Thomas squinted his eyes as he thought about the question. “I really don’t see how that matters. Like I said before, we are comfortable.” Out of the possibilities he considered, Alexander calling him sheltered was not one of them. “But more importantly, how am I sheltered? I am a warrior. I’ve told you this before. I have trained night and day for the entirety of my life and have even briefly battled the forces of Agni, Geb and Jupiter when they invaded Radhi!” Thomas’ voice had gradually grown louder and by the end, he was standing, bearing down on Alexander. The floorboards and the furniture creaked as droplets of water began to condensate around the room.
“Wow, there. Settle down, dude. I didn’t mean to offend you. Maybe sheltered was the wrong word here. How about privileged? You are certainly a strong Elementalist, but I’m getting the sense you haven’t experienced much when it comes to normal day-to-day activities. For example, the haggling and the crowded stores are totally normal even in Fausto. It’s the fact you expected personal attendants that’s much odder.”
Listening to Alexander’s rationale, Thomas grew drew a long breath. Realizing he had accidentally activated his powers, he quickly released them and sat down. “Man, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to get so upset. I guess you just struck a nerve there, but am I really the odd one out? It feels like it makes more sense for there to be one employee for each customer, higher efficiency.”
“Mmm, nope. People just kind of shop on their own. You have to pick your own things and carry them home.”
“You carry your own things? But what if you buy too many things? Unless you’re from Anima, you can only carry so much.”
“Most people’s wallets stop them before they buy more than they can carry. At least it’s never been a problem for me before.” Alexander smirked at the thought of being able to buy anything he wanted.
Thomas rubbed his chin with his hand as he sifted through all he was learning. “Okay, if what you’re saying is true, it looks like I’ll be deferring to you when it comes to anything shopping related.”
Alexander laughed as he nodded his head. “No worries. I always knew in this operation I was the brains, and you were the muscle.”
“Oh, fuck off and go to sleep.” Thomas rolled under the blankets while Alexander continued laughing.
Standing up to go turn off the lights, Alexander called out. “Regardless, we don’t really have to worry about the shopping quite yet. Let’s keep doing the Cactus Warrior bit for a few days, build some capital and then we can revisit our situation. More money will let us have higher quality things. Good night, princess.”
“Keep it up, and I’m freezing you and your entire bed.”
“That’s not fair! That’ll hurt my soul more than anything since I’m a fire Elementalist who can’t even melt ice.”
A light snicker was heard from the under the blanket. “I know.”
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The next morning, the duo found themselves exiting from a bakery. They were carrying the bench, the sign, the sack of cactuses, and extra scrap wood as Alexander figured their booth would have been stolen by now. Although Alexander had offered to cook, Thomas insisted they needed to continue trying the local delicacies as there would be plenty of time for home-cooked meals once they left Kalas.
“I’m telling you, dude. The front worker highly recommended these lamb empanadas. At least give them a shot before judging them.”
“Fine, but I’m telling you. A salty food for breakfast is a nightmare. Once I figure out how to use neutral culinary magic, I’ll make you some chocolate croissants, and it’s over for your taste buds.” Alexander bit into the empanada, a baked pastry stuffed with lamb, and tightly shut his eyes as he savored the mouthful. “Never mind, I can totally see why you keep making us try the local food. This is delicious.”
Thomas laughed before biting down on his own pastry. “I always made it a point to try as many different foods as possible back in Mesto, and the only positive to fleeing my planet is now I get to explore a whole new world of food.”
Both continued chatting while immersed in the food before Alexander noticed a large crowd in the outskirts of the city. “What’s going on?” he muttered.
Looking around, Thomas asked some people at the edge of the crowd and was dumbfounded by the response. “They’re waiting for us, Alexander. Everyone I asked said the crowd has been here since dawn waiting for the Cactus Warrior challenge. We did it! We’re gonna be rich.”
Taking a deep breath, Alexander placed the bench down and stepped on to it. After making sure Thomas had put on the Cactus helmet, he shifted to his work voice once again and yelled out. “Worry not, my friends, for the Cactus Warrior has returned. Please, line up neatly. We will stay here for much longer today so everyone will get a chance for glory. I feel it already. The grand prize might be won today!”
Upon finishing his impassioned speech, a hunched old lady with severe swelling in her legs stepped forward. “Young man, if I may, I would like to be the first customer of the day. I have been waiting since 5 AM looking forward to your arrival.”
