«Saint Cassia.»
Cassie nodded.
«Master Sunless. Please, have a seat.»
Sunny and Nephis sat down in front of her desk, after which the blind seer handed him a stack of papers, with the clause of the contract written on them in neat and pretty cursive.
She must have asked one of the Fire Keepers to serve as her eyes while writing, because otherwise, that tidy handwriting would have been skewed and incomprehensible.
Cassie smiled.
«There is a lot to discuss… but, please. Read and sign the contract first.»
Sunny gave her a long look.
«…It's your lucky day that I know cursive!»
Everyone who received a proper education did, but Sunny had only ever known how to type things before coming to the Academy. He had learned cursive later, after returning from the Forgotten Shore and getting himself a position as a research assistant.
But, of course, no one had any way of knowing that.
Signing deeply, he looked over the contract and signed it. Nephis watched him with intently as he did.
The moment his signature was put on paper, the corner of her mouth seemed to curl upward slightly.
Sunny smiled.
«Well, as long as she's happy.»
«It's a pleasure doing business with you.»
And that… was how Sunny became the Memory Purveyor of the Fire Keepers.
—— —— ——
Unbeknownst to him, though, something else was happening while he was signing the contract.
The news of Sunny's duel with Tristan of Aegis Rose was spreading across Bastion with the speed of a forest fire. Of course, with each retelling, it collected embellishments and turned more and more outrageous.
People were talking about it all over the city.
«Have you heard? Some unknown Master defeated Lord Tristan. In one strike!»
«They say that they were fighting for Changing Star's affection…»
«There were several Valor Knights and dozens of Awakened in the courtyard, but no one even tried to stop the duel…»
«There were dozens of Valor Knights in the courtyard trying to stop him, but he defeated them all before striking Lord Tristan in the face!»
«There were a hundred Valor Knights in the courtyard trying to stop him, but he easily defeated them all. And then beheaded Lord Tristan with one strike!»
«That unknown Master is too scary! Too tyrannical!»
«What a monster!»
If Sunny had heard these whispers, he would have paled.
He would have also probably said something like…
«Oh, no. Oh, no! Not again!»
But he didn't hear anything until the next morning.
…When Aiko stormed into the kitchen of the Brilliant Emporium and tossed a newspaper on the table.
«Boss… what the hell is this?!»
Frowning, Sunny picked up the newspaper and read the title on the first page.
The title read:
«A Duel For a Saint's Heart! Wretched Mongrel, Master S, defeats the Noblest of Knights, Lord T!»
His hand trembled.