As Valthar collected life energy the sun slowly rose in the sky.
He didn't need a clock to know hours had gone by, since his hunger did that job pretty well.
However, his body could take some more life energy and with the Inn taking so long to reach he knew once he went back that would be the end of his day.
Tired Valthar sat under the shade of a tree and stared curiously at the ground.
Not far from him there were a series of shacks that looked like many others he had seen earlier in the day.
However underneath them Valthar could feel a lot of people moving about, their feelings were very loud too, their life force almost screamed with either greed, happiness or tension.
'A gambling house? Maybe a drug market?'
Valthar made a few guesses, but after a few seconds he just shook his head, closed his eyes and relaxed his back against the tree..
Whatever was happening underground just had nothing to do with him, better spend his time with a quick rest before continuing to collect life energy from more trees.
A minute passes in silence till he feels someone leave the building and approach his position.
A woman, somewhat tall, lean and dressed in leather armor that screams 'random low level adventurer'.
"Quite a rainy day isn't it? One should hide home in such terrible weather." She said before she raised the hem of her shirt and flashed a black dagger.
Valthar looked at the sky confused, it was sunny with a light breeze and not a single cloud in view.
Then he glanced at the dagger on her hip, it looked very edgy, with a skull pommel and golden coins drawn on the hilt.
'Is this a joke? Is she robbing me?'
Valthar wasn't sure, but he didn't feel aggression coming from her life energy instead he felt… caution?
That took him by surprise, ever since he left the Church no one had felt even an inkling of caution towards him.
"Uhm… You don't have to worry about me Miss, even if a flood happens I know how to swim." Valthar spouted some bullshit back at her with a smile, dismissing her words as just some type of local irony.
"What?" The woman said with a confused frown, then she side eyed him and pulled out a small notebook from her a hidden pocket in her shirt.
"What do you mean by what? You are the one who started with the rain talk." Valthar was taken aback, in his mind he answered her joke pretty well.
In an instant she rolled her eyes at him and the caution in her life force shifted to annoyance.
*tsk, "Just another homeless to deal with, what a dogshit job." The woman cussed under her breath and pocketed her notebook.
Then she shot Valthar an annoyed look and lightly kicked his leg. "There is serious business on this block buddy, you can't sleep here, shoo shoo."
Valthar was lost for words.
"Do you have no shame, woman?! Can't you see I'm not in a good condition?" Valthar's legs shook as he tried to stand up.
In moments he fell back on the ground.
The woman paused and looked deeper into Valthar's mana signature.
At first she had assumed he had hidden it with a magical device, but with a closer look she saw that Valthar's mana signature was weaker than a child's.
"What did you do to your mana veins mate?" She said before shaking her head. "Actually never mind, I've heard enough sob stories today."
'Sob story? Sob story! *internal scream* Why am I even talking to this ignorant fool? Let her chatter alone with her stupid black dagger.'
"Are you done Miss? Could you let me have my peace now?" Valthar laid sideways with his back to her.
He might be a fallen noble and not quite able to walk right now, but he still held some pride and talking to this person made him angry.
"I already said you can't sleep here buddy, go away or I'll beat your ass." She kicked him lightly, but Valthar felt little to no aggression inside her.
With a scoff Valthar side eyed her hard.
"I'm not able to walk right now, give me half an hour and I'll be on my way."
The woman looked at him with a disbelieving look. "Ten minutes, anymore and I'll drag you away myself."
And with that she walked back to the shacks leaving Valthar to swallow his annoyance on ground.
'Even the priests hadn't been as rude as this uneducated woman.' He grumbled in his mind.
Though his body still had room to collect more life energy, he decided to go back to the Inn, only food and a sweet drink would drive away this shame from his memories.
*
With a building nausea and cramping muscles Valthar collapsed on a chair at the Inn's restaurant.
He had made it back by mid afternoon, quite a bit before people got out of work.
With the Inn's restaurant empty Valthar got a plate of hot food and a glass of wine in front of him in a matter of minutes.
The food was simple, a meat he didn't recognize by taste and a large plate of fried rice.
It tasted great, hunger was truly the most delicious spice.
The wine was weak and bland, yet each sip lightened the weight in Valthar's mind.
He felt blessed, as his nausea quietly faded away.
While he ate Little Jack walked up with his drawing book.
"Does the food taste good Mister Valthar?"
"It does, is there something I could help with Little Jack?" Valthar answered with attentive eyes.
In his sense he could feel the boy wanted something with him.
"Actualy, I think I can help you with something, I saw you limp when you walked in and I believe a cane would be a great for you to have. Coincidentally I have an uncle who is a carpenter if you're interested." The kid spoke eloquently, like a little merchant ready to sell the world.
Valthar grew silent for a moment, he had spent most of the day walking and a cane would indeed have been great.
"That does sound great, how much do you think would cost for a cane with good quality wood?"
Little Jack's eyes glowed and he smiled wide.
"The simple canes go for 2 silver and the best ones go for 5."
"In my humble opinion you deserve one of the best ones, Mister Valthar."
"They are hand crafted, magically adjustable and sure to last for many years to come." The boy said with mechanical precision.
It was obvious he had rehearsed his pitch quite a bit.
Valthar side eyed the boy a little, but a smile sprouted at the corner of his lips.
Being treated like a VIP customer did feel real good after being snobbed by an ignorant commoner.
"I'd like to purchase two of the best ones, however they must be completely different colors from each other." Valthar passed him 11 silver and nodded proudly.
After a long day of work collecting life energy he felt like splurging a little.
And though right now it wouldn't matter, eventually he intended to keep his identity as a dark mage separated from his normal one.
So he might as well get a separate cane for each of them.