Tamra smiled. "The member's exhibition is like a contest for all members of an angel squad to showcase their skills". She said. Then she paused as if trying to remember something. After a few seconds, her eyes lit up and she continued. "The higher-ups of the squads usually watch the competition and they choose the first, second, and third place".
"Are there prizes attached to it?" Azure asked. To him, the member's exhibition would be just a big waste of time that he'd have to get through unless there were prizes attached to it. That way he'd know that his time wasn't wasted in the slightest.
"I heard that they're going all out on the prizes this year". Tamra said. "First place gets three stars and a bible verse!"
Azure couldn't help his next set of words. It wasn't that the prizes weren't good enough. To any member, learning a bible verse was like a priceless treasure. But Azure already knew many of those bible verses and as for the three stars, there's nothing that a bit of hard work couldn't solve.
So instead of gasping and screaming about how good the prizes were like most normal people did, Azure simply asked a question.
"Is that all?"
Tamra raised her eyebrows. Her face quickly moved from surprise to nonchalance. To Azure, that could be considered the most normal reaction to any statement that had come out of his mouth.
"Of course, that's not all". Tamra said. "Whoever wins this gets to join the Sunday school classes".
If Azure was holding on to something, he would've dropped it on the floor. If he had water in his mouth then he would've spat it out.
How the fuck was being forced to join Sunday school supposed to be a prize.
In his previous life, he got bribed regularly to laze off during the Sunday school classes by rich second-generation debauchees.
Of course, ahem… of course he didn't take any of those bribes because he was an upright, ahem… righteous man with an unquestionable character.
He couldn't help but smile when he realized how different the two worlds worked. With the way things have been going, one would think that Earth was actually the god-forsaken world.
"Oh…". Azure really did his best to hide his lack of enthusiasm. Tamra spotted it anyway.
"The winner also gets a new transmitter". Tamra said while smiling proudly. The sentence that she just said seemed to be her trump card. If Azure didn't get impressed by this then there was nothing that could faze him.
Instead of Azure looking all interested and motivated, or however she imagined him looking after he heard what she said. He looked confused and puzzled.
"What the fuck is a transmitter?" Azure asked.
Instead of Tamra answering him like any other normal human being would've done, she started stomping her feet, looking no different than a two-year-old child throwing a tantrum.
"You are using bad words!". She shouted. "Lady Tamra isn't supposed to hear bad words!"
When she started screaming, a few heads instantly turned in their direction. Azure was expecting to be criticized by everyone present for making the 'Lady Tamra' cry.
To his shock, the opposite happened. Instead of everyone looking at him with pity in their eyes. When he heard some of them talk, he felt like smacking himself.
"He's probably a new lad".
"I can't believe he has lasted up to two minutes with her".
"Unlucky mate".
"How long till he dies?"
"I dunno, I'll say ten days".
"H-hey Tamra". He stuttered. He didn't like the statements that he had been hearing. "What are they talking about?"
"Leave them be". Tamra said. She then proceeded to give the crowd of 'busy bodies' the stink eye. "We have better things to worry about than a bunch of nosy, good-for-nothing fools". Then as if she didn't just throw a tantrum a few seconds earlier, she ticked a strand of hair behind her ear and asked Azure. "Now what were you asking?"
Azure opened his mouth as if he was about to say something. Then paused as if he was thinking about it. After a short while he answered. "I asked what a transmitter was".
"Oh, yes". She slapped her forehead. "A transmitter is sort of like a…". She was trying to find the best word to use. "A key to connect to server information".
"What's server information?" Azure asked. This girl was beginning to confuse him.
"This… well…" It was obvious that this question from Azure had caught her off guard. So instead of explaining to Azure, she simply said. "So are you registering for the member's exhibition?" She asked.
"Yeah, I guess". Azure said. With how 'tempting' the prizes were. He could 'resist'.
"It's not like you had a choice in the first place". Tamra chuckled.
"What do you mean?" Azure asked.
"Well, every member is obligated to participate in it, it's just that if you register, then the entire thing is practically going to be rigged in your favor". Tamra said. "That's why everyone registers".
"How does that work if everyone registers?" Azure's head was spinning.
"Never mind". Tamra said dismissively. "Oh well, that was a nice chat. See you around". She said to Azure then walked away.
Azure stared at her figure as she walked away and wondered again how some fourteen-year-old had managed to take him on such a roller coaster.