{Edited} A Merchant's Odyssey - Chapter 20: Friends? (Patreon)

AN: Edited chapters do not count toward monthly quota's.

Update: No Ouroboros today, I kinda got carried away with editing The Chaotic Traveler and well, happy extra edited chapters day?

Chapter 20: Friends?

"What moron wrote this?" Sebastian irritably threw the scroll into a pile he mentally labeled as trash. A pile nearly as tall as the bookshelves around, filled with scrolls that clans and nations would consider valuable treasures.

Tired but jittery, Sebastian's eyes landed on the next scroll in his queue, and he grabbed it, ripped open the metal covering, and unrolled the ancient parchment to scan its contents. “Hm, some mistakes, but not useless.”

Sebastian tapped it, made it roll itself up, and put it into a smaller pile of usable scrolls.

Another scroll was opened, Sebastian’s eyes widening slightly in joy. “Something new.”

He rolled it up and added it to the smallest pile of valuable scrolls.

One after another, he divided up and organized scrolls just as he’d been doing every morning for the last few weeks.

"Still at it, I see?" Elder Lu's voice called out as the older man approached with a tray of steaming liquid. “Making a mess of my library at that.”

“A library of faulty information is useless.” Sebastian didn’t even bother glancing at the elder as he kept working. “Throw them in a fiction section, sell them to your enemies, or burn them. I don’t really care, just keep them away from me.”

“Well, I can’t argue with that logic.” Elder Lu chuckled and placed the tray on the table beside Sebastian. “Enough for one morning, White. You need to rest.”

"I don't need rest; I need answers." Sebastian snapped, only to stare into the older man's patient eyes and sigh. "Alright, I'll take a break, just no tea!"

He was still recovering from his visit to the number one scholar. 

“Mn, I’m aware of your preference.” Elder Lu poured them a cup of aromatic coffee. “Those robes look good on you.”

“You say that like I’m not wearing my usual clothes.” Sebastian dryly commented. “Nice try, though.”

"Yes, you found an unusual workaround." Elder Lu seemed pained at the admission as he looked at Sebastian's clothes, the same ones he had arrived in, only now they were the same greyish white as the rest of the uniforms. “It irks me that they look proper yet are not in code.”

“And that right there fuels me.” Sebastian’s lips curved up in friendly spite. “Keep feeling like that.”

Elder Lu’s brow twitched. “You realize I can justify assigning you to latrine cleaning duty, yes?"

“Yet you won’t.” Sebastian carelessly grabbed a new scroll and looked it over.

“Oh? And why is that?” Elder Lu asked in intrigue.

“You enjoy the banter.” Sebastian pointed the scroll at him, then tossed it into the useless pile and grabbed another.

“Ohoho.” Elder Lu ran his hand through his beard. “I always enjoy your keen eye, White.”

“You don’t have many people willing to talk to you casually, do you?” Sebastian looked over the edge of the scroll at the older man, meeting his gaze without fear. "The status gets to you?"

“I admit it can be tiring at times.” Elder Lu seemed to pout, as much as a buff old man could anyway. “I do love my work and the benefits, but yes, it is nice to chat casually now and then.”

“And that’s why you won’t punish me.” Sebastian tossed the scroll in a pile and yawned. “You need someone to take you down a few pegs.”

“I believe I said I wasn’t interested in you that way, my boy.” Elder Lu calmly sipped his drink with a winning grin.

It was Sebastian’s turn for his brow to twitch as he shot the old man a dirty look. “You have a filthy mind.”

“It comes with age, I’m afraid.” Elder Lu calmly sipped his coffee like he wasn’t a sexual deviant. “To seek new experiences is the meaning of life.”

“And that’s where our break time stops." Sebastian downed his cup like a shot glass and got up. "This was fun; let's not do it again."

“In such a rush to return to work?” Elder Lu was equally amused and bemused. “I’ve never seen someone as efficiently studious as you, yet so equally uncaring for so many branches of knowledge.”

“What can I say?” Sebastian plopped back down on his cushion and turned away to grab the next scroll. "You can call me a scholar, but while I agree with what a true scholar should be, I've never really thought of myself as one. If something interests me, I'll pursue it to the ends of the world; if it doesn't, it's meaningless to me. I do it to fulfill a purpose, not for the sake of it."

“And that’s what I find so refreshing.” Elder Lu chuckled and stood, retrieving the tray as he did so. “I wish you luck on your search, White.”

