After returning from the mage market, Aefia received one hour to prepare for their first class about elemental magic.
The mage market was inside a building. It represented a stone hut from the outside with foliage growing out of the gaps. The inside of the stone hut was a spiraling wooden stair which seemed endless as they climbed up into the ceiling.
Aefia couldn't believe how small the hut was from the outside, but how it could fit Burj Khalifa on the inside.
At the second floor was the mage market. It looked like it was part of a palace with hanging chandeliers and a candle-lit hallway and a long red carpet with gold trimming at the edges. There were stalls on each side and different races of creatures were selling materials.
Ms. Avry explained to Aefia that they were exiled citizens of outer worlds who came to this world to live. Their only source of income was from selling materials from their own world.
Aefia bought the forbidden necklace of Crition, the emblem of faith, and a book about elemental magic. Aefia didn't care about the price and recklessly spent money on those items until she was left with only one angcle.
Since she came from a wealthy family, Aefia didn't bother trying to spend the only remaining money she had, thinking she would get paid again next week anyway.
Before returning to the office, an elf offered Aefia a book. Aefia apologized deeply for not being able to buy it. "I am not willing to get paid, I am willing to give it for free," the elf replied.
Without a second thought, Aefia took the book and asked the elf what she wanted in return.
"I just want to be able to return to my world," the elf replied.
Before Aefia could answer, the elf turned and walked away in the opposite direction.
Strange. I wonder if it's the effect of this cloak that is getting people's attention. Ever since yesterday, it seems that the people want me to do something for them in return for something they give me. I am not certain if she had written anything in this book for me to decode like the bookseller.
Aefia looked at the book she just received. It had a plain wood cover and stitched binding with no glue and the papers from the inside were scattered and slightly torn at the edges. Unlike the other books, this one had white pages like that on Earth.
Aefia read the cover of the book. 'Amulets and their uses'. She guessed it to be about amulets from outer worlds and hence found it useful since she was currently doing research on such things.
In particular, she was trying to gather information about amulets and emblems from outer worlds that offer magical qualities that will help her grow in strength and power.
If she even wanted to achieve the main goal of the competition, she would also have to research the cause of it. Since the current potential cause was energy, it would mean having to find the source of the energy, and based on her knowledge of video games and novels, this certain energy's powerhouse could be in amulets or emblems. That would be another use of this book.
While being buried in her thoughts, Aefia missed a stair step and slipped before landing on the ground next to Ms. Avry.
"I don't know whether to call you deaf or blind but where in your imagination were you going?!" Ms. Avry scolded her.
"Sorry, got carried away with this book." Aefia dusted her clothes while giving Ms. Avry a smile to try and hide her embarrassment.
***
Aefia ate her breakfast, which was at eleven and a half in the morning, and headed to her team's meeting room.
Unlike yesterday, Aefia was the earliest to arrive and sat at her table with her notebook and pen. Due to boredom, Aefia read through the things she had written in her notebook as a review.
She read through the three stories she had discovered about again and again while trying to find a connection between them before finally giving up and closing the notebook.
She sat there waiting for her teammates before she remembered that she had a pocket watch now. She took it out and played around with its chain until it snapped from the watch, leaving it in two pieces.
Aefia noticed something odd about the way the chain snapped. The place where it broke had a hole, and the chain's end, which was linked to the watch, had extended by a few centimeters, revealing an irregular-shaped end.
It's a key! I need to inform Ms. Avry about this.
Aefia snapped the chain back into the watch and unhatched the key a few times to make sure she didn't mess up during the explanation, which could cause further suspicion.
I can't keep this a secret and try to sort out things like this by myself. I wonder if this watch was a second-hand item.
Before long, Ms. Avry entered and Aefia told her all about the watch and its key. "I think it's better to deal with this matter later. Even if it is a second-hand item, it must have been sold due to its having no use," Ms. Avry spoke with a calm face.
"But what if it was a stolen item? Isn't it safer to question the seller about this watch?" Aefia replied.
"Hmm... Alright, let's deal with this after class. But I am not sure I will have the time since single-handedly managing five students is hard for me. I need to assist Anasiy today. Yesterday was for you, every week, a student will be given higher attention based on their level of knowledge about their surroundings and power."
"Alright, I will take note of that. But isn't it possible for another mentor to go with me?"
"I am afraid not. For matters like this, two mentors must be present. The mentor who acted as a witness of the transaction, and a mentor who will act as a witness for the refund or questioning."
"I can understand why. Then I will wait for a while. The situation isn't that bad anyway." Aefia returned to her seat.
As for the worst-case scenarios, she couldn't think of any, which meant she was totally safe for the time being.
The rest of the teammates came after a short while, and Nada came at last, wearing all sorts of jewelry items. From rings to earrings to anklets. She was dressed in gold.
"Nada, we are going to have a class, not a show-off. You should have brought a notebook and a pen with you instead." Aefia told Nada when she sat at her table.
"Why would I when I can borrow yours? After all, I am in some sort of debt right now." Nada answered.
"Debt? Who the hell do you owe in this world?!"
