The White warrior was now in a huge dilemma. Become Ridire or not? He had the answer, but it would be difficult to convince the Princess.
Vick looked intently at Casper, waiting for him to answer her proposal. She was still offering her hand, wanting a handshake or something.
Casper just looked back and forth at her face and hand. He groaned slightly and strummed the Ukulele's strings viciously. He was willing to gain some time to answer her, trying to think on what was the better way to go.
"I… I think that… I don't get it." He said, finally. "Why would you want an unknown person working together with your army? You don't know a thing about me and my intentions after all."
Vick pulled her hand away, slowly. She seemed to also think a lot before responding:
"First of all, because you have good, yet short, battlefield history here in the District. Some soldiers witnessed your feats."
"Is that so…? I see." Casper took note of those 'witnesses'. He had a theory about it, but first, he needed to confirm something.
"What feats they are talking about, exactly?" He kept playing the ukulele, making the question look just a casual one.
"People had seen you in the Main avenue while you were trying to survive all alone. It seems that you killed two civilians and let a Ridire on the edge of death.
"Also, it's said that you and Sionnach were the ones who broke in into the Complex of the Bolt Corporation, making use of an old reservatory and explosives only."
Casper stopped to play the ukulele. He kept quiet, thinking for a moment. Then, looked at Vick with his brows raised.
"Just that?"
"Why? Do you have more?"
Casper nearly clicked his tongue. That day, she was very sharp and alarmed. That was the disadvantage of letting people know how dangerous and smart you can be: they will never lower their guards again against you and will always be prepared.
However, Casper did not lose outright that battle.
"I heard that a person needs to have great feats on the battlefield to become a Ridire, and that's a difficult task. I just survived a sudden rebel attack and made a gap on a wall. Are these the great feats you are looking for in a warrior? For me, the Ridire were a troop more formidable than that."
Casper nearly could see a vein popping up on her face, in a way that even that huge mask could not cover.
The White warrior already knew that Vick was a proud person. Whenever he wanted to get a better return from her, he just needed to aim at this weak point.
"What are you implying, Casper?" She narrowed her eyes.
"What do you think about it? Maybe I am just saying that I am not good enough to become a Ridire, or then…"
"Are you underestimating my troops?"
"You said it, remember this!" He pointed at her, taking her by surprise.
Vick looked a bit troubled for a while, then giggled a bit.
"You jerk, I am serious about it! I really need to solve it with you, Casper."
"Aah, c'mon, look to my ukulele, do you think that I am up to talk about business now?"
"There are some things more important than playing your music!"
She approached him and slapped him in the shoulder, stealing his ukulele after this.
"I don't know, I think I prefer to be chased for archers again, like yesterday, than think about a deal right now…" Casper carefully selected his words.
"Hmpf, if you prefer to be beaten up like that, then…" The Princess stop to talk. Casper thought that it was a pity not to know what was her expression behind the mask.
"Yeah, I got you again." Casper did not know how, but the Princess knew what was going on on the battlefield. She was witnessing everything.
That raised even more the main suspicious Casper had since the start. Bit by bit, he was working on his hypothesis.
"Well, anyway, let's say for now that I am not that interested in your proposal, Vick. I don't see any good in becoming a Ridire, I am just a lucky survivor."
"A lucky survivor would not have the abilities you have."
It was a really good point. If Vick really witnessed everything that occurred with Casper, then she knew exactly what he was capable of.
"Every ordinary guy can know how to shoot, fight and train his body." He shrugged.
"I doubt that an ordinary guy would do as good as you, but, anyway, I am not talking about your fighting skills. I am talking about your intellect."
A chill ran down Casper's spine as long as he looked her in the eyes.
"What's with these eyes?" He thought.
"I mean, the way you can control a young lady like me is something that an ordinary guy wouldn't do. Also, the way you are detailed, attentive, persuasive… You understand how to play with someone's mind… No, better, you know how to make someone get confused on his own, just giving him discreetly the wrong directions."
"You don't know who I am, Vick. There are lots of reasons that would explain why I am a so good mentalist and psychoanalyst."
She faltered, and get pensive for a while. Casper was gambling on that argument, his options to get out of that situation were ending.
"Right… They are the same reasons that make you have such military intelligence? I mean, the way you moved on the Battlefield wasn't random. You knew exactly where to go, what to do and how the battle would work through the time… That's not just ability, it's experience as well."
Casper was aware that he was cornered. In the end, the conversation from yesterday and the meeting from today served as a test.
The Princess was not the smartest one there, but she was very clever.
Casper made her slip some information in their dinner on the previous day, but she used his behavior to discover more about him. Casper did not win completely that battle. It was just starting. He could not be fighting mentally against a genius, but with a person who would turn her mistakes into an advantage somehow.
"She is dangerous in her own way." He admitted. "Now, it will be a very difficult matter to gather more information from her. Maybe what I have taken until now is enough. The problem is: How I get out of this situation? She will not allow me to just refuse her request. But I can't agree to become a Ridire, not now…"
Casper knew that he needed to infiltrate further into the Castle's society and hierarchy to take his safety for granted. However, he was aware of how limited he could become once he entered the army.
Now he needed freedom because there were a lot of things he needed to discover. Also, he could not attach himself extremely with the Jarls, since he was still trying to sort out what was going on in that district.
"Anyway, Casper, I think you have what it takes to become a Ridire, and you know very well this fact. Now, should I ask you why are you hesitating so much?"
That was a clever move, but the soldier would not let her corner him even more.
"What's the matter? I thought we were talking about business here. Let's get back to the subject. My personal motivations are pointless here, or may I ask you some questions as well, Vick?" He gave her a meaningful look.
It was a bluff. If she said yes, Casper would lose.
"… Okay, let's get back for now."
As she said it, a huge weight left Casper's shoulders. The atmosphere got less dense.
"Indeed, we got carried away by our discussion. Then, leaving aside all these things… I want you to reconsider my proposal." She calmed down and sat on a near chair.
"It can look like I am trying to take advantage of you, but becoming a Ridire has its benefits and you will be in direct contact with our most prestigious scientists, which will make it easier to study your case."
Casper heard attentively to what she said. Maybe he found another way to run away there. But, for that plan to work, he would need to struggle a bit in the negotiation.
"What's the problem in just go there to the protocols needed for the research? I mean, you had said before that I can't show myself to other people often. It's safer if I stay in my new home for the time being and get out the least as possible, right?"
"You can't just stay here doing nothing, and you would be much exposed needing to go all the way from your home until the laboratories. Being in the army would make you live almost there, so it would be easier."
The White warrior nearly smiled. She got into the exact point he wanted.
"Live among the warriors? I thought I needed to be a secret thing and all…" He raised a brow.
"They saw you on the Battlefield already."
"Hmmm… I have a deal with you if that's the case…"
She tilted her head to the side, dumbfounded.
"What?"
"Instead of me becoming a warrior, why I don't live amongst the scientists? I mean, I am pretty interested in the technology of this world to become with. The scientists would be more receptive to me than the warriors since they will see me just as a researching object as well."
He looked at her with eyes filled with excitement.
Vick seemed to be unsure at first. Although, as long as Casper kept talking, her eyes changed a bit.
"It will not be easy to me, you know? It will be even more difficult than make you become a Ridire."
"Yeah, how unfortunate…" Casper retrieved his instrument and started to play his music. "I am counting on you, Vick."
The White warrior secretly commemorated. He needed to change his plans slightly, but everything would go well, probably.
That day, it was his victory.