"Baron Cedric van Emberstrand, I welcomed you with open arms to the Vuuria's estate" A man bowed to Cedric, his clothes are almost the same as the ones that was wore by Cedric just a different pattern and darker colour palette of dark red and brown and his brownish back-swayed hair and small moustache as suppose to Cedric's light red and orange colour and orange one side hair combination.
"It's my honor to be here as well, Varden van Vuuria" He bowed back as he sat on one of the chair.
"So, why do you want me to be here, Varden?" Both man could feel the tension rising up even if both of them is sitting in a comforting position.
"So, I heard that your army has qualm down the bandit hideout that's in the sout-"
"North east"
"My apologies" Varden cleared his throat before speaking again. "From the rumors that's spreading among the nobility. Is it true that your general that put the infamous bandit group into their coffin?" Varden inquired, while he poured a cup of liquor for himself to drink.
"Why would I wanted to answer that particular question and what purpose does it serves me to do so?" Cedric retorted, while sipping a cup of tea in reaction.
"Oi, oi...Cedric, come on now. You can't be this cold to your future business partner, can you?"
"I only stated my question as to why I wanted to share that information, aren't the rumors enough for you?"
With a slight irritation, Varden scoffed. "Answering question with question I see" A loud thud was heard in the room after he puts his glass with soft liquor inside of them swishing from side to side.
"So you're so sure of yourself that you don't even wanted to answer honestly to my question. Then how about if I offer you a collaboration!" He exclaimed.
"And why should I even take your collaboration?" He perplexed, surprise by Varden ignorance towards his question before.
"If you took it I'll talk to the king and maybe promote you to the rank of a duke, how's that?"
After a long moment of silence Cedric only spins the tea in his glasses, he then stood up.
"I shall thank you for wasting my time here, Duke of Vuuria." He said, still with his stern tone and proceeded to walk to the exit of the room.
"Wait, Cedric!" Varden shouted in desperation, trying to chase Cedric down. "Don't you have an ambition at all?"
Hearing that, he then stopped walking and turned back towards the duke. "What's with your desperation, my duke? Did you perhaps, wanted to cover up something?"
A tinge of panic spread over the duke's mind, with him now sweating like someone that's just do a morning jog. His eyes now darted across the room, trying to think of a respond. But Cedric, knowing this, pursue him more.
"Convey your message honestly and truthfully, duke!" He snapped. "If you think you could convince to tell me about what I wanted to do in the future with this kind of attitude, I would rather get out from this room."
Knowing that he can't hide any of his secret anymore, the duke then opens his mouth. "I had been accused by the prime minister that I've committed fraud over the money that was given to me"
"So, did yo-"
"Yes, his accusation was right"
Absolutely stunned, he blinks his eyes multiple time. In disbelief about how honest this duke wanted was to him.
After successfully convincing Cedric to not ran from the cooperation talks, both of them begin to sat down opposite of each other once again, continuing their argument.
"I appreciate your honesty but what benefits that you'll brought to yourself and me if I accepted the collaboration?" He asked back, while regained back his composure whilst waiting for Varden's answer.
"This collaboration is about we're both working together to take down the bandit group that's nested upon the southern border in Ignarion."
"Which is your territory?"
"Yes"
With a slight nod, Cedric then consider the offer while he put one of his hand to his chin, while laying back to the couch, sipping his tea one or two time before Varden added.
"Besides, aren't I the one who bailed you out from the purge and ask for the new king to consider your punishment, and only got you demoted rather than purging you like what a lot of noble family went through?"
He then breathes in then continue his side of the argument. "Also, don't we also get both publicity from the nobility above, the people and an additional reward for cleansing the southern area from the bandits if we went through and is successful? Isn't that what you called a win-win situation?"
Cedric promptly closes his eyes, now trying to consider both Varden's solid argument. Seconds later, he opens his eyes and offer his hand towards Varden.
"Very well. I shall accepted this fair condition, duke."
Looking at this, the Varden ecstatically return Cedric's handshake.
"Thank you. Thank you so much, Cedric."
