A Gem's Investment (JadeXFemReader)

Chapter 11: Modest

[Y/n's PoV]

Aventurine, a man oozing with confidence and swagger, greeted me with a playful smile on his lips.

"Allow me to introduce myself. I'm Aventurine, a member of the Ten Stonehearts, and I'll be the one guiding and training you while Jade is away."

"...."

I didn't let his presence intimidate me as he took in my blank expression. He pushed himself off the doorframe and walked further into the room to close the distance between us.

"I was beginning to wonder when I'd finally get a chance to meet you, but it seems luck was on my side again." he said in amusement

I just ignored his comment and took a step back.

"Can we begin my training now?"

"Oh? Straight to the point, I like it." he grinned.

He then gestured for me to follow him.

"Let's get started then."

He led me out of Jade's room and down the hallway. Our walk was pretty much in silence, until...

"So," he began, turning to look at me. "How are you enjoying your first few days with the Strategic Investment Department?"

"It's okay." I replied curtly.

"Just 'okay'?" he repeated while raising an eyebrow.

"Is there a problem?" I asked him.

"No problem."

He shakes his head.

"I was just expecting a more enthusiastic answer, that's all."

He then turned a corner and gestured for me to stepped into an elevator together.

"...."

Once we were inside, there was that awkward silence again from which I didn't mind.

"You're not a talkative one, are you?"

"Can't you tell?"

"Fair enough." he said with a smile.

"I guess Jade wasn't exaggerating when she said she couldn't get a reaction much out of you."

"...."

The elevator finally came to a stop, and the doors slid open, revealing another spacious training ground.

"Here we are. This is where we'll be spending the next few hours training, so let's see what you got."

He crossed his arms across his chest as he observed me taking in my surroundings.

"We'll start with your combat skills today. I'll be assessing your current level of abilities and seeing where we need to start from."

"So, what weapon do you prefer?" he asked.

"The sword? The bow? Crossbows? Guns?"

"I'm not familiar with their mechanics. Only a knife is all that I know." I replied.

"A knife, huh?" he smirks, "Interesting. Not the most common choice, but I can work with it."

He picked up a dagger from the table and handed it to me. It was a simple yet well-crafted weapon; the blade gleaming under the artificial lights.

"Here, this should be comfortable enough for you to train with."

He handed me the dagger as I gripped it in my hand, testing its weight and balance.