The sun sat at the very top of the azure sky, glaring down at the humid forest below. The only thing between the unforgiving sun and the dense foliage below were the shadows of its tall, ancient oaks. It wasn’t too incredibly humid, but the heat from the sun would be more than enough to warrant wearing a lighter set of clothes. Althea was no exception, sporting a white graphic tee, athletic shorts, and a pale green baseball hat. As she stepped over yet another cluster of dark green bushes, the aetherial couldn’t help but let out a labored sigh. No matter how desperately she searched for even a single wisp of cloud in the sky, there was absolutely no sign that the relentless sun would ever be obscured. She'd never been fond of hot weather, and the harsh light from above was one feature of Earthland she didn’t miss during her time trapped in the Aetherial Wastes. And seeing as she had long since lost any access to her water magic, there were no possible options for cooling off. However, there was a reason she continued to push through undergrowth and duck under branches as she ventured deeper into the forest.
Althea was… Well, let’s just say that her finances were running thin. She used to spend her money without thinking twice about it– she hadn’t even known what a bank account was or what it had to do with that little card that let her purchase things. However, it turns out that wasting money willy-nilly and then disappearing before returning more than 12 months later wouldn’t place you in a very stable financial situation. The only reason she could continue to operate without a worry in the past was due to the sheer number of high-ranking commissions she undertook. Althea used Magnolia and Fairy Tail’s guild hall as her base of operations, but she rarely spent much time there, instead opting to travel all over the country in search of more ways to develop her strength. But it’d be a bit difficult for Althea to maintain that degree of income while in a completely different world.
The spirit still lacked the technical knowledge to understand exactly how she ended up with only pennies in her account, but the situation was undeniable. The young woman had been forced to spend the remnants of her fortune on new clothes that fit her, the satchel currently swung over her shoulder, some mana lacrimas (just in case), and a studio apartment on the farthest outskirts of Magnolia. Those last two had been the largest sinks, but the costly lacrimas were essential for Althea to prolong her status as being ‘summoned’ to Earthland. The studio apartment, however… as someone who didn’t need to eat, sleep, or drink… and had open access to Fairy Tail’s top-of-the-line dorms in Fairy Hills… In hindsight, it wasn’t the wisest investment. Oh, and she also bought plenty of things to fill up her apartment… that she left packaged in cardboard boxes in the corner, not bothered enough to waste any energy on trying to decorate.
Well, being low on funds wasn’t too large of a concern for someone in Althea’s line of work. High combat power was always in great demand, and there were plenty of opportunities that opened up thanks to her ability to handle dangerous situations. In fact, she was in the process of actively pursuing one such hazardous yet profitable endeavor: a lost treasure in some remote ruins. At least, that’s what she heard from eavesdropping on a conversation at a bar during her wanderings. Thankfully, transportation wasn’t something Althea needed to factor into her expenses when going on foot was an entirely viable option for her. All the details she heard about it were vague buzzwords like ‘priceless artifact,’ ‘underground city,’ and other such terms. However, that didn’t deter her, and the aetherial spirit pressed deeper into the forest’s depths, doing her best to search for any sign of a man-made structure.
Althea was… Well, let’s just say that her finances were running thin. She used to spend her money without thinking twice about it– she hadn’t even known what a bank account was or what it had to do with that little card that let her purchase things. However, it turns out that wasting money willy-nilly and then disappearing before returning more than 12 months later wouldn’t place you in a very stable financial situation. The only reason she could continue to operate without a worry in the past was due to the sheer number of high-ranking commissions she undertook. Althea used Magnolia and Fairy Tail’s guild hall as her base of operations, but she rarely spent much time there, instead opting to travel all over the country in search of more ways to develop her strength. But it’d be a bit difficult for Althea to maintain that degree of income while in a completely different world.
The spirit still lacked the technical knowledge to understand exactly how she ended up with only pennies in her account, but the situation was undeniable. The young woman had been forced to spend the remnants of her fortune on new clothes that fit her, the satchel currently swung over her shoulder, some mana lacrimas (just in case), and a studio apartment on the farthest outskirts of Magnolia. Those last two had been the largest sinks, but the costly lacrimas were essential for Althea to prolong her status as being ‘summoned’ to Earthland. The studio apartment, however… as someone who didn’t need to eat, sleep, or drink… and had open access to Fairy Tail’s top-of-the-line dorms in Fairy Hills… In hindsight, it wasn’t the wisest investment. Oh, and she also bought plenty of things to fill up her apartment… that she left packaged in cardboard boxes in the corner, not bothered enough to waste any energy on trying to decorate.
Well, being low on funds wasn’t too large of a concern for someone in Althea’s line of work. High combat power was always in great demand, and there were plenty of opportunities that opened up thanks to her ability to handle dangerous situations. In fact, she was in the process of actively pursuing one such hazardous yet profitable endeavor: a lost treasure in some remote ruins. At least, that’s what she heard from eavesdropping on a conversation at a bar during her wanderings. Thankfully, transportation wasn’t something Althea needed to factor into her expenses when going on foot was an entirely viable option for her. All the details she heard about it were vague buzzwords like ‘priceless artifact,’ ‘underground city,’ and other such terms. However, that didn’t deter her, and the aetherial spirit pressed deeper into the forest’s depths, doing her best to search for any sign of a man-made structure.