Chương 61: Chapter 039 The Gentleman Scribe And The Young Archer

"Oh, Jack, you look lovely. So handsome." Jack's mom beamed as she made her son parade up and down the kitchen in his new work suit.

"You look just like your father." Only a few minutes after getting home from the tailor's, his mother had insisted he show off his new clothes. He felt like a circus bear performing tricks as he paced back and forth for Mom, Polly, and Zia… Little Richard had no interest in the spontaneous catwalk event. Polly smirked.

"You're right, Mom. He does look old, boring, and stuffy." Jack rolled his eyes at the weak insult.

"Not your best work, Polly."

"Pollyanna, don't be mean to your brother." Anna gave her daughter a look and said, 'Jack cuts a handsome young gentleman. As does your father.'

"Sorrrry, Mom," Polly replied, but her grin betrayed her amusement.

"You look nice, Jack," Zia whispered.

"Thank you, my lady." Jack gave the little girl an exaggerated, deep bow.

"Will you grant me the pleasure of a dance?" He held out his hand to Zia with a flourish. Zia flushed pink and glanced at Anna, who gave her an encouraging smile. So cute. I have to keep her safe. Jack thought, grinning.

"Give me a moment," he said to Zia, who was still looking embarrassed.

"We can't dance without music, can we?" He'd had an idea. Jack leaned over to whisper something in his mom's ear. Anna chuckled and pointed to one of the kitchen drawers. Jack gave Zia a thumbs-up, went to the drawer, and pulled out a brass wand-like utensil. With a flick of his finger, he activated one of the embedded runes and made a spreading motion as if buttering bread. A moment later, the enchanted spreader burst into song, a whimsical, ridiculous tune about 'Joy to the world, the mayo is king.'

Zia giggled, recognising the familiar tune from when she first saw the odd little device. Polly snorted at the lyrics.

"That's awful. What is it?" Jack turned back and, with a theatrical bow, repeated, "My lady." He extended his hand again with a big smile.

"Will you give me the honour of dancing with you?" Anna clapped her hands in encouragement, nodding for Zia to accept. Zia turned an even deeper shade of pink but, summoning her courage, placed her small hand in Jack's. As the spreader belted out the chorus— Joy to the world, the mayo is king —Jack scooped the little girl into his arms and twirled her around the kitchen.

"Joy to the world, the mayo is king!" Jack sang, laughing as he spun in circles; Zia's silver hair, which was tied back in a faded blue ribbon, flared out like a silver halo. Zia giggled and joined in, singing between laughs, "Joy to the world, the mayo is king!" Polly, unable to help herself, let out a laugh at the ridiculous scene and hummed along to the silly song. Jack and Zia sang the silly song as they danced.

"Joy to the world, the mayo is king!" Little Richard gurgled as they passed him by, singing, "Lettuce rejoice, and all the people sing!" When the tune moved into its even weirder lyrics— So pickles, get your buns, for the creamy condiment fun —the pair of them switched to humming, "La, la, la, la, lalala…" laughing and dancing their way back to the catchy chorus end, "For the creeeeamy, dreeeeamy condiment fuuuun!"

The kitchen filled with the sounds of laughter, silly music, and the light clatter of feet on the tile floor, and for a while, it felt as though the heavy shadows chasing Jack outside the house had been left far, far behind.

Jack's heart pounded as he stepped into the Adventurers Guild, his cloak drawn tight and his mask in place.

"This sucks," he muttered under his breath.

"I shouldn't have to hide like a damned criminal." For the past twenty minutes, he'd navigated the labyrinth of Lundun's backstreets and alleys, avoiding any routes he imagined the remaining three adventurers might take. Relying on [Shadow Veil] to keep him hidden in the shadows and [Assassin's Intuition] for forewarning of an attack. He wasn't ready for another run-in, not yet. As Jack entered the main hall, he slowed, his eyes scanning the space beneath his hood.

"Not as busy today," he whispered with a small breath of relief.

"And no sign of them…" His gaze caught on a familiar figure.

"Toma." A smile tugged under Jack's mask as he spotted the boy, fidgeting with his bow, while sitting alone at one of the smaller tables. The lad's eyes kept darting to the main entrance, his small face set in a hopeful expression, as if waiting for someone. Jack made his way over, weaving through the hall. Without a word, he pulled out the chair opposite Toma and sat. Toma blinked at him, his frown deepening as he eyed the cloaked and masked stranger now seated across from him.

His hand instinctively gripped his bow and gave a weary look. Jack stifled a chuckle under the mask. In his deepest voice, he said, "Nice bow, friend." He leaned forward and looked to his left and right like he was checking for eavesdroppers, then in a whisper, he added, "The Orion Syndicate sent me to hire the best." He drummed his fingers on the table.

