by ForestRage
This girl was skilled in knitting and sewing. She also came with a collection of books, ink, and parchments. On the same evening, Chu made it mandatory that everyone spent one hour in the evening learning to read and write.
Amanda was ecstatic on the announcement. She now had a companion to study along with. As a young girl who lived in a great city like Frost, she envied those young women who possessed basic education.
A young woman who was skilled in reading and writing along with some music was the least to be bullied. They were the ones who could only be married off to people of high social standings.
Chu spent some time each day teaching them basic mathematics. Amanda was amazed and overjoyed, girls in the cities were only familiar with counting numbers. Addition and Subtraction were advanced education usually reserved for merchant families.
She soon joined Sakura in worshiping the boy genius. Chu used their desire to learn to his advantage. He spent some time at night making a small workbook and had them write on a wooden board using charcoal.
The faster they learned the better for him. They would have to be the ones responsible for his finances in the future.
Mr. Thomas took one glance at them busy studying in the late evening and left them. Simply looking at Sakura already gave him a headache. He cried when he remembered his last conversation with Sue.
With the work on the barn's interior nearing completion, Clod switched his focus to the outside. They spent some days selecting and cutting down some trees on the forest edge. Clod used the ax and molded the logs and branches before loading them on the wagon.
One morning, Clod finally turned his attention to the land. The fields were split among planting corn, vegetables, and grass for the animals. The old farmhouse was converted to a stable and a small field at the front, fenced around for the horses to use.
Clod repaired the lookout at the top of the barn while attaching a wood-tiled roof. During the nights they split the shifts between them. Only Mr. Thomas and his wife remained excluded from watchman duty. Ming was nevertheless the designated lookout during the day.
Before the planting started Chu made a trip with Clod to the Trading Post. They returned with a variety of seed supplies and two additional girls.
If Chu was not a little kid, Mr. Thomas would have sworn he was some sort of old letcher.
Every-time the boy went to the village he kept returning with children. Worse yet they were all girls.
'Was there some sort of special sale that village was running?'
Dyna and Miki soon proved to be hard workers. With the extra hands, the farm progressed by leaps and bounds.
Mr. Thomas soon realized that his Military training and experience was a key cornerstone to their development. Besides the boy, he now had two other unexpected apprentices.
Dyna was a little girl but she was accompanied by three savage wolf cubs. They were now more like dogs than cubs. If he didn't trust these children, he could swear they were lying about those cubs age.
Those beasts simply defied the natural growth order.
He now had to help the girl in training the wolves. Luckily as a Military officer, he had some understanding of how the Hounds were raised. This was passed on to the little girl to discipline her little pack.
He took a chance to test the girl. Maybe he could use her naive mind to persuade the boy.
"Well, that's about it, Dyna. I think if you beg Chu with those puppy eyes he might reconsider. If he does then your cubs won't be in danger."
"No, no, no...you must help me, Mr. Thomas. I need to show Chu that my wolves are worth it. My cubs are the best this is my chance!"
No amount of coaxing would work on the little girl. She was more desperate than the idiot in sword training to prove her worth. Mr. Thomas abandoned that lost cause.
The older girl was even more hard-headed. On one of their trips in the forest, she witnessed his skill with a crossbow bagging some pheasants. His reloading was slightly slower because of his one hand.
She immediately claimed Mr. Thomas as her master. The boy agreed readily when she turned to beg him. The man now had to train three children in the evenings.
Mr. Thomas didn't worry anymore. He understood how the chain of command worked in this group. He did not bother talking to his new disciple, after witnessing her sleep hugging her crossbow he dropped the idea.
Once he tried to impress upon them that he had awakened a talisman like Simon. He was once a proud Sersen who still retained a little of his strength even though he lost his arm.
Tales that would wow even children of nobles had no effect on these brats. He wondered if these remote villagers even knew anything. He was old enough to understand what those looks he received meant.
'What a sad tale.'
'Mr. Thomas went through so much.'
'Why the heck is that old man boasting about some cheap skills.'
He stopped his boasting afterward.
With the group firmly bonded together, Chu was happy like a lark. Now Mr. Thomas was even reprimanded by his wife whenever he voiced some objection. Slowly he had everyone fit in and understand their responsibilities.
During this time he had a good feeling on the nature of the man and his family. He finally considered them trustworthy.
◆◆◆
Mr. Thomas was draining the water from his cup. His task was to help Clod this morning in erecting some of the larger posts. The others with the exception of Ming were tending the field. After lunch, they would return in the evening while the others started training.
