When the Week’s End came, Don was allowed to join the tiny wagon tent.
“Ah, so you are the new Lord Don Asuli that Ronin speak of.” Professor Espinella greeted him.
He was wearing a tall hat as he always does during their weekly travels, and tipped it toward him as he bowed.
“Just call me Don, sir.” He bowed back. “Where are we off to travel for today?”
“Oh, Hollyhock Town. It has quite a lot of nobles going for walks and is famous for the lover’s bridge.”
Don furrowed his brows and asked. “Is the nobility of a person important in this research?”
“Yes.” Ronin answered. “In fact, we only perform the research with nobles, they are our main specimen. And the more powerful, the more effective they are in our research.”
“I see….. Then I shall keep that in mind when I pick someone to challenge.” He said.
Professor Espinella smiled. “Well, off to the wagon you two boys go. I’ll be going to drive far up front so if you need something, you would have to shout.”
They went inside the flap of the red tent, sitting on opposite sides and facing each other.
The wagon was about to hitch off, when someone suddenly called out..
“Ronin! Where are we off to this time— Oh.”
Cermin came running like an excited kindergartener going on a field trip. He jumped the moving wagon expertly, smiling at his friend until he noticed Don was also inside.
“Why is he here?” The golden prince frowned.
“Don will be helping us gain more volunteers, Your Highness.” Ron explained. “Through busking.”
Cermin blinked. “Busking?”
“Why is he here?” Don asked pointedly. “Does he also join this research?”
“He does. Mostly to lounge, though.” Ronin said.
“Hey, I could have gotten involved if you just asked!” Prince Cermin said, sitting beside him. “I’ll help you gain volunteers too!”
Ronin shook his head. “No need, Your Highness. I find making you do the hard labor of busking as too unbecoming of a prince.”
“And you may not be strong enough too.” Don rolled his eyes. “Strong arm strength is needed here, we’ll be challenging people for arm wrestling.”
“Then I’m hella up for it!” Cermin exclaimed, never losing his bad habit of speaking casually. “I bet I can even beat your master over here!”
Don growled like a dog.
(This day is supposed to be for me and Ronin, why does he always have to interfere!?)
Ronin had no choice but to play referee again on these two rivals for his attention, and thought of a way to compromise.
“Then alright, I’ll let you both do it. But no fighting to yourselves, you fight nobles that you challenge, alright?”
He suggested: “Instead of fighting directly, you should try to gain more volunteers than the other.”
This sounded like a good idea for both of them, then they asked at the same time.
“What’s the prize?”
“The prize?” Ronin frowned.
“Yes, does the winner get to have lunch with you for today?” Don asked.
“Or maybe get a favor, get you to do a dare!” Cermin suggested.
Ronin: … ….. … ….
This kids really seeks his attention too much!
“Fine, fine. Winner gets to ask me for a favor like eating lunch or whatever.” Ronin begrudgingly agreed, as long as everything was settled.
And so, that day’s ‘researching’ felt more like babysitting. The two were so competitive just for that favor from Ronin.
Well, at least he’s cultivating more enmity and rivalry between them though this.
Cermin’s veins on his forehead pulsed while he;s trying to put down a noble man’s arm that was twice his size.
“I will get that favor! Just you wait and see, Donatello!”
“My name is Don! Just Don, who in the nine heavens is Donatello!?” Don yelled while he was fighting off his own opponent.
The opponents too were usually hot-blooded young men that have just graduated from the Academy and trying to impress their lovers.
They weren’t lazy yet and fat like the usual nobles after that had become masters of their estate and focused on handing their lavish lives of reaping money off their farmers.
That’s how most houses gain money, after all. And Ronin had always wondered if the House Zafeiri still have these feudal powers.
If so, where is their land? Where are these farmers?
He remembered Maellan saying that most of the original farmland of the Zafeiris had to be sold back when Duchess Akasa’s family was down in the dumps.
That was back when they still did not have Duke Taevas’ money from his merchant parents. They regained their fortune through the marriage.
So was this land that they gain money from the land of blue corn in Scirocco?
Then how can they go bankrupt now if they own something like that which must have been accumulating much fortune everyday?
As he wondered about this, the two just kept on defeating as much rich men as they could. They gained many coins as well, which were put inside a bag.
Ronin had twice more victims— er ‘research specimens’ to bring along to the wagon tent this time.
More and more people were drawn by the busking as people caught news of it. And many vain young nobles with high egos could not pass up on such an opportunity to show off.
When lunchtime was getting near, they took break to count the coins and see who wins the bet.
There had been 16 coins on Cermin’s bag, which means 16 wins and 16 patrons ‘experimented on’.
Meanwhile, Don, who currently was feeling more like Donna, had 15.
“So close!” Donna stomped her foot.
Professor Espinella chuckled. “How about I be the one to dine with you for now, little one? I am not so bad company to children, I’ve been raising 3 of my own.”
Donna sulked, but since the professor was being kind and considerate, she felt rude to decline.
“Congratulations, I suppose. Enjoy your meals.” She said bitterly to Cermin as she followed the professor to a diner.
“Well, he’s still a good sport about it. What a surprise.” Cermin snorted.
“I taught her to be.” Ronin mumbled quietly, his lips quirking up a little.
He put back the coins he counted on the bag and handed it to Cermin. “Here you go.”
“No, I don’t need the money. You keep it. I only did this for fun and to gain that favor.”
Ronin took both bags for safe-keeping, and put it in the wagon. “I’m listening.”
“I want to….. hmm.” Cermin thought about it for a while, before deciding:
“Ah! I want to see how exactly you do the experiment! I want you to try it on me this time!”
Updat𝒆d fr𝒐m freew𝒆bnov𝒆l.c(o)m