Chapter 84

　　A surprise awaited Merit when he returned to his private waiting area. Sim, the opponent he had just defeated, sent him a message requesting a face-to-face. Having a good impression of the player, he immediately accepted.

　　Sim teleported into the empty room, his body suit as colourful as his Goblin. The young man smiled as he walked toward Merit, eventually craning his neck to look up at him.

　　Merit`s first impression of the talented young Pilot was that he was short. He barely reached Merit`s chest. His spiked black hair almost seemed to have been styled in an attempt to make him appear taller. Aside from that, he was thin and average looking. His appearance wouldn`t stand out in a crowd, with a plain face, tanned skin and brown eyes.

　　But he was very amicable, striding toward Merit with a smile on his face as he stuck out his hand. Matching him, they amiably shook hands.

　　"That was an incredible match. I thought I had you!" Sim exclaimed, letting go of the taller man`s hand before smacking his fist against his palm in frustration.

　　"You nearly did! I didn`t think it would actually work." Merit added. They chatted about the match for a moment before the grinning Sim ran his hand across the top of his spiked haircut.

　　"It all worked out in the end. I`ve got an offer from one of the clans. And Corewell want me to be their mascot!" Sim shouted, his excitement palpable as he described the offer. It made sense they would hunt for a talent like him to represent their brand. Corewell manufactured the Goblin, and the fact that Sim was the only Pilot in the finals using it was telling.

　　"I`m glad that everything is working out for you. I`m looking forward to our next match. Maybe we can-" His communicator`s notification cut off Merit. Someone was requesting entry to his waiting room. Only a small number of people on his friend`s list could contact him, outside of Sim, who still had their connection from the tournament.

　　Glancing at the name, he immediately allowed them entry. In a moment, Ty and his friends were standing in the warehouse.

　　"Merit! What a win, you crushed him! That guy never stood a chance&." Ty came charging toward Merit, not noticing the smaller Pilot beside him, despite the colourful bodysuit he was wearing. Halfway across the room, Sim turned and waved at the newcomers, causing Ty to stop talking and flush a bright red immediately.

　　Laughing at his predicament, Cid gripped him by the arm and dragged him forward, while Micah reacted entirely differently.

　　"Sim! You`re here?!" Micah exclaimed, dashing forward, seizing the short Pilots hand, and shaking it vigorously.

　　"Ah, hello? You`re Merit`s friends?" Sim asked, looking around at the eclectic group of young people.

　　His eyes passed over them quickly before stopping at Mare. The tall, beautiful woman folded her arms, looking like she didn`t want to be there. Her height and icy expression made her stand out in the group, and Sim quickly looked away, not wanting to be caught staring.

　　Merit quickly introduced the group to Sim, who enthusiastically greeted the famous Pilot. Even Mare was polite, greeting him with a hello and a handshake. While the others were chatting, Merit sidled next to the tall woman, leaning his head slightly toward her to whisper without the others knowing.

　　"So, you can be civil?! I thought that perhaps that skill was foreign to you." Merit joked, grinning at his comment. Mare turned toward him slightly, her face growing colder while her eyes stared daggers at him.

　　"I`m only rude to those who I consider contemptible. It`s a very exclusive group with only one member." Mare retorted. Merit laughed loudly, drawing attention to the pair briefly before the group went back to discussing the match and Sim`s background.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

　　Surprisingly, Sim was still a student on Cygnus, completing a degree in engineering. His talent as a Pilot had been as much a surprise to him as it had been to the people who knew him in the real world. His interest in the mechanical workings of Mechs led him to start playing the game.

　　"Are you looking forward to the Ball?" Merit asked, trying to draw Mare into a conversation. It was tiresome to have her directing her animosity toward him constantly. The best way to fix it would be to show her that he was nothing like his father.

　　Kill her with kindness.` Merit thought.

　　"What?" Mare asked. The sudden change of topic caught her off guard. Since when did Kalen Caledon engage in small talk with someone who had shown him nothing but contempt?