"Very well, I suppose it's time for me to owe you back for your kindness, duke. The conversation in this room shall only be in this room." Cedric reassured, a faint smile was spotted on his usually serious face.
After they've exchange a couple of words, Cedric then proceeded to leave from the room, with Varden decided to order his maid to go reorganize the room while staying there himself, changing his drink to a regular water while at it.
"Aurel, Ardent. Did you catch the meeting we're having?" He asked the both of us of our opinions about the agreement they're having.
Before this, Cedric ordered us to just stay outside and never leave the vicinity while also telling us to hear how a debate between nobles could be settled.
"Pretty solid if you asked me, Cedric." I answered nonchalantly.
"And why's that?"
"The argument that the duke threw to you was unbreakable since the argument aimed both at your heart and mind." My sister added as she strolls around the hallway.
Hearing our feedback, Cedric nodded. "Looks like both of you assessed the situation very well, I see." He nodded once again before he added. "Your father does a magnificent job at teaching both of you."
"Of course, he taught us about everything! Even etiquette and how we could coax someone so they could believe us." My sister smug while keeping her head high.
"Keep in mind that your etiquette sometimes is no different than a peasant." I replied with a neutral face.
In a second, I could feel my sister heart immediately freeze like a stone with her face forming a grimace. "Hah! That's the weakest insult that I ever hear in my entire lif-"
"Your hair was like a horse tail stuck onto your head, and your face was shaped like someone just been hit by a flying rock. The only quality redeeming about you were your attitude, but even a pig could rival that."
"Ardent! That's too much!" While Cedric kneel onto our height and calm my sister down while she's literally having an existential crisis behind my back, with her eyes started to spin from all the thoughts that's beautifully spilling over from her head.
"Did I not tie my ponytail hair right? I thought I let some of it fall to the side? Did I not wash my face enough? Did I wIs this why no boys ever approach me? Am I that ugly?? Oh god, I'm ugly isn't it?!"
"Calm down, Aurel! You're fine! You're absolutely fine! Your brother is only teasing you."
For the rest of the day, my sister then spirals down into more and more depressive state as Cedric tried to compliment her more and more until when she's literally get into a fever.
"Ardent, Fix her! She's having seizure!"
"It's all a joke, Aurel. You're beautiful as it is."
"Oh really? I took it all too seriously?" She then sat on her bed as she laughs comically, with not a single sign of her fever or seizure was left of her.
Perplexed, Cedric then approaches me. "Is this usually happens between both of you?"
With my nod, Cedric then become more and more perplexed as he just look gazes at me with a 'what the f*ck' type of face.
Three day passed as Cedric was preparing with a joint campaign against the bandit at the south with the duke while we're just observing him does his stuff.
"Cedric," I shouted, "what plans have you prepare for the bandit subjugation?"
To which, Cedric looked at me weirdly, before understanding what I meant. "I didn't think I invited both of you to help me, was it?"
Confused by his respond, my sister tilted her head. "But I thought you asked us to help you to dispatch the bandit groups that's raiding and causing chaos to villages, right?" she retorted back.
"If I remember, I said groups and guilds that's the once I need you to help me with right? Did I specify for you to help me take down bandit groups?" He asked back whilst taking down his sword that has been long not used from his shelf and dusted it off while he at it.
As we about to discuss his respond, he then added casually, completely indifferent towards our reaction. "You guys will become exchange student by the way, a representative from Ignarion to go school at Arthrada."
For a moment, the room became silent, with the only sound that was heard is the sound of a metal scrubbing over Cedric's sword, trying to sharpen back the now dulled weapon.
"Cedric, are you serious?"
"I am"
"Are you really really serious?"
"Did I need to answer it twice?
"...Did you already assigned us into that school and asked the king about it?"
"..."
"Cedric, you can't just assign us to other nation's school like that!" My sister shouted, furious from Cedric's decision. "You didn't even inform about us first!"
"Should I nine-year-old even argue about things like this?"
"Do you heard a nine-year-old who take down a bandit group before, Cedric?!" We both shouted, only followed by a short giggle from Cedric.
"That's why you both need to go to school. For sanity check."
"Argh!"