“Thanks, Old Man.” Sebastian waved over his shoulder, a note of genuine warmth in his tone. “Don't think I don't realize how many rules you're breaking to let me stay down here. I always return the favor, remember that.”

“I’ll look forward to it then.” Elder Lu sent him a fond look and left with a shake of his head. ‘As if our dear Pontiff would stand for you wasting your time on guard duty.’

Sebastian returned to his work, idly sorting through the scrolls for the knowledge he'd long sought. 'Why can't things ever be simple?'

He had been scouring the library for weeks and had barely made a dent in its vast expanse of scrolls.

'Cultivating wisdom, my ass. Who collects this much knowledge and doesn't even have a librarian?!' Sebastian gritted his teeth and took a deep breath. 'Am I forever cursed with libraries? There isn't even a bloody catalog classification for topics; it's all just meshed together!'

The library was massive, with thousands of years of information collecting dust. Yet it was just piled one atop another without care or thought.

'Elder Lu said it was like this before he took over. Someone centuries ago threw things in without thought; others picked up the habit, and no one bothered to clean up since. And now the effort to categorize it isn’t worth the time.’

It wasn't that Elder Lu didn't see the worth in the act, but it was more that they didn't have anyone at the branch capable of doing it.

A large portion of Spirit Hall was, if not illiterate, wholly uninterested in scholarly pursuits. They would rather fight than read.

And the smaller percentage of those with scholarly interests were too proud to lower themselves to a degrading task, as Sebastian was told by Hao and Tabu during the weekly Snap tournament that had started up in the temple.

‘Frankly, the easy dismissal of knowledge is just sad. How much is lost to history, somewhere in a cave, where no one can find it? How many times have humans reinvented the wheel?' Sebastian was feeling philosophical to distract himself from his annoyance.

It wasn’t that Sebastian wasn’t making progress, because he was.

He had two goals in joining Spirit Hall.

Find information on a Spirit Beast that can give him a Spirit Ring with the exact effect he was looking for.

And find information on the language of symbols he saw in Spirit Rings with his Martial Soul.

The first was harder than it seemed. ‘It’s not that there aren’t mental cleansing rings, but each one I find is too far off the mark of what I need.’

There were thousands, possibly tens of thousands, of species of Spirit Beasts.

More were undocumented than documented. And the search was still on for the one he felt was right.

The second task, on the other hand, was bearing surprising fruit.

‘Xiaogang is too naive. Spirit Artifact crafting is not a lost art; it’s just a rare art that all these factions are hogging.’ Sebastian mentally scoffed.

From what he could find, the top clans, nations, and sects in the world all have information on how to make artifacts with Soul Power; it's just that it's a complicated art, and anyone who shows skill in it is either gobbled up by a power or eliminated while they're weak. 'Not that I can blame them; the things one can do with artificing are endless. Yet what they are doing with it hurts me.'

Sebastian was somewhat disgusted with how things had devolved in this world.

“Penny for your thoughts?” A sudden voice broke Sebastian’s train of thought.

He looked up from his seat and found a rain of rose-pink hair falling over him. "Bibi?"

“Long time no see, White.” Bibi smirked down at him; her flawless features barely hidden behind her veil. “Thought I’d drop in while I was around.”

“Oh, is that what you’re calling it?” Sebastian asked, lightly tugging on a strand of pink hair. "Your hair smells good."

“Don’t sniff it!” Bibi slapped at his hand with a pout.

“Don’t stick it in my face then.” Sebastian shrugged and didn’t bother turning to face her as he kept working. “Still being a pervert, I see.”

Bibi’s eyes narrowed. “I have half a mind to punt you into a wall, White.”

“I’m too handsome to get punted.” Sebastian puffed out his chest.

“That’s not an argument.” Bibi countered.

“I wasn’t arguing.” Sebastian smirked.

Bibi snorted and pulled over a cushion to sit beside him, the act somehow coming off as naturally imperious even in such a simple setting. "I haven't been disrespected like that in a long time."

“Uhu.” Sebastian absentmindedly replied. “Is it disrespect if I’m honest?”

Bibi floundered for a moment. “Something tells me everything about you is disrespectful.”

Sebastian raised a finger and then shook his head. “I can’t argue with that.”

“I wasn’t arguing.” Bibi shot his words back at him.

Sebastian grinned and looked over at her, her pink eyes illuminated in the glow of the spirit lights. “I’ve got a bone to pick with you, Bibi.”

“And whatever for, I wonder?” She matched his look with an amused glance.

“This.” Sebastian pulled out the tablet. “You didn’t tell me how much power it had.”

