Mage And Wolf -
Chapter 184
Chapter 184: Chapter 184
"That is time. All remaining competitors, douse your fires and prepare to submit your pills." The referee calls, causing Mild panic among the few late competitors who thought they might still be able to salvage their attempt and a slightly more major panic among a few who thought theirs might explode if they tried to stop now.
They could, in fact, continue. The result would simply be a disqualified for excessive time used announcement, but they could finish their pills and not waste the materials. Pill ingredients aren’t particularly cheap or easy to find for some recipes.
"Is that a Celestial Insight pill you made?" The lady from the Herbal Essence Sect asks and I give a small nod and a smile.
"Your lightning creation pill turned out exceptionally well, I’m glad you managed to salvage it with the replacement herbs." I commend her.
"Care to trade? I can give you two to one." She asks hopefully. Celestial Insight pills are a Rank higher, and the accepted value is significantly greater than the niche Lightning Collection Pills, but it just so happens that I have a use for them and no desire to make them myself right now.
"I can trade you two pills, if you’ve got four good results left over?" I say, asking it a question as I don’t know if she needed most for herself.
"Deal." She says quickly, bringing out four high quality pills in a little glass jar that I trade for two of the five remaining Celestial Insight Pills I made.
"Everyone attention please. We thank you all for attending, and the Alchemy results will be released in one lot when groups C and D have finished their concocting tomorrow." The head judge calls, his voice amplified with energy so he could be heard over the noise of the crowd.
Betty and Sandra both rush up to congratulate me, with the Spirit Fox Alice making a short appearance before hiding again. She’s a bit worried about being noticed and having someone try to capture her again while we’re in the city so she’s been masking her presence when strange people are around. A simple task for a spirit at her level.
"Since everybody did so well today, let’s go get some Ice Cream to celebrate." The girls and Elder Ye cheer and I give a look telling Karl he had better not have lost during the afternoon while I was making pills.
In response, he picks me up and sets me on his hip, morning forward with a gallant wave of his hand. "Onwards! To Ice Cream!"
Now everyone in the area is laughing, but at least they’re letting us through to find the dessert stalls down the road.
"And then he just grabbed his shirt and beat his face in over and over." Betty pauses her narration of one of Karl’s afternoon fights when she catches sight of a stand selling Ice Cream and Crepes.
"Strawberry Ice Cream please. But can we split a blueberry crepe too? I heard they’re delicious." Betty asks, getting distracted and Sandra nods her enthusiastic agreement.
After the first rapid fire round of talking when she realized she had her voice back, she had returned mostly to silence, preferring to sign her answers unless they’re intended for the whole group. Out of our small group, only Betty doesn’t understand signed answers, as Karl and both Elders are at least somewhat familiar with the language.
Elder Ye returns with six small dishes of ice cream and six small crepes. "They had a half size, so we could have a half an order of both." She smiles, much to the girls delight.
After our snack it is time for serious business again. Elder Ye has decided she wants to recruit Sandra to the Sect, citing personal reasons. She tells us using the Sect communication token, despite the fact we’re all standing together, so whatever she found out about the girl, it isn’t for Betty to find out right now.
"Sandra, I have an important thing to ask you." Elder Ye begins. "Would you like to come with us to the Shadowed Blade Sect and work towards becoming a disciple? After the healing experiment Young Miss performed, you should be quite adept, and I’m willing to take you in personally until you become a full disciple or choose to leave."
"Really? That’s a lot. I mean, my boss might be pretty mad if I do leave, but I would like to. Could I have the night to think it over?" Sandra is shocked, but seems amenable to the idea.
"Of course dear. Just let us know if anyone is giving you trouble about leaving and we will find a solution for you." Elder Ye smiles and I see a knowing glint in Sandra’s eye. I guess not all of the local kids they hired to help us came from an upright and caring background.
Tomorrow we all have the day off. Groups C and D are doing Alchemy, while Inner Sect group B is doing their preliminary fights, so the entire day can be spent as spectators or just enjoying the city.
Tournament week usually brings out the best in anywhere hosting one, with a carnival atmosphere, and sometimes a full fledged carnival going on and every possible vendor space in the city filled and working extended hours.
Me and Karl plan to go watch the fights, and see who he’s up against in Group B. The rest are planning a day in, with an afternoon picnic to celebrate if Sandra does decide to accept Elder Ye’s proposal to join us long term.
After dinner, the burly Alchemist lets us in on the secret. She heard the labor organizer threatening to withhold her pay and return her to her parents, calling her a runaway, while she threatened to quote ’shank him like she did her father’. A violent sentiment that made the Elder think she might be well suited to life in the Sect, and gave her an excuse to test cultivation methods on someone who has had their pathways forcibly opened. An experiment Elder Song recommended as highly informative.
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