Cal had never felt so bored. He had only been in the healing ward for a day, but lying in bed while not being allowed to do anything made it feel like a week. Apparently, it was to make sure the recovery of his mana reserves was undisturbed.
While he knew his mana reserves wouldn’t recover for weeks, it wasn’t like he could tell anyone. It would give away far too much information. Chapters first released on novel·fıre·net
“This doesn’t make sense,” Borna muttered. He stood beside a sensor that declared Cal’s mana reserves were still empty. “I can make another batch of recovery potions, but it might do more harm than good. They aren’t meant to be taken as pleased.”
“Maybe what I need is to go back to my farm. I’ve heard that recovery is easier when I’m more comfortable.”
Borna gave him a blank stare. “You heard from who?”
Borna smirked before he dismissed the sensor. He waited until they were alone and said, “You know more than you’re letting on, but that’s not my business. If the Overseer asks, tell him you insisted to be let go.”
“Understood. You had nothing to do with this.”
Borna patted his shoulder and left while chuckling. Cal didn’t have many interactions with the man, but the few that occurred were pleasant. No strange quirks, no games, just efficient practicality.
Cal looked forward to the day he needed to resupply his potion stock.
He struggled off the bed with an annoyed expression. His muscles would not perform as he was used to. It would have been humiliating if it weren’t for his lack of mana reserves now being general knowledge among the staff.
The poor muscle control was the lesser of the effects that came with the issue.
“Oh, good! You’re ready to go,” Tavia announced her entrance as she moved close to hold him up. “I already hired a carriage to take us back.”
Cal grunted as he walked out using Tavia as a crutch. He made eye contact with some of the staff who had attended him for the past day, but came to his senses when they looked away in fright. Sometimes, he forgot he was an [Apprentice Mage]. Polite wasn’t exactly the word used to describe people at his tier, especially to Initiates like most of the staff in the healing ward.
“It’s been over a week since I left the farm, and just under that for you,” Tavia said as they exited the building.
“And?” Cal asked, waiting for Tavia to enter the carriage before letting her pull him up.
“Aren’t you worried about your crops? I don’t think I’ve seen you miss a day in the field before, and now it’s been nearly a week.”
“I’m sure they’ve survived my absence,” Cal replied drily.
Of course, he was worried, but it was the last thing on his list to be concerned about. He prioritized Tavia’s safety when leaving the farm, then clearing the sinkhole. Now that he had done both, the gems’ connection to the Celestial Order occupied his thoughts.
The worst a lost batch of crops would do was cost Cal a little money and time, negligible in the grand scheme of things.
Tavia shuffled closer on the bench seat before wrapping her arms around him. Cal noticed she was clingier since they left the sinkhole. He wasn’t complaining, but he couldn’t help but wonder if the near-death experience they shared had something to do with it.
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He planned to speak to her about it… but at another time. The silence was too comfortable to break.
Cal brought his hand to his chest as the carriage passed the tree line. He felt his heart skip when he saw his fledgling farm again. The amused look Tavia shot him told that he wasn’t the only one who felt that.
“What? I can’t feel emotional?” Cal groused.
“It’s alright. I’m sure every farmer feels the same when they return to their land after a long trip,” Tavia said, patting his arm to soothe him.
Cal’s lips twitched before he looked away when the carriage stopped. Seris had already appeared by the door with a bright smile, Nibbles standing on her shoulder while making confused tilts of her head.
The moment Tavia opened the door to get down, Seris’s voice burst through.
“You’re back! And safe! I was so worried!” Seris slammed into Tavia for a tight hug, which annoyed Nibbles when she was dislodged.
Cal saw Seris shoot him frequent glances while chattering away, and he calmed her with a small smile. He had to deal with Nibbles first.
He held a hand out and allowed Nibbles to sniff at it before she clambered onto his arm and jumped to his chest, right where the mana reserves should have been most concentrated.
Cal ran a finger down her spine to calm her when she detected there was something seriously wrong with him. His attempt didn’t work.
Nibbled squeaked in alarm and grabbed his shirt, trying to pull him towards the pond while telling him to hurry with her frantic movements. She thought the pond would help him recover.
It still surprised him how easily he could communicate with Nibbles without a need for words, and now, apparently with little of the charades that were needed before.
“That won’t help,” Cal said, attempting to calm Nibbles again. “But I’ll be fine in two weeks.”
Nibbles gave him a skeptical stare before reluctantly nodding. She squeaked again, advising him to rest until then.
Cal’s chuckled as he nodded. Coming back to the farm felt good for reasons other than just the land. He put Nibbles on his shoulder and climbed down the carriage with Tavia’s help and immediately got an armful of Seris.
“I kept the farm running as you asked.” His shirt muffled Seris’s voice, but it was more than clear to everyone.
Cal rested a hand on Seris’s back and took in the farm. The hired hands shuffled tools just to look busy, stealing glances at the reunion, and Tavia’s friends were among them… for some reason. The crops looked good—rows almost ready for harvest.
By the second pond, the golem stood sentry, motionless… too motionless. The sight gnawed at him for a reason he couldn’t identify. He pushed the unease down and blamed it on his locked mana reserves. The golem would remain in this state until he recovered.
The wolves and the large cats his farm recently gained lost interest in him almost at once. Only the pack leader lingered, posture tight with concern instead of the lazy confidence Cal was used to. Still, the pack leader kept his distance, leaving the reunion undisturbed.
Cal dipped his chin in acknowledgment. The large wolf eased, tension unwinding from his stance.
The pack leader thinks of himself as one of us. Calling him ‘pack leader’ feels more disrespectful than usual. I need to stop delaying and give him a worthy name.
Cal turned his attention back to Seris, who still held onto him tightly. “You did a great job, just as I expected.”
Seris pulled back slightly to grin at him. “I deserve a raise, right?”
Cal wondered why she even wanted money. He had given her items that far exceeded her pay… but they were gifts, so they didn’t factor into the consideration.
I suppose it won’t hurt to let Seris get used to having a surplus of funds.
“You know what, you’re right,” Cal said, making Seris blink in surprise. “I’ll give you two gold a month, just like those Initiates, but you’re now in charge of the farm.” Seris’s jaw dropped. “Agreed?”
Seris couldn’t nod fast enough as she lost herself in thoughts of her new wealth. Cal extracted himself from her limp arms before ruffling her hair with affection.
Plan ‘Make Seris the Farm Overseer’ is a go.
Tavia hooked her arm through his as they made their way to the house. She waved at her friends as she asked, “Do you want to talk now, or wait until you make your rounds of the farm?”
It was a simple choice. “Now. It’ll be nice to with someone.”
Tavia gave him a puzzled glance but agreed with a nod. As soon as the door closed behind them, she said, “So, what needed so much secrecy?”
Cal hid nothing, and every word that passed his lips lessened the pressure on his shoulders.