Chapter 08…
Alchemist (3)
Rael trudged into the inn.
He needed to know how much the lodging cost. He couldn’t remember exactly, probably because he hadn’t listened carefully. Dorian had paid for it before. He had a vague memory, but it wasn’t precise.
He asked the innkeeper at the counter. It was 5 copper.
For two meals a day, it was slightly discounted to 10 copper.
With warm water, it came to 12 copper.
He paid two days’ lodging, asking for water just for today. Meals were included.
The total came to 22 copper.
Rael handed over the 1 silver he had received from Dorian. That left 78 copper. Including the 7 copper he had on hand, he now had 85 copper—his entire fortune.
He had to figure out how to survive until this money ran out. Anxiety tightened around him. The thought of having to stand on his own made his chest heavy.
It seemed that, deep down, he had relied on Dorian even when Dorian hadn’t properly looked after him. This, too, was a challenge he had to overcome.
The innkeeper lugged a water container over, grunting. It was filled with warm water. Rael said it was too small to bathe in, and the innkeeper laughed.
The laughter was loud enough to quiet the entire first floor. Embarrassed, Rael scratched his head. The innkeeper left the room, saying he was just there to help him clean, leaving a towel hanging at the end of the container.
Rael locked the door and undressed. His body was dirty, unsurprisingly, since he hadn’t washed properly.
He dipped the towel in warm water and slowly wiped himself down—arms, armpits, and then below. After one pass, the towel had turned black.
He rinsed it in the warm water and repeated the process. He washed his hair and wiped off the moisture, feeling refreshed. Somehow, the itchiness all over his body seemed to disappear too.
Recalling what had happened earlier made his face flush. He resolved that from now on, he would stay quiet. By keeping his mouth shut, he could avoid embarrassing situations.
Looking at the water, he thought of magic. He wished he could create warm water with magic. Rael sat on the bed and began chanting a spell.
He recalled what he had learned in theory classes, but it wasn’t very useful. He tried to create water droplets while imagining warm water, but gave up. He realized he needed proper instruction; he couldn’t do it blindly.
Looking out the window, the sun was slowly setting. The day had passed while he lingered idly. He decided to think about finding work tomorrow.
At that moment, someone knocked on the door.
“Who is it?”
“I came to tell you that dinner is ready.”
She added that the water container should be taken away too.
It was a woman’s voice.
Rael opened the door. Outside stood a young girl, likely a worker at the inn, taller than Rael. She looked about the same age, maybe a few years older.
“Should I take the water container away?”
“Yes.”
“Do you need a woman?”
“A woman?”
“Yes. I can send one cheaply.”
The girl made a gesture with her fist, sliding her thumb between her index and middle fingers. Rael didn’t understand what she meant. He declined for now. He was curious, but asking might make her laugh at him.
The girl picked up the water container. Her arms were thin, but she was surprisingly strong, carrying the heavy container out.
At that moment, his stomach grumbled. His body was honest. He locked the door and went downstairs. The first floor was crowded. Everyone seemed to have come down for dinner.
Rael asked the innkeeper for a meal. Since he had already paid, there was no mention of money.
He received a plate of food. There was a long table, and he took an empty seat and ate.
There was no conversation. It was noisy, but he felt lonely.
The food was tasty, but not as good as yesterday. He felt a little down. The thought of needing work quickly came to him.
He asked the innkeeper. Since he was staying at the inn, the response wasn’t unpleasant.
“Looking for work?”
“Yes.”
The innkeeper nodded. If there wasn’t any, he would have gone to the alchemist’s house.
“Start with the mercenary guild.”
“Anywhere else?”
“There isn’t.”
“It’s still early for monsters, though.”
“It’s not just about monsters. Usually, beginners start with odd jobs—herb gathering or guarding grazing fields. At most, it’s hunting wolves.”
“What else is there?”
“Check the bulletin board. There are plenty of places needing help, though I doubt anyone would hire someone as small as you.”
The innkeeper chuckled. Rael wasn’t offended. He really was young. He wouldn’t be asked to do physically demanding tasks like others. He’d have to see if there were any herb-gathering requests.
The innkeeper added that it would be good to have a mercenary badge. He seemed to be giving advice seriously, perhaps because he had laughed earlier.
“A mercenary badge.”
It was something necessary. He only got in because of Dorian. To enter the castle, he needed proof of status. If trouble arose and his identity was unclear, he could be blamed unfairly.
After dinner, sleepiness hit. He went upstairs to his room. He thought he’d need another night to plan.
Before sleeping, he stood on one side of the room and chanted a spell, sending water droplets slowly, one step at a time.