“And let it go to your head?” Bibi raised a delicate brow. “It was more amusing to wait and see how you would use it.”

“I got tormented by Elder Lu.” Sebastian shamelessly threw the old man under the bus.

“Ah, he’s still up to his old tricks then?” Bibi tittered unrestrained. “He got me in my younger years as well.”

“So, he’s always been a troll?” Sebastian sighed and rubbed his brow. “Figures.”

“A troll?” Bibi tilted her head curiously. “How does he relate to one of those ugly creatures?”

“It’s a slang term.” Sebastian casually explained. “It means intentionally antagonizing others for personal amusement, the same way a troll is unpleasant to be around."

“How apt.” Bibi rolled the word on her tongue and chuckled. “I might have to use that one more often.”

“Be my guest.” Sebastian looked at her hopefully. “Do you mind making the old man’s life difficult for me?”

“Now, now, I doubt he was that bad.” Bibi tutted.

Sebastian tossed the scroll into a pile. “He made a joke about pegging like twenty minutes ago.”

Bibi paused. “…I’ll talk to him.”

“Thank you.” Sebastian’s eyes fell on the tablet. “So, you’re some big shot around here then?”

“In a manner of speaking.” Bibi seemed amused as she leaned on the table and looked over Sebastian's work. "But let's not focus on that. It looks like you're expanding your crafting knowledge?”

“You knew I was a crafter?” Sebastian looked over curiously. “I don’t recall mentioning that before.”

“You should have known it would get out.” Bibi gently chided him for his lack of forethought. “Especially when you openly used it outside of Spirit Hall’s walls.”

“Ah.” Sebastian’s expression fell flat as he realized when. “Xiaogang?”

"Mhm." Bibi's face twitched at the name, but she went on without missing a beat. "He has made a few inquiries with local groups about the knowledge you left him.”

Sebastian groaned and ran a hand over his face. "Is it odd that I both regret and don't regret meeting him?"

Bibi’s lips twitched in wry amusement. “Funny, I often feel the same way.”

“I thought you didn’t know him?” Sebastian hummed.

“I said I didn’t particularly know him now, not that I didn’t know him before.” Bibi’s voice trailed off in thought.

“And has he changed since you knew him?” Sebastian asked distantly and was met by hard eyes that softened as she gazed at him.

“No, he hasn’t changed at all.” Bibi gritted out.

“That’s sad.” Sebastian shook his head, his genuine reply causing the woman to relax. “He’s a good man, just a depressing one.”

"Indeed." Bibi smiled and leaned a bit closer to him. "Enough of old tales. How goes your studies?"

“Mixed.” Sebastian grunted.

“Oh, how so?” Bibi read over his shoulder.

“I’m equal parts fascinated as I am disgusted.” Sebastian held it for her to see.

“I’ll need a bit more context than that, White.” Bibi tapped his head as if to make him explain better.

“I’m getting there, Bibi.” He shot her a look, and she held up her hands playfully. “I feel like I’m seeing a beautiful painting that was ripped into pieces, had the pieces drawn over by children, and then had wars fought over said drawn-over pieces."

"An amusing example." Bibi laughed openly and pointed toward the large pile of roughed-up, highly valuable scrolls. “However, I hope you have an actual story behind it.”

“This.” Sebastian pointed at the scroll in his hand. “All of this.” He pointed around them. “Do you know what all this tells me?”

Bibi looked around and hummed. “That we need a horde of librarians?”

"Well, yes." Sebastian admitted. "But that's not my point. All of this points to a larger legacy. These scrolls in particular." He pointed at the valuable pile. "They have bits and pieces of knowledge of a crafting art that was once beautiful, yet it had been taken apart and savaged by time."

Bibi’s amusement shifted to genuine contemplativeness. “You believe Spirit Artifact crafting has fallen with time?”

"It's done more than fall. It's regressed." Sebastian sighed and pulled out a scroll listing clan names. "Look at these renowned crafting masters that are around today. Do you recognize them?”

Bibi’s gaze hardened on the names. “I am familiar with the dusty old relics.”

"Ah, bone to pick, huh? Can't blame you; clans are far too regressive." Sebastian shook his head and pointed at the list. "The Strength Clan has blacksmiths who can only use two Spirit Runes. Or this Elephant Armored Clan, famous for its defensive armor crafts. These and more; all of these clans are masters of no more than one or two Runes; they spit on an art form for singular, applicable uses. And these are the people that get called masters.”

“You do realize most of these clans are warring or in a state of readiness for war, yes?” Bibi pointed out, staring at him in open fascination. “They have other priorities.”

