Next morning, even though it was already well past noon, Don was still asleep. The sunlight spilled through the window and landed right on his face, but he didn't even flinch. He was deep in a good sleep.
*『 BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! 』
That is, until his wooden alarm clock, powered by some cheap magic and started beeping loud. Don jolted awake with drool sticked to his cheek. He sat up fast, confused, still half-stuck in the dream where he was a king on a throne. That didn't matter now. What caught his attention was the sound of a horse neighing outside, and the rumble of wheels over dirt.
「Hey Don! You up yet?」
Don scratched his head and finally turned off the alarm. He swung his legs over the edge of the bed, shoved his feet into his slippers, and stood up with a half-asleep face as he shuffled outside.
Just outside, he saw his father sitting on a rickety wooden cart. He was loosely holding the reins while the horse pawed at the ground, impatient. The cart was stacked high with freshly harvested flax and hemp, and several wooden crates filled with milk.
「Old man— I mean father, father! Can I come with you!? You're heading to the kingdom right? Right!?」
「No Don, you can't come. Not even if you flatter me. But... if you do a good job on the field today, maybe next time.」
「Wait, really!? You mean it!? Yes! Yes!! I swear I will!!」
「Alright then. I'm off. Don't forget to feed the cows.」
With a small flick of the reins, Raymond and the cart started moving. The flax and hemp swayed with every bump in the road, and the milk gently sloshed in their jars as they rolled down the path toward the distant kingdom. And its just the looks, the kingdom really are huge, it has alot of houses, peoples, shopkeepers and marketplaces, even has a knights obviously!
Don turned back to the village, already thinking ahead with a proud smirk on his face. Feeding cows wasn't hard work. He never hated it, well he was known to be a hardworking kid. The thought of the kingdom filled his head again, he'd never been inside, and honestly, he was just jealous that his father could go.
It wasn't even often. These deliveries took months to prepare. Growing, harvesting, storing. Then doing it all over again.
Still, I guess dad deserves it. Watching the festival yesterday probably helped him relax a little, huh...?
But now's not the time to sit around. I've got a job— No, a "mission" to finish. If doing this right gets me a chance to see the kingdom... then I'll do it right. Don't worry, dad. I'll make sure you smile even more next time.
Don ran back inside real quick and grabbed the small pouch of seeds hanging by the door. He'd bought them yesterday just for this.
「Ryo-san! You look tired! Maybe rest a bit first!」
「Heh... this old body still works fine, Don. But thanks.」
「Well, if you say so. Just making sure.」
Don passed by and greeted the workers. Some of them were farmers like him, and Ryo was a shopkeeper too. He always gave Don a discount for helping out.
After a few minutes, Don arrived at the barn. It wasn't a big one. Inside were cows, chickens, a few horses... and one Capitta. A strange, dinosaur-like creature that looked too friendly to be dangerous.
What even is a Capitta anyway? Well, there are two kinds. Aberrant ones, and friendly ones. If it has a saddle or a leash, you know it's tame. If it has blue spines, even better. Either way, if it doesn't eat you, it's probably safe. And a Capitta are basically a dinosaur creature with different appearance and traits. Some of the aberrant can launch magical abilities, yeah they're dangerous, but the friendly ones are used for traveling.
「Here you go...」
Don dropped a bunch of wheat into a giant feeding bowl made from old logs.
* 「 GURŪRURU… FUFUN…! 」
「Yeah yeah, just eat.」
He grabbed another batch of wheat and set it out for the cows, but the smell in that corner was awful. There was cow doo-doo everywhere, of course. With a sigh, Don rolled up his sleeves and grabbed the rake. He didn't complain though. Someone had to do it.
Man... this is pain in the ass, I wish I'd get paid atleast for doing this— Wait, I'am getting paid. By going to the kingdom. Its my dad's promise after all, and he doesn't break promises.
「Haa... Alright, finally finished..! Now then—」
「Hey Don!」
「Ah— H-Huh?」
Just outside the barn, peeking, is a girl, 1 year younger than Don, she has long black hair and it bounced just as she joggles closer to Don who's just finished cleaning.
「Oh, its just you... Aiko.」
Aiko, a fourteen year-old girl, is an incredibly energetic girl who's friend with Don for over two years now. And she's different from Don because she is an Essencer, an Elemental Type Essence.
「Geez, I've been looking for you everywhere Don.」
「Haha, well, I'm cleaning right now, so...」
「You stink.」
「Eh..? That's—」
A sudden splash of water slapped Don, controlled by Aiko, she had kept a fresh water from the river to her water pouch. And obviously she did this just to remove his stinky scent from cleaning but it worked a little.
