We stared at the fountain for a bit, silence stretching, and peace came to us like the pure waters that spawned from the unknown. My eyes wandered around the farm for a bit, admiring what we’d built or purchased from the cube. Mostly everything was currently in use at the moment, including the F-ranked stable, which housed Alexander’s or rather, Ripley’s lightning horses. The A-ranked majestic creatures didn’t seem to mind the stable, at least for now, but just in case, I’d upgrade it as soon as the hero’s party left. Lucas was currently working at his forge with Alexander watching in interest and even marveled at the waterwheel system that helped the half-dwarf boy out.
One thing that bugged me a little was how each device had two rankings for some reason. Both an item rank and then a rank for the tool or building itself. Glancing at the spiritual room, I pulled up its descriptive prompt.
[F-ranked Spiritual Room. Item rank: AAA. Item value: Extraordinary. Meditation in this room will greatly boost all Daos or connect those lacking a Dao. At F-rank, mana cultivation is increased by 5%. Chance for enlightenment at F-rank increases to 1%. Upgrade for increased boosts, enhanced or added features. Upgrade price: 150,000 spirit coins, and 1 angel summoning potion. Good luck with that!]
I frowned at the absurd upgrade price.
Still, I couldn’t piece together why they simply didn’t call it a triple A-ranked spiritual room, or why it was considered an item at all. Could I store the entire thing in a storage ring perhaps? I had to test this.
I walked over to the building of ruby red bricks, checked to make sure no one was inside, and then pushed mana into the activation sequence of the ring, targeting the building with my mind. It actually vanished!
“Holy shit, you can store fucking buildings in these things?” I said under my breath. The phenomenon was probably normal for this world and would surely bring out the last of their suspicions if I acted overly surprised. I targeted the building, moved over a little and brought it back to the outside world. It positioned itself perfectly, as if the system handled the minutia for me.
This changed everything. Perhaps for traveling, we could bring out this thing to sleep in for any nights where we were too far from civilization. I could even bring a spare barn for Beakwing so he didn’t have to worry about the elements.
Then again, the spiritual room wouldn’t be very useful if too many people came along for the ride. I’d count on the hero’s party or whoever to either bring their own lodging or tent to camp. We’d set up a campsite, of course, and any wards or whatever they used to keep the area safe.
Deciding to can the matter for now, I turned back to the others.
“Break’s over, we’ve got a shop to run,” I said. “Let’s get this area cleaned up.”
“Have fun!” Ronica said, cheerily.
“Thank you for having us,” Iris said, bowing.
The rest of the hero’s party gave us their farewells, though Nuwa hesitated to leave at first.
I turned to Alexander and nodded. “Keep it up, kid, and soon you’ll be able to run side by side with the rest of them.” I froze. “Sorry about that. I never believed in reincarnation, and I know you’re telling the truth due to… the heavens showing me everything.”
“It’s fine,” Alexander said a moment later, color returning to his face. “I may have memories of my life before, but there are a lot of holes too. I’ve been reborn… lost all of my abilities and everything from my former life. I’m physically a lad.” He shrugged, grinning. “It’s actually good that things didn’t end for me after being ruthlessly betrayed by someone I thought was a brother to me. But as I thought about it, I can’t help but hate myself for not seeing the signs. I was blinded by ambition, greed, and the feeling of invincibility. The countless victories on the sea and even some on land caused me to get complacent. That complacency made me stop paying attention to the shadows behind me.” Alexander seemed to deflate. “I thought of my ship and crew as family, a part of me, but I didn’t expect my best friend to be the poison that killed me.”