“While I can respect that some things take precedence, it’s no excuse for regression to this extent. I’ve witnessed a society that did it before, and I’m seeing the same pattern again.” Sebastian frowned at the comparison.

How far had the wizarding world fallen from its apex? When Egyptians and Greeks had the power to proclaim themselves gods in history books? When magical species were known for more than being bankers and cheerleaders for Quidditch?

The picture being painted in the world of cultivation was much the same, except it was with a singular art form that lost its meaning along the way.

Bibi felt her stomach flutter at the passion in Sebastian’s voice and outwardly chuckled coolly. “Hm, it seems like each time I speak with you, my views will end up being opened."

“You’re welcome.” Sebastian lightly bonked her on the head with a scroll.

“Ah, and there’s the shamelessness.” Bibi’s eye twitched.

Sebastian shrugged, unaware of how many times the woman could eviscerate him in a second. “It’s a package deal, I’m afraid.”

“Whatever shall I do?” Bibi leaned her chin on a palm and stared at him. “If you recognize a decaying form of knowledge, what do you wish to do?”

“Rip it off and use it to my own ends, of course.” Sebastian casually admitted.

“Pft.” Bibi turned away to laugh. “You don’t wish to share your knowledge with the world?”

“What am I, a revolutionary?” Sebastian scoffed and leaned back. “Don’t put such heavy burdens on me. I’m just a guy who does whatever I need to do to achieve my goals and interests.”

“Yet you’re openly guiding a faction anyway.” Bibi pointed a manicured finger at the piles of scrolls. “Or are you dividing the truth from the fiction out of personal interest?”

“You have an odd habit of trying to make me sound noble.” Sebastian sent her an odd look. “Any reason for that?”

“Who knows?” Bibi’s eyes curved in amusement. “So, what selfish reason will you hide behind now?”

“The one where I’m OCD.” Sebastian held up a hand to stop her question. “I feel an inner compulsion to keep the trash away from the truth. Those." He pointed at the largest pile. "Like I told Elder Lu, it should either be burned or used to trade with enemy factions you want to destabilize. While these.” He pointed at the smaller piles. “Are actually useful knowledge for the art of Spirit Craft.”

“Hm, I quite like that idea.” Bibi’s eyes flashed with a hint of ruthless appreciation. “I might suggest it to my superiors.”

“Feel free.” Sebastian waved lazily. “It’s not like I’m giving you new knowledge; do what you want with your own property."

'Oh, you don't know how valuable you are, White.' Bibi's eyes locked onto the young man with an inner purr of satisfaction. “If that’s how you justify it, I’m not inclined to argue with you.”

“As you shouldn’t.” Sebastian nodded confidently.

"On the topic of things to be grateful for." Bibi leadingly began and got Sebastian's interest. "I owe you thanks for your hint about enemies with Mental Dominance abilities."

“Wait, what?” Sebastian blinked.

“When you spoke of your issues with your female friend.” Bibi’s voice took on a darker tone. “I had some people look into similar situations, and I find myself appalled by just how much was flying under the radar.”

Which was a light way of saying that the Supreme Pontiff was apocalyptic in her rage.

“I…” Sebastian trailed off and awkwardly scratched his cheek as he realized the misunderstanding. “You’re welcome, I guess? I only have an issue with a specific group.”

"And I have an issue with the very concept." Bibi carefully controlled her Soul Power so it didn't shake the temple around her. "If I find it, I will stamp it out, permanently."

Something about the ruthlessness in Bibi’s voice attracted Sebastian’s attention in a way that he knew wasn’t healthy.

“Godspeed then.” Sebastian distracted himself by raising a quill like a pretend sword between two fingers. "Give unto them no mercy."

“I don’t plan on it.” Bibi’s cold exterior melted under the amusing sight. “Yet, I still owe you my thanks.”

“Don’t mention it.” Sebastian shook his head. “I never cared for lives unrelated to me, but I’ll raise a toast to the death of such people.”

“I think I can do better than a toast.” Bibi’s voice was warm as she reached into her robes and pulled out a scroll. “I believe you mentioned you were looking for a specific Spirit Ring?”

Sebastian's hand froze mid-note on a scroll. "Bibi, don't play with me."

“Who said I was playing?” Bibi smiled wider at the sheer focus in Sebastian’s gaze as he locked on the scroll in her hand. “Why would I play with something so valuable to a friend?”

“Is that what we are?” Sebastian’s gaze switched to her eyes. “Friends?”

