Chapter 55: Proof of Authority
Before long, Moon found himself standing in a spacious place with minimalistic details. Just a desk, a small table in the middle of the office with 8 chairs arranged around it, along with another 2 chairs at the desk itself. Everything was matching the colors of the golden shield robes Samuel had. Every single item, even the walls, and the bookshelf to the right of the desk.
Moon stood inside with Colten, only the two of them with everyone else waiting inside, after they were led here by Barrett, who happened to see the place while strolling around the facility before getting caught by Colten.
The two of them had already explained the terms of the duel and were waiting for Samuel’s response.
But there was none.
For a long time, he just looked at Moon, then at Colten, then at something random at his desk. Colten was waiting patiently, steadily standing still, unmoving. Unlike Moon, who was restlessly wiggling, resting on his right foot for a moment, then his left, scratching his head occasionally, or yawning.
It took Samuel almost 10 whole minutes to finally open his mouth. "So you are saying you are giving him authority over you if your subordinate dueling him doesn’t lose with the first attack."
Now they understood why he wasn’t reacting...
Both of them seemed like idiots, but Colten wasn’t even sure why he was addressed first. "Teacher, do you not find the terms to your liking?" Colten asked.
Samuel didn’t answer, but he looked at Moon instead. "And you become his subordinate if you fail to eliminate his proxy in the duel with your first move?"
Moon didn’t answer; instead, he raised his head and smiled proudly, nodding twice.
Samuel went silent again, his face unchanged, but for some reason, Moon felt like he looked rather tired. "I suggested the terms, aren’t they great?" Moon excitedly stated.
Samuel ignored him; instead, he looked at Colten. "You need to provide a proof of authority."
Colten nodded; he took off his ring that had the same exact blue tongue of flame on it and placed it on the desk.
Moon watched and listened but understood nothing. "What’s a proof of authority?"
Samuel ignored him as usual; instead, he inspected the ring.
Moon pursed his lips; he looked at Colten, who also pursed his lips, but nonetheless, "Proof of authority is like an identification for us within any clan; we receive it once we reach the age of 12." Colten paused for a moment before taking a breath. "And once we become subordinates to anyone, we give this identification to them as proof of authority over us."
Moon nodded; now he understood what it meant, but... what about him?
He looked at his hands; he had nothing.
What does he have to give for this to work?
Though Samuel had yet to extend his hand demanding anything from him, he knew he would soon.
Very soon.
And as he expected, Samuel extended his hand to him. Moon shook his head. "I have nothing like that."
"Give something either precious or holding your identity," Samuel demanded flatly.
At least it wasn’t a slavery brand, so that much was acceptable.
But even that he didn’t have.
Moon thought, and no matter how much he thought, he couldn’t give Liquid Mountain; it was his only weapon...
And his clothes were another thing he couldn’t, that leaves... only the pendant.
But the line at the bottom of the window the time he received it, it was haunting his eyes:
Keep it safe.
But he also knew there wasn’t any other way. He groaned, taking off the pendant around his neck. "This is everything I have, please keep it safe," he said as he placed it in Samuel’s hand.
Then he whispered to himself, to his conscience, to the crimson screen window, "I’ll make sure to keep it safe."
The duel was something he whacked his brain hard to achieve, and now it was time to make good use of it, take everything he can from it.
Samuel started studying the pendant as well, but his face looked rather complicated than his ordinary stone cold.
But that wasn’t for long; he put it down along with the ring he took from Colten. "Duration?" he suddenly asked.
"Lifetime."
"Second floor trial."
Colten and Moon spoke at the same time. Colten looked at Moon in utter surprise, but Moon looked at Colten as if tired of his shit.
"What do you mean, second floor trial?" Colten asked Moon.
"Who would want to see your stupid face beyond that? You weak shit won’t be useful beyond the second floor anyway." Moon dismissively waved his hand, turning his eyes back to the pendant on the desk.
Colten, on the other hand, now had a vein bulging on his forehead. He had been getting insulted by this country bumpkin without end for very long... he was even being dismissed for being weak even without getting to fight.
"You didn’t fight me nor see me fight," Colten retorted.
"I only saw you fight your way around with that tongue of yours; even your voice is painful to hear... 2nd floor is enough for me... I’ll find other stronger subordinates on the next floor." Moon was also fed up in his own way; he was done playing anyway... everything had fallen into place now.
Colten wasn’t done though. "You—"
"Enough," Samuel cut him off, seemingly annoyed by their ranting.
Ding.
In front of their eyes, a new quest window appeared:
[Quest Notice]
Southern Normalization Facility: Branch Exclusive
Title: Duel of Subordination
First Party - Ascender Moon
Second Party - Ascender Colten of Azure Flame
Details: First Party will fight against Second Party’s proxy (Ascender Dave)
[Quest Rules]
No restrictions on echo or usage of weapons.
Theme: None
[Rewards]
Proof of Authority of Second Party - Ring of Azure Flame Clan
Colten of Azure Flame Subordination
Colten of Azure Flame’s Underlings Subordination
Duration - You may only hold onto the rewards until the end of The Second Floor Trial
[Penalty]
Subordination to Colten of Azure Flame
Loss of Golden Pendant
Duration - You shall live under the penalty until one of both parties loses his life
Time remaining until duel commences: 16 Hours 44 Minutes 04 Seconds
This quest was designed and built by the Normalization Facility staff under the authority and supervision of the Tower System.
Three different status windows appeared: one for Moon, stating clear rewards and penalties, and one reversed completely making Colten First Party instead, with obvious differences between rewards and penalties from the one Moon was looking at.
And the last would very soon appear in front of Dave’s face, who was standing outside the office.
He was outright named as Colten’s duel proxy, and now that this entire mess was over, he was pleased.
He wasn’t going to let Moon, who had him suffer public humiliations, live.
A smile crept on his face... he closed his eyes for a moment; he started imagining the scene where he dashes forward with his sword, chopping Moon’s arm, the right one holding his weapon.
’How dare this dirty rat belittle me?’ he cursed in his heart.
And the scene didn’t stop there. He kept cutting Moon, one chop at a time without the slightest resistance; he cut the other arm, the legs... he couldn’t stop.
And now Colten had no way to use him anymore.
He had never seen Colten desiring a subordinate that much in his life, and he wasn’t just hating Moon for being a hooligan, but for stealing his master’s attention to that extent.