I saw the resolve spark in his eyes, though I couldn’t tell if he intended to go for revenge or not. That would certainly conflict with my training. His next words dimmed that away. “He may have taken everything from me, even my wife, but that allowed me to open my eyes for the first time. The heavens refused to let me fall into damnation. The holes in my memories, I don’t think this body is capable of easily getting them back, but I still know enough to seek vengeance if the heavens presented the opportunity.” He suddenly waved away that comment. “But I’m not Yomi, haven’t been for years. I don’t even feel like the old me. Right now, I’m truly just a lad who ran away from a dangerous home, following a destiny.” Alexander chuckled, though there was no mirth in his voice, just confusion, sadness, depression. However, whenever the kid looked at me, determination, conviction, and reverence sparked in those eyes. It reminded me of a boy being proud of his older brother or dad. Clearly, Wanda set something up that was far beyond my understanding and whether I wanted to or not, I’d be in for the ride.
“What are the odds of you running into your mother or anyone of importance for your country—kingdom?” I asked.
“Way out here, basically none,” Alexander replied. “Mother cannot recall or track Mazu, and the only person that knows I’m out here is Ripley.”
“I doubt the dragon would travel back just to rat you out,” I said. “He doesn’t come across to me as that kind of person, rough edges aside.”
“Rough edges indeed,” Alexander said, laughing. “He’s a headache and a pain in the arse, but he helped me get here without asking any questions. Somehow, he’s able to sense my soul, I think. It could only explain why he arranged his contacts in this town to get me a house.” The kid frowned. “Why are there so many empty houses in this town? It feels a little bizarre.”
I motioned for him to follow me back toward the shop and explained everything along the way, from the town’s inflation to the fleeing merchants, the noble schemes, and our goal to upgrade the town as much as possible. We weren’t just going to stop at E but push for an S-rank. What kind of insane benefits would I get as a veteran shopkeep? How much money would I be able to make with S-ranked customers coming in?
Not that the customers had ranks, but I could imagine a city of that ranking being home to this world’s equivalent of celebrities.
“As I’ve said enough, I’ll train you, but you must want it,” I said. “This isn’t a stopgap before revenge. Wait…” I stopped, before opening the door. “Hundreds of years probably passed since your past life, right?”
“No,” Alexander replied. “Only a decade had passed. By the time I get old enough to consider going out on my own, well, will it even matter? But with the heavens bringing me back to life, there may likely be a chance for me to make some amends. If my wife is still alive, maybe say my goodbyes without giving much away.”
“You’re truly set on never returning to the sea?” I asked.
“I’m no longer that man,” Alexander said. “If I’m being granted a life of peace and respite from constant conflict among the pirates and sea monsters, then who am I to shy away from the gift? I do fear for my wife. She never got along with him. She’s a magician, skilled with fire, but so was my former friend a magician. There’s a chance that they engaged in a battle that took down the entire ship, dooming the entire crew. I will not begin to think what could’ve happened if he caught her off guard…” He shook his head. “That’s in the past now. I heard nothing indicating Yomi the Pirate King’s ship being found destroyed.”
He entered the shop. “I’m Alexander, apprentice of Saint Nate. I mostly have the mind of my former self, but also that of a lad.” He sighed. “I’m ten, which means in about two years I have to go through that blasted hormone stage again.”
“Puberty,” I said, laughing.
Alexander frowned. “The heavens are probably getting a kick out of this.”
“I wouldn’t put it past them,” I said.
He sighed, continuing forward and muttered, “Wanda’s jiggly wonk.”
Before I fully entered the shop, something interesting caught my attention. Wolverine, Cheetara, the mana turkeys, and even Beakwing were acting as tour guides to a baby cow or calf. Once again, a pang of regret for not having a goddamn camera slashed at me. Fortunately, they were almost all milking cows, with a few steers for beef. Their new friend and his parents would be safe.
