11 One of Them

As midnight passed, Allen was still in the tavern, training how attack with dagger flashes.

"Take a break.", Drake threw another pill towards Allen; the latter swallowed the pill and his energy was replenished again.

"You can release a maximum of eight dagger flashes with all your energy, and it looks like the energy you can store is still too little.", Drake said.

"Is the energy in the body is the only one we can use to create like these dagger flashes?", Allen asked. 

As time passed in just a span of several hours, he became friendlier towards Drake, if not, he wouldn't have asked that question. Allen couldn't help but be surprised and terrified at the same time, Drake's charisma was on a very high level. But why would Kate hate Drake then?

"No, we can use external energy sources like amulets that can store mana, but it's much harder to control because mana is chaotic and is mostly used to power up mages' spells, however if we use it, our dagger flashes would be much more powerful.", Drake explained.

"Oh. How can I increase the energy that I can store then?", Allen asked. Trying to find an amulet that could store mana is hard, it was also a valuable object to mages, unless one wants to die, one mustn't take it. In addition, it's almost impossible to refill the amulet with mana, because most of the mana springs were under control of either group of mages or powerful individuals.

"By repeatedly practicing skills that needs the energy of the body.", Drake said.

Then footsteps came from the stairs, "Or getting wounded again and again.", Mr. Sanchez added as he walked down the stairs.

"Hello master.", Drake greeted, even waving his hands.

However, Mr. Sanchez ignored Drake's greetings and just went straight to them.

"I heard about the both of you talking about how to expand the energy you can store inside the body. Repeatedly practicing skills is much slower, but a safer way to do it, while repeatedly getting wounded is faster yet more painful.", Mr. Sanchez said to Allen.

After a pause, he added, "But it's not always an assassin-like people like you could get wounded or injured, because you can't easily fight head-on, plus, you can die if you have too many wounds, because of having frail body."

"And also, don't always consume those pills to replenish your energy, as their medicinal strength would have a weaker effect on your body overtime."

Allen nodded in understanding.

"Now then, where's Kate?", Mr. Sanchez asked to Drake.

"She went to who knows where.", Drake answered in a carefree manner.

"Go find her, tell her I'm looking for her.", Mr. Sanchez ordered.

"Alright.", Drake nodded and left the tavern.

Now, only Mr. Sanchez and Allen were left inside the establishment. The latter was feeling overwhelmed by the former, even though he's doing nothing.

"Hey Allen.", Mr. Sanchez himself prompted the discussion.

Allen looked up at Mr. Sanchez, "Umm... what is it?"

"You can go home now, come back tomorrow night here to train again."

"Erm... alright.", Allen nodded and went towards the door, before he got to open it, he heard Mr. Sanchez's voice on top of the stairs.

"Don't sell anything part of you to the devil, alright?", Mr. Sanchez said, surprisingly, it even has a caring tone.

Being stunned, Allen paused on his steps and turned around; however, Mr. Sanchez was gone and he heard a door closing upstairs.

'He actually knew.', Allen inwardly said. 'But why would he even warn me tho?'

Thinking of it made his eyelids heavier, the kid just shrugged it off and left the tavern.

***

Back at the house...

"I guess father's not home yet." Allen looked around the living room, he closed the door and went upstairs to his room.

As soon as he opened the door of his bedroom, he saw William sitting on his bed.

William looked at Allen and said, "Where were you?! I've been worried about you, did you do something bad?"

Allen bowed his head in shame, "Erm... sorry for coming late, I was just..." Suddenly he thought of something and glared fiercely at William. "Wait a minute, I was suppose to be the one scolding you! Why are you still awake at this kind of time?"

"Umm... I was waiting for you big brother. I need to say something.", William said.

"And what is that? Couldn't it wait for tomorrow?", Allen indifferent asked.

"I'm sorry.", William gazed at Allen's eyepatch and got to the point. "I'm sorry for beating you up earlier in the morning."

'Even though I kind of enjoyed it.', William thought.

"I'm sorry for being such a rude little brother.", William said while making an ashamed face, his ashamed face included a puppy's eyes.

On the other hand, Allen had a dumbfounded look on his face because of William's apology and immediately said, "I'm sorry for being impulsive too, I guess being too tired is not an excuse... so... everything's okay between us now?"

"Yes.", William nodded.

"Oh, then give your big brother a hug!", Allen ran at William to give a hug.

However, William immediately ran away from the bed to the other side of the room, now, Allen only hugged thin air.

"Eww, no thanks!", William fanned away the air in front of him with his hand. "Get a bath first!"

"How about just one hug?"

"No!"

"Come on?"

"No means no!"

"Well then... I'll force you to hug me!"

"Nooooooooo!"

***

Next morning...

