About the only thing exciting for Noa’s morning━a time of day he was really starting to hate━were the levels he gained in [Lesser Appeal] and [Lesser Restoration]━level 13 and 8 respectively━after healing Aud completely. Now, he just stood in front of a small town, somewhat flabbergasted at himself for never learning its name. Did it even have one? Lila owned all the land, so maybe she named it. If it didn’t, “Far Far Away” was an excellent option in his opinion. Maybe they should invest in some large lettering to put on the mountains for it.

Starting down the hillside from the mountains, Noa surveyed Far Far Away, littered with sturdy wooden homes. Mini Buckingham stood like a grand monument at the other end of it, with the church towering higher than Shrek did over humans. Damn, I’d be short next to an ogre, Noa thought, trying to ignore the little voice in the back of his head reminding him that he was short compared to everyone else in this town. Except Conagan. Noa liked Conagan, even if he stole lamps.

As he meandered down the street, She-monstrosity’s dreaded apple farm became more prominent on the left hillside while another apple farm too far off to care about sunk behind hills in the opposite direction.

Scratching his head, Noa turned on the street, looking at the houses around him. Build a job fair. Yeah, not a problem. Just knock on doors and talk to total strangers. Does that make me a missionary? he briefly wondered, but missionary work probably didn’t matter much when everyone in town already attended church, far as he knew.

“No, there’s gotta be a better way,” Noa thought aloud, running his hands down his face as he continued on, stopping in front of the church as was his natural inclination. Olwen would know what to do, probably.

Running a hand through his hair as he made his way up the church steps, Noa reached out for the doorknob, then the door flew at him. Sharp pain flared through his nose, and he hissed, stumbling backwards. “Ow.”

“Oh sorry, Noa, didn’t see you there,” Conagan said, letting the door fall shut behind him. “But since you're here...” Noa blinked a couple of times as his eyes refocused, a sly smile forming on Conagan’s lips. “Want to send a letter?”

“Conagan,” Noa said, cringing at his own nasally voice while he held his nose. “What makes you think I have money today when I didn’t yesterday?”

“You’re a church healer now. You didn’t heal anyone yesterday for the church?”

“No, I kind of...” Napped through Priest Olwen’s lesson, he thought. “I plead the fifth.”

“The fifth what?”

“Nevermind that. I don’t have any coins for you,” Noa said.

“Okay, bye,” Conagan moved to run past him as Noa started back to the door. Hand on the doorknob, he paused.

“Wait,” he said, turning back to Conagan. “Can I bargain with you to send some letters to, say, everyone in town?”

The blond blinked. “Do you know how much that would cost? Noa, not even a healing would be enough to cover that,” Conagan said.

“Not even a backlog of healings?” Noa asked.

Conagan crossed his arms, looking up from where he stood on the steps. “Healings for life?” he asked.

This kid’s going to swindle me, Noa thought.

“I think healings for life is a little unfair,” Noa said. “How about this? Come back here in a few hours, and I’ll have an offer for you along with some letters.”

“Hmm, fine,” Conagan said, dashing down the street.

Turning back to the church doors, pain flared through his forehead as the door flew open, smacking him. A low groan escaped him as he moved to holding his forehead, and... oh, was that blood on the floor? He wiped his nose. Ow. Great, a nosebleed.

“Ah, Ardent Noa, I didn’t know you were coming.”

Noa cringed. “Yup, yeah. I seem to be running into that problem,” he said.

“Oh, you’ll be fine with a little healing. Once you’re done with that, clean up the blood,” Olwen said, moving aside as Noa stepped into the church.

He winced, performing a [Lesser Mend] on his nose, then one on the bump growing on his head.

System [Lesser Mend] level 51 → 52.

What a dumb reason to level up for, Noa cringed.

Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

“What brings you by so early?” Owen asked.

“Letters,” Noa sighed, giving Olwen a dismayed look.

It took the better part of the day, coordinating with Priest Olwen, to write up letters to every potential employer in town. Essentially, everyone. By the time he was done, Noa groaned, his head and arms sprawled across the priest’s desk. The elderly man also insisted that Noa use the letters to advertise healings in the church as well.

When Conagan finally came by, Olwen met him at the office doorway with a hefty stack of letters, which blond stuffed into his satchel. “On behalf of the church,” Olwen began, Noa rolling his eyes, “this is our offer for sending the letters.” Noa perked up at the sound of jingling.

Conagan, holding a big coin pouch, looked up at Olwen with large eyes. “Sure thing, geezer. I’ll deliver them right away!” he said quickly, dashing out of the office.

Noa raised an eyebrow. “Why did you just pay him, Priest Olwen?” he asked.

“Because, it’ll come out of your stipend. Easier that way. Besides, the boy would bargain us out of all of your heals if he could.”

Noa gave a lame fake laugh. I’m never going to make any money, he ran his hands down his face. “What if I can convince Lila to reimburse the expenses to get the job fair running?” he asked.

“Then it won’t come out of your stipend,” Olwen shrugged. “Until then, you’re indebted to the church.

Damnit, Noa thought. His debts were going to stack up at this rate, and... He deadpanned the old man. “I didn’t agree to this. I agreed to offer heals. In fact, they could have been heals outside of the church. You had nothing to do with my bargain.”

“On the contrary,” Olwen said, “the letters, as we’d written them, were in the name of the church━Elorn’s name. So I had everything to do with the bargain.”

“Then the church pays for them, not me!” Noa insisted.

“And you also had another agenda in the letters. Ardent, the decision was made.”

“Without me! Don’t I have━”

Olwen pointed a finger. “No,” he hissed. “Your debt will be relieved in just a few weeks. You can last that long.”

Eyebrow twitching, Noa stood up. “I need to go talk to Lila,” he said.

“And what do you owe Lila for staying in her home?” Olwen asked, Noa freezing just past the doorway.

Damnit, Noa thought. “Guess we’ll find out.” He made his way from the church.

Eliaz, walking down the street, was a sight for sore eyes. So was his hair, locks flowing in the wind behind him. “Hey,” Eliaz said, stopping at the bottom of the steps, “You look like gloom and doom.”

“I feel like gloom and doom. I’m never going to make a living in this town at this rate! Tell me the university won’t use me like this town does.”

“The university won’t use you like this town does.”

“Not literally,” Noa said, the slightest upturn tugging at the corners of his lips.

Elvethor snorted. “Oh, they’ll use you alright, just not like this town does. I’m headed to meet some visitors on behalf of my wife,” he elongated the word, grinning like a lovestruck fool. “Come join me.”

“You guys seriously need a honeymoon,” Noa said, moving to walk beside Eliaz.

“I... am not even going to ask what that means,” Eliaz said, his cheeks a tad pink.

“It’s━”

“Zzt!”

“Not━”

“No! I can’t believe you don’t keep innuendos in the bedroom where you’re from.”

Noa facepalmed. This is just sad. “So who are we meeting?” he asked.

“Some early guests from the church. Super important sounding, but not the high prelate we’re still expecting.” They started up towards Mini Buckingham. “I am still currently working out of my house until I get moved into Lila’s, but the offer for you to buy it still stands.”

“Yeah, I might not have money for a while,” Noa sighed. “I seem to be pretty good at indenturing myself to others.”

“It’s the ardent thing, isn’t it?” Eliaz asked.

“Yeah.”

“You’re either indentured to the church or to the monarchy... Or a crazy apple criminal. If you’re lucky, you’re a peasant no one cares about,” Eliaz said. “But if you need help with something, Noa, I might owe you one. I am the reason you got caught in the first place, and kind of left you in a dungeon overnight once.”

“Yeah, but you didn’t have a choice about the dungeon,” Noa said.

The silence that ensued as they passed through the manor gates, along with the guilty look on Elvethor’s face, had Noa’s jaw dropping. “Oh, come on, Thor! You had the choice to let me out?”

“I was busy!” Elvethor blushed.

“With what?”

His blush almost looked like it was going to burn his face right off. “Things...”

“You’re kidding,” Noa dragged his hands through his hair, pulling at it a bit.

“Oh look, our guests,” Eliaz redirected, motioning to a pair of knights in sparkling armor and a skinny man wearing white and blue robes. He donned the same amulet Priest Olwen wore. As they approached the men waiting in front of the manor, Eliaz said, “I didn’t know they were sending a [Grand Healer].”

“I’m here for Ardent Noa Kai,” the tall healer said, his face stiff as stone. “And his healing friend, I suppose.” Was that frown permanent? It hardly moved when he spoke!

“I’m Noa,” Noa replied.

The [Grand Healer] sighed. “Pathetic,” he said, then pointed at Eliaz. “This is your friend?”

“Depends,” Eliaz answered quickly, Noa’s frown stitched in place. I wouldn’t have minded Shrek instead, he thought.

“To train, of course.”

“A mentor?” Eliaz asked.

“Derhur,” Noa huffed out.

“I don’t have time for this. Guards, bring them inside.”

The guard to Noa’s right grabbed his arm in a flash.