-Laozi

"You want me to loan you four million dollars?" Moira asked, raising an eyebrow. She didn't seem quite as shocked as John had thought she would be, but she was every bit as skeptical.

"Well, not loan. Technically, the quest says I have to 'earn' it, so I was thinking… I could sell you something?"

"Perhaps, but apparently you've just sold the only thing of value that you still had," Moira pointed out, aiming a gauntleted finger at John.

"Not true! I just can't sell the rest," John grumbled. "I've got tons of crap from my Barriers, but they're all stuff that creatures that technically shouldn't exist dropped. I'm guessing some of it is like the Dust of Undeath that caused us so much friction the first time we met, but the rest of it is stuff like Werecat Fur and Broken Harpy Talons! I can't exactly put those out for sale to people I don't trust. There might be all kinds of rumors flying around about my powers, but I'd prefer not to actually confirm them. The Auction already took the pebbles right out of my inventory - how the hell does someone as paranoid as you trust them?"

"I'm going to ignore that remark," Moira growled.

"Because she knows you're right," Lord Brighton said with a chuckle, taking his mind off his paperwork just long enough to get in a soft jab.

"Because you're thinking cautiously for once, and I don't want to discourage it," Moira corrected loudly. "The auction is one of the most neutral organizations in the Abyss, and barring one of the Deities, they're the ones with the most manpower and firepower to protect themselves. Combine that with the fact that they provide a very valuable service, and nobody would dare strike out at them - well, no one smart enough to do any real damage. In a world as filled with conflict as ours, trade is difficult on a larger scale. Selling a blade at the market is one thing; selling a shipment of blades usually winds up with at least some of them being pointed back at you."

"Fair… but how did they get into my Inventory?"

"Despite your powers being game-like, Tricia says that most of them - all those that don't seem to break the fundamental rules of Barriers, magic, and life - are simply variants of spells that come to you with a convenient interface. That's why even though you see life like a video game, you can still learn mundane spells, though how your abilities manifest can alter them."

"To simplify matters, there are plenty of spells which allow us to store things in different planes, or different forms, or simply in less space than they should take up. Moira's necklace providing her a convenient way of storing her armor and weaponry is just one. The Abyssal application contains powerful magic, but it's one of the few we feel safe relying on. You're more likely to lose an item or possession to… ah, what are you kids afraid of these days? Underwear gnomes?"

"Still, you're likely right about it being safer not to sell your objects. I could offer some of those objects to our Enchanters to see what value they might hold for the Order, but it would take time for them to evaluate any possible improvements or new enchantments they might be able to make with whatever magical properties the items hold, if any… that could take weeks."

"What if… what if I offered you a trade for a service?" John asked, putting a hand to his chin. "One week of dedicated Order Barriers for you to run through with my powers fueling them. You get to keep all the loot and money that drops."

"The power gain is tempting, but I can't be running Barriers with you every day, John - I have duties here! We are still in the process of restructuring and reorganizing ourselves. We still have to finish reinforcing our new boundaries with the territory we took from the Cabal."

"You could send in your Knights," John said with a shrug. "I can set the Barrier low enough that they won't be in any real danger - if I set it to something below level five, I could single-handedly clear it in a few minutes, it just wouldn't be worth it to me for experience, or to either of us for materials. They'd still get stronger depending on how powerful they already are."

"Hm… an interesting offer indeed, John," Moira noted, looking pensive. "Of course we'd have to free up Knights at various times, which means a lot of re-scheduling with all that's going on… come back to me in a month, John Newman. We have already finished the scheduling for the next three weeks, and it'll take time for us to figure how to free Knights up both for training and recovery."

"Err…" John trailed off, his voice breaking a bit in confidence as he considered that timeline. It hadn't been much more than a month since he got his powers… what the hell could happen in another one that would throw his life plans off. "I would prefer if it were more immediate. Maybe you could pay me in advance, and then I can train the Knights whenever you free them up?"

"Highly unusual. Why would we pay you so far in advance? What is it that you need this money for, John Newman?"

"A gift."

"A gift? Pah," Moira said, shaking her head. "What you ask is nothing that would harm our efforts, but why would we incur a debt to go unpaid for a full month?"

"Uh… because we're friends and I'm asking nicely?"

"Yes we are, and yes you are," Moira said, breaking her stern face for just a moment to laugh and smile at John. "But do not call in favors so easily! They come rarely and at great cost in the Abyss. You will have to be patient if the reason is not pressing."

"That's fair," John said slowly, the wheels in his mind starting to turn as he eyed Moira contemplatively. Trying to figure out how best to get under the Warden's skin. "I know a bit about favors. I've negotiated a few with Kim in the past… we're on level footing right now, but maybe her schedule is more accommodating. Sorry to bug you, I'll see if she's interested instead. She was pretty excited last time when I told her she was getting close to your level."

The room froze for a brief moment, even the sounds of Lord Brighton's pen going quiet as they both paused and glanced at John. Moira's eyes were narrowed in annoyance, but John could spare enough of a sideways glance to see the corners of Lord Brighton's mouth turning up, and his eyes alight with humor he dared not express just yet.

"That will not be necessary," Moira growled, pulling out her phone and typing as she continued to speak. "I will arrange for the equivalent amount of mana gems to be readied for you near the front doors to the Manor… and I will be calling on you very soon to arrange this training session."

"Pleasure doing business with you," John said, offering a mock bow as he turned toward the door and strode out, Sophia close behind with a grin on her face not so different from Lord Brighton's.

As the door closed behind John, Lord Brighton let a beat pass as the sound of footsteps receded. Then, when he was sure they were truly alone, he finally let loose - Lord Brighton chuckled, then he laughed, then he guffawed, all at the expense of his talented young daughter, who turned toward him with cheeks nearly as crimson as her hair.

"F-father! Did you find something particularly funny about this agreement between champions of the Abyss?!"

"I fear you make a wonderful teacher, my daughter," Lord Brighton said with a long sigh, wiping away just the faintest touches of wetness from his eyes. "The boy has already learned enough about the Abyss to begin manipulating! I'd be horrified if he weren't wielding it so innocently… but turning the jealousy of a young woman against her friend, that is beautiful!"

"Wh-what makes you think I'm jealous of Kim?! Her clan is no stronger than ours, and-"

"Oh, of course, of course," Lord Brighton said seriously, his voice dropping low as he nodded solemnly. "There's absolutely no reason to be jealous of her. She's only a very talented young woman, heir to a powerful faction of the Abyss…”

"We are equals. I have no reason to be jealous of her."

"Save that I've never caught you half-drunk stumbling your way to your room after spending a suspicious amount of time in Barriers with young Newman."

"F-Father, you-"

In spite of all the time he'd given John to distance himself from them, Lord Brighton's laughter echoed so loudly that John could hear its distant sounds, even from halfway to the Manor's front doors.