Chapter 40 — Those Who Survive and Carry On (Part III)

“We were fortunate that you brought those water-creation and fire-starting wands. [Mana Transfer] works on them as well. The property here has a well that survived the zoots, but conjured water is completely pure, and pure water is not just important for dye-making but also important for alchemy. Falma and I used the foraging we’ve been doing to prepare the remedies to help you recover.”

Ah, the wands he looted from the Conclave guy’s bug-out pack.

Was pure water also useful in poison making? Maybe the [Nightblade] didn’t have it just for survival?

Regardless, the use for alchemy was indeed fortunate. If Emina and her youngest were already able to make effective salves and potions, he could be more aggressive with Laiya’s training and having her hunt the nearby beasts.

“Thanks for that,” Toren offered when the silence of his thinking had stretched out a bit too long.

Emina had stopped what she was doing with the stove and was staring at him, brow suggesting her own deep contemplation. “Coming that close to death, it isn't something easily shaken off…”

Toren’s stomach chose that moment to loudly growl. “How are we doing on food?”

Emina let out a laugh. “I guess even with what Laiya managed to get into you, you’ve got to be starving. The stew for lunch should be ready soon, but I could make you something special, seeing that you saved all of us, not once but twice now. Let’s see…” The woman, blond hair tied up with an embroidered cloth, made a show of looking around the kitchen where a trio of gutted zoots hung from a wall hook. “Other than the zoot stew... pan fried zoot, salted zoot, or zoot porridge wouldn’t be much trouble.”

“Haha, I should’ve guessed that.” Toren grimaced. They’d probably be eating zoot for the foreseeable future, unlike the tavi fruit they also had plenty of. The year’s tavi harvest was undoubtedly infested with drain worms and would have to be sold to the [Alchemist] rather than used for food.

“You could probably shoot a saberbeak,” Emina offered with a wan smile. “Now that the sneaky lizards are gone from the area, the birds have started feasting on the tavi fruit growing from trees that aren’t within the claim barrier.”

Interesting. Were the birds the reason the zoots wanted the orchard? The lizards didn’t seem interested in the fruit. Though from what the [Alchemist] had said, the Farmer’s Weed planted around the property was a major part of the zoots’ diet and something that attracted them.

“Maybe later. I’m fine with the stew. Smells good.”

Emina accepted the compliment and started taking down bowls and spoons from the simple cupboards to the side of the stove.

That the house didn’t smell like zoot and dead steaders was something of a surprise. Toren had expected to take at least a few days to clean the place out before it would have been livable—forget completely getting rid of the smell. Heck, even just the untended thatching should’ve given the place a slightly moldy or rotting smell, but it somehow smelled of sun-dried hay even in this regularly tide-flooded forest.

The only explanation that he could come up with was the use of cleaning Skills or more likely a housekeeping Ability of some kind.

There was something else Toren was curious about. “What’s Warnel up to?”

Thanks to the new sense he had acquired from the claim stakes, he was fairly sure the middle-aged [Haberdasher] was in the middle of the orchard’s trees and actively working at some task.

Emina looked back from stirring the stew pot. “Spending the day tending the trees and [Cutting] wood for the oven. With the trees already treated for the worms, he has mostly been focused on clearing debris and fixing the tools so we’ll be ready to harvest the fruit later today. Seeing the girls working so hard each day, he couldn’t sit still.”

“Oh? That’s great to hear. I was beginning to worry if we’d get enough of the harvest done before the end of the tenday.”

“The tenday…” Warnel’s wife let her gaze return to the window. There seemed to be more that Warnel’s wife wanted to say, but was hesitant to bring up.

Toren kept silent, and after adding a small split log to the stone oven below the stove, Emina carefully began to speak, “Warnel understands you’ve hired us to work the orchard but seems to have convinced himself that we might still be able to make hats even here without a storefront in town. Of course, that would be in our free time after tending the trees and the beehives. I’m sure he would love to do fine clothing as well, but without a storefront, fittings would be difficult.”

