Warden was staring at the mutated mango tree when Agnes came to his new outdoor workstation.


    "I didn''t think I''d find you so quickly," Agnes said, d in the standard blue military uniform. The dressplemented her tall stature pretty well, coupled with the rich aura of authority she possessed.


    "Ahh, Captain," Warden greeted. "I didn''t think you''d be back to take your equipment."


    "I''m not your captain anymore," she said, letting out a deep exhale. Even though their mission ended, she looked tired of everything.


    "Well, I''m done repairing your breastte," Warden said, gesturing her towards his workstation—which was nothing but tools and instrumentsid on a mat, almost making a clutter. "Just give me a few minutes, I''ll be done with your armguard as well."


    "It''s not really anything urgent," she said. "But I''ll wait."


    Resting his butt on the ground, Warden picked up the armguard and began working on repairing its script. It was the equipment piece that came with the breastte, though somewhatcking in quality. With only one tier-4 script in ce and smaller, he could have done with it in a quarter of an hour.


    "Make yourselffortable," he said, finding her standing opposite him. "I don''t really have a chair..."


    "I''mfortable standing," she said nonchntly, watching his dexterous fingers at work.


    "So how''s everyone?"


    "The usual," she said. "They are still at the second fold base... while I was here for a meeting."


    Warden nodded twice, or rather it looked like he was rocking his whole upper body along with working on the piece. "I''m mostly bored here," he said. "Spent two whole days repairing tools and weapons... and it''s never-ending work..."


    "I thought you liked runesmithing," she said, raising an eyebrow.


    "I do, but even the most brilliant mind cannot help but grow dull with thisborious work."


    "Well, looking at the clutter of stuff here, you surely outdone yourself."


    Wardenughed. "Don''t tell the others, but I actually took a lot more rest than necessary and even worked on some of my own projects."


    "I expect nothing less from you," Agnes said with pure sarcasm.


    "The funny thing was that the steward was still stunned by my work rate," Wardenughed. "He didn''t say it, of course, lest I bezy with my work. But after a little research, I''ve found that I aplished twice as muchpared to the runesmith they have."


    "Surely, they are ipetent at their work."


    Warden lifted his head to snort at her. "So instead ofplimenting my ability, you thought badmouthing others is better?"


    Agnes crooked her nose. "I was under the impression that you didn''t need praises to stroke your ego..."


    "Everyone likes something or someone to stroke their ego," Warden said. "Surely, for the work I''ve done, I deserve some praise."


    "Fine, fine," Agnes said, adopting a reluctant tone, "you''re the best."


    "That didn''t sound like it had any spirit, but thank you, Captain..." Warden said,ughing heartily. "Now, if you can make it sound sexier, I''ll give you a big discount."


    "You wish," she snorted. "I just hope you''re aplished enough to repair my equipment while also talking."


    "Don''t you worry, Captain, I take my reputation very seriously. And your arm guard isn''t damaged enough that it needs my undivided attention."


    "You know, if others know all it took a few minutes and a little attention from you, they won''t pay a high sum of wealth for repairing their equipment."


    "That''s just petty thinking," Warden snorted. "A tree doesn''t bear fruit just the day after it''s nted... who knows how many years a runesmith had to work tirelessly before they could scribe without paying much attention?


    "Besides, with the sheer amount of work I do here, I''ll be d if they don''te to me."


    "Well, you sound delightful as always," Agnes said. "I just cannot fathom how you aplish all these things yet sound so reluctant and negative all the time."


    "Practice, I guess."


    "Yeah, many will agree with you," she was about to continue, but she turned as her eyes darted to a figure.


    Warden lifted his head to see what it was and found a woman walking towards them.


    "Captain," Agnes greeted, saluting.


    The other woman was tall like her, d in a blue uniform worn morefortably. Her blue eyes flickered between them as she nodded at Agnes.


    "Forgive his tardiness," Agnes said, gesturing towards him. "He has a track record of being disrespectful to hismanding officer. It isn''t just you; he likes to be disrespectful to everyone."


    The other captain, who probably was his current captain, quirked her brows as she studied him. Only then did Warden recall he should have saluted as well.


    Keeping the armguard he was working on in hand, he stood up to do a salute. "Apologies, Captain. New here."


    ***


    Jessica stared at the guy saluting. He had no poise or spirit in the greeting, as though he was doing the bare minimum not to offend her. Still, Jessica wasn''t a stuck-up officer, nor in the mood to make a scene here.


    Not to mention, how she eavesdropped into that conversation (which hadn''t gone as well as she thought, with Agnes finding her quickly), she could forgive him for this minor offence.


    "At ease," she said. "If you''re new here, learn the way as soon as you can... tant disrespectful conduct is punishable, you should know."


    "He knows that, clearly," the frosty beauty Agnes said, though her tone was cheerier than cold. "I had him clean toilets for a week, though I don''t think that changed anything."


    "I wasn''t disrespectful to you," Warden said. "It was you who acted petty to get your revenge for that incident in the--"


    "You," Agnes said, cutting him off, her face gaining a slight tinge of redness, "had an attitude problem."


    Warden snorted. "That''sing from the woman who believed herself to be the unique most individual in the world."


    Jessica raised an eyebrow. She hadn''t missed the tinge of embarrassment from Agnes. It seemed there was some truth in her being petty.