“I’d like to hope so.” Bibi’s confidence flagged a bit in uncertainty. “Is this not friendship?”

“Perhaps it is.” Sebastian held her gaze a moment longer before his lips curved up. “I was never the best at making friends.”

“I find myself in similar shoes.” Bibi admitted.

“Then we’re friends.” Sebastian stretched out his hand.

“Mn.” A soft smile spread on her face beneath her veil as Bibi reached out and took his hand.

“Bibi.” Sebastian spoke gently.  

“Yes?” She asked in a daze.

“Are you going to stop waving the damn scroll in the air and give it to me already?” Sebastian tried to grab at it and failed each time.

Bibi’s illusion cracked as she huffed. “That’s not a nice way to ask for things.”

“You said it was a gift.” Sebastian missed another grab. “And why are you so fast?”

“I’m fast because I’m better than you.” Bibi’s hand moved faster than he could follow. “And that is no excuse for manners.”

Sebastian finally gave up with a totally not-pout on his face. “What happened to not playing with me?”

“Oh, White.” Bibi’s eyes took on a predatory gleam. “Whatever gave you the impression I was playing with you?”

Sebastian raised a brow. “Experience with sociopathic sexy women with pink hair?”

That line actually made Bibi pause. “You’re making that up.”

“Bibi.” Sebastian brushed off his shoulder and sat tall. “There is nothing I’m more confident in.”

The sheer assuredness in his voice made Bibi pause long enough for Sebastian to twitch his fingers and summon the scroll from her surprised grasp without Soul Power.

“What was that?” Bibi’s eyes widened.

Sebastian shamelessly looked away. “What was what?”

“That.” She pointed.

Sebastian popped the scroll's lid. "No idea what you're talking about."

Bibi narrowed her eyes. “White.”

“Bibi.” He side-eyed her gaze in challenge.

“Very well.” She understood the unspoken gauntlet. “I’ll figure it out myself.”

"You have fun with that." Sebastian ignored the pout that could start or end wars and ripped open the scroll to read the contents. "This…"

"Jade Serenity Lily." Bibi found her footing and sat tall once more, drawing on her knowledge. "A plant-type Spirit Beast in the Demora Fall region marked on the map. They typically never surpass two or three thousand years for Spirit Rings, so it should be perfect for a third Spirit Ring."

“This is it.” Sebastian read the scroll three times in succession, memorizing each detail of the Spirit Beast, the effects of its ring, and its location. “This is it!” He threw his arms up in a cheer.

“I’m glad you like it.” Bibi smiled at his exuberance. “Although, I should warn you that-”

Bibi was cut off as Sebastian threw himself at her in a hug. “Bibi, thank you. Truly.”

She froze at the sudden physical contact. "Um…"

He pulled back and gripped her shoulders, staring her in the eyes, his mismatched gaze hypnotizing her. "I've been searching this library for weeks, that damn philosopher’s library for weeks more, and I'll admit I've been getting desperate."

Desperate was a foreign word to Sebastian.

He didn't do desperation.

He acted and pushed forward with sheer will, unafraid of death or consequence, even if he recognized both.

But since he discovered the shard in his head, he'd felt vulnerable, and the weight of knowing Nym's future depended on him finding a solution was eating away at him.

"This is more than repayment." Sebastian stated firmly. "I owe you a debt now. If you need me, call on me, and I'll answer."

He swore to the stunned woman, who could only nod. "O-ok."

“Good.” Sebastian nodded, completely missing her mood, and turned to grab his stuff. “Alright, I gotta go. Thanks again, Bibi! Let’s talk soon!”

Sebastian crossed the intervening distance between his desk and the exit fast enough to make Elder Lu, who was on his way to troll… educate a new batch of recruits from the nearest academy, pause in surprise as he stared at the dust trail extending into the distance.

'He must have needed the bathroom.' The elder nodded at the logic and carried on with his important tasks.

Meanwhile, Bibi was still sitting right where Sebastian left her, a flush on her cheeks as she took in the fact that someone, a man at that, dared to actually touch her, let alone hug her. ‘Oh, White… wait, White.’

Bibi blinked as she realized she hadn't finished her warning to her friend about the dangers of his destination. “Ah, I’m sure he’ll manage. He’s a capable man.”

0000

“This…” Half a day later, Sebastian stood before a ravine leaking visible corruption as demonic screeches echoed in the air. “Might be a problem.”

Chapter End.

AN: Hope you enjoyed! Next time - Sebastian struggles and decides to recruit some help of the stabbing variety.