Sara pulled Lys into the hallway, shutting the door behind them. Both of them were in the empty corridor now. She let go of his arm and turned to face him, her eyes wide and hands on her hips.
"Are you crazy?" she whispered harshly, her voice low but with an intensity that showed she was furious that he rejected that golden offer. "Why would you reject an offer like that? Lord Valtor just handed you everything: nobility, land, a future! Don't you get it, most guys would kill for this chance!"
Lys leaned against the wall, crossing his arms. He looked calm, but inside he was still reeling from the conversation. "Sara, hold on. First, tell me, are you happy about some noble asking me to marry his daughter? Doesn't that make you jealous at all?"
Sara blinked, caught off guard. She paused, her frustration softening a bit. "Jealous? Well... a little, yeah."
She paused for a second, the spoke again, " But your happiness comes first. And it's not like becoming her husband would make you a stranger to me, right? We could still... be together. You know how it is with nobles, they have big harems. It's normal. So, of course, it's not going to be a problem. I'd rather see you rise up than hold you back."
Lys raised an eyebrow, a small smile playing on his lips. "Really? You'd be okay sharing me with a noble lady?"
She rolled her eyes, but her cheeks turned pink. "It's not about 'okay'..it's how things work here. But seriously, Lys, what was that talk about earning your own wealth? Do you really mean that? This could change everything for you, for your family. Wealth, status, nothing would be hard to achieve if you just made ties with a high-ranking noble like Lod Valtor."
He pushed off the wall, getting serious. "Yeah, I meant it. I don't want handouts. If I take that, it's like admitting I can't do it on my own. I've got my own path, Sara. My family needs me here, not off in some fancy territory playing noble."
Sara threw her hands up, pacing a little. "Your path? Lys, this is a path! A golden one! Think about Elara and Mira, they'd live like queens. And you... You'd have power to protect them, the village, everything. Turning this down... it's insane!"
Lys stepped closer, lowering his voice. "It's not insane to me. I want to earn it. Build something real with my own strength if possible. Not just because some lord likes how young and fresh I am, you get my point?"
They stared at each other for a moment, the argument hanging between them. After a while, Sara sighed, finally rubbing her forehead. "Fine. If that's how you feel... I won't push then. But you're really stubborn, you know that?"
He showed her his teeth with a smile. "Yeah, I know."
She shook her head, but a small smile crept back, like she was happy that he didn't take that offer. "Let's go back in. Before he thinks we're plotting against him."
"Yeah, let's go."
They turned and re-entered the room, the door creaking softly.
As they re-entered the room, Lord Valtor looked up from his chair. He set down the cup of tea he'd been sipping, his sharp eyes locking onto Lys right away.
"So," Lord Valtor said, his voice calm but had a hint of curiosity, leaning forward a bit. "What did you decide? Will you accept the offer, lad?"
Lys took a breath, stepping forward while Sara hung back by the door, her face still a mix of worry and relief. He kept his tone polite, meeting the man's gaze steadily.
"My lord, I'm very flattered that you hold me in such high regard, to offer me your only daughter's hand in marriage. It's an honor I never expected. But... I'm not going to back down from what I said. I want to build myself up from the ground, on my own terms. Before I can do that, I don't want to tie myself to anyone, no matter how amazing the opportunity. Your daughter, lady Elowen... she's beautiful, kind, and quick-witted. I have seen it with my own eyes when she helped me take down those wolves. So I know that very well, she has no flaws that would make me say no; it's all on me. Honestly, I feel like I'm letting go of something great by not marrying her. And if someday I've earned my place, and you still think me worthy... I'd be honored to revisit the conversation."
Sara shifted her weight, watching Lord Valtor closely. Lys could feel her tension beside him.
Lord Valtor just stared back for a long moment, his face unreadable, a strange mix of surprise and something else. Lys's mind got confused, not being able to understand the man's face. Was he offended? Had he just ruined everything? He couldn't tell.
Sara's hand clenched at her side, like she was bracing for bad news. Because to every noble of his caliber, getting rejected by a no-name village boy was almost the same as an insult.
But surprising them both, suddenly, Lord Valtor burst into a loud, hearty laugh that filled the room. He slapped his knee, his broad shoulders shaking. "Hah! Well, I didn't expect that at all! A village boy turning down marriage into a house like mine? That's a first for me. But you know what? It raised my opinion of you even higher, lad."
Then his face changed a little, " Though I won't lie, I'm a bit offended. My daughter's a prize, after all. But that's beside the point. I respect a man who chooses the long, hard road to success over the easy path like everyone else takes. It shows great character. You got real spine, boy."
Lys let out a quiet breath he didn't know he was holding, his shoulders also relaxed. Sara's face softened too, a small smile breaking through her worry. They exchanged a quick glance, a close call, but they were okay.
