Chapter 18 - The Selection
Elvira quickly caught on to Lukas' idea. "Do you need to borrow--"
"I wouldn't, Elvira," David injected. "Not with your position in the guild."
"Thanks, Elvira," Lukas said, "but hopefully I have it covered."
Gwyn had regenerated enough mana for one last heal, which at least made Lukas' limp less prominent. His first stop after that was his room, where he retrieved the Dark Warlock's Staff from its hiding place. Then he made a trip to the bank, where he emptied the party's account into four heavily reinforced bags. He lugged the entire haul down the street to Boris' Emporium, where he burst through the door like battered old miser, hunched over, out of breath, and clearly favoring one leg.
Trixie eyed him with amusement. "You know we can take a credit note from the bank, right?"
"I figured," Lukas gasped out, "but I thought this many coins would be more tempting in person."
"That might have worked on my dad," Trixie said with a giggle, "but I would much rather have a credit note. Much easier to handle."
Lukas sighed as he dropped the sacks of coins on the floor.
"Why did you even bring that many coins-- ahhh, you're here for the scroll." Trixie nodded her head with understanding. "What would you have done if we had already sold it?"
"Then you might have seen a grown man cry," Lukas said with a hint of jest.
"You don't want the scroll yet," Trixie commented. "It's still too expensive. My father has only brought it down to sixty thousand gold."
"As much as I would like to wait it out," Lukas said, "I'm out of time. I've brought thirty-eight thousand gold coins..." Trixie was already shaking her head with amusement. "...and a highly unique item." The store clerk's eyebrows raised with interest. Upon seeing the staff, her eyes widened. "Wait, is this the staff of the necromancer that was slain in Greinhold? How did you get it?"
"I defeated the necromancer," Lukas said. "Well, it was my team, and David--"
"Deal!" Trixie gleefully squealed. "The experience scroll is yours."
Lukas took a deep breath, hesitant about his next request. "My conscience compels me to add a contingency. This staff is very powerful and contains some of the most cruel magic known to mankind. I cannot allow this staff to fall into the wrong hands. If I were not in my current situation, I would not even consider selling it."
Trixie nodded, thinking through Lukas' demand. "I can promise to only sell it to guild officials or the Council Guard. I could still fetch a decent price from them, and they might just want it for show. Hell, we might just keep it and put it in our own display window -- heavily secured, of course."
Lukas' apprehensions began to fade. He wasn't entirely thrilled about the situation, but given the circumstances, he dared not ask for more. "I accept."
***
With scroll in hand, Lukas burst into the mansion. Jaren took a look at the young Adventurer and then chuckled in defeat. "Of course he has an experience scroll."
"Here you go, milady," Lukas said while handing the scroll to Fiona.
"I still want a diamond ring," she teased, "but this is acceptable for the time being." The scroll evaporated as Fiona gained her tenth level.
Jaren shook his head. "I probably still have the power to prevent you from competing, but I don't think I have the heart for it. Just... please don't die."
"I believe our interests are aligned in that respect," Lukas said.
Jaren motioned to Mikal. "I suppose it's time for us to leave. There will likely be a reporter from the capital that will want to talk with you. Your profile as a team will make you... quite popular. Remember, seventeen days until Opening Day. I hope you'll be ready." The two men strolled towards the front door.
Marshal Jain followed behind the two departing guests, but before he made it to the door, he turned back and glared at Elvira. "That was a bold, and likely foolish move, Elvira. I hope you know what you are doing." Then he was gone.
David surveyed the room and smiled. "I'm sure you all have plenty to discuss, so I'll take my leave as well. Just between us, this whole idea is growing on me." The old Assassin gave Lukas a pat on the shoulder before making his own exit.
"Finally," Elvira exhaled. "You have no idea how difficult it was to fend them off for two hours. They were really putting me through the wringer."
"You held out for two hours before we arrived?" Lukas questioned with a dumbfounded look on his face. "That sounds brutal."
"Don't worry about it, Lukas dear," the elf said in a playful voice. "It was nothing. I had to make sure your task stayed completed." Even Fiona nodded her head in respect for Elvira's dedication.
"I'm touched," Lukas said, giving the blonde Guildmaster a wink.
"I realize I never asked," Laera chimed in. "How was our parent's visit?"
Elvira let a chortle escape from her mouth. "They were as pleasant as always. They couldn't stop talking about the Arkmere Mages. Dad has never been more convinced that they'll win the tournament. They have no clue that their youngest daughter has been selected to compete. I really want to see their expressions when they find out."
"I'm going to go start dinner," Gwyn said. "Thank you for standing up for us, Elvira. You are truly a great friend." The half-elf girl gave the Anoran a warm hug before skipping off to the kitchen.
The group chatted while Gwyn made dinner with the help of the servants. "What was up with that Mikal guy?" Fiona asked. "It was like he read our profiles."
"I think he is a Scribe," Elvira answered. "He might have an ability that lets him examine profiles. That would make sense if he's traveling with Jaren to validate selected Adventurers."
"He was odd," Lukas noted. "He seemed to be in favor of letting us compete."
"I got that feeling, too," Laera said, "though I wasn't going to question it."
Their discussion turned to their earlier cave run, and they talked about the umber hulks until Gwyn emerged with a completed dinner. Everyone gathered around the dining table and dished out their meal. They spent some time eating and laughing together before the conversation turned back to the tournament. "What's Opening Day?" Lukas asked.
