We stayed in Alberack for two days. All of our business was concluded on the first day, and I had tools in hand by the first night, itching to get back home. Dad said it was important to stay and rest before we set back out, claiming our mental fatigue would get to us. I hadn’t believed him at first, but come morning on the second day I was still exhausted. My body protested any movement despite a full night's rest, and while my muscles didn’t hurt they felt weak and sluggish. Was it psychosomatic like Daniel suggested? I have no way to know for certain, but I suspect it gets better with time. Dad certainly wasn’t showing any signs of issue, laughing at all hours of the night with his bartender friend.

I groaned and rolled back into the itchy blankets. Better to sleep than suffer. I slept in for several more hours, but we finally left shortly after lunch. The materials father sold paid for my tools and then some, allowing us to purchase plenty of food for the return journey. At first, I had worried we might run into another impediment, but our time was safe and simple. Within a few days the familiar outline of home rose up from the forest to greet us.

Dad went first, distracting both Neia and Leigh as he arrived, giving me time to slip my new tools into the root cellar with my perpetually waiting minion. I didn’t want to risk Leigh figuring out my plan, or mother alerting her. I entered the house a few moments after him, immediately assaulted by the embrace of my mother.

“I missed you honeybunch!” mom practically shouted in my ear. Despite her build being relatively magic focused, she had plenty of strength to still sweep me off the ground with her hug. “That’s the longest you’ve ever been away” She laughed, “I didn’t think I’d miss you quite that badly. What am I going to do when you move out?”. Despite her pleasant demeanor, there was a genuine pang of emotion in her voice. All things considered, Neia would likely outlive a more normal half-elf child. I didn’t plan on dying a second time, but she of course has no guarantee.

“Hey mom” I sighed as she placed me back down. Leigh must have noticed us arriving, because she entered not but a few minutes after us, gently saying hello as she stopped to wash up. Her face was still smudged with ash and charcoal from her forge. “Did you rest at all while we were gone?” I asked, in disbelief of her drive to constantly work even before her system unlocked. I’ve done my fair share of training, but nine, sometimes ten hours a day, every day, would be ridiculous.

“I’ve been eating plenty and sleeping when I get tired. That’s about all I’ll afford myself until I see those classes unlock” Leigh sighed, flopping into a seat at the table. “How was your trip?” She plied, and dad explained the generalities of it while Neia set an impromptu meal for the four of us. Thankfully Daniel brushed over the encounter with bandits and the bloody outcome, instead calling it a ‘difficult morning’ and leaving it at that. No need to get overly specific.

My family had a quiet and peaceful improvised breakfast, sharing calming small talk about what we’d all been getting up to in our recent absences. It was nice. It reminded me of the many nights I spent camped out around a fire with Gildea and the rest of the party, deep in dragon territory and always on edge, but somehow finding a way to laugh at each other regardless.

Soon the morning drew to a close though, and Leigh scampered back off to her workshop. Neia and I worked on cleaning up the kitchen together, and dad just collapsed into a heap in his bed to sleep off any remaining fatigue. He’d been looking out for me for days, I guess he earned it.

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

“Hey mom?” I chimed in after a moment of silence in the kitchen. I couldn’t risk mom knowing what I was trying to do for Leigh’s birthday, but maybe she could still give me ideas. “I want to make Leigh a gift for her system unlock day. What do you think I should give her?” I asked carefully, leaving the question open ended and open to interpretation.

“Sugarplum, I’m sure whatever you give her, as long as it’s genuine and from the heart, she’ll love it” Mom explained softly, trying to reassure me. That doesn’t help my current planning though. Ugh.

“Thanks mom” I mumbled, finishing up with what few dishes still needed to be washed before wandering off to the cellar. I had to go outside to get into the cellar, and it was finally starting to warm up under the light of the sun. A comfortable day for working, hopefully. I slid down the few stairs into the shallow basement. As I’ve gotten taller over the years, the low ceilings have felt more and more confining down here, which I find oddly comforting.

My undead wolf was waiting patiently next to the crate of supplies, his eyes glimmering in the dark. I need to remember to check his animation core soon, I didn’t expect him to hold up this long, regular maintenance could have only gotten him so far. A thought for another time.

With a sigh, I began unpacking the crate and organizing my new tools. I have barely a week at this point to get Leigh's gift finished, I don’t want to waste time.

Dad had brokered for everything I needed, without much input of my own. I knew I explained it to him, but I had honestly doubted he paid much attention at the time. I smiled as I looked over the small knives, chisels, and hammers all laid out in rows. It wasn’t much, and it wouldn’t stand up to any hard forge work, but it would definitely get me started.

I cleared all the tools out of the crate, and was surprised to find a small parchment wrapped bundle still waiting in the bottom. I carefully unwrapped it, and a small silver chain spilled out into my lap, my attention was caught in the item in my hands though. Leather bound and still faintly sticky with fresh glue, the first book I’d ever seen since my rebirth. I picked the chain up and held it in my other hand as I looked over the tome. Daniel must have paid a fortune for the two of them.

I opened the front cover to find the book blank, a journal, and only a small message written inside.

“To Vincent. My son, My friend. I will love you always. - Dad”

I choked up a little bit reading those words, my mind harkening back to the adrenaline and blood of my first real fight. Dad and I, both struggling to protect the other. Wiping the stray tears that had escaped, I set the journal aside and resolved to use it as my first book of notes, both on spells and mana crafting going forward.

Looking over my make-shift workshop, I had everything I needed. The small knots of wood I’d salvaged and scouted to be Leigh’s gift (and its failed drafts), the new tools, and now a beautiful silver chain better than anything I could hope to craft.

I grabbed the first hunk of wood, and sat down to get to work. Leigh’s party was only a week away, if I wanted her gift to be the best I could possibly manage, I’d need all the time I have. I took the largest chisel I had and began coarsely outlining the shapes I had in mind, drawing on the strands of mana inside me and trying to activate my new skill.

It would take a few drafts at least just to figure out how [Mana Crafting] works.