Another day. A particular abode, a small one that was built uphill, and inside was a boy, no older than fifteen woke up before his alarm, and that was a small achievement for himself.
The sun hadn't fully risen yet, but the faint blue light leaking through the wooden window panels told him it was close. His blanket was half-kicked off, and his shirt was twisted from tossing around in his sleep.
He sat up slowly, rubbed his eyes, then glanced at the spot where the alarm usually sat ticking. No need today. He had beaten it. Small victory.
Raymond was already gone. He'd mentioned the night before that he needed to head down early to the central market, the one just past the well, where most of the village paths cross. That place was always crowded, especially on supply days. Packed with carts, livestock, hagglers, and that one woman who somehow always sold out of turnips.
「Well, I guess I'll get going...」
He stepped outside. The wooden door creaked as it closed behind him, and the wind hit his face right away. Cool, dry air mixed with the scent of soil, grain, and a faint trace of wood smoke.
To the left of their house, but farther out, past the narrow dirt trail and a slope of grass. The fields stretched wide. Dozens of them. And most were already in motion.
Farmers hunched beside rows of stalks, checking for signs of rot or dryness, pinching soil between their fingers, or gently brushing away pests with wrapped cloth. Some were already harvesting, stacking bundles of millet and rye onto flat wooden boards.
Others moved along the irrigation trenches, and adjusted the stone dividers to balance water flow between crops. There wasn't any talking, it's just quiet focus. The only sounds were wind, the soft swish of boots through plants, and the occasional grunt as someone lifted a full sack.
This wasn't one of those "peaceful" kind of days, either. It was a work day, where the sun burns your neck and your fingers go stiff from pulling roots that don't want to budge. But no one here complained.
Tomorrow, the carts would be heading to the kingdom. And that meant today was a deadline.
He walked down the slope, taking in the scene. Off in the distance, he could see one of the older men tying bundles of herbs with rough cord with his back hunched, and a white cloth wrapped around his head. Further down, a few kids were shoveling compost into buckets with their sleeves rolled up to their shoulders.
He reached the field edge and crouched beside the row he was assigned to. His part was still mostly untouched. Some stalks leaning a little, some already drooping with weight.
「Alright... let's start with the wheat.」
He pulled the gloves from his back pocket and slipped them on. The dirt was softer than yesterday, maybe from the night dew. That helped.
He began cutting clean at the base after grabbing the sickle from the post nearby. He was careful not to slice too high or low. One by one. Stack them. Bind them. Keep the rhythm.
The sun hadn't fully risen yet, but already he was sweating.
And after a while...
*「 ZASHU... ZASHU... 」
The sickle swung with a clean, dry rhythm through the tall golden stalks, each cut almost identical to the last. Three or four farmers moved steadily across the field, saying nothing, just keeping pace with the work.
Meanwhile, the boy, finally with scratches on his hands, dirt on face, and slight bruises on arms, there's no telling how long he had been tilling these fields since morning.
「Hey Don! Come here!」
「A-Ah, yes..!?」
My name is Don. This village isn't bad at all. Quiet hills, the smell of grain in the wind, and voices filled with laughter and joy... well, sometimes anger too. It's the kind of place that makes you forget things… even just for a while.
And that old man? That's my father, his name is Raymond, he recently got back from the marketplace earlier. When I was young, he used to brag about being a knight but of course I didn't believed him, because I know he had no Essence.. Just like me.
「Here.. carry these and make sure they reached the weaver's workshop in time.」
「But it's heavy—」
「No complaints, now go!」
These flax and hemps bundles are really useful in making fabric clothes, no wonder we sometimes gets a bonus for delivering these.
As Don walked through the village houses, he saw "gifted" kids being trained by their parents, they wielded Essence and it was awesome, because you could have cool magical abilities or even bend fire.
Don felt a pang of jealousy from them because he's a normal human being, even kids younger than him were stronger. But he weren't alone, many people in this world are Essenceless too, only those with Essence are gifted and it's rare.
Either way, the villagers are friendly and kind, they knew Don well from the start, everytime they saw him working — they were proud of him, and of course Don is a hardworking boy.. A man standing by the door noticed Don.
「Don! You seemed to be in a hurry, what's up?」
「Ah well, I'm delivering these again.. just hoping I'd get a bonus.」
Don sprinted again, that's when he saw two knights with gleaming armor, there's also a fox-like icon printed on their chestplate, resembling the guild they're associated with.
Don's dream was simple: to become a knight and join a guild, joining a guild is necessary for a knight.. and he had never been inside a Kingdom before, these knights were here just to deliver good resources ordered by a King and this village was occupied by them decades ago.
