Alex left the arena premises without showing too much emotion. The Moonmare name still rang in his ears, bringing back painful emotions.
While running away from his home twelve years ago, he learned who at least had a hand in the attack on his family. The Moonmares, although not nearly enough to match his Nozim Household, did kill the less battle-oriented members, such as the servants, stable masters, and your usual workers. Such actions simply could not be forgiven.
Even so, Alex was unsure how to feel about this.
On one hand, he hated anyone with the Moonmare name attached to them, while on the other hand, it wasn't like everyone was involved with the attack. The orders come from those at the top, which makes them the prime culprits.
Alex shook his head and turned his attention to the pouch strapped to his side. He grimaced as rummaging through, he found little to no coin on him.
The previous 2 gold coins he managed to scam from that unsuspecting noble had already been spent on the doctor that patched him up. The headmaster deemed it best he pays the man from Alex's money, considering how much of a headache the young man gave him. Of course, Alex was unaware of this fact, until he
That left Alex with only 7 silver and 38 copper coins. An amount barely enough to last him a month. That is if he only bought the cheapest meal possible every day. Plus, if he ever needed to fix his shoes or a piece of clothing, he wouldn't be able to.
Alex's current amount of cash was a far cry from what he previously owned. His 2 gold coins amounted to half the monthly budget of a city official.
The problem Alex was currently facing was the lack of income. He could sell his services as a full-blown Recen, but without being able to wield mana, he could only be hired as a guard of a merchant or something.
While he could venture out into the nearby woods and hope to slay a monster he could then sell back here, Alex knew nothing of the topography or the monsters he could encounter. He could easily get lost in the woods or die at the hands of a mana beast.
Alex sighed and chose a random street to walk on, not caring where it would lead him. The day was still young, and he did not have much else to do inside the city.
'It would be better if I had somewhere to try learning to use magic…' He lamented, knowing there were not many places that could fit his description.
The Adventurer's Guild had such facilities, but they cost money, and you had to be registered with their branch to use them. The facilities in question were simple rooms, like any other you would find in a city. The unique feature about them was the added protection against the runaway mana process someone might trigger if not careful enough. This offered peace of mind to the city habitants, knowing they were safe from a building collapsing because of a foolish adventurer.
Even while knowing he would probably survive such a process, Alex became a bit apprehensive about rushing anything involving mana.
"Young man,"
Someone suddenly shouted from the side, pulling Alex out of his daydream. He looked around and saw a middle-aged lady wave at him to slow down.
"Would you be so kind as to help an old lady like me move some crates around?" She looked at some men nearby and shook her head, swearing in their direction. " 'Cause these dolts do nothing but stare at me, not even offering to help. Unmannered pigs."
"Don't even bother, kid. These crates are heavier than they look." A large older man interjected while sitting on one such crate himself. He promptly turned his attention to the lady. "And you, Hedda. Stop inconveniencing everyone you see walking down the street."
Hedda just snorted in response.
Seeing the scene unfold before his eyes, Alex decided to speak up. "It's fine. I'm not busy anyway."
The older man raised an eyebrow before nodding. "Well, far from me the thought of rejecting a helping hand." He stood up and approached Alex before extending his hand for a handshake. Alex rarely saw anyone as tall as him, but this man almost surpassed him.
"You can call me Einar. That impatient lady over there is my wife, Hedda." He said, pointing with his chin to the side.
"Happy to make your acquaintance, Einar." Alex shook Einar's hand before asking how can he help.
"Nothing much. We just need to move these crates inside Gunnar's warehouse before sundown. The crates feel like they're filled with lead, so we needed a break." Einar started and took a glance at Alex's arms and shoulders before nodding. "Or a pair of hands to help out."
"Alright. Break's done, so move your arses, slowpokes, otherwise, you won't get any pay, you hear me?"
Hearing his wife shout, Einar rolled his shoulders and stretched his back. "How to call ya, kid?"
"Alex."
Moving the twenty or so crates took longer than Alex expected, taking the group of now six men over two hours to pick up, transport, and stack them in the warehouse.
"Thanks for the help, Alex. What do we owe you?" Einar tapped Alex's shoulder and handed the latter a tankard of cold beer.
Alex accepted the beer and downed half of it, thinking what should he ask for. "Do you know where could I stay for the night? A place that sells good food is also appreciated."
Instead of asking for money, Alex thought it best if he could get some information about what was going on in the city. Asking for good lodging and a place to eat was something more pressing however, so he asked about that first.
"You're not from around here?"
Alex shook his head and finished drinking his beer. "No, I just arrived here this morning."
"Then what are you doing in the slums? Travelers usually don't come anywhere near this place."
Alex wondered how did reach the slums in such a short amount of time and looked outside through the windows as if to make sure he indeed was in the slums.
The dirty streets and passed-out drunks confirmed this.
"Well, not my business anyway. And about lodging, you can try our inn. Nothing fancy, but we can get you a room for free. You can eat there as well if you so wish."
Surprised, Alex thought for a moment before finally nodding. Even though he would've preferred information over a free meal and bed, he would be stupid if he refused.
"Well, since we're done here anyway, we can go to the inn straight away," Einar said and turned to his wife to ask her if she finished her job.
As the men were carrying the crates inside, Hedda was tasked with labeling and writing the number of boxes into a nearby ledger.
Soon after, the trio walked outside the dusty warehouse and headed further into the city, making Alex raise an eyebrow. Although he didn't know the layout of Vizin, he could tell at a glance this part of the city was way more well-off.
Eventually, Alex was led to a beautiful-looking inn, making him feel especially conscious of the clothes he was wearing. As he planned on moving through the city and further toward the empire, Alex figured it was best to wear casual clothes.
'At least I would be able to take a bath in here.'
Not long after that, Alex was inside his room, where he dropped the large satchel of clothes and dried food on the floor before looking around the area for the washroom.
As it turned out, the washroom was communal, and it would open after two hours or so. Unlike the hot springs back at Enrilth, keeping a washroom hot and open 24/7 proved to be way too expensive to be profitable. The money spent on such a thing simply could not be justified in a middling inn such as this.
It was far better to schedule the washroom to several hours in the morning and evening every day.
The attendant bowed low and bid Alex a restful stay before turning back to her business.
With a sigh, Alex returned to his room and undressed from his dusty clothes before sitting in the lotus position beside the bed. He took a deep breath, emptied his mind, and began meditating.
His goal? Figuring out mana and magic.