"One job… 100 gold upon completion." Toma's eyes widened in panic, and his mouth dropped open.

"No… I'm-I'm no. I'm not what… not." He'd let go of his bow and was waving his hands in front of him. Jack couldn't hold it in any longer; he leaned back, laughing. This shocked the boy further.

"I'm fourteen. I… I don't." Jack chuckled and lifted his mask just enough to reveal his grin.

"Hi, Toma. Not interested in a big job? It pays well," he joked. Relief flooded the boy's face.

"Jack!" Toma broke into a wide smile.

"You almost scared me half to death. What's with the mask? You look like you're about to kill someone!" Not today. Jack gave a small shrug.

"Trying to avoid someone, let's leave it at that." He gestured at the boy's bow and new makeshift quiver.

"How's the practising going?" Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. Toma straightened, his excitement bubbling over.

"Really, really good! I can sometimes hit a small target now. And… and the arrows you gave me are awesome. Really awesome! I drew a target on a tree and practised like you said until my arms ached and Mom made me stop." Jack grinned beneath the mask.

"Glad to hear it." He leaned back.

"Have you seen Nessa and Ella around today?" Toma's shoulders drooped a little.

"Yeah… saw them earlier. They booked Training Room 13 again." His voice quietened.

"I wish I had some coin. Dad says I can only train at the Guild once a month." Jack frowned.

"That's rough." He glanced over at one of the glowing display boards embedded in the wall.

"Hang on. I'll check if there's still space." Toma watched as Jack strode to the nearest free display board. The palm runes glowed blue as Jack logged into the Guild's system. He scanned through the listings; the brass-and-glass interface ticked and whirred. He opened the listing for Training Room 13 and checked the special note: Ella and Nessa, Level 9 and Level 7 Novice Archers looking to share costs with 4 low-level archers. Non-combat classes looking to practice archery are welcome.

Will set room at Novice Archer, level one. Beginner level one. Looking to have fun while training.

"There they are," Jack murmured.

"And four spots still open… session starts in twenty minutes." He drummed his fingers on the wall in thought. I enjoyed teaching the kid. He looked back at Toma, who looked dejected. And it's only 9 coppers extra if no one else turns up… 7 if two more join. He thought about all the gold he'd got from the mage. Decision made, Jack collected two brass training tokens. He pocketed one and tossed the other in his palm. Walking back over to the table, he flicked the token towards Toma.

"Catch, kid." He'd decided to treat Toma to an archery session. Toma, caught off guard, flailed to grab it, fumbled, dropped the brass token, and fell backwards off his chair with a startled, "Ow!" Jack couldn't help but laugh. Seeing that was worth the cost. A now red-faced Toma scrambled to his feet, clutching the brass token.

"Wha… what's this?" He blinked down at it, then up at Jack, then back to the token again. Jack tilted his head towards the training rooms.

"Are you coming?" he asked as he made his way to Training Room 13. For a split second, Toma just stood there, stunned… and then his face lit up with pure delight.

"Yes! Yes, Jack!" he shouted, dashing to catch up. As the boy fell into step beside him, he blurted, "Thanks, Jack! You didn't have to… but thanks! This is going to be awesome." Jack reached out, patting Toma's shoulder.

"No problem. Let's go have some fun." Some of the weight and fatigue from his shoulders drifted away as they turned down the corridor together, heading towards the archery training wing. I really need this, Jack thought as he looked forward to a fun hour of archery training with new acquaintances… maybe even new friends. Jack and Toma navigated the winding corridors of the Adventurers Guild, the faint hiss of spent aether-steam rising from copper pipes running along the walls.

Thin blue vapour coiled upwards, vanishing into the brass ceiling vents as they passed. Toma bounced on his feet, his voice full of excitement.

"This is going to be so much fun." He grinned, gripping the straps of his makeshift quiver.

"Hey, Toma!" called Ella as she leaned against the doorframe of Training Room 13.

"Changed your mind about training?" Toma sprinted forward, his excitement spilling out.

"Jack paid for me!" he beamed.

"It's going to be awesome!" Ella raised an eyebrow, sharing a confused look with Nessa, who was crouched nearby, adjusting her quiver. Jack chuckled, pulling off his mask for a moment, so the two young archers could see who he was. Nessa tilted her head, squinting at Jack as he approached.

"You look like an assassin, Jack," she quipped.

"A poor one, though." Jack's shoulders tensed. Underneath the black hooded cloak, he didn't look the part of a killer. He wore his normal clothing, far from the sleek, shadowy attire most trained assassins would wear. But the words struck a nerve. He couldn't help but wince, remembering how he'd killed the mage the day before in cold blood. He had to shake it off. I'm not an assassin, he told himself, even though he knew it wasn't true.

