24 Tsk, getting me all worked up for no reason

"20 Elemental Stones.

Hand them over and I will try my best to save you."

Vaan spoke with a genuine smile on his face and hearing those words, Asher couldn't help but shout out loud.

"WHAT!?"

"What?" Vaan spoke nonchalantly, rolling his eyes as he picked his ears

"That is equivalent to 20,000 Gold Coins! That's what our family makes in 2 years!" Asher retorted.

"And?"

Vaan however, just tilted his head in confusion.

Then, with a small smile on his face, he questioned,

"Are you saying that asking for 2 years of your family's income is too much for saving you? I would say that I am being rather generous here.

Right, I forgot to mention, make sure your family doesn't know about it.

You know how hotheaded the Head of your Family is, right? Honestly, I shouldn't say it, but with that meager strength of a 5th Circle Mage, rather than that hotheadedness, your family head should learn the art of bowing his head in front of his betters, but let's not talk about it.

As I was saying, if your family head learns that I am asking for 20 Elemental Stones to save you and your family, he would definitely get enraged and go to my Family.

I am telling you this right here, but if the matter gets that troublesome, then let alone 20, even 200 Elemental Stones wouldn't be enough to protect you, so make sure your family doesn't know about it, alright?"

"H-How am I supposed to give you 20 E-Elemental Stones without letting my family know? A-As I said, t-that's equivalent to 2 years of my family income. T-There is no w-way I can arrange that sort of money myself." Asher voiced out his problems.

"Do not try to fool me, Asher. Your family has been around for centuries now, hasn't it? You aren't telling me that they haven't saved up anything at all, are you?"

"W-W-What are you trying to say...?"

Asher questioned. He had a bad premonition.

"Come on, my dear friend.

Do I really need to spell what you have to do out for you?"

Vaan spoke with a demonic smile on his face.

"You… You want me to rob my family's treasury…"

Asher finally realized.

"You are brighter than you look."

Vaan replied with an evil smile on his face.

"But that's a serious crime! I would get executed if I get caught!" Asher shouted.

"Then choose." Vaan shrug.

"Choose between a path where you might die if you get caught, or a path where the death is certain.

The choice is yours."

Vaan placed his legs on the table in front of him with an unbothered look on his face.

Seeing him act like that, Asher couldn't believe his eyes.

To think that the timid Vaan would act like this.

Just what in the hell happened to him? That unbothered look as he pushed Asher into the corner, leaving him no choice but to rob his own family's treasury.

"You bastards from the Vesta Family!! You people already monopolize all the Elemental Stone Ores! Your Family earns more than 100 Ores every single month! Is that not enough for you!?"

Asher couldn't control himself and lashed out.

"Huh? How come my Family is involved here?"

Vaan, however, simply tilted his head in confusion.

"Y-You bastards have already taken away all our source of income! Even the Elemental Ore found on our Family Land was taken away by you guys! The Mages of our Family have to work for your family so that they can earn enough Elemental Stones to continue their research with! We barely collect enough Stones to sustain the needs of our Family Mages and now you want me to rob my own family treasury!? How can you be so shameless!? Great Vesta Family my a-"

"Woah Woah Woah, enough champ. The fuck are you getting all emotional for? The Vesta Family monopolizes all the Elemental Ores? We are heartless and make the mages of your family work for us in order for them to continue their research?

So what?

Why does your pest-like family still decide to rot here in Vesta City?

The Vesta Family never stopped you from leaving, did we?

Why don't you go ahead and leave the city? There are Magic Families in the Four Kingdoms as well, aren't there? Why don't you go rot there huh?"

Vaan questioned as he glared at Asher.

"How do you think you are living a free life, researching whatever you feel like without having to worry about anything at all huh? You want the Ore? With your pitiful strength, would you even be able to keep it? What do you think would happen even if you do get your hands on the ore, huh?

Let me tell you,

Your family will be destroyed.

What? Do you think it is you guys who are loyal dogs and let us Vesta Family keep the ore? Fuck no, you are just too weak to do anything about it and act like a little bitch who wags their tail with their tongue out to taste a part of the whole piece.

The moment you guys gain strength, the first thing you would do is attack us and take the ore away, though I highly doubt pussies like you would ever be that powerful.

I have ignored it today, but I better not hear you talking shit about my family, you got that? Don't force me to rip that stinky mouth off."

Hearing Vaan's words, Asher almost coughed out blood.

Was… was this man really the same pushover he knew?

Just what happened?

Why is he so different than before?

Asher couldn't understand.

Right now, the only thing he could do was lower his head. Vaan's aura was just too overwhelming for him to refute his words.

"Tsk, getting me all worked up for no reason."

Vaan snorted.

...

*Map of the world*