Chapter 47: Meter Maid

Chapter 47: Chapter 47: Meter Maid

"All right," he said. "That’s it for today. You’re free to go home."

A ragged cheer rose.

"From tomorrow, you begin under your respective teams. Be at the guild by 8. Don’t be late. Don’t be hungover."

A few nervous laughs. A few glances toward Jared.

Karl’s gaze drifted across the group and settled on Zoey, who was standing near the back, hugging her jacket.

"Not you," he said. "Wait a bit."

She blinked. "Me?"

"I have little business with your brother."

Zoey’s mouth opened, then closed. Her eyes slid to Jared, then back to Karl. Slowly, she nodded.

The others dispersed.

"This way," Karl said.

He led them through the guild’s back entrance and down a series of plain, narrow corridors.Zoey trailed a few steps behind, her braid swinging, her eyes darting from door to door.

They reached a small, quiet waiting area at the end of the hall. A clock ticked softly over a closed door marked TESTING.

Karl pointed at a chair.

"Sit."

Zoey sat.

She looked up at Jared with wide, uncertain eyes. He gave her a small nod, the best reassurance he could manage. Karl pushed open the door, and the two of them went in.

The room beyond was bare and windowless, with a high ceiling and a concrete floor. In the center stood a strange device.

A mana meter.

Jared stared at it.

[Well,]

[Here we are.]

’Here we are.’

Karl stepped to one side and leaned against the wall, arms folded. He gave Jared a small, easy nod.

"Whenever you’re ready."

Jared swallowed.

He took out the gem. He held it over the floor and, without a word, let it drop.

It cracked against the concrete.

Green light flared.

The SwampGorilla rose out of the glow, it looked around the bare little room, scratched its chest, and glanced at Jared with an air of mild resignation.

The machines along the wall began to whir. A faint chime sounded. The needle swept past A, past S, past SS, and settled, trembling, at the very top of the scale.

A small screen flickered on the wall.

SWAMPGORILLA. RANK: SSS.

Jared let out a slow breath.

’That’s it. It’s out.’

Karl didn’t move. He stared at the screen, then at the gorilla, then at Jared. A strange, almost dreamy look crossed his face. He pushed away from the wall and walked slowly around the beast, studying it from every angle.

"Fascinating," he said.

"Is it?"

"Truly." He stopped in front of the gorilla and looked up into its calm, ancient eyes. "SSS rank. I thought it might be. " He shook his head. "How does that happen?"

"How does what happen?"

"How does one lose an SSS ranked beast and fall upon another?"

It was a good question. It was the question. Jared kept his face still, his heart pounding, and said nothing.

Karl paced a slow circle, hands behind his back.

"Think about it," he said. "You lose a Ground Dragon, SSS. And in the same fight, you gain a gorilla, SSS. That isn’t coincidence. That’s more like a swap. A trade. Someone lost this beast the same night you lost yours." He tapped his chin. "There’s a master out there missing a gorilla. And I’d bet my left arm he’s wearing a very pleased smile."

[Oh,]

’Keep quiet.’

[He’s doing your work for you.]

’I said keep quiet.’

Karl had helped him. He hadn’t meant to. He’d taken a ragged, improbable scrap of a story and woven it into something clean and plausible. A swap. A fight. Two masters, two beasts, one night. It was better than anything Jared could have invented on his own. It had a more refined shape.

And it came with a bonus.

’If he’s the one who stole my dragon, he’d know this story is false.’

He watched Karl closely. The calm face. The easy stride. The slight, thoughtful frown. No flicker. No tell. Nothing but quiet curiosity.

’Or he’s very good at hiding it.’

"We have to announce this," Karl said.

Jared’s head snapped up.

"What?"

"We have to announce it. To the association. Put out a notice. Find the other master, whoever he is. If he’s still got your dragon, if he’s out there bragging, we can track him down."

"Wait," Jared said. "Do we really?"

"Of course we do."

"No."

"Why not?"

Jared hesitated. His mind raced. He had to say something. Something good. Something believable. Something that sounded like a reason, not a panic.

"I don’t want targets on my back," he said.

Karl blinked. "?"

"Eyes. Attention. People watching." Jared shrugged, as if the thought had just occurred to him. "I’d imagine that’s how I was tracked."

"Tracked?"

"The documentary. The news. Everyone knew I had an SSS Ground Dragon. They knew my name, my face, my rank. It was everywhere. And then one night I’m out in the wilds, and suddenly there’s a beast master waiting for me, in the dark, with exactly the right beast." He spread his hands. "That doesn’t just happen. Someone knew where to look."

