* * *
Zilnek slipped into his sister's room, seeing her sit quietly on her bed, looking up expectantly when he ca in. He saw her piercing look when she realized he'd co in alone, but grimaced, refusing to speak to her of what was bothering. She certainly could tell sothing was bothering him as they had been close as siblings, but this was sothing best if she knew nothing of it. She couldn't be blad if she was not involved.
Zilnek had long been uncertain of their new master. No one ever really cared, truly, and Zilnek struggled to find what benefit Joe was hoping to gain from them. He'd been certain that this was simply another ploy of the usurer attempting to gain access to Kilniara, but what he had seen today disabused him of that notion completely. No Expert of Master's status would ever stoop to working for the usurer let alone need the wealth the usurer could offer him. Master's wealth so greatly outstripped the usurer that Zilnek struggled to find the reason Master was taking them under his wing.
Regardless of why, even if Master's motivation was less than pure, this was a man… an Expert that they had access to and increasing ties to such a man could only be beneficial and so ca the reason Zilnek found himself in his sister's room.
Zilnek began quickly, dismissing the lesser information first, "We have a new title called Lesser Walker. It lets us travel through dungeons easier and faster. We got it by walking out of the dungeon instead of Escaping. So, now you know, in case they ask later."
Kilniara nodded quickly, understanding Zilnek's comnt and that his purpose for being her was not to inform her of this title, "OK. I will rember. Why are you here?"
Zilnek looked to Kilniara a bit then sighed, coming to sit by her side before dropping his head into his hands. He took a mont then gathered himself and looked to his sister, "I never wanted to do this, you know."
"What?"
"I never wanted to be the one that had to take care of you… to … take father's duties."
Kilniara looked to her brother, eye's watering a bit as she nodded.
Zilnek looked up, tears in his as well as he joined her in her sorrow, "I will do it, because I truly care for you sister, but … I truly just want our parents back."
"I know. I know. I wish … I want mom and dad back, too."
The two sat in companionable silence for a bit, the sorrow of their parents passing long gone and no longer raw, but in monts of silence still subtly soaking their thoughts. They both sighed simultaneously then looked to each other, a lancholic chuckle disturbing the waters of the silent sorrow for a few monts. After a few monts, their eyes cald, the sorrow receded, and Zilnek returned to himself and Kilniara join him, a brighter more carefree smile coming to her face.
"So. What duty of father are you thinking of taking on?"
"A husband."
Kilniara's eyes rose up in shock and utter surprise, "What do you an? I… what do you an!?"
"Master is a good man. And single. You would be first."
Kilniara sat mute, taking in what Zilnek was saying, emotions rushing across her face: shock overwheld by embarrassnt followed by realization and consideration before it was even more quickly swamped by embarrassnt once again. She said nothing and turned away, hiding her face from her brother.
Zilnek saw Kilniara turn away and quickly tried to press his point, "He is not ugly, sister, nor old. He is strong. Truly a great Expert. And he is kind, or seems to be kind from all I have seen! He would care for you well, more than I could ever care for you and more than any other man I could ever hope to find you! He… he would be an amazing man for you to claim for any of these reasons, but that you would be first in his life, and an Expert, wealthy, strong, and for all I can see, truly kind, if maybe a little naïve."
Kilniara whipped back to him, a glower on her face as she looked at him, her jaw clenched as she stared at him with so heat before turning away and looking at the wall and speaking softly, "He is… beyond ."
"Yes. He is."
Kilniara looked back to Zilnek and sighed in acceptance. The two sat in silence for a mont before she looked at Zilnek again, "You think it is possible?"
"I do not understand him or where he must have co from, but he seems a good man and I see no loss in being the first to claim him."
"He does not know our ways."
"No. He does not. We could not press our claim for we do not know how to in his way, but he is a man and n … the ways of n and won are universal."
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Heat returned to Kilniara's gaze, anger softly caressing the edge of her words, "So you would prostitute your own sister to another man!?"
"No. You know this, sister. I care for you, truly, but he will respond to you as a woman who expresses interest in him. Do not give away what is not his, but let him know you are interested and if he is willing to reciprocate, then you could lay claim. He would be yours and you could be first. He is an Expert. It… you would be truly cared for."
She looked away at that, sighing in resignation but silent. The two sat for another mont together, nothing to say for so ti before he began again.
"I do not think you object to him."
This ti, Kilniara wilted, anger disappearing and a subtle blush coming to her cheeks as she turned away from him slightly, although she did not reject his comnt and responded with a quiet hum.
Zilnek smiled a bit, "I am not wrong, then."
Kilniara looked back at him with a scowl but Zilnek only smiled softly at her, not wishing to mock her, "I want to know if this is your desire. If so, I will begin."
