Tales of the Pearly Kingdom (Pearly Tales Vol. 2)

84. An Interview With Mr. Starchaser

When he was done he sent Ophelia to get her snack and restarted the training. Apparently if they lost consciousness their time only paused, and they would have to continue when they woke up.

Team Knights were only revived once and at one point he just told them it was enough, and they collapsed.

Achilles didn't notice the subtilty until the fifth time that team Vanguard was revived. But he was hitting Seamus many times harder than he was hitting the rest. She even heard one of his ribs break. He even hit the poor Weasel. He hit Vera softer than the rest, but he also struck and threw her around three times as much. Every time he critiqued them he told Seamus and Yamamoto to work together more. To Vera, he mentioned footwork and praised her in different ways.

It wasn't order and chaos, it was just controlled chaos.

He was still unleashing monsters onto the world. She couldn't allow that. The only way to fight Chaos was with Order. She'd fight his Hell Training with the teaching of the Dawn Way.

*

When Cal was satisfied with their Hell training it was a little after lunch time. Even though they were fully healed they sat down for some lunch Naomi and Yvette brought for them.

"Technically you should be ready to fight right after Cal heals you," Naomi said handing out bowls filled with food. "But it burns your body's nature resources like you wouldn't believe. If you don't fight back with a decent sized meal you could get sick. Trust me, we had to find out the hard way." She laughed nervously.

"At least Cal is giving you all a break." Yvette sighed. "We had Hell training in the morning and then had to fight monsters for six hours at a time in the afternoon, but that was mostly because Alea's bat-shit crazy. Then we ate whatever Cal or Tiki served in the evening which was the only thing we had to look forward to all day but at least it was really good."

Achilles moved gracefully and deliberately toward Peter. Peter was still pouring over paperwork when the dark-haired woman slammed her hand on the table.

SLAM!

"You're the North Wind Administrator, no?" She said.

Peter jumped and then sighed when he saw her. "I'm neither deaf, blind, nor stupid, and my name is Peter Starchaser. What is it that you require, Miss Thetis?"

"Oh?" Achilles was taken aback, surprised that not everyone was a barbarian. She cleared her throat. "I wish to join the faculty of the North Wind academy. I offer my services as a Grandmaster of the Dawn Way. I will give everyone of your members training in technique, discipline, and honor."

Peter took a deep breath and laced his fingers in front of him. "Unfortunately, you are overqualified. We simply don't have the resources at this time to employ someone of your caliber."

Achilles raised her eyebrow. He was talking about money... that was oddly sensible.

"I care not for wages, provide me a place to sleep, food to eat, and enough money to get by and we'll call it fair." Achilles cocked her hip.

"And why, pray tell, would you lower yourself so far for us?" Peter acted like a true businessman.

"Followers of the Dawn Way have never cared about money, we are teachers and students in equal measure." She pointed a glare at Cal who was snacking with Ophelia. "If I am to believe the wild accusations of the Guildmaster, then this place holds true potential. If I were to pass up this opportunity than I would be the first disgraced Grandmaster of the Dawn Way."

She locked eyes with Cal and his dumb ignorant smile which so happened to be covered with cookie crumbs. He would bring Chaos to the world.

No.

She couldn't, she wouldn't allow that. She would make all of these lunatics into honorable followers of the Dawn Way. She would fight his chaos with order. His innovation with her technique. His insanity with her common sense. She had no idea what Cal was planning. He may indeed be the founder of this beautiful City, but he obviously wasn't in charge and had little to no influence. Why was he really hiding his identity? She couldn't figure it out, but she could at least put one wrench into his plans.

Peter pointed a look at Cal who shrugged and shook his head, dismissing it as Peter's call.

Peter rolled his eyes. "Very well, I'm right in the middle of all the formal paperwork as we speak which is why the Guildmaster is taking care of instruction today. But if you are okay to discuss lodging and pay at a later date I'll hire you here and now. Cal has expressed the desire for the students to do morning exercises before breakfast. That means I don't have to do it." Peter pulled some paperwork out of the corner of his stack and handed it Achilles. "Here are the requirements we are looking for just look them over, but if you think you can achieve better results than be my guest. The point is to increase survivability rate against assassins, giant monsters, and as you've seen, the guildmaster. The student will have classes to teach them languages, arithmetic, ethics, culture, and manners in the mornings which will be handled mainly by Naomi and Kadoka. After lunch there will be formal and individualized martial and magical training, that you will have to go over with Naomi and Kadoka since we are still ironing out the best system based on the needs of the students. Then shortly before dinner is free time for independent study and whatever else they want to do. On the weekends the older students have the opportunity to earn a wage by working at the café. Along with the training you have in mind I'd like you to look over the list of aggressive monsters outside the city limits, study them, take some time to go out there with one of the Dravenkin as a guide and determine the most effective means for training students to survive and thrive against them. Also-"

Achilles ended up sitting down while Peter dived right into the workload with her.

*

Selene sat by Cal on the other side of the room as she watched smoke come out of Achilles head as she scribbled stuff down with Peter, Naomi, and Kadoka.

"You planned that didn't you?" She whispered so that her daughter couldn't hear.

"Noblesse Oblige." Cal answered.

"I see you are already living up to your title as the Trickster. But playing on her honor wasn't exactly fair." Selene giggled.

"Pirate," Cal winked.

*