Needless to say, Reis didn't get enough sleep that night, even after sending the guardian to the guestroom on the other end of the palace. After all, the creature had the fast travel option.
He also had to feed that troublesome furball every few hours cause it just won't let anyone else do it.
Now he looked like a raccoon after not getting enough sleep for three whole nights. He didn't even want to get out of bed. But he had to, for the sake of his future rest! There was way too much to do. Like getting the villain of the day to pass an interview.
"You do not need to be here, Ioannis." The king also felt a headache. This child of his didn't even attend to his own tasks. Why was he even here for something like this anyway? And no, he refused to believe it was simply because the prince felt so much gratitude that he couldn't help it. That wasn't how Ioannis functioned.
And Ioannis's 90% match was indeed not that way either. Reis just wanted to make sure the guardian actually passed the interview without causing any casualties. "I have somewhere to go after, so I am just here to wait. Don't mind me, father."
He slumped down on the sofa with the kitten basket set right on the tea table.
Aldric leaned forward and looked at the man whom the prince insisted on hiring. "I'm truly grateful to you for saving Ioannis. So much that I even considered giving you a land and title."
Reis pretended to play with the kitten, but he was listening closely. After all, he would be taking the main exam.
"You can still accept that reward, despite what Ioannis says."
Yvaion turned his head towards Reis, and the king followed the movement. As if he had a say in the matter. Reis knew they just looked at him for the sake of it.
"I have no use for a title, so this is fine."
Reis didn't think that the king would use a carrot method. If it were anyone else, this would have been an instant fail for him.
Aldric tapped on the table once, "Your name?"
The otherworldly being paused, for a beat too long. Answer, Lord Yaravin!
|...you cannot keep doing this.|
It wasn't like he did it on purpose. Reis tried to get it right, but his vocal cords just didn't comply.
"Aion. My name is Aion."
Reis looked up. That sounded easier to get right. Aldric nodded silently. "And where are you from?"
North.
"North." Yvaion repeated.
The king looked at him questioningly. "Just north?"
Reis closed his eyes. What was in the north? If it were the far north, then ice and mountains. He picked north cause there weren't many cities that way. But he only knew the outline of the locations, not their names. Say mountains.
"...the northern mountains."
"In such cold regions? How did you end up here?"
"It was too cold in the north, so I relocated." Perfect excuse!
"What weapon are you trained in?"
Reis didn't understand the point of the question. The reason for the interview was to see if Yvaion was trustworthy, not whether he used fancy weapons.
Say sword. That was the classic option.
The Guardian considered the question for a moment. "All. I can use all of them."
Reis hid his face in his palms as Aldric's eyes narrowed. "That's a bold claim."
Indeed. For a human to be experienced in using all weapons at the age of, by the looks of it, twenty, was nothing more than a bold claim. Especially when he himself only knew how to hold a kitchen knife and that was a talent he brought over from his original self.
But the guardian didn't seem like he was going to answer otherwise. And Reis was low on excuses, "He's a mercenary, father. Doesn't he have to?" He interrupted with the best excuse available.
"There is no saying what trouble may present, so it is necessary to know how to use whatever is available."
Reis sometimes hated how this creature could talk better like a noble than him, with Ann's habits.
Aldric seemed to agree with the answer. They did live in a dangerous world. Being strong was better in any case.
"I understand that Ioannis wants to hire you because you are strong, but why are you agreeing to help? Clearly, you know of his image if you have been in the kingdom long enough."
Was it necessary to bring him into this? Reis didn't know. But there was clearly no reason to bring up his image to throw a jab at him. He had not expected such pettiness from the king.
On the contrary, the guardian had only been in the kingdom for about two days. But he probably knew the troublesome prince better due to having exclusive access to his mind. "Because I promised."
Reis froze, as did the room. This sounded too ambiguous. Like he had made a promise to a friend. Saying he was honoring a promise made to someone he met a day ago was the best way of raising suspicion.
"To whom?"
The guardian simply pointed at the prince, who still pretended to observe the kitten like a mad scientist. "He gets feral when his words aren't listened to."
He did not just say that to the king. And more importantly, he did not just call me feral!
The great guardian did actually, with the most calm expression in the world at that. And zero guilt for it, too.
The king blinked and looked at the offended prince, then back at Yvaion. "You seem trustworthy enough. I will assign you to the position by tomorrow."
Success never tasted so sour for Reis. He was doing this for himself and suffering for it. But at the same time, he felt like he was losing.
"And since you can use all the weapons, please teach him whichever you find fit. I will give you a bonus for it."
The guardian observed the king for a second before smiling. A smile that would have made Reis shudder if he had seen it. "Of course, your majesty."
Yes. It was definitely a bad idea. "Father! The whole point–"
"The healer will visit you after lunch. Return before then. I am busy, so I'll visit later."
Reis swallowed his complaint as he stood up and bowed. It wasn't like the great lord had to follow the words anyway. It was just for show anyway. And…
"Why wouldn't I, when someone requested with such sincerity?"
Of course, he would.