“How is your tribe compared to a city in winter?” Cassie was sitting around the fire looking with great interest at Saleh who was cooking.
“With shamans in the tribe, it is fairly normal. Since where I used to live was a bit outside the center, it was a little less maintained. It would still be better than Mercury City.” Saleh continued to focus on the food. It was his first time cooking polar bear meat, and he didn’t want to screw it up.
Jessica had just returned from giving water to the snow wolf, “I have seen them last time, but what exactly is the difference between a shaman and a mage?”
“Many different things, for example, the shamans we saw were part of the medical portion. They’re lumped into the alchemy branch of shamans. The difference is that doctors tend to deal with more physical aspects of medicine. From dealing with injures to dealing with sickness.”
“Then, how do shamans deal with these things?” Cassie asked from the side.
“Shamans tend to apply mana to things. There is some leeway between both. Some things just make sense, so there is no reason not to use something that came from a shaman for doctors, and vice versa. Generally, shamans tend to use mana to supplement or even breakdown and mix natural components.”
Pausing for a moment, he continued, “An obvious example that comes to mind is medicine. Since graded beings tended to have higher resistance to sickness, doctors in other cultures tended to be non-graded or very low graded people. High grade beings that are doctors are rare.”
“That is different for animal tribes. Our culture is more a whole. Therefore, there are more, higher graded beings interested in the alchemy branch. Combined with the actual alchemist that had already started to break into plant properties to allow the more medical savvy shamans to make faster and higher level medicine.”
“So, like how poison and medicine our two separate fields in human society?” Jessica couldn’t help but ask, looking for more clarity. She always had interest in the animal kingdom, many people did. They had created an insider culture where even those of different races were a part of the whole, everyone else were outsiders.
Hearing that Saleh turned towards her while in thought, after a moment he nodded his head, “Yes, that is exactly it. In a way it makes sense, especially in human culture, everyone is out for themselves. Therefore, poison would be considered dangerous to the whole human society. Where in an animal tribe, at least for blue wolves, generally considered one family. Even people I didn’t get alone with, it was one thing for us to fight, no outsider was allowed to do the same. Otherwise, I would without hesitation team up with someone I hate if they’re also a blue wolf, when in consideration of an outsider.”
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
“Seems so strange to me.” Jessica said that as she thought of her childhood. She was human in an elf upbringing. It was fine for the initial stage, as elven children were like everyone else. However, at some point, the children started to adapt to their parents ways.
“I get it.” Cassie spoke without a clear tone. It was impossible to know if she was agreeing to that point of view or simply speaking as if she could comprehend it.
Seeing the two look at her, “Mother says it is impossible. As the newer generation is too soft. Mercury City has a similar mentality. I am sure both of you had guesses in your head when you heard my mother’s last name.”
Neither of the two dared speak, rather this was true or not.
With a smile, not minding at all, “It is actually rare for someone to have the last name of Mercury. From the fact I call Mercury Everblood, Uncle Mercury, it can be seen that he isn’t my father. Plus, there is the issue with it being his first name while her last name. There is a simple reason for that.”
Glancing at Jessica, she smiled lightly, “My mother was an orphan that grew up in Mercury City. Believe it or not, it wasn’t very strange for there to be many children growing up in Mercury City. There is in fact still an orphanage in the central district that still accepts children to this day.”
Both Jessica and Saleh were surprised by this. It was clearly written on their faces.
“How does that even work? I can’t imagine it, obviously they wouldn’t have the same rules as a Grade F, right?”
It was impossible to tell the meaning behind her smile, it was neither happy nor sad, “No. The rules are exactly the same. There is just a difference in request they take on. Obviously, they can’t have children do the same things a Grade F does. Instead, they’re given two possibilities.”
She didn’t continue immediately, “One, they could be sent into a different territory. An orphanage will be found, and they can be sent there. If they wish to stay in Mercury City, they must prove their worth. If they breakthrough to Grade F, they will need to apply to the Adventurer’s Guild and do exactly what everyone else does.”
“Isn’t that too harsh?” Saleh was being quiet, Jessica was the one who asked.
Cassie, for the first time, had an unreadable expression on her face as she turned to look at Jessica, “That is a strange thing to hear from you. I guess, because you had someone that cared for you. The world isn’t so nice, it won’t treat you better because you have no parents. Life isn’t fair, so why should Mercury City go out of its way to be better than fair?”
“Better than fair?”
“So long as a child can prove its worth, the orphanage will feed them and put a roof over their head. They’re taught to read and write. Given opportunities that most orphanages can’t compare with. If they are capable enough, they can buy resources like language crystals to learn everything instantly.”
“My mother was from a village that was raided. She wandered there after hearing stories about Mercury City. Once she found it, she broke through to Grade F and started working as an adventurer at the age of ten. Neither you nor I have any right to put words in those children's mouths, the only one that has any right to say rather it is fair or not is them.”