Chapter 1682 We Weren’t out of Problems!
D.E.M.O.N.S: Getting Summoned Weekly isn't so Bad
--- Kat ---
There was a little more back and forth between Meg and Strdl but it was more of the same. Eventually Meg turned to the prisoner and said, "Well weâve given enough time for those two officers to escape and warn the bandits weâre on our way. So are you ready to lead on⦠Clyde? I want to say?" Read new chapters at empire
"Um⦠erâ¦" the prisoner (Clyde?) was shaking like a leaf as he found himself the centre of attention. His eyes were darting between everyone else, though the three remaining normal officers were the least looked at. His eyes mostly went between Meg and not as he stumbled over his words. "My⦠um⦠my name is⦠er⦠not Clydeâ¦"
"But does that matter?" asked Meg.
Kat winced at thee question as âClydeâ rapidly shook his head. "Er⦠um⦠no⦠I well⦠I guess⦠I guess Iâm not um⦠overly attached to my name⦠so um⦠this is fine⦠I mean⦠no this is fineâ¦" It didnât exactly sound fine but Kat thought interrupting the guy at this point would just scare him more. "But⦠um⦠I mean⦠I still canât take you to⦠to the hideout,"
"Oh? And why is that?" asked Meg.
Clyde swallowed heavily his eyes trying to focus on Meg as he answered her questions but failing spectacularly. "I⦠I donât know⦠um⦠Megâ¦" Meg glared, "er⦠um⦠miss? Maâam? I donât know where it is. We⦠um⦠training⦠er⦠no I mean⦠I only know how to get⦠get to this big meeting room place⦠but um⦠Not said⦠said that was fine?"
"And that didnât seem weird to you?" asked Meg.
Clyde flinched backwards, curling in on himself as Kamiko nudged her in the side. "What?" whispered Kat.
"Canât you use your aura to help calm him? The poor guy looks like heâs going to have a heart attack or something⦠Iâm⦠Iâm worried he might pass out and Meg will just get worse if he doesâ¦" whispered Kamiko.
"Right but if I start helping him Meg will definitely ramp up, probably enough to offset anything Iâm doing to help," Kat whispered back. Kamiko frowned, but didnât say anything further. Kat wasnât sure if Kamiko agreed⦠or if she was just trying to avoid an argument. *Which is really not helpful. I mean, I feel bad for the guy and I would be willing to help him⦠but I just feel like itâs too dangerous with Meg clearly playing around with him at the moment. Didnât even let the poor guy tell us his name*
[I mean based on naming conventions his name is probably Clde, or Clyd or maybe Cld if I had to guess. Then again itâs Meg so maybe she did just give him a random name. It feels wrong because that would indicate sheâs âwrongâ about his name so I bet sheâs at least closeâ¦]
*Not sure that really makes it better.*
During this time âClydeâ managed to recover enough of his wits to explain his answer. "I um⦠no⦠or I mean⦠he was the sheriff so I didnât think too much about it. I⦠I guess I might have thought⦠um⦠that he knew because of the fact he was the sheriff? Like⦠I mean⦠the meeting place has changed a few times⦠when um⦠when it was âdiscovered apparently so⦠I mean⦠it wasnât that weirdâ¦"
Meg waved him off, "Whatever just tell about the meeting place,"
Clyde flinched again and Kat glared at Meg in response. He was only going on that tangent because Meg asked and now she was berating him for it. Meg turned back to Kat and flashed a grin at her. Unrepentant in the face of Katâs continued glare. *If she keeps this up maybe I will just step in anyway.*
"Er⦠well⦠itâs a place where we were taught earth magic but the Mountain-" Clyde was cut off there.
"Pebbles," stated Meg.
"P-pardon?" queried Clyde.
"Pebbles. Thatâs his nickname and itâs not overly pretentious. Plus itâs shorter," said Meg. Though she definitely knew the tricks for saying more with just a few words or syllables like Hunter⦠so it was a pretty moot point.
"P-pebblesâ¦" Clyde sounded like he was chocking. "Pebbles t-teaches us earth magic there occasionally⦠and um⦠thatâs why I know where it is?"
