[Farmer] Mage

Cal yawned as he scratched the back of his head. It was still mostly dark outside, with the sun just peeking over the horizon.

I slept for a little over five hours.

He watched the rain stop and the clouds disappear.

The first thing he did was cast [Rainfall] over the patch, and he did so just in time. The soil had been horribly dry since the Sunfire Grains had sucked the moisture away.

Cal intended to wake up far earlier than he actually did, but yesterday’s work had been more exhausting than he realized.

Not physically, but mentally. He ended up being rewarded by the ‘laws of the world’—whatever that meant—but he did think for a moment that he would be killed. It let him know just how precarious his situation was.

Cal no longer thought the most pressing concern were guilds or any such similar nonsense. It was the entities known as the ‘laws of the world’ and their whims.

And there’s nothing I can do about it.

The only plus at the moment was that they seemed favorable to him right now, but his well-being depending on some unknowns was not what he would call ideal.

He didn’t move from his spot for minutes, staring at the patch. It wasn’t for any specific reason. The thoughts that usually raced in his mind slowly disappeared by the second until nothing was left.

It was blissful blankness.

This is nice—oh. There goes the blissful blankness.

Cal considered doing what would have been unthinkable in the past week—wasting time. Nothing was pushing him to be constantly productive, and he wouldn’t feel guilty if he took a break now and then.

Especially if it was even more effective in calming him than zoning out while working in his field.

… It’s not a bad idea to relax and admire my awesome field. Not everyone can be as good at this as I am.

He purposely ignored the tremendous help his special [Class] had given him so far.

The top of the small hill he had been forming over the past week was an excellent spot to sit and get a good view of everything. All he needed to do was stomp down a flat place at the peak.

Cal shook his head and looked away from the rocky hill made of debris. His attention moved to the dirt path. He could hear wheels over dirt. With how early it was, it could only be Tavia.

He was proven right a few seconds later. He returned to the house, getting there just as Tavia had stepped out of the carriage and freed the horses.

Cal intended to ask where the replacement furnishings were before realizing that was rude. That couldn’t be the first thing out of his mouth. It was good that Tavia was busy looking around as he debated for a few seconds on what to open with.

“Welcome back,” Cal frowned. That didn’t sound quite right.

Tavia noticed the awkward tension coming from Cal, but she didn’t put any thought into it. There was something else occupying her mind. “Are you this determined to make yourself a small mountain?”

Cal thought about the view from the top of this hypothetical mountain. “I wouldn’t be against it.”

“… Right, of course you are,” Tavia nodded, somehow not surprised at the answer. “Anyway, I’m glad you cleared a path to the house. Miren will be sending over the new delivery later today. And I have a surprise for you! But you might need to wait a few days for delivery.”

Oh, good. I can find out where Miren is located when they arrive—wait.

He narrowed his eyes in suspicion. The first thing that came to mind about the surprise was another hideous decoration she would proudly call beautiful.

“What’s with that look?” After all the trouble she had gone through to get this surprise, Tavia was rightfully offended.

“Does it involve bright colors on furniture?”

Tavia’s face turned red, to the point it was visible in the dim light. “Has anyone told you that you’re too blunt?”

… This was common backtalk when I was a Trainee… and I was told directly when I was in the core guild in my first life. I escaped this time until now, but that might be because I’m not around many people.

Cal cleared his throat. “Never.”

“Well, you’re too blunt,” Tavia said flatly, “and I’m exhausted from the trip. I’m going to rest.”

He blinked when she walked to the house. He spoke after her in a loud voice, “Make sure to keep an ear out for any beasts sniffing around the storage room. I’m heading to town for the day.”

Tavia didn’t turn around but acknowledged him with a wave. He didn’t realize until she entered the house that his question was never answered.

She did that on purpose. Cal pursed his lips before sighing. I suppose having one eye-searing decoration won’t be the end of the world. It’s only fitting I let her have this leeway since she is paying for everything.

Tavia's return gave him the opportunity to meet Drex without leaving his equipment unattended. He glanced at the carriage before putting it out of his mind. Walking to Mariner’s Rest would be simpler than figuring out how the horses understood where to take a passenger.

… Tavia wouldn’t be happy I borrowed her carriage without permission anyway.

Cal went to the storage room to get his primary sledgehammer before leaving his field.

***

He stopped at the entrance into Mariner’s Rest with a confused expression. It couldn’t have been much longer than ten minutes since he left his field.

I didn’t think I walked faster than usual, but I obviously did.

