After Alger left the shop, he only had one more thing left to do before he could finally return to the orphanage and get some rest.
He was looking around for a shop, a shop that sold Elemental weapons. And eventually, he stumbled upon a shop that fit the description.
Evergreen Elemental Shop
The shop wasn't very large, but the two windows surrounding the wooden door were filled with an impressive variety of Elemental objects. The door and frames were made of a dark, almost shadow-black wood. None of the displayed items had price tags on them.
Even though the shop looked small on the outside, Alger knew....
It's a Premium shop.
The moment Alger stepped inside, he was greeted by the rich, almost comforting aroma of coffee....
Coffee existed on Terra, but it was a thousand times worse than that found on Earth... so Alger preferred staying away from it.
After stepping in, he looked around. The shop was quiet, clean, and warm.
There was only one person inside. An older man with black hair and matching eyes. He looked elegant and wealthy, but he gave off a calm and comforting presence that put Alger at ease.
The man looked at Alger, and then at his clothes. It was clear he didn't expect much, but still approached him politely.
"Greetings, gentleman. I am Aspen Evergreen, the owner of this shop. What can I help you with today?"
Alger looked past Aspen at the many items behind him.
"I'm looking for a katana."
Aspen smiled. "Ah, a katana?"
"Yes, preferably of the Tempest Element."
"Ah, then you might be looking to become a mage," Aspen paused. "I think I have a few katanas that will be perfect for you. Follow me."
They slowly walked deeper into the shop, and Alger saw all kinds of weapons. Be it longswords, sabres, rapiers, and swords he couldn't even identify.
Aspen led him to a wall, mounted with katanas. The katana he was standing in front of had a golden hilt, and looked very expensive.
"Made from Elemental Ore of the fourth tier. Forged by the blacksmiths of the Central territory."
Beneath it, a copper plate showed the price:
9 Pounds
WHAT?!
Nine pounds? Alger almost choked.
That's enough to live comfortably for more than a year! The central territory can keep it! Who can even afford that?
Aspen continued showing him more swords. Each one was a little less refined than the last.
6 Pounds5 Pounds4 Pounds 2 Pounds 190 coins |..... and so on.
Alger asked Aspen to show him the katana worth 4 pounds. Alger swung it around a little, and if he was being honest with himself, the katana felt a little light for him. But if he went any lower on the price, he would be sacrificing the Ore quality used in the sword. The four-pound katana was forged with a Tempest Conjuror ore, whereas the two-pound katana was made only of an Awakened ore.
At the end of it, he decided to buy the four-pound katana. He might have to get accustomed to it, but once he does, it will be well worth it.
He also bought a new sword belt for a few coins.
He was about to leave the store but before he could, Asper said something....
"Have a great Saturday, Sir."
No way.... No fucking way.....
In that moment, his heart fell silent.
Damn it all! I hate Saturdays.... how could I forget I was asleep for an entire day!
He stepped outside Asper's shop, the wind curling around his feet.
He looked up to see where the sun was,
Yes! I still have a few minutes till noon.
He now had enough Elemental energy to conjure the wind around his legs. After all, he was a Conjuror now.
***
Alger was panting; he had barely made it to the Orphanage on time.
Behind the iron gates of the orphanage, many people were waiting. Alger could see a lot of young kids along with Ivy and Dawn, and a caravan drawn by 2 brown horses next to them.
"I'm sorry, I'm a bit late," he said, panting.
"A bit late?" Ivy paused and pointed at Alger, "You didn't even come home last night! We are not taking you with us!"
Damn you devil! It was my idea to attend Eastern University, what do you mean you are not taking me with you!
"Ivy! I'm sorry, I found trouble along the way."
"Alger, this isn't the time to talk, you must get ready, fast!" said Dawn in a concerned tone.
Alger rushed inside. he ran towards the bedroom and picked up a brown leather backpack from beneath his bed and put all of his belongings inside it.
I have money, I have clothes, I have the sword, I have a map, and uhh, I think that's all?
