As I lay in bed that night, I thought about my future. My ultimate goal was to pursue magic, but the reality of my situation was sobering.
By being a poor villager from a frontier village, there was no way any school in the kingdom would take me in as a student.
And even if I were to wait and see what my parents had in store for me, it was highly unlikely that they would choose anything outside of my class.
In this kingdom, there was a system of classes, and people tended to stick to their assigned roles. My father was a craftsman, which was considered a step above being a simple farmer, but it still meant that my possibilities were quite limited. I would only be able to pursue a craftsman's job.
From what I had gathered so far, the only way for a commoner to make it far was either to serve in the army or become a powerful beast hunter, but both options were incredibly dangerous, and my parents would never allow me to try.
There was always the option of running away from home, but that would mean losing whatever little background I had along with my name. I would have to start from the ground up as an orphan, which was even worse than being a poor farmer.
That was why nobody ever did it and instead accepted their lot in life.
Besides, I wasn't a big fan of danger and death, which ruled out both the army and beast hunting as options. I sighed and closed my eyes, feeling overwhelmed by the weight of the choices ahead of me.
It seemed like the world was closing in on me like I was trapped in a small, suffocating bubble. But then, something within me stirred—a small spark of hope and determination.
I refused to accept a life of mediocrity or to simply settle for whatever fate had in store for me. I was determined to break free of the constraints of my birth and find a way to pursue my dream, no matter the cost.
I wasn't sure how I was going to do it yet, but I knew that I would find a way. I would carve out my own destiny, even if it meant going against everything this society stands for.
The copper coin around my neck felt like a symbol of that determination, a talisman of hope that I would carry with me always.
I kept coming back to what Isadora said to me: that I have great talent. Maybe I could try to be an herbalist; at first, I just saw it as a way to make some extra money, but if I could make it to the city, my options would greatly expand.
It would be a long shot since being an herbalist is quite a prestigious occupation reserved for wealthy city dwellers. But if I could somehow convince Isadora to take me as an apprentice, it would be much better than whatever future would await me here.
'Alright, I've decided I will strive to be an herbalist!' I thought with determination.
I will need to gather as many herbs as I can and show Isadora my talent, convincing her that I have what it takes to be her apprentice. It wouldn't be easy, but I'm determined to make it happen.
As the winter dragged on, I spent my days planning for the future. It will be a monumental task to convince my parents to let me go to the city, but I have to try...
***
Finally, the first signs of spring appeared outside my window. The snow began to melt, revealing the fresh greenery beneath. It was time to show Isadora what I was made of. My future is within reach, and I am ready to seize it with both hands.
On the first nice day of spring, I was eager to go out and test my powers and see how my training progressed. After finishing breakfast, I gathered my things and ran out of the house.
Finding a quiet spot in a nearby field, I began practicing my spell, [Stone Bullet]. I gathered a handful of pebbles and focused my mana on shooting them.
To my surprise, I found that I seemed to have an almost endless supply of mana compared to last year.
I continued shooting pebbles for a whole hour, never running out of energy. It was only when the sun reached its highest point in the sky that I finally ran out of mana.
I knew that I had been able to maintain my energy for longer than ever before thanks to my new technique of compressing my mana.
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My powers had grown stronger, and I felt invigorated. I knew that if I ever ran into that monster again, I would be able to defeat it with ease.
STATUS:
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Name: [Darian]
Race: [Human]
Age: [5 years]
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Mana: 22 --> 67
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Spells: [Stone Bullet], [Small Flame], [Air Manipulation], [Water Manipulation]
Feeling confident, I headed into the forest. It was a familiar place to me now, but I never tired of the natural beauty that surrounded me. As I walked, I kept my eyes peeled for anything that might be of use to me. Soon, I spotted an umbrifila plant.
I knew that they were quite rare and difficult to find, so I happily went to collect them. It seems they grow back after some time, yay!
I sprinted into the forest, my gaze fixed firmly on the ground. I picked up herbs as I went, feeling a sense of satisfaction with each one I collected. However, I soon realized that it was not going to be an easy find. I spent hours searching, but it seemed to be nowhere to be found.
