Chapter 20: Little Beast |
Cal had his arms reaching for the sky as he stretched as much as possible. He let out a sigh of pleasure when he felt a few pops.
That was a great night’s sleep. The only way it could have been better is if plans for a new outpost had been started yesterday. The Overseer should contact me today if it’s been canceled… though I doubt that’s the reason for the no-show.
The man was practically salivating at me after the crystal broke.
He picked up the plow he had taken out of the shed and went directly to the dug-up area. He wasn’t about to waste any time when he had the opportunity to get another equipment.
Cal dropped the plow onto the dirt and stared.
If this was available when I was still a beginning Initiate, I doubt I would have the strength to push this plow. The blade digs deep into the dirt.
He pushed, testing the force it would need, and was surprised that he moved it forward like it was on wheels. It sliced through the dirt like butter and turned it over easily.
Cal pushed the plow straight to the other side in a few seconds.
You have gained [Common Plow] as equipment.
Even if it’s meaningless for crop planting, it doesn’t mean I have to be sloppy. This is the practice round for the real thing.
Cal quickly plowed the dirt, turning it over in ten clean lines. After he was done, he looked at them and imagined fifty Sunfire Grains planted in each line.
Perfect. Now it just has to work out like I imagined—What is the little beast doing here?
He stared at the rabbit-like thing, and it stared back.
It was sitting on top of the very first line he had plowed into the dirt, staring at him with pleading eyes. It even had its paws clasped together like it was praying.
“Are you hungry?” Cal asked, feeling stupid the second the words left his mouth. Everyone knows that beasts that understand human speech are rarely encountered in the wild.
He was vindicated when the little beast nodded its head.
“You can eat all of that,” Cal said, pointing at the large pile of surface layer debris it had been treating like a delicacy last night.
He was surprised to see the little beast shake its head rapidly and point at the dirt it was standing on.
“You’re kidding,” Cal said blankly. When it started pleading more intensely, he rolled his eyes. “No, you want to eat one of the few things I must keep. Choose any of the piles.”
The little beast’s ears drooped, almost making him bad. Almost. It was asking permission for some reason, and letting it eat something essential was not a good way to start.
I really want it to eat the surface layer debris. That'll be a symbiotic relationship I will be happy to have.
“Can you show me why you don’t want to eat that?” Cal tried another way to find out what was going on with it. He really wanted his disposal unit.
The little beast looked at him warily before pointing at the plow with a stubby finger.
This thing has human-like hands…
Cal watched on in astonishment as the little beast put on a show. It mimicked him using the plow, then mimed eating the dirt.
Facing his confused expression, it jumped on the pile of debris. It mimicked using a pickaxe before again pretending to eat the dirt.
“… You need me to use a tool before you eat,” Cal said more as a confused statement, so the rapid nodding of the little beast didn’t surprise him.
He quickly connected the dots.
It absorbs the trace mana I leave behind as I work… fascinating.
“Wait here. And don’t eat the dirt,” Cal warned, waiting for it to reluctantly nod before returning to the shed with his plow.
It’s intelligent enough to reason it’s better off working with me to get its food instead of trying to eat it sneakily at night. One thing I question is why it was trying to steal my rock. It might be playing the long game… which is amusing if true.
I want to see what it does. Better to keep it close and in sight.
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He left the plow outside. The blade was caked with dirt, and he didn’t want that near his clean bedding. He took the pickaxe from the shed and returned to the waiting little beast.
“How much can you eat?” It had eaten enough to create a large hole at the start, then nibbled on small bites instead of being a glutton last night.
The little beast spread its paws as wide as it could, which wasn’t wide at all.
“… Alright, then.” Cal decided to dig up a vertical patch next to the plowed dirt field. If it could eat all of that, he’d continue.
I hope it can eat all of it and more. Otherwise, it’s just a cute hanger-on. Maybe Seris will like it… on second thought, I’m not sure it’s safe to be around yet. So it’s just another thing to watch out for.
CRACK!
The pickaxe made quick work of the surface layer. Cal rested the pickaxe on his shoulder and motioned towards the debris. “Eat up.”
The little beast went to work.
… That’s an impressive speed of intake. It’s almost breathing the debris in. Where is everything stored? Or is it digesting in real-time?
Cal continued to watch in fascination until only a quarter of the debris remained. The little beast patted its stomach and wandered off to the pile of debris close by. It climbed to the top and lay on its back, apparently comfortable enough to sunbathe and nap right before him.
He scratched his chin as he stared at the relaxing beast. “That’s it? You don’t want to eat more?”
The little beast shook its head lazily before rubbing its stomach. It was saying it was too full.