Not that I’d consider eating them when the cow appeared to have some kind of awareness. Not because of the conversation, but I could detect mana circulating through its body like the pets. It wasn’t a mortal beast like most of the others, but a spirit beast. A fucking cow spirit beast. Cool. I was down for that. What would Wolverine and the others teach it? If I found myself with a magic-spewing or even fire-breathing cow…
Allowing a ghost of a smile to curl across my face, I entered the shop and got to work. Customers packed our shop to the brim less than twenty minutes later. There was one teenager in particular seeming to flirt with Lucas. Unfortunately for him, Harmony and Alexander didn’t allow for anything to blossom. But the girl seemed persistent, even asking if there were any open positions. In the end, she settled with giving Lucas a goodbye smile, eyes full of meaning.
Alexander and I made eye contact briefly before openly snickering. Harmony and Mandi looked as if they were going to have headaches.
Chenzu, returning from the farm, clearly having witnessed most of the event, entered the shop grinning. Lucas blushed, but remained silent, stocking the shelves and assisting Mandi with sweeping the floors. Customers had a bad habit of bringing in dirt, so it was a constant battle to keep the shop as presentable as possible.
“Now even he has suitors coming for him,” Chenzu said.
“It’s so annoying, people coming all the way to the shop, attempting courtship,” Mandi said. “Can’t they see we’re busy?”
Harmony sighed. “Courtship and a following marriage would be detrimental to your growth as a magician.”
Mandi nodded twice in agreement. “Especially if they have ulterior motives. You’d better be vigilant, Lucas.”
Chenzu looked as if he wanted to say something, like perhaps call them out on unrealized jealousy, but it was truly hard to tell if that was the case. Mandi and Harmony had suitors all the time. They were all young adults, and I certainly made sure to stay as far away from their personal lives as possible.
I may be their potion and magic teacher, but that was it. Alexander actually seemed a bit surprised when I said that aloud, after he asked.
“It’s how he is,” Harmony said, not bothered by my words in the slightest. “Don’t confuse him with the normal strict masters.”
I narrowed my eyes, giving her a sardonic smile. “The normal kind, huh?”
Harmony replied with only a shrug. Opal suddenly startled from her nap on top of a stack of papers.
“Enjoy your nap?” I asked the pixie.
She nodded, smiling. “I’ve never had peace like this until you summoned me, Sir Nate,” she said, rising into the air.
I nodded. “You guys wrap up clean up, and you’re free to head home. I’ve got some meditating and studying to do before dinner. You’re welcome to stay for dinner, of course.”
Normally, I would’ve glanced at the kid, but he was certainly far more capable of taking care of himself than the other three combined.
“I’ve got a date at the tavern,” Chenzu said. “She believes she can outplay and out drink me. Her lute abilities aren’t bad, but I’m mostly there to make sure she gets home safely. I love this town, so take no offense when I say some of the men stare at her far too long, especially when drunk.”
“Really now?” I said, chuckling. “This place has such a person?”
“You’d know if you actually visited the tavern during the proper times.”
He was sending a signal and I figured, what the hell. Remembering how Milia loved her wine, I decided to invite her against Chenzu’s wishes. Now hear me out. I could go there and get a little drunk, though the lacking quality of the alcohol in Kyushu wouldn’t…
I paused that thought.
“You know, I’ll have to pass today,” I said. “The booze here sucks. We need to find either a proper brewer, or steal Anzu’s company from Wingston.”
“Mother would rather go to war against you than allow that to happen,” Mandi said, peeking up from her book. I shot the redhead a micro-glare for ruining my developing dream.
Chenzu laughed. “What do you expect from F-ranked ale?”
“They rank the ale too?” I asked, annoyed. “I feel like we’ve taken this ranking shit a little too far.”
“There’s no turning back,” Opal said, as if breaking the fourth wall, though she did earn my glare to her amusement.
“I’m joking, of course,” Chenzu said. “They categorize it from low quality, to mid, high, and pristine. Not saying that’s better, but what can we do in the midst of Wanda’s gift?”
“Destroy the gift,” I replied playfully.
“Nothing like bringing down the wrath of the world’s goddess,” Chenzu said with a laugh, playing a few notes of his lute. “So, what’s your idea for a short-term solution? You are a potion maker. Which is close enough to an alchemist. Can you whip something up? Without killing us, of course.”