Cal hadn’t thought much of it until now, but he realized that his current [Tier] would make him one of the most powerful people in the area—if not the most powerful.

Apprentices like him would be sent to guard the border to protect the guild’s territory, but unlike a typical Apprentice, he was a [Farmer] instead of a [Caster] or [Mage]. The Celestial Order never had an Apprentice-level [Farmer], and they probably wouldn’t know what to do with him.

Cal chuckled when he thought of using his farming techniques at the border in response to attacks.

“A-Are you going to enter the town?”

He stared at the familiar guard manning the entrance. The man was already nervous about speaking to him, and the stare did not help.

Cal gave the guard a small smile before entering the town. He felt like he had seen that guard before but couldn’t remember if they had exchanged names, so he walked through without a word to avoid any awkwardness.

He walked down the steps and passed by Orrin’s shop. Even though it was the crack of dawn, metal being hammered could be heard. Surprisingly, there wasn’t an angry crowd at the racket, but maybe everyone was used to it.

Cal didn’t want to disturb Orrin yet. He would visit on the way back. He walked through the streets to get to the boardwalk, but it wasn’t as empty as he had assumed.

Most townsfolk were preparing for the day, while some looked to be returning from the port after a long night's work. They gave him some odd looks, but nothing that matched the level of suspicion the first time he visited.

I vaguely remember most of these faces. Hiring Seris—who is some kind of mascot to this town—should make them more familiar to me too.

Cal had every intention of heading straight to the port, but to his surprise, he was stopped by a man who quickly exited a house just as he passed by.

“I’ve been searching for you! Do you have some time to speak now?”

He froze in surprise. The way this man spoke to him was so casual that it immediately set him apart from the other townspeople. He narrowed his eyes in thought at the familiar face, but a name didn't appear in his mind. “Who are you?”

The man wasn’t offended. Instead, his smile grew even more. “Nismus. We met briefly at the bazaar, but young Seris was in a rush and pulled you away.”

Ah, right. I remember being angry at Seris for that. This is the man she said she didn’t like. From someone who generally likes everyone, I can’t ignore her feelings.

Cal couldn’t deny that he was curious. This was the second time Nismus tried to talk to him. Even if he had ill intentions, Cal was an Apprentice-level guild member. There was nothing Nismus could do to harm him.

“I have a few minutes to spare,” Cal made a show of looking around. There were more than a few eyes on them. “Do you want to speak out here?”

“No, no,” Nismus shook his head quickly before stepping back into his house and holding the door open. “I was just making some tea.”

Cal’s lips twitched as he entered the small house. Like the others on the street, Nismus’s house was a compact, two-story building that didn’t have much space to move around. It was fit for a bachelor.

Nismus fit that description.

I wanted to waste time, but not to the point of drinking mortal tea. I really am too untethered right now. I should find something to push me more—

“Please, take a seat,” Nismus pulled two chairs out from underneath a small table. “It won’t take long for the tea to be ready.”

Cal took a seat as he watched Nismus tend to a pot over the fire. Everything on the first floor of this place was a unified space. “So, what did you want to speak to me about?”

Nismus didn’t respond and poured the tea into two small cups before placing one in front of Cal.

This guy is a little dramatic, but bold enough to keep up the act in front of me. Maybe this is why Seris doesn’t like him.

“I just took delivery of this tea yesterday. I hope it’s to your liking,” Nismus smiled as he took the seat across from him.

Cal’s nose twitched at the faint aroma coming from the tea. It was fiery orange in appearance.

This shouldn’t be possible.

He looked at Nismus’s smiling face sharply. “How did you get this?”

“I splurged a little for my own satisfaction. Seeing you passing by, I knew it would be perfect to share with you, Initiate…?”

“Cal. My name is Cal,” he muttered as he brought up the cup to take a sip. He felt his faint hunger get sated. This was nowhere close to the custard he had in Lumina, but it was more surprising due to where he was having it.

Nismus somehow had tea that could sate the hunger of people with an activated interface.

“Initiate Cal,” Nismus’s smile grew. “This is made from Sunfire Grains. And it’s quite valuable. Why, I almost had a heart attack when I saw the price to order it, but I knew I had to give it a try just once.”

He knows I’m growing Sunfire Grains… it feels like he’s about to blackmail me.

Cal took his time to finish the tea and put the cup back on the table. “Before you continue, I should warn you that you are speaking to a member of the Celestial Order. With that in mind, what do you want from me?”