Wouldn’t you believe it, breakfast that morning was fresh steak and eggs. It was also an hour late, but I didn’t mind too terribly much. Same day steak? Hoo boy. That shit is worth the wait. 

“Goddamn that’s some good beef,” I said, kicking back in my chair. 

“I’ve only had taurus steak a few times in my life, but it never disappoints,” Tojo agreed. 

With the herd still in the area, Tojo decided to put off his departure until the afternoon. Since Hani was busy with work, he agreed to keep me company through breakfast, for which I was profoundly grateful. 

As a Knight, Tojo was a known quantity. Just about every adventurer in Metanior knew who he was, and the fact that he was associating with me willingly did a lot to dissuade curiosity and suspicion. 

“So, what are the chances the Goddess arranged that little demonstration?” I asked. 

“Pretty high, I’d say. She did something similar for me, when I first started. It’s important to get a good idea of what you’re capable of here, and to do so without undue risk,” he said. “Many Knights have died because they lacked experience, confidence, and the trust of the inhabitants of this world. Establishing all three early on is key for success.”

“I can believe it,” I said. “Don’t know that I’ve earned a whole hell of a lot of trust, though.”

Even with Tojo sitting across the table from me, the glances cast my way ranged from fearful to downright hateful. 

“No one doubts your capabilities after today’s demonstration,” Tojo said. “The people here are accustomed to tracking and crediting kills in combat, and I daresay you wracked up the lion’s share of the bounty. For a herd of this size, a battle line will typically kill between 300 to 500 of the beasts. You killed over 400 yourself. At ten large gold coins a head, most parties expect to bring home between 100 and 200 coins. 4,000 is an unheard of sum. They’re jealous.”

I whistled appreciatively. 

As Tojo had explained, currency here was easy enough to wrap your head around, once you got the hang of it. One small copper coin was the equivalent of one yen, or a little more than a cent. 100 small coppers got you a large copper, or about a dollar. 10 large coppers were worth one small silver coin, about $10, and ten of those were worth one large silver, or $100. Ten large silvers equaled one small gold, so $1,000, and ten small golds equaled one large gold, or $10,000. 

In other words, in about 15 minutes, I’d earned the better part of $4,000,000. Maybe a little more, I wasn’t exactly sure about the yen to dollar exchange rate. 

“How long could I last on ten percent of that?” I asked. 

“Oh, 400 large golds is still a princely sum in this world. The average yearly income for a day laborer is one large silver coin. Adventurers can earn anywhere from three large silvers to a large gold, on average. The highest ranked parties can make substantially more, but they don’t really need to. I myself subsist on ten large gold coins per year, which is average for a minor noble. Only the wealthiest of nobles could reasonably expect to see 400 large gold coins in a lifetime, much less spend them.”

“And how many parties were involved?” I asked. 

As I understood it, the bounty from a job like this would be split evenly among the party, after they’d repaired their equipment and replaced their expendable supplies. 

“23 parties, all told,” Tojo said. 

I did a little bit of mental math. 

“If we split the rest of the gold among the parties, that equals about 156 large gold coins per. Think that would win them over?” I asked. 

“Yes, I think that would do nicely," Tojo said, smiling from ear to ear. "Shall I make the arrangements on your behalf?”

“Please do. I can speak with Hani, but only because we formed a telepathic link. I can’t understand anyone else unless she’s in earshot, and they only understand me if she translates,” I said. 

Yeah, I completely forgot about the Goddess’s translation amulet. 

“Ah. Hani would be your first Destined, yes?” he asked. 

“She would indeed.”

“A fine warrior, if I do say so myself. I’ve encountered her before. She is of the Hadrash people, of the inner deserts. Fierce and proud warriors with fae blood in their veins. You are fortunate, my friend,” he said. 

“Yeah, I know,” I said. “I just hope I don’t fuck it up like I did my last relationship. Or the one before that, or the one- you know what? You get the picture.”

“I feel your pain, but I wouldn’t worry overmuch. The Goddess is excellent at choosing Destined who are compatible with Her Knights. Though I myself have lost three, it wasn’t through any fault of Hers. Circumstances conspired to keep us apart, not chemistry,” he said. “The Goddess wouldn’t have sent Hani to you as your first unless She was absolutely certain.”

“My brain says you’re probably right,” I said, “but my heart still worries.”

Tojo smiled sadly, his eyes full of compassionate understanding. I got the feeling that he knew all too well. Despite looking like a kid, he really did act like an old man some 50 years my senior. He slid a pair of medallions across the table. 

“The first is a copy of the translation medallion the Goddess gifted me with. That should ease your communication concerns. It functions much like your bond with Hani, but relies on a lexicon of all the known languages in this world. The second will allow you to contact me. Should you ever find yourself alone with your back against the wall, press your blood against it, and I will send someone to help. I daresay Sina is quite smitten, thanks to your gift,” Tojo said. 

I did my best imitation of a Japanese-style bow at the table, careful not to bonk my forehead against it. I didn’t know what to think about the idea of loaning people like gardening tools, but I knew better than to look a gift horse in the mouth.

“Thank you for your generous gift, my friend,” I said. “Does this medallion work both ways?” 

I pointed to the second one, the one activated by blood.

“It does,” Tojo confirmed.

“If you ever find yourself in a tight spot, gimme a holler. If I can get there, I will,” I promised. 

Tojo returned my bow gravely.

“Between friends, I am relieved. We’ve had gunmen as Knights before, but none so capable with the tools of their trade. I hope I never have to call on you, but if I do, I am heartened to know that I will have a true warrior come to my aid.”

“Ah, hell,” I said, blushing. “I’m just an old redleg. Uh, artilleryman. If you think I’m good with this, you should see my real gun.”