Chapter 5: The Apprenticeship

Back to the adventurers quarters, Sachi finally woke up after being unconscious for three days.

"Thank goodness! You're awake!", Ven greeted her, sitting on a wooden chair beside her bed.

Sachi sit up, put her right hand on her abdomen and tried to feel the stab wound if there was any.

"What's the matter?", Ven asked.

"I thought I was wounded back then, I'm sure of it, but I wonder why there wasn't any scar", Sachi replied confusedly.

"That bastard Gin brought you here and he is the one who was badly wounded, but he still appeared arrogant like nothing happened and—", Ven narrated irritatedly.

"Gin?", Sachi asked, sipping the brewed medicine in a cup.

"Gin'Ichi Kazegena your partner! Really?, you don't know his name and he even locked the door that day and won't allowed me to enter our very own room! Wew, I wanted to punch his face, he acted like he knew you so well and—"

"Calm down, it's okay", Sachi said. "We forgot to introduce ourselves to each other because we needed to save Bridget", she added.

"That stupid Bridget! She didn't use the white flower powder to avoid redcaps, it was included in our backpacks", Ven said.

"I tried to to get it, but I was grabbed by a redcap—",Sachi paused and tried to remember what happened that night, she was so sure that she was stabbed but now she's even more confused.

"Sachi, are you okay?", Ven asked worriedly.

"That's enough, just drink this brewed medicine okay?", Gin said, handing over the cup.

"Yeah, take your medicine—hey! What are you doing here?", Ven exclaimed, grabbing the cup from his hands.

"Calm down! I'm the one brewing this large tooth down there for your information", Gin said.

"Argghh! your face really irritates me, by the way if you reserve me one large tooth for keeps then we're even", Ven stated.

"I thought you were irritated at me then you're asking for a large tooth? you don't know the hard work I've gone through just to get those!"

"Shut up! I heard that the Royal Knight Raijin did it!"

"Err where did you hear that, it's definitely false news!"

Sachi laugh softly as she watches the two of them argue with each other.

Meanwhile, Lady Makeda came to visit her daughter Bridget in another room.

"My daughter, stop this nonsense, you can become the next queen if you will be declared a princess, and you'll be able to own the entire Pangaea", Lady Makeda said, sitting on a comfy chair beside Bridget's bed.

"You don't understand, my dream is to become a great sorcerer just like what you've become long time ago and not to be a queen nor a sacrificial princess!", Bridget replied.

"Shut your mouth, somebody might hear you outside, you won't be sacrificed because you're not a first-born daughter nor a Laurasian", Lady Makeda uttered.

"Just kill the current Queen and leave me alone!", Bridget exclaimed furiously.

"Nonsense! Killing is against my principle, haven't you heard about the sharpest weapon? If you want to be a sorcerer just to eradicate all the hindrances in your way, then you're just burying yourself early"", Lady Makeda replied.

Bridget was so mad that she doesn't want to converse with her mother anymore. She covered herself with a blanket and face away. Lady Makeda stood up and prepare to leave.

"Where's Raijin?", Bridget asked suddenly as her mother approached the door.

"He is relaxing in his quarters, I tried to ask him to help you, but he doesn't want to sacrifice his position in the palace", Lady Makeda replied and left.

Just then, Raijin was waiting outside Bridget's room when he suddenly met Lady Makeda that just left the room.

"Bridget doesn't want to see you, leave at once", Lady Makeda ordered him.

"I'll just give these flowers to her then I'll leave", Raijin replied.

"Give it to my maid and she'll deliver it", Lady Makeda said.

Raijin handed over the flowers, however, as soon as he left, the maid was ordered to burn it. The petals of the white tulips slowly vanish in the flames, just then, a sudden gust of the wind saved one from burning and flew over the open window sill. Meanwhile, Bridget cries quietly that night as a cold wind struck her face, she went near her window as she noticed something flew over it. She lifted her hand to catch it, however, before she could reach it, it was blown away again.

The next day, the adventurers who survive the test gathered in the training grounds. King Godwinson VII together with Cadros Aiba announced the rewards and their next task.

"To serve our kingdom is not an easy task nor a laughing matter, you need to stake your lives to master your jobs and maintain peace and order for the next generation to come, I hope that the learnings as an adventurer even for a short time will forever be engraved in your hearts", the king said.

"Everyone, please claim your rewards and proceed to the specific hometown of each class to receive your Apprenticeship, after a month if you will be able to change to your first-tier jobs, you can return here, form a team and get a quest at the Royal Mission Board to earn a living and experience", Cadros announced.

The adventurers form a line to receive their rewards distributed by different representatives of each class.

"Look! 1000 Gonds, I never thought I could have this huge amount of money", Ven said, counting the cash. She was happily inspecting the rewards until she glance at the novice class line and felt sad.

"Sigh", Ven frowned.

Sachi caught her and asked, "Do you want to join the novice apprenticeship?".

"Novices look so cool and free, I wanted to know what it's like to fly, anyway forget about it, my parents won't definitely allow me", Ven replied.

"That day will surely come, the king himself change the policy of the job system so just be patient, parents are surely made to be like that, they do what they think is best for us and often forgot that we are growing older—", Sachi said, sighing deeply. "How dare I say these things to you, when I don't even have my own", she added.

Tears fell from Ven's eyes and flowed through her cheeks as she speaks, "Knowing you as my friend makes me really happy".

"Stop crying now, people might think you're a crybaby Vivienne", Sachi said, giggling softly.

"Don't call me that!"

"Oh! The Ven that I knew has finally returned!", Sachi said, chuckling.

The two girls were laughing their head off until Jeremiah came to call for his cousin.

"Hey—", Jeremiah said.

"Jeremy!", Sachi blurted out.

Jeremiah's eyes widen out of surprise and said, "What did you call me?"

"Jeremy", Sachi replied.

"Wait—why?"

"Jeremiah sounds longer, Je-ree-ma-ya, four syllables you see?", Sachi said.

Jeremiah's mind was immediately flooded with panicked thoughts, "What was gotten into her? Why is she doing it? We're not even that close and yet she acts like we are friends, maybe because I was Ven's cousin? Why does she always make me feel uncomfortable? Whew! my heart beats so hard, calm down, calm down, my inner me, pull yourself together".

"Jeremy, you're cold are you sick?", Sachi asked, touching his forehead with her right hand.

Jeremiah's heart instantly skipped a beat, his eyes grew even larger than before and cold sweat started to flush out of his face. He moved his head away from her hands and move away. Sachi was startled with his action and felt disheartened. Ven was also shocked with his cousin's rude action.

"Hey, wait for me!", Ven shouted. "Sachi don't mind him okay? He's just shy and he is always like that, anyway, let's meet here after a month, promise? We're heading to Holmegard Town send me a letter!", she added.

Sachi bud farewell to her friend Ven, after which, she stared blankly on the space as she speaks her mind of what happened a while ago, "I just want to be his friend".

Sachi stood still while looking dejected, she pouts her lips and winks her eyes like she was about to cry until she suddenly noticed Gin from afar. She was mystified when his eyes meet hers and was caught looking at him. She immediately withdrawn and felt her heart was racing.

"What is this feeling?", she thought.