Thierry entered the Wyvern's den. It'd only been a day since the guild started the trial, yet it had become his second-favorite spot to sit and relax. Yes, it contained the giant Wyvern, but so long as one left the dragon alone, the room was safe enough. Moreover, the vastness of the room, combined with the number of pools and small hills with fauna growing on them, made for quite the beautiful location. He had planned on studying the chemical composition of Somas, and--

Oh. There was Ladette, doing target practice on the Wyvern from afar. Thierry put his head to his forehead and sighed. So much for peace and quiet. He set his bag and notebook near the entrance, and walked towards Ladette.

"'Ey, doc." Ladette's words were venomous. She and Thierry had already established that their approaches to life and death don't see eye-to-eye, and she let him know it at every opportunity.

"Hello, Miss Monterey," Thierry responded. "Might I ask why you're shooting at the Wyvern?" He already knew the answer—"Target practice," Ladette said—but he hoped broaching the question would make her reconsider. It had the exact opposite effect; Ladette sped up her rate of fire instead.

"Doc, if you're here to lecture me on 'first, do no harm,' then I'm gonna recommend you lecture the Wyvern instead." By now, Ladette was out of bullets, and was putting her gun away.

"Well, that wasn't my intention, but I would be glad to, if you're willing to take it to heart this time."

"Nah." Ladette started walking towards the door at a brisk pace. "Listen, I got places t' be, Vinnies t' tease, better ways t' spend my time than listenin' to an unlicensed quack talk t' me about an older-than-dirt oath."

Now, "quack," Thierry could take—there were plenty of people who rebuked modern medicine. "Unlicensed," though, that was Ladette hitting him where it hurts the most. "Do you value any life at all?" Thierry shouted as Ladette was leaving the area.

Ladette stopped. "The hell is that supposed t' mean?" she shouted back.

"I genuinely do not understand your worldview. You judge others' lives solely based on their value to yours. You only let people live so long as they aren't working against you. When you decide that someone's in your way, you end their life. Why? Why do you think you, and only you, have the divine right to judge life?"

"When did I say my view's the only one that matters, doc?"

"You don't need to state a belief explicitly to live by it. You, and all others like you, live by the belief that certain people deserve to live, and certain people deserve to die, all for selfish reasons. You, your 'family,' and anyone like you presume yourselves gods, all based on—"

"Shut up. I don't give a rat's ass about your sanctimonious drivel, doc. And you leave the Montereys outta this."

"...Well. I hope, at least, my bringing up your 'family' makes you understand how you bringing up my lack of a license affected me."

Ladette stood still, her back to Thierry, for several seconds. Finally, she shook her head, and resumed walking back to camp.

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