3 Days left until the tournament…

“Is it weird that I don’t feel anything anymore?”

“Like, maybe a little? You should feel something when you keep staring at it. I’m feeling something, anyway.”

“I feel like I was chasing it so much that when I got it and did what I wanted with it, it just became–I don’t know, numbers on a screen?”

“Is it because it is just numbers on a screen? Oooh, if you don’t feel anything, then you can give it to me? I’ll definitely do stuff with it that’ll make me feel things.”

Ryan laughed. “No thanks.”

Milock looked up from his laptop. “Don’t forget I already reserved some to invest.”

“You did? Oh shit yeah, you did. Are you sure you want to trade with the money, Milock? People always lose money doing that shit, don’t they?”

“If I lose money with all the advantages I have, then I’ll quit everything and give up on life.”

“What advantage?”

“You, Seff and everything else I know. There’s ways to gamble on volatility, not just whether it goes up or down. That’s why I said you need to tell us about these big things beforehand. Beating the market should be a piece of cake.”

Clara scoffed. “You sound like one of those guys talking about a get rich quick scheme. ‘Hey invest in this new realmcoin idea. I promise all adventurers are going to buy into it.’”

Milock dismissed her dismissal of his abilities. “Just give me a shot Ryan. I’m not even asking for the full amount immediately, just let me trade with like ten thousand and show I can do it.”

That sounded much more reasonable in Ryan’s mind. Also if it somehow turned out that Milock could make money then he’d be happy to get his friend to become rich. He was pretty sure if he tried to give his friend money, he’d be uncomfortable with it. But if Milock managed to earn it himself?

“What about the chance of getting caught for insider trading?”

“You know how many adventurers lowkey trade off information they know? It’s impossible to keep track of it all. Not to mention that the account is going to be affiliated with Seffara the Sapphire. Even if they flag it, they’re going to take one look at who it’s connected to and just shrug it off because it’s a small amount. At worst it’ll be a slap on the wrist.”

That extra layer of protection and planning made Ryan frown. He turned to Clara.

“Was Milock always this sneaky?”

Clara raised an eyebrow at Milock as well. Their friend was back at his keyboard, ignoring their comments.

“Not really, no.”

“Yeah, fuck you both too. Ryan isn’t the only one that can plan things out. Besides, this way we can start profiting off your wealth and take it as a reward from the account, placing it under your actual name. Then it’ll fully and legally be yours.”

“I dunno, it feels a bit wrong.”

Milock rolled his eyes. “Really Ryan? Our government literally allows the people who choose the law to trade with insider knowledge. Rules for thee but not for me. This is nothing in comparison.”

“I was talking about weaseling the money bit, but that’s honestly kinda fucked up too.”

“Fucked up world, gotta get ahead while you can.”

Ryan scratched his neck, uncomfortable with that idea. Milock rolled his eyes, when he narrowed on his friend. Milock pretended he was rolling his eyes at something on the laptop instead.

It was probably hypocrisy on his part to be uncomfortable with insider trading while being a blacklister with one of the highest bounties in the world. No, that wasn’t what was making him uncomfortable. It was the fact that his friend was willing to take a level of risk that would end with him jailed if he got caught.

“Damn I really am a hypocrite.”

Both Clara and Milock turned to him. Ryan shook his head, not quite willing to explain what his thought process was. Milock turned to Clara. She took a moment to think. Instead of trying to figure out what he meant she went straight for the jugular.

“What you thinking about Ryan? You can’t keep secrets from your team, remember? I can’t believe it, I’m in a team with a real adventurer.”

Milock had spilled the beans on the after action report to Clara. Telling her everything he’d said to Valee and Zedart when Ryan rejected them.

“Goddamnit fine. I’m a hypocrite because I don’t want you to take a risk and get in trouble. Meanwhile I’m happily going out there and doing what I want and risking my life.”

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“Huh.” Milock looked up, then shrugged and looked back to his screen. “At least maybe you’ll appreciate it from the other side now.”

“Yeah, yeah. Just don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”

They all laughed at that.

–

“Just got the text, they’re signing the contract. Do we need to contact the lawyer again?”

“Don’t worry, I’ll deal with that.”

“Thanks. Now I just have to figure out how to give this to my parents without them throwing up a fuss and figuring everything out.”

“That, I don’t know how to deal with.”

Ryan sat there with all his goals accomplished, unable to figure out how to get past that final hurdle. It was a maddening feeling. Out of everything he’d accomplished, managing his family seemed like the one hurdle he had no answers for. He couldn’t tell them he’d won the lotto. The moment they snooped around, the web of lies would collapse and then he’d really be in the shit.

He spent twenty minutes bouncing ideas with his friends.

That was when his phone rung. The number was, funnily enough, from his parents’ home.

“Hey, what’s up?”

“Hi sweetie! Just wondering when you were going to get here.”

His mother’s sharp tone was audible to the entire room. Both Milock and Clara stared at the phone with trepidation. Ryan himself was starting to sweat.

“Is, uh, there anything wrong?”

“Yes, we have a guest over. We’re all wondering when you’re going to get here.”

The hair on Ryan’s neck rose.

“Who is it?”

“Oh, I don’t know. Maybe your employer? You didn’t tell me that your boss was Seffara the Sapphire.

