74 Mandy and Mindy

"There's nothing wrong with you." Dr. Marakovichi Von something-or-the-other, triple Master of Equinox Studies, Thermomagy and Meteoromagy, and retired captain of the Ashdale Royal Expeditionary Navy, made his verdict after twenty minutes of looking through all of Remian's reports.

"Then why all the tests?!" Remian burst out over the breakfast table.

"Their notes indicate that you kept saying something was wrong with your magic, and it was out of control, but all their tests say there's no problem at all." Dr. Mar pointed. "Therefore, they speculated and sent you on different tests to see if the problem lay elsewhere."

"In other words, they have no clue what the issue is?" Remian groaned out loud. "I spent a whole day and all my cash just to find out that they don't know?!"

Charlie barked a laugh. "You wouldn't even have found out that much if Dr. Mar hadn't explained it to you."

"These doctors are useless!!" Remian roared. All that time and money spent for nothing! NOTHING!

"Maybe not all doctors." Charlie's dad said, mindful that Dr. Mar was a doctor too.

"Like he said." Charlie agreed. "Maybe it's just that those doctors in the local hospital don't know. Maybe there's someone over at the Royal Hospital at the capital that might know. Otherwise, there are hospitals at Ecclesia with the best equipment and diagnosis machines… or one of those top hospitals in Libertaria with cutting edge new experimental technology…"

"Or you could try the Royal Navy." Dr. Mar added.

"What? Why?" Even Charlie drew a blank at that one.

"It's because I've heard of similar cases to yours. People suddenly having outbursts of power, largely increased but out of control, during episodes of emotional extremes." Dr. Mar mentioned.

"Really? Where?" Remian perked up.

"Like I said. The Royal Navy." Dr. Mar yawned. "Thing is, they weren't mages. That sort of story usually happens with martial experts, at least Slayer class or above. Something referred to as 'Soul Boost'."

"Is there a way to control it?" Remian asked at once.

"Isn't it obvious? Just learn to control your emotions." Dr. Mar shrugged. "Meditation helps. Every martial expert can tell you that."

"Magi use meditation too. We have a few books for that." Charlie said then. "They're not secrets or anything. You could borrow one."

"That's it?" Remian blinked. "Just like that? I went through a whole hospital of doctors and nobody could tell me what it was?"

Mindy, next to him, barked a laugh. "Why would they? As long as you kept looking for answers, you'd keep paying them."

"But shouldn't they give me what I paid for?"

"They did." Dr. Mar handed him back his thick stack of test results. "They gave you exactly what they billed you for. Also, it's possible they simply don't know about Soul Boost. It's not something one hears about outside of post-heavy combat situations and high level martialists don't usually go around telling the whole world about the secrets of their powers."

Remian groaned. "Still. It's a waste. I should have just given you that money instead."

"Yes, you should." Dr. Mar peered at Remian closely over the rim of his glasses. "You really should."

Charlie's dad cleared his throat. "I say, Dr. Mar, didn't you take a fancy to that bottle of Divine Red Wine I brought back from La Vive last time? It occurs to me that your wedding anniversary is just around the corner, and you would certainly find a better use and a greater appreciation for it than I…"

"Why, that would be so very thoughtful of you, Mr. Meadows! My wife and I must thank you in advance…"

They marched off together, leaving Charlie and Remian exchanging wordless grimaces at the breakfast table.

***

Meanwhile, Mandy and Mindy were getting into a full-blown argument.

It started as they were wrapping up their stories about each others' lives in recent days.

"Mandy, you have to see the new Guild Hall! It's just about done, and once we decorate it nicely, it's going to look awesome!" Mindy exclaimed.

But Mandy froze, eyes wide and staring into nothing. Then, she shivered.

"What's wrong?" Mindy asked.

"Mindy, I… I don't think I'm going to see it." Mandy said then. "I don't think I'm ever going back there."

"What are you talking about?" Mindy asked, confused. "Of course you're coming back with us! You're recovered already, right? You should come back with us tomorrow!"

"No!" Mandy jumped. "I… I can't! You can't make me!"

"What…?" Mindy didn't know what to say.

"It's safe here!" Mandy turned to her and grasped her shoulders. "Mindy! You should stay too!"

"Stay here? No way!" Mindy blurted. "I have an airship now! Two airships, in fact, and I'm going to have more! I'm going to be an airship captain… no, a Fleet Admiral!"

"But it's so dangerous! You can't stay at the Frontier your whole life!" Mandy said decisively. "No, no, you should stay here, and go to school, and learn to become a proper lady…"

"I'm not staying here!" Mindy shouted. "I'm going to lead a fleet of airships and travel all across the nations! Forget being a 'proper lady', I want to see the world!"

