Talia was brooding in the shower, and Vincent was reading the people's files and making notes in a notebook. Vincent was leaning back in the chair and humming a victory song. 'Is this how Master Jekel feels after people leave his office with a frown?'
Markus was laughing his head off. Jekel was nodding his head like a sage. "Vincent is doing a fantastic job. He will have his army of minions before he leaves the ship." Vera shook her head and spoke up. "Jekel, Vincent is not like you. He won't enslave and discard them. You know that just as well as the rest of us." Jekel turned a blind ear to her and returned to watching the screen.
The people in the crowds were murmuring different things. Some agreed with their kid's actions, while others frowned. A few of them even spent money to reprimand their children. Patty swiped her card on the keyboard before her and typed a message for Vincent.
Vincent had just closed his notebook when he saw Patty's message. 'You should be more honest but still stay smart.' Vincent wryly smiled and wrote a note on his notepad. 'Being honest will get me killed. I will try to be honest and nicer if I can.' Talia stepped out of the shower with her hair still wet.
Vincent glanced at her but didn't think about how her clothes stuck against her body and how cute her freckles made her look. "You can take a shower now. A privacy button on the side will block the people's back home views." Vincent stood up and went to take a shower.
Talia watched him go inside the bathroom. She sighed, sat on the bed, and brushed and combed her hair. 'He doesn't give off the scent of a killer or experienced soldier. He neither gives off the smell of a naive kid nor a wishful optimist. He is dangerous, though.'
She picked up her hair ornament. 'If only I wore this for a little bit longer. I let my confidence get the better of me.' She put her hair in a high ponytail and laid on the bed. Vincent came out and saw Talia lying down on the bed.
He went to the door and rigged it so that if someone tried to sneak in, they would be woken up. He also placed pre-made runes on the floor to block out people who could teleport. He removed the daggers and put one on his and Talia's sides.
"I know you aren't asleep. This dagger is just in case, but I highly doubt someone will try entering." Talia opened her eyes and looked at him. "Is something the matter?"
"I can't get a read on you. I can usually read people and find out their true intentions, but with you, there is nothing." Vincent shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know how to respond, so I am just going to get into bed."
Vincent got into bed and clicked the privacy screen button. 'One day down, eleven more to go.'
The next morning.
Vincent woke up and got ready. He went to the canteen and fixed breakfast for him and Talia. He knocked on the door to make sure she wasn't getting dressed. He didn't want to have any cliche moments.
Talia opened the door and let him in. "Thanks, here is your breakfast. We will have people coming over at two o'clock. They invited me to make a team with them yesterday." Talia looked up at him. "You was the guy that fixed that food yesterday?"
"Yep, I am more than just a pretty face. I can do many things that other noble brats can't." Talia snorted. "You also painted a big ass mark on your back. That includes mine, too, now." Vincent shrugged his shoulders at her.
"Will that be your answer to every question?" Vincent smiled and shrugged his shoulders again. Talia's eye twitched, and she let out the air building up in her lungs.
"Do you know their names?" "Their names are Trent and Isabell. Isabell is a princess of the Utopian Kingdom, and Trent is her bodyguard." Talia went through the files and saw them.
"Trent is 16 years old with the affinities of earth and water. Isabell is 15 years old and has the affinities of air and wood. Trent uses the spear while Isabell is an archer."
Vincent hummed in response since he had a mouth full of food. "Is there any information about me in there?" Talia searched for his name but didn't find any. "Nope, either he didn't have any information on you, or his class was too low." Vincent nodded.
"What about you? What are your affinities, and what type of weapon do you use?" Talia didn't want to share her information, but she could feel the contract getting ready to become active. 'Damn, even information about ourselves must be shared.'
"I am 17 years old. My affinities are darkness and gravity. I use a sword as my primary weapon and twin pistols as my long-range weapons. What about you?" Vincent finished drinking his juice.
"I am 16 years old. I have four affinities: fire, water, ice, and lightning. I can also control the temperature around me. I use the staff, spear, twin short axes, and tonfas as my weapons. I do have a halberd, but truth be told, I have no idea how to wield it. Please don't give me that face. You don't see me in pain on the floor, so I am telling the truth."
"You are the harbingers of death, disciple, right? They all use halberds, so I thought you also used a halberd." Vincent let out an exhausted sigh as he leaned back in his chair. He rubbed his hands from his head down to his face.
"I know the irony. On the bright side, it throws everyone off when they expect me to be disadvantaged in a tight space, but I pull out my tonfas or axes." Taila shook her head. "We need to find someone with a light affinity to heal us once our potions run out. I would also like to have someone with a metal affinity for another layer of defense."
Vincent shuffled through the files and took out three names. "Take your pick from these three. They are strong, but they are alone. Two of them are nobles, and the other one is a commoner. I want to recruit the commoner."
Vincent took out seven more files. "These seven have the earth or metal affinity you are looking for. I also thought about weapons too. We have the mid-range covered with me and Trent. The close range can be you and the earth or metal users. That still leaves our long-range lacking."
Talia listened to what Vincent was saying and was reading through the files. 'He is right. The commoner awakened the light affinity earlier than the nobles and will probably have more experience.' She looked into the other seven files. 'He picked the people that we are lacking. If we choose three from this group, our bases will be covered.'
A knock came from the door, and Vincent went and opened it. It was Trent and Isabell. "Perfect timing; you guys are just on time to decide who makes the cut and who doesn't. I do require you to sign this contract before you come in. Talia and I have already signed it." He had a merchant's smile on his face as he told them.
Talia heard his opening line and shuttered. 'At least I won't be alone in being scammed by this con artist.'