Lord Valtor leaned back, still chuckling a little. He noticed their relieved looks and grinned wider. "You two look like you just dodged an arrow, huh. Relax, I don't bite over honest words. But even if you've turned down my daughter's hand, you still saved her life. That deserves a reward, not a punishment for just refusing my proposal. Name what you wish, lad. Gold? Lands? Something for your family? Speak up. Don't hesitate. I'm in a good mood today."
Lys and Sara both gulped at the same time, their eyes widening.
They both shared the same thought: this was a chance to ask for something really good. The words hung in the air, and Lys opened his mouth to speak, but Sara beat him to it. She stepped forward a little, her voice steady but with a hint of nervousness.
"My lord," she said, glancing at Lys quickly before looking back at Valtor. "If it's okay...then we might have something to wish for. This village has no real connection to the guild in the capital. That's why even dealing with simple monsters is such a huge problem here. If you could help with that, like setting up a link or sending some support, it would benefit the whole village. Everyone could live without fear, and be happy. It would change things for the better here."
As soon as she finished, Sara's face turned red. She glanced at Lys, her eyes wide with worry. Had she overstepped? This reward was for him, not her or the village. What if Lord Valtor thought she was being too bold?
But Lys caught her eye and gave her a reassuring smile, nodding just a little. Letting her know that it was okay, he liked the idea.
Sara let out a small breath, relieved that she hadn't made things overstepped.
Lord Valtor raised an eyebrow, his fingers drumming lightly on the armrest of his chair. The room felt even quieter now, like everyone was holding their breath. "A guild connection, eh? That's smart. Practical, too. I can see why you'd ask for that. But the reward was for the boy, not you, and not your village, Miss Sara. So if he himself doesn't want that or wishes for something else, then I can't do that. So what is it going to be, young man? Do you also wish for this to happen?"
Lys didn't even pause to think it over. The words came out quick and sure, like he'd been waiting for this moment. "Yes, my lord. Absolutely. That's what I want."
Sara's eyes flicked to him, a mix of surprise and relief washing over her face. She hadn't expected him to jump on it so fast, but there he was, nodding firmly.
Inside, Lys's mind was racing, but in a good way. He hadn't come up with any better idea for a wish. Gold or land might feel nice in the moment, but this?
This was bigger. He wasn't too clued in on what a "guild" really meant in this world, not like the locals were. From what he'd picked up in his short time here, though, it sounded like the guild is somewhat of an organiztion which works to gather hunters, warriors, and adventurers to do specific missions.
They were like some kind of office, that handled monsters, quests, and protection etc. Something official, and very powerful when it comes to getting works done with efficiency.
So, if the village got hooked up to one in the capital, it would mean real help, fighters showing up when beasts like those wolves got too bold. Bandits would also fear to roam around here. And many works would be done, which were left undone for the lack of manpower. So, in other words, having a guild branch in this village, which is very far from the capital, to send support each time something happens, might just turn the village into a safe haven in comparison to now.
But yeah, a selfish part of him also lit up at the thought of this. Because if this happened because of him, the whole village would see him as a hero who got the guild to build their branch in these outskirts.
Plus, it'd make things easier for Elara and Mira, too, knowing the place they called home was safer now.
He couldn't think of any better wish, even if he were given a month. So, why ask for anything else when this could change everything for the better?
Lord Valtor let out a low chuckle, leaning back in his seat with a satisfied nod. His eyes sparkled a bit like he approved of the choice. "Hah, straightforward as ever, lad. I like that. Alright then, consider it done. I'll pull some strings when I get back to the capital. I'll make sure your village gets a proper link. Maybe even send a scout or two to set up an outpost here."
When he saw the happy faces on Lys and Sara, he spoke again, "Don't be so happy yet. It won't happen overnight, even if I vouched for it, but I'll see what I can to speed it along."
Sara felt a rush of warmth in her chest, like a weight she didn't know was there just lifted. She broke into a wide grin, the kind that made her cheeks hurt a little. "Thank you, my lord. This... this means a lot. Not just to me, but to everyone here. I didn't think you would agree right away. After all, I have been trying to establish a guild around here for ages. I'm sure, if you vouch for us, it would be done right away, I have no doubt about that."
Lord Valtor cleared his thoat, he felt a little embarrassed with all of Sara's praise for him. He knew she was buttering him up, but he didn't dislike it. "Is that really such a big deal around here? Don't you have hunters here, who occasionally clear the area?"
Sara replied with a sad expression, "We have, but lately the monsters have become too dangerous and large in numbers for our hunters to prune their numbers. So we have been in a pickle for a while. Thank you for your generosity, my lord. Thank you very much." She nodded her head in a bow while showing her gratitude to him.
Lord Valtor waved a hand dismissively, but there was a twinkle in his eye, like he enjoyed seeing them light up. "No need for all that fuss. You people earned it, Saving my Elowen? You gave her proper treatment for her to recover without any trauma from it. That's worth more than a few favors. Now, if that's all settled, how about we wrap this up with a proper toast? Butler! Bring in some of that good wine from the carriage."
A middle aged butler came inside, quickly bowed to him, and just as quickly hurried off outside.