Master Of None

"Grand! Prize! Winner!" The woman gave a jump and rang a handbell to attract more attention. Walker even felt that the over the top reaction was just to attract more business to the game. " Congratulations on the top prize. Only three people have received it today!" The woman was very excited as she reached under the table for a small box. 

"Ooooooo, what di you win?" Remey was more excited than Walker was at this point while Gil was pretending not to care out of jealousy. 

"The grand prize today is an orange ruby necklace. It is a flawed ruby that doesn't fully develop. But, it is still valuable and very fitting for the season." The woman handed the opened box to Walker who couldn't resist using his all around appraisal skill. 

' Flawed ruby necklace

The red color has been lost due to small sand crystals getting mixed in to the gem while it developed. The orange color sets it apart from other rubies and it is easier to break than a normal ruby.. The refraction of light through the orange ruby miraculously comes out as yellow making it an interesting addition to any chandelier. These rubies are rarely found in mines unless they are in desert areas. Often sells for close to a hundred gold depending on the area it is sold in.'

"Who would have thought I would make back what we spent so easily. Thank you." Walker was pretty happy with the random game and the reward. He wasn't sure who he would give it to since it was purely decorative, however, it was a pretty great reward for a single gold coin. 

"Please play again. Tonight the prizes change!" The woman tried to bait them in to another round since they had won but Walker and the others knew that the kids would be leaving the maze at any time. 

"I should have guessed you would get the final prize. If you didn't tell us all the skills you received when you got them I would believe that our leader has a luck skill." Su was sure that Walker was just a generally lucky person. 

"I actually used my skills to sense the mana. The one with more water mana in it was the stick that had been painted. It was a really small amount more than the other wooden sticks but I wanted to test myself. I guess it worked." Walker was scratching his head slightly embarrassed since he was sure he would have failed. 

Gil gave a slight whistle, "That sounds pretty hard to do. Are you sure you aren't some sort of hidden master mage skills you aren't telling us about?' Gil was only joking but it was enough to make Walker turn even more red than he was a moment ago. 

"Ha! I'm the first out! I told you I would win." One of Remey's siblings broke out of the maze and spotted them in an instant. 

"Congrats, now we need to wait for everyone else. I hope Midnight and Onyx won't chase them out here too fast." The smile on Remey was brighter than usual while joking around. 

"After you establish the alchemy guild I think you should build an orphanage organization and work on adoptions." Su was very blunt with this which stunned everyone. She was usually a little more reserved but it was exactly what everyone else was thinking. 

"That's way too much for me. But...maybe when I retire." Remey knew it was many years away but it could be a very good gal to take on after she had her fill of the alchemy world. 

'Like you could ever retire. I can see you being double the age of the old master alchemist before you even think of taking an apprentice." Gil dodged a quick punch for Remey as he spoke. 

"I might take an entire class of apprentices. Not that apprentices will be a thing in the guild. The classes will be for everyone and there will be no divide of knowledge. If there are apprenticeships then it will limit what can and can't be taught." Remey had already tossed aside the idea of apprenticeships. She would prefer to model things differently. 

"That's how the military academy works then. They have strategy classes, classes for certain weapons, classes for healing. They can basically do anything. There are even military blacksmiths. But the requirement to join the military is why most people don't go to the academy. That and the gold cost is fairly high for most people." Walker knew all of this but had to speak his mind on the relation. 

"They can assist us then. I won't force anyone to join the military but it would be a good career option for some alchemists. The ones trained in the guild will be the best of the best." Remey proudly put her hands on her hips before she caught two more of her siblings running from the maze. 

With a slight growl, Midnight and Onyx chased the other giggling children from the maze. They rushed to Remey almost out of breath going on and on about escaping a monster trying to tickle them to death. "Alright alright! Time to rest and listen to music in the cathedral. Who wants to go meet Walkers' girlfriend!?" Gil shouted and caused Walker to punch his arm this time. Gil was not lucky enough to dodge but his words had focused the children toward the cathedral while also making Remey and Su laugh a bit. 

The moment they entered in to the cathedral everyone saw a miraculous change in the interior. The nuns must have worked all night to make the full switch from when the group was there last. "Oho, look who it is. I thought your letter told us to meet you in the square before the dancing began? I didn't think you would be visiting." The high priest was by the door greeting people in the same robes as usual. 

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