The old man sighed. This people here moved more efficient than the Military. Every waking hour was counted and used. It was hard work but he finally felt they might succeed. If they could not make some money, they could at least be self-sufficient.
He was still relaxing a little with his eyes closed when he heard footsteps approaching. Opening his eyes he saw the boy coming towards him. Clod had dropped him off in the village a week ago. It seemed he had now walked back on his own.
"Hello, Mr. Thomas. I have a new job for you. This is Lucy, I believe that you will find that you both have more in common than you think."
A young girl around the same size as the boy stepped out from behind him.
"Hello, Mr. Thomas."
Chapter 6
Bloody Hell!
It was late evening when Chu assembled Mr. Thomas, Ming, and Lucy under the willow tree. The others were either in the barn studying or relaxing and walking around outside with Dyna and her wolf pack.
They sat under the willow on rough benches around a table. The others were prudent enough to stay away from this high-powered meeting. Ming was included because nothing could keep him away.
"How is it so far Mr. Thomas. Are you satisfied with our progress?"
The old man let out a wry grin.
If he was not present himself he would have thought this place was run by slave-masters. He was the person who was most vocal in trying to slow down the work. He was pushing in the beginning as he felt they would fall behind in land preparation.
It was only when they started Clod explained to him that the ground needed time to release the excess water. That was the reason behind the wait and why they focused on construction at first. Sowing the seeds on moist but not waterlogged soil prevented the majority from rotting.
Chu would have told him the soil was too water-logged and it needed to drain out. Seeds planted when the soil was properly tilled and aerated had a higher chance of germinating. He knew that much from school.
"No, no. I have no complaints and I am not a thicken faced old man. I have learned some things and have understood my mistakes in the past. When I settled I should have first worked in one of the neighbors farms before striking out on my own."
Chu laughed and waved his hands in dismissal.
"No need for an apology, we are all in this together. The only reason why we can be successful is that Clod was from a farming community. We all have our strengths s
o we need to focus on that path."
Mr. Thomas looked at him.
"Are you saying that you want me to focus on training those kids instead?"
Chu liked the fact that the man was a quick thinker.
"Yes and no. We all need to focus on helping out the general work which is running the farm. But we also need to improve the areas we specialize in. Ming needs to be a competent swordsman so we get him trained by you."
"I see. Well, I have no problem with that, The stronger we all are the better. So what about this new girl. You brought me here to ask me to train her in archery too?"
Chu laughed.
"Yes and no. Before we come to that I have some questions for you. I think we have proven ourselves trustworthy. Even though we are children we still have a right to know everything about our friends and companions."
Thomas sighed and closed his eyes. He seemed to age decades in front of their eyes. When he opened them, he regressed to his normal features. Only his eyes told of some grief.
"This old man would never dare to share my troubles or life with a bunch of kids. I once trusted Simon with my life when we adventured and he did vouch and rate you highly. Because of your age, I was still skeptical until I met you but you proved me wrong. I have never seen a farm run more efficiently than a Military Department. Like my companions, you at least deserve to know everything about me.
Simon and I met up with each other in the city of Haven. We were both raised in the city and decided to strike out when we turned fifteen. We joined up with six others and formed our very own adventuring party.
Without startup money, we were just a group of brats lost in our dreams. Simon was close to a merchant whom he did odd jobs. It was him who sponsored our party in the time of need. Simon and another of my comrades from back then have since returned to repay that person.
We gained nearly all our experiences in that first decade. We were robbed, ambushed conned and sometimes nearly starved to death. Like that we arrived in Frost City all the wiser.
We were now a party of five. Our experience was gained at the price of our companions' lives.
Our arrival at Frost City coincided with the Military offensive against the demons from the north. Like many fresh faces in the city, we were lured with the legends of the Sersen; normal people like us who gained extraordinary abilities when they awakened a talisman.
We set out like the others to help in the Military campaign under the promise of earning such power. It was a disaster.
The Military placed a large group of adventurers in a valley to monitor any movement and report it back to command. The demon beast arrived in small groups and we had a feast. Even with such prospects, it was hard to gain an awakening.
Fights between different parties often broke out for lifestones, the thing needed to activate talismans. When a large group of demon boars arrived they wreaked havoc on the disorganized assembly. We requested reinforcements from the Military but the young captain at the time refused us.
We escaped to Frost City eventually. There was now only three of us. At the cost of his life, one of our brothers managed to kill a demon boar. It was then I became a Sersen.
I joined the Military and quickly moved up the ranks with my new abilities. The Tower Mages have a general knowledge book available to the Military. It has instructions left by those ancient mages on how to awaken one's power.
