Chapter 161 - 160 Adrianna’s Two Requests
Hearing what Adrianna said, Marcus simply nodded his head agreeing to listen to her requests.
Marcus was the kind of guy that was willing to help out his friends as long as he could so if it was in power of course he would definitely do it.
Adrianna with some relief on her face said, "The first thing I was hoping to get from you was to request a pair of mithril swords for Clarisa. As you know she fights with a dual sword style using one long sword and one short sword, and I know paying for two mithril swords from and expert like you is expensive, so I have gather a three hundred fifty gold coins for your services. She has recently been accepted as a knight and will receive her title during the kingdom\'s meeting during the summer, and after that will be moving to the territory she has been assigned to. I want to make sure she has good weapons to support herself with since she is going to a frontier town near the Great Gome Woods. If you could make her a pair of swords, I would be very grateful."
Seeing Adrianna bowing in front of him with a sack of money on the table, Marcus was feeling a bit awkward since he was not used to having his friends begging him for favors.
"Um if you would not mind raising your head there is no need to be so formal with me. We are friends, and I am also friends with Clarisa so I can be sure to make her a pair of swords. Ah and no need to pay, it will be my gift as well, I have done decently well in the last couple months so I can afford to make a few things for my friends ever now and then."
Adrianna after finishing listing to Marcus raised her head with a slightly angry expression and said, "No I will not let you make these swords for free it would make me feel that I am taking advantage of our friendship. I worked hard to get this money together and will not take no for an answer."
Adrianna then slid the pouch of gold over, adamant that Marcus be paid for his services.
Sighing Marcus took the pouch seeing that Adrianna was going to be obstinate about him being paid.
\'Fine then I am going to make her the best possible swords I can even if it goes over this cost.\'
Marcus not one to lose decided that he would make a pair of swords far more valuable than the money he had received mostly to help a friend but partly to spite Adrianna.
While thinking about the materials he was going to use to make a pair of swords for Clarisa, Adrianna began asking for her second request.
"Now the other request I have may seem a bit weird and if you do not want to or do not have the time, I understand and do not want to pressure you. However, if you would be willing to, I want you to bring Clarisa and her peers down a peg."
Marcus coming out of his thoughts about the swords he would be making, looked at Adrianna with a confused expression.
\'Bring them down a peg. Why does she need me to do that and not only Clarisa but her peers as well?\'
"Why do you need me to bring them down a peg, have they gotten too overconfident or something, and could you not do it yourself. I mean you are level thirty-six same as me, you should be able to do it, so why me.?"
With a bit of a frown on her face Adrianna said, "Yeah their heads have gotten too big since they passed the trials to become knights. And while Clarisa is not as bad as some of her friends, they have definitely rubbed off on her. I have seen it happen a number of times where young knights get overconfident in their albites and end up dead. While they are all strong and can handle most threats, there is always someone stronger, but they are acting like they have become invincible."
Adrianna then sighed thinking about it putting her hand on her head and rubbing her temples.
Nodding his head understanding how easy it was to get a big head once you got a certain amount of power Marcus said, "Okay I understand why they need to be brought down a peg but why does it have to be me, you could easily whip them all into shape."
However, Adrianna just shook her head and said, "I already tried that, but they just said, it was because I was older than them and that when they got to my age, they would be even stronger. Can you believe that, I am only thirty and they are treating me like and old lady even though I am only around ten years older. That is why I want you to fight the six of them and show them that there are people stronger than them even at the same age."
\'I get where she is coming from, but I am definitely a unique existence in this world, and I have gotten strong by a few fortuitous encounters and constantly getting myself almost killed. Though I suppose I could take a day to give a few hot-headed kids a lesson, especially for Clarisa. I do not really care about the others but if I can make even a slight difference in her ability to survive it will be worth it.\'
Having come to a decision, Marcus told Adrianna that he would be willing to teach these soon to be knights a harsh lesson so that they never got too full of themselves again.
"Thank you, Irene, I will arrange a training session within a week or two, if you tell me which day would be best for you, I will get it scheduled then."
Thinking about it for just a bit Marcus quickly came decided on which day would be the most opportune.
"Yeah, if we could do it in nine days that would be good. It will give me enough time to finish Clarisa\'s swords that way she will not think too highly of the strength she gets from stronger weapons."
Nodding her head Adrianna agreed that the training would be held in nine days.
"Now that we have settled out those details, I need to see Adrianna\'s status and if I could inspect the swords she is using now that would be a big help. I know you want to keep this a surprise so just make up something."
"Yeah, that should not be a problem I know her status by memory, and I can get you her swords when she brings them in for maintenance without her knowing."
With a smile Marcus nodded and the two of them began making some small talk until not long after Clarisa entered.
"Dame Harthen I have finished the inspection of the mana cannons, and everything is up to standard except cannon number five which had a clog in its mana connector."
With a satisfied look Adrianna said to Clarisa, "Good then have one of the guards get someone to do maintenance on that cannon, the inner wall is the last line of defense the capital has so it always need to be in top shape."
However, with a confident smile Clarisa said, "I have already gotten someone to come down and fix it and they said it would be done within the hour."
Adrianna happy to see Clarisa\'s initiative said, "Well then come and sit-down, Irene was just telling me about the grueling training her master put her through, how many times did you say he smashed your hands again."
After that Marcus, Adrianna, and Clarisa chatted away for around forty minutes until both Adrianna and Clarisa had to get back to their posts having expended the time they could be on break.
However, before she left Adrianna managed to get Clarisa to hand over her swords for "routine maintenance" and allowed Marcus a few minutes to look at them.
She then handed Marcus a copy of Clarisa\'s status and whispered in his ear, "Good luck, and thank you."
With his business now complete, Marcus headed down from the wall and went to the guards\' stable to retrieve Blitz who to no surprise was already king of the stable.
Pulling Blitz away from his now subservient subjects, the horses in the stable gave out respectful neighs that caused Marcus to start chuckling.
Riding along the streets, Marcus before going back to his home decided to head by some of the shops that he had been recommend by Gurrom and Thabon that carried quality supplies.
\'Okay that should be everything I need to make the swords for Clarisa. But damn did I not imagine that I would have already spent over eight hundred gold just on these supplies. When I am done each of these swords will be worth well over a thousand gold but hey it will be a good test of my new skills.\'
With his supplies collected Marcus made his way back to his estate so that he could spend the rest of the day with Lilia before she went back to the Royal Academy tomorrow.