After getting his uniform and Herta ID, Zeke left the academy grounds. His current state didn't permit him to train, so he was going to recover first, following Dr. Mathilda's advice.
Yet as he stepped on the streets, he didn't return to his apartment right away. He took a deep breath and walked along the streets of Ash City. Turning around the corner, he arrived in the alleyway where 'Solace Bar' was located.
Left alone in the infirmary, the momentary peace gave him the opportunity to think about his current situation properly. He discovered two problems that he needed to solve as soon as possible, or else, getting stronger was impossible.
Money and food.
The lack of money made his choices limited. If he didn't want to eat any of those nauseating expired canned foods or sleep on a hot and terrible bed, then money was something he absolutely needed to have.
Moreover, money was also essential for his diet and nutrition. The choice of food was extremely important to a ranker, especially to someone as young as him. For an optimized development plan, food with high protein or high carbs were non-negotiable.
His upbringing as a heir of one of the strongest Ranker families allowed him to know more about Rankers than most. Even before he awakened his class, he had already studied and memorized as many as a hundred classes and their skills.
He even formed an optimized training plan for himself depending on which kind of class he awakened.
But he didn't think those would be useful to him now since he awakened a gray-quality class, and the resources he needed for each of them were probably extinct in Red Land.
But in short, to get as strong as quickly as possible, Zeke needed a job!
When he realized he needed a job, the mere thought of it made him uncomfortable. He never thought he would ever take a job in his life, but fate was unpredicatble.
This led him to Solace Bar, where he met Mr. Sam.
The only person that Zeke could think of who could help him find a job was Mr. Sammy, the person who gave him a roof under a so-called a 'Red Land' favor.
Without hesitating anymore, he went right inside Solace Bar.
Clang!
When the door opened, it made a sound that took everyone's attention.
The first thing Zeke noticed when he entered was the absence of the swinging rhythm that caught his attention on his last visit. There were notably less people as well, which made sense as bars peaked during night.
He swept his gaze across the bar, seeing multiple seats, and only a handful of which were occupied. Hearing the sound of the bells, the customers also turned a glance and noticed him, surprise flashing in their eyes.
'He's not here…'
Zeke didn't see Mr. Sam among them. He shortened the man's name in his mind since Sammy was just plain awkward to pronounce.
With a small frown, he walked up to the bartender, a towering burly bronze-skinned man that looked like a warrior.
The bartender noticed him approaching, but didn't speak.
Zeke sat down on the far left corner, one seat before the last. He tapped the desk and glanced at the bartender. The bartender nodded slightly and walked over to his seat without a word, wiping a shot glass.
"Do you need anything, sir?"
Zeke considered his words carefully. After some thought, he asked in a low tone. "… I'm looking for Mr. Sammy. I heard from others that he often visits this place, do you know him?"
However, when the bartender processed his words, Zeke noticed a natural shift on the burly man's expression. Both apprehension and doubt flashed by the bartender's face, then concluded to a natural frown.
Zeke didn't notice it clearly before, but up front, it immediately became clear to him that the bartender in front of him wasn't simple in the slightest. A long scar ran down the bartender's left eye, stopping on the corner of his lips. The scar's large width showed that what marked it wasn't as simple as blade, instead Zeke's mind suggested it was an axe—one that was as big as the burly man's head.
That grotesque thought made him flinch slightly.
"Where did you come from? What's your association?" The bartender suddenly asked sharply. His face was terrifying, and his words felt as heavy and hot as a magma.
Zeke froze and couldn't help but be confused. "P-pardon?"
"Huh?" The bartender's frown deepened, but when he saw that Zeke's confusion was genuine. A thought crossed his mind, causing him to suddenly knock his temple.
He shook his head, then continued. "I'm sorry, but what do you need Mr. Sammy for?"
Zeke was silent for a moment. He shook his head and answered vaguely. "I'm looking for a job."
"A job?" The bartender's eyes widened slightly. His expression suddenly returned to a frown and his eyes began sizing up Zeke cautiously once more. But before his mind could run wild once more, he asked with hesitation. "How do you know Mr. Sam?"
"An acquaintance of mine referred him to me," Zeke answered with vigilance. "But what's with all these questions? Is Mr. Sam someone important?"
"Acquiantance?"
The bartender blinked, but before he could ask further, Zeke stopped him with a tinge of frustration. "Don't ask me who. I can't tell. If it's inconvenient to tell me where Mr. Sam is, then can you at least forward my message to him when he comes here?"
The bartender didn't answer him, looking at him quietly. He seemed to be deep in thought, but Zeke's patience had reached its limit. Just as he was about to stand up and leave the bar, the burly man spoke.
"Are you interested in being a bartender?"
Zeke was stunned. He quickly raised his head with vigilance and stared directly at the burly man, his eyes filled with apprehension and doubt, like an alert rabbit. Just moments ago the bartender was suspicious of him, then by some wandering realization, the man suddenly offered him a job.
"I thought you were looking for a job?" The bartender said calmly. "I can give you one. One of our bartenders recently left, and we're looking for someone to fill their spot."
Zeke took a moment to regain his composure. He couldn't help but ask, "Shouldn't the boss of the bar be the one deciding that?"
"I'm the boss." The bartender mused. "I'm Hullo Venogoma. How about you, what's your name kid?"
'Hullo…'
Zeke thought for a moment then answered calmly. "Zeke Crimson. I can take on the job, but I'm a student of Herta Ranker Academy. I have classes every day of the week, except Sunday. These classes also take most of my day, so if you're expecting me to fill in—"
"That's alright." Hullo said calmly. "Can you work in nightshifts? You can choose your schedule once you finish training. But you have to work at least four times a week, any lower than that, your pay will be below minimum."
Zeke didn't speak, looking at Hullo with a wary gaze.
Seeing his silent expression, Hullo added. "The pay is five-thousand crimson rubbles for a week."
'Five thousand…'
Zeke couldn't ascertain if that was high or not since he wasn't familiar with Red Land's economy. But even before Hullo mentioned the pay, he was already inclined to agree. He hadn't taken a job in his life, but even he could recognize the "generosity" of Hullo's terms.
It perfectly suited his situation—to be exact, it didn't feel like he was the one that wanted a job from Hullo, but it was Hullo who wanted him to take the job. But why? For a brief moment, hesitation clouded his mind, but then a quiet thought came to him like a wake-up call.
'I can't afford to be picky about what job I can have.'
Zeke knew for himself that he was an outsider in this place. He had no value whatsoever for people like Hullo to exploit on him, so his suspicions were as empty as his choices.
If he rejected Hullo here, the man might change his mind and pull back on the offer. It wasn't guaranteed that he could find better terms in other shops, this was why he wanted to ask Mr. Sam's advice in the first place.
Although Hullo was acting suspiciously, Zeke couldn't find a reason to not accept.
Before his thoughts could even reach a conclusion, his lips moved slowly.
"I accept."
Once he answered, Hullo suddenly pursed his lips in amusement.
'So it wasn't that kind of job… damn kid.'
He shook his head and complained.
"Alright, you're accepted. But next time… don't bring up Mr. Sammy's name casually. You're going to make people misunderstand."