Chapter 6: Then She Finds A Job

Waiting for someone had never been painful. It tested his patience, his trust, and his understanding. Jude grumbled as he fiddled with his pen. He checked the clock and rested a foot on top of his thigh.

It was way past his comfort zone. Jude was ready to burst out of their door and looked for Celes, but when he remembered what she told him beforehand he had to restrain himself. Fifteen more minutes, he thought.

“Still awake, eh?”

As Jude was thinking, the old man occupied the chair in front of him carrying a mug of beer. His nose wrinkled at the smell of alcohol emitting from the old man, but Jude didn’t say a word of complaint.

“Kind of. I’m waiting for Celes.”

“Ah, she’s still out?” asked the old man.

Jude sighed. “She is, I’m starting to worry.”

“Well she’s a tough one, she’ll be fine. Just don’t stay up too late now.” The old man patted his shoulder before walking upstairs.

A week had gone by since Jude started his life as a spirit blacksmith. But though he regarded himself as a blacksmith, he hadn’t spent much time in the smithy. It was more on the lines of his Master cooking up a scheme behind his back.

Until he’d finished whatever work he was trying to do, Jude wasn’t allowed to work in the forge at all. Because of that, Jude was left with too much free time. But not so much it gave him leeway on his current responsibilities in their house.

Jude was charged with washing clothes, cooking, cleaning, and even attending to the guests that visited the shop. Even returning and collecting finished products had been his responsibility ever since he successfully calmed that knife.

Thinking about the knife reminded Jude of his visit to its peculiar owner.

“Oh, you’re Freks’s new apprentice, correct? How cute. Tell your Master I said hi.”

It was then he realized how popular his Master was when it came to women his age. Because of the wink that lady gave him, Jude had almost forgotten what he came there for.

“Wait. Umm, don’t forget to use that knife for cooking too. Once a week is fine,” Jude said, then carefully explained why the knife bursted in anger.

The lady rested a hand on her face then spoke in an understanding tone. “Hmm, I’ll try to follow what you just said then. Honestly, this knife has been passed down for generations in my family I didn’t think it’d build its own ego.”

“If that’s the case, please treat it more nicely. Spirits start to gather on things that we people develop an emotional attachment to,” said Jude. At least that was what his Master had told him.

Then the lady gave him a wink and softly whispered to his ears. “Sure. Also, come back once you’ve grown a little older~”

It seemed like Jude was still a child on her radar. If not, he feared that her carnivorous attitude would’ve devoured him. Jude did caught a glimpse of an assortment of whips adorning a certain hallway of her house while he was there.

When Jude asked his Master if they have some sort of relationship, he indifferently shrugged it off.

“It was a mistake on my part. She looked so innocent back then.”

Unlike his usual talkative behavior, the old man never elaborated further on what happened between them which left Jude wondering in so many ways.

* * *

The moment Celes returned back to shop, it was dead dark except for the single light stone that illuminated the kitchen. She felt bad for not returning on the allotted time she promised, but the bar was so packed she wasn’t allowed to go until the huge crowd had subsided.

She saw Jude, his face half turned on the table, eyes closed, and his black hair was a mess. There were several papers scattered on the table and a pen resting on top of its ink holder.

Celes tilted her head when she saw what Jude had written. She had read plenty of books back in Altea and being an Effu, they prided themselves as “Keepers of Knowledge.” But what she saw on Jude’s notes were something entirely different.

As she recalled several languages in her head, Jude made some small grumbling noises. He talked in his sleep, dreamt about giant eggs then suddenly he mentioned some words that left her shaken to the bone.

“Mom… I’m sorry…” Jude murmured, his breathing ragged.

“Jude?” Celes shrugged his shoulders, but he wouldn’t wake from his nightmare.

Celes sucked in a shocked breath as she panicked on what to do. But seconds later, Jude rubbed his eyes and awoke from his slumber in his own. Celes hugged him before he could sprang back up in her confusion and confined herself on his lap.

“Jude, what’s wrong?”

Jude held his face as he took a deep breath. “I don’t know.”

“You don’t know?”

“Yeah, I don’t know.” Jude shook his head. “Enough of me. How’s the job?”

Celes understood. There was nothing left to say if he didn’t want to talk about it.

“It’s busy,” she said.

He looked up and had the nerve to smile. “Oh yeah? Don’t you think it’s about time you tell me where you work now?”

“Jude, girls are mysterious creatures. You’re quite delirious if you think I’ll confess my secrets just because you asked.”

“I figured I’ll try before anything else. Better to get rejected than to wallow in regret because I didn’t speak my mind, right?”

