"Heh. You're not as simple as you look, are you?" The old gnome's lips curled into a smirk. "In exchange for the healing potion, I want an introduction. To your herbalism teacher."
The gnome watched him, intrigued. To identify a potion’s components with a mere glance and a sniff was a skill that took most a lifetime to master. For a boy who wasn't even a Magus to possess such a talent… it was unheard of.
The gnome could only assume that the Magus who taught Alaric was an extraordinary Herbalist, and that the boy himself was a prodigy in the making.
If he was this sharp before even setting foot on the Magus's path, what marvels could he achieve once he began brewing potions of his own?
The gnome's desire to meet this teacher was simple: the pure pursuit of knowledge.
True Herbalists were as rare as Artificers among the Archons; he wouldn't let an opportunity to exchange wisdom with a peer slip through his fingers.
Herbalism teacher? Alaric's mind went blank. Since when did he have one of those? He stared, dumbfounded, trying to fathom how the old gnome had leaped to such a conclusion.
The gnome tapped the bowl of his pipe against Alaric's forehead again, harder this time. "Don't just gape at me like a freshly caught fish, boy. Answer."
"Ow!" Alaric rubbed the swelling spot, his eyes watering. "I can't agree to the exchange because…"
"Because what?" the gnome demanded, his patience wearing thin.
Alaric's fists clenched, a stark contrast to the smooth, practiced lie that spilled from his lips. "Because my teacher is gone."
"Gone?" The gnome’s bushy eyebrows knitted together. "What do you mean, gone?"
A wistful, faraway look entered Alaric’s eyes. "It was nearly five years ago. On a day when black clouds swarmed the sky, promising a torrent of rain—"
"Don't try my patience, boy!" the old gnome roared, smacking him on the forehead a third time. "Get to the point!"
"A-Alright." Alaric flinched, forgoing any further theatrics and explaining quickly.
"The truth is, when I was ten, I found a mysterious woman, gravely injured. I brought her home, tended to her wounds, and cared for her until she could stand on her own.
"To repay me, she began to teach me everything she knew of herbalism. She was the one who tested me and discovered I had a gift for spell-casting.
"It took her years to recover fully. In that time, she taught me all the theory and even let me assist in her experiments, sharing her experience in potion brewing.
"Once her strength returned, she left for distant lands. I don't know where she went, but before she left, she told me to join the Veridian Academy."
Alaric held the gnome's gaze, weaving a seamless tapestry of lies, stitched together with a few crucial threads of truth.
It was true that he had met a wandering Magus in his hometown years ago. He had spent time with her, and she had indeed tested his talent and pointed him toward the Veridian Academy.
The rest of the story, however, was pure invention.
"Hmm…" The gnome stroked his thick white beard, nodding slowly as he considered the tale. "So a simple act of kindness set you on the path of a Magus, did it?"
"Yes, sir," Alaric said.
"And it seems you have a true gift for the craft as well," the gnome mumbled, more to himself than to Alaric.
After a moment, the gnome's interest seemed to wane. Without the prospect of meeting this mysterious Magus, the boy was just a customer. He shuffled back to his counter and picked up a heavy book.
"Well, if she's gone, she's gone. Five platinum pieces and the healing potion is yours."
"Could you… offer a discount?" Alaric asked, his voice barely a whisper.
After shaking down the other children in his traveling party, he'd amassed thirteen platinum coins, three hundred and twenty-three gold, and a smattering of silver and bronze.
He knew from the others that the academy's entry fee was a steep ten platinum pieces, which made spending his remaining platinum on a single potion unthinkable.
Platinum was clearly a rare currency; of all the children he'd persuaded, only Joric had carried any. Back home, Alaric had never even seen a platinum coin, with silver being the highest denomination he'd ever handled.
At the shameless request for a discount, the gnome’s temper flared. "Get out!"
"E-Easy now, no need for anger." With a pained grimace, Alaric counted out fifty gold pieces and pushed them across the counter. "Here."
"Hmph. You cheap little miser." The gnome scoffed, his eyes flicking to the bulge of Alaric’s money pouch.
Alaric snatched the healing potion, tucked it carefully into an inner pocket, and offered the gnome a parting nod. "Thank you, sir. Goodbye."
He turned and walked out of the store. Once the door jingled shut behind him, the grumpy scowl on the old gnome’s face melted away, replaced by a faint, thoughtful smile.
"An interesting little fellow."
"Welcome to Hawthorne's Inn! How may I help you?"
A young woman with blonde hair and a bright smile greeted him. She wore a white dress embroidered with green patterns and stood behind a reception desk carved from a single piece of dark, polished wood.
After leaving the gnome’s shop, Alaric had headed straight for the inn Magus Leander had recommended. Dusk was settling over the city, and he had no desire to wander the unfamiliar streets after dark.
"I need a room for a week," Alaric said, getting straight to business.
"Are you here for the academy's entrance examination, sir?"
"I am." Alaric nodded.
"Wonderful! With the student discount, your total comes to ten silver and fifty bronze pieces," the woman replied cheerfully.
"So expensive!" The words slipped out before he could stop them.
A muscle in the young woman's jaw twitched, but her professional smile remained perfectly in place. She had to be wondering what kind of backwater vagrant had just walked in.
Still, she answered with flawless courtesy. "This is a fine establishment, sir. The price includes three excellent meals a day. Without the student discount, it would be three times as much."
Daylight robbery, Alaric screamed inwardly. Nevertheless, he counted out the coins and paid the full amount.
Once the paperwork was complete, a young boy in a black uniform, no older than Alaric himself, appeared to guide him. "This way, sir."
Alaric followed him into a large, open courtyard at the heart of the inn. There, he saw the enormous tree that was the building's centerpiece and realized, to his astonishment, that people were actually living inside it.
The boy led Alaric to a room nestled in the center of the tree's trunk, gave a respectful bow, and departed.
"Whoa…" Alaric breathed, his eyes wide with wonder. "This place is incredible."
He explored the room slowly, marveling at its construction. When he finally stepped out onto the balcony and took in the view, his breath caught in his throat, his eyes widening not with shock, but with pure, unadulterated awe.