The twinkling light of the stars peeked through the crown of the gigantic fig tree of the Hanging Vines Temple.
A soft breeze brushed through his hair as he finally exited the dungeon, easing the weight of his exhaustion. It had taken him hours to trudge back from the glade.
He’d learned his lesson from earlier and killed every monster he came across—at least, the ones that noticed him. He still tried to sneak past the larger, tougher-looking creatures, like the ones that resembled boars. And he flat-out refused to go anywhere near a tortoise-like monster with three heads.
Opening the door to his home, Elias came face-to-face with his parents and sister, seated around the dinner table. Their plates were dirty and empty, but the smell of roasted chicken still lingered in the air.
"Eli, you’re back! Have you eaten yet? Your mother made roasted chicken with potatoes. It’s delicious!" Peter said, grinning wide.
"I’m not waiting for him to eat," Isabela muttered, arms crossed in a pout.
"The chicken’s still in the oven. Grab a plate and join us," Vivian said, rolling her eyes.
Elias' stomach growled, and he hurried to do as his mom said. He shoved a potato into his mouth as he sat down, chewing quickly even though it was still hot. He’d probably burn his mouth, but he didn’t care—it was delicious.
"It’s not fair! Why does Eli always get to do everything, and I can’t?" Isabela burst out.
Elias almost choked. Where was this coming from? He was innocent!
Vivian sighed and rubbed her eyebrows in frustration. "You’re not coming with us, Isabela—and that’s final. This isn’t like our trip to the clearing. The dungeon is not a playground, much less a tourist attraction. It’s dangerous and unpredictable. You’d better get that through your head if you want to be an adventurer. Besides, I didn’t take your brother into the dungeon when he was your age, either."
"But—"
"No buts," Vivian said, cutting her off. "We already talked about this, and you have your answer. Now drop it."
"Fine!" Isabela shrieked, pouting fiercely.
Elias shoved another potato into his mouth, trying to hold back a smirk. He refused to meet his sister’s glare, glancing to the side instead—and immediately regretted it.
His father wore the same look of barely contained laughter that Elias imagined was on his own face. When their eyes met, he nearly burst out laughing, but managed to hold it in—barely. Laughing now would only make what came next that much harder.
"Hey, Mom," Elias said, clearing his throat. "Since we’re talking about the trip to the Thermal Duality Temple, there’s something I wanted to ask you…"
She narrowed her eyes at him, suspicious. "Yes?"
"Do you think we could bring Rebecca with us?"
Vivian’s lips curled into a smirk, one eyebrow arched.
Isabela’s eyes widened.
"What!? Mom, you can’t—"
"Isabela! Stop insisting on this—I’m not going to say it again," Vivian said warningly, cutting her off once more. Then she turned to Elias, her expression resigned, and spoke a single word. "Explain."
"Here’s the thing…" Elias began, swallowing hard before launching into an explanation of Rebecca’s situation.
He spoke from start to finish without interruption. Even Isabela stayed quiet as she listened. In fact, her gaze softened noticeably when he touched on Rebecca’s financial struggles—or at least, what little he actually knew. He may have taken some poetic license to shape the details into a more cohesive, compelling story.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
His parents didn’t have nearly as emotional a reaction. They simply nodded along, occasionally asking clarifying questions—but that was it. Still, he had no doubt that those seemingly simple, random questions were more than enough for them to dissect his entire story.
"...And she said she wanted to pay? As in, specifically said she wanted to pay, correct?" his mother asked, her tone dubious. "What you’re asking isn’t cheap, Eli. Most people take years to save up enough to perfect their foundation, even if it’s just a couple of attributes."
"I know. And yes, she said she wanted to pay," Elias replied, rolling his eyes. "Well, she said she didn’t want a handout and that she could pay, but that’s the same thing."
"Eli," his father said, speaking for the first time. "Before we seriously consider this, your mother and I need to know one thing: do you really trust Rebecca?
"It’s not that we don’t trust your judgment, but we also don’t want to see anyone take advantage of you. It’s good that you want to help people—especially your friends—but you two barely know each other, and this isn’t a small favor she’s asking."
"I trust her," he said.
Peter snorted, and Vivian gave him another dubious look. Elias held his breath, staring straight ahead, unmoving.
It wasn’t a lie. He did trust Rebecca—just not quite as much as he was letting on. Like his father had said, they didn’t really know each other all that well.
What he was doing wasn’t trust.
It was a bet.
He’d given a lot of thought to Rebecca’s request during his trek back from the glade and had come to a conclusion: she was worth investing in.
She was talented, and even though she was still rough around the edges, she was improving fast. She was driven, ambitious—and he liked being around her. He saw her potential, not just as an adventurer, but as a companion.
He’d put his money on her.
Peter and Vivian locked eyes for a long moment. Their mouths moved, but only unintelligible gibberish came out, minute expressions flashing across their faces faster than Elias could register. From his perspective, the exchange lasted only a couple of seconds, but at the speeds his parents were operating, he knew they’d just had a full conversation.
"All right, Eli. That’s that, then," Peter said suddenly. "We’ll take your word for it."
"But…" He grinned wide—Elias grimaced. "We’re holding you responsible for Rebecca’s debt. In other words, if she doesn’t pay up, you will. I’m sure you’re fine with that… right?"
"Yes, I’m fine with that," Elias replied resolutely.
"The truth is, Eli, this really wouldn’t cost us much—like, barely anything at all. But that’s beside the point," Peter continued. "There are two reasons we’re still going to charge her—and you, by extension.
"First, people don’t appreciate what’s given freely.
The second reason comes down to independence and responsibility. The two go hand in hand. You’re a man now, so you get to be more independent and make your own choices, but that also means you have to own up to them. You’re choosing to trust your friend, and if you’re old enough to place that kind of trust in someone, then you should also be held accountable for it.
So, we’re loaning you the resources you don’t have yet, so that you can make that choice in truth.
We’ll help—because we choose to trust your judgment."
"This is how much we’ll charge," Vivian said, handing Elias a small, folded piece of paper with a sympathetic look.
He unfolded it and read the single number written inside—and gasped. His mouth fell open, his eyes widened, and his heart turned to ice. He looked back at his mother, shock written all over his face, silently begging her to say it was a joke.
But she only nodded, pity in her eyes.
"Yes, it’s a lot, Eli," Peter said with a chuckle.
Elias scowled—there was nothing funny about this. His father clearly disagreed, and his laughter only grew louder.
"That really is the bare minimum, Eli," Vivian said gently. "I didn’t even include what I’d normally charge for my time as a trainer, since she’ll be working alongside you. We’re only billing for the potions she’d use, and I even rounded down afterward. I’ll bet this number is a lot lower than whatever quote she’s already gotten for those things."
"How the hell is fifteen million energy the bare minimum?" Elias asked, incredulous.
That was more than his energy card could even hold!
"It is what it is," Peter said with a shrug. "We’re helping out like you asked, but we’re not handing out a free ride. And from what you told us, I doubt she would’ve appreciated one anyway. Check in with your friend later and come back to us with an answer. Just don’t wait too long—your mother still needs time to procure the training aids she’ll need."
Reluctantly, Elias nodded in acquiescence. It was clear this was all the help his parents were willing to offer.
He just hoped Rebecca had a lot more money saved up than he thought.
Isabela’s seat was empty by the time Elias finished his dinner. She’d seen the possibility of Rebecca going on the trip as fresh ammunition to convince their parents to let her come too. When they refused, she stormed off in a huff—but not before shooting Elias one last glare.
Knowing his sister, this wasn’t over.