It was on this day that Leon came to know that there were actually ten days in a week rather than the seven he had always known, but in truth, this really did not mean much to most commoners. Scholars liked to keep time by use of the calendar and the revolving moons and the Teachers used the measurement of days to plan lessons and annual events. Otherwise, it had to be said that beasts didn"t care what day of the week it was, they would still need feeding and their messes need cleaning up after, herbs beds still needed weeding and cultivating and people did not fall sick and require medicines on a schedule.n.o.bles did like to keep time, naming the weeks rather than the days, and making themselves seem more learned that the country b.u.mpkins they looked down on.
To Leon, considering for whom that the days and weeks had moulded into just pa.s.sing time, seeing as he had not bothered to keep track when he had so many more things to worry over in the beginning, the ten days were the total number of days Teacher Sagi had scheduled for him; for the first six days, Leon should go to the Herb Hall to greet his new Teacher and for the other four, he had time to do as he pleased. Apparently, this cycle of six work days, four rest days was normal at school... Leon just hadn"t known about it.
Before he learned what it was to be the direct disciple of a Teacher, however, there were others to be claimed by alchemist Teachers and students to shuffle between schools. For example, Merylin was due to enter the inner school, her alchemy talent was just to good for her to be left in the outer school. And Tor, Leon discovered, had transferred to the Beast Taming school, which was something he had desired from long ago.
When other Teachers discovered that Teacher Sagi had decided upon Leo, they were surprised. Yes, young Leo worked hard, but in the real world that boy was unlikely to develop into anything more than a junior alchemists a.s.sistant. He just did not have the talent for making pills. Granted, Teacher Corne had taken a liking to him because his pills were reliably consistent, there was no mix of high and low quality, meaning the man did not appear to play favourites when handing them out to students. And Teacher Volun considered him an anomaly for the same reason, but his pills were still just average. Teacher Sagi had simply smiled and was content with his choice.
So the day after Leon was taken under Teacher Sagi"s wing, became the day placements were announced. And due to the hard work that the students had all put in over the past few days, the four rest days would follow, allowing the transferred to settle into their new accommodations and graduates to move out and bid farewell.
Thus Leon woke up on the following day with no commitments on his time. However, that did not mean that he would be doing nothing.
Gathering together the good quality clear spiritual pills and cloudy spiritual pills as well as many improved one heart pills (though he kept a batch of these and the improved blood pills for himself) and headed to meet with Mino, hoping the kitchen boy could take him down the mountain. Unfortunately, he was unable to and would not be heading into town until Leon"s resting days were over.
"What are you doing?!" Maimai leapt upon his back, but with her weight and his unst.u.r.dy frame, he fell flat upon his face with her on top of him. "Oops! Sorry!" There is probably no point in mentioning the unhappy stares directed their way, even as Maimai climbed off of him.
Today, the girl was in a plain silk dress of jade green with a simple hair pin of the same colour attempting to hold her unruly curls. Leon climbed to his feet and dusted down his linen robes before answering. "I w-w-wanted t-to g-go into t-town," he mentioned. "B-but n-not sure how t-to g-get d-d-down there t-today."
"Hmmm," Maimai said, with a little thoughtful expression. "If it can wait until this afternoon, my sister and I will be heading to town to meet my father. He wanted to congratulate Merylin for getting into the inner school. You can ride on Piku with me!"
Leon wasn"t sure that Piku would be very happy about that, but agreed anyway. He could always stay at an inn, not wanting to impose on Mino"s family when his friend was not going to be there. "Shall I c-come b-back later," Leon asked, "and m-meet you here?"
"Or you can invite me to tea," Maimai said, cheekily. She leaned closer to his ear and whispered; "I don"t want Merylin to a.s.sign me any more ch.o.r.es, moving her things and arranging them for her, just because her maids aren"t here to do it for her!" Leon nodded sagely and the pair walked the distance towards his cottage and away from Merylin"s reach.