A Person whose Job is to keep Records of financial Affairs

Working as an accountant's assistant naturally comes with many benefits. It's comparatively easy work that only strains the mind, so my childlike body doesn't pose an issue here. I get paid according to the work I get done, so there's no issue there either. I even get a 'free' writing course after hours. But I still have a few issues with this gig.

For one, there's not as much work as I'd like. I can only at best spend two hours each day at Jesha's side until he runs out of things for me to do. While I might be one of the better-paid slaves in this city right now if you go by an hourly basis, those two hours certainly aren't enough to feed the three of us, not even close.

Simply making up that deficit by 'borrowing' more from the human quarter is most likely not going to be an option for much longer. After a year or two more of continued thieving, they've actually started building up a wall with what little scrap they can gather. Getting in, and even more importantly out, is no longer something I can achieve quickly or reliably. This greatly increases the risk any expedition there carries. I'll have to start a soap stockpile while I still can. Though I have to say, I am impressed I managed to bring about such a huge change in the landscape, with me being the reason a physical barrier is now a necessity.

I'll have to think about other ways to feed us...

The other issue with this work, one I have to admit I didn't think about at all, is how all this makes me look. Those two daily hours of work I spend at the market, in the building where the supplies are distributed, I write down transactions in a ledger. Sitting right next to Jesha. For all elves to see in plain sight. Furthermore, they have no choice but to come here almost daily if they don't wish to starve or die of thirst. Sitting on the other side of that table, I now work as a part of the system that oppresses them.

While my standing with elven-kind as a whole had already been pretty bad due to my human blood, this has only confirmed their assumptions that I am nothing but a dirty human at heart. While I don't personally care what they think about me, demonising me is going to bite me in the ass sooner or later. Isha just seems sad at the whole situation, clearly dissatisfied by me working with a human. Yet she still understands we don't really have many different options right now. Both she and I just have to hope they don't go after Eleanor or Rinah because of this...

Just as I assumed, spending time with Jesha is a great way to gather information. I am learning quite a lot about Lun'roco and my employer due to my work and a few quirks the man himself possesses.

Not wanting to waste ink, he uses old ledgers of his work for the city as examples when teaching me new words related to the work. He most likely assumes I wouldn't be able to glean anything of worth from them anyway, but I most definitely can! Lun'roco is a city that, based on these books, only truly possesses two things of worth; however, those two are in abundance: salt and water.

The salt I already knew of; the entrance from the mine is not far from where I am sitting right now.

Water, however, came as a surprise. Due to the sandy terrain and unbearable heat, I just assumed we were located in a desert. Based on the fact this city sells their water, with high margins I should add, I concur Lun'roco was built around an oasis, selling water and salt to merchants, who in turn bring slaves and everything else one would need to run a city. Jesha even confirmed as much when I indirectly asked him, masking my true intent with just childlike curiosity.

"The guild had used the oasis here as a stopping point for caravans ever since merchants started crossing this desert. When one of them found the mine by coincidence, 20 years ago, Master Zareth took it upon himself to establish a city here to exploit that very fact."

Jesha is a truly curious man. He cares about nothing but efficiency and results. So if he believes something would increase said efficiency for either himself or those under him, he will do it no matter how outlandish and weird it might seem. This might also be the reason he even entertained the idea of training a slave like me at all.

That fact is further demonstrated with his opinion on breaks. Jesha understands that if someone were to work all day long without any breaks, he would get less done than if he had taken a few breaks. Thusly whenever he takes a look at his watch and notices 90 minutes of work or learning have gone by, he takes a short break. And he forces me to join him, of course.

During these breaks he always strikes up a conversation, the topics being most benign. If he's in a good mood, he'll get himself a snack from one of the drawers at the desk in his room. If he's in a truly great mood, he even shares some with me. I've had a few cookies, a few honeyed nuts and even fresh fruit from this man.

One could assume he's the one reincarnated from another world, the way he staunchly advocates for worker welfare, if only in pursuit of even more efficiency. These short 15-minute breaks are a true highlight of my day, even if he doesn't give out candy to me. For this is the time I can truly gain information. If I ask with childlike whimsy in my eye, he answers basically every question I ask.

"What is this guild you keep speaking of, Master Jesha?"

"I am talking about the Gryphone Merchants Guild. An association of merchants founded a few cities over to the north; they were a smaller outfit until the war. I too am part of them."

Of course he is. This war he mentioned is the same one Mother mentioned, the one 40 years ago, right?

"What war?"

"40 years ago, a bit before my time, a great war broke out between the humans of the Colmare kingdom and the elves of the great forest. They've been at each other's throats for a long time and had already fought much in the past. This time, however, they both entreated their allies to join them in this battle. Do you know what it means to 'entreat' someone?"

He uses this history lesson as a way to check my vocabulary, quite like him. Talking about things before his time – based on his looks, I'd assume him to be in his early thirties maybe. I'll ask him some other time; this strain of conversation is too valuable to divert it to something else. Isha's hatred for both all of humankind and Jesha threatens to overtake me though. The war is a touchy subject for her after all, and hearing this man talk so nonchalantly about it kind of pisses me off as well. But to answer him like he wants:

"It means to ask someone earnestly for something, right?"

"Correct. They both called their allies to their side, turning their small feud into a bloody battle, the likes of which the world hadn't seen before. During that very same war, our guild started manufacturing a new kind of weapon, an alchemical black powder that explodes when ignited. What does it mean to ignite something?"

Black powder that explodes – that is most certainly gunpowder or something quite like it. This certainly contextualises what kind of fire and thunder rained from the skies when the world tree burnt. So humans have developed the secret of firearms as a means to contest elven magic. And judging by the history I am being told now, they were rather successful in doing so.

"To cause something to catch fire. What does 'explode' mean? And how do you make a powder that does that?"

He gives a hearty laugh.

"It means it makes a wave in the air that knocks things away with quite a bit of force. And I don't know how it is produced. If I did, I'd be a much more important man; only the higher-ups of the guild and those involved in its creation know the recipe. This monopoly on the black powder is what made our guild so rich these past years. I didn't tell you what a monopoly is yet, did I? That is when..."

With that, he spent the rest of this break trying to explain to this ten-year-old child what a monopoly is, though with me already knowing that, I just feigned interest and zoned out. While I also used to zone out during chemistry class, I think I still remember enough to figure out how to make gunpowder if I spent some time testing things out. Something to keep in mind for a later date, once we've escaped the city.

Alright, the 15 minutes are over; time to get back to studying...

These breaks really do wonders; I feel both motivated and able to continue learning now. I would be, at the very least, if someone weren't knocking at the door to the study right now.

"Come in."

A guard enters. Can't say I've seen this one before...

"Factor Jesha, we've just received word that an official from the guild will be coming to inspect the town. By orders of Master Zareth, you are to make the adequate preparations."

"I've received your message; you are dismissed."

While the guard takes his leave, the gears in Jesha's head start to rattle almost audibly.

"Say, child, how would you like to earn a bit more money?"

I do like the sound of money, but the way he phrased that gives me the creeps.

"What would you want from me?"

He grins from ear to ear, looking almost goofy. Wearing a jovial expression unlike any I've ever seen on his face before.

"I'll need you to accompany me beyond the gate; don't worry, I'll pay you well..."

Did this man just offer to take me outside?