"I think I can get a job here…" Mandy went on, tapping her lips and looking at the ceiling. "Enough to pay for your schooling fees, at least. Think about it! You can go to class, and meet lots of friends in high society, and learn proper manners and etiquette…"

"I don't need any of that! I already own my own airships! You're not listening to me!" Mindy barked.

"Everyone should have a proper education. That's how we can live in civilized society…" Mandy nodded to herself, thinking back on all those lessons the tutors here gave the children in front of her. "Otherwise, what qualifications could you have? You'd be completely uneducated…"

For some reason, Mindy's face turned white and she had queer thoughts of shooting an XL Ballista at Mandy…

That was when the shouting started. One yell was met with another and before long people were running into the guest living hall to find out what all the ruckus was about.

Remian and Charlie arrived on scene in time to see Mandy and Mindy storming off in two separate directions with no one in the immediate vicinity having any clue as to what was going on.

"You get Mindy, I'll get Mandy." Remian sighed to Charlie, and the two of them separated too.

Ten minutes later, they met again with grim expressions on their faces.

"She's not listening to me." Charlie said sourly. "She keeps badmouthing my country and culture's 'proper society'."

"She wants me to quit everything." Remian growled. "To get a part time job here and earn a college degree."

"She does have a point. A college degree could really help your earning potential." Charlie advised.

"What did you tell Mindy? To go to school like a regular Ashdale girl?" Remian shot back.

The pair of them looked at the increasing ire on each other's faces, then sighed at the same time.

"Switch?" Remian asked.

"Switch." Charlie nodded, and went to find Mandy.

Remian went to talk to Mindy instead.

***

"I'm NOT staying here!" Mindy said stoutly, the moment Remian approached.

"I'm not asking you to stay here. I need you on your airships." Remian said promptly.

At that, Mindy relaxed visibly.

"Having said that, there was no need to be nasty to your sister. Some of the words I heard just now were…" Remian trailed off.

"Too much?" Mindy guessed.

Remian held silent.

"You're not going to start harping on me about behaving all proper, now are you?" Mindy questioned.

"There's nothing wrong with being polite." Remian answered simply. "It doesn't stop you from seeing the world or flying airships."

"It does if it means I have to stay here and give up everything we've worked for." Mindy growled.

"Like I said, I'm not asking you to stay here." Remian assured her. "Having said that, there's really no harm in self-development. There's no end to learning. Did you know, even I have a secondary school diploma?"

"You went to school?" Mindy suddenly realized.

"Oh, yes. Years and years of going to classes with other students and complaining about homework and essay assignments." Remian barked a laugh, remembering. "It wasn't all bad. Some of it was fun. Some of it was horrid. It was simply… life. At the time, I thought everyone went through that."

"I didn't. And I don't want to!" Mindy exclaimed.

"You have the luxury of choice. Others don't. They live in these countries and never have a chance to leave. They own nothing, have nothing, and don't have the opportunities you and I so casually picked up at the Frontier." Remian pointed out. "You have your own business, and your own airships. You could probably live off your earnings from what you have right now alone. But most people can't do that. They can't own their own airships; too many laws and prohibitions. Starting a business is a risky venture, with high costs and high interest loans and taxes and all sorts of regulations in place. Trying to do what you do right now is absolutely impossible for the average girl your age in Ashdale. She would need at least a college degree and hundreds of millions of Lir spent on a formal company and everything. The laws for flying an airship alone would land her in jail if she tried to fly an airship without certification."

"What a terrible place this is!" Mindy remarked sourly.

"It's not bad. The laws are in place for people's safety. There's a lot of people, and a lot of dangers, so there's a lot of laws. There are other countries out there with even more people, more laws and more prohibitions."

"Such as?"

"Such as the Dragon Empire. I grew up in a vassal state colony near the borders of the Empire. A lot of our economy exists only because people in the Empire couldn't buy what they wanted in their own country. That's why they cross the border into our colonial towns and go on a spending spree."

"A vassal state colony? Which country's vassal?"

"Ashdale's obviously." Remian chuckled. "It's far to the east, and south of the Dragon Empire. There are a lot of Sea People island nations not far from us."

"It sounds like a great place to do business." Mindy mentioned.

"It does, doesn't it? But reality disagrees. Why do you think I came to the Frontier in the first place?"

"To hear my sister describe it, probably to commit suicide." Mindy grouched.

Remian barked a laugh. "Come on. We have only one day here and there's a lot of things we need to buy."

"Right." Mindy said. "Let's go shopping."