Today’s income: fifty pennies from the guild, one hundred pennies from the apothecary.
Subtract the ten I spent on registration, and that’s a total profit of one hundred forty pennies!
I have no idea how much instruments cost, but judging by the way Selina got all smug about it… I’m guessing we’re talking guldens. Lots of them.
I enter the Great Forest from Carlton and teleport near the cabin.
If I’m gonna be making this trip regularly, I should probably set up a proper Waymark.
The magical energy for a Waymark works differently than for direct teleportation.
The tricky part is making sure no one sees me. There are so many adventurers in Carlton.
Too bad I’m terrible at concealment magic.
Agh... If only Selina were the kind of teacher who actually explained things.
She’d just give me that smug little smirk and go, “I already taught you this once.”
I don’t know any other mages, so I can’t really complain… but seriously, do normal people remember everything after hearing it once? Or am I just hopeless?
I can manage the spells I’m good at, but the ones I struggle with? I open the textbook and it’s like reading ancient bird language.
So I ask Selina, and she just scoffs: “You can’t even understand that?” Then she demonstrates it once in the most condescending way possible.
Concealment magic is super useful, so I really want to learn it.
I’ve got the motivation. I just… can’t seem to get it right.
Should I swallow my pride and ask her again? Or just keep practicing until it clicks?
Still torn, I open the cabin door.
“I’m home!”
Selina’s in the exact same position she was in this morning.
Honestly, she might be fused to that sofa.
“Zoe, did you manage to register as an adventurer?”
Ugh, that tone! She says it like she already knows the answer.
“Yeah, I registered just fine. Did a little herb gathering too. But if I do it every day, it’ll look suspicious, so I’m thinking of limiting it to twice a week.”
I mean, if other adventurers start tailing me hoping for mid-grade herbs, that’ll be a real pain.
“Don’t forget about the farm work and livestock, either.”
Right, right. Plus all the housework. Apparently I’m the resident live-in help now.
I considered staying at an inn in Carlton, but the security there feels iffy.
Well, the pricey inns are probably safe, but still…
I’ll need to be independent eventually. Might as well start researching inns now.
I skipped lunch today. I had a big breakfast, but I’m getting hungry.
I ladle some soup from the pot by the hearth and slice some bread thin to go with it.
A fireplace in winter is amazing. I don’t have to reheat anything, and the vegetables simmer gently all day until they’re perfectly tender.
“I think I’ll have some too.”
Selina heaves herself upright with a grunt.
“You should really eat lunch on your own,” I say as I hand her a bowl. “I happened to come home early today, but I’m planning to take bread with me from now on.”
I just want her to stay healthy. She might drive me crazy, but she’s still the one who raised me. The closest thing I’ve got to a mother.
She is starting to look a little older, though. Shouldn’t she get more exercise?
“You didn’t run into any troublesome adventurers, did you?”
Ugh. I ran into a very troublesome guild employee, but that’s staying my little secret.
“I didn’t even know you started out as Iron-rank with no stars. At this rate, it’s going to take forever to save up.”
Selina chuckles under her breath.
So irritating. Is she laughing because she knows I won’t be independent any time soon?
After our very late lunch, it’s time for livestock duties.
The chickens are easy. They go back to the coop on their own at night. I just have to collect eggs in the morning and change the bedding once in a while.
Outside the Great Forest, they’d probably struggle for food in winter, but in here, they’ve got plenty of grass and weeds to peck at.
The cows are way more work. I want the milk, sure, but part of me wonders if I should just buy it in Carlton.
Changing their bedding is serious labor.
Well… not for me. I use Storage and Discharge to handle it in seconds.
Still, cows go through loads of straw and eat way more feed than chickens.
I’ve expanded the fields to grow wheat, potatoes, beans, and corn, but they munch through it faster than I expected.
The nice thing about living inside the Great Forest is the long growing season—from early spring to late fall.
Also, I sometimes play Cornucopia on my harp.
Wait… didn’t I promise not to do that?
I don’t use it outside! Never! Just here in the Great Forest. Only when Selina’s not looking.
She hasn’t noticed, right? Or maybe she has noticed but lets it slide since it’s only a little?
Time to lead the cows into the barn for milking. It’s pretty different from milking goats, so it took some getting used to.
At first, I was convinced they’d kick me to death. But once I learned Halt, I could milk them without worrying.
These days, I don’t even need magic. I’ve gotten the hang of it.
In cold weather, I can just leave the milk outside overnight for natural pasteurization. But usually, I just use Purification and get it done faster.
I wonder if I could cast Purification on the whole barn so I wouldn’t have to change the bedding?
I’m tempted. But I’d still have to deal with the manure.
I use Storage to collect it and Discharge it onto the compost pile.
“I’m more farmer than witch, aren’t I? I became an adventurer, but really I’m just hiding out in the forest... Wait, is this Selina’s fault?”
Today alone, I almost got punched by some obnoxious guild worker and probably ended up on the guild master’s radar.
“I want to hurry up and reach Copper-rank so I can move to Raymond City.”
The good things about Carlton are the kind old apothecary and Lena, the pretty guild receptionist.
Oh, and Maggie. I couldn’t visit today, but just knowing she’s here makes me happy.
She’s apprenticed at a different general store, so we can’t really hang out. Still, it’s nice having her nearby.
Oh right… Matthew might be in Carlton this winter too!
I heard he registered as an adventurer, but I didn’t see him today.
“Since he’s going to become Lang Village’s chief, maybe adventuring is just a youthful hobby?”
I shouldn’t talk smack about him, but wouldn’t you know it—I ran right into him at the Adventurers’ Guild!