Chapter 144: A thoughtful gift.

Chapter 144: A thoughtful gift.

Rolla had never been much of a town, economically speaking. Sure, all of the basics were present. You had a few bakers, a few butchers, and the like. But for anything more than that, youd have to go to Reito, which was seen as the Eastern capital of the entire country.

In this situation, however, I would have to work with what I had. As I was strolling through Rollas main street, the town hall to my right, and the local adventurers guild to my left, I wondered where I would be able to find a peace-making gift for Emeri. She had only grown quieter after my mothers incessant assault. Evidently, my familys behaviour was doing nothing to calm the grudge she was no doubt nursing. Having experienced some taunting during the tournament myself, I understood how infuriating it could be.

That brought me back to the issue of a present. There werent any large stores or specialised shops in Roa. We had a single shop that sold jewelry, but those were over-the-counter pieces. That could be seen as an insult

Emeri seemed to enjoy sweet foods, but there was nothing I could give her that she couldnt get from my parents for free. I had exhausted just about every option, when, suddenly an idea came to mind. While expensive gifts were a great way to play it safe, when those werent available, you were best off choosing something thoughtful instead. That led me to think how could I get my hands on something thoughtful? Maybe something that resembled what I appreciated about her? I didnt know my traveling companion all that well yet, but there certainly were a few things that sprang to mind.

What had drawn my attention to her at first had been the way she looked when she fought. Those elegant, yet deadly moves still gave me shivers, thinking back on it. How could I Right! That might work! Not a moment later, I was racing off down the street, to the outskirts of Rolla.Updated from novelbIn.(c)om

A few minutes later, I arrived outside a small wooden shack at the edge of the forest. Grey plumes of smoke drifted lazily out of the top of the chimney, and the smell of freshly roasted duck wafted into my nostrils. I always did like duck. After a momentary pause to take in the smell, I knocked on the door. Hesitantly, the cabins occupant opened up, a wide smile appearing on the old mans face when he noticed it was me who had knocked.

Art, ya little twerp! Its been ages! Yer not ere for another log, are ya? he asked with hake suspicion. Karmon was one of the towns old loggers, though he was retired now. His son had taken over his craft a few years ago, since Karmon had gotten too old to be out in the forests. Instead, he made small wooden figurines that usually served as toys for the kids in town.

No, Im not here for a log, old fart. Those types of training wouldnt work on me anymore, anyway. I awakened a while back, remember? I joked.

Vaguely, vaguely. Memorys been failing me lately Not too much longa and Ill forget the look a me sons face! he said seriously.

Im sorry to hear that. I replied awkwardly, not sure how to handle this so suddenly. Instead of seeming sad, however, Karmon just started to laugh!

I cant wait, I tell ya! As if Id want to remember is ugly mug! Anyway, how can I help ya? Youve never been tha type ta visit for a chat he said accusingly, his eyes squinted.

Well, youre right. I need your help. I want to get a gift for a companion of mine, but I couldnt find anything useful in Rolla. Id like you to make a small figurine of her, if possible.

One of his brows rose and a small smile appeared on his face.

This companion of yours wouldnt happen to be a pretty young gall, would she? he asked mirthfully.

Im here now. Whaddaya want, kid? he asked lazily.

Youve been informed about the unknown threat? I asked more seriously.

Informed?! You dont know the half of it! Ive been up day an night settin up new formations around your house and Rolla as a whole! Your uncles been working me like a slave! he replied furiously.

Slavery is illegal in Roa. I answered monotonously, to which the old veteran only huffed. I sighed. Just keep them safe, please I dont know what I would do without them I asked sincerely.

The older man looked at me curiously, before nodding. You would live. He replied quietly. Not at first, but eventually.

I snorted. Id rather not have to find out at all, if possible.

The older man nodded once more, before walking off into the forest. Moments later, his mana signature disappeared as well.

Satisfied, I sat down near a tree and started to meditate. My parents would be fine, I was sure. I had to be sure

Once in my mindscape, I got to work repairing a small part of my shed. It was tough, though. Unlike the fence, no mindsets were helping me keep the planks attached. Any nails I hammered in would quickly rust the moment I took my eyes off of them After a while, I decided to focus on something else first. Clearly, the shed represented the core part of my being, which changed and adapted far less easily than everything else out here.

I had started to notice that all future repairs would require materials. Nails and rope just appeared near me whenever I wished, but wood and stone did not. I would have to source it from my little forest, but there was only so much wood I could harvest before my mental space became damaged. That meant that there was only one thing for it. I would have to take care of my trees, along with my other plants, first. By slowly growing the forest, I could work on the rest of my mental space bit by bit, without lacking resources.

To that end, I realised that my trees werent that green. They were lacking water, of which I had little in here. Furthermore, I had no way of making more appear, as far as I knew How did people get water in places where there was none? Right! A well!

We had one in our old village, though it only pulled up stinking, grimy water. In here, though, making a well should be a piece of cake; though it would take a while. To start with, I would have to dig a hole until I struck a source.

To the side of the forest, where it cut off and turned into a dry expanse, I found a spot like any other, and started to dig. I had no tools, so I was using my hands at first. Quickly noticing that this would take a while, I made a wooden shovel and recommenced. Three mental hours a broken shovel later, I had dug a hole a few meters deep. Even that was only because of my stats, some of which persisted in my mental space. Sighing, I decided that this would be a long-term project, and that I would continue later on.

I opened my eyes in the real world and returned to Karmon the logger, who had finished the piece as if in a trance. In just a few hours, he had made a detailed representation of what I had shown him, down to the littlest details. I received it with care and paid him 50 gold coins for his work. He attempted to refuse this sum at first, since it was a life-changing amount to typical townsfolk, but eventually acquiesced. This piece was a master-work, after all. Now, I could only hope Emeri would appreciate my gift. Otherwise, this would all have been for nothing