It was a rough journey getting to where he was. But that slow and painful journey shaped his 'Mindset' he had manifested till now.
The guild master's words struck Noah a weird nudge. A palpable and boiling feeling arose from the depths of his cold, blood-stained heart.
'Potential huh?…' Sitting cross legged on top of an unclean wooden barrel, hidden from the blazing sunlight, he quietly ponders at the words he found odd and wisdom-filled.
He lets out a low and heavy grunt, a rare sight of giving up. But Noah never gives up, he never knew what giving up was. Pushing these thoughts away, Noah began thinking of what to do with a scroll in his hands.
The scroll was known as Mindset scroll. You obtain a Mindset catered to your disposition be it, a scared and cowardly man. These individuals would usually obtain a support type Mindset where they develop skills to help someone like their boss.
Mindset can be manifested, it can change the tides of a battle.
The Mindset scroll he holds firm was a testament to how valuable it was.
But, this scroll can only be used in certain places. A church homed to the Cardinals where it's well guarded, a prestigious academy homed to famous and reputable figures.
'Darn… I am in a bit of a pickle…'
Internally he screamed, he wanted to ask information from his guild master or perhaps buy his services. But that awkward, near death interaction stumped him greatly.
'An academy might be doable… Dammit!' Kicking the barrel he was sitting at, he couldn't help but vent his internal frustrations.
This loss brought him to an all time low. But he wasn't low enough to ask help from his guild master who inadvertently kicked him out until he got stronger.
'Maybe—' The beautiful, awe-stricken woman came crawling out of nowhere in his memories, begging him to review their past conversations.
'Fine… One favour can't hurt.'
—-
—[Vertina: Tavern]—
'When was the last time I came here?' Scratching his head his silence, he walked through this vibrant establishment. Night time was when taverns shine best, its colourful stacked alcohol placed in shelves, a counter with wooden stools to sit on, wall torches illuminating and giving life to this humble place. But what really makes this place stand out was the amount of people who came by for a drink, information or ordinary conversations.
His guild wasn't the only place to hand him information. But the levels of each place varies depending on its popularity.
A kind, unfamiliar waitress appears before him with a tray of empty beer.
"Customer, how may I help you with today?" Her tone was gentle and soothing, anyone would feel appreciated by that level of service.
Unfazed, Noah looks around for an empty spot and asks, "I need a quiet and dark table."
The waitress closes her eyes and smiles wearily in defeat, "Well the only table we have is the one we don't pay attention to." She points to the far back corner to the left. Even its interestingly gloomy appearance, the layered cobwebs, abundant of dust, it fits Noah's criteria even if it wasn't presentable.
Noah nods, flaying his cape majestically as to not slip on his cloak.
Taking a seat on the wooden stool, he crosses his leg, leaning his body forward and rests his head on his palm.
Awaiting for his customer service, he felt something odd about the staff's negligence.
'They are a bit slow… Whatever…' Noah wasn't deeply sensitive to time, but it will be nice if waitresses reduced the time needed to be in this public establishment. It sickened him to the core as he was quite an anti-social. Living as a lone wolf and in silence felt best for him. He closes his heavy eyes, a solace he could find in this moment.
Moments later, he slowly opens his eyes after the oddly quick footsteps he managed to discern from the rest. Upon seeing a familiar waitress and her smile, he couldn't help but laugh.
"You laughed!" The familiar waitress, a waitress who appeared in past memories was standing right before him.
Covering her lips, she was in joy looking at a subtle change Noah has managed to create.
"I was grunting…"
"No… I heard the laugh… Why deny it?"
"…" Noah lets out a grunt to her persistence. It felt a tinge annoying but, another laugh escaped from his confined, hardened exterior.
Looking towards the window to his left, he couldn't bring himself to directly look at her.
However, this made the waitress feel frustrated at his anti-social self. She huffed, giving him an annoyed look.
She then reached for his chin trying to turn it around and face her as to help him socialise.
"You know it's better to look at people when talking? It's called respect." As she makes contact with his skin, a subtle but instantaneous reaction came about. Slightly bleeding from her wrist, Noah barred his hidden knife and grabbed her wrist tightly with enough pressure to make someone wince.
'Dammit Noah… You idiot!' Clenching his teeth together, he reveals a smidgen of guilt. But that humanised expression only made the waitress feel sad. Instead of expressing the pain on the wrist, she felt extremely saddened, as if this action was an answer to the questions she kept in the back of her mind.
What did he go through? What troubles did he have to face in order to stir up this type of reaction? Tears flowed, a calm and silent river burst forth as she continues to eye Noah's guilty reaction.
Noah's eyes flicked toward her, catching the glimmer of tears on her cheeks. His jaw tightened ever more.
"Why are you crying?" he muttered, his voice rougher than he intended. He didn't know how to deal with tears—it made him feel exposed, cornered.
It challenged his emotions in an extremely uncomfortable way. This moment helped him recall the past. This waitress was a sweet girl, a tavern's favourite. Her soothing, joyful exterior played a huge role in grappling the heart strings of many, be it suitors, ordinary civilians, co-workers and even the tavern master.
Oddly, he noticed all her traits. Could it be that she was eye catching? Appealing? He couldn't put a nail to what it was.
One day, he came to the streets injured beyond belief. His clothes were in a wreck, he was a tanned man, he looked like a kid from the worst slums.
But a kindness sparkled from out of nowhere, a young girl in a peasant dress, with scattering, lustrous crimson hair, rose-like eyes, and an attractive pale complexion.
She grabbed Noah, tugged his swollen face to her chest, her tears welled up seeing his state.
Why was she crying for him? Till this day, he couldn't tell or answer that question.
Life was a give and take, she wanted something from him right?
However, his whole world view crumbled before her genuine love and affection.
She didn't want anything from him, she even packed him a new pair of clothes, and allowed a place to return, a home.
Returning to the present, he unintentionally allowed himself to be hugged. That same red haired beauty who showed genuine kindness was hugging him, tightly grasping his chest. What was the feeling in his heart right now? It felt warm, it was a nice touch of difference to his cold lifestyle.
"I—" He couldn't vocalise his words, this was another time he was stumped. He couldn't analyse this situation at all, it was outside the norm he built in his mind.
"Celia… It's been a—while." Gently brushing off the dust from her back, he continues to have this warm moment he began opening for once.