5 "The Diary of Wonders

Welcome back!

"Ohh Aqua, where were you?" Tien's mom asked with a raised eyebrow, 

"Well, I was nearby only, training at night," Aqua chuckled, "Hahahaha... Where is Tien?"

"Ohh, he went to pick the leaves for dinner," she replied nonchalantly, as if sending someone to fetch leaves was as normal as ordering pizza.

"What leaves? Really, are we gonna eat leaves?" Aqua's face scrunched up like he'd just bitten into a lemon.

"Yeah, don't worry, leaves are tasty. It's of the Lilith tree, everyone here eats the leaves," she said with a smile, her tone suggesting that 'Lilith tree leaves' were the new kale.

"Fine, if you say so, Miss," Aqua conceded, trying to hide his skepticism. "Ohh, don't call me Miss, call me Mother... I am like your mother only," she insisted, her hands on her hips like a superhero.

"What? Mother? No, no, I can't call her that. It's totally wrong because..." what Aqua thought of Tien's mom battled in his mind like a dramatic soap opera. "No, no, I can't call you Mother," Aqua said firmly. "Ohh, then call me by my name, Sherry."

"Ohh, Miss Sherry, yeah, that's fine," Aqua agreed quickly, relieved to avoid the 'mother' title. "Drop the Miss, don't be so formal, dear."

"No, no, I am using Miss to show respect, that's why. So please, let me call you Miss Sherry only." "Ahh, okay, if you say so...." Sherry sighed, giving in to Aqua's formality.

"I am back," Tien announced, returning home like a knight who'd just won a battle against a dragon. "Hi Aqua, what were you doing all day?" Tien asked, curious as a cat who'd just spotted a new box.

Aqua glanced at Tien, then at Sherry, and thought, "If only he knew the leafy ordeal I've been through..."

"Nothing, I was just training with Night," Aqua replied, trying to sound casual. "So, how was your day?"

"Ohh, well, I managed to catch a rabbit, but in that process, I got hurt and wounded myself," Tien chuckled, as if he'd won a prize for the most bizarre injury.

"What? Show me..." Aqua demanded, his curiosity piqued

Tien flashed the wound, and Aqua's eyes widened. "Oh my, let's visit the doctor; he will treat you right."

"What are you saying? Doc- what!" Tien looked as confused as a cat at a dog show.

"You don't know what a doctor is?" Aqua was flabbergasted. "No, never heard of it!" Tien shrugged, as if Aqua had just asked if he knew the moon was made of cheese.

"So, what do you guys do when you get an injury?" Aqua inquired, his mind racing.

"Well, if some noble guys got injured, then the healer will come to heal them, but it's a rare magic. As for the commoner, you can wash it and apply leaves of a plant, but apparently, the plant's season is still not here, so water is what we have," Tien explained, as if he was talking about the weather

"Ohh, what the hell is this!" Aqua thought. The medication facilities are the worst; it's non-existent for the common people here. .

Aqua opened his diary and wrote 'antiseptic cream and bandages.' "Well, I guess this might do the work."

Sherry and Tien saw Aqua writing things, and suddenly, mysterious items formed...

Aqua stood there, his diary in hand, as Sherry and Tien gawked at the newly materialized antiseptic cream and bandages like they'd just witnessed a chicken doing the moonwalk.

"WHAAAATTTTTTT!" they both exclaimed, their eyes nearly popping out of their sockets

Aqua saw them, then he saw the diary, then again saw them, and then he also shouted, "Whatttt!"

"Master has done it again," Night proclaimed, sounding as proud as a peacock presenting its first feather

"Aqua, what kind of sorcery is this?" Tien asked, his face contorted in shock, resembling a mime who'd walked into an invisible wall.

"Hmmm, crap, I forgot they were watching me. I was planning to keep the diary hidden, but... Well, you see, I got power that whatever I write with my hand, it will become true. It's called world magic; I founded this," Aqua confessed, feeling like a magician who'd accidentally revealed his secrets.

"You-u founded a new type of magic!" Tien was shocked, his voice hitting notes only bats could hear.

Sherry, overcome with awe, dropped to her knees, bowing deeply. "O divine being, forgive my ignorance for not recognizing your celestial nature

Tien followed suit, bowing his head. "Sorry, great being!

Aqua's face turned as red as a lobster in a boiling pot. "Ahh, shoot, can you guys stopppp, pleaseeee..." he pleaded, wishing he could write himself out of this awkward situation. And so, Aqua learned that sometimes, keeping a low profile is harder than inventing new magic, especially when your diary turns into a genie's lamp.

With a gentle touch, Aqua applied the antiseptic to Tien's wound.

"Ouchh, it hurts..." Tien winced, his voice a mix of surprise and agony.

"Shut up, your leg will be good," Aqua scolded lightly, wrapping the bandage around Tien's leg with the care of a seasoned medic.

"Wow, Aqua, I am again grateful for your kindness," Tien said, his gratitude shining through like sunlight after a storm.

"Let's just eat dinner; I am hungry," Aqua declared, his stomach rumbling like distant thunder.

"Ohh yeah, I forgot, hahaha, let's just eat; I am starving since the afternoon!" Tien agreed, his eagerness matching Aqua's.

"Mom, did the subedars come?" Tien inquired, his tone shifting to one of concern.

"No, but they will come sometime around; we better be prepared," Sherry responded, her voice carrying a weight of resignation.

"Subedar what?" Aqua asked, his confusion clear as crystal.

"Well, they are the people we pay tax to for the service of their soldiers. Lately, they are charging 55% of our profit, but we can't do anything; it's Majesty's order," Sherry explained, her words painting a grim picture of their reality.

"What the hell, 55%? Are you kidding me? We give 55% for those two soldiers who barely do their job? Why? I mean, those idiots don't even work, and 55% is exploitation," Aqua exclaimed, his outrage boiling over like a pot left unattended.

"I know, dear, but we are commoners; we can't do anything," Sherry sighed, her resignation hanging in the air like a heavy fog

As Sherry stood up and took the plate with her, Aqua caught a glimpse of a mark on her thigh.

"Oye Tien, what is that mark on Miss Sherry's leg? I saw the other day on your back too..." Aqua inquired, his curiosity piqued.

"Oh, that? It's a seal that is a mark to know the price," Tien explained, his voice a blend of acceptance and bitterness.

"What? Price?" Aqua's bewilderment was palpable.

"Well, you know, royalties can buy commoners if they want to, so it's a seal they put on your body. Like the red seal I have is of 1 gold coin. Any day if a noble wants to buy me, he needs to pay 1 gold coin to my mom or any of my associates. Similarly, Mother has a blue color seal, which means 10 gold coins. Then there is a yellow seal for 50 gold coins, a silver seal for 500 gold coins, and a gold seal for 1000 gold coins. The gold seal commoners are at the top..." Tien detailed, his tone a mixture of explanation and lament.

Aqua listened with disgust. "What kind of system have those fools created? Do they see everyone as their slave just because they are born as a commoner?"

"Well, apparently, yes, they see commoners as a tool for themselves, harsh reality," Tien said, his words echoing the stark truth of their world.