Sagax takes one look before grabbing both of them up stair to Bernays.

‘He lifts us both all the way up here. Does all wolf this absurdly strong?’

“Bernays these kids broke 2 bottles of quicksilver how should I punish them.”

“Oh, Bill did any of those mercury spat on you?” Bernays asked.

“Err” Bill look at his leg and arm “I don’t think so.”

“Good. Those were mercury before convert into a solid core so it could be poisonous for human. Please be more careful next times.”

“Yes sir” Bill and Eirian look down guilty.

“2 bottles and a glass cabinet were broken.”

“I’ll deduct the cost from your salary at the end of the month then” Bill and Eirian nod “Sagax could you please put them down and told Jeffy to clean it up?”

Sagax put them down but still unhappy since both culprits didn’t get punish “Jeffy is out to get delivery from the port.”

“Then you clean it up.”

“I’m not your slave.”

“You take care of security and a leaking mercury in the air is a danger to everyone in the shop therefor this fall under your responsibility.”

“That some featherly rubbish”

“Language Sagax. We’re with two innocent children here you know.” Bernays covered his mouth with wing.

Sagax snort at both kids before slam the door on way out.

“He’s so happy he finally got something to do.” said Bernays.

‘I’m pretty sure he wants to kill us with that look just now.’

“Well do you think you can complete the job quota on time Eirian?”

Eirian pulls himself back from the thought of Sagax ripping his throat “Yes I think so.”

“Actually, we were just testing a new glyph Bill make for me.”

“Really?”

“It was just a basic magic glyph in most electronic. And clearly a bad idea.”

“No, I think it was great Bill.” Eirian interjected.

“It was?”

‘I need Bill to make me that glyph to help me refill core faster, Bernays won’t let us try if you make him think it’ll be a waste of time.’

Eirian turns to Bernays and explains his experience of using MAM and noted “I never feel a magic wave against me like that before, like how water used to flow along the stream but now it flows against me so I was surprised and lost control of magic. Still I believed that with more test I can use MAM to help me refill a core faster.”

“Seem like you enjoy using MAM”

Eirian feels strange being an Amiel who got compliment for liking a MAM. He’s not sure should he be proud of it.

“Why don’t you buy one from my shop. We sell one of the best here after all.”

“I was thinking of borrowing from Bill...”

‘There’s no way I’m paying over 100,000 Nil for a workplace tool. Not to mention those cores which sell separately over 50,000 for the cheapest.’

“I see” Bernays smiles as if he can read Eirian mind “Well you can rent our MAM when you want to use them then. I already offer Bill a new MAM but he declines it as well.”

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

“I just don’t want to use other MAM” Bill rubs an old MAM in his hand, ponder a memory of his father he didn’t have.

“Can I borrow one now?” said Eirian but he shifts when he noticed Bernays give a look, his eyebrow specifically “I mean rent.”

“Of course.” Bernays let Eirian choose the MAM he wants and let the two boys go out to test their glyph. Eirian picks one cheapest glove.

“Why are we leaving the store” Bill asked.

“I have a theory to test.” Eirian led them to a church in the middle of the city where people are praying in silence. A goat, wolf and all kinds of bird walk in together to pray but in the land of faith thing are not so clear cut, some birds do pray to Amalthaea or even månen. Even a few ants who shouldn’t believe in anything beyond their queen are sitting here before the Amalthaea. In here everyone is free to choose their beliefs and came here to share their love and devotion. All are welcome, even those like Bill and Eirian who aren’t here for their soul.

“This one won’t shoot lighting right?” Eirian looks around where other people are sitting and notices Biscuit praying among the crowd.

“Maybe. I mean only tinyyy chance.”

Eirian hesitates to take the glyph but if Bill said it wouldn’t go boom then he wants to trust him.

When a glyph clicks in place he flicks a switch.

Bill bites his teeth in anticipation but no spark this time. “It didn’t work?”

“No” Eirian holds the core in front of Bill “Don’t you feel it? The magic it’s going in”

“No, tell me how it is” Bill wheezes, trying to breathe. He is disappointed that he can’t see the result with his own eyes but still glad to know it works.