He then ran towards the stairway... but instead of using the stairs, he jumped down the railing and used the wind to break his fall.
He slowed down his pace and went outside.
"I'm here," he said while huffing.
He looked around and saw that even the maids and the headmaster were here to say their goodbyes.
"Alger! You little...! The rule was to be back by dawn, but you disappeared for a whole day! And when you finally show up, it's just to leave for good? I didn't even get the chance to punish you!", said the headmaster with his voice wavering between anger and undeniable relief.
"Yeah, I-uh-ran into an unexpected party along my way home.", he said while slowly walking towards the caravan.
Alger was the last one to sit inside the cozy space. There were a lot of wooden boxes and hay inside the caravan. The trader who had agreed to give them all a ride was an acquaintance of the headmaster.
Well, I guess there is at least a place to sleep.
Right as the caravan began to move, the crowd behind them started to wave their hands.
Most of the young kids were saying goodbye to Ivory.
"I'm gonna miss you sister Ivy!"
"Please come back to visit."
"Sister Ivy, I don't want you to go, please stay!"
Whereas the younger boys Dawn used to hang out with were saying,
"We will catch up to you in no time, Dawn."
"You won't be lonely, because we all will come to the Eastern University in a few years!"
But for Alger, nothing... complete silence.
"Who is the guy with white hair next to Dawn?"
"Did we even have someone like him at the Orphanage?"
"You're right! I have never seen him."
Alger was a little heartbroken, but he knew it was his fault for not socializing.
The cart started moving away, and before they knew it... the orphanage had faded away from view.
Alger looked at Ivory and Dawn, noticing how much they had grown over the last few years.
Ivory had grown into a tall, beautiful woman—the kind who could turn heads with just a glance. She had the prettiest face Alger had ever seen... but to him, she was still as annoying as when they were younger.
Dawn was a lot taller than Alger now, with broad shoulders and a strong, muscular frame. But despite his imposing build, his personality hadn't changed—he was still gentle, soft-spoken, and kind. A true embodiment of the term Gentle Giant. To Alger, he oddly reminded him of John, the security guard from his old workplace—quiet, reliable, and always looking out for everyone, even if he never said much.
Ivory and Dawn had become Awakened two years earlier, when they were only 14. That was impressive, a clear sign they possessed the potential to become powerful mages. Alger, on the other hand, had become an Awakened at 15, well, at least that's what he told everybody. He had to endure an entire year of teasing from Ivy, mostly because he had spent so many hours studying Elemental energy, and yet he had failed to awaken before a girl who used to waste her time playing with toddlers.
Ivy had become an Aqua Awakened, and Dawn, a Terra Awakened. From the moment they first sensed their Gates, the headmaster had guided them, which was partially why they had become Awakened before most.
The headmaster didn't offer Alger his help, probably because he was already helping him with the sword. That was the reason Alger supposedly became an Awakened a bit later than Ivy and Dawn. He had to make it look like he had a hard time without help, because he had to hide the fact that his mental age was well over the 30s needed to be a secret. But still... becoming an Awakened at 15 without a tutor, all on your own, was quite an impressive feat.
Alger removed the map he had hurriedly put inside his bag. He wanted to review the route they were going to take. And to note the dangers that might lie ahead.
Most of the route was a peaceful and scenic journey through the plains of the Eastern territory, apart from a section that went through the forest. It was called dangerous because Inferno foxes lived there. Alger was no stranger to them, so he could handle them if things went south. But that was not the reason he was worried. He was worried about coming across another Tempest wolf. Alger had no idea how one made it all the way to Zephyr, so he had to be careful; there could be an entire pack of them up ahead.
The road was well paved, so they would have no problem reaching their destination in a week, before the first of March.
Alger looked at Ivy and said,
"I'm tired, I'm going to sleep. I already had lunch, so don't wake me up."
"Huh? What do you mean you already had lunch?! Where did you have lunch? Did you eat outside without me? Are you even....."
Alger avoided the barrage of questions and slowly fell asleep while covering his ears....