Allen yawned and stretched his arms up high as he sat up the bed. When he walked downstairs, he smelled a delicious aroma coming from the kitchen.

"Hey, son. Come eat!", a voice came from the kitchen. 

Allen turned his head to the direction of the kitchen and saw his father, Marco.

The kid approached the kitchen and also saw William sitted on a chair eating pancakes. Allen couldn't help but be stupefied by what he was witnessing, 'Am I dreaming or did father suddenly change?'

Suddenly, Marco happily said, "I've won big this time around! I'm planning to play in a gambling den next!"

Allen was about to stop Marco from doing so, but didn't continue at the end, his father was so stubborn when it comes into gambling. In fact, Allen would be scolded instead if he tried to stop his father.

"Come on, eat up!"

Allen started eating the pancakes while Marco immediately left the house.

"He hasn't change after all.", Allen sighed.

"Why does he even enjoy gambling?", William asked.

"I don't know.", Allen answered.

"Doesn't he know that he won't profit much in gambling? Specially in gambling dens?", William sighed.

"You really do know about a lot of things.", Allen commented.

"Ehh... I just like investigating stuffs.", William happily stuffed a pancake in his mouth.

"Big brother, I've been meaning to ask.", William added.

Allen: "What is it?"

William: "Where's our knife? I can't seem to find it anywhere."

Allen: "Umm..."

***

After eating breakfast, Allen entered the Three Heads Tavern again this morning.

Kate spotted Allen came in again early and approached him.

"Why are you here again?! If you're not eating, then get out of here.", Kate quietly, yet angrily said.

"I just want to talk with Mr. Sanchez.", Allen replied.

"Alright, he's upstairs inside his office room.", Kate walked away without batting an eye to him and went to an ordering customer.

'She's always angry.' Allen thought, but didn't mind Kate's attitude and just walked upstairs towards the office room and knocked on the door.

"Come in, the door's not locked." The voice of Mr. Sanchez could be heard from inside.

Allen walked in the office room and closed the door behind him.

"Oh, it's you.", Mr. Sanchez stated while not looking at Allen, he was currently writing about something on a book. "What do you want kid?"

"Can I... get a job in here?", Allen carefully asked with all his might.

"But you already have a job.", Mr. Sanchez answered.

"I meant... having a job in the tavern not in killing people.", Allen said.

"And why do you want to have a job?", Mr. Sanchez stopped writing and looked at Allen.

"It's because I want to have a stable source of income."

"Hmm...", Mr. Sanchez then said, "Okay, you're hired."

"Please let... wait what?" Allen didn't expect the tavern owner's fast agreement, he was actually preparing to beg to get the job.

"Your income would be thirty bronze coins per week. Are you alright with that?", Mr. Sanchez asked. Thirty bronze coins per week? That was thrice the money that Allen could get for one month of thieving!

"Yes, but when do a start... sir?" Allen asked with an excited expression. Thirty bronze coins per week was actually a lot for him already!

"Now.", Mr. Sanchez handed out an apron to Allen.

Allen immediately wore the apron, after which, Mr. Sanchez said, "Tell Kate that I hired you, she will tell you what to do for today."

Allen nodded and immediately went downstairs and approached Kate, as the former was some distance away from the latter, she turned towards him and saw him.

The first thing that Kate noticed when Allen came down was him wearing an apron, "You were hired?"

"Yep, Mr. Sanchez said you'll tell me what to do for today.", Allen said.

"Can you write and read?", Kate asked.

"Yes.", Allen nodded.

"Here, take this, write down the orders of the people who will raise their hands to call you.", Kate passed an old fashioned paper pad and a coal pencil. "After writing down the orders, immediately give it to the small window of the kitchen. I'll be the one who will serve the food then, alright?"

Allen nodded and immediately went to a customer who was raising his hand.

"I want two jars of beers, a chicken soup, and fried potatoes.", the customer said.

Allen wrote at a very fast pace and in just three seconds, he finished writing and gave the paper to the window.

A hand came out of the window to take the paper, when Allen saw the owner of the hand, he couldn't help but yelp out and almost dropped the pad of paper he was holding, "Drake? You're the chef?!"

"Oh, it's you! Yes I am. Looks like you got a job here now. Now go and keep taking the orders of the people.", Drake then stopped talking to Allen and just kept cooking.

'No wonder Kate gave me the easier job of writing down the orders. She really doesn't want to see Drake's face.', Allen thought.

Afterwards, Allen swiftly wrote down the orders of the other people, while Kate delivered the dishes, and Drake was the one who cooked them.

As Allen was hired as an extra employee, the work in the tavern became more efficient and faster.

In addition, some sort of synergy formed between the three, nearly perfecting the service of the establishment. And maybe not just the business, but also their teamwork.

[End of Volume 1: One Day, Big Change]