Chapter 10: Preparations

I woke up on my own and much sooner today, not even Alice could be awake. The reason for that is simple. It won’t be easy to reach tournament. Even if I am best in the class, I am still one from 1000 of the same age as I and I never even saw strength of others. I need to train in this week, not just physically or mentally, but I need trump cards, something that I can use in time of need and that’s what I want to get my hands on.

I cleaned myself and changed to clothes I got from mother. Yep, just plain commoner clothing but that’s fine, in fact, it will be necessary for what I need to do.

I ate leftovers from yesterday’s dinner and wrote a simple message for Alice, letting her know that I went to arrange few things and that I don’t know when I will come back so she can take day off. There aren’t any classes today so that’s in my favor.

So I went outside the dorm, everyone still in their beds, seeing no one. I went to the gate. That’s right, I’m going outside the academy to the city. Normally, we can’t go outside the academy, but because it is my 3rd year, it is allowed. I’ve never been in the city, hell, I don’t even know its name.

So I reached the gate and someone was sitting at the desk. It is probably gate keeper. He is there to ensure the safety of students and to check those who come and go. As I approached him, I could see that he was sleeping. He looked like a middle aged man but I couldn’t read his essence so I knew he must be incredibly strong. As a gate keeper, there’s no other way anyway.

When I reached the window, his eyes snapped, others would probably were frightened but thanks to my master’s training, I’m not scared easily. The exception is master itself. He scares the hell out of me, his training would make even demon shudder with fear.

I just politely asked him, I don’t want to piss him off.

“Hello, I would like to leave academy’s premises.”

“Name?”

“Risiel.”

“It looks like you are the 3rd year. What do you want to do outside this soon?”

“Just do a few preparations.”

“What kind of preparations?”

“That will give me a better chance to win.”

“Well, whatever. If you die, it will be your own fault.”

“Why should I die outside?”

“You don’t know how dangerous Palevin is?”

So the name of the city is Palevin? Strange name.

“No, I don’t.”

“There are gangs that practically rule the city. Be careful with offending them or you may not come back.”

“I see. Do I need to know anything else?”

“Sigh, such a bother. Look kid, if you are scared then just wait when people will start their businesses. It is much safer that way.”

“Nah, there isn’t much time so every minute counts. Anyway, thanks for the info.”

“Yeah yeah, now go. I want to sleep for a little while longer.”

Cold guy that cares for others. That’s what he looks like to me. I have a strange feeling about him. I wonder what it means. No need to think about it for now.

So I went through the gate and I must say, entrance is still the same as I remember it. It’s still so beautiful. Time to go.

I was slowly walking to the city. Academy is on its outskirts so it’s easy to find the way to it but academy is still isolated from it for safety reasons. I must say it looks beautiful. It is white city with red parts here and there. Structure looks like towers with pointy roofs throughout it. It releases serene feeling but it is a lie. Just like gate keeper said. There’s malice in the air.

I reached the entrance and there are 2 guards. There’s no line so I just walk straight through the gate.

“Hold. What reason brought you here?”

“Do I need to answer that?”

“No, if you don’t want to come into the city premises.”

“Is it normal to question visitors?”

“You think you are smart? Don’t push us kid.”

“I just came for a visit and to buy few souvenirs for my family.”

“And what prove do you have?”

“What do you mean prove. Since when do I need prove for a visit to the city?”

“Since I started to guard this gate.”

Such asshole.

“Look, what is your problem?”

“You are my problem.”

“I need to get into the city so can you let me in already?”

“No, you are suspicious. Only place you will go are barracks. Captain will question you.”

“What? Why?”

“None of your concern.”

Think think, how to get out of this?

“Is it because you think I work for one of the gangs that rule this city?”

“You, how do you know that?”

“My master told me.”

“And who is that master of yours?”

“None of your business.”

“Kyle, take that brat to the captain.”

Yep, second guard who stood like a statue.

He did not even spoke and took me by my hand and forcibly led me. I could break through and just hide but I want to meet that captain.

So we reached barracks and Kyle brought me before captain’s door and just barged in, led me there and left. I like his style.

Captain not even batted an eyelid and continued to look at the documents. After a while, he raised his head and looked at me.

“Why are you here kid?”

“Who knows? I just wanted to enter the city and was told I am suspicious so here I am.”

“It must be Rodrigue, he takes guarding the city very seriously. Anyway, I never saw you before so you must be new. Who do you work for?”

“I do not work for any of the gangs if you mean that.”

“Oh and how do you know I meant gangs? Not many know about this matter, you know.”

“Well then, I am one of the few who knows.”

“Ha ha ha. You are funny. It’s pretty clear you aren’t one of them but kid, you should be careful, it is dangerous of you will piss them off. Not even we, city guards, could help you. That’s why I have such a headache.”

“Don’t worry, I may not look like it, but I can take care of myself.”