The elderly woman broke the dam as everyone began yelling out how they were first or why they should be the first customer. It was total mayhem. Seeing Alexander struggling to get the crowd back under control, Thomas stepped forward and released some of his aura. “QUIET!” His sudden outburst of power stunned most of the crowd and returned peace to the vicinities.
Nodding his head towards Thomas in thanks, Alexander once again took over. “As I said before, everyone get in line. The Cactus Warrior should have time for everybody so there’s no need to get impatient.”
Speaking up once more, the elderly lady maintained an even tone despite shooting a few fearful glances towards Thomas. “With all due respect to the Cactus Warrior, I don’t think any of us want to partake in his challenge.”
The duo shared a look before Alexander questioned the woman. “What are you here for then?”
“You, young man.” The old lady gently pointed at Alexander. “Is it true you will heal people for only 5 gold coins?”
Stunned, Alexander looked to Thomas before whispering. “I thought we were ripping them off. Is that a good price?”
Thomas stifled a laugh before whispering back, “I guess we’re both a little sheltered.”
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“Back in my younger days, I was a stallion. Me and the old missus would be up to no good many a night. Hehe, when I was more vigorous, even throughout the day, but nowadays, we’re both so old and tired. The grandkids come by, and the house turns into a disaster zone. Let me tell you, my youngest grandkid has a weak stomach and a horrid habit of throwing up anywhere except for the restroom. Don’t even get me started on the threat of a bandit break-in. We don’t exactly live in the slums, but it’s Kalas. Anywhere that isn’t near the palace might as well be the slums. Well, anywho, with everything going on, we haven’t really had the time to mess around as much as we used to, so no, doc. I would say I don’t have any pain in my loins.”
Alexander smiled with complete professionalism. “Your joints, sir. I was asking if you felt any pain in your joints after the treatment.”
“Oh, hahaha. I suppose that makes a lot more sense. Not at all. I feel good as new, but even if I didn’t, I wouldn’t dare complain out loud. What you’re doing here is a saint’s work. Thank you, Alexander.” The 80-year-old man turned to leave as he dropped 5 gold coins into the cactus sack.
It had been 10 days of nonstop healing after Alexander and Thomas were overrun by the crowds. As it turns out, charging 5 coins for the healing of injuries was a big deal. Alexander had originally set this price thinking he was almost stealing from the people since healthcare in Fausto was free due to fire being one of the two elements that could naturally heal, the other being plant. All Alexander had ever known was free access to a medical care facilities. Thomas had readily agreed to the proposition and even briefly argued the price should be brought down to 3 coins since riots might ensue because of their daylight robbery. Tlaloc, much like the other noble clans with no healer natives, raised divisions of indigo color specialists to tame elemental beasts with healing attributes to work at hospitals. In this way, each of the noble clans and their planets provided its citizens with high quality free healthcare.
Derapen, on the other hand, had no such thing. The Sabians and the beast tribes who originally inhabited the planet had at most self-healing capabilities. While there did exist immigrant healers from the other planets, they mostly knew their worth and charged exuberant prices. The two dunces with a complete lack of understanding for the value they were offering were taken by a complete surprise when they finally learned of this. Instead of changing their prices upon realizing his mistake, Alexander had doubled down and offered deals: newborns could be examined for free, anyone who’s examination did not end up requiring healing magic had the cost waived, and people who needed emergency medical treatment but couldn’t afford the 5 coins could defer payment.
That’s not to say the work didn’t bring them any benefits. The continuous array of distinct cases to heal had indubitably increased Alexander’s efficiency with his white flame usage, but his low mana reserves were constantly running on fumes. To combat the depletion, Thomas was tasked with feeding him some of the cookies he made with culinary magic all through the night. Despite leaving Alexander feeling like a zombie every day, he felt nothing but absolute joy seeing Thomas relegated from the legendary Cactus Warrior to his personal cookie feeder. Unfortunately, Alexander could only bake so much in one night. Once the daily supply of cookies was finished, Thomas would stand guard, while Alexander continued alone, sparingly using scan to see if there was anyone who could be treated without the use of the white flame.
It was after using scan every single day that Alexander realized the white flame ability seemed to provide him with more than just information on a person’s vitality and strength. While scanning people intermittently during the second week of working the stand, Alexander noticed he received an additional, small influx of information- he was able to roughly tell a person’s emotions. He had not thought of a good way to use this side of the ability yet, but he was thankful for his growing arsenal of skills.
