Right then, I'll be off," Mr Clawse informed them, with a slight bow. "I don't like to leave my store unattended for too long."
Leon and Jin Li had negotiated a price for one of the apprentices to fix the door for 2 silver, parts and labour. It was not cheap, but it was quite the trip to the hut up on the mountain. Leon had also purchased some nails and a hammer, in order to fix his shed, but the hammer was unwieldy, not sure how great a job he could do with it. Mr Mars had also agreed not to spread word of who exactly created the special pill, not that anyone would believe him, he reckoned. The kid was just a student!
"Ye wantin' t' go back now?" Mino asked them once they had completed their business. The apprentice would meet them at Mino's place first thing in the morning.
"A-actually," Leon had thought about this for a while, "I-I was w-wondering where I c-can b-buy seeds."
"Seeds?" Mino echoed. "Like 'erb or vege-tables?"
"Erb..I-I m-mean herbs," Leon blushed at his mistaken pronounciation, while Jin Li smirked into his fist. "B-but I sh-should get v-v-vegetables to."
"Well 'erbs and the like are usually sold in tha' there new town," Mino told them. Herbs could be bought in their neighbourhood as well, but they were mostly for cooking and he didn't think that was what Leon was looking for. "Come on, I'll be 'avin' you there in a jiffy."
The 'new' town section of Julip town was located across a wide, fast flowing river, effectively separating it from the ramshackled townhouses where Mino lived. They had to cross an arched stone bridge to enter that half of the town and from the moment that they crossed it, looks of disdain came their way. Mino nervously guided the wagon over the brick paved streets, the people were clearly unimpressed with the Ox beast moving down their roads. Several arrogant youths even blocked their way, making their journey more difficult than it need be. They only moved along when Jin Li stood up and released that potent aura of his. Leon had forgotten how effective it could be and was soon quaking in his boots along with Mino and the foolish young men.
Jin Li slumped back down in the wagon and Mino muttered to him; "Oi, oi! What sor'a level you be a'? Seriously!"
This made the man insufferably smug.
The buildings in this part of town were at first, simply larger versions of those in the old town, just cleaner and the streets twice the width. As they trailed to the heart of this area, the shops and houses became less clustered, less detached and more individual of build. The shops had large glass windows in which to display their wares, reminding him of his previous world.
Leon nudged his glasses upon his nose, removed a diary from his interspacial bag and flicked through it, trying to memorise some of the seeds that he required. He didn't want to purchase too much, especially of seeds that he was unlikely to use anytime soon, but he also did not want to grab seeds of very common, quick growing herbs that he could get from the Herb Hall easily.
By the time that they arrived at the shop, he had a rough list in his mind and hoped they had what he required. The seeds that he had picked were not overly expensive, with the exception of the red lantern seeds; he wanted to plant these to obtain fresh red lantern flowers and make his blood pills better and the Marsh Devil Ivy, which was a difficult plant to grow, but extremely hardy once it took root and it was used in a number of pills. He spent a little more than a silver and 800 brass on these seeds. He also bought a few clay pots as the ones he had had all been broken. They cost just a couple hundred brass.
As they left the shop, they noticed a crowd gathering further up the street, where the large shops parted to reveal a large open space, much bigger than the old town's pavilion. "Wh-what's g-going on?" Leon asked.
"Ah be the skool," Mino said dismissively. "Tis recruitin' time agin."
"Oh," he said aloud, but then a thought popped into his mind and he tugged at Jin Li's sleeve.
"Do you want to go and look?" Jin Li asked him, his eyes narrowed slightly when Leon nodded. "Alright." Mino declared that he would wait with the wagon as the pair approached the crowd. People parted for Jin Li. They did not for small Leon. With a 'tsk', Jin Li grabbed Leon by the hand and pulled him through the mass of gathering people, causing Leon to blush over the physical contact between them.
Set up in the middle of the open street was a few tables and benches and at those tables were men in various styles of robes with one common theme; they were all coloured green and blue. Lines of teenagers, several in tattered attire, waited to be seen by the men. The clearly poorer youths were hustled to the back each time a pompous, over indulged and overbearing individual came along with their bodyguards and servants.
"I see a few of the commoner offspring are attempting to join the school again," one man with silken attire mused as he aired his painted face with a paper fan.
"Well the school does unfortunately encourage the poor dears," a woman with several ornate combs in her pinned hair mused.
"I guess at least they can make themselves useful fetching water," the boy with them muttered, before waltzing forward, to bully the commoners to retreat further in line.
Neither Jin Li nor Leon said anything about the arrogant behaviour of the wealthy; it was nothing that neither of them had not experienced... albeit on different sides of the playing field. There was also no guarantee that the school would admit the wealthy children into it anymore than the poor ones. Unless a back door was opened with a huge bribe. Of course if that was the case, the person walking through it, would not be waiting here.
Leon glanced over the men interviewing the candidates and noticed a familiar face. He was also startled to notice that he too had been seen.
The golden skinned youth approached him with a wide grin. Leon noticed that his height compared to Jin Li, but in terms of physical appearance, Leon would say that Pike was an unmovable mountain and Jin Li a tall, flexible pine tree. "Little Leo!" Pike called out, causing Jin Li's eyesbrows to rise. Leon placed his finger to his lips, hoping Jin Li would understand this term. Jin Li rolled his eyes heavenward, but glared a second message through his eyes; you will explain later.
"Senior P-Pike," Leon bowed slightly.
"I was planning on requesting for you soon," Pike admitted, sheepishly. "My Master favoured your pills for their consistency, despite the number being fairly great and hoped to gain more."
"J-j-just b-blood p-pills?" Leon asked.
"I will check with my Master what he seeks," Pike said, after a moment's thought. "I didn't expect you to be in town."
"J-just p-purchasing n-n-ne.. stuff," Leon replied, with a slight shrug. "G-got curious."
"Ah yes, this years... applicants," Pike did not look too impressed with any of them, whether rich, poor or somewhere in the middle. "Well there might be some talent lurking. I probably should not judge from just appearances."
"H-how o-o-old," Leon's throat was suddenly feeling dry and he struggled to finish the sentence.
"How old should the applicants be?" Pike finished for him and he nodded that this was what he meant. "Well, we usually take new students between 15 to 20 years of age; some study in sects or under private tutors before coming to us hence the range in age. Why do you ask?"
Leon had glanced up at Jin Li, but hearing the upper range felt disheartened. Although he had never enquiries, surely Jin Li was older than this. Jin Li tutted and leaned down to say with all seriousness. "I am seventeen years old."
Leon blinked a few times. "W-what?" Surely there was no way Jin Li was his junior in age, he must have heard him incorrectly!
I said..." Jin Li began to repeat his words.
"Who's this?" Pike asked Leon.
"M-m-my friend, J-Jin Li," Leon told him.
"Oh, he is looking to apply to the institute?" Pike asked.
"No," Jin Li said firmly, but Leon managed to squeak out a slightly louder affirmative, causing Jin Li to glare at him once more. "I don't need to."
"It's a g-g-good i-idea," Leon pressed him. "B-b-better f-facilities." Jin Li narrowed his eyes, but did not continue to deny or confirm his application.
Pike looked slightly confused regarding the interaction between the two, but thought it better not to question it. "Why don't I take you to speak with one of the Teacher's now," he suggested. "It doesn't hurt to apply. You won't necessarily be assigned to any school within the institute anyway."
Jin Li suddenly felt as if this boy was mocking him. Not get into what school? They would all beg for him to attend to their schools. "Fine," he agreed.
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