Chapter 40: I have been quite stupid
The laugh was quite loud, and it took him some time to calm down. Aric remained calm the entire time and just waited for Gopher to explain himself.
"You have quite the courage to invite a stranger to your place at night, 10 pm, especially someone who has a bad reputation," Gopher said.
"I have asked Uncle Albert about you. You are grumpy to everyone, and that isn’t some kind of metric to judge if you are bad or not. So I can invite you at night. That is not a big deal," Aric said.
In response, Gopher raised his palm with a silent command. In the stillness of the shop, Gopher’s palm began to emit a soft glow, casting eerie shadows against the timeworn walls. Suddenly, a gentle breeze stirred, causing the ancient artifacts to tremble ever so slightly.
Aric’s breath caught in his throat as he beheld the spectacle unfolding before him. The wind, guided by Gopher’s silent will, swept through the shop with a gentle whisper, causing the delicate trinkets to sway in its wake. It was a sight both enchanting and surreal. Though the wind did not strike Aric, it enveloped him in a cocoon of wonder and awe.
"Now are you scared?" Gopher asked.
"What... What was that?" Aric asked. He was really in awe of what just happened.
"I am an Acolyte of wind magic," Gopher said. He didn’t expect this at all. An Acolyte? Here? In this city. He had heard that the city mayor was an Acolyte as that was one of the requirements to sit in that seat. And the other Acolyte, which he had heard from, was the mercenary guild of the city. Apparently, one could hire the Acolyte from the guild if one paid more than 5 gold coins.
That in itself was a huge amount, and very few people could afford it. These were the only two Acolytes that Aric had known to exist in this city. And now there was a third one? Why hadn’t he heard of Gopher being an Acolyte before?
"Why does nobody in the city know that you are an Acolyte?" Aric couldn’t help but ask.
"Hahahah... You really are not afraid of mages, are you?" Gopher asked.
"Why do you say that? I am just amazed to see an Acolyte for the first time," Aric said, and he actually meant it, but it didn’t mean he would have to be scared of him or fawn over the man.