I wake up to the sound of firm repetitive knocks on the door.

My head pounds.

I yawn and sit up on the bed.

The knocks continue.

Flinging on my russet robe, I walk over to the door unlocking and opening it.

A plain-looking female slave in a homespun dress is on the other side.

Her fluffy brown rabbit ears cover her eyes and most of her face, ‘It is dawn. Your companion asked for a wake up for you both. He also requested that you should hire a carriage and meet him outside when you are ready. Please excuse me." she explains in a timid voice. She ends her message with a bow.

I feel the urge to thank her but restrain it. Expressing gratitude to a slave could draw unwanted attention. Certain folk might be drawn to confrontation.

The contempt runs deep.

"Inform my companion of my thanks for this service."

I close the door and stifle another yawn.

I have never needed much sleep but continuous mana use drains my mental energy. Little in that regard will change from the academy in fact it is likely we will use more magic now.

That is good, rabbit hunting was tedious but I could finally use the magic I worked tirelessly to learn. Not in a classroom or for some test but in labour.

To earn my living.

The day was fun, horrifying but exciting. A mere taste of what is to come.

Gareth is right this is just the beginning we can rise.

I take off my robe and slip on my undergarments before putting on the robe again then slip on my leather boots.

I am going to need to wash these at some point.

I am not a goblin.

I pick out five silver coins for general use from my backpack slipping them into one of the deep pockets in my robe, then sling the backpack over my shoulder, hiring a carriage costs fifty bronze but a silver is the lowest coin I have got.

I leave my room and lock the door. I tread softly but surely down the staircase. I am minding that the other guest will most likely still be sleeping.

The bottom floor is empty except for Grecis who is manning the counter and a troop of slaves who are setting and cleaning up from the previous night. It seems that the inn workers have a day/night cycle. The wife and a set of slaves during the day and the husband a different set of slaves at night.

I nod to Grecis and walk over to her at the counter.

“Good morning, would you like some breakfast?” She speaks with a courteous smile on her lips.

“Yes, please. May I know the options?

“Breakfast is a plain fair, we only serve rabbit stew for breakfast.”

“So be it. I will take you up on that offer, make it two though leave the second for when Gareth comes down.”

With a snap of her fingers, one of the slave girls goes into the back where I presume the kitchen is.

“The stew is already being prepared it should be ready soon enough if you would take a seat.”

I nod and ask “How much?”

“10 bronze coins in total.”

“Here I only have a silvers coin” I take out a coin and hand it to her. “Oh, if I may be so bold? I do have a request to ask of you?” I ask as she hands over the change.

“A request, what do you need?”

“After my breakfast, I will be hiring a cart, I have many rabbits stored in your storage area. If they are available can I impose on you the use of your slaves to assist in carrying them to the cart?”

“Of course, my husband told me about that. You don’t have to worry about payment, to assist the Rabbit Mages would be my honour.” She replies with a cheeky smile.

“Rabbit Mages? Is that what they are calling us?”

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“Fools as well but your friend took it in good jest and even spread the rumours from what I was told.”

“I am sure he did.” I chuckle.

A slave girl, the one with rabbit ears who woke me up has my bowl of rabbit stew and a spoon.

I give my thanks to Grecis and she goes back to ordering about her slaves.

I walk over and take a seat by the window unslinging my backpack and sliding it under the table. My food is placed down on my table and I tuck into the meal. After I am done I stand up and go to take my dish back but a slave, rabbit ears, swoops in and picks them up.

“Have a pleasant day.” She whispers timidly head bowed. Her ears and long, wavy brown hair continue to shroud her face.

“I will do.” I reply with a half-smile then quieter than a whisper “Thanks.” I turn away pick it up from under the table and put on my backpack then walk out of the inn.

As I walk to the carriage hiring place near the gatehouse I see that the streets are mostly empty, the stores are open but most customers will still be sleeping or are getting ready for the day.

Only a few people walk the streets some are early risers ready to make a productive start to the day and buy the stock before the queues form.

Others are in various states of drunkenness, walking to or from their homes after a long night.

The carriage place is big with a variety of them for sale. An enthusiastic salesman waits ready to grab every coin from your possession.

Without a hint of disappointment, he eagerly directs me to which carts are available for rent.

