“Anyway. Then I was suddenly learning things I didn’t expect. Numbers, letters, politics, current events, etiquette. They had a plan for me, to make a big haul. I ended up in the Guildhall, of all places, at a fancy dinner for the sons and daughters of nobility. We talked, danced, and ate fine food. They never suspected a thing, but always walked away with less jewelry, or coins.” Hans reminisced fondly. “Such easy marks.”
“But my real target was a cache of memory stones locked in the same rooms, the cultivation techniques of the great houses of nobility.” Hans caught the surprised look on Dale's face and grimaced. “Not all cultivation techniques are equal. The royal family draws Essence in as a raging river compared to the trickle of most commoners’ slow dripping. If someone had access to this outside of the royals, it would allow for even cultivation all around the Kingdom.”
“Why isn’t that the case then? Do they just like to subjugate their populations?” Dale spoke with heat in his voice.
“What? No!” Hans yelped, surprised. “The lifespan of Mages and above is measured in centuries. The entire time, they are capable of siring children. Can you imagine what would happen to us if we had hundreds of millions capable of living for that long? They keep their abilities so they can rule wisely, and justly, as well as being the last line of defense for their Kingdom. Their minds don’t wander; their bodies are strong.”
Dale was confused, all he had ever heard was that royals and nobility took and took and never gave aught back. Hans was saying that it was actually because they were trying to preserve their reliant citizens.
“Dale, everyone can cultivate, but as you know it takes time and effort. Also, lots, and lots of pain. People still go off to adventure, but a large portion of them die quickly. What if everyone was a full-time cultivator? No other professions would flourish, and civilization would stagnate. We need everyone, from the lowliest cleaner, to the mightiest warrior. Without all of what we are, we would all likely die off.”
Dale finally nodded in acknowledgement. “I see. So if we had no farmers, because they were more interested in becoming fighters, people would starve for their neglect. No clothing makers, no chefs, no cleaners.”
“Exactly! In fact, that happens when war breaks out, other jobs get forgotten, and the entire Realm suffers for it. It is a sad fact of life as a human.” Hans told Dale, clapping him on the arm with a happy smile. “Now, back to my story. I had opened the drawer with the memory stones, and was taking my leave of the party when a flesh Mage showed up.”
At Dale's incomprehension, Hans informed him, “A flesh Mage is a water Mage who specializes in changing, distorting, all around altering of bodies. Usually human ‘flesh’, you see? They can find anyone, anywhere, if they have even a drop of their blood. They can also follow people from the imprints they leave on the world. Since I had opened the cabinet last, they somehow followed my trail back to the thieves Guild.”
“They sound horrible.” Dale thought about what kind of a person you would need to be to willingly work on living people.
“They are actually rather popular. They are very good healers, and can make people look however they want, given time. Women go to them to remove blemishes or supposed disfigurements, or just to enhance their natural beauty. Men go to them for similar reasons. In my case though, they were coming for revenge.” Hans explained, looking a bit despondent.
“When they found it was a den of thieves, they carelessly massacred everyone there, but finding all the memory stones intact, they stopped caring about me and left, the only reason I am alive today. Instead of blaming them for the deaths of my ‘friends’, I was impressed by their ability to do whatever they wanted. I joined the Guild as soon as they would take me, years later.”
“When did that all happen?” Dale queried.
“Oh, forty-ish years ago, maybe forty-five? Who remembers, besides, we are here!” Hans exclaimed, pointing up.
Dale looked away from his friend and saw they were standing outside a garishly colored building, with suggestive yet refined paintings on the walls. His face got red as he made the assumption as to what kind of establishment this was.
“Hans-” Was all he got out before he was pushed inside by his grinning friend.
***
“Ok Hans, you were right.” Dale groaned as he exhaustedly waved a hand at his friend. “I never knew this could be so… amazing.”
“I told you this was the place to be.” Hans purred.
Dale moaned. “I will never not come back here. It could never be better.”
“What if you were married, would you tell your wife that?” Hans teased.
“Yes, she would have to accept it. Or I could bring her here and she could try it for herself.” Dale sighed contentedly.
“I don’t know, she may like it too much, and that could get expensive.” Hans winked at him. Just then, a busty lady walked over to them.
“Hello, I hope everything was as pleasurable as possible for you today.” She softly addressed them in a husky voice.
“Madame, everything was as wonderful as it could have been.” Hans heaped praise on her, “There is no better place to have a meal than at the Pleasure House. I don’t know how your cooks do it, but it is worth every copper.”
“I will send your compliments to the chef.” She laughed with a smile, “It has been too long, dear Hans. Visit again soon, I’d love to get to know your friend better.” She looked at Dale, considering. “Actually, I have a granddaughter about your age, and if I know Hans, you would be a good match for her.”
Dale was blushing as hard as Hans was laughing. “Ha! You always know how to tickle my sense of humor! No, Madame, he is a cultivator, and has no time for relationships. Maybe in thirty years.”
“Mm. A cultivator? So young! And already nearly into the D-rankings. Quite a catch indeed.” She murmured, glancing at him solicitously.
Dale was still too tongue tied to babble anything, so Hans again took over, “Such a gracious host! Maybe the next time we visit we can meet this lass?”
“When might that be?” She challenged archly, expecting him to say something fancy and disappear for years again.
“Ah, when the wind blows us back to this fair city.” She *humphed* and started walking away when Hans surprised her, “Luckily, that may be soon, as a portal just opened to this young man's home.”
“A new portal? So you are training at the new dungeon, is it true that it is… unaffiliated? The Essence? Anyone can absorb it?” She seemed suddenly nearly desperate, which she tried and failed to hide.
“Yes!” Dale finally loosened his tongue and responded too loudly. He coughed, “Uh, yes, it is. So far.”
“Do you know any way that I could send my granddaughter there to train as a cultivator?” Madame demanded.
“Uhh.” Dale looked at Hans for help.
“Also, I could not send her there alone, I would need to establish a restaurant there myself. I am sure you all needed to work out land management there, have you met the owner? I hear he is allowing businesses to set up for a beastly amount of money, but I would still go.”
“Where did you hear that from?” Dale thought he was being fair to people.
“Members of the Mage Guild eat here regularly, some of them were the first through the portal, and they came here with their gossip.” She proudly announced. “I hear that the landowner is even making the church pay a tithe to him. Then he refused the services of the portal Guild until they gave into his outrageous demands. Bet you didn’t know that, did you?” She finished a bit smugly.