Chapter 3: Unexpected Reunion (Requesting Subscriptions, Requesting Monthly Votes)

Even without considering its powerful background, the Billow Trading Company was still one of the premier mercantile houses in Port Leyton. Its operations were vast; alongside import and export trade, it also engaged in financial services such as deposits and loans, pawn-broking and auctions, currency exchange, and bill discounting.

Travelers coming from the north and going to the south, if they happened to acquire antique relics or magical artifacts during their adventures, could bring them to the trading company for consignment. Conversely, if luck were on their side, customers might also unearth exceptional treasures among the miscellaneous items sold on consignment.

Of Joe's two visits to Port Leyton, the Billow Trading Company was the sole shop that had left him with a favorable impression.

When he came to take the entrance examinations last winter, he had purchased "deep-sea squid ink" and blank spellbooks at the Billow Trading Company. The proprietor had even generously gifted him two cantrip scrolls, a kindness he still remembered with gratitude to this day.

Not wishing to tarnish that fond memory, Joe lingered at the shop entrance for a long time before summoning the courage to step inside, silently resolving with himself: he would not mention looking for odd jobs, lest he be chased out once more.

Since he could not mention looking for work, the only thing Joe could do after entering the Billow Trading Company was to browse the merchandise, particularly the display case dedicated to magical items, which fascinated him the most. Regrettably, the endless string of zeros on the price tags of the magical goods was far too intimidating; unable to afford them, he could only feast his eyes.

Just as he was staring intently, a sudden "Oh?" sounded from behind him, followed by the sound of conversation nearby, one voice carrying a somewhat familiar ring. Completely captivated by the magical curios in the glass case, Joe did not even turn his head, until someone walked up behind him and gently tapped him on the shoulder.

"Joe, how long have you been in the city?"

Startled, Joe hastily turned around to be greeted by a familiar and kindly face, filling him with sudden, pleasant surprise.

"Mr. Kelandier! What brings you here as well?"

Doctor Kelandier smiled and replied gently, "Do you remember when I told you back in Derin Town that I was going to visit an old friend in the city? The owner of this trading company is that old friend of mine. I have been here for over two months now and originally planned to return to Derin Town tomorrow. I never expected to run into you right before leaving. What a coincidence!"

"It truly is a coincidence, Mr. Kelandier. I only entered the city last night." Encountering an acquaintance far from home inevitably stirred Joe's emotions.

"Are you here to register at the academy?"

"Yes, the term starts tomorrow morning at eight o'clock."

"Have you gathered enough tuition? If you are short, please don't stand on ceremony with me. After all, you are my only student; if I can help, I certainly will." Kelandier gently patted Joe's head, inadvertently revealing a sincere and heartfelt concern.

"No, really, I don't need it!" Joe stammered, overwhelmed with gratitude. "I have enough for the tuition. I'm carrying it all with me."

"Then I am relieved. I had originally intended to go home much earlier, but I heard that Derin Town was besieged by lizardfolk, and Javier advised me to wait until the situation calmed down before returning. Are all the townspeople well?"

Joe nodded and briefly recounted the crisis Derin Town had recently faced. Suddenly remembering something, he quickly unbuckled his rucksack and retrieved the key to the alchemical laboratory that Doctor Kelandier had previously entrusted to his care.

"Doctor, I'm returning this key to you. Everything in the laboratory is as it was, and I cleaned it up before leaving."

Kelandier smiled and waved a hand. "I have a spare set here. Keep this key for yourself; you might still find a use for it when you come home for the holidays."

As master and apprentice were talking, a well-dressed, handsome man walked over, standing beside Kelandier and smilingly appraising the young mage before them. This man shared a certain quality with Kelandier—his age could not be deduced from his appearance alone, which was precisely the most prominent external trait of elven bloodline.

"You must be Mr. Joe Veda. I have frequently heard Kelandier speak of you lately," the elegant half-elven man interjected.

Kelandier snapped back to his senses and said to Joe, "I forgot to introduce you. This is my old friend, Javier Billow, hailing from that famous sea-elf family in Whitegull Port, though he left his hometown many years ago to make a living in the New World. This Billow Trading Company was established by Javier."

Kelandier moved to introduce Joe to Javier in return, but Javier waved a hand and smiled. "No need for introductions. I met him last winter. When you told me before about taking on a young mage as a student in Derin Town, I suspected it might be him, and sure enough, it is!"

"How do you two know each other?" Kelandier asked, looking surprised.

"When I came to the city to take the entrance exams last winter, I bought some supplies at Mr. Javier's shop. Mr. Javier was very kind to me and even gave me two cantrip scrolls," Joe said gratefully.

"That was during the coldest part of last winter. At the time, Joe looked even more frail than he does now, wrapped in a filthy fur cloak and accompanied by a dog, looking just like a stray urchin," Javier Billow recalled the scene of their first meeting. "When he pushed the door open and asked to buy the cheapest magical ink and spellbook, I was quite startled. I never expected that little wretch to actually be a mage apprentice. Kelandier, you know I suffered through hardship and poverty in my youth; seeing Joe stirred up my sympathy, so I gave him two worthless cantrip scrolls, but I never imagined the boy would hold onto the memory."

"Then I must thank you on Joe's behalf."

"Oh, come off it. Does an old friend need to talk about such things?"

Kelandier smiled, turned back to Joe, and asked, "Have you been to the academy yet? If there is anything you don't understand, you can consult Javier. He is also an alumnus of yours, having graduated from the Arcane Department of Leyton College twenty years ago, though he chose the sorcerer major back then."

"Leyton College had only been founded a few years prior back then. If you added all the departments together, we couldn't even muster two hundred students. The campus was as desolate as a graveyard. It is vastly different now; I hear the new intake this year alone is no less than a thousand students," Javier remarked with a sigh over the passage of time.

Joe very much wanted to chat with this senior alumnus about Leyton College, but since he hadn't even managed to report to the academy yet, he truly had nothing to say.

"I only entered the city last night, and I spent the entire morning wandering around trying to find a part-time job to earn some pocket money, but unfortunately, after running around all morning, I couldn't find a single shop willing to hire me. No matter where I went, people treated me like a fly and shooed me away," Joe said with a aggrieved expression.

Hearing his tale of woe, Javier burst out laughing. Patting Joe's shoulder, he said gently, "Joe, I won't deny that there are plenty of snobbish people in the city, but you must realize that the reason those shops refused to hire you isn't entirely because you are too young or dressed too plainly. It is primarily because you are not a member of this city's trade guilds, and you lack the practicing license corresponding to the trade you wish to pursue."