Chapter 28 - Kaith's Apprentice

"Sound like an interesting place," Julius' description made Edward instantly remember Japan, and he began to wonder if they had something like samurai there."

"A bit dangerous, but nevertheless a beautiful region," Kaen looked at Edward, who seemed to be lost in his thoughts. "So, should we go? I fear that Leo is going to gnaw on his finger if we wait too long."

Edward quickly said goodbye to Julius and followed Kaen to the deeper parts of the Fire Guild's headquarters. Unlike the main hall, the areas they passed were less crowded, but everyone there wore the same robe as Kaen, indicating their high rank in the guild.

After crossing two more halls, they eventually reached a long corridor with intricate symbols etched onto the walls, leading to a large room at the end. "You may enter, I will be waiting here," Kaen's face turned serious as he gazed at Edward. He wasn't sure about what Leo wanted from the boy, yet he could tell that it was an important matter due to Leo's anxiety.

"Thank you for guiding me," Edward straightened his posture and patted his clothes before knocking on the door. "Leo? It's Edward…"

There was a momentary silence as Edward knocked on the door, but after a few seconds, the door opened slightly, and Leo's anxious face appeared. "Good Lord, I thought you had changed your mind." He let out a deep sigh and hastily opened the door wider, gesturing for Edward to come in.

As Edward stepped inside, he noticed that Leo's room was surprisingly messy, a far cry from the tidy and elegant atmosphere he expected. "Sorry for the wait, I wasn't sure how to get to you," he raised his hand to his necklace and retrieved the ten stalks of Sun Bathing Weed that he had brought.

Leo's anxious expression immediately melted as he saw the spiritual plants. "You could have just told one of the attendants that you came to meet me." He was about to continue, however, he paused for a moment as he looked at Edward. "Nevermind… Sorry, I should have waited for you in the main hall." He knew very well that the attendants at the main hall would never take Edward seriously.

Edward nodded as he silently acknowledged the unspoken truth. "It's alright," he said, giving a small smile. "Here are the plants that I said, ten stalks in total." He quickly put them on Leo's table and sat down on one of the chairs in the room. "So? Should we discuss the payment?"

Leo's eyes widened as he saw how many Sun Bathing Weeds the boy still had, and after a long second of shock, he finally recovered. "Just name your price, the headache you saved is worth almost anything," Leo replied with a smile, feeling grateful for the help.

"How much did you pay for the Sun Bathing Weeds that you brought to Steffon's shop?" Edward knew he could easily get another large sum of money, but just like last time, he felt that building a relationship would be better.

"Ten gold pieces for each of them." Leo looked at Edward, curious about what the boy would ask. "Just curious, for how much did you sell them?"

"Just seven gold for each stalk… Was that a fair price?" Edward answered immediately. He really didn't mind if Steffon had taken advantage of him in the trade of Sun Bathing Weed. After all, he was a merchant and needed to make a profit.

"Realistically speaking, you wouldn't get much more than that," Leo tapped his fingers on the table as he continued. "While the Sun Bathing Weed is an incredible spiritual plant, its rank is just at the Silver Rank after..."

Edward nodded. He had expected the price to be in this range, but what he didn't understand was why the seemingly rare plant had such a low price. "At first, I expected it to be worth much more, as everyone always talked about how rare this plant is."

"Well, the reason the Sun Bathing Weed is considered to be rare is that everyone who produces it is very secretive about their cultivation methods and doesn't share them with others, which limits the supply," Leo explained, his eyes falling on the Sun Bathing Weed as he appreciated it slowly. "There are only a few people who cultivate them, and they only put a small quantity for sale each year."

"Oh? Only a few people cultivate it?" Edward's face lit up with curiosity. The field in which the Sun Bathing Weeds were cultivated on his farm could be considered quite big, so what Leo said caused him to wonder if his family came from one of those places that cultivated Sun Bathing Weeds. "Do you know any of those people?" Edward had searched all the memories of the original body owner, but even so, he barely found anything about his parents' families, making him very interested in this information.

"Know them? Of course not…" Leo laughed joyfully at Edward's question. "Those people and families are all very important, not someone that a common Guild Leader from the countryside could meet."

Edward's face fell a little at the response, but he quickly regained his composure. "I see, I was just curious." He didn't want to push the matter further, as he didn't want to seem too desperate or nosy.

Leo noticed Edward's disappointment and decided to change the subject. "Anyway, back to the payment. How about I pay you thirteen gold pieces for each stalk of Sun Bathing Weed? I think that's a fair price for your help."

"This price is fine, but I would like to request something else." Edward became serious as he looked at Leo. He had finally decided to try joining one of the Monster Tamer Association schools, but he knew he needed to better prepare for the enrollment test. "I want to join the Monster Tamer Association School."

"So, do you want me to arrange a spot for you?" Leo was surprised by the request. He initially expected Edward to ask for more money.

Edward's eyebrows perked up as he heard Leo's words. The idea of using his connections to join the school never crossed his mind, but now that he had mentioned it, Edward found it to be a very appealing proposal. "Well, I was just about to ask if you could let me watch Kaith treat your Firebrand Steed once again, but if you can get me a spot, I wouldn't refuse."

Leo let out an awkward smile. "Getting a spot there isn't impossible, but you still have to take the test," he said, sighing. It seemed that he had just bargained in Edward's favor. "As for watching Kaith's work, it will depend on his mood."

As they finalized the details of the payment and the possibility of getting a spot in the Monster Tamer Association School, the two of them departed together to the Monster Association to meet Kaith once again.

Before long, they arrived in the same room that Kaith had used yesterday, but there was no one present. "Did something happen?" Leo looked around in confusion. Kaith was a busy man, but he wasn't someone who usually missed an appointment.

"Who knows? Maybe an emergency?" Edward was about to sit down on one of the couches when the door slammed open, and Kaith entered the room with a deep frown on his face.

"Dammit! Young people are all useless!" He let out a sneer and gazed around the room, looking grumpily at Edward and Leo. "Jovan and my second assistant are all busy right now. I don't think that I will be able to work today."

"Busy? What about my pet?" Leo's mood instantly plummeted, yet he suddenly realized that this was a perfect opportunity for Edward. "What about using this guy? I think he doesn't have anything better to do with his time." He quickly pointed at Edward and winked at him.

"That brat? Do you really think that he can help me?" Kaith instantly shot down the suggestion and then continued. "I know how important this is to you, but don't worry. Missing a day isn't going to affect the Firebrand Steed so much."

Edward raised an eyebrow and took a step forward, ready to prove himself. "How hard can it be? Why not give it a shot?"

"That's right. Besides that, the only thing I ever saw your assistant doing was some minor things." Leo insisted once again as he saw how determined Edward was. "Why not give him a shot?"