"Is this really not water from the Fountain of Youthful Love?" asked Jill, shy and quiet, her voice barely above a whisper.
"I haven't verified whether it's from the Fountain of Youthful Love or not, but I'm sure it's spring water that even Pegasus likes to drink. In our place, some people also call it the Fountain of Luck," Rody replied with a light smile. "Even if it's not from the Fountain of Youthful Love, I wouldn't sell ditch water to anyone."
"I, I didn't mean that..." Jill lowered her head, her eyes on her fingertips.
"Are there Pegasus in your place?" Tommy's eyes lit up at the mention, though his hefty build made becoming a Pegasus rider an impossible dream, but that didn't diminish his fascination with them.
"Jill, did you need something from me?" Rody asked, noticing her hesitation.
"Yes, it's like this. Aunt Pagi, I mean, Professor Margaret asked me to be your temporary assistant, if that's okay?" Jill's voice was timid and stammering, and without Rody's keen hearing and a bit of guessing, it would have been hard to understand her.
"What type of magic do you specialize in?" Rody inquired thoughtfully.
"Ice and, and flame," Jill's response surprised Tommy; the shy girl was not only a dual-element mage but also mastered the opposing elements of ice and flame, a rare talent indeed.
"Follow my instructions exactly. Five silver coins a day for your wages, and an additional silver coin for every two gold coins' worth of sales," Rody's terms not only delighted Jill but also made Tommy drool. Tommy, with a big grin, eagerly offered his services: "Dear Rody, don't forget I'm your classmate too! Tommy from Yellow Forest Town, ready to serve you."
"Talk to me in two days; I'm busy right now," Rody dismissed Tommy and then turned to Jill, "Come back tomorrow at nine."
"Thank you..." Jill bowed deeply, her long legs gracefully carrying her away like a deer in the forest.
Tommy, however, lingered, unwilling to leave. He eagerly helped Rody pack up the stall, and Rody, puzzled, asked, "Didn't I tell you to gather useful information about Feric?"
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
"Of course, I remember," Tommy chuckled. "Smart people often don't need to do things themselves; money can do it for them."
"Hey, fatso, I've gathered all the data you wanted on the West District, including the goods list, price list, and trade records. Bring the silver coins!" A skinny figure, panting and sweaty, rushed over. Rody was surprised to see it was Terry, Tommy's rival.
"Terry, that's not a suitable way to address your employer, is it?" Tommy asked smugly, pulling out his coin purse. "Do you want me to deduct your pay?"
"No, dear boss Tommy, your handsomeness and generosity are worth the world's praise. Your mercy and magnanimity are exemplary, truly heartwarming! I bet if beauties heard your legendary name, they'd scream in excitement!" Terry, true to his bootlicking nature, flattered Tommy, who reveled in the praise, while Rody nearly felt sick to his stomach.
"Bring the East District's report tomorrow," Tommy commanded after paying three silver coins.
"What? My dearest boss, do you think it takes until tomorrow to gather such simple data? I'll bring it to you shortly, just have the bonus ready..." Terry happily bit into the silver coins, delighted with their pure silver weight.
"Quick-legged thief, you should be off to work after my praise!" Tommy winked at Rody, bossing Terry around.
"You're the boss, I'll listen to you," Terry complied, nodded at Rody as a greeting, then dashed off towards the East District.
"You're not too dumb after all," Rody acknowledged Tommy's resourcefulness. Not everyone could get their rival to work for them, and this alone made Tommy somewhat noteworthy in Rody's eyes.
"Though I'm a bit less smart than you, I'm definitely among the best," boasted Tommy, sensitive to any hint of being called fat.
"Starting tomorrow, five silver coins a day, and a bonus of one silver coin for every five gold coins in sales!" Rody laid out the terms.
"Why? Jill isn't treated like that..." Tommy was puzzled.
"You claimed to be among the best, so the requirements are higher!" Rody smiled. "If you're not satisfied, I won't insist. Besides, paying a supposed top-notch guy like you the same as hiring a dual-element Five-Star High Mage like Jill seems fair, don't you think, Tommy?"
"Jill is a Five-Star High Mage of ice and flame?" Tommy was stunned,
then laughed, "The price is good, dear Rody, but you'll soon see I'm worth more than that."
"I just think you should drop the 'dear' from your speech," Rody ignored Tommy, pulled his cart back to the dorm, and went back to sleep. He woke up at night, ate something, meditated, and recalled the magic books he had read the previous night.
Late at night, Rody went to the library as usual, sending mantises to steal books. After about half an hour of strenuous effort, he returned to the dorm with a headache. He saw not only Leo exercising early but also a girl with a giant sword and heavy iron rings on her arms and legs jogging. It was the spirited female swordsman from the other day, also a student at the magic academy.
She seemed surprised to see Rody up so early but snorted and swiftly ran off.
At around nine, Rody got up to find Jill already waiting outside.
"Hey, fatty, wake up, do you want me, your boss, to deduct your pay?" Rody kicked Tommy's door. Tommy sleepily peeked out, saw Rody, and quickly grinned. While Rody was freshening up, Tommy did the same to Terry, shouting, "Bootlicker, you lazy bum, what time do you think it is? Get up or I'll dock your pay!"
Jill, dizzy from their complicated interactions, watched as Terry emerged like a mouse, disappeared in front of everyone, then reappeared in front of her with the same sleazy smile as Tommy, saying, "Welcome, Jill, please sit! Damn fatty, how could you not greet lovely Jill? That's too much!"
"Get lost!" Tommy kicked him away, quickly bringing a chair with a seemingly gentlemanly manner for Jill to sit.
"No flirting during work hours!" Rody punched Tommy on the head, knocking him down, making Jill giggle behind her hand.