"Ah! Why must umbrifila be so hard to find?" I exclaimed, feeling frustrated and exhausted.
I slumped to the ground, completely drained from my long day of searching. Despite my disappointment, I knew that I would keep looking for the elusive plant, for it was my ticket out of the village.
It had been several weeks since I began my search for the herbs. My determination had paid off, as I had managed to clear the nearby forest of all the herbs I could find. I counted them one by one, and to my satisfaction, I found a total of 53 umbrifila.
It was less than what I had found last year, but I guessed that was because no one had picked them then and they couldn't repopulate so fast.
Aside from the umbrifila, I also managed to gather a few unknown plants that looked like herbs.
Maybe I could take them with me to the city and let Isadora tell me if they are worth anything.
But for that, I need to figure out a way to get to the city. If I come there only once a year for the market, there is no way in hell I will become her apprentice.
The thought of traveling alone on the dangerous road to the city was not something I relished. The entrance fee was no problem for me now that I had a lot of money, but the journey itself posed a real challenge.
It was long and filled with danger, and it would be impossible to make it there and back in a single day.
"I know!"
Myra's father transports goods to and from the city several times a year; I might somehow convince him to let me join him.
My father would never let me go alone, but still, I will need some really good reason why I have to go there for him to let me; no half-assed excuse would work; he would see right through me.
I must also find a way for Myra to introduce me to her father, but there is something else I must do first!
With a sense of purpose, I hid my herbs in the hollowed-out stump and made my way home. I was determined to find a way to make my journey to the city and meet with Isadora.
I then ran back to the forest early the next morning to dry the herbs. I spread them out in front of me and dried them in a now-familiar process. It didn't take me more than a few hours, and I was finished before midday.
"Drying them with magic is so easy now!" And they are apparently of much higher quality than if I had dried them normally. I then carefully stacked them together and hid them for when I went to the city.
The next day, I woke up early in the morning with excitement brimming inside me. I hastily dressed and headed towards the village to look for the hunter.
The morning sun was just beginning to rise, casting a warm orange glow across the sky. The air was crisp and filled with the sweet fragrance of blooming flowers. I enjoyed the peaceful walk, but my eagerness kept me from slowing down.
As I entered the village, I scanned the area for any signs of the hunter. Last year, throughout the summer, I couldn't find him, so he must spend a long time in the forest, but so early in the spring, he might be in the village.
And then I saw him. He was sitting in his favorite spot under a tree, repairing his traps. I quickened my pace and approached him.
"Good morning, mister, I finally managed to find you; I have so many questions to ask you!"
He looked up from his work and let out a hearty laugh. "Haha! Good to see ya, lad!"
"I thowt ya finally got some sense int'ya and lost interest in the Forest, and I'll neva see ya again, but ya seem as eager as always."
"So, what is it ya wanna know?"
"I was wondering if you could take me with you inside the Forest and teach me how to track animals."
"Into the Forest, are ya crazy, lad? Ya, Dad would have me head if I did that!"
I felt a pang of disappointment, but I refused to give up.
"But isn't the edge of the Forest safe? I saw a lot of villagers go there to gather firewood before the winter."
He stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Well, I suppose, the Beast hunters regularly scout the Forest near the village, so it should be safe, but still, there is the risk that some monster wanna go near the village, and that usually spells death for whoever is unfortunate enough to be inside the forest at that time."
I pleaded with him, "But you are still alive even after being a hunter for so long, and if I were there with you, you would protect me, right?"
He hesitated for a moment and then said, "Hmm, I suppose I could. It's been almost several years since the last time a monster attacked the village from the Forest."
I beamed with excitement. "Thank you, mister! I'm sure everything will be fine."
He held up his hand, signaling for me to slow down. "Hold ya horses, lad. Ya still need t'convince ya dad to let ya go there, and I won't help ya with that!"
I deflated a little, but I was not one to give up so easily. "I'm sure I could figure something out. I'll let you know soon!"
With that, I ran back home, my mind racing with ideas on how to convince my father to let me go to the forest. I was over the moon that the hunter had agreed to take me with him, but I knew that the real challenge would be convincing my father.
Nonetheless, I was determined to make it happen, and I was excited with the knowledge that everything was going according to plan.