“Just don’t die or else I will have a bunch of paperwork to do.”

“I will try then, no promises though.”

And we both grinned and shook our hands.

I left the barracks and thought about what I understood. This city is controlled by 2 gangs. I don’t have any idea what they do but I know they are dangerous and it looks like they control commoner and business districts and only thing that is left is noble district. I need to take care, I definitely don’t want to get involved with gangs. From where I know it? When I was in captain’s office I looked at his documents, that was one of the reasons why I wanted to meet him. Knowledge is power after all.

So I started to stroll through the city. There were many shops. Grocery, blacksmith, alchemist, magical, adventure guild etc. I was looking for something specific though and those shops were useless to me for now.

Streets were clean and from interaction of people you would not even know that gangs are controlling these parts. They won’t be any normal gangs.

One hour. I’m looking for one hour and still can’t find it. Damn it. The streets are starting to be filled with people. Let’s look for a while longer.

As I was passing a certain street, I could hear some voices.

“No………..I………….ger”

“Pa……….o…………..quences”

Curious, I looked into one of the side pathways. There were 2 guys and a girl around 14 years old. I started to listen on their conversation.

“So will you pay up or no?”

“Please, just a while longer. I beg you.”

She went on her knees and started to tug his leg. I wonder what it is all about.

“Take those filthy hands from me.”

He wanted to kick her. In that moment I looked carefully at the surroundings and at those 2 guys.

Those guys have so many opening. Just with a little bit of work, it would be easy to snap their necks but where is the fun with that? It would be much better to break their fingers and torture them a little to get information out of them, wait, my train of thoughts went in a different way. Let’s save her.

With just a simple sprint, I closed the distance between us and punched him. He went flying until he hit a wall. The girl and the other guy were paralyzed.

“You know, its bad manners trying to hurt a defenseless girl that did nothing to you, isn’t that so guy 2?”

Guy 1 is out cold because of my punch so only guy 2 remains.

“Who the hell are you? Do you even know who are you messing with?”

“No. Who am I messing with?”

“Were are part of Legion. You are a dead meat for picking a fight with us.”

“Picking a fight? I did no such a thing. I just tripped and my fist fell straight at him.”

“Who would believe such a thing?”

“And do you have any proof it wasn’t like that?”

“W-wha? Proof?”

“That’s right, proof.”

“Are you stupid? Why would I need a proof? If I want to kill you then I will.”

“Well, let’s not make it come that far. It’s just a waste of resources for you to take care of me when I did not even do anything.”

“Ha, just get the hell out of here and let’s hope we will never meet again.”

“Nah, I can’t do that.”

“Are you sane?”

“No.”

“Ha ha ha. You are pretty interesting, you know that? Attacking member of the Legion, trying to make me belief it was an accident, throwing away a chance to leave and questioning your own sanity. So, what is the true reason you won’t leave?”

This guy is interesting, he figured out I wanted something just from this.

“Yeah, I just want to know what this little lady did to you?”

“Why do you even care?”

“It sounds interesting.”

“Ha ha, you really are funny. Her family owns us money they borrowed from us so they could start their business and time is up so we want our money back, but she says they don’t have enough.”

“I see. And what type of business it is?”

“Something to do with plants or what not.”

Did I hit a jackpot?

“I-its herb shop.”

Wow, she has sweet voice. You could hear her repeating the same thing over and over and you would not get tired of it.

“Ok. So, what do you want to do?”

“If she won’t give us money now, then we will take her. When her parents borrowed from us it was stated we will get their daughter if they can’t pay.”

Oh, it starts to get interesting.

The girl clinked to my arm and started to beg me to save her. Ah, her voice is so nice.

“So, how many do they own you?”

“Hoh, you want to pay for them? Don’t bother, you can’t have enough anyway.”

“Just try me.”

“It’s 30 gold with interests of course.”

30 gold. I could buy a house with that amount. Not good house but still house.

“Wow, that’s nice amount. How the hell could they have such kind of money anyway.”

“That’s their own problem. So, what will you do?”

“I will pay for them of course, but nothing is for free of course. So let’s negotiate girl.”

Both of them looked at me, baffled. It’s so nice. I’m not some good guy and as I said, if I can play it right, I really can get jackpot.

“What do you mean negotiate?”

It is that girl. Her voice is really nice.

“30 gold is no small amount so I want to get something out of it.”

“We don’t have anything to give you.”

“I don’t want anything from you. I just have a few conditions, nothing more.”

“W-what are those?”

“Now we get somewhere. First condition is, I will get 30% out of your business, second is you will sell to me herbs with a discount and if I will need some exotic or rare one, you will do everything you can to obtain it for me, I will pay for it of course and the last one is simple. Whenever I come to buy something, I want to hear your beautiful voice and just speak with you. Singing wouldn’t be bad either.”