Moments later, Don had reached the Weaver's hall and there's alot of workers, then Don made his way on a counter where he will deliver these to the operator.
「Here mister..!」
Don gave the full sack of flax and hemps that contains 10 each which is 20 in total, to the operator who looked like he's been working for years, and the bundles will be processed by the Retters on the river to start making fibers.
「You look energetic today... here.」
Don recieved 10 silvers coppers which is 1500 Neros, its enough to buy 9 loaves of breads or seeds… or split and buy both.
「Thank you so much mister! I'll be going!」
Aww.. I expected a bonus but I guess not, maybe if I had more sack of flax and hemps… wait, that's just increasing the value.. *sigh*
「Have a safe trip!」
Don's house is not too far away from the village, neither does the farm field, it's just up the hill close to where he is living with his father.
But, he went to the marketplace first to buy seeds and loaves of breads, but it's pretty hard to find the stalls because there's a festival ongoing and it's crowded with people.
「Come on, come on!.. there's too many people!」
As Don squeezed himself through the crowd, he didn't realized he's heading on a wrong way which later led him on the first row at the festival.
A wooden stage with a performer that showcased their magical ability, and Don didn't regret heading in a wrong way because he's clearly excited now.
「Woah.. an Essencer...!」
The performer began casting fireworks above and an artificial dragon made by magic with illusion, and of course it weren't dangerous, just a trick.
People applaud as another performer joined in with summoning magic, they summoned a little puppets made from mud and they explode with colorful smoke, also made with magic.
The festival continued for a longer period of time and Don only realized he's more than late, and he quickly squeezed himself again and finally reached the Stall for Seeds.
「U-Uh.. can I have 2 small pouch of seeds for Flax and Hemps?」
「Here, it cost you 1000 Nero.」
「Wait 1000!?.. But I thought it's only 750?」
「 *sigh* You're right but prices have increased lately, so...」
「Aww..」
In the end, Don paid 1000 for two small pouch of seeds, now I could only buy 3 mid-quality loaves of bread.. sigh, he thought as he walked, approaching the Bakery now.
The Bakery was slightly small, it's pretty famous on the village because of its high quality breads and the customers really gave them a nice feedback.
「Three mid-quality loaves of bread please!」
「450 Neros kid.」
Dang it, 50 Neros remained, I didn't even get to buy what I want.. sigh.
「Fine...」
Don took the bread and paid, he inserted the copper inside his pouch, not the pouch of seeds.
*
It's getting late already... Man I wish my father won't yell at me this time, that festival really.... sucked me in.
Still, I wonder what it feels to have Essence, can I make myself bigger or, or can I summon puppets like that performer did, or can I even fly!?.. Haaa~.. that's alot of possibilities.
Don's still daydreaming even when finally stepping inside the abode.
「Tadaimaaa!...」
Sitting on the table was his father, he looked frustrated, oh no..
「Don.. You've watched the festival didn't you?」
「Ah.. old man, about that...— wait why is there a festival stick dango on your pocket?」
「Well uh...」
「Hehe.. Old man, you watched it too didn't you?」
Raymond only laughed awkwardly, he was definitely caught by his own son, but he didn't denied it though, he did watched the festival too, it was fun for someone essenceless like him, and like his son too.
「Alright you caught me...」
「HA! I KNEW IT!」
Don felt proud to himself but that's not important anymore, he placed the loaves of bread on the table, and the two small pouch of seeds he bought.
「Here... wake me up tomorrow if you woke up first again old man.」
Don settled down, preparing to eat the bread... its tasty, worth the budget and could easily fill their stomach because of its size.
「 *sigh* Why can't you just wake up early...」
「Eh..? Don't be rude old man.」
After a while, the atmosphere became quiet. Don had finished his bread while Raymond was still chewing his, but Don broke the awkward silence after he spoke.
「Old man... can an essenceless human like me.. explore the world?」
「... No.. Don... the world is too dangerous from someone like us.」
「But...」
「There are trillions of dangerous species lurked around this world. Thanks to the "knights" we can hold them back. Exploring the world? Who says that?」
「sigh.. I'm just asking old man.」
Don stood up and decided to enter his small room with holes because it made of logs, the house itself is. Laying down on a cheap matress, he can't choose either become a knight or be an adventurer.. he wanted to see and experience to live in a kingdom yes. But he also wanted to explore the world.
「Just why did I born in this kind of world.. I don't even know who my mother is, heck I don't even have a memory when I was a kid.」
( CONTINUE TO NEXT CHAPTER! → )