Toren raised an eyebrow, and Emina hurried to continue, “It’s not just that we’re reluctant to change Professions and lose all our Abilities and Profession levels. The mana we have from our higher levels will help with replenishing the claim stakes and other enchantments, and if we can get to tier-2 we can add [Farmer] or [Orchard Tender] or such as second Professions.”

Asking the pair of [Haberdashers] to reset their bronze-rarity Professions was always going to be a hard sell—and might even make their situation worse. Toren’s expectations were more that the girls would take up relevant Professions instead. Particularly, Falma who hadn’t reached her Profession Day yet. But with Laiya committed to becoming a [Reaver] and Falma currently headed more toward something like [Beast Handler], none of them were likely to pick up any Abilities that would help with caring for the trees or growing vegetables or whatever else they would need to manage the stead.

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That Warnel and Emina were independently choosing to level up all the way to tier-2 in order to add farming Professions at all was a welcome surprise. With the dangers and mana-density of the tier-2 jungle, their chances of reaching tier-2 in less than ten years were fairly good. if they participated in beast hunts, five years or less might not be unrealistic.

“If you and Warnel take [Farmer]-type Professions for your second Profession slot, will you be okay for Profession evolutions? Is there a path that combines that with [Haberdasher]?”

“[Wilderness Shopkeeper] is gold rarity, or so I heard.” Emina chuckled, visibly relieved as she ladled stew into a pair of bowls. “And if you believe a certain legend, it’s only one step removed from [Hidden Expert].”

That pulled a smile from Toren as well. It was a legend immortalized in stories popular among children—the legend of a wily old man who taught a boy destined to become a hero and eventually ascended to divinity. “Following in the footsteps of legends… people have had worse dreams.”

“That they have, Toren.” Emina placed the bowls on the table as she returned to her previous seat and patted his forearm. “Thanks for worrying about us.”

Toren nodded and put the provided spoon to good use. As hungry as he was, further conversation could wait. While eating, they both watched the training going on outside.

Falma’s arms were shaking as she drew Kota’s bow under the boy’s supervision, aiming at a target that had been set up against a post. Laiya was a safe distance away practicing her spear forms and footwork.

Emina let out a sigh laden with regrets. “A frontier [Hunter] wouldn’t be my first choice for Falma’s husband. But, after what arranging a wealthy [Merchant]’s son for Laiya brought us…” She made a circular motion with her hand to include the surroundings. “Maybe it’s for the best.”

That comment had Toren’s eyebrows rising, but before he could ask, Laiya caught sight of them and started running for the farmhouse, her tied-back hair flapping behind with the girl’s haste.

The door flew open and a smell of sweat followed Laiya in. “Toren! You’re awake!”

~~~

Name: Toren of Theravos

Race: Human

Age: 20

Profession 1: Level 5 Burningblood Berserker (700/10000)

Mana: 72/72

Strength: 16

Constitution: 13

Dexterity: 14

Agility: 12

Wisdom: 12

Intellect: 8

Will Power: 18

Perception 15

Appearance: 8

Charisma: 8

Luck: 10

Attribute Upgrade Points: 4

Traits:

Sacrificial Guardian

Abilities:

Burning Blood (Rank 1) Proficiency: Mid

Control Blood (Rank 1) Proficiency: Low

Flurry of Blows (Rank 1) Proficiency: Low

Ability Upgrade Points: 4

Profession Skills:

Pain Tolerance 5

Severe Wound Recovery 5

Berserker Knife Arts 1

Spear 9

Club 8

Focus Rage 3

Combat Awareness 3

Intimidate 2

Skills:

Theravos Language (Speaking) 15

Theravos Language (Reading/Writing) 10

Religion 10

Meditation 5

Bone Strengthening 3

Hunting 20

Butchering 13

Archery 19

Stealth 18

Arithmetic 4

Foraging 16

Tree Felling 6

Running 12

Mana Sensing 14

Danger Sensing 1

Wound Binding 8