Later that day, Hannah and I dropped by the store. We waited in line behind one customer, only later would people drop by to get sweets or baked goods that they sold. Many of Rocksfords regular citizens bought the baked goods while adventurers and children would get something from their other selection. It's actually pretty cheap to make most candy with the way farmers grow stuff. I don't know much about it but the high level farmers can change the weather, soil composition, and many other things such that wheat grows once every 2 weeks and sugar cane takes about 2 months.
About 10% the time it would take if they did it normally and they can even do it anywhere they have dirt and enough space for the plants to grow. I know in Hak they had 3 farms for the entire town. Farmer Joe was even on the city council since high level farmers were just as respected as any other field.
While I was thinking this, I watched Hannah explain how she wanted a job. It was our plan that I was going to apply later so that suspicion of our connection was minimal. The agreed time was 3 days so I was just browsing the recipe section with a regular hood and mask over my dough mask to see if the receptionist would care. She didn't and I got a new recipe for dough golems after I finished looking around. It was interesting and I'd look into it later. After I had paid for it, I inquired about a baker's resume and if they were hiring since I had just seen someone (Hannah) apply. Supposedly I would need a resume and the same day waiting time.
Hannah was told to come back in a day for management to look through the resume we made. Just some basic stuff like her general skills and their level, work experience, and home address. We made her out to be a basic adventurer who ended up quitting from a small village to the southeast.
We tried a couple other places to see if anyone would notice the dough mask I had on but no one said or acted any differently. We even straight up asked people if they thought I looked like I had one on.
It seemed like I was in the clear. I say this and it darn right better be a good disguise. I had to pay 50 gold to get a sculptor hired through the thieves guild. Downright robbery I tell you!
At least I wouldn't need to replace it since I had remembered to cover my face from the receptionist. While the baker class wasn't common, it wasn't hard to get. Most people would get a basic class like carpenter or swordsman and have it possibly change in the first couple levels before solidifying into whatever their profession was.
We were all set and the next day Hannah set out for her interview while Greg and I went out separately to get a job at the adventurers guild. Since we couldn't leave the city we decided to hunt some monsters from the city's dungeon.
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I felt very weird as I walked to my interview. It wasn't because of where I was applying but I guess that was part of it. No the main thing was the dye albeit odorless and not sticky felt weird on my fur. As a foxkin I had particularly sensitive fur and could feel it existing. My touch level was above even my own at 41 and at amazing proficiency.
I have actually dyed my hair before after having Denny test how it looked but the fur is a new experience. I looked down as I walk to see my now brown fur and swish my tail a bit. I despise having to force this tragedy upon my tail. I swish a little more violently but my face doesn't change.
It was for Denny.
All for one of my brothers.
I walked while thinking about Denny for a bit.
The angry swishing slows to my normal walk.
I saw the store as I rounded a corner. I looked both ways and crossed the street.
Are you sure that you'll be fine? Flas asked from his space. Contracts had a lot of uses.
I'll be fine Flas. By the way how are those ice abilities coming along, you got used to the bigger size and wind element quickly but you haven't been using your ice affinity much, I thought back to him.
I can use it just fine but I prefer wind. I feel cheap when I use those skills since its mostly my parent's being ice phoenixes that they're that powerful. Unlike you players, us monsters take after our parents more than I would like, He complained.
Well maybe if you practice more with it that feeling will go away, you wanted this remember. All those ice monsters I fed you took a long time to summon so don't be regretting it now, I thought as I entered the store. Now be quiet for a bit and work on your level for a bit.
Telepathy was great. At level 40 I'll be able to get the skill. I heard it's crazy expensive and the range sucks but it would be fun to use with my brothers.
If I time it right, maybe I'll even be able to see their true thoughts for a bit before they see the telepathy prompt. I'm not even sure what Greg would think about, fighting and food for sure but does anything else pass through that brain?
Then again what Lee and Denny actually thought would be more interesting. They knew about Denny's transformation, but they didn't tell me or Greg. I'm the oldest and I should at least have been warned. Even if there wasn't anything I could have done it wasn't right.
They always put up a front, one that worried me whenever I saw Denny come back injured and munching on H-bread or when Lee had one of his nightmares. I just couldn't bring myself to be the oldest like I was meant to be. Lee and Denny were just so much more responsible that it made my reading hobby look childish. It's totally ok for a normal 15 year old girl to read something like that.
I had been staring off into space for a bit in my thoughts but the receptionist brought me out of them. "Hey there, I'll get the manager real quick" she said before leaving out the back door. There were 2 others who I chatted with while I waited.
When the manager came out of the back door I thought there must have been some sort of mistake. The Marcus from the letters was supposed to be an alchemist not some hulking figure that was only slightly shorter than Greg who was over 6 and a half feet tall. I then thought there was another manager but the Marcus name tag was on his shirt. His muscles were not as defined but he still looked intimidating.
He looked me over, and I mean my entire body. "What is 3 times 5?" he asked once he was done.
"Uh um 15" I answered after composing myself. It must have looked like I was just on the low proficiency side of the math skill but since he nodded.
"Show her the ropes, I have to attend to that child" he said before turning around and leaving. I internally breathed a sigh of relief, thanking the gods he showed common courtesy and not identified me. We did plan for that happening with an item that blocked identification to a degree but the explanation that it was a family piece of jewelry would have been suspicious with their high alert.
It was rude to identify someone without good reason and not everyone had the skill but his level and me applying for a job would very well have been within reason for at least a basic check.
It felt like one of those moments in the stories with close calls, but this time my own experience.
What a thrill to be living like this!
