The last time Red saw Finn Crest, he had been callous, uncaring. Ayjax had wanted the man to give Red a place at his esteemed academy. That had not really gone according to plan.
Finn stood unmoving behind his desk, his back to those gathered in the room. He seemed to have aged decades since the last time Red had seen him. There was a tiredness to him that hadn't been present before.
It was hard for Red to understand why the man carried himself like that. It was true that Rim had been nearly destroyed and there had been many casualties. However, Rim hadn't lost its most important treasure. Most of all, the gearborn had been driven from Valencia, even if that only proved to be temporary.
Finn turned and faced those assembled before them. Red sat in the middle as if waiting for judgment. To his left was Ayjax, who hadn't even bothered to take a seat. Derrin was to his right, with Vizim another seat down the line. Zara had been present before he arrived and was currently leaning against the wall near the door.
Finn cleared his throat and looked across those gathered. "There are a few important matters that should be discussed. The first and foremost of that is in regard to all the events that transpired on Rim.
You are not to utter a word to a soul without my permission. If I find that there has been mention, and I will find out, then you will suffer severe consequences.
Am I understood?"
Red nodded slowly with Derrin and Vizim following close after.
"Good. I will have to have a private word with you, Montrelan. However, for the time being, I think there is a thanks in order. The three of you have done Valencia an incredible favor. You were put in an impossible situation that none of you were supposed to be a part of. Not only did you make it out successfully, but you also saved all of Valencia in the process.
For that, I must thank you. However, you have also done me an incredible service…"
Finn hesitated slightly as if trying to pick his words carefully. Red couldn't help but study the man in a new light. Zara had warned that he would act similarly to the first meeting. On the contrary, he seemed reserved and almost… was it admiration? Surely that was too much.
"You have done me a personal service," he said slowly. "You not only struck a mighty blow against the gearborn, but you also managed to save my daughter from certain demise."
"What!" Red couldn't help himself.
Beside him, Derrin's mouth fell open while Vizim simply gaped at Zara. Actually, Vizim seemed to be gaping at everyone in the room.
"Did she not tell you?" Finn glanced at Zara with a raised brow.
Ayjax let out a loud belly laugh that seemed to shake the entire room.
Zara scoffed, "I don't go flaunting my parents as much as you would hope."
"Of course not. You are a soldier, and that is not what soldiers do."
Red was still reeling from this piece of information. It was a piece of information that felt far more important, knowing that Zara hadn't said anything. She had been leading them without once mentioning that she was essentially royalty in Valencia. Her dad ruled the damn place at the very least.
"In any case, my daughter is alive thanks to you. I must give you some sort of reward, but that can come later. Firstly, Redwynn Tidespinn, due to your actions on Rim, I hereby admit you to the academy. It would be a disservice to all of Valencia if I did not allow you to attend."
As he finished, Finn pulled a sealed envelope from his desk. In the center was a red wax seal that glinted in the light. It was the seal of the academy. Everyone knew that seal even if they had never been handed a letter themselves. It was a seal only used on acceptance letters to the school.
Ayjax patted him on the back. "Take it. You deserve it."
Red shook himself and quickly reached out to take the letter. It felt heavy in his hands as he stared down at the note. This single envelope essentially held his entire future. Well, all of it except for the prototype that he had yet to make use of.
"Should you accept, you will begin when the semester starts this coming fall. So in roughly a month."
"May I ask a question?" Red held the letter with an iron grip as he looked at Finn.
"By all means," Finn gestured.
"I am, of course, willing to accept. However, Vizim did just as much during this expedition as I did. Why doesn't he have an acceptance letter? He is a genius inventor who is even smarter than I am."
Finn cocked his head slightly. The entire room seemed to fall completely silent. No one seemed to breathe as if his question would cause Finn to explode. Instead, Finn smiled wryly.
"Don't let your acceptance or your success get to your head. That being said, I do owe you a favor for saving my daughter's life. If you wish to cash in said favor, then perhaps your friend might find an envelope in his lap as well."
"Red, you don't need to do that for me," Vizim cut in. "I never had planned to go to school anyway."
Red ignored him and continued to stare intently at Finn. The only reason he hadn't instantly accepted Finn's offer was that deep inside, he seethed with anger. He had been accepted to the academy on the merit of saving Finn's daughter.
That shouldn't have been the required merit to get accepted at the academy. Vizim was one of the smartest people he knew. To top it off, he had done everything he had without any support. What could Vizim do in a school that actually supported his intelligence instead of locking him in the hull of a ship?
Instead of viewing Vizim as a person, Finn simply looked at him like a bargaining chip. He knew that he should have expected as much. Finn was a noble even if he didn't admit it himself. As a noble, he didn't view those around him as people, but instead as pawns on a board to be moved.
Red nodded slowly. "Deal."
Finn smiled, "Very well. Then we are done here. Montrelan, I would like to speak to you alone."