"Anasiy, how else would I have bought this shiny gold hair clip?" Nada said while pointing to a gold ribbon-shaped clip on her deep brownish-red hair.
"Nada, you know that we are not on Earth, I only have a notebook and a pen."
"Then I will borrow from someone else?"
"Who? Everyone here has only one pen and a notebook. You should have at least brought your pen."
"Well, I broke it. How do you expect me to bring it when it is shattered?" Aefia was taken aback. Broken? How careless can you be Nada?
"Then tell Ms. Avry about it." Aefia slumped into her seat even further, pretending not to know Nada. The others were also staring at her.
"How did you break it? Mr. Elephant will be mad if he hears about this." Ms. Avry spoke.
"There wasn't enough space on my table for all this jewelry! It was an accident," Nada replied while showing her rings.
"Nada, I am sorry to say but you will need to buy your own pen from the reception now. Whether you have the money or not, we can't do anything." Ms. Avry replied.
"Well, can't someone pay for me? Aefia?" Nada looked in Aefia's direction.
"Were you awake at ten this morning?" Aefia asked. She felt bad for her best friend.
"Yes, I was walking around the hallway," Nada replied.
"Then if you came to this meeting room, you could have met me, Anasiy, and Ms. Avry, and discussed your matters with money. I just spent mine on three items this morning." Aefia gave Nada a stern annoyed look.
"So do you have no money at all now?" Nada asked.
"I have but how do I know you won't spend it on anything else?" Aefia answered. By now, everyone else was minding their own business, but the class hadn't started yet.
"Really? I promise not to spend it on anything else. I will give you the change." Nada looked at Aefia with a puppy face.
"I am not sure yet. Ms. Avry, I have a question." Aefia raised her hand like she would at her school back on Earth. Ms. Avry looked at Aefia.
"I would like you to be a witness to this conversation." Ms. Avry nodded."I have a condition if I want to lend you some money, Nada. If you choose to agree to this, I will give you one angcle as the amount lent," Aefia explained.
"Sure, what is the condition?" Nada asked exaggeratingly.
"You will give me the change as you said and give Anasiy her money's worth of jewelry."
"Alright!" Nada excitedly waved at Ms. Avry.
I know she won't pay me or Anasiy the amount she borrows. I have known her as her best friend since fifth grade. Nada is kind-hearted, but she also spends more money than she can afford.
Aefia handed Nada the money, and Nada strode out the door with Ms. Avry.
"HOW DID YOU KNOW IT WAS GOING TO WORK?" Helio shouted.
"I am not sure I can explain it now, but I know Nada's situation with money. It is easy to predict how she will spend it. I already knew yesterday that she was going to spend it on jewelry but I didn't expect her to borrow money from Anasiy to do so," Aefia gave a sorry look to Anasiy.
"Don't mind it, I am totally fine with it. I still have enough money to survive at least. We don't have to care about rent do we?" Anasiy replied.
"Did she ever do that on Earth?" Diego asked.
"Yes, every time we went out to buy materials for projects, of course. She would buy stationery of low quality and baby toys that looked attractive to her and left me in charge of the bill." Aefia replied.
"You didn't do anything to stop her?" Helio asked.
"Not going to say yes, but sometimes I let her be. I would often punish her by buying the next project's materials with her own money, but I would end up feeling too guilty not to contribute to the bill, which is when she would trick me with the entire bill." Aefia recalled. "After all, she was the only person in my life who gave a care to the world I lived in."
"Aefia, I understand you don't want to hurt her feelings but she needed to be taught. If she is to survive the remaining life here alone, she will have to avoid getting into trouble with debt." Anasiy spoke.
"But how exactly do I do so?" Aefia asked puzzled.
"You are smart enough to figure it out. If you could defeat a beast, I believe you can trick her into it." Anasiy replied.
"We can help you with it if you want. I have some experience tricking my brother into doing stuff." Helio joined in.
"Do you, by chance, know what she might do next?" Diego asked.
"Well, I think she will probably overspend and return with no money," Aefia answered.
"Then leave the rest to us." Anasiy smiled at Aefia which caused her to realize where this was going.
***
"Aefia," Ms.Avry looked at her direction. "She didn't manage to fulfil her condition."
This was planned from the beginning. Anasiy had transmitted the plan into Ms. Avry's mind and asked her to play her part.
"Sorry," Nada looked at Aefia while handing Anasiy the ribbon-shaped clip.
"It's alright, in that case, you can pay me back by doing a work for us." Aefia said as Anasiy told her to.
"What work is it? I know my best friend won't give me a hard one!" Nada answered while smiling.
"Actually, I had to risk my life to fight that beast and that money was a reward for the sacrifice over my health and wellness." Aefia said, "And since you can't repay my hard earned money, you will have to work hard for it. Perhaps, you might not like it."
Anasiy smiled at Aefia with a thumbs up as to indicate that she did well.
"What kind of work?" Nada asked again, this time, more worriedly.
"I can't say it, but I can show it." Aefia got up indicating Nada to come along with her. The rest of the team members got up with her too.
They walked to the corridor and showed her the work. Nada stared with disbelief.