Comradery

Date 21 Mar 2321

Time 17:45

Location Sky Blossom City, South zone, Helen's Homemade Bread

I wanted to live a carefree second life but when did it get so complicated and stressful. I could blame it on money and survival but that wasn't it. With the money I made in the first auction, I could live a comfortable life but I chose not to, it was my ambition and pride to be the best in the room that led to my current situation.

This whole situation with Fine Gold and the psycho sisters has made me appreciate Susan more. 

Thanks to Susan I did not need to worry about money or anything else during the card creation, I just had to create cards and the rest would be handled by Susan no questions asked. 

I made 86 million $ (20M + 66M after-tax) in Fine Gold but my time there was crazy, I was worried for my life and worried whether I would get paid for my work. Not to forget the embarrassing things I had to say to save my weak-ass.

I would not have to go through this if I just stuck with Susan. In the association mall, I never had to fear for my life or getting paid for my work though they charged a 10% handling fee. 

As a show of my appreciation, I decided to travel 40 minutes to get Susan her favourite fruit bread from the city's best bakery 'Helen's Homemade Bread'. And definitely not because I had this sudden craving for baked goods. 

Don't blame me if I were to fill my empty stomach with baked goods as I happened to be in a bakery. I was famished as I never got to finish the lunch I ordered at Fine Gold Bathhouse being interrupted by Jaya to help create her origin card. 

Taking a seat I went through the menu as people gave me weird looks for being alone. 

"Wyatt, what are you doing here?" A waitress recognised me. 

"Isn't it obvious, I am here to eat." I did not recognise the waitress so, I went through young Wyatt's memories. 

"Yeah! Sorry… you don't recognise me, do you?" 

"Jackie! I remember you... You used to babysit me and Ronnie …  A-are you pregnant?"

"..." Jackie tried to cover the baby bump with the apron but it only made it more obvious.

"Sorry for being blunt and insensitive but it is hard not to ask after seeing the stomach bump."

I could understand Jackie's embarrassment as she was only three years older than me. What's the use of covering the bump now, you should have used protection when you had the chance. 

"Sorry, I can't talk now the manager is watching. I will contact you after my shift." Said Jackie pointing to a middle-aged lady near the kitchen door. 

"Sure, here's my Qr code." I summoned my silver grimoire to let her scan the Qr code. 

Scanning the Qr code Jackie's eyebrows raised seeing my silver grimoire but left hurriedly after congratulating me on becoming a card apprentice. 

Jackie is young Wyatt's childhood crush and also a fellow villager of papa Wyatt. Jackie could be considered an acquaintance.

Waiter's are just to serve food, I could order only using grimoire as it was efficient in keeping records and cash transfer. After ordering I waited patiently at my table. 

[There are 32 orders ahead of you, expected wait time 15 minutes.]

…

Going into the bakery pantry, Jackie summoned her grimoire and hurriedly called a contact saved as hubby. 

"Hello babe, you okay." Answered a squeaky masculine voice.

"I am fine sweetie, I ran into Wyatt in the bakery." 

"W-what!" 

"Relax bade, he did not recognise me at first. I think he doesn't know anything." 

"Are you sure, but to be on the safer side should we leave?" 

"No, we can't do that. You know our situation." 

"Yes, but…"

"No, you listen to me, I am pregnant and tired of running. Wyatt doesn't know and nobody will tell him."

"Okay, no more running… how is my baby doing, does it miss its Dad?" The two whispered sweet nothings to each other. 

…

Date 21 Mar 2321

Time 19:15

Location Sky Blossom City, Guild Association Mall, Warehouse no.234

Susan and Corey, we're busy cataloguing the new ingredients for 50 E-rank female armour and the new 100 F-rank storage trunk. Did she take a loan to get these ingredients, but who gave her such a huge amount as a loan. 

Seeing this my appreciation for Susan grew, out there I was cheating on her with Fine Gold but Susan like a virtuous wife was doing the work I should be doing, I felt ashamed. 

Susan's work was just to acquire the goods I ordered but not to raise the money for them, then catalogue and store them for my convince. I decided then and there that I will never do side chicks... Ahem... I mean side business. 

I made nearly 6 million $ on the auction of which I spent 2.15 million $ on the hoverbike. Then the rabbit leather boots got me 250,000 $, negligible. And 86 million from the Fine Gold group. Right now I have a little over 90 million $ in my account. Enough for me to begin with my plans. 

"Hey you two, how about a break I brought fruit bread from Helen's homemade bread." 

"Wyatt you are here, I was worried. If not for Debra informing me I would have thought you were still creating the card." 

"Sorry, my bad! I should have called you once I was done there." I apologised, passing her the fruit bread I bought for her. 

"Okay, I will forgive you this once." Said Susan smelling in the aroma of freshly baked bread, "And the ingredients for the hoverbike have arrived"

"Really! where are the ingredients?" I asked excitedly. 

Susan passed me a few cards, I was puzzled but they were ingredient cards. The card creationist in the guild should be bored to turn ingredients into cards. Keeping the cards in cardholder I joined Susan and Corey.

As we were enjoying the fruit bread with Sunan's specially brewed tea, Corey's eyes got teary and her expression was like she was wronged. Seeing this I asked, "what's the matter, bread not up to your taste."

Corey shook her head hurriedly and explained "Bread is indeed not good as one made in our manor but it is very satisfying, is this the comradery mom spoke of." 

Looking at Corey who looked like reminiscing something I said, "you are one weird girl, you know that."