“Wait up!” A short man with a thick moustache and scraggy hair called out to Alexander. “I have a gift for you, Mr. Dalo. I know you said 5 gold coins was enough, but I can’t explain how much you healing my daughter has meant to my family.” Wiping away a few tears with a handkerchief, the man handed a brown box to Alexander. “Inside are two pairs of fur boots. The Cactus Warrior had previously mentioned you two would be embarking on a journey south soon. It is my family’s hope these boots can be of service to you both.”
Scenes like this one had played out several times over the course of the past few days. Alexander and Thomas had managed to gather maps, winter clothes, food ingredients, and other miscellaneous items for free. They had tried to ensure everyone stuck to the original 5 coins cost, but most people decided to pay extra or return later with gifts. Altogether, a grand total of a little over 4,000 coins was currently held within the party’s pockets, although Thomas had been kind enough to visit the local bank to exchange for larger coins- carrying around thousands of gold coins worth only 1 Presot, the currency of the galaxy, was simply inefficient.
Alexander grabbed the box and hurried home as he remembered the final benefit the job had provided. Feeling the mana coursing through his veins, Alexander could feel he was finally about to upgrade his tier. The pace at which he leveled had become an emotional burden lately. He had asked Thomas how long Elementalists typically took to reach the Senior Apprentice level and learned the average person he knew took at most 3 days of training. Alexander had taken 2 weeks of intensive training with Director Li plus an extra 10 days of constantly filling and depleting his mana supply while healing. Many afternoons he would find himself unconsciously using his white flame to keep his mind from becoming sluggish. The degree of exhaustion he felt reached his very soul.
It appeared his Z-rank affinity was bearing its fangs, but he would not let it upset him today. No, today would be a day of celebration as he reached a level he never thought possible just one month before. Back in his inn room, Alexander sat in his bed with crossed legs. Thomas had left slightly before Alexander had finished with the final patient to grab them dinner and must have been delayed since the room had been empty when Alexander entered. Figuring there was no point in waiting, Alexander activated scan and began to move his mana through a breathing exercise Director Li had taught him. Through scan, he witnessed the mana in his body sparkling as it began to morph from orange to yellow.
His improved mana coursed through his body improving his strength, speed, and vitality. I could really get used to this feeling. I feel like I could run a marathon right now. Huh?! Just as Alexander thought his body’s upgrade had finished, his white flame resonated with the higher tiered mana and began to refine his body further. It was not a large improvement, but Alexander could feel both his strength and mana reserves had undergone a second enhancement. That’s weird. Dr. Hernandez’s glossary mentioned Elementalists have a higher chance of understanding another color in the first week after advancing in tier, sometimes immediately, but there was nothing about the white flame adding to the upgrade. Odd.
While Alexander was trying to understand why his white flame acted out, Thomas burst into the room. “Hey, bro! I’ve got some really exciting news. Wow… Did you break through?”
Beaming with pride, Alexander let out a small sigh. “Why of course I did. It’s hard being so excellent. Not even my Z-grade affinity can hold me back.” He held his forehead with his hand as if he was carrying a great burden.
“Yeah, I was gonna say your aura went from feeling like an ice cube to room temperature water. It’s not quite fire yet, but you’re getting there. Also, not to rain on your parade, dude, but you’re two years older than me and I’m already a Grandmaster.” Thomas snickered as he teased his friend.
Alexander’s smile was replaced with a scowl. “Pish posh, upgrading twice is nothing. I can do it in my sleep. Anyway, why’d you burst in earlier? It better be some fantastic news because I don’t see any food on you, and I’m starving.”
Remembering the reason he had rushed back, Thomas started jumping from leg to the other. “The Partina Merchant caravan is here.”
“Is that supposed to mean something to me?”
Realizing his poor hint, Thomas ecstatically continued. “Not really but get this. They’ve just arrived from Port Talan, a city at that lies at the junction where the Tecon Desert transforms into a frozen land filled with glaciers and fjords.” Thomas took out the highest quality map they had been gifted and began to show Alexander how the port was located at the southeastern coast opposite from Kalas. From this map, they had not only learned the location of Kalas but also how they were currently in a huge island named Kedra.
“Are we going there? Wait, did you finally get some information about those hidden ruins you’ve been looking for?” Alexander leaned forward as he realized their adventure might finally be beginning.
Thomas did a little dance, unable to contain his exhilaration any longer. “That’s the exciting news! Along with the merchant caravan, a troupe going by the name ‘Chimes of Sand’ has also arrived in Kalas, and they are going to be a performing a new and original musical titled ‘The Frozen Ruins’.”
“Oh, shit.”