She started to blush when I said the last condition. When I get a jewel as a bonus to jackpot, why not use the chance?

“Are you done yet?”

“Don’t know. Are we done yet?”

“I agree.”

“Great then.”

I went into my pocket and from my black card, I took 30 gold. I was able to save some gold so I am rich.

“Here you go. I hope you won’t bother them again?”

“You really are not what you seem kid. Well, it’s not my concern anyway. Little girl, everything is settled. Contract has been finished.”

As he said it the contract he took out of his jacket burned.

“You know what, I hope to meet you again. Maybe even get you to join our gang.”

“Nah, I love freedom.”

“If you will need something in the future, just go to the Golden tavern and ask for Vince.”

“Ok. Oh and don’t forget about your friend here.”

He just smiled and with a flick of his finger they both disappeared. Now I understand why gate keeper warned me, they aren’t pushovers.

“So, can you lead way to your shop?”

She finally snapped out of her blushing daze and took me to her shop. It was nice looking shop and we went inside.

“Mom, dad I’m back.”

I could hear two sets of footsteps quickly running to us.

“Kristy, what I told you about going out alone in these times?”

It looks like it is her mother. Brown hair, brown eyes, glasses and plain looking. Her father just stood at the corner, watching me. Black hair, blue eyes and black beard and clothes. Scary.

As her mother was scolding Kristy, her father came to me and started to talk with me, snapping his wife.

“And who might you be, young lad?”

“Kristy should explain it.”

And so Kristy explained that, the reason why I said that was simple really, I wanted to hear her voice. I think my plan worked but I think her father saw right through me but he just looked at me and did thumbs up. I just grinned and did the same. I like him.

As she finished telling everything and conditions, her mother started to speak.

“We are thankful for everything you did but we cannot give you 30% of our business.”

I just sat, indifferent. I knew 30% is too much, but there was a reason.

“Ok, It’s not like I need it anyway, but I won’t drop that condition but we can change it a little bit.”

“What do you have in mind?”

“Let’s drop it on 10% and your daughter will bring all herbs I will need to my house whenever need will arise for me.”

“10% is acceptable but we can’t let our daughter do something like that. We don’t even know you or where she would need to go.”

“You know, you just needed to ask. So I should introduce myself. My name is Risiel and I am student of academy and because of that I can’t leave it whenever I want to someone who could bring me herbs is necessary for me. So, what do you say?”

“Are you really from the academy?”

“Yep.”

“Show us some proof.”

I took out my black card. It works as identification too. When I took it out, both mother and father froze.

“Please, we apologize for such treatment, if we knew who you were, please forgive us.”

“Yeah yeah. Don’t act like that. I am commoner too, I just got this due to special circumstances so, do we have a deal?”

“Of couser.”

“Great then. Now, I can finally complete what I came here for. I need several herbs from this list. Package them for me.”

This is the whole reason why I came here. I needed special herbs that couldn’t be found in the academy and alchemy shop does not sell herbs and such shops are rare I itself so getting such conditions is really a jackpot for me.

It took a while but they brought me all I needed.

“Thanks for that, I will come here one in a while and Kristy, don’t forget about third condition when I’ll come here again.”

I bid my farewell and went back to the academy. I met again that guard but he did not even look at me. At the gate, gate keeper was dozing off so I just passed him.

I reached the dorm and went to my room. When I opened my door, I could see teary Alice waiting for me.

“What’s the matter, Alice?”

“I was so lonely.”

And she hugged me.

“You should just take a day off as I said in the letter.”

“But who would give you dinner and helped.”

She has a point. I flicked her forehead.

“I’m thankful for that but it will happen in the future too. We can’t stay together forever you know.”

I hugged her too and started to pat her head.

“Don’t worry, I won’t leave you alone.”

She started to cry and fell asleep in my arms. I put her in the bed, changed myself and hid all the herbs I had. Ate dinner and let Alice sleep with me for today.

Week passed by. In this week, we got few information on tests but nothing concrete, just thinks like it will be hard and don’t think just knowledge is enough. The only good advice I got was from master. He said, never show your true strength, just enough to defeat your opponent. It was my plan already so nothing new. I was able to finish my trump card too thanks to the herbs I got. Now, only one day is left.

Let’s see what awaits us all.

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I don’t have any motivation to write in such beautiful weather and I don’t really want to spend it writing so I will do releases when I will have time.

I’m still waiting for some comments about which secondary classes’s test you want to see, because I can’t do it in one chapter. Well, I can but it wouldn’t be too good. That was one of the reasons why I did this chapter or else it would already be about tests.

Idea about Kristy came to me in half of writing this chapter so hope you like this shy girl with beautiful voice.

Many of you wanted me to in depth analysis of characters and I will do it in a certain way and that is…….. stories with them. I will Do Irel and Elizabeth right now.

Hope you enjoyed.