Chapter 67 - Different Kind Of Training
Bral grinned as he pulled out a small bag of coins and handed it to Amukelo. "Alright, rookie, here's the deal. You take this, and you're going to buy something for me and yourself."
Amukelo looked at the bag in his hands, blinking in mild confusion. "Uh... okay?"
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Bral then turned to Pao. "Do you want something as well?"
Pao nodded eagerly, her eyes lighting up. "Yes! I'm starving. If you think about it, we haven't eaten anything today. We went straight to the guild first thing in the morning."
Bral gave an exaggerated sigh. "Right... so you'll be buying for three people now." He patted Amukelo's shoulder with mock seriousness. "This is an important mission, rookie. Don't mess it up."
Amukelo scoffed and crossed his arms. "I know how to buy things, Bral. I've done it before, it's just... I haven't done it in a while."
Bral laughed. "Yeah, yeah, whatever you say. Now take the money and go. Let's see if you can handle a simple transaction."
Pao giggled behind them as Amukelo sighed, taking the bag with a slight shake of his head before turning toward the stall. Bral watched him go with an amused expression. "This is going to be fun."
Amukelo stepped up to the stall, scanning the baked goods in front of him. The smell of warm bread, garlic, and other savory spices filled the air, making his stomach growl slightly. He had seen things like this before—back in his village, traders would sometimes bring small treats from the cities, but this was different. There were so many choices.
The vendor, an older man with graying hair and a well-worn apron, noticed Amukelo's hesitation but said nothing at first, assuming he was just taking his time to decide. However, after nearly a full minute of silent staring, the vendor finally raised an eyebrow and asked, "So... what can I get for you, sir?"
Amukelo tensed slightly. He hadn't realized how long he had just been standing there. His eyes darted between the different breads, pastries, and rolls, but his mind was blank. "...Uh."
The vendor tilted his head. "Something specific in mind?"
Amukelo hesitated. He had no idea what was good or what was normal. His confidence in his ability to 'buy things' was quickly unraveling. "Uhh... I don't know. Something good."
The vendor blinked. "Something good?"
Amukelo forced an awkward smile, feeling the heat rise in his face. "Uh... yeah. I barely recognize anything here. Could you recommend something?"
The vendor's expression softened as he chuckled. "Ahh, a foreigner. You must've come from far away if you don't recognize these."
Amukelo nodded quickly, relieved the man wasn't mocking him. "Yeah... something like that."
The vendor stroked his chin, thinking for a moment before gesturing toward a tray of golden, freshly baked bread. "Well, if you want something simple but filling, I'd recommend this. It's warm bread with garlic and fat—good flavor, soft inside, a little crisp on the outside. Perfect if you're hungry."
Amukelo nodded immediately. "Okay, I'll take three of those."
The vendor nodded as he reached for the bread. "That'll be four silver and fifty bronze coins."
Amukelo took out the bag of coins and loosened the string, pouring some into his palm.
But then a handful of coins slipped from his fingers, scattering across the ground with small metallic clinks. His stomach dropped as he froze for a second, then quickly shoved the remaining coins into one pocket while stuffing the bag into the other. Panic rising, he crouched down and began scooping up the coins as fast as he could.
The vendor, instead of getting annoyed, chuckled at the sight. "No need to rush, lad. Take your time."
Amukelo felt his face heat up even more, but he continued gathering the scattered coins, cursing himself for being so clumsy. After a few moments, he stood back up and carefully handed the money to the vendor.
The older man counted the coins, nodded approvingly, then handed over three warm bread rolls wrapped in a small cloth. "Here you go. Enjoy."
Amukelo let out a quiet breath of relief as he took them. "Thank you."
As Amukelo walked back to them, he cringed inwardly at how awkward his interaction had been. His frown deepened as he muttered to himself, "Ahh... that was so awkward." He could still feel the way his hands had fumbled with the coins, the vendor's amused chuckle, and now, the warmth of embarrassment was still sitting heavy on his chest.
He handed one of the warm bread rolls to Pao, then another to Bral, before dropping the bag of coins into Bral's open palm. Bral took it with an expectant look before letting out a loud laugh. "Haha! It wasn't that bad, but—next time, don't stare at the buns like you're in love with them. And for the love of everything, don't spill your money all over the place. But hey, you managed, so I'll give you that."
Amukelo sighed, rubbing his temple. "I knew it looked bad."
Pao took a bite of her bread roll, a small giggle escaping her as she chewed. "I think it was kind of cute."
Bral gave her a look. "Cute? I wouldn't go that far, but whatever." He then turned back to Amukelo, his grin widening. "That being said, rookie, you still have a long way to go. And since I have nothing better to do today, I'm going to torture you a little bit."
Amukelo sighed again, this time with more exaggeration. "Of course you will."
Bral ignored him, instead clapping his hands together. "Alright, now that we're out and about, let's find some useful places. First on the list—healing potions. Probably cheaper in an alchemy shop than in a magic store, so let's start there." He then turned to Pao. "Unless you'd rather go to the magic shop first?"
Pao shook her head, smiling. "No, I can hang out with you guys a little longer. This is fun."
Bral nodded. "Perfect. Now, next step—we need to find where the alchemy shop actually is." He then turned to Amukelo with a mischievous glint in his eyes. "And you know what that means."
Amukelo tilted his head, clearly missing the point. "Huh?"
Bral smirked. "We don't know where it is. So you, rookie, get to ask some kind stranger for directions."
Amukelo groaned. "Oh, come on..."
Bral held up a finger. "Ah-ah. No complaints. You need to work on your 'functioning in a civilized society' skills. Consider this part of your training."
Amukelo rubbed his face and exhaled sharply. "Yeah, yeah, I get it."
Bral clapped him on the back. "That's the spirit! Now..." He scanned the street, then pointed toward a middle-aged woman who was browsing at a nearby stall. "There. Perfect. A nice, harmless lady. Go ask her."
Amukelo followed Bral's finger, his stomach tightening slightly. The woman was focused on the stall, talking with the vendor as she examined some goods. He took a slow breath. "Alright, alright... I got this."
He started walking toward her, but the moment he got close, he hesitated. She was mid-conversation, so he didn't want to interrupt rudely. He stood there for a second, waiting, but then another second passed... then another... and suddenly, it had been way too long without him saying anything.
The vendor at the stall finally noticed him standing there, blinking at him with mild confusion. The woman, sensing the change in the vendor's expression, turned around, only to find Amukelo standing silently right behind her.
She gasped sharply, clutching her chest as she snapped, "Ahh! Who are you?"
Amukelo immediately took a step back, holding up his hands defensively. "Oh! Sorry! I didn't mean to startle you!" His face burned as he quickly added, "I was just wondering if you knew the way to the alchemy shop."
The woman exhaled loudly, placing a hand over her heart. "You can't sneak up on people like that, young man."
"I wasn't sneaking!" Amukelo protested weakly, but his mortified expression said otherwise.
The woman huffed but composed herself, then crossed her arms. "Alchemy shop, huh? You're looking for potions?"
Amukelo nodded, eager to move on from his accidental jump-scare incident. "Yes."
She sighed but finally gestured down the street. "It's straight ahead, to the right. You'll recognize it."
Amukelo nodded quickly. "Thank you."
Then, without waiting for another moment of awkwardness, he turned on his heel and speed-walked back to Bral and Pao, swearing to himself that the next time he had to talk to someone, he'd get it right.