It was the first official meeting of Rireven's newly minted Alchemy Circle.
And it didn't go very well.
In addition to Coelho himself, the Circle had many members.
Members who had varied opinions about the fact that a peasant was their leader, the new member of the High Council, and was going to acquire all their discoveries in Alchemy.
The majority accepted it, some with a genuine smile, some others more grudgingly.
But one did not accept it.
A noble named Sokkus, who rediscovered the Alchemical Fire, a powerful incendiary bomb, and was adapting it to other elements.
He was also known for his insufferable ego.
He couldn't stand the idea of being one-upped by a farmer, and kept interfering with Coelho's attempts to make the meeting go smoothly, insulting him without even trying to be subtle, and implying that the Circle would work much better with him at the helm.
The older elf tried diplomacy, being nice, but it only convinced the jackass to keep pressing.
And after two hours of this and one last barb, Coelho was sick of it. But he had no real idea of how to deal with such an asshole.
Cletus has, he thought. What would he do?
And the inspiration came.

"You know, Sokkus, I think you mistook the intent of the Circle."
"What?!"
"You heard me. The Alchemy Circle is the union of the greatest minds of Rireven, not a gathering point for whiny bitches."
A shocked silence fell on the room. Such language, in the elf culture, was... well, not unknown, but rarely used.
"WHAT DID YOU SAY?!" roared the noble.
"You heard me, whiny bitch."
"YOU ASKED FOR IT!! I'M GOING TO PUMMEL YOU IN OBLIVION!!"
"Oh, how dignified for someone who tries to prove he's not a whiny bitch," snarked Kael, a soldier.
"You're next, stupid mook!" spat Sokkus.
"Oooooh, I'm scared!" was the sarcastic answer while the High Alchemist and the enemy rose up for the brawl.
"Coelho, you're the leader of the Circle!" protested another noble, Melorath. "Act like it! You can't stoop down to a fistfight!"
"I tried being conciliant, Melorath, and that didn't work," replied Coelho. "I'm now talking the only language he understands."
The two men were now facing each other.
"Now, Sokkus, is there something you want to do to me?"
"Oh, indeed," smirked cruelly Sokkus. "And when I'll be done with you, we'll see who is the whiny bitch!"
He charged... and one punch straight in the face broke his nose and knocked him out.

Now, some things need to be explained. Sokkus, being a noble and a big eater, wasn't good at physical stuff. Or rather, he was actually pretty good, but his ego led him to overestimate himself on that matter.
Coelho, on the other hand, seemed frail, but a lifetime as a farmer made him quite stronger and tougher than he looked, even counting his age. And he knew ewactly what were his limits.
Now you know, and knowing is half the battle.

"One punch..." stammered Kael before bursting in laughter. "One punch!"
Many others followed.
"Well, that's efficient," admitted with a smirk Melorath.
On this, the High Lord and the High Guard entered the room.
"Salutations, Alchemists," began the High Lord. "I apologize for the disturbance of... Is that Sokkus on the floor?!"
"What happened?!" exclaimed the High Guard. "Is he dead?!"
A moan from Sokkus answered for that.
"Of course not, it would have been too good to be true... But what happened?"
"I punched him in the face," admitted Coelho.
"What?!" exclaimed the other two members of the High Council.
"He was completely disrupting the meeting, and there was no other way to make him stop. I am sorry."
"I hope you are, Coelho," frowned the High Lord. "Such behavior isn't fitting for a member of the High Council."
He relaxed.
"But you're still getting in your functions, so it's forgivable."
And besides, I doubt you can be more sorry than our friend, he thought with a smile.
"He got punched in the face..." moaned the High Guard.
"One! Punch!" exclaimed Kael, still laughing himself sick.
"... And I missed it?! Oh Anima, I am so depressed..."

The meeting then went without a hitch.

When, later that day, Coelho told the story to Cletus and Vathek...
"Just one question, boss," smiled the orc. "It felt good, didn't it?"
Coelho couldn't help but smirk and massage his fist.
"You have no idea..."

Art by  captaingerbear
Coelho © me