A Tamer’s Adventure

“You idiot!”

A vase shattered, slamming into the wall near Derek. The blonde was silent, his lips shut firmly, as he had no words to counter his father.

“Of all the people you have a problem with, of all individuals, you try to kill a space mage!?”

The delirium in his voice hit the boy hard. How could this be the son he raised?

“Do you realise how they are a cornerstone of the transport industry? Hell, every industry involving transport of goods of any kind needs them! And you try to kill one!?”

Derek was about to counter that he hadn’t known, only to be shut down by his glare.

“How many space mages exist in the world today, not just the continent but the world?” His father sat down, exasperated.

Derek stayed silent.

“I asked you a question!”

“I don’t know.”

“Hah, did you learn nothing in that academy!? Barely two hundred. There are scarcely two hundred space mages in our world with roughly five billion people.

Do you know what the chances are of you walking out and encountering one? Do you know why they're valued? They’re the only ones who can aid in the creation of magic storages, teleportation circles, escape crystals from dungeons, and so much more.”

He looked to his son, gaining no response; had Derek tried to answer, he would’ve thrown the boy out the window.

“They are a small but valued group, and with them knowing what you’ve done and who I am hiring, their services have become too difficult a task for me. I’m not mad about the gold we had to give; I’m not mad about my increased tax.”

He laughed, staring at the buffoon he called his son.

"No, I’m mad because this has affected my business and smeared my reputation. If I don’t lose my baron title by the end of this year, it’ll be a blessing from the gods. From now on, you are forbidden to enter those second-rate clubs. Just leave and head to your room, and please don’t do anything stupid from here on. Otherwise, I’ll consider disowning you; selling you to slavery would be more of a blessing than a punishment.”

Derek said nothing and went for the door. His father, sharing his same features of blonde hair and dark eyes, leaned forward, massaging his forehead.

“I honestly contemplated letting you be put into slavery; at least by then, the space mages would still be willing to offer their services to me. I need to find someone else to inherit the business. I should’ve had more children.”

Derek froze as the doors closed. He seethed, marching his way to his room.

‘How could those fucking idiots fail to kill one mutt? And he’s a space mage!?’ Derek’s mind was burning with rage; revenge Clouded his mind.

Not even bothering to bat an eye at the nude cat girl on his bed, he barked at her to leave his room.

Derek paced back and forth, never expecting to see such an outcome: the chance of losing his inheritance, being banned from going to the lusty caves, and the two lackeys who followed him were no more, one dead and the other in eternal servitude, which, depending on his location, was worse than death.

‘It’s all his fault, if he just died right then and there.’

Derek’s thoughts grew dark, twisted, and even depraved. Not only drifting towards Martyn but Amber as well.

But that thought also raised doubt, considering that they ambushed him alone and failed. What were his chances at revenge? Derek may be blinded by rage, but he knew that if he fought them alone, he could lose his life.

But those worries only lasted a second as an idea came to mind.

‘I wonder if Damien would be on board; hell, even if he isn't, I’ll still go for it, but his backing and help would make it a lot easier. It’s going to take all the money I saved up, but it’ll be with it.’

Derek chuckled, picturing Martyn’s beaten face and himself with Amber before their deaths.

-ATA-

Although Derek was planning to act on his feelings, Damien, on the other hand, was heading to his father’s study.

He had been enjoying his alone time in his room until he was called by one of the maids. Naturally, he would ignore them, but hearing the order originated from his father made him use all the acting classes he had been subjected to.

Entering the study, he met eyes with his father, a well-rounded man with dark red hair and a beard to match. His ruby eyes scrutinised him up and down, a small frown forming at the edge of his lips.

And standing by his side was his most trusted ally, his butler.

“Why have you called for me, father?”

Damien, the fourth child of Duke Nathan Crest, is a bastard child with red hair, dark eyes, and smooth skin, all thanks to his noble upbringing. Even if he was a bastard child, he had to be acknowledged.

Damien had lied earlier; he had an inkling as to why his father called him. All who had negative opinions of his father, his enemies, would use all defacing news and actions to bring him down in the noble circle. Though he flew well under the radar, he wasn’t invisible to the other nobles.

‘What has that leech Derek dragged me into?’

Damien's disdain didn’t show on his face as he sat down across from his father. The maid excused herself and left; only three remained in the room.

Nothing was said, only silence. Damien had met his father’s gaze before and grew accustomed to it, yet deep down he was still afraid.

“I heard about one of your friends from the academy I sent you to; Derek, was it?”

He asked his butler, who nodded.

“It seemed one of your friends got into some trouble with a valued personnel, and that he, along with your "friend,” both gave you up as the mastermind behind this event.”

Damien was dazed, but his face didn’t show it.

“I was not aware; what happened?”

At that, Nathan and his butler sighed.

“Don’t play dumb with me, boy. I know you have your contacts; using my power to do so, I know everything you do and more.”

