Two Tickets

I walked back to the front gate to see Ruby, Ipa, Ken, and Soul all sitting around. I wanted to ask Soul a question, but I also didn't want to wake everybody up, as they were sleeping around a fire. I thought about who would be objectively more useful to bring around. I needed strength, and possible stealth, so I would definitely take Ipa with me... but what about the others? Ruby and Soul were solid choices... but who would be better to bring?

I shook Ipa and he slowly woke up and stood up.

"Got our tickets?" Ipa asked. Everybody else began to wake up and I explained the situation.

"Let's pick Ruby," Ipa told me. Soul and Ken agreed and the three of us walked up to the gate.

"Tickets please." The man said. I froze while handing him one ticket... I completely forgot to get the two tickets before coming here.

"Uh, just stay around," I told Ruby and Ipa. After showing off my ticket and running back to Lum's office, I ran in. It took me about ten minutes of just navigating through the city alone, and I finally made it back to where he was sitting in his chair looking at two tickets.

I collected the tickets and Lum tried to have a small conversation with me, but I wanted Ruby and Ipa to be a part of it as well, so I told him to wait.

We all eventually ended up in the same room together and Lum began his conversation.

"Welcome back. So, I have some things I wanted to share with you. Allan, the person who punched you earlier, isn't a part of an underground crime ring. It's something... you wouldn't expect." Lum told me. That only irritated me, I hated when people tried to make the conversation interesting by leading it on like that.

"It's their police system. It's the complete opposite. However, Rat Kid was caught by the cops in that alleyway. You see, it sort of confused me at first, but Rat Kid isn't a criminal either, I guess. He's returning things he believes are 'stolen' to the cops, by stealing them from the people he suspects to be criminals." Lum explained.

"I guess I understand that. Steal from thieves and that deters their motivation to steal... but why did he think I was a thief? Oh, was it because of my reputation?" I answered my own question as I saw Lum nod. So, that's how it was. I guess dodging the repercussions of my reputation for this long was just luck, but now it was starting to catch up to me.

"Then I can't be mad. Where is the Rat Kid now?" I asked him again.

"With the police." He explained.

"But wait... why was he being punished like that with the police? He was just doing what he thought was right, so why was he beaten for it?" I asked him again.

"Well, I guess you wouldn't know since you're not from this country, but in New Olympia, things are different. The way society fundamentally works is different. With intense punishment for wrongdoers, there are fewer of them. I even do it here, if you mess up, you're beaten into shape until you don't purposefully make mistakes anymore. At first, it may have seemed inhumane, but we have the highest rates of intelligence and the most advanced civilization on the continent, so maybe it's not all bad." Lum explained.

"I think I can understand that, but that's just sad... well, a deal is a deal. So, I'll need some more supplies to make you some of my health potions, but I have around thirty-eight on hand if you need some right now." I told Lum, searching through my inventory to see what I could do.

"I'll take ten for now. So, do you need any special ingredients to make your potions? I know the higher-grade ones require refined honey and nectar." Lum said. I shook my head, making a mental note of those ingredients for later.

"I used to make mine with Zyphilia flowers and jars of my blood. Can you make them with any flowers?" I asked him.

"Just flowers close to any civilization. Health potions all involve mixing mana into natural healing herbs or substances like honey or nectar, and the flowers carry some of this mana so the flower itself doesn't even matter." He explained.

"Technically speaking, if I could grab mana residue, would I even need flowers to make health potions?" Lum confirmed my statement, but the problem with my theory was that there needs to be items delicate enough to hold onto mana residue, so I just forgot the thought and stuck to my original way.

"Here, we have the Olympian flower. It's green and white, with a bit of blue on the peak of each of the eight leaves surrounding the center, it's really hard to miss, and they're everywhere. They're pretty and they grow really fast, so if you pick a few, nobody will care. I have some right over there." Lum pointed to a flower pot nearby, so I went to grab them with Ruby and Ipa by my side.

"So, you made more friends? Hey, are they going to join our party too?!" Ruby exclaimed with surprise. I shook my head and smiled.

"No, they have work to do here, just like us. I need to get him his potions and then we can look for that training with air magic... hey Lum, who in New Olympia can teach us how to use the air element?" I asked him.

"Well, the strongest wielder in our capital would be Zeus, so he would be your best bet. Unfortunately, you'd have to be either Disciple or Apostle rank to even receive his training. And I have no idea how you would do that. Anima Kid, I had a lot of fun with you today." Lum told me. I nodded, agreeing with Lum. It was getting closer to nighttime and I haven't eaten yet, so imagine my friends were hungry as well.

"We're going to go get some food somewhere, maybe hunt since we don't have money, interested in joining us, Lum? I asked him. He shook his head with his arms crossed.

"I have workers to command around, I'll leave you guys to it. Bring by the potions whenever you have them finished..." Lum turned around and paused while looking at a picture on his wall.

"I'll tell people about you. I'll do my best to clear your bad name, I don't take you as the man that would hurt anybody, as you didn't even fight back against Allan. I gotta say, Anima Kid, you're quite the guy... now! Get out!" Lum pushed us all out and Ruby, Ipa, and I stood dumbfounded outside.

"Looks like he was a good person to help out... alright, let's group back up with Soul and Ken," Ipa told Ruby and me. We all walked ahead.