She didn’t know how he could say that with a straight face. The absolute arrogance of it almost made her grin. But she was glad to know he was feeling better now.

“Well, did you eat yet?” asked Jude. His hands were on her face, in her hair, combing his fingers down.

“Not yet.” She felt her breath catch, as if a hand clenched her heart.

“Good, cause I’m hungry. Let’s eat.”

Celes stood up and ambled on the kitchen while Jude cleaned the table. One of the perks of having Jude around at certain times was that he knew how to make her laugh and his eyes had always shown how beautiful her reflection was. She had never doubted her attractiveness, but seeing that much attention in his eyes did many wonderful things to her. It boosted her confidence. Much more than it ever was.

* * *

It was late, but Celes still took her daily bath. She could not sleep without it. Ever. As she entered her room, she saw Jude sleeping on the floor. Wheezing. The sight made her grin. But deep in her heart, she wondered about his nightmare from before. Why did he not want to talk about it? What is keeping him from letting her know?

* * *

The sun had earnestly rose, but Jude was already long up before it did.

Starting from today, he’d decided to resume his morning training.

Building trust with your body is important. It may betray you if you did not take care of it properly. Those were his father’s words.

Jude recalled those hellish days when his Father would drag him out of bed to train both his mind and body. Jude hated it, but because of that training he was able to survive the most brutal and savage trek he’d ever experienced in his short life.

That was supposed to be his plan for today, however Jude was in a position where lifting a single finger would spell his death. Celes seemed to have rolled down the bed. He didn’t know when, but she did. Now they were tangled in a very dangerous position.

“Mhmm…”

Taking a shot of her breath at point blank range was definitely not good for his heart. To a growing young man like Jude, it was the most innocent, yet the most erotic feeling in this world.

His heart was beating against his ribs, ringing in his ears. Jude managed to release an arm that was sandwiched in between her thighs, but alas, Celes shifted her body, resulting in her pressing her innocent bosom more firmly against his chest.

His manhood was like a volcano waiting to erupt, a storm ready to strike.

But before he did the unforgivable, Jude heard a laugh. The laugh of a housewife excited by the gossips she just heard - that kind of laugh. But it was only him and Celes in the room. How was that possible?

To relieve himself of that dreaded feeling, Jude decided to calm himself. He carried Celes back to her bed and left the room in a hurry.

* * *

Jude spent the last few minutes in the bathroom, meditating.

Once he was done relieving himself of his earthly desires, Jude went downstairs to pick up the eggs.

Outside, the sky glimmered dark and the wind was chilly.

Out of all of the odd things that had happened ever since he got dragged in this world, these eggs were one of them. A single egg was even bigger than his fist. Jude was curious to meet the person who delivers the eggs. He wanted to ask where the giant eggs came from. Judging from the soft shell, he assumed it wasn’t an ostrich egg.

So, being curious, Jude sat on highest stone step in front of the shop’s door and waited patiently.

To alleviate his boredom, Jude started flipping the silver coin he received as compensation yesterday. Jude was not even sure what he could buy with it, but it was still his first money in this world. Because of that, Jude wanted to keep it with him as a good luck charm.

After drowning himself in thoughts, a little girl carrying a large basket, seemingly too big for her to handle, took the steps to reach the shop.

Jude found himself observing her as she took her small, miniscule steps forward.

The girl, who looked no older than eight or ten, was covered in dirt and wore tattered clothes. To make things worse, she wasn’t wearing any kind of footwear. The closer she approached Jude, the more he saw her feet were covered in cuts and calluses.

It seemed that no matter the world that he lives in, there were still children being ignored.

After the little girl left the basket of eggs on the shop’s front door, she turned around to leave.

“Wait,” Jude said, stopping the girl on her track.

She turned to him with a baffled expression. “Nm? What is it mister?”

“Oh… Nothing… I'm just curious to know where those eggs came from.”

“Why?”

An understandable reaction. For her, it must seem very strange for a guy like him to be asking about eggs. Jude did come from a world where chickens don’t lay bloated eggs such as these.

“I’m just curious… Neh?”

The girl stepped back as soon as she saw him smile. She stood frozen in place with a knee up high, ready to jolt away.

“Relax—”

The moment Jude reached a hand, the girl sprinted and ran for her life.

“What the hell was that for?” Jude was left scratching his head. He picked up the basket and returned inside the shop.

* * *

Like usual, Jude cooked breakfast for them all. Poached eggs, tea, and the fresh breads that were delivered to their front door. The old man came out of the smithy and ate breakfast. Few minutes later, Celes came down and joined them two. Another typical morning, Jude thought.

