Reward from the chieftain

The next day, I left the house early to go to the castle. My empty sleeve flowed along with the breeze as I ambled throughout the city. The wind brushed across my face. On my way to the chieftain's residence, I decided to pass by the restaurant to check up on Ralph. I did not want fatso to retaliate by targeting the waiter. As usual, the queue was long and the same two guards were in front of the establishment. One of them however had bandages all over his body. As soon as I appeared in his peripheral vision, a cold pit formed in his stomach and he was clenching his teeth. What he felt was not anger, but fear. I slowly approached him and showed a warm smile.

"How are you?" I asked.

"I-I am fine," he said.

"You can enter," he said while pointing to the door.

"Thank you very much."

He was so afraid that he let me cut the entire line. I was not going to complain when I was receiving favoritism. The restaurant was packed and I scanned the room to find Ralph. I saw the young orc running around the place like a headless chicken. He appeared jovial so I guessed that nothing bad happened to him. As soon as he was done serving the food, he went to the back. I walked through the restaurant and grabbed his shoulder. He turned around and his face lit up.

"Hello sir, how are you? Would you like a table?" he asked.

"No it's fine, I did not come here to eat. I only came to check up on you."

"Did they try to do anything to you?" I asked.

"No, no one has attacked me. Thank you for defending me that night. My parents would like to invite for dinner. Are you free tonight?" he said.

"Yes I am," I replied.

"Meet me here at six in the evening," he said with a warm smile.

After a quick chat with Ralph, I exited the restaurant and continued to walk towards the castle. The building was still as impressive as the first time that I saw it. The guards were already expecting my arrival so they did not prevent me from entering the premises. At the door, a butler greeted me and led the way. 

"Where will I be meeting the chieftain?" I asked.

"You will be meeting him in his office sir," the butler replied.

In the hallway, I sensed an impressive presence making its way towards us. At the other end, Grald's brother was sauntering in our direction. As usual, he had an air of arrogance.

"Oh it's you, little cripple," he said.

"I was thoroughly impressed by your fight the other day. When I become chieftain, I'll be expecting your help. See you then," he added. while laughing.

He walked by us before I even had the time to reply. Even though his personality was the polar opposite of his brother's, I could tell that he was just as strong as Grald. We resumed walking and eventually reached the office. The butler left me and I promptly knocked on the door.

"Come in," an imposing voice said.

My hand twisted the knob as I pushed the door open. The chieftain was seated behind his desk and he was glaring at me. Even though the office was still luxurious, it was less gaudy than the exterior. Quincy did say that the chieftain was a humble man like Grald.

"Sit down," he said as he pointed to a chair. 

I did as instructed and sat down. Even though I knew that he meant no harm, I could not help but feel intimidated when facing such a powerful individual.

"I have to say, even though your strength for your age is unbelievable, what sets you apart is your courage and tenacity. You did not give up even when faced against an insurmountable wall."

"Thank you sir. I have to do what I can to get revenge," I replied.

"Revenge? What for?" he asked with a curious expression.

"Revenge for my father," I said with a straight face.

"What happened to him?"

"He was murdered."

"Ah o-okay. Y-es I understand how you must feel."

Even though this time he maintained his expression, his voice gave him away. He was deeply affected by this news.

"Will you not tell me how you know my father?" I asked.

"How did- Well needless to say you're quite quick-witted," he said.

"The blacksmith and you are both hiding something. That was not hard to figure out. Thomas even said that he was good friends with my father," I replied.

"Even if you knew, there's nothing you can do for now. I can only assume that Thomas did not reveal everything as well. I'll give you a deal, I will tell you when are eighteen years old-"

"But that's too long to wait!"

"Let me complete my sentence. You either wait until you're eighteen or you rank in the top three amongst youngsters. As soon as you do that, I'll reveal everything. Do we have a deal?"

"We have a deal," I said.

"H-How did he die?" he asked.

"He was beheaded," I replied.

A tear appeared in the corner of his eye. The teardrop flowed down his cheek and he wiped it with the palm of his hand. It looked like my father's death cut his soul, so I did not say anything. 

"Well I did not call you here for that, so let's get back on track."

"I have to reward you for the fight against Dino," he added.

"I originally planned on giving you a simple elixir, but now I have decided to change the prize."

He stood up and towered over me. His body was covered in scars, showcasing his numerous battles. He did not carry any weapon with him. Well that was normal as no one in their right mind would target him.

"Follow me," he said.