Damien gulped. “I’ll take care of this situation, father.”

“Hah, take care of it. How? He’s a space mage, not just a simple one, but the first monster tamer to become one, and because of you, the one I’ve spent time allying with has altered our contract; the very vault beneath us was created with his help, you mongrel.”

Damien gripped his trousers tightly, his teeth clenched as he said nothing. He didn’t know Martyn was the first monster tamer to become one; it meant he’d be written about in history, and any findings on how the class and field of magic interact would be a subject among scholars and sages.

“What? Are you mad, boy? Do you plan to head over to that city, talk to the panther-kin, and have him understand you had nothing to do with it, accepting your apology?”

At that, his father laughed deeply; even the butler, though still quiet, smiled and chuckled in silence. Damien could say and do nothing.

“He despises you, idiot, and don’t think I don’t know about you pulling strings to make his life more difficult; if he’s as smart as the report states, then he’s already concluded you’re behind his struggle, and to make it worse, he still thrived and gained support from the Red Hood Adventure Party’s leader, Joseph.”

Damien didn’t know about Joseph, but knowing his plan had failed felt like another slap in the face.

He remembered Martyn well; he became a source of entertainment in his last year in the academy.

Damien’ ruled the academy when he was there. As the only person with a high ranking, no one would stand up to him. The teachers did their best, but none of them had a high enough standing to stop him in any meaningful way. He knew his father brought him there because he didn’t want him in the royal academy, so he decided to enjoy his time.

It was on a particular day when an elf caught his eye. She was beautiful and appealing, a model student due to her holding two elemental affinities, fire and earth, making her a very destructive lava mage.

He wanted to bed her, to have someone so pristine at his knees sucking at his thing, and he walked up to her using his status to have her come to his room. She tried to deflect and leave, but with Derek and the others following him, she had no choice.

That was until Martyn got in the way. They were all tripped by a basic spell; not only that but they were publicly shamed with their pants fallen, half-naked to the school.

No one came up when he demanded an answer; the elf had left, and his day was ruined because someone dared to challenge his authority.

He had hired an expert mage to detect the trace of mana, which led to Martyn.

“Are you listening to me, boy?”

Damien jolted, earning a frown from his biological father. "Yes, father.”

“You are to do nothing. Because of you, your actions, and your "friends",  the reputation of the house has taken a hit; though not a big one. It is still something others will use to try and smear. So do nothing and say nothing when we head to the princess’s birthday, understand?”

“Yes, Father.”

“Hm, if it were up to me, I wouldn’t have you come, but you were mentioned in the letter, no doubt the king’s decision or one of the two dukes… You may leave.”

Watching his bastard son exit Nathan, he let out a tired breath. “John?”

“Yes sir?” John, his butler, answered.

“What you found on the boy, I’d like you to go and meet him, offer him some gold as an apology for what my son had done. If he accepts, try and see if you can bring him to our side.

We can have him join us at the princess’s birthday as a way to show we have a space mage in our corner, refute the news of the event, and spin it to say we came in and helped the boy.

The boy is a monster tamer, so if needed, you can coax him into a rare beast. I’ll leave the judgment up to you. You have a week. There’s nothing I can do since he registered freely and not as part of the army reserves. I can’t put him in the military and have him work under my second child, she would’ve done well to build connections. Even if the army at the front line does not need a space mage now.”

“What if he refuses?” John asked.

“Then you do nothing, apologise, and leave. No doubt he’ll probably be monitored by the leading space mage of the area.”

“Very well, sir, I shall make the necessary preparations.”

John bowed and left the room. Finally, alone, Nathan leaned back, relaxing in his seat. Hoping for the best.

-ATA-

John had been given a task, and he was one to do everything to complete it. Paying off Martyn’s loyalty was a simple feat.

“Two hundred gold should be enough, but as for a monster…”

It came as an issue; for one, their research on Martyn had shown he could only tame one monster.

The reason for his name, one tame wonder, but after a well-done appraisal, they found that his capacity had increased to three.

John had hired renowned appraisers able to hide their presence; it was a surprise when he learned the boy too had an appraisal skill, a rare skill.

Not only that, but he was more than just a space mage but a sage as well, which meant he had kept his studies even after his time in the academy; it was the only explanation as his history showed no noble background or heritage.

More surprising was that he had a hidden title the person he hired could not see through; it did make him a person of interest in Nathan’s eyes, but the increase in capacity was attributed to the hidden title.

“Knowing he can tame more monsters does open options; why stop at one when I can bring him two monsters?”

John nodded to himself, and with that, he went to a monster market. It took time to organise a quick meeting with the owner, but it was done in one day.

The man who guided him was nervous to the point of shaking.

“So what need does the Duke have for a monster pet?”

“Focus, what monsters are caught by monster tamers?” John asked.

The man nodded, surprise filling his face. “I see now... well, it depends on the monster tamer, in all honesty.”