Kilniara's scowl faded and she turned red again, looking away before responding, "No. You are right. His ways… his people seem... different. Maybe we can ask how such things are done amongst his people, just out of innocent curiosity. He seems willing to share of his people well enough and then we can know the proper way to offer my claim." Kilniara sat up quickly and turned to Zilnek, a cunning look of insight flushing her face, "We can ask on behalf of Garnedell. He is still too young, but Master does not know our ways and would not know that he now has duty to find Garnedell a wife since he has no family."
Zilnek smiled brightly at that, relief flushing through his system, "You always were the smart one."
Kilniara and Zilnek quieted for a mont, enjoying the mont before they began considering how they could breach the topic that evening for a while until Garnedell called for Zilnek to co and ritually and daily imrse himself in a warm tub of water for the purpose of cleansing his uncleanliness. Just… what god or goddess does Master serve?
* * *
Joe led the two now clean boys out of the room then called out to Kilniara that she could co bathe. He then sent the two down to the kitchen to get a table for them and wave down Kukurnal if he showed up. He stayed at the door to make sure Kilniara could bathe in peace and rested against the wall as he waited.
Joe took the ti to look over his status, titles and skills again but found nothing quite useful although he did grunt with so annoyance when he saw his Cudgel skill was still only at ninety seven percent. Joe cursed quite a few tis under his breath as he realized that they would likely have to waste so ti to go into the dungeon just to raise his cudgel three percent before leaving, changing his job, and then returning to the dungeon once again. He was quite angry until he crunched his experience gain numbers again and realized that even without the double learning boost he would get from the theorist skill once he got the 'char:' skill freed from the cudgel skill, he was still able to get a brand new job to level twenty in only about a half a day, so he should still be fine.
While he was relieved that was the case, the new worry that ca to him was the inefficiency of needing to leave the dungeon to go to the temple in the middle of the day each day now. Staying to level past twenty was almost pointless, only giving him another single level of whatever job he was growing, but if he could get another job, he could get another twenty levels of stats. Forty levels of stats in a single day versus twenty one was a no brainer, and Joe began wrestling over how to get a priest job so he could change his job. Although… I'll need a 'char:' skill to put on the change job skill if I'm going to use it without having the priest's job equipped. His mind toyed with the problem, futilely struggling to find the answer before being interrupted by Kilniara pushing open the door and stepping out.
She jumped back with a yelp of surprise and Joe stood up, dropping his head, "Sorry, Kilniara. I didn't want to startle you. I just was making sure no one bothered you while you were bathing."
She blinked a bit, then blushed a bit before nodding, "Thank you, but I had the door locked."
Joe grimaced a little before ducking his head down in embarrassnt, "The other two boys have keys."
Her eyes rose at that before she smiled warmly, "Well, then… my great thanks, Sir Joe."
Joe's eyes leapt upward at that, "I'm not noble."
Kilniara smiled slightly before chuckling and Joe realized she was teasing him and he smiled back, rolling his eyes, "Alright Miss snarky. You hungry?"
"Miss snarky?"
"Hmm… it ans being sarcastic."
"Miss snarky ans being sarcastic?"
"Oh.. no… snarky ans being sarcastic."
"Then what is miss?"
"Oh… um… it's a title, like when you said sir. It is a word used for unmarried won. It's usually used amongst my people as a sign of respectful greeting for such won. It is an old word now. Not many use it anymore."
They had reached the dining room by that ti and Joe led the way towards the table where the other two sat. Kukurnal still had not shown up, obviously, which Joe found to be a relief and hoped to be able to not have to answer too many questions.
Almost as if to mock Joe's desire, Kilniara decided to take Kukurnal's place, "May I ask a question about your people, Joe?"
"Hmm… sure," Joe replied as he threaded the tables.
"This may seem forward, but… I ask for Garnedell's sake."
Joe stopped at that and looked back at Kilniara, "Is everything OK?"
"Everything is fine. He has done nothing. I only hope to help you."
"OK then?"
Kiliniara ducked her head, almost seeming shy but then quickly looked up and gesturing back to the table, "We do not need to hide this from him. I only wish to know how n and won among your people marry."
Joe stopped and looked back at Kilniara, confusion apparent, "And this is to help Garnedell?"
Kilniara nodded her head and Joe turned back, mind rushing through so ideas but not speaking until he sat down at the table, Kilniara joining him by sitting between her brother and him. Joe considered for a minute before he began.
"Well, the old way was for a boy or girl's family to seek out another family and then the two families would negotiate the marriage between their children. So cultures still do that to this day, but my people… well… nowadays, not many do this anymore.
"Usually, a guy and a girl will choose for themselves if they wish to marry. Why is this important for Garnedell?"
Kilniara nodded to Garnedell before looking to Joe, "Our people do as you did in your old ways. A father will seek out another's father and establish a marriage for their son or daughter. Often, the son's father will seek out a girl. The girl's father does not usually seek out another. It is the boy's father's responsibility. But, Garnedell has no family. In this case, if the boy is lucky enough to have an apprenticeship, it is the Master's job to do so. It is rare, though, as only truly good Master's do so."
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