Karl stared at him.

Slowly, a change came over his face. His brow furrowed. His jaw tightened. He turned and looked at the gorilla, then back at Jared, and something in his expression shifted.

"Oh," he said.

"Yeah."

"That..." He rubbed the back of his neck. "That makes sense."

[He’s buying it,] the system whispered.

’I know.’

[He’s actually buying it.]

’I know!’

Jared had planted a seed. A small, quiet, poisonous seed of doubt. If anyone announced the fight, if the news spread, then whoever had stolen his dragon would be warned. They’d know someone was looking. They’d vanish. Worse, they’d know exactly who had been the victim.

Karl nodded slowly.

"Okay," he said. "No announcement. For now."

"Thank you."

"But I still say it’s a shame." He walked back to the wall and leaned against it. "You know, I think I’ve figured out why it happened."

"Why what happened?"

"Why you both lost your beasts."

Jared frowned.

"You and the other master." Karl raised a finger. "It must be your mana. Think about it. You were out there with a 100 mana count. That’s nothing. You couldn’t power an SSS rank Ground Dragon for more than a few seconds. It wouldn’t even be as strong as a C rank. And the other guy? I’d bet he was in the same boat. A weak beastmaster with a powerful beast. You both probably fought with a meager amount of mana, and in the chaos, you both lost your prized beasts, each gaining one in turn."

He chuckled.

"The irony."

Jared stared at him.

Then, slowly, behind his blank, careful face, he began to smile.

It was a small smile. He kept it hidden, tucked deep inside, where Karl couldn’t see. But it spread through him like warmth.

’He did it again.’

Karl had crafted a whole narrative. A complete, tidy, convincing story, from start to finish. Two weak masters. Two strong beasts. One night. One fight. It explained everything. It excused everything. And Jared hadn’t had to say a word.

He’d effectively gotten out of it, thanks to a story that Karl himself had written.

[Rex,] the system said, with something like awe, [I think you just won.]

’Not yet.’

[I mean it. That’s actually brilliant. You’ve been handed a perfect cover by the man you think is the thief.]

’I know.’

[And you didn’t even have to do anything.]

’I said I know.’

But his smile faded.

He couldn’t relax. Not yet. He had to be careful. Karl was smart. Karl was clever. Karl might be exactly what he appeared to be, a friendly, slightly eccentric captain with a casual streak. Or he might be stringing Jared along, feeding him lines, watching him squirm. It was impossible to tell. He had no proof either way.

’I should probably stay sharp.’

He crossed his arms, straightened his shoulders, and looked Karl in the eye.

"Now that we’ve confirmed I’ve got a new SSS ranked beast," he said, "it’s your turn to meet my demands."

Karl smiled.

"You’re right," he said. "A deal’s a deal."

"So?"

"I believe your question was what was my owl’s primary ability. Was it not?"

"Yes. It was."

"Well." Karl straightened. He clasped his hands behind his back, his voice taking on the mild, pleasant tone of a teacher at a blackboard. "The answer is flight. Birds are primarily creatures of the..."

Jared walked out.

He didn’t wait for the rest. He turned on his heel and strode to the door. The gorilla shrank into its gem, which sailed into his open palm. He pocketed it without breaking stride.

’Flight.’

The word rang in his head like a slap.

’That’s it? That’s the answer? That’s what I traded for?’

He’d been tricked.Karl had gotten what he wanted, a confirmed SSS beast, and Jared had gotten a lecture on grammar, just caused he said primary ability and not skill.

He shoved the door open and stalked into the hall.

Behind him, a chair scraped. Footsteps pounded.

"Hey!" Karl called.

Jared kept walking.

"Hey! Wait! I forgot something!"

He didn’t turn around.

Karl skidded to a stop in the doorway. He didn’t chase him. He just raised a hand and cupped it to his mouth, shouting down the corridor.

"Don’t forget we have duty tomorrow!"

Jared’s step faltered.

"It’s five days a week!" Karl shouted. "Five! Don’t be late!"

The words echoed down the hall and faded.

Jared kept walking.

[Well,]

[At least he doesn’t suspect.]

Jared stopped.

"Oh, he suspects alright," Jared said.

[Does he?]

"He knows something."

[How can you tell?]

"I can’t put my finger on it." He exhaled slowly. "But he knows."

He pushed away from the wall and walked on.

Zoey was sitting in the same chair,she jumped when she saw him, her eyes wide and bright. She started to stand. He didn’t slow down. He just came to a stop in front of her, looked down into her pale, hopeful face, and held out his hand.

"Let’s go," he said.