Chương 61: Setup and Training Ground

Aaron looked at the ceiling blankly, his eyes bloodshot. He hadn't slept a wink yesterday. He lay there for a long moment before opening his mouth.

"Captain Doyle…I…lost everything…" Tears welled in his eyes, but he fought to prevent them from falling. He took a deep breath, sniffling, before he continued.

"... According to Uncle Jeeves. A huge rank 3 Watermoon Opal appeared in the black market auction not long ago. It was said that slave traders acquired it while capturing a mermaid."

"My father was secretly tasked by the second son of the count to acquire it using any means necessary. He didn't use tricks or force but borrowed a large sum of money from the chamber of commerce."

"He added his own savings to the loan and, after a bitter bidding war backed by the second son's forces, finally secured the Opal."

"It should have been the achievement of his career, driving him up as the close confidant of the second son." Aaron paused upon reaching this part; he clenched his fists and closed his eyes in pain. Doyle and Luke looked at each other solemnly. They knew about the count's second son. He was a water mage, stuck at the peak of rank 2 for years. A Watermoon Opal was not only a rank 3 extraordinary gem that could facilitate a breakthrough to rank 3 but also one of the most compatible objects with the second son.

It was too much of a coincidence. Luke's jaw tightened, his hand curling into a loose fist on his knee. He'd heard enough stories to know where this was going.

"... Unfortunately, this was all a part of the first son's scheme." Aaron uttered, losing all strength and flopping down on the sofa; tears slipped down his cheeks. Though the Dawn Chamber of Commerce was nominally under the count, it was mostly run by his three sons and two daughters. The count's children were always struggling and scheming against each other, using any means necessary to drag down the others. His father was from the second son's faction and always executed his orders perfectly.

The Watermoon Opal was a crucial item for the second son's breakthrough to a rank 3 water mage. But…

"The Watermoon Opal was fake." Aaron's voice went flat.

"The whole thing was a setup from the beginning."

"The second son was furious, casting my father aside and nearly crippling him." Aaron struggled to catch his breath.

"My father was made a scapegoat, nearly crippled, and fired from the Dawn Chamber of Commerce, and burdened with a huge debt… He took his life." Aaron said through gritted teeth, tears falling unstoppably.

"My mother fled the day after. They seized all of our properties, our mansion, my magic materials, everything. I returned to an empty house, with nothing left behind." This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Kyle secretly gasped. He didn't expect the nobles of this world to be so ruthless, especially to a trusted subordinate.

'Buying that fake Opal couldn't even be considered his fault. It was that second son's order.' He was stunned. He suddenly remembered the red-haired guy from the guild. The illegitimate son of the count. If his brothers were assholes like him, then it made sense to him.

"Now, I have nothing left. I can no longer afford the tuition of the Ernest Magic Academy. I don't even have a home!" Aaron roared, his eyes bloodshot. Doyle was silent for a long moment. The room felt heavier than it had all afternoon. He didn't offer empty reassurances. He had been an adventurer long enough to know that some losses couldn't be softened with words.

"Aaron," Doyle said quietly.

"Look at me." Aaron slowly raised his tear-streaked face.

"You still have your mana and your spells. You still have your training. And you still have us." Doyle's voice was steady, calm, yet comforting. He looked straight at Aaron's eyes, his expression more serious than ever.

"Everything you have lost, you can gain back. Use the rage, your hatred against the injustice you faced, to propel yourself forward."

"This is a world that runs on power. If you can become a rank 2 or even a rank 3 mage yourself. Then you'll be able to take back everything you lost." Doyle paused; a grin surfaced on his face as he extended his fist.

"Until that happens, we'll help you in any way we can." Aaron hesitantly looked at Doyle's fist. Under his encouraging gaze, he slowly clenched his fist and extended it for a fist bump. Luke stood up and walked to Aaron, ruffling his hair with a smile.

"That's the Aaron I know. You can stay with me for now. There are several empty rooms at my house," Luke said with a grin. Kyle looked at this scene with a faint smile on his face.

'Having true companions who'll have your back when you're down is truly a great thing.' He was a bit envious. Taking a deep breath, he offered.

"When you're ready to take a quest, let me know. I'll watch your back," Kyle added.

"Thank you…" Aaron teared up. He didn't know how to thank them. Many of his so-called friends instantly abandoned him when he lost everything. His followers back at the academy even mocked him when he asked for help. Only this party was truly willing to help him. The kitchen door swung open. Lilia walked out holding a large tray, Tina and Dane following behind with another. Lilia placed the tray on the table with considerably more gentleness than last time.

"Eat first. Everything else comes after a full stomach," she said, her tone leaving no room for argument. Her gaze lingered on Aaron for a brief moment. She didn't offer him encouraging or sympathetic words; she just started setting the plates. Tina placed her tray down and quietly sat next to Aaron, pressing a warm cup of tea into his hands.

"Drink this. It'll help." She said softly.

"Thanks." Aaron nodded gratefully and carefully held the cup, gently taking a sip. The meal concluded in a silent yet warm atmosphere. … On the streets of Velkaris, Luke and Kyle were heading towards the adventurers' guild. Aaron still had to sort out his father's remaining affairs and wouldn't move into Luke's place until later. The team parted ways after the meal, each heading to their own matters. Kyle glanced back once, then kept walking.

There wasn't much he could do to help with Aaron's situation, but there was plenty he could do for his own. Luke had to report the Bloody Hand Gang's connection to the cult in Mirevale, and Kyle decided to tag along. He wanted to try the training grounds accessible to just copper-grade adventurers.

"You sure I don't need to go with you? President Richard went through all of our testimonies back at Mirevale," Kyle asked curiously.

"No need. I don't think the Velkaris branch will take a proof-lacking statement about a gang in a remote town seriously." Luke shook his head. Looking at the bustling dock in the distance, a sneer crept up on his face.

"This is especially the case since Mirevale isn't under the jurisdiction of the count." He said as he looked at the glamorous buildings at the corner of his eye. There was a reason why the cults thrived even under the immense pressure of the churches and the kingdom. There was never a lack of corrupt or incompetent nobles, aiding these forces either knowingly or unknowingly. Even a continental-class organization like the adventurers' guild suffered from the same issues.

The heads of various branches often came from noble or high-ranking families in their area, after all. As long as these high-ranking figures didn't openly break the guild's rules, even the guild couldn't punish them. They soon reached the adventurers' guild. Luke walked to the counter and spoke to the clerk there for a few moments before he was led upstairs. Kyle took a glance before heading towards a door not far from the clerk's counters.

One of them glanced at him, but upon noticing the copper tag on his neck, they didn't stop him. He crossed a long hallway, soon arriving in a large open space. The adventurers' guild training ground.