"Why did you give Weston an enchanted weapon?" Elaina asked.
Rus replied casually, "Because he wanted one, so I gave it to him."
He turned to Weston. "Well? Do you like it?"
Weston glanced at his mother, then mumbled, "Mm… I like it."
Rus shrugged. "See? He doesn't mind."
Elaina furrowed her brows and shot a glare at Weston, then looked back at Rus, her tone turning sharper. "Rus, I'm being serious."
She knew Rus well. His shrewdness and sense for cost-benefit calculations rivaled that of any seasoned merchant. There was no way he'd frivolously waste a precious enchanted weapon on Weston, especially in such a critical time of preparation.
"Oh, relax." Rus wiped his mouth with a napkin. "I am being serious."
"In two months, Weston turns fifteen, doesn't he?"
Elaina nodded, puzzled. "Yes, but what does that have to do with giving him a weapon?"
"Fifteen," Rus repeated with a touch of nostalgia. "At that age, I was already out making my way on the streets."