　　"The ball, for the princess`s birthday. I know everyone is going to the celebrations, but we`re the only ones with an invitation to the Noble`s Ball. Are you looking forward to it?" Merit asked, clarifying his question.

　　He thought that discussing the upcoming festivities on Terra would be a safe topic of conversation between them.

　　"No," Mare hesitated for a moment before continuing. "I`m not one for parties. Everyone gathered around me, expecting things from me. And I`ve never been to a ball before." Mare confessed an admission that surprised both of them. Merit hadn`t expected her to reveal a piece of her private life.

　　"They aren`t so bad, all things considered. The food is usually delightful, and there`s music and dancing. But it could be that my memory of them isn`t accurate. The last Ball I attended was when I was six." Merit replied.

　　Atlas had ground away the details of those memories, leaving flashes of images and the impression that they had been pleasant.

　　"You`re not worried about attending? You still have a fearsome reputation amongst the nobility. Even the few that supported your father have long since turned against Caledon." Mare explained. Merit shrugged at the comment, shaking his head.

　　"I`ve never cared about my reputation. As long as Caledon is safe, people can think what they want about me. Besides, I doubt they will be worse than you." Merit stated, grinning at the snipe to take the sting from the words.

　　"I`m offended! I think I`ve been rather tame and forgiving." While they were whispering, the others gave the pair small glances, wondering what they were talking about. It was surprising to see the aloof Mare chatting with someone in private.

　　"Tame, pfft." Merit scoffed.

　　Despite her initial dislike of Merit, she was warming to him. It was easy to forget who he was when she was around him. Brushing her hair back behind her ear, she was about to speak when Merit asked her a question.

　　"So, do you have an escort for the Ball yet?"

　　"Escort!?" Mare balked at the word. What she was about to say was forgotten. Merit was confused by her reaction. Surely she knew something about these formal affairs as a granddaughter of a Duke. Unless she was incredibly sheltered or disinterested in her position, which was likely considering her interest in playing a Mech simulation game.

　　"Yes, someone who accompanies you to the Ball, a partner for dancing and such. It`s tradition. You didn`t know?" Merit asked.

　　"No, I didn`t. As I`ve said, I`ve never been to one before. And I will go unaccompanied." Mare said stiffly. Maybe her cousin Katherine would know more, although she hadn`t spoken to her since returning to Terra.

　　Did Katherine have someone to escort her to the Ball? Was Mare going to be the only one alone, the center of attention and a laughing stock for not having anyone interested in spending time with her? Would she be some awkward third wheel, standing to the side at her own birthday party while she watched her peers having fun and taunting her?

　　Lost in her thoughts, she didn`t hear Merit`s response. Pushing the errant thoughts away, she returned to the conversation.

　　"Did you have someone to go with when you were young? Surely not everyone is paired together?" Mare asked, almost desperately.

　　"I went with one of my distant relatives on my Grandmother`s side of the family. I don`t remember much about her, but I think she had a good time. All I remember was that she smiled and laughed a lot. But yes, everyone should have a partner. It would be socially awkward to attend without an escort." Merit stated, and to Mare, he twisted the knife deeper into her stomach with that statement.

　　"Oh." Mare said breathlessly, panicking slightly. Did her Grandmother have someone in mind for her when she planned this? She must. There was no way that a Princess would go to her own birthday celebration unescorted if it were tradition.

　　Narrowing her eyes, Mare thought of the sly old woman. She must have something planned. Which stranger would she be partnered with? Someone that her family thought would be suitable for her, likely boring and a braggart. As her mind raced, the person she imagined herself paired with steadily worsened in her imagination.

　　"Do you have someone you`re attending the Ball with?" Tentatively, she questioned Merit. The man shook his head.

　　"No, I only found out about it a few weeks ago, and I`ve been in recovery on Terra. Besides, as I`ve said, I don`t particularly care about my reputation." Merit replied, smiling at the question.

　　"Will you go with me?"