Sure, there was nothing they could do to him or his family but it would still hurt his reputation. Based on what Professor Vastor told him, many nobles were probably out for his blood.
He couldn’t afford to risk for the rumors to turn into mass hysteria, giving those old farts a pretext to doubt his integrity, or even worse get him expelled. The fifth year was the last one he had to pretend to be a normal mage. After that, he could just reveal to be a "genius" magician, just like the Magi of the past.
’I’m really sorry about yesterday. I knew I shouldn’t have eaten so much.’ Solus said.
’Don’t worry about it. A little fasting has never killed anyone. How was sleeping?’
’Incredible.’ She replied. ’All of my stress and worries feel so distant now. It’s like being born anew. I even dreamed a little, I think. Too bad I can’t remember anything.’
Lith nodded while crossing the dimensional corridor to his destination, a few kilometers away. When the shop’s door opened, the little bell above it chimed, alerting Vexal of a potential customer.
"Welcom..." The baker almost choked on his words when he recognized Lith. He was dressed like a farmer, with a simple brown shirt and pants, but looked nothing like one. His clothes were pristine, without one spot on mud and so were his shoes.
Vexal looked through the window, noticing that the snow outside was still immaculate.
"I’d like five loaves of bread and twenty pastries, thanks."
Vexal had prepared a speech, hoping to make him feel guilty for his lack of sympathy towards someone less fortunate than him. Brina was the same age as Tista after all, and they both suffered from their condition.
How could he be so insensitive despite knowing the pain she was going through?
Yet he was unable to speak. Lith exuded a cold aura that sent a shiver down Vexal’s spine despite the heat coming from the oven in the backroom. There was something wrong with him. He managed to move over the squeaky old floor without making a noise.
’Why the heck does he say nothing?’ Lith was surprised by Vexal’s meek attitude. Usually he doesn’t hide his hostility.
’Opps! Sorry, I’m out of practice.’ Solus explained.
’I forgot about having to cut down the killing intent you emit naturally. Since your last two breakthroughs, you always mix a bit of darkness magic with your usual glare whenever you are angry.
Mages don’t notice it because their mana flow protects them from it, but normal humans are weaker.’
Once Solus took action, Vexal discovered to have held his breath until that moment. Lith didn’t look like a ferocious beast anymore, he was back being an annoying prick.
"Can I get my food? I don’t have all day." Lith snorted.
Vexal inwardly cursed at himself, handing over the bread and the pastries as efficiently as he could.
With a single wave of the hand, Lith made the goods on the counter disappear in the pocket dimension, replacing them with the money at the same time.
"I owe you nothing and I like things as they are." Lith sneered at him.
"You should have thought about it when I was starving, not now that I have enough money to have a bakery of my own. Keep your fake kindness for yourself, or I’ll shove your bulls*it right where it came from. Who knows, you may even like it."
"Lith? Is that you?" Brina’s voice came out of the backroom, soon followed by the sound of quick steps that announced her arrival.
"Hi, Brina. Have you considered my offer?" Lith’s voice was calm, but lacked any warmth. He was neither hostile nor friendly towards her.
Brina was carrying a basket of bread with her right arm, always covered by a long glove, while her face and left arm were dusted with flour. She wore a net over her air and was smiling a lot.
"Yes, of course. How much is it?"
"One silver coin for the whole skin. Five silver coins for each finger."
The idea of losing sixteen silver coins at once made Vexal’s heart skip a beat.
"That’s it?" Brina sighed in relief, making her father inwardly curse at her.
’Ask for a discount, you damn woman! If you flaunt our money, he will find an excuse to raise the price even more!’
"When you can start?"
Lith had actually asked much more than Professor Vastor suggested, to leave some space for negotiations. The outcome was a pleasant surprise.
’I could ask for more, but it’s better to shear a sheep rather than butchering it.’ Lith thought.
"Not today, I already have another client scheduled. Is tomorrow fine with you?"
"Yes." She nodded, incapable of hiding her surprise. "How did they find you so fast?"
"Word travels fast. Plus I’m that good." Lith gave her a thumbs up.
"I need you to be perfectly rested, so take it easy today. Also, the procedure will take a toll on you. Before we start, eat as much as you can. You’ll need energy. Remember I’m a healer, not a miracle worker."
Lith walked out the door, disappearing from sight before it closed behind him. Vexal and Brina looked out of the window almost at the same time. The snow on the porch was still immaculate.
"Dad, do you think the blacksmith is right? Is he really a god?"
"Zekell Proudhammer is just like my chamber pot, full of sh*t." Vexal wanted to spit out of disgust just by hearing that name, but managed to stop in time.
He hated the blacksmith’s guts. Ever since Rena had become part of his household, Tista would always treat them first and for free while Vexal had to stand in line like an idiot.
During the city assemblies, Zekell would always have his way, getting to pay fewer taxes compared to others simply by casually mention Lith or his daughter in law. To make things worse, the blacksmith always flaunted the enchanted tools he bought from Lith, saying they were all presents.
Unbeknownst to Vexal, it was a lie. Lith only gave presents to Rena while Zekell exchanged with him precious metals to get what he wanted.
Before going back home, Lith went to Rena’s house. Giving her some sweets, a few potions and checking on her and the baby, just to be safe.