"How much?!" Jhed stared at him.
"Five silver coins, sir. Quite reasonable, actually."
"Reasonable? That's expensive. No. I'm leaving." Jhed turned toward the door.
Animal stepped in front of him.
"How much do you have, sir?"
Jhed paused. "Three silver coins. And I don't even know what I'd do with an adventurer."
"Oh, sir — you can do quite a lot. Take over a city. Eliminate a target. Or—" Animal tilted his head— "help someone."
"I don't want to help anyone."
"I understand. But consider this — Miruth is already after you. Today, tomorrow, eventually he catches you. One adventurer changes that equation entirely." Animal's smile didn't move. "Defeat him. Free the city. Save yourself."
Jhed looked at the table of still figures.
He's not wrong. I can run forever and it won't matter. Someone will catch me eventually.
"I only have three coins," Jhed said again.
Animal went quiet. Thinking.
"Give me the three now," he said finally. "Pay the remaining two within two months."
He produced a contract from somewhere behind him — thick paper, small writing — and held it out.
"Sign here, sir."
"What is this exactly?"
"A simple agreement. You pay the balance within two months. If you don't—" a mild smile— "you become one of mine."
Jhed's stomach dropped. "I become your slave?"
"The word I prefer is indentured, but yes. Essentially." Animal held the contract steady. "Two months is a long time, sir. Very manageable."
Jhed stared at the paper.
If I sign this and can't pay, I end up sitting at that table forever.
But if I don't sign, Miruth catches me anyway.
He took the contract and signed it.
"Wonderful." Animal accepted it back smoothly and pocketed it. "And your three coins, please."
Jhed handed them over.
"Now." Animal turned toward the table with a small gesture. "Before you choose, the rules."
He held up one finger. "First — one adventurer per selection. You cannot take two."
Second finger. "Their contract period is two months. After that, they return to me. If you want them again, you come back and pay again."
Third finger. "While one adventurer's period is active, you cannot rent another. You must wait for the two months to expire."
He lowered his hand. "Each adventurer has their own abilities. Choose carefully."
Jhed walked slowly along the table, looking at each face.
Being someone's slave. Never making your own choices. Living according to someone else's rules, someone else's schedule, someone else's needs.
He stopped at the blue-haired girl again.
Her cheeks were dry now. But the redness hadn't fully faded. And her eyes — up close, still — held something underneath the stillness. Something pressed down and kept there.
She can feel everything, he thought. She heard every word. She felt it when I pulled her cheek. She felt it when he hit her. And she couldn't do anything.
"The one you keep looking at," Animal said from behind him. "Water magician. S-class. Very powerful. Very capable." A small pause. "She would meet all your needs, sir. Every one of them."
I know exactly what he means by that. And no.
"What can she actually do in a fight?" Jhed asked flatly.
"S-class water magic, sir. Offensive, defensive, healing — full range."
"I see." Jhed nodded slowly. "I'll take—"
His eyes moved.
To the first chair at the head of the table.
A warrior. Full armor. Something different about the posture — even frozen, even still, there was something in how this one sat.
Jhed stopped talking.
He stared.