A Debate With A Two Day Old Wit!

"Why do you study so hard anyway?" 

Meila paused for a moment, looking up with wide, earnest eyes. "Have you seen this town? It's so poor, and we can barely make a living. Mama and Papa always tell me I'm talented and smart, and I don't want to see them struggle anymore... They say I don't have to worry because I'm just a kid, but I feel so angry and sad..." 

That hit a little too close to home. She'd been a kid too, once, filled with dreams but drowning in the weight of responsibilities she couldn't fully understand.

"Well? There's Sir Usario, right?" Lyrasia said, trying to keep the conversation light. "Did you go to him? Ask for his help?"

"Sir said he wouldn't teach me because it's dangerous..."

She hated that the most. If the adults really wanted a kid to grow, they should give them the chance to try, to stumble, and fall, and then help them rise. Not hold them back, not smother them with protective nonsense. It reminded her of Erin. 'Erin...' She thought back to her past life, when she'd been forced into boxes she didn't fit.

"Well, I think it's stupid," she grumbled, crossing her arms. "What's the point of holding someone back because it's dangerous? If you don't let people try, they'll never know what they're capable of."

"But... how can we do that? We're just kids."

"I'm only two days old and already causing chaos. Imagine what you could do if they actually let you try!"

"You're crazy."

[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]

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[FIRST MISSION: Debate with sir Usario!]

[Objective: Convince sir Usario to take Meila.]

[Reward: +50 Bargain Points, +10 Experience Points]

[Time Limit: 10 Minutes]

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"Perhaps I am."

Lyrasia barged out of the room with all the grace and elegance of a stampeding bull.

She had no plan, no structure, just a gut feeling that today was the day she was going to fix things.

'No more holding back.'

As she stormed through the hallways of Sir Usario's humble home, her tiny, two-day-old body felt a rush of adrenaline. She was more of a two-year-old with a serious attitude problem.

When she finally arrived at Sir Usario's study, she didn't knock. Oh, no. That wasn't Lyrasia's style. Instead, she kicked the door open with her tiny foot, her face set in a stern, battle-ready expression that had no business coming from someone who could barely form a coherent sentence.

Sir Usario, who was hunched over a pile of books and scrolls, barely reacted to the forceful entrance, merely raising an eyebrow. His spectacles glinted as he peered over them. "Well, well, if it isn't my favorite guest. What can I do for you, Lyrasia?"

"You're gonna teach Meila. Right now. I'm here to make sure of it."

He sat back in his chair with a sigh, then slowly, dramatically, removed his spectacles. "I'm afraid that's not possible, my little one. Teaching Meila would be far too dangerous for her. I know what dreams to be. She wants to go to the capital and that place is full of corrupted nobles."

'Corrupted nobles, huh?'

It sounded a bit too familiar like a bad case of déjà vu mixed with a dash of frustration.

She had seen this story before, the fall of someone who trusted too easily, who got swept up by the shiny promises of those dressed in velvet and gold, only to be torn apart by their jealousy and political games.

'Been there, done that,' she thought with a little dramatic sigh. Her downfall had been nothing less than spectacular. Betrayal, manipulation, and a catastrophic heap of mistakes, all courtesy of the ever so lovely world of elite power struggles. But hey, that was the past.

'I guess,' Lyrasia mused out loud, 'just because I failed doesn't mean she has to.'

A little part of her, the stubborn part, refused to let this sweet, hardworking girl face the same fate.

Lyrasia wasn't sure why she cared so much. Maybe it was because Meila reminded her of herself. Or maybe, just maybe, it was because Meila reminded her of Erin, the friend she had lost, the one who had stood by her through thick and thin.

Either way, she wasn't about to let history repeat itself.

'Nope, not this time.'

But... why did she care? It wasn't like Meila was her responsibility, or her family. Lyrasia had a million reasons to walk away, especially since the whole mess of betrayal had left a bitter taste in her mouth. 

"Risk?" Lyrasia cut him off, her voice shrill and utterly unbothered by his condescending tone. "What do you mean 'risk'? She's been riskin' it her whole life, trying to study in this dump while you sit in here with your fancy books and your dusty old scrolls. You think you're safe?" 

"Are you... accusing me of neglecting my responsibilities as a teacher, little one?"

"Oh, don't take it like that!" she said in a high-pitched voice, clasping her tiny hands to her cheeks. "I'm just saying that it doesn't seem fair that she gets all the responsibility while you—" she leaned forward dramatically—"sit in your chair, living the life of a mysterious old man with all the answers."

There was an audible thunk as Usario dropped his spectacles back onto his nose. He opened his mouth, clearly about to reprimand her, but Lyrasia was ready for it.

She was like a lawyer in a courtroom, except her case had no evidence, no legal standing, and the opposition was an elderly man who couldn't even keep his hands steady enough to draw a proper diagram.

Lyrasia crossed her arms and took a step forward. "Look, Sir Usario," she said, tilting her head back with all the haughtiness a two-day-old could muster, "I get it. You're wise, and you're old, and you've probably seen it all. But what about Meila? Have you seen her? The girl's like a little warrior princess, trapped in a world that won't let her out. She's ready to break out, and you're here, sitting on your piles of ancient books, all 'ooh, this is dangerous,' like you're the one who's gonna get hurt!"

Usario stood up from his chair and slowly walked toward her, his brows furrowed in thought. "Hmm... you make some interesting points, little one. But my primary concern is her safety. I won't train someone so young in the dangerous arts of magic without first preparing them properly. It's not that I don't believe in her, it's just that—"

"Oh, come on!" Lyrasia shouted, throwing her hands in the air. "If we waited until someone was 'properly prepared,' we'd be waiting forever. No one is ever truly ready to change their fate. It's all about throwing yourself into the deep end, finding out what you're really made of. Isn't that what you did when you first learned? Or were you born an ancient scholar who knew everything right out of the womb?"

The man paused, his eyes narrowing. There was a long silence, filled only with the sound of Lyrasia's labored breathing. She was on a roll, but she was also starting to feel the weight of her own words. Did she really believe this? Did she want Meila to be the one to "throw herself into the deep end?" Was she simply projecting her own frustrations onto her?

Meila's words from earlier rang in her ears: "I don't want to see them struggle anymore."

A sigh escaped their lips, her tiny shoulders slumping. "It's not just about magic, you know. It's about hope. Hope that things can be different. If we keep waiting for the right moment, that moment's never gonna come. You know that, right?"

Again, their moment of ponder continued that the silence stretched, his thoughtful gaze never leaving her. And then, just as Lyrasia thought she might be losing him, he gave a small, almost imperceptible nod.

"You're right, child," he said, his voice surprisingly gentle. "I've been cautious for so long that I've forgotten what it means to take a risk for the sake of someone else's growth. You've reminded me... that sometimes, growth only happens when you give them a chance to stumble."

Lyrasia beamed, her little chest swelling with pride. "So you'll teach her, then?"

Usario chuckled softly, kneeling down to her level. "Yes, I will. But only because you've shown me the importance of giving her that chance. However..." He raised a finger, wagging it playfully. "I'll only teach her on one condition."

"And what's that?"

"You'll have to help her keep up with her lessons. I think you're ready for your own apprenticeship, hmm?"

"Wait, me?" She hadn't expected that at all.

"Why not? You're already a master at arguing, and I have no doubt you'll make a fine student. What do you say, Lyrasia?"

"Deal. I'll make sure she learns. And if anyone tries to stop her, I'll knock some sense into them. Just like I knocked sense into you."

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[MISSION COMPLETE!]

[Rewards Earned:]

+50 Bargain Points

+10 Experience Points

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