After leaving Chiel’s shop, Kohn went back to Tender Hake’s shop to deliver the threat/promise. Sasha, Trevor and Collins followed along since they were unsure of what else to do. But when their group arrived at Hake’s front door, they found it locked in the most suspicious way.

“Do you think he knew we’d be coming back to deliver a message from Chiel?” Trevor quipped as he briefly attempted to pull the foot wide trees that had suddenly grown horizontally in front of Hake’s door. As far as locks went it was a very unique and beautiful method that could never be replicated on Earth.

“Most definitely. If Hake’s been doing business regularly with Chiel then I’m sure he knows.” Kohn replied as he looked for an alternate route into the building, but unfortunately even the ‘windows’ were blocked with thick bushes.

Sasha just clicked her tongue at the store.

“Excuse me. Are you the Earthlings?” A good looking young man wearing thick, baggy leather clothes asked.

“Yes. How can we help you?”

“I have further orders for you.”

Kohn took the small leather booklet from the man. Opening it up he found several loose sheets, most of which were blank. He read the first one, grateful that the Brace of Words was on his arm.

“What’s it say Kohn?”

“The gist of it is, that it was expected we would be sent by Capital Tender Hake to see Capital Khemute Chiel. Furthermore, it was also expected that Hake would run and hide the moment he sent us.”

“Coward.” Came the biting remark.

“So we need to find other people to help for the rest of the day.”

…

Essentially Kohn and the others split up. They walked individually up and down the capital’s streets, asking people if they needed any help. When they asked Kohn why he wanted to help, he fibbed. Rather than telling them that it was his punishment set by the King, Kohn told them that he was looking to expand his knowledge of the soul. When they stared back with blank souls he said that it was to understand the production of mana through interactions with people. They still didn’t quite get it, but at least they let him help.

Kohn carried heavy sacks of grub pellets for one store that specialized in preparing rations for the Dark Vessels. Grub pellets were about 1 millimeter in diameter brown balls. Packed with various and essential nutrients, they were made by blending various foods before being compacted into small balls.

On the trip from Earth to the Agossomore Kingdom they had mostly eaten food stuffs prepared on Earth. Freeze dried meats and dehydrated foods for the most part tasted the same, but when the supplies got low they were forced to eat the disgusting grub pellets. The taste was fairly plain and devoid of significant flavors, but for Kohn the worst part was the texture. Grub pellets were edible dry, but were usually boiled or steamed to add enough water to them so that they didn’t instantly dry you out. This method of cooking was easiest on the ships, but the texture was similar to tapioca or pudding that had been left out and partially dried. With the skin creating a shell around the sludgy inside that just barely was able to retain its physical form.

For a metal smith Kohn had to constantly feed magic into a single formation. It was rather advanced, but essentially what it allowed the smith to do was pass ores through a fire that melted the ore and shattered the rocks. The ore would flow off to the side into a mold while the shattered rocks fell into a funnel that deposited them elsewhere. This way they could perfectly get 100% of the metals and discard everything else. Even the impurities were simultaneously burned off.

Kohn spent to the entire time staring at the formation as he fed it mana. By the time the metal smith became bored with refining Kohn had memorized the advanced formation. As soon as he found a pen and some paper he would write the formation down and keep it close to his heart.

Other people had simpler odd jobs for him to take care of. Carrying a box of fresh ‘fruit’ that looked poisonous. Loading up floating carts with cloth to take to a tailor. Delivering take out from a restaurant to a valued customer. Kohn even helped a decrepit old woman from her house to the castle. Initially he just wanted to give her his arm and walk with her, but she insisted on being carried in his arms in the so called Princess Carry method. He obliged her, but instantly regretted it as her idle arms roamed over his pectoral and gluteal muscles.

“Oh I think I’ll keep you. You’re backside is worth the trouble.” She mumbled in his arms as he left arm snaked into his pants, raking her fingers against his posterior.

Kohn would feel wrong to disrespect the old woman by dropping her to the ground so he just sped up his pace.

When Kohn arrived at the castle gates he noticed the two standing guards were female and smirking at him. Rolling his eyes he accidentally spotted the guards on the walls and in the towers. They were grinning like idiots and pointing at him. He became suspicious about the joke he wasn’t getting. Wasn’t it normal to help the elderly?

“WHAT are you smirking at?” The old woman shouted out at the guards.

All of them wiped their faces of the grins and stood at attention. “Nothing Commander Tealis!” They shouted out.

“Commander?” Kohn stood still in confusion as the old woman calmly climbed out of his arms.

“Don’t worry about it Pet.” She calmly replied, slapping his cheeks playfully. The guards were visibly having a hard time holding back their grins.

“Co-commander?” One guard seemed bold or stupid enough to call out to her. Her smile threatened to break out at any moment. “Did-did you get to try the goods already or did you get distracted with the assets?” Her eyes were glistening with tears.

“You can’t get distracted when handling such, *SLURP* great assets.” The old woman was drooling so bad that she had to make a loud swallow to keep speaking. Her hands gestured as if she was holding two big bowling balls or trophies up in the air for everyone to see.

The two female guards started to blush before breaking out in raucous laughter. “Shut it! Shut it!” Commander Tealis called out to them, her face red in embarrassment at being caught in her hobbies again, but that only caused them to laugh harder.

Guards from above where calling down to her with salacious and suggestive remarks.

“Commander Tealis! Have you already rated these new ‘assets’? HAHA!”

“Eight! Eh? Forget I said that! Stop laughing!”

“Have you sampled them? How’s the handling? Easy to grasp? HAHAHA!”

“I haven’t yet-Shut it!”

“Can you grab it with both hands? It’s not too small is it? HAHAHAHA!”

“Not as small as your assets!”

“Can you have a good time with your new assets?”

“I’ll show you a good time!”

Kohn was still confused, unsure of how he should react as what he initially thought was a nearly crippled old woman was energetically shaking her fist at the guards who were dying of laughter.