He practiced moving them around slowly. If he became skilled at keeping the droplets in shape while moving, he could eventually send them quickly.
Fortunately, moving them slowly was possible. He realized why he hadn’t progressed before—he had tried to rush instead of starting gradually.
The droplets hovered in the air and moved slowly, like a crawling grub. That was the limit for now.
“Huff… huff…”
Even practicing briefly made his head throb. It was harder than creating the droplets for the first time. Still, it didn’t matter. He would gradually get used to it.
The throbbing was a good sign. The more his head ached, the faster his skill improved. It was similar to muscle soreness.
He laughed to himself, practiced a little more, and then went to bed.
The next day, he left the inn and walked through the streets.
Being among the crowd in the marketplace lifted his spirits. The sights felt fresh. Following the road, he headed to the mercenary guild.
Even in the morning, the place was crowded. Everyone had a rough appearance. No one his age was around. Rael was the youngest, so his body instinctively shrank.
“Hey, kid.”
A burly middle-aged man at the counter spoke.
“Me?”
“Who else would it be, little one?”
He looked around, laughing loudly. The mercenaries in the hall laughed too.
This time, Rael felt angry. He felt blatantly ignored.
“I’m not a kid.”
“Alright, kid. What brings you here?”
Rael held back his anger and stated his business. He didn’t want to play into the man’s intentions.
“I’m here to get a mercenary badge.”
“A mercenary? You?”
“I need proof of status.”
“Well, a mercenary badge is convenient. Wait a moment.”
The middle-aged man seemed to accept that. He took out a pen and paper.
“Name?”
“Rael.”
“Age?”
“Twelve.”
He said the older age, just in case. Being younger would make him seem more negligible.
“Origin?”
“Origin?”
“Your hometown.”
He thought of the village where he grew up. Even if it was ordinary, it had a name. Searching his memory, he said,
“Tin.”
“Tin?”
“It’s a village about a week’s journey from here.”
“Oh, I remember. Kids came from Tin before.”
“Kids came?”
“They all died, though.”
“How?”
“They didn’t know their limits and tried to hunt monsters. The outcome was obvious. Do you know any of them?”
“No.”
“Well, they were probably the same type. One piece of advice: many run away from their villages, but few survive. Being a mercenary looks free, but it’s not easy.”
“I’m different.”
“Everyone says that.”
“I’m serious.”
His lecturing attitude annoyed Rael. Showing magic could probably shut him up, but he held back to avoid unnecessary attention. He could use magic, but not enough to defeat a mercenary.
“Pay the registration fee.”
Rael looked at the man. He didn’t seem to understand. More than that, Rael didn’t like the small talk.
“Registration fee?”
“Of course. The guild vouches for your status.”
“How much?”
“50 copper.”
“You’re not overcharging, right?”
“Ask anyone. They all paid the same.”
Looking around, it seemed credible. It would be easy to expose a lie. Rael decided the man wouldn’t stoop to petty tricks against someone he had ignored.
“Do you have a recommender?”
“A recommender?”
“Someone who can vouch for you. A reference letter works.”
“No.”
The man said it was unfortunate, though his face didn’t show it. Rael took 50 copper from his pocket. The man disappeared to bring the mercenary badge.
Rael thought of Dorian. Everything felt inconvenient. Without him, he might trip over a stone while walking.
The man returned, holding something. It was a copper identification badge.
“It’s a lower-grade mercenary badge. With this, at least in the barony, no one will stop you from entering.”
“And elsewhere?”
“You’ll need to go to their branch to get a new one. Each guild issues their own badge.”
It seemed limited to the barony, which was fine. He had no specific plans to go elsewhere.
The man added that completing jobs could raise your rank, but promotion to intermediate level was difficult. The badge listed your origin, so never lose it. Any trouble caused by someone else using it would be your responsibility.
Rael looked at the badge. It had letters he couldn’t read. The bulletin board where missions were posted was the same—frustrating.
“Is there work?”
“What are you looking for?”
“Herb gathering.”
“You know how to identify herbs?”
“Yes.”
“Go see the alchemist.”
“The alchemist?”
“They posted a job, but no one’s going.”
The man tore off a note from the bulletin board and handed it to him. He added that if successful, it would count toward his record. The more records he accumulated, the more his identity would be vouched for.
Rael left the mercenary guild and headed to the alchemist’s house.
He fiddled with the mercenary badge in his hands. Unexpected expenses had come up, but it didn’t bother him.
If he had skipped the guild, he would have missed the chance to build a record. He was glad he had come to get the badge.