I retained my brothers as mercenaries and personal aids. As a Sersen, I had equal standing to those normal noble houses. We spent our remaining time in the Military. I met my wife and we got married. Soon I even had a young daughter.
Fate was destined to be unkind to us in the latter years.
On a campaign in the north, I helped Simon kill a demon boar. He was successful in his awakening and became a Sersen. When we returned to the city I was summoned by one of the five great noble houses.
The son of that noble was part of my squad. Apparently, any demon lifestones were supposed to be given to him as a priority. I raised my objections that the ones who fought tooth and nail should be given first preference.
The last mission I had in the Military made me understand how deep the powers of those houses flowed.
My troops were ambushed by a band on demon wildcats when we were sent to the front. With no reinforcements, we could only retreat in despair. I ended up losing my arm in the process.
It was then I understood the dangers and thin ice I was walking on all the time.
The commander who was supposed to send the support troop to our aid was none other than the brother of the nobleman I argued with. Worse yet, now that I lost my ability as a Sersen, they began eying my family.
Twice the servants of that family were nearly successful in abducting my daughter. The man even had the audacity to ask for my daughter to become his son's concubine. If not for my two brothers who stood by me, I would have long perished and my family destroyed.
I resigned from the Military and fled with my savings under the cover of night. My family and brothers accompanied me as we left that once great city we called home.
The young lord of the house proved too much of a letcher. He tried to track us but Simon and my other brother dealt with them. Only after a year was it finally safe to settle down.
With my knowledge, I choose a farm in a remote village instead of close to a large city. I simply hoped to give my family a peaceful life to live in. Unfortunately, my years of Military training and adventuring offered no help in farming.”
Such was Mr. Thomas's brief tale of his past life.
Sometime during the story, someone bought a torch and placed it near the barn entrance. It cast a dim light on the surroundings barely reaching them at the other end.
Chu guessed the man faced some form of hardship but did not know it was that bad. Once again he was reminded how brutal and unpredictable things could be in this world.
'Could he safely say the same would not happen to him?'
If he walked into a city or even a town at this moment towing along his group, what would be his chances of not being accosted in some way?
He might take the chances with just him and Ming, but what about the others. When Lucy, Miki, and the others grow up what would happen. He could only feel a splitting headache coming on.
"Well, there you have it. In a nutshell, it's my story. It is a weight off my shoulders, I can tell you that. I feel much better knowing you are aware of my situation. At least I won't put you in some trouble this far out in the middle of nowhere."
Chu stretched his back. The place was now in darkness.
"Thank you for trusting us enough to tell your tale. I think it is enough to trust you also. You might think you are facing terrible hardships, but fate, in the end, was still kind to you. As companions who have experienced the sufferings of poverty, it is now time for us to climb up together to better days."
Mr. Thomas smiled and gave a genuine laugh. He wetted his throat with a cup of water.
"That's right, we can make this farm a success. Now that I have shared my problems we have no secrets between us. We can live here comfortably for the rest of our lives."
Chu glanced at the two sitting on both sides.
"Who said we are going to stay here forever? And who said there were no more secrets?
Lucy, eyes!"
Mr. Thomas smile froze on his face.
A pair of deadly yellow eyes were looking back at him.
The wooden cup tumbled to the ground.
A rough gasp followed.
"Bloody Hell!"
Chapter 7
Forming Goals
"Now there are no secrets between us."
Mr. Thomas shuddered as the words sank in. It was only after a few minutes did he begin to breathe normally with the occasional deep breaths.
'Crap, it seems like I nearly killed the old fella.'
Chu thought.
Maybe he should work on his introductions in the near future. He made a wry smile remembering wha
t happened when they first discovered Lucy's ability.
"Damn boy, you trying to kill this old man?"
It had taken all his willpower to restore control of his faculties. If not for his Military training and experience he would certainly have died.
It was ironic however that it was this same experience in the Military that increased his shock during this confrontation. That knowledge coupled with the first-hand experience is what made him even more traumatized.
An uneducated villager might be scared because he was facing something unknown. For Mr. Thomas who could put a name to this fear, it had reached the level to induce a stroke.
This little girl was a Sersen, an awakened person who claimed the center of attention and envy in even Frost City.
'How the heck did this boy acquire someone of such importance?'
'Was this girl from some prominent noble family?'
His mind became muddled.
Lucy picked up the cup and poured some water in it to offer him. He waved his hands indicating he was okay.
"I'm fine, just, just give me some time again. Damit brat you near killed me!"
It was a while until the man finally composed himself. Lucy's eyes had returned to normal and she was now the embodiment of the typical village girl.