"Master Benedict-"
"I am not your master." The man cut off the noble easily, not sparing anything other than an appraising look at the young man's flash of annoyance, which the noble tried to quickly cover up.
(Huh. He's sharp, for sure. Is he the Apothecary? I'm not sure what I expected but... damn. Please teach me how to have confidence in myself! Teach me your ways!)
"So... you booby trapped your carriage."
The man's gaze settled on Ryth, a piercing glare.
"Were you trying to steal a gemstone?"
(Huh? Wait... me?) Ryth startled for a moment, looking around before looking back and pointing at himself.
"Hm. Apparently not. Well the burn marks indicate somehow you stopped the flame... are you a Mage?"
The noble leaned in, curious. (Why would a Mage be here? And what was he doing to MY belongings?)
"Uh. Well... I... uh... this uh... I mean to say..."
Ryth kept trying, but the words kept jumbling.
"I'm a healer!" He finally blurred out.
(...a healer? Oh, was that a barrier of protection like the priests use earlier?) One of the guards thought, trying to figure it out.
"So... a healer of stage 2? 3?"
"...level 2 actually..."
"Stage 2... makes sense-"
"LEVEL. Level 2. Stage 1. Sir."
Silence...
"...pffft, Ahahaha, HAHAHAHA, OH WOW." The man, Master Benedict, began to laugh uproariously, "oh wow, blocking an enchantment meant to blow away limbs at level 2... good job! Wow that's great, hahaha..."
The guards froze, along with their master.
Level 2? That was nothing! A baby as an adventurer, weak as any ordinary person! And a healer at that?
(Did we really feel intimidated by him? For even a second?) the guards wondered at their foolishness, and a more pressing concern came to the noble.
(Yes it's a simple enchantment only meant for pathetic street rats, but why would he get caught up in it?)
(And how does a Level 2 have the knowledge to make a barrier? By that point just going through the learning process to control your mana you ought to be higher in level!)
"Well, what are you doing getting blown up then?" Master Benedict asked, still with a small smile.
"I uh, saw someone was about to be hurt and... helped."
"So you jumped into harms way for another, like the adventurers of old! Trying to be a hero?"
Ryth stood up, anger and annoyance filling him. "That's not actually your business, Master... Benedict? Yes? I happened to be here to find the location of where I have business later this week, and seeing as I found it, I'll take my leave before anything ELSE happens."
He then turned to the guards. "The next time, how about instead of letting a CHILD HURT HERSELF for your amusement, do the decent fucking thing and warn her away. At least then nobody has to clean up YOUR SHIT."
The guards and noble fell speechless.
A healer in his infancy... a commoner... had just told off the guards of a noble house, in public. Angrily.
Ryth turned with a huff, sent a curt nod of the head to the surrounding people brave enough to stay and watch the show, and turned to Master Benedict.
"Good night sir, and with all due respect, farewell."
{Ryth might have slight suicidal tendencies when mad, but he's not a COMPLETE idiot. Give respect where it's due, the man is a professional and deserves some recognition.}
The he turned on his heel, and walked away, leaving the guards unable to retort and the noble unable to speak before he'd left.
"I... uh..."
The noble kept looking back and forth from the amused Master Apothecary and the direction that (ARROGANT PEASANT! How DARE he disrespect me! I'll kill him! Have him hanged!) had gone.
Finally he gave a deep bow, followed by sycophantic niceties.
"Well, esteemed Master, I hope you will strongly consider me as a potential apprentice. I'll make you proud and do very well, better than whatever commoner is trying to belittle your station with his heritage."
Benedict snorted, waving him off. "Yes yes, go and WAIT. I do not set an appointment only for my clients to show up 2 days early demanding my attention and recipes."
The nobleborn froze, complexion slightly waxy.
"I'm aware of what you are accustomed to, so just this once I'll forgive this... how you would say? This belittlement of my station."
After a pregnant silence, the young man bowed again. "Many thanks Master."
"Hmph. We shall see."
The young man stiffly turned and walked away, into his carriage as the Apothecary watched it go off, the Guards getting onto the front to drive it.
"Hmm... that young healer, hope he's not easily found. Nobles aren't the forgiving type when they know they can get away with it..."
He could already imagine the cover story; 'He was killed by someone trying to gain favor with me cause of the scene that poor chap had caused. I certainly wouldn't bother killing such a person!'
Master Benedict gave a nod to the crowd before walking back into his shop, grabbing the plaque on the door that read "GreenWood's Herbalist.".
He lightly stroked the wooden plaque, before placing it back on.
Yet as would be discovered only the next morning by the next sun's light, as dusk's darkness hid it now...
It now read "GreenWood's Apothecary: Mixtures and Medicines." in golden veins and shiny words upon that smooth, dark wood.
~ ~ ~
(What. The. Fuck. Kind of idiot. Am I.)
Ryth had decided that after walking around a corner, sprinting for his life while contemplating him and his STUPID mouth's capability for trouble was an excellent use of his time.
(Yes. Indeed, I am famed for my skill in my profession! I am Ryth, a Level 2 Healer, and a professional committer of suicide! Cause what else do you call HALF THE SHIT I DO?)
"That's right Ryth! First, we gotta go and become an adventurer. Never mind we awakened as a weak, worthless healer even among healers, let's go DIE TO GOBLINS."
Yelling at himself while running down the streets, all the recent events and hardships he'd faced started to spill out in his angry ranting.
Passerby's easily avoided him as his shouted self-hatred easily warned them of his arrival, and more than a few felt confused at random out of context sentences.
"Oh no, death by goblins isn't INTERESTING ENOUGH, let's go die to an entire NEST of SPIDERS!"
"Then, of FUCKING COURSE, I got MAD at the guy I want to LIKE ME, and told him it was none of his business!"
"Of course that party laughed at me, I'm a FUCKING JOKE who can't even heal the only person who actually seems to need it!"
"No wait, there are 2 people who need my healing! Liv and MYSELF, cause I'm TOO stupid to AVOID hurting myself!"
Suddenly he got cut short, slamming heavily into something.
"Ah! What the heck?" The gravelly voice let out, and the lizardman, Azolfos turned to look at Ryth.
"Oh, it's you, little Healer."
Ryth sat on the ground, his mind blank after getting shocked out of his panicked run by the collision.
"Healer? Hello?" The lizard man crouched, waving in Ryth's face until his eyes focused on him.
"...you're not doing so well are you."
Ryth numbly nodded, biting his lip as his eyes teared up a little bit.
"Come little healer..." Azolfos helped him into his feet, brushing him down a bit.
"Our home has some drink, and young adult or not, you need to breathe."