"I came to reclaim my catkin servant Miya, another noble falsely accused her of stealing when she went to sell off my resources," I said.
"That case was decided on the spot by Tarin Kingdom representative Mike Olsen. With the value of the herbs being under 100 gold coins, it was judged an incident of petty theft. The herbs were returned to the noble that they rightfully belonged to," explained the Champion.
"We gave the catkin slave 10 lashes for punishment and detained her. She's been in our custody for less than a day. You may reclaim her for 10 gold."
"I demand you return my herbs and seek justice for me! I spent a lot of time gathering those herbs," I blurted out in anger.
"The case has already been decided. Are you planning to question the judgment of a Champion, young noble? That would be foolish, you are journeying to be a Mage Apprentice. Don't get caught up in playing these noble games and lose your chance for that. My advice to you is to pay the detainment fee and move along. Let this be a lesson to you to not let your slave travel alone," said the Champion as he went back to reading his book.
See, no justice in this world. Even if Colton Sharpe was completely wrong, now a Champion had stepped in to decide the case. He was probably the noble representative sent from Colton's kingdom, looking to gain a bit of goodwill with Colton's noble house.
If I went forth to question his judgment I would be stepping on the dignity of a Champion. The trouble wasn't worth the 70 gold I lost. In this world, only the strong had the right to speak. If I was a Champion myself, Colton would be the one with lashes being detained.
If I was a Mage, Colton and the scumbag Champion would be killed on the spot. That was the dignity Mages held in this world. The status of nobles was grand, but they could not step over the dignity of a Mage. Strength reigned supreme in this world.
I took out 10 gold coins and swallowed the loss. What the Champion said was entirely correct. On my way to become a Mage Apprentice, it was not worth it to play the games of nobles. It felt bad to swallow my pride, but I couldn't let my pride cloud my judgment.
[Vault: 190 Gold, Hoard: 190 Gold]
I went over to see about Miya and she was in horrible condition. Her back was still bleeding from the vicious lashes they had subjected her to. The only reason she was still alive, after the false charges, was that she was my property. If she was a commoner that had stolen from a noble, she could have been executed on the spot.
"Come, Miya, let's return to my carriage. I will tend to your wounds," I said as I helped her stand up.
"Yes, young master Daquan," said Miya weakly.
I made it back to my carriage took her into her servant quarters, and laid her on her bed.
"Do we have anything to treat the wounds on your back Miya?" I asked.
Old Daquan wasn't too familiar with the supplies that had been brought along for the journey. That was something servants handled.
"I treated you with a Potion of Minor Healing when you came back injured before, young master. We only have one left, you should save it in case you encounter more danger," said Miya.
Potion of Minor Healing was one of the lowest level potions there was, but it was magic when treating the wounds of commoners. Normally they would cost around 50 gold, which was a lot of money for commoners. I quickly found the Potion of Minor Healing and used it on Miya's wounds.
I needed someone to handle my affairs, if she was injured then there was no one to take care of me. This could also be considered sewing goodwill between the two of us. Old Daquan had treated her poorly. Lastly, it was my fault she was injured in the first place.
I wouldn't feel right withholding medicine that could ease her pain, just on the off chance that I could use it. After Miya swallowed the Potion of Minor Healing the wounds on her back began to visibly heal, with a little rest she would be fine.
"Miya, like I said before from now on you are my servant. You are no longer a slave. I'm sorry that you were injured while following my orders. I will ensure no harm befalls you from now on while you serve me," I said as I tucked Miya into bed.
I headed back to my own quarters to prepare myself for my expedition tonight.
[Daily quest completed: Add +25 gold to your Dragon Hoard.]
[+1 Dragon Point]
[Vault: 165 Gold, Hoard: 215 Gold]
Did I gain anything from the Dragon Bloodline you absorbed earlier?
[Weak Green Dragon Bloodline is still being processed.]
Well, I guess I'll worry about it later. I settled down to calm my mind a bit. I needed to perform a round of Garter Snake Breathing before heading out this evening. It was always good to practice breathing techniques with a clear head to get the maximum benefit.
After 20 minutes of calming myself down, I did a session of Garter Snake Breathing.
[Gained +.14 Str +.24 Agi +.14 Vitality]
[Daquan. Str: 1.00, Agi: 1.20, Vit 1.10]
The cloud of black gas I released this time was noticeably smaller. The amount of stats I gained this time also had lowered. I wasn't sure if it had to do with the technique having diminishing returns, or my own unsettled mind.
The technique most likely had diminishing returns the stronger you became. It wasn't realistic for me to think otherwise. Since I was growing stronger, it seemed as if the technique was becoming more focused as well. Snakes were agile, so this technique seemed to focus on agility more than other stats.
That's just my guesswork. I don't have enough data to make a concrete explanation for how this shit works. It felt good to no longer be a weakling though.
I was now a 12 year old boy twenty percent faster than the average man. If this kept up pretty soon I would be faster than freaking Usain Bolt. I couldn't wait to try out my new speed!
I changed into my adventuring attire, grabbed my hunting knife, and set out into the night!