Once she was done eating, Celes prepared herself to get out.

“I’m leaving,” she said, kicking her boots on.

“Take care,” Jude said with a wry smile.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Nothing. I’m just thinking how that ponytails suits you great.”

“Idiot. Stop thinking about pointless things, will you?”

Her voice was warm and it flowed inside him, making him smile. Without him realizing it, Jude was already holding the side of her face, gently brushing her cheek with his thumb.

“Celes… I…” Jude stuttered, unable to continue what he wanted to convey.

He didn’t want to know her thoughts and feelings. Each time he tried to think about it in a reasonable manner, his feelings would take over and turned his mind into a mush.

“Don’t get all serious on me, it’s making me feel uncomfortable.”

Celes finger flicked his forehead. She smiled as she picked up her belongings then turned around and left the shop. Jude ruffled his hair as he watched her small back slowly disappear.

“Damn, I guess it’s time for me to work now.”

Jude flipped their signboard and opened the windows around the shop.

He started by dusting the weapons hanging on the shelves and reconfirmed the price tags as he passed by. Celes had taught him the basics on how to read the price tags and how money worked, but he still struggled reading most of the words.

But because Jude made a listing in his language, it didn’t hinder him from working like a proper salesman.

* * *

At noon, the shop was fairly populated.

However, even from the large crowd of customers in front, Jude could still hear the loud clanking of hammer striking the anvil from across the room. He deduced the old man was starting to get rough on that side too.

“Excuse me, can you tell me more about this sword?”

A young man approached the counter and placed a sword on the desk. He wore an adventurer-like clothing - like most of the customers that visited the shop.

Since the weapons the old man forges focused on productiveness instead of looks, his weapons were fairly cheap. Something that made him popular to the adventurers in town.

Jude unsheathed the blade and examined it in front of the man. “The blade was forged from the local Taru Silver and as you could see from its short but wide blade, it’s perfect for beginners.”

Jude was no way an expert in swords, nor did he had the knowledge to handle one. If not for his note, he was afraid that he might be left speechless by now. Only because he combined his gaming knowledge and the old man’s advice that he could jabber that nonsense.

“Heh, that’s good to know. How much would it be for this sword then?”

Jude beamed a merchant’s smile. “That’ll be twenty-five silver coins for the short sword, dear customer.”

“Twenty-five? Isn’t that a little too pricey?”

“Not at all. It’s the best offer you could grab around here. And I assure you that this sword’s quality will serve you for a long time.”

“Hmm.” He thought about it for a moment, but ended up buying it after Jude’s colorful words.

*Ka-ching!*

“Thank you very much,” said Jude

The smile retained on his face as he welcomed the next customer and the day dragged on like normal with him closing deals after deals. But at the last minute, someone different entered the shop.

She was quite the mysterious girl with blazing red hair.

By the time she entered, only Jude was left and the huge crowd of people that accumulated from before had already gone.

“I heard this is a shop that deals with spirits?” As she said that, the girl looked around left and right, as if she was eyeing everything suspiciously.

Other than her good looks and her robe that hid everything else from plain sight, there wasn’t anything particularly suspicious about her - or so he hoped.

“Indeed. My master, old man Freks, is a spirit blacksmith. We deal with all sorts of crazy spirits. Be it your pot, your kitchen knife, or even your robe. Just name it, and we’ll take care of it.”

“Hehe, is that so? Is he around?” The girl put a hand on her mouth and laughed at his joke.

That laugh blew all of his previous doubts away.

“He is, just right across the room. Would you like to have a word with him?” Jude jerked his hand and pointed his thumb deeper inside. However the girl dismissed his idea by shaking her head.

“No, that’s fine. You call him Master, does that mean you know how to handle spirits too?”

“Well, I’ve successfully tamed a kitchen knife, if that counts?”

“I see.”

Once again, her eyes darted around the vicinity of the shop, returning the weird doubt in his heart from before.

“Is there a weapon you’d like me to see perhaps?” Jude gathered his courage and voiced the question that hanged in his throat.

But the girl did not reply. She was too occupied to give reply. She kept on walking around in circles, looking from one halberd to another.

Jude was a little terrified to shoo her away. Trained in the arts of killing himself, he knew there was something special about her. She emitted an aura so dangerous it made his hair stand on end.

“Hehehe. I’ll see you again. Until then, please keep on polishing your skills.”

She waved a hand and left the shop in a breeze after leaving Jude with those mysterious words.

When the girl was out of earshot Jude breathed a heavy sigh.

“The hell was that about?”