Chapter 15: Little Thief |
Cal quickly learned that what interested Seris did not interest him at all. She spent well over an hour telling him too much about ships. It was in so much detail that he feared this would influence the next skill choice.
Now that I know her parents are sailors, it makes sense why she is attracted to the port. I gave her enough time to have her fun. Orrin will have to deal with only having a few hours to study the sledgehammer.
“—ship needs a fifty-man crew just to—”
“Seris,” Cal interrupted, “I have to head back to my station.”
“Oh,” Seris looked put out. “Why so early, boss? You can’t really do anything there besides smashing up more stones.”
She’s not wrong. But I will smash as many stones as necessary with an entire week of boosted [Tier] growth. The shovel Orrin made also helps. I can move the rocks into a nice pile. Hopefully, that will also add to my growth.
... I’m really more of a miner than a [Farmer] right now. But it looks like as long as I better my field, it will count toward my [Tier] growth.
“I happen to like smashing up stones.”
Seris stared at him before letting out a puff of air. “Alright, I guess I already covered most of the ships.”
“I’ll wait here.” Seris didn’t dare to move closer to the entrance of Orrin’s house.
“He really scared you into listening,” Cal said with a bit of surprise. Seris pretended like she didn’t hear him.
He chuckled as he walked in. There was no sound of hammerblows coming from the smithy, so it was likely that Orrin was still studying the sledgehammer.
Cal stepped into the backyard and saw that he was wrong. The sledgehammer sat off to a corner while Orrin measured fine minerals into small piles.
“Orrin?” He announced his presence.
Orrin looked up and smiled when he saw Cal. “Initiate Cal! I’ve made excellent progress! I thank you for letting me borrow your sledgehammer.”
“That’s great news!” Cal cheered him along. “How do you feel about your success rate in making Common-ranked tools?”
“I feel good enough that I wish to redo the plow, Initiate Cal. I’m confident that I can upgrade it.”
Cal’s brow rose high on his forehead.
Orrin doesn’t seem like one who likes to boast about his capabilities. Such progress is stunningly rare.I will not need the plow for some time, so it won’t be a headache to let him do as he wishes.
“Done,” Cal smiled. “Just make it the lowest priority. I want the wheelbarrow and pickaxe done first.”
Orrin hesitated for a moment. “If the plow is your lowest priority, it would be better if I work on it first. That way, I can test my new techniques on it.”
“Ah, that makes sense,” Cal agreed. “Very well, let’s do it your way. But if you can make the wheelbarrow by tomorrow, it will be greatly appreciated.”
“I’ll do my best, Initiate Cal,” Orrin gave him a firm nod.
***
Cal entered his shed with a relieved sigh. The trip to the town was pleasant, especially with the lack of need to watch for surprise backstabbing like in the core guild. However, he was still the most comfortable when alone.
I never thought a place like this would be where I feel most comfortable. A dingy shack that even a core guild member’s pet would turn its nose up against.
He placed his sledgehammer and shovel down before sitting on the floor.
One thing I’m looking forward to is getting my things tomorrow. I won’t have to sleep on the hard floor, though it wasn’t as bad as I thought last night.
Cal summoned his interface and stared at the red text. The trip to the town—speaking with Orrin and Seris—eliminated one skill out of the two he was considering.
He wouldn’t be choosing [Benevolent Mentor].
He liked the two kids, without a doubt. However, he wasn’t keen to have a gaggle of them around him.
[Benevolent Mentor] was a skill that would surround him with loyal subordinates, but he was well aware of his personality. He had never tried to gain political power in the guild, just personal power. That was why he was generally liked by the high-ups.
While Cal wished to change himself in this timeline, becoming a leader of sorts would be outside his interests. It would make him miserable, and knowing how he loved to maximize every power in his possession, he would do his best to elevate that skill despite being miserable. It would create a horrific feedback loop he couldn't escape.
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One of his first thoughts after he was sent back in time was to be like Oleg. Live peacefully and happily. That was still his main goal, and [Benevolent Mentor] would take him on a path that was the opposite of it.
Yes, he wanted to grow in power, but it was more about being safe and protecting himself, allowing him to live peacefully. Being a leader meant he would be responsible for far more than he was comfortable with.
[Master Negotiator] will be helpful to my [Class]. I won’t have to rely on someone like Seris to help me with traders. Though, I question how I’m supposed to upgrade the skill. This would be another time it would be helpful to have the interface quantify the upgrade requirements.
At least I will be talking with traders often. It should upgrade naturally.
Cal reached out with his finger and hesitated. [Benevolent Mentor] was tempting. Really tempting.
He frowned and quickly tapped on [Master Negotiator]. The interface disappeared, leaving him with some regret.
It’s for the best. I don’t want to be a teacher. I have to keep that in mind.
Cal grunted and pushed himself up. There were several hours before sunset. He could get most of the broken rocks into piles by then.
He left the sledgehammer in the shed and carried the shovel out to his field the usual way he was becoming accustomed to—over his shoulder.
