Farmer Mage

Chapter 24: Choosing the Reward

Tavia was busy flipping through a good-sized booklet. Even from tens of feet away, he could see the illustrations on the pages of various furniture. She looked lost in the choices given to her.

Thankfully, I don’t have to deal with that. I have a free decorator.

“Initiate Cal,” Torin greeted him with a nod. “Is everything to your liking?”

I wonder if this means they would fix whatever I say I dislike. I could use a slightly larger storage room. However, I won’t be able to use such an expansion for months at the earliest.

“Ah, is it the stables?” Torin continued when Cal didn’t reply immediately. “Madam Miren built it with a more generic design, so you are not limited to any specific beast. If you have something else in mind, we will happily modify it.”

Cal had utterly forgotten about the stables. He turned to see a wooden structure to the right of the building he had exited. It was an open-air barn, with only walls on the sides and wooden poles supporting the roof sparsely spread out within.

I’m not sure why the guild ordered this built. I’m having enough of a headache trying to plant a crop, let alone have the energy to keep some beasts alive… though Seris did see a beast that could be helpful for farming.

I concede. The stable might be useful.

“It’s perfectly fine,” Cal said after facing Torin. “Here is the bonus for the workers.”

Torin took the offered guildmark before handing it to Miren. She studied it like she might have been given a fake before nodding firmly. She lifted her hand and shooed the workers, who immediately filed out of his field.

“It’s been a pleasure working for you, Initiate Cal,” Torin bowed slightly. “If you have any other requests, don’t hesitate to contact us. I left our name with the booklet Initiate Tavia is browsing.”

Cal’s eyes twitched, still finding Torin’s drastic change of attitude strange.

I might as well use it.

“Before you leave, is this material useful for anything? For building, I mean.” Cal toed the ground below him. “I have an excessive amount available and will have more in the future.” He pointed to the pile that he dug up.

Torin looked to Miren, who in turn stared at the piled-up rubble at the edge of the field. She leaned toward Torin and whispered in his ear. A second later, Torin was jogging to the edge of the field.

Cal saw him grab a small chunk of the pile before jogging back. Miren promptly put it in a container and set it on the cart.

“Madam Miren will be in touch. She is eager to learn more of this material herself,” Torin bowed to him again. “Initiate Tavia, I look forward to seeing your chosen pieces.”

“Hm?” Tavia finally looked up from the catalog. “Oh, I’m coming with you. I need to return to Lumina anyway.”

“Of course,” Torin accepted readily and addressed Cal. “As I said, if you need anything, don’t hesitate to contact us.”

I can’t take it anymore.

“Alright, stop. What’s with the change,” Cal blurt out. “Did you get that scared of me?”

“Scared?” Torin drew back like he was offended. “Of course not! I was impressed with the amount of physical work you do. I fully expected another pampered, over-grown man-child from Madam Miren’s guild, so I was regrettably abrupt with you.”

Madam Miren’s guild? So she’s a member? I’ve never heard of her before, and it certainly looks like I should have. She supposedly has rune crafters in her employ, which is mind-blowing if she is part of the guild.

“So you were abrupt with me because you thought I was a guild favorite?”

Torin shook his head. “It’s obvious that you are, but not the type that sits in a room and reads all day. This is deserved, Initiate Cal.”

The arrogance a person must have to judge someone for something so ridiculous. It reminds me of those with a stick up their behind in the core guild. Torin is more of the same, just a different flavor. I liked him better when I thought he was just a naturally rude ass.

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“I see,” Cal put on an I-don’t-wan’t-to-deal-with-you smile. He turned to the quiet girl glaring at Torin. “Have a safe travel, Miren.”

“Madam Miren thanks you, Initiate Cal,” Torin jumped on the cart. He gave another nod before the oxen started to pull it to the dirt path.

Their cart had nearly passed the tree line when Tavia finally spoke. “What an idiot. Who does he think he is?” She started to mimic Torin poorly. “I think I’m better than the type that studies all day.” She scoffed.

Oh, right. Tavia is one of those that Torin looks down on.

Cal chuckled. “Not a fan of him anymore?”

Tavia gave him an intense stare.

“I’ll take that as a no,” Cal raised his hands in surrender. There was a few seconds of silence. “So, who is this Miren girl?”

“I’m just as clueless as you. The Overseer sent her personally, so she must be someone.”

