Contract

This was bad. Like, REALLY bad! Ami and Slavena looked ready to duke it out, which meant the whole city was in trouble since these two were some of the most powerful people in it! And all this over me...

"Um, if Ami doesn't want me, I can leave," I nervously smiled.

"NONSENSE! She clearly needs you. She can't do everything by herself!" Slavena fumed.

"I don't want anyone on the kingdom's payroll shadowing my every move," Ami spat.

"Then I'll just force you to sign a contract," Slavena glared as she charged for Ami.

Ami readied her wand in response, but on instinct, I rushed in and grabbed Slavena's waist from behind. 

"LET GO!" 

"You're gonna destroy the whole place if you continue!" I shouted as I unleashed a suplex on her, causing some of the floorboards to shatter under the force of her head slamming into them.

"Wh- Why did you do that!?" Ami cried. 

Good question. Slavena was someone I knew was strong, but for some reason, I felt like if I didn't stop her now, Ami would've gotten hurt. And despite how Ami might feel, my moral code prevents me from letting any attack I'm capable preventing hit. 

That said, regret began creeping over me as an aura of bloodlust erupted from Slavena. "You'll pay for that," she glared as she slowly rose to her feet and wiped the blood off her forehead.

"Fine. We'll hammer something out," Ami sighed.

Slavena's rage subsided ever so slightly. "Write it out now."

Ami clicked her tongue and walked over to the reception counter, snatching a piece of paper from the girl on duty before returning to the table. "First thing's first, you're not going to be guarding me 24/7. I call for you when I feel like it. We'll always meet here in the guild, so don't go running all the way to my lab like an idiot."

"But what if you're at your lab?" I asked.

"Then I don't need you. How dense can you be?"

Didn't need to word it like that. Seriously, I'm gonna drop her a few spots on my hero rankings if this keeps up.

"And just cuz I'm out here taking requests doesn't mean I want or need you to help me. I'm B-rank, dammit. And it was all through my own effort. I'm capable of being independent."

"Ah, but need I remind you that you can't reach A-rank or higher by yourself. You must have a party," Slavena scowled.

"You shut up! Every time I try to be independent and do everything myself, someone has to butt in and say I can't be and need to be monitored and babied!"

"It's because you're so gifted that the kingdom feels the need to give you extra layers of protection-"

"WHY NOT A BIGGER BUDGET THEN!? I could just laze about in my lab making shit if they provided everything I need, when I need it, but we know that's impossible! Either they're too stupid to understand the message, or too weak to get the job done! Or... they're some lousy nitpicker that makes me wanna strangle them over how much they nag me and hinder me by invoking, "This is against the knight's code of honor. We can't do that". The kingdom wants my genius? Do more for my well-being then!"

I was starting to get uncomfortable. This was a far cry from the Ami I had been with in the dungeon. There, she seemed much warmer, still a bit snarky, but way more friendly than not. I wanna know why she's like this, but if I ask her now, she might get mad and storm off again, incurring Slavena's wrath all over again. 

Once Ami finished writing the contract, she passed it over to me for review. All the stuff Ami had said before was there, but there was also some other stuff she had jotted down... ...

I slowly held up the contract and ripped it in half.

"Wh- WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?" Slavena cried.

"Rejecting it; I can't accept the terms in it," I replied as my body began to tremble.

"What specifically?" Ami scoffed.

"'Complete loyalty and obedience must be sworn to the client. The employed must never betray their client's will, and forsake all personal morals for the sake of pleasing the client'. I refuse to accept that. I despise conditions like that."

"Then why were you trying to join the knights? It's pure loyalty there."

"Loyalty to the kingdom. The knight's code states that they serve the interests of the people."

"You forget what I told you about the hierarchy? The king's at the top of it all."

"But he's the king. He rules the country."

"And if he orders the knights to destroy a town in order to build a giant monument of himself there?"

"If it betrays the lives of the people, the Knights Order has the authority to remove the king in the name of the holy one. The same goes for any other superior officer who abuses their authority to order soldiers to commit heinous acts for their personal agenda."

Ami let out a whistle. "You actually got something right, but it also exposes your flaw. What's all this about being a knight?"

"Um..."

"You're not a knight. You got rejected, but you're still thinking you are one."

"..."

"And that's why I gave you such a contract; I hate the knights and don't want some chivalrous busybody harking down my neck when I'm trying to enjoy my life. So if you're going to try and be my guard as a knight, forget it."

"Then why'd you even request a bodyguard anyway?"

Ami shook her head and began to leave. "I requested a "guard", not a "bodyguard"."

"What's the difference?"

Ami held up her hand. "Three days. That's all I'll give you to figure it out. If you can, you can use that knowledge to try and put forth an agreement that'll appease everyone."

"What do you-"

But Ami had already slammed the door to the back room behind her.

"Seems this is it then. If you want to get the job, you'll need to pass this trial," Slavena sighed.

"Do you have any idea what she means?"

"I do, but you heard Ami yourself; YOU need to figure it out. If I give you the answer, you fail on the spot. As for another matter... You had some nerve slamming me into the floor. Why, look at the mess it caused."

I began to sweat.

"The floor is one thing, but daring to draw blood from me? Girl, do you know just who I am? That will ruin your life," Slavena angrily smiled.

"I'M SORRY! I'M SORRY!"

"That won't do. Hmm, but if you pass Ami's trial, I'll forgive everything. But if not, even if you run back to your hometown, or anywhere else, there's no escaping my wrath."

My hair stood on ends as goosebumps popped up on my skin.

"Now, before I leave you, care to answer me why you decided to slam my head into the floor?"

"Well... I felt I needed to protect Ami, and if you two had really fought, others would get caught up. You were the bigger threat, so I-"

"I was a "threat"?"

"I mean like, you were charging for Ami, and I felt like I could subdue you once I intercepted you, so I tried and well... Yeah..."

Slavena stared judgingly at me before turning heel. "I'd reflect on that," she scoffed as she walked away.