He walked to the nearest stone that he had turned into rubble and held the shovel awkwardly. It took a few tries before it felt right in his hands.
Cal plunged the shovel downward into the edge of the hole.
DING
The shovel ricocheted off the hard ground, the handle almost smacking him in the face.
… I need the pickaxe for a ground this hard.
He looked around with weariness.
It will take days, at the minimum, to soften up the ground.
“… Wait, this is a good thing,” Cal said out loud.
If smashing the stones is any indication, every time I swing that pickaxe, it’ll contribute to my [Tier]. This is a jackpot.
He smiled before chuckling as he prepared to use the shovel again. The annoyance of using it inefficiently was significantly reduced by what he knew lay ahead.
The plunge of the shovel was nowhere near as forceful this time. He wasn’t trying to dig into the ground. He was just trying to scoop up the rocks in the hole.
Cal ignored the crunch of the shovel as it went through rocks and scooped up a quarter of the rubble inside. He stared at it before dumping it nearby to the side.
You have gained [Common Shovel: Excellent Quality] as equipment.
He glanced at the interface before plunging the shovel down again, scooping more of the rubble and adding it to the pile to the side. He repeated this until all that was left were a few insignificant rocks that could only be picked by hand.
I don’t think it’s necessary to bother with them. It shouldn’t affect the growth of any crops… though this is the least of the problems this field has right now.
Cal looked at the pile of rocks before moving on to the next stone-turned-rubble.
That is a job to complete when I get my wheelbarrow.
***
He grunted as he sunk the shovel into the last rubbled-filled holes. There were hundreds of piles of rocks next to an empty hole all over the field, and he could feel the soreness of the effort that was required for it.
Cal had sweat dripping down his face as he dumped the rocks to the side. His muscles screamed when he went in for another scoop. It was only the sheer determination to feel the satisfaction of completing such a tedious task.
He turned over the shovel and smiled as the last of the rocks fell onto the pile.
It’s finally done.
[Common Shovel] has degraded to Good Quality.
Your [Tier] has increased by 1 level.
Your skill [Perfect Match] has increased by 1 level.
Cal immediately felt his sore muscles stop feeling like they were dying on him. The single [Tier] increase significantly improved his body’s stamina.
I had given up on this task contributing to my [Tier] growth. This is an unexpected gift. Though, it’s a shame that the shovel degraded. Not that it was unexpected after how much I used it.
He inspected the shovel closely and saw minor defects on the square-shaped tip. It wasn’t as perfectly shaped as he originally got it, but he didn’t know why this much damage would cause the quality to drop.
Maybe the shovel’s scooping ability has degraded… I’ll test that tomorrow. The sun is about to set.
Cal put the shovel over his shoulder and walked back to the shed. He glanced at the large hole that appeared last night before turning away decisively.
I’ll think about this if it happens again.
***
Cal forced his eyes to say closed, resisting with all his will to snap them open. He hadn’t been sleeping for more than a few hours.
Something is inside the shed with me.
It was nearly inaudible if not for the faint chittering he heard occasionally.
I should have investigated that stupid hole. What is it trying to do here? Whatever it is, the thing must be small. With me sleeping on the floor, it would be hard for anyone else to stand without stepping on me.
Cal heard the chittering get closer. It was near his torso. Only a twitch of his hand away.
He used his rudimentary control over his mana and prepared to strike. With how unpracticed this body was, even a slight use of mana at this intensity would be damaging, no matter how much experience he had in his memories.
At least it won’t be debilitating. I should be able to have any damage fixed in short order.
Cal’s mind blanked when he felt a tiny paw reach into his inner coat pocket. He reacted instantly.
He snapped his eyes open, looking in the direction where he felt the beast was as his left hand pierced toward it.
Damn it. My mana isn’t quick enough to respond.
Cal couldn’t back out now. He heard the thing squeak loudly in surprise when he felt his hand barely come into contact with a soft, fluffy coat. He could see large, luminescent eyes staring at him before the beast disappeared.
He was left staring at nothing, alone in the shed again. He patted the small package in his coat and felt the rock and the stick still there.
Cal pushed himself up and grabbed his sledgehammer. He was about to leave the shed to check if there were any more holes dug up outside when he noticed a change in the shed.
He approached the small hole—barely visible in the moonlight—and looked in. He was ready for the small beast to jump at him, but nothing happened. It seemed like it genuinely fled.
It dug into the shed… or it made this in its escape. I didn’t hear it either way. It was only the chittering that alerted me.It was targeting what I carry in my coat. The stick is likely a fake, so it’s the rock—or gem, as Benan said—that the little beast wants.
Cal noted there was no sign of dirt dug up as he exited the shed.
His hand gripped tightly around the sledgehammer’s handle as he surveyed his field. A quick walk around the area he cleared didn’t reveal any changes.
I have to find out what this beast is. I would be annoyed if it only made holes in my field, but I wouldn’t care too much. It made me care by going after the rock.
Cal swept the field with his eyes one last time before retreating to his shed. He would have to sleep lightly in case that little beast came back.