That answer brought a frown to John’s face.

“Ah, but I have come across some in my time! I have asked them about their preferences. Most monster tamers want something that won’t perish in battle; survivability and power are some of their top priorities. I believe I have two that will suit this tamer’s tastes.”

They arrived at the cages. John, for a moment, paused to think, then his lips curled into a smile, and he shook hands with the man.

-ATA-

The journey to the city Martyn dwelled in took two days. In those days, John prepared a script of what he would say to him, and as he arrived in the city, he waited by the inn’s doors. Dressed in normal clothes to not stand out.

Eventually, he spotted them—Martyn with Amber in tow.

The two returned from their run in the dungeon. Preparing himself, he called out to them. The two immediately went on guard, not physically but mentally, and he felt it.

[An attempted appraisal has been blocked.]

John expected such a response, and he saw the alarm in Martyn’s eyes blare.

“Please If I could have a moment of your time, I swear, I don’t want anything from you.”

He saw the uncertainty and nervousness. Amber was also prepared to jump into a fight, but they had no weapons on them. Well, that was before a sword, shield, and spear manifested between them.

‘He already gained his inventory skill.’ John said nothing.

Martyn agreed, and with John using a mana vow, promising he wished no harm, he was able to get them outside the city, where they could talk away from any public eyes.

He noticed Martyn relax slightly, sharing a look with Amber before leading him outside to an open space in the forest.

“Alright, who are you, and what do you want?”

Martyn had placed his sword back in his inventory, but Amber still kept her weapons.

John took a deep breath before a flash of light covered his body, changing back to his butler outfit.

“I am Duke Crest’s butler, John; I believe you are already acquainted with his fourth son, Damien Crest.”

Martyn’s hand clenched. “What do you want?”

“I’m here to apologise for Damien’s actions. We’d like to compensate and support you if you’d grant me a moment.”

Curious, Martyn, let him continue. Smiling, John pulled out a sack of gold.

He saw the shock in both Martyn and Amber when he said it was filled with two hundred gold.

‘No one is immune to it.’ John smiled upon seeing the completion of his mission.

Next, he pulled out the thick cut of meat and said, “This is twenty-five kilos of dragon meat; consuming it will increase all your attributes by two. This can only be eaten once; it’s best to eat once you reach a wall or when your attributes surpass thirty.”

He saw the glint in their eyes—grace, shock, and joy—and had them in his hands.

“And the last gifts from the Duke, as we heard you’re a monster tamer,” Job pulled out two glowing pearls.

Throwing them, they both expanded, revealing in their spheres silhouettes of monsters trapped inside. The first was an earth drake, a dragon without wings; the second was a flare bird, known as the cousin of the phoenix.

John went on to explain their benefits to Monster Tamers and how much they were sought after.

“All of this as an apology?” Amber spoke up with a huff.

“Not only that, but the Duke would also like to sponsor you, sir. We’ve recently discovered the fourth son has pulled strings to make your life more challenging, and for that, we wish to give you the comfort you deserve. All of this is to say we are sorry.”

John ended with a bow. Silence filled the area.

Martyn let out a deep breath. Everything was tempting—very tempting—but he didn’t want the monsters.

And it raised an alarm that they knew he could tame more, something he didn’t voice; it meant someone had appraised him without knowing, which only made him more defensive.

None of the monsters interested him; the gold was hush money, and it was too much; it didn’t feel earned. The twenty-four golds he fought his life for and met Derek made the matter more personal.

As for the dragon meat, that was tempting, and only a fool would refuse free points.

It was a tough dilemma for him; it was not an easy one.

“Forgive me, Sir John; my issue is not with the Dukedom but with Damien himself. I don’t hold any ill intentions and honestly don’t care about him anymore, so I can’t take the gold; I feel it’ll invite trouble.

As for the monsters, I’ll also have to decline. I prefer to earn them myself than to be handed them. If you still feel the need to give, you can donate the gold to the orphanage I grew up in. I’m sure you already know where it is.

I’ll have to decline the sponsorship, but I’ll be happy to take the dragon meat as a sign of goodwill. I’ll also mention this to the space mage that’s acquainted with the Duke.”

John froze, staring at Martyn. He had seen all the signs that it was a done deal. Yet he had failed. Not entirely, though; as he learned, he held no ill intentions towards the household but towards Damien itself. And he would appeal to the space mage in connection with them.

‘If Nathan wants to, he can disown Damien, so it’s not like I failed, and he’ll mention this to the Space Mage, so it’s not a loss,’ he pondered, locking eyes with Martyn, arms crossed, neither smiling nor pouting, indifferent.

But he wondered where he slipped up. Had he come on too strong? Too weak? Why refuse? Or was there still animosity behind his centred gaze?

For Martyn it was in the past, so why hold on to it? He had to move forward, grow, and find places to be.

“I see. Thank you for your time, sir.” John bowed, handed the dragon meat, and left.

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