The farm tour wasn't really a tour. It was more like catching up while Rowan moved and did some more watering. He pointed out the massive wheat fields and the neat rows of tomatoes, but the conversation kept snagging on their past in the military.
Rowan was showing Selene his irrigation setup when she immediately honed in on the weakest point, a habit she couldn't shake. "It's smart, Rowan, really. But what if there's a big enough random spike of earth mana? That reservoir's going to fracture. Those containment runes are too thin."
Rowan laughed, leading her toward a strange cluster of impossibly tall coconut trees. "It's a farm, not a battlefield, Selene. I can always fix it. Good to see the old paranoia hasn't faded."
"It's what kept us alive on the Northern Front," Selene said, still eyeing the pipes. "Speaking of which, remember Kaelen trying to use a summoning circle to light a damned campfire? Ended up summoning some tiny fire sprite that burned down half the supply tent."
Rowan roared with laughter, the sound echoing across the quiet fields. "And he tried to blame it on the gunpowder! You had to pin him with your rapier to make him confess! We slept outside on the freezing ground for a week after that. But damn, that sky was clear, wasn't it? Coldest nights and clearest stars I've ever seen."
"It was," Selene agreed, a nostalgic smile showing. "And you were out there the whole time, drawing circles on the dirt, completely ignoring the cold or the fact that the demon horde was just over the next ridge."
They talked about the big stuff, like Rowan pulling her out of that demon lair collapse and the weeks they spent chasing that cursed artifact over the ice mountains, and the small stuff, like the stupid jokes their subordinates used to crack around the fire.
"This peace... it's a huge change for you, Rowan," Selene admitted, looking out at the lush, green farm. "You were always focused, but it was always about killing. Now it's just farm life. Does it...make a difference? Does it actually help?"
Rowan nodded, his expression softening. "It does. Every time I touch the soil, every time a seed sprouts, it's like washing the noise away. War is just noise, Selene…the screaming, the blood, the endless strategy. Being soothing... it's quiet. It reminds me that good things can still be made, even after all the destruction I've caused or seen."
"I get needing the quiet," Selene murmured, "Come with me, I have something for you".
She dragged Rowan near the entrance of the farm where her carriage was tucked away in a corner. She went inside and dragged out a bunch of plants. They were tall and thin brown color stem with big, light green leaves at the very top. They were only a foot and a half tall.
"Finding treasure is great, sure, but the real point is the isolation. It's just water, sky, and the wind. Hard to focus on the ghosts when you're fighting a kraken or just trying not to capsize."
She started to explain, "I found them on a remote, nameless island in the Daksan Sea. The locals called them Coconuts. I brought a few saplings back when I realized how perfectly sweet and refreshing the water inside is. They aren't meant to grow this far North, but your magic soil should work wonders."
She also pointed towards the inside of the carriage where there were not very circular balls of green.
Selene reached in, grabbed a large, perfectly green coconut. "Pass me your head big guy."
Rowan knew what she wanted to do so he leaned forward and presented the top of his head.
"Hya!" she yelled and smashed the coconut on top of his head. Crack! It split open in half.
This was how she always liked opening hard objects back then. She found his head to be the most convenient tool. Selene handed him one half after he rubbed his head and stood normally.
Rowan looked at the murky water and white fruit inside the coconut and didn't hesitate to bring it to his lips to take a sip.
"A taste of the tropics," Rowan said. "Coconut water. Sweet and refreshing hydration. Drink it and it'll wash away the road dust and those ugly memories of the trenches."
Selene took the heavy fruit, her eyes wide. She took a long, deep sip, and her expression displayed utter relief.
"It's...it's perfect, Rowan," she said, taking another huge, grateful drink. "Like drinking a cool spring full of sugar water."
Rowan smiled. "You needed that. Come on, let's head to the house. I want the kids to have some too."
"I need to see Shiori first," she replied. "The girl probably thinks I abandoned her."
"She's been well taken care of," Rowan assured her, already leading the way. "And Capper, too. They're both the farm's most pampered creatures."
They walked over to the stables, Rowan carrying a sack full of the coconuts.
Shiori was relaxing in her stall, and Capper was contentedly chewing hay in the adjacent stall. Both horses looked up at the sound of the approaching footsteps.
At the sight of Selene, Shiori let out a low, almost human sounding whinny, nudging her nose against the stall door.
"Oh, you dramatic thing," Selene murmured, her expression dissolving entirely. She slid the latch and slipped into the stall, immediately throwing her arms around the horse's neck. "Did you miss your rider, my beautiful girl? I missed you, too. Don't worry, the sea didn't claim me this time."
Rowan leaned against the stall door, watching the reunion with a soft smile. He knelt by Capper's stall.
"Here you go, big guy," Rowan said. He took one of the coconuts and, instead of smashing it against his head, held it firmly in one hand and chopped it in half with the other. He poured some of the murky water into a small feed bucket and held the shell for his horse.
He took apart the inside with his hands allowing the boy to eat the sweet white meat first. Capper instantly started to munch on the given pieces.
Meanwhile, Selene was cracking Shiori's coconut with the same brutality she had used on Rowan's head, but this time she did it on the wooden frame of the stall.
"You're going to love this, Shiori," Selene was saying, holding the coconut up. "I found these on a crazy hot island. It's the taste of freedom and a salty breeze, which is better than the hay you've been eating, isn't it?"
Shiori whinnied again, happily drinking the coconut water from Selene's hand, while Selene gently brushed the horse's muzzle with her cheek.
"I know, I know," Selene continued, her voice soft. "I'm going to be staying for a while. I stored my ship at a friend's dock and he'll take care of it. I want to spend as long as I can with you two. I'll take you out on morning and afternoon rides. Maybe we can even steal some fruits from Rowan's