POV Stepan Grigorievich Khmurov
The man did not think to hide his grin: comparing a strong, experienced mage-fighter, who had been trained in his youth by serious specialists from a respected family, to a chicken was beyond good and evil. It's not even immediately clear if the boy is trying to insult the Khmurov family in such a veiled way, or if it's exactly what he said?
If you think about it, you can find far more than one reason for this statement, and each of them is bound to be related to something important, like family pride or political views. Khmurov doubted that the boy expected to touch HUNDRED layers of meaning at once, and he, the old man, was amused, because if he had such a desire, he could have twisted those words in such a way that the boy himself would have asked him to apologize on his knees.
But, as already mentioned, Stepan Grigorievich had no extreme degree of sadism or cruelty, so this grin expressed all his thoughts, but he did not expect the teenager to understand them all.
— You, young man, are quite rash: such statements will not increase your popularity, above all, they carry nothing but the expression of an extremely radical point of view, in which, if you wish, and also the necessary skill of the opponents, you can see fascist appeals. I would advise you to refrain from expressing your thoughts in an overly radical way, and if the conversation turns to this subject, not to speak so directly. — All this the man said in a somewhat caring tone, but in his eyes there was expectation, because another test had just taken place — a test of moral development, in which it would be found out how mentally mature this boy was.
Children of great age never take advice, and this was it, not even from a stranger who was known to be the head of the family and a war hero. Such people generally have a very hard time accepting advice from other people, relying more on their own abilities to find problems and difficulties that later, sometimes for the rest of their lives, spoil and ruin them.
The guy didn't freak out, throw himself across the room, or even glare angrily in his direction. In fact, his face didn't even change, and he controlled his body's motor skills quite well, so that Stepan Grigorievich calmly sat in front of an outwardly cultured, educated young man, who, by the way, was quite wealthy, judging by his clothes — that is, if you don't know who the guy is.
— Thank you for your advice, Mr. Khmurov. — The man nodded calmly, slightly closing his eyelids, and this gesture expressed respect for the age and experience of the interlocutor, which made the man want to smile, but the moment is not right, so his expression did not change. — I'm still learning how to do that, so I don't always manage to be exactly what people want me to be.
It was all said in a friendly way, and there was nothing to undermine, but the man didn't like it, and he wanted to frown, but again he stopped himself — it was not good for a wise husband to be an open book to everyone he met.
The man was sure that the words he had just spoken were a kind of mockery, and that the meaning must not have reached many people who could understand such innuendos at a glance. Well, the next test was passed.
— Youth is the time when lessons are best remembered, and if you know how to use them, you can avoid many difficulties in the future. — said the man in a stately manner. — But now it's time to get down to business. Name the price of your goods so that we can begin to discuss its fairness. — The man rubbed his hands together in thought.
— I don't think the honor of the old family has a price. — The Japanese spoke slowly and calmly, and Stepan Grigoryevich did not like this beginning. — The opportunity to restore justice, to punish the culprit, to show everyone his determination — can there be a price for that? — A short pause, and the old magician's expression remained as usual. — But I do not want to be too petty, and if the situation were different, I would give you this "man" for free. — The old mage doesn't believe it, but nods. — I need a dozen Alexandrites, which your state reserves for the domestic market only. The best stones without flaws, no shards, but crystals suitable for artifacts.
— Why do you need stones that cannot be exported outside Russia? — The man narrowed his eyes and stared at his interlocutor. — Particularly rare stones can be used in many different ways, but their most common role is destruction. Alexandrites are among the rarest stones on the planet, and their magical value is comparable only to a red diamond or rare perfect rubies. — The man noticed the Japanese unknowingly touching the stone on his ring, a large red stone, and managed to hide his surprise. — What makes you think I'm willing to make such a deal?
— I want to use the stones for their intended purpose — to make protective artifacts, clan artifacts. — That last clarification was quite weighty, especially since the man was aware of the man's status: an apprentice to a French artifactor and his wife, a Master Zeljevar. — As for your willingness to make this deal... — the man hesitated ostentatiously, raising his eyes and face slightly to the ceiling. — I believe you have already agreed. — When the Japanese lowered his face, the elder mage noticed the strange shade of the guy's eyes that he'd read about in the report, but it didn't say that he had a beastly narrow pupil that was so successfully hidden by the enchanted glasses. Oh, and the shade is a little off from the photos. — I'm not asking too much to refuse, especially since it's more of a concession I'm making....
— Still, I think your price is too high, this man is not worth as much as you are asking... — before he could finish the sentence, the older mage noticed how the expression of his interlocutor's eyes changed sharply, as if some doom and fatigue settled in them, he could still sigh sadly and raise his eyes upwards to finish the picture... which the guy did just a few seconds later.
It couldn't be said that the man liked it, quite the opposite, but he was the experienced head of the family here, who had gone through a magical war, so he didn't even think about throwing tantrums... ....