“No, I’m not that magical,” I told him. “Milia, do you have any idea?”
Milia was currently walking down the stairs, yawning, eyes tired from her sewing. Her work couldn’t be automated either, not without an A or above tier special sewing machine. The dryad shook her head, yawning again.
“We seriously need to get that sewing machine,” I said. “Where did you say we could find them again?”
“Dwarf and gnome cities,” Milia said, “but only if you’ve got a good pile of platinum coins. Dwarves would take gold and a bottle of pristine-quality demon juice, but unless you’re the Lord Ruler, good luck affording it.”
“Demon juice?” Mandi asked and I was thankful to not be the only ignorant person in the room for once.
“Uh, I don’t know how dwarves drink that stuff,” Chenzu said. “It’s strong enough to strip even S-ranked noble paint. Now they want a pristine version of it? That must be one hell of a sewing machine.”
“The mechanics of it, plus its ability to imprint magic brings up its value immensely,” Milia said. “I can probably get my hands on one eventually, if my family’s feeling generous.”
“Unless your family is of high-tier noble blood, I doubt it,” Chenzu said. “Even a high-tiered noble would hesitate and debate if the investment’s worth it. Although given what you’ve created, I wish I could personally invest in your idea.”
“Me too,” I said. “I wonder how long it would take to save up for one—”
“No!” Milia said as she nearly dove into my arms. Taken aback, I nearly gaped at her. “The price is far too great, and the dwarves don’t accept spirit coins, fearing the chance of getting robbed by magicians or assassinated by haughty nobles.” She looked up at me. “I’m moved by even your consideration of saving up that much wealth for me, but your focus should be what you want. My family has a way of getting ahold of things, and perhaps they wouldn’t mind adding to the shop.” She looked down. “Knowing Mother, she’d probably try to rebuild everything into some grand giant super shop.”
“Alright,” I said. “I’ll drop it, for now. Spirit coins are something traded mostly between magicians, right?”
“Indeed they are,” Chenzu said. “But good luck getting any. They’re virtually impossible to find unless you’re considerably lucky and resilient enough to survive the world’s deadliest dungeons. At least, that’s what I’d tell anyone that’s not you.” He shook his head, playing a tune on his lute. “The universe isn’t a fair lass.”
“No, she isn’t,” Alexander said, his voice emitting an older vibe, despite vocalizing that of a boy. Milia took a seat in a chair. I took a chair next to her at her gesture.
“I guess until we boost the ranking of the town, we’re stuck with subpar ale?” I said. “Aside from the pricey stuff we could pick up from one of the stores, assuming they have any in stock.”
“The noble pricks behind the scheme may be gone, but their families are still around and have access to all of the wealth,” Chenzu said. “There’s no stopping the ladies from buying up all the good stuff. Many of them are trying to deal with the fact that they’re practically widowed.”
“Count Hubert’s family probably had it the worst,” Harmony said. Her eyes hardened. “My father said he was facing execution, and nothing could be said to stop the capital from carrying it out. You can’t just hire an assassin and expect to just get dungeon time. The Lord Ruler’s especially paranoid of them.”
“Karma decided to deliver him a fate worse than the death by capital,” Chenzu said. “At least with the capital, he would’ve been given a chance to plead his case. It wouldn’t be surprising to see the right people bribed and the count disappearing to the countryside with his family.”
I nodded. “That’s true.”
Abruptly, a fiery red pigeon burst through the pet entrance, startling the shit out of us as it landed on my arm. A letter was tied to its leg.
“That’s one of Mother’s messenger birds,” Mandi said. “This doesn’t look good. Mother would never use the red messengers unless something complicated has happened.”
I sighed. “Goddammit. And here we were, just talking about booze, potentially making it using alchemy, and getting Milia a magical sewing machine.”