"Why would you WANT to learn earth magic from that scum?" hissed Strdl.
Clyde shivered at Strdlâs glare while turning to Meg as if asking permission to explain. Seeing her nod Clyde answered. "Um⦠b-because heâs the only o-one that will teach us. The p-powerful mages from out of town d-donât have time and t-they donât normally care enough to take us on as app-prentices.
"And⦠and the mining companies are w-worse actually. They donât let any of their mages teach unless theyâre immediate family and I know that was a massive concession that they only got after a whole bunch of riots⦠but⦠but if you NEED the teaching and canât get it from family you have to sign a contract. Five years of learning in exchange for ten years of workâ¦
"But⦠but itâs really FIFTEEN years or work with essentially no pay for any of it. Because⦠because they feed and house you for all of them and you have no choice about it. Then you âpay offâ the money they spent training you⦠and then after fifteen years they⦠they say that theyâre sorry to see you go but if you sign another contract for ten years theyâll give you a pay bumpâ¦
"It might not sound the best⦠but you realise youâve got no friends. No house, no idea how to live⦠and barely any savings so you stick around. Then suddenly youâve been working there for twenty-five years, and your pay is about to go up again⦠so you just stick around. I⦠I HATE the idea of that. You still donât get what youâre worth and they donât even teach you that much. Just a bunch of control exercise and a handful of spells.
"Itâs⦠itâs as close to slavery as they c-can get⦠but⦠well most of the mining companies are owned by nobles or⦠or like families of nobles and the ones that arenât have âfriendsâ. So⦠so even though itâs bad itâs⦠itâs âfair enoughâ that you canât get the crown or the church involved without risking massive political backlash⦠itâsâ¦. itâs awful in a lot of waysâ¦
"So⦠so when a friend of mine and his older brother convinced me to go for lessons it was hard to say no. The mount-" Meg glared "I mean⦠Pebbles⦠he⦠he promises a reward for any mage at all and a bonus for earth mages to show up. I mean⦠they just have to come for one lesson and you get rewarded. It⦠it was a hard month for their family so I said yes⦠and then I kept goingâ¦
"Because Pebbles⦠for all of his faults⦠for all of the problems heâs causing⦠he DID teach me how to use my magic. Even in the few scattered lessons heâs taught me so much and Iâm not the only one. If⦠if I brought in my friends theyâd get gear and combat lessons and⦠and we always planned to leave one day. To leave and become adventurers.
"I mean⦠there are no contracts, and barely even a verbal agreement. So⦠so we go in for lessons, do a few light jobs that⦠that donât really hurt anyone and once I get to Rank 2 I was planning to leave. Rank 2⦠itâs something most people never reach but⦠but P-pebbles has taught at least three others to that point⦠and umâ¦
"I know itâs a risk. That every time I do a little favour or get a bit more teaching⦠I get dragged further into his circle⦠but⦠but heâs TEACHING US MAGIC. I⦠itâs such a precious thing that so few are willing to share⦠and I mean⦠heâs done it. He reached at least Rank 3⦠maybe more than that I donât know. It⦠it seems to possible and I have⦠had hope that I could maybe get there one day. That I could leave this town⦠guess I have no idea whatâs going to happen now,"
Meg frowned once Clyde finished speaking. Kat watched carefully just in case she needed to step in when Meg cursed softly. "Damn. Looks like things are more complicated thenâ¦"
"Um⦠whatâs the issue?" asked Kat.
"The issue is that Iâd missed a small fact. I was thinking that they were a dinky little team of bandits that had branched out and created a small town to support themselves as well using a strong mage for the place to get a good foothold⦠but thatâs not whatâs happening at all. Or well, Iâm sure theyâre trying to pretend thatâs how it went down⦠but no. These bandits have âofficial backingâ Iâm sure," said Meg.
"Ah, the nobles are playing games thenâ¦" agreed Hunter.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
"W-what?" asked Strdl and Clyde at the same time while Kat and Kamiko wore frowns on their faces.
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