He Xi accepted the envelope Madam Cassandra handed him. The paper was thick and lightly textured, clearly not the cheap straw paper ordinary households could afford.
He lowered his eyes to the wax seal over the flap.
A three-masted sailing ship cutting through the waves, its sails full, its lines smooth and forceful.
The emblem of the Tidal Trade Union.
He Xi's heart stirred, and he almost instantly guessed where this letter had come from.
"Thank you."
Madam Cassandra smiled and waved her hand, then turned and returned to the courtyard.
He Xi did not open the letter immediately. Instead, he hurried toward Teacher Fivik's Magic Staff Shop.
The Magic Staff Shop was empty.
Though he knew this teacher of his had always liked sleeping in, as her apprentice—and an equally seasoned expert at sleeping in—He Xi clearly had no standing to say anything.
He found a chair and sat down with practiced ease before taking the letter from his robes.
Peeling away the dark-blue wax seal, he let two sheets of paper slide out of the envelope.
One was the Tidal Trade Union's standard formal stationery. The other was pale pink letter paper carrying a faint scent of lavender.
He Xi unfolded the formal sheet first.
It was a standard business letter from the Tidal Trade Union, stamped with the union's official seal. The contents were simple: it confirmed that a sum of 103 Gold Shields had been remitted through the Adventurer Guild's channels. With the designated proof of identity, the recipient could collect it at any large Adventurer Guild within the Emerald Federation.
He Xi raised a brow, set that sheet aside, and picked up the fragrant one.
To the goblin who saved my life:
I'll call you that for now. After all, in your eyes, there's nothing