”

That was unexpected, though not in a good way. He needed some time to think.

“Huh. I uh, I’ll be right there.”

“Don’t you dare hang up on–”

Ryan hung up on his mother. He blinked a few times. Clara stood up and brushed off her lovely new sundress.

“Ooh, that’s my cue to leave. Seeyahaveagoodtimewithyourmomexplainingeverything, byeeee.”

“Hey!”

Clara was outside the privacy bubble and halfway out the door. Milock’s new privacy bubble was good. It let sounds in but didn’t let them out. Clara waved at them from Milock’s doorway.

“I’mnotstayingoverwhenyourmotherrealizeswe’veallbeenlyingtoher, byeeeeeeeee.”

Ryan turned to Milock for support.

His friend was just typing away on his computer pretending he hadn’t heard anything.

“Milock?”

Milock looked up. He shook his head vehemently, then went back to his laptop.

“Some team you two are.”

“Adventurers know when to run, Ryan.”

“Har har.”

–

Ryan stood outside his door in his new clothes, having been dropped off by an Umbral driver. It had replaced taxis in the modern age. He had seriously contemplated running all the way. It would have been faster, but also too risky if he got caught by an overzealous adventurer.

He took a breath.

There were zero plans for this encounter. There was too much to think about. He had put off going back home for a little too long, and Seffara could have told them anything. Ryan was pretty sure he could trust her but the heroine was also known for being famously stubborn when she believed what she was doing was right.

If she believed it was time for him to tell his parents everything?

Even he considered praying to the Manager for a miracle.

The door opened before Ryan even knocked. He looked up, and up. At a huge green orc standing in his parents’ doorway.

Ryan narrowed his eyes.

“This is a cheapshot, Barry.”

“This was as much for Seffara as it was for you. Come on Ryan.

”

The emphasis on his name probably meant that his parents hadn’t been told about Artigan. In fact, the conversation that was coming from the living room was completely harmless.

“Oh my goodness, those adorable minks. How can they be so adorable and so monstrous. Ryan is that you sweetie? Come on in!”

Ryan glared at the orc then took a deep breath. He walked into the dining room and blinked.

For the first time since he met her, Seffara was outside of her enchanted armor. She was in casual clothes. Scratch that, she was in a dress. The [Knight] was showing his mother a photo of her wrestling with an enormous black-furred mink that, indeed, looked adorable as hell.

Seffara looked up, “Hey Ryan.” She went back to the picture. “Yep, adorable as hell but dangerous as hell too. One of the few monsters in The Realm that actually organizes and raids each other and everyone around them.”

His mother looked torn between continuing to admire the photo and wanting to pull Ryan away so she could pull his head off.

He smiled sheepishly. This was not how he expected his parents meeting Seffara to go. While Seffara had gained the most fame during the Superhero generation, all the older generations of Americans claimed her as theirs. Their pride of a hero that stood against the abusive government and did the right thing in both loud and quiet protests. His parents absolutely adored her and it should have been an easy win.

Not whatever this was.

Mrs. Robinson finally unclenched her dress from her hands and stood up, giving him a friendly smile.

“Ryan, honey, can you help me in the kitchen real quick?”

Both mother and son walked into the kitchen. It wasn’t a big house so she had to turn on the sink first to whisper-shout at her son.

“You didn’t tell me your employer was Seffara the Sapphire! You should have told me she was coming, oh my god. We had nothing prepared!”

Ryan almost let out a huge sigh of relief. So they didn’t know he was Artigan, nor that he was an adventurer now. She had just been pissed at being blindsided by an important guest. That he could handle.

“I didn’t know she was coming either, and don’t worry about it mom. She carries food made by the best chefs from The Realm in her spatial bag, you don’t need to feed her.”

His mother grabbed his ear. Ryan pretended it hurt and moved with her grip.

“Ow, ow, ow.”

“That does not make me feel better, young man! She’s been eating my cooking this entire time and being polite.”

There was an audible chuckle that rumbled through the running water.

“Don’t worry about it Linda. Your cooking was amazing. There’s nothing quite like home cooking, no matter what fancy stuff you eat.”

Linda Robinson’s expression froze on her face. Her eyes darted back to Ryan. He just chuckled.

“Yeah, she’s a ninth realm, mom. A bit of running water isn’t going to stop her from hearing everything.”

Of course, he could have told her that fact. Something that both of them were realizing at this moment. Mrs. Robinson’s eye twitched and pushed the arm holding his ear. Ryan acted it out perfectly, yelping in pain and moving exactly like he would if he was a helpless ordinary human. His mother let go, and coughed. A little embarrassed at the outburst.

“Sorry Ryan.”

He covered his completely undamaged ear, pretending it hurt.

“It’s okay mom, I probably should have told you.”

“Why don’t you go ahead and set the table, your father should be coming home soon.”

“Isn’t it a little early for that?”

“I told him who had arrived, of course he’s taking the day early.”

“Huh, let’s hope he doesn’t crash on the way here.”

Ryan grabbed some utensils with one hand, still covering his ear. His mother had gone back to checking over the cooking. He walked back into the dining room.

He completely missed his mother, narrowing her eyes at him when his back was turned. She glared at the hand covered ear.

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