There goes my hope for a disposal unit. So, the little beast is another thing to watch out for. Very well.
Cal put the pickaxe on his back and returned to his shed to get the shovel. He might as well dump the leftover debris on the already existing pile. He had half a mind to ‘accidentally’ drop it on the little beast.
He was walking back to the dug-up area with a shovel when he heard the faint sound of hooves crunching the dirt underneath. When he listened closer, he could also hear the creaks of wooden wheels as they rolled slowly over an uneven path.
Cal smiled when he realized there were many, many variations of hooves and wheels.
Looks like the people the Overseer promised have arrived. And I see the reason for the delay. An entire village is coming here.
That was an exaggeration, but with the constant stream of oxen-pulled carts slowly filling his field, it felt like that was precisely what was happening.
His eyes roved over the covered carts and the people sitting in front of them. There were ten carts in total, and two people sat at the front of each one.
Is the Overseer expecting me to build a villa?
Cal saw a comfortable, horse-pulled carriage enter last. It slowly moved to the front and stopped a short distance from him.
This must be the one in charge of the workers on the carts. It should be an Initiate. I remember taking a mission like this. It was easy gold.
He watched the carriage’s door open slowly—dramatically—when he remembered the little beast. It could be seen by everyone.
Cal snapped his head toward the pile of debris, only to see the little beast gone. He narrowed his eyes and scanned the area but couldn’t see any hint of the fluffy thing.
It did seem reluctant to stay in my presence until it realized that was the best way to get food. It’s fitting it ran after seeing all the new people.
He heard someone clear their throat, reminding him that he had completely ignored the exit of the person in the carriage. His lips twitched in amusement as he shifted his focus back.
I remember being offended when attention wasn’t on me while on a mission. Though, that was only at the start. I started to not care after a year of the boring—
Cal’s thoughts halted when his eyes landed on a familiar face. A familiar, smiling face.
“Tavia?!”
“You looked away when I made my exit,” Tavia accused in lieu of a greeting.
“It’s not like I was expecting you,” Cal defended himself, shaking his head when that wasn’t what he wanted to say. “What are you doing here? You should be going through the orientation in the core guild right now.”
Tavia raised a brow in curiosity. “And how would you know that?”
Ah. Right. I shouldn’t know.
“Do you really think I wouldn’t with how much attention was paid to me?”
“That’s true,” Tavia chuckled before she explained. “The core guild isn’t a good fit for me. I requested a transfer and was allowed to take some missions in the meantime.”
… I have never heard of this, especially for a [Mage]. The Celestial Order would have rather have me dead than let me leave… is that what they will do with Tavia? Maybe that’s why I never saw her after the Selection in my first life.
“Where would you transfer to? As a mage, the best place for you to learn is in the core guild.” Cal felt like a hypocrite nudging her to stay in a place he wanted no part of, but he didn’t have other options to suggest.
“I know it’s the best place, but it’s… too much,” Tavia trailed off. “I asked to stay somewhere in Oracle Shores or Star Fields.”
He immediately understood what she wasn’t saying. He had thrived in the immediate competition the guild threw the new Initiates into. As a [Mage], he competed with experienced members who had been in the core guild for years.
Tavia had always shunned such competition. She did things at her own pace.
At least she didn’t ask for a transfer to another guild, just within the territory.
“What was their reaction when you asked?” Cal still had trouble wrapping his head around the guild allowing this, even if it was in their own territory.
“I wasn’t being taken seriously until yesterday. Of all people, the Overseer permitted me to take some missions to visit the two areas I wanted to be transferred to.”
Oh. Was this the reason for the delay? What’s the reason for the Overseer going out of his way to—wait. Is this the result of Tavia and I speaking during the Selection?
“So he gave you a mission to my station first?” Cal asked in a casual tone.
“Well, this was one of the four offered to me. But when I was told yours is time-sensitive, how could I not pick it first? I want to see what my ‘rival’ was doing in his humble station. And Cal, the Northern Wastes? Really? The Overseer told me you picked this.”
Interesting. The Overseer gave her a choice, so maybe it isn’t about me… though I doubt that.
“I did pick this,” Cal admitted with a smile. He motioned at the surroundings and asked, “What do you think?”
Tavia made a show of looking around. “Terrible.”
“That’s sounds about right,” Cal laughed. “That’s why you’re here with the others. To make it less terrible.”
“Ah, right!” Tavia’s pale face flushed in embarrassment. “Let me introduce you to the manager and architect.”
A girl in the cart closest to Tavia’s carriage straightened when they approached her.
She’s young. And she’s the manager of men and women many times older than her. Either she’s talented, or nepotism is in play. I hope it’s the former.
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