「Oh, come on...!」
「Hehe, anyway forget this, come to my house Don! My mom brought a Capitta too!」
... Maybe I'll take a break from now and hangout with Aiko first, oh dear supreme deity, I hope my father wouldn't be mad.
And with that, Aiko lead Don to her house while laughing together, but they stopped on a riverside first to see people with fishing rods, and someone caught a huge fish that motivates everyone to keep going.
「Wow! Let's fish too Aiko!」
「Really?.. I can try, I think?」
「Wait have you fished before?」
「Well, hehe...」
Don sighed while Aiko rubbed the back of her neck with a slight blush. But of course Don will help her even though it wasn't necessary for an essencer like her, heck an elemental user.
Don grabbed a fishing rod, sticked on the column, its free for youngsters like them but they should bring it back to the same place after used.
「So... first drop the hook on the water, and then wait for atleast small tug before you—」
「DON! I CAUGHT SOMETHING!」
And that made Don felt jealous, why? Because Aiko caught a huge fish that is currently floating mid-air with a bubble of water, and it was obviously Aiko's power that was controlling it. But when Don get jealous, it wasn't as if he's planning something bad.
「Aikooo... you always beat me!」
「Alright Don..! Let's eat thi—」
「Wait! Let's just sell this. Who knows we might recieve ten of thousand Neros!」
They didn't waste no time and quickly ran toward the counter, a stall, where fishermans sometimes sell their fishes to earn Neros.
「Hey old man! I want to sell this fish I caught!」
Aiko tossed the fish on the counter and the old man wasn't surprised as this fish is common and has low value, so they'll only receive 6 silvers, equivalent to 900 Neros in total.
「This is 900 Ner—」
「WHAT DID YOU SAY!?」
「Hey Aiko...」
Don placed a hand on Aiko who's clearly frustrated now while he only has a sheepish grin. Meanwhile Aiko is arguing with the shopkeeper now, and Don can't do anything about it, it feels awkward now.
「Listen here old man! This fish is more valuable than your life!」
「Kghh.. What did you say, you squirrel!?」
「YOUU..!!—」
「Come on Aiko...」
Don had no choice but to Drag her, this kid is the second pain in the back when she's in a situation like this.
A while later on the windy place, there's not much houses in there and trees, that's why it's windy. The location are on the cliff but it wasn't that high, and the view is amazing where they could see the whole village. There's also a big flat rock where they usually hangout.
「Aiko... you could just be polite earlier, look he didn't even paid us.」
Meanwhile Aiko is munching on the fish now, and the whole body itself are still frying on the fire she made.
「Geez.. Forget it Don, this fish taste funny by the way, but its good!」
「... Really?」
Don took a piece of the body with a stick and bite it. It taste salty and a little bit of sour... yeah its a funny taste.
「Mmm..... its actually good, but the inside weren't cooked.. did you cut it properly?」
「I did! Just add spices on it.」
Don looked around, and found an Emberbud plant that was planted near the stone. It grows chili peppers-like spice.
「Oh look! I found an Emberbud!」
「Wait Don, aren't that very spicy?」
「Heh, no its not, it would just fix the taste of the uncooked insides of the fish!」
Aiko slightly frowned with a clear disappointment. But she wanted to see Don's reaction until he realized the real taste of the Emberbud plants... usually, the Emberbud are processed and made it less spicy. Don tossed the emberbuds inside and made a huge mistake as soon as he bit it.
「WRAGHH! I'M BURNING!」
「p-pfftt.... HAHAHAHAHA!!」
Aiko didn't hesitate to splash a water on his face but it helped a little, good thing Don didn't ate it, only took a bite on it, but his face are all red already.
「HAHAHA! Haaa... I warned you Don, you should always listen to me!」
Damn it!
Finally after the effect wore out on Don, he can calm down and regret ever doing that. But he remembered that Aiko said she had a Capitta on her hoke that her mother brought.
「Wait Aiko, aren't we going to your house?」
「... Oh... yeah, I forgot. I'll just use this remains to feed my Capitta.」
And with that, Aiko stood up with a faint grunt as she did so, and grabbed the stick that was inserted inside the fish and then moved on after she soaked the fire with water.
「Hey Aiko... I've never asked before but... what do you want to be when you grow up?」
That questiom made Aiko stopped walking, and Don did too but Aiko is slightly blushing while looking away. And she did answered his question.
「I wanted to... Marry someone, when I grow up.」
「Oh really?.. That's boring, you could've atleast be a warrior or a vigilante! Because you're great at your abilities already!」
They started walking again while Don kept bragging on her about heroism, but on top on that... she had something else in mind.
(And I wish it had to be you... Don.)
( CONTINUE TO NEXT CHAPTER! → )