"I'm the one in charge of security, why wouldn't I be up right now? After hearing Johan's loud, late-night training, I decided to inspect the grounds one last time before bed. But given the energy that he's attracting, how could I not be curious?"