Chapter 15- Deal
Peru Guild surprisingly looks like a normal liquor shop of alcohol. It’s still early in the morning and the shop doesn’t have a customer yet. Elise walks to the bar counter and orders a glass of water. The bartender frowned at Elise but gave her order, after checking the surroundings Elise called for the bartender again and asked him a question.
“I have a request for the Peru guild, where shall I proceed?”
The bartender paused his work and looked at Elise. He nodded his head and gave her a paper. Elise looked at the brown paper where a map was written. The bartender smiled at her.
“You can go to that place to process your request. Thank you for choosing the Peru guild.”
Elise crumple the brown paper and throw it at the counter. That paper has a spell for erasing someone’s memory of Peru guild. No one knows that this place is the main headquarters of the guild. The bartender must be a member of the Peru guild but Elise is not certain of that. She stares at him seriously.
“Tell Rj that I’m requesting for him without any delays.”
The bartender stopped smiling and the atmosphere became heavy. Elise gets nervous all of the sudden. She planned to disguised as a fake customer but after receiving a brown paper she changed her mind and aggressively looked for the leader. They might think of her as a suspicious person but she doesn’t have any choice! She needs to move forward and plan ahead of time.
“I think the lady misunderstood something. We don’t accept requests here.”
“I’m sorry for being forward but I really need to talk with Rj. Tell him I’m here to propose a business deal.”
The bartender looks at Elise puzzled. He can’t sense a magic power to the lady or any ill intention. She appeared to be a lost girl and the magic of manipulation he cast did not affect her, she’s a mystery but why is this lady looking to the leader? She must be desperate.
“Then come with me, my lady.”
“You can just call me Elise cause I’m a commoner.”
“Then just call me Rio.”
“Okay Rio.”
Rio smiles at Elise while showing her the way. He opens the door and after entering it, the surroundings change. It must be magic? Elise's astonished face looked at Rio and to the room with the blue door.
Rio opens the door and a small office greeted Elise. Rio told Elise to sit on the small sofa in the corner and leave the room.
Elise studies the interior, the walls are painted in light blue and some paintings hang vertically. The office is simple but too small for Elise's taste. She remembers Rj to be a minimalist type of person. After a minute the door opened again and Rio entered inside after him.
The dark skinned man entered the room behind Rio. He did not glance at Elise and just walked to the working chair to sit.
“So, why is the unknown lady looking for me?”
A sharp voice travels to Elise's ears. She stares at him in amazement.
Rj is one of the characters that Elise liked in the book The Lazy Lucky Princess. Rj helped Alicia in the story when she got kidnapped, the story was so dramatic because Rj was looking for a way to heal an illness for his sister Berry.
A twelve-year-old girl who is gifted. Her body has mana but it’s a huge amount that’s why her body can’t handle the burden. When a body is weakened the symptom black mark like bruises will appear in the skin. Rj didn’t know the truth and thought that Berry was cursed, that's the reason why he built the guild and searched for a cure.
“I’m here to propose a business to you.”
“I don’t have all day, lady.”
“I want you to listen to my proposal. I’m planning to travel to Yaven mountain and I want you to personally protect me from the danger until I reach the summit.”
Elise has a serious look on her face but Rj just burst into laugh and stare at her ridiculously. Elise sighs in his reaction.
“Are you kidding me now lady?”
“I’m not joking to you. I will pay you for your service.”
“Stop saying nonsense and just tell me properly. What the fuck is your intention looking for me?”
“I can’t tell you my reason now, not until I reached the summit of Yaven mountain.”
“Then get out! I have no time to play with little girls like you.”
Rj dismissed Elise and looked for Rio. He’s signaling him to let her out of the room. Elise senses it opens her mouth.
“I-I know the cure for your si-“
The atmosphere changes quickly. Rj is surrounded by a dark aura and Elise did not understand why she was seeing Rj dark mana. He cast magic spells to attack Elise but Rio blocked him.
“Elise, I think you need to go now.” Rio told her
“I’m not going anywhere! I told you I know a cure for your sister’s illness. You can find it at the Yaven mountain. That’s why I chose you to come with me!”
Rj stared at Elise for a long time after breathing heavily. She’s not even flinching after and continues looking at him straight in the eyes.
“Tell me more about that. You know that a curse can only be cured by magic.”
“You’re wrong. Your sister wasn’t cursed but her illness is caused by mana. Your sister is gifted and her body can’t handle a huge amount of mana inside her that’s why her skin has black marks. “
“What in the world are you saying?”
“Elise, this is not a joke, don't talk carelessly of Berry.”
Rio warned her and started to look angry.
“Peony flower is the cure of her illness. I will guarantee to you my life that I’m telling you the truth. “
Silence
“If you bet your life easily like that, I have no more words, lady.”
Rj is smiling at Elise but his eyes are full of anxiety. He doesn’t want to listen to a girl who suddenly pops out in his office and easily talks for a cure. Rj is thinking rapidly. He is desperate that he wants to beg her to tell him more but is cautious of the possible trap. Elise's eyes are full of certainness. He made his decision.
“I’m going to write a contact. You will pay me two thousand gold for my service. Like you said, I will protect you from harm while we're on Yaven mountain. I, the leader of the Peru guild, will give you my words. But I still don’t trust you. You need to tell me everything if you want to propose a business deal my lady.”
Rj smiles at Elise, this time it’s a genuine smile.
“Thank you.”
END OF CHAPTER 15…