Perhaps the real question should be about the Overseer. Things are not matching up about him. I didn’t think he was important since I had never saw him after the Selection in my first life, but the man has a little too much sway about how things are going to be too far down the hierarchy.

“Do you know who the Overseer is?” Cal asked, expecting the shake of Tavia’s head. “Could you try to find out?”

“Sure,” she agreed casually as she glanced toward the faint sound of the convoy getting further away. “I’ll return soon, Cal. Try not to put yourself in a trance and demolish your new place.” She climbed into her carriage.

That’s an issue I didn’t think about. Am I really capable of trying to pickaxe my newly built house to destruction? It is an issue that I hesitate to say I won’t. Still, I’m reasonably confident I will know the difference between the ground and brick walls.

… I just have to ignore the Torin incident.

“Bye, Cal!” Tavia waved out the window as the horses started to pull the carriage away.

Cal returned the wave and watched till it was out of sight.

This was a productive day. The place I sleep is no longer a hovel. I have Tavia as a roommate. And the best of all, I’ve finally stepped into the next [Tier] rank. I need to find the proper spell that will allow me to replace an irrigation system. It won’t be too hard since I just need a basic water spell without much damage potential. There should be no restrictions on—

His rambling thoughts halted when he saw a small face poke out of the pile of rubble. It looked around warily before fully pulling itself out of the newly created hole.

The little beast chittered at Cal before staring greedily at the plentiful rubble he had dug up over the day. Still, it didn’t make a move towards the newly dug-up ground.

It’s waiting for me to give it approval. Another positive to add to this productive day.

“Go ahead, eat your fill!” Cal shouted.

The little beast rocketed to its target and started to inhale the rubble. In only a few seconds, it had finished well over ten percent of what was available.

I might have found my disposal unit after all.

It was like his thoughts were transmitted to the little beast, and it decided to be petty.

The little beast abruptly stopped inhaling the rubble and rubbed its stomach. It stared at the remaining ‘food’ before turning its nose up toward it and drowsily making its way to one of the piles.

It climbed up and lay on its back, apparently wanting to soak up the last bit of sun the day had to offer.

It was a false alarm. I still have no convenient disposal unit. Hopefully, Miren will find some use for rubble.

Cal shook his head. He walked to the wheelbarrow and pushed it into the storage room. He removed all the equipment he carried on his back and hung them on the walls before standing back.

I can see this place filled with high-ranked tools… This will be a target of theft if I leave it unprotected. However, the rune inlays for theft defense will cost me a minimum of five guildmarks for the weakest kind. I’ll need income from a harvest to be able to afford—

Cal let out a disappointed sigh.

How did I not realize this? I can sell the tools that I upgrade for a nice profit. An Advanced-ranked tool will get me a few guildmarks at auction. Unfortunately, anything of a lower rank isn’t worth the effort. An Uncommon-ranked tool might fetch one or two silver at most.

The rank only increases the durability of the equipment. The true value comes from the infused mana, which only becomes possible at the Advanced-rank.

I won’t need the extra funds for security features anytime soon, so I don’t need to rush with this.

He left the storage room and headed to his bedroom. It was almost strange that there was so much space to move about. Doubly so that the building wasn’t falling apart around him.

Cal entered the bedroom and removed his shoulder and waist straps. He dropped them on the floor and collapsed on the cot at the same time.

He grunted as he shifted on his back and pulled up the interface. He had to pick his reward. The choice was almost set the moment he saw his options, but the past few minutes created a slight doubt.

[Guardian Scarecrow] isn’t attractive to me. The main issue is that I need to have a farm to protect for the reward to be worthwhile. I don’t see the point of picking a reward that might be useful after I succeed in farming. It could also protect my storage room if that is considered part of my farm, but there are alternatives that don’t involve me wasting a reward.

Cal reached out and tapped on [Blessing of the Time-Warped Seed]. The interface disappeared immediately afterward.

I don’t feel much for this reward either. It only helps to grow a crop faster, not that it will grow in the first place. [Blessing of the Time-Warped Seed] is more of a money-maker than a farming tool. Still, that’s better than picking [Guardian Scarecrow]. The money I earn from the accelerated crop growth will allow me to buy the rune inlays to protect the farm if necessary.

He glanced out the window to see the setting sun. There was nothing else to be done for the day.

Cal closed his eyes and looked forward to a good night’s sleep.

The little beast might try something tonight… I’m ready if it does.

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