"I'm just trying to avoid someone…" The mage's bloody throat flashed in his mind, the iron-rich odour, and the way the man's hands had scrambled at his own chest.

"Girlfriend problems?" Nessa grinned and patted his shoulder, her tone teasing.

"We understand, Jack. So many women after your…" She paused to think.

"What do Novice Scribes have?" Ella chuckled.

"Ink stains and paper cuts." Jack blinked. A stable life, a clean conscience, safety, family… He swallowed hard, forcing a hollow chuckle.

"Yeah… something like that." He didn't elaborate as he glanced across at the training room's display. Training R oom 13. Booked until 11: 52am. Please collect any valuables before leaving. The Adventurers Guild is NOT responsible for any injuries or lost property. Session ends in 15 minutes. Ella clapped her hands once.

"So! You two happy with the same setup as last time?" She grinned.

"Individual practice, then a bit of fun at the end?" Toma hopped from foot to foot, bouncing with energy.

"Yeah, that last bit's great!" He shot a sideways glance at Jack.

"It's gonna be awesome, right?" Under the mask, Jack raised an eyebrow but nodded.

"Sounds good." Nessa craned her neck, glancing back down the hallway.

"I hope more people show up soon," she muttered, her fingers tapping against the doorframe.

"Still short on coin?" Jack asked. Nessa and Ella nodded in sync. Toma gave a small, resigned nod of his own, which made Jack chuckle. Jack remembered the conversation he'd had with the young adventurers who showed him the forest clearing where he fought the goblin; they were in desperate need of an archer and tank for their party. He shared the memory.

"I met a group of adventurers a few days ago. They were looking for an archer. I think… Mary was their leader." Nessa's eyes narrowed.

"Mary, Carol, Arthur, and Ben," she said.

"I know them. Ben's the worst." Ella shook her head.

"The others are fine, but Ben… He's a liability. The type that gets you killed. We couldn't work with him." Jack nodded, recalling the young swordsman who believed he was above such things as sharpening his sword.

"Yeah, he did come across as a bit of an idiot." He frowned, shaking his head.

"What sort of swordsman doesn't sharpen his own blade?" Toma blinked, wide-eyed.

"Wait, really? He doesn't sharpen his sword? My dad always said you've gotta take care of your tools. They take care of your work… or something like that." The group chuckled, but Jack was still lost in thought, replaying the encounter. In his past life, he'd seen firsthand how arrogance and laziness could ruin a budding adventurer. In their line of work, it was the little things, like maintaining gear, that kept adventurers alive. Jack glanced at the door's display again. Still ten minutes.

He looked over at the boy, who was adjusting his quiver again.

"How's your form training going?" Toma's smile faltered for a moment, then he straightened up, his confidence returning.

"Good, I think," he said.

"I was actually going to ask if you could give me some more tips… maybe?" Was he waiting for me in the Guild hall? Jack chuckled.

"Okay… show me what you've been doing." For the next five minutes, Toma demonstrated his archery stance and form, and Jack gave advice while the two young women watched on with smiles.

"I can see you've been practising," Jack said. The recognition elicited a big smile from the boy.

"Not bad, but your form's still a little too rigid. Loosen up a bit here." He gestured to Toma's shoulders.

"Try to follow through a bit more smoothly with your bow arm." Toma nodded, adjusting his posture as Jack demonstrated. There were still things to correct… his left hand was too high on the bow… his elbow was a little too stiff… his grip was still tight… his aim still lacked finesse.

"Good," Jack said.

"I'll give you some more pointers as we train. You'll get there with practice." Toma jumped up and down a few times, excited.

"Thanks, Jack."

"How do you know so much about archery?" Nessa asked.

"You mentioned stuff I didn't know." Ella nodded in agreement. Jack smiled under the mask.

"I read a lot, that's all." He lied.

"Benefit of training to be a scribe." With the benefit of his [Perfect Recall] skill, it was easy for him to compare the boy's form to illustrations from books he'd memorised. It was easier for him to get Toma's form right than his own. He could almost overlay diagrams of archery forms he'd memorised over Toma's body to compare the two. They continued to chat… A few minutes later, two young women walked around the corner, neither carrying bows. Jack heard Ella groan and complain under her breath.

"Gods. Why them?" Nessa patted her friend's shoulder. The new arrivals were dressed in simple leather armour. One had short hair, wore a dagger at her side, and carried a small pack marked with a red cross; a healer. The other had long blonde hair and a wand looped on her belt; a mage. Jack's blood ran cold.

"Fuck." He recognised the two women. Shit, it's them. Fuck. What are they doing here?