“Right sorry I forgot” being the only races that can’t feel magic made Eirian forget about them sometimes.

“It’s going in much faster and this time the magic seems to follow my thought now. Actually, it might be even better than I’m able to control it before. How did you do it?”

“I added a mind glyph. It’s basically let you use your mind to control magic.”

“It’s amazing” Eirian looks at a MAM in his hand “I don’t think I’m ever felt this close to magic...although it does feels weird.”

“How so?”

“The magic follows my thought but I still feel a subtle resistance, like a weight on my mind. It’s won’t go away no matter what I do.”

“Interesting” Bill take noted “That should be expected since magic is a force of nature. Like when you dig a canal to divert river, the water follows the path you laid but it still flows with a strength of its own and if the canal is too thin or small a water can overflow and carve its own path flooding the land. I could try to increase the strength and speed of this glyph but do tell me if it makes you feel weirder.”

“Got it.”

Bill and Eirian kept testing and went to Magus to see if Magus had more magic intensity than the church.

These places are full of magic because they’re artificially made to be or form naturally from an object/plant that was placed here. Eirian explains to Bill that when every creature pray they channel their magic inside them and surrounding into a statue of their god or whatever their symbol object of holiness is.

One time Bill altered the mind glyph to make it as powerful as possible so in theory it could help Eirian refill an empty core in ten minutes but it’s turn out to be too powerful. Magic stops follow Eirian entirely and even made him cried from sharp pain in the head.

“Let’s never do that again”

Both keep testing until finally Bill can no longer endure a headache from being in a place of magic any longer so he asked Eirian to stop and leave Magus.

“Thank you for helping me” Eirian bring Bill out to nearby lemon stand and brought him a cup.

“Thank, eek” Bill drank a cold lemon that was very sour but at least his headache is gone now.

Bill twisted face remind Eirian of Bill face when he heard of how much Eirian was offer compare to him so Eirian give a suggestion to Bill “You work so hard Bill and your work help me so much. Maybe we should talk with Bernays about getting you a raise?”

“A rasie? I didn’t offically work for Mercuriuse though and I just start working there, it would be rude to ask for a rasie already.”

“Still maybe...”

“It’s ok Eirian, I already happy with the job I have there is no need to climb too high.”

Eirian doesn’t like this self-inflict negative attitude but seeing how Bill just spent an entire day helping him. He doesn’t want to rebuke Bill right now.

“Let’s me get something before we leave” Eirian walks to a flower stand and brought a flower bouquet.

Bill eyes twitch and speak without thinking “If you going to give me a gift just feed me for a month.”

“What” Eirian almost slip “This is a gift for Biscuit.”

“Oh.”

Eirian and Bill then head back to church and arrive just as Biscuit is leaving.

‘Thank the eternal one she still here’

“Biscuit hey” Eirian call and hand her a gift “Thank for saving my life yesterday”

“That...that was nothing you don’t have to...” Biscuit nervous. She didn’t receive a lot of gift in her life. And she feels like she didn’t deserve these beautiful flowers.

A few eyes are looking at the two of them.

“My life isn’t nothing Biscuit please accept this. I still need to find a way to make up to you.”

Biscuit feel the eyes around her and that make her even more nervous so she take the bouquet and bite all the top flower off.

Eirian stunts don’t know what to say.

“Thank you it was really good” She then trots away to run from the crowd who is watching and dump the rest of bouquet paper in the nearby bin.

Seeing his friend in shock Bill slowly taps Eirian on the back to express his sympathy.

Eirian quicky compost himself and speak out loud for Bill and himself “I guess goat treat flower in different meaning than us.”

“Seeing Biscuit take a bite made me hungry. How about we go get a snack of our own?” Bill smiles with pity.

“Yeah let’s go eat. You must be bore of those fancy food right let’s us go see the street food of Alana then. They must have some foreign dish.”

Bill raise his hand up wanting to say something but put it down and shrug “Free food is free food.”