Chapter 6: Negotiations
"No, matriarch, please, don’t bow to me, stand up, please!"
I ran to lift Manaia. I didn’t want to feel like I was just like the royalty I hated so much.
"It’s our way of showing gratitude. It’s not a bad thing for us, please accept this reverence."
"Even if it’s not bad for you, it makes me feel bad. I’m not some kind of noble; I even hate royalty, so please, you really don’t need to do it. What I did for you wasn’t that much. If anything, it was the girls who rescued me and you who cared for me. I should be the one thanking you."
I stood up and began to bow, but Manaia ran toward me to stop me from doing so.
"I understand... I understand... please, don’t bow. You are the savior of our village; because of you, we are alive. Our gratitude is as vast as the ocean; accepting your reverence would be an insult to the entire village."
"Haha, let’s both just avoid bowing. Besides, I’d appreciate it if you didn’t speak to me so formally. I’m just a normal person at the end of the day."
"I understand, sir... I mean, young hero."
"Just call me Jax, or Cole, I like both names. You don’t need to be so tense... I don’t bite, you know, unless you ask me to."
"..."