Then it is the process of getting to the carriage I want rather than the one which cost the most.

Eventually, I hire the hand-drawn carriage for seventy-five bronze.

I take the wooden cart to the inn.

Apparently having seen me, Gareth and the slaves are already carrying the rabbits where they dump them onto the cart. After the rabbits are all on, we give our thanks to Grecis the slave's mistress for the assistance.

Using a strength augmentation Gareth pulls the cart now heavily weighted with rabbits. Dragging our bounty, we head to the adventurer’s Hall.

Once there I offer to wait by the cart while Gareth goes inside to bank on the quest. A short while later Gareth comes out and takes his place by the cart.

"Karen said to take the cart to the stables around the back, we are to go around the left way. She will meet us there." He says as he starts to pull the cart.

"Got it." I reply assisting him.

At the stables, we meet a female orc with long, raven hair and pitch black eyes leading a horse out as she held its rein.

It is the girl from yesterday the one who came after us in the queue. She wears chainmail armour and has an arming sword and knife sheathed at her thick waist with a buckler at her back. A glaive is strapped to the bay horse.

If I recall correctly, she and Gareth eyed one another up.

"If it isn’t the new blood." She speaks up with an assured smile on her lips.

"Ha, do you have a title or just a name?” Gareth retorts, I can already see where this is going.

All it takes is a pretty face.

"I am Sabrina Suklan of the House Suklan. As the fifth daughter of an empty home, I seek to make my fortune and glory the old way."

"Mages, I do not have all day hurry up!" Calls Karen interrupting the two gazes locked in passion and annoyance.

If I hadn’t seen it before I would believe these two hated each other. Experience has taught me better.

I give it a week.

"Just coming!" I call out. "May we meet again." I add politely to the pretty noblewomen. "Come on Gareth." I say in a low voice.

"Right." he responds, and we pull the cart forward.

Sabrina mounts her horse sitting on the saddle she flicks the reins attached to the human body and trots off, "May we meet again, Gareth." she whispers just loud enough for him to hear as she rides past my sharp hearing unintentionally intrudes on the secret conversation.

I keep my gaze forward giving no hint I had heard the words. The words themselves are innocent however the meaning, and the hint of possibility is for Gareth alone.

I start to pull the cart and Gareth follows suit doing most of the work.

Karen is waiting inside with a pouch tied to her waist and a quest scroll in her hand. Looking much the same as yesterday but with a blue dress similar to the one from yesterday. It perfectly matches her cold, blue eyes. Further, her ever-present professional air continues to exude competence.

"Put the cart in here and I will inspect the proof of completion." Karen speaks with firm politeness.

We follow her orders, and she walks behind.

Once done we stand out of her way as she casts an eye over our bounty and a hand to trace the pelts, "This is more than satisfactory. Twenty rabbits like you said."

She takes a pouch that jiggles with coins from her waist and takes out two silver and the scroll in the other hand, "Here your payment and your next quest."

She passes the coin over.

I take the scroll while Gareth takes the silver and loosening the string opens it up.

"There is an extra silver here, Karen." Gareth says after shifting through the coins in the pouch. “We are grateful of course but I have to ask why?"

"Gareth said most of the rabbits were undamaged or only had minimal cuts. I can verify that you also brought a surplus of two rabbits and it is your first quest. To top it you two did it all in a day. The higher-ups like to offer bonuses for good work. Don’t think it will happen every time but you are an adventurers now if you perform beyond expectations you will be generously rewarded." Karen informs us.

"That is good to know we will be sure to continue to exceed expectations!" Gareth boasts.

"You have our thanks, Karen." I add.

With that over, we make our way out of the stables and Karen goes into the Hall through some sort of backdoor entrance located inside the stables.

"Take this back?" Gareth asks while giving the cart a knock.

"Yeah." I answer.

"You bought breakfast and hired the cart. What have you spent today?"

"Eight-five bronze."

"So, that leaves us with two-hundred and sixty-two silver with fifteen bronze coins in total. Not including the ritual materials."

"Indeed, a comfortable amount of savings but not enough to buy the property or invest."

"Should keep us fed until we can make more money. Anyway enough boring talk, I can take the cart back? Meet you back at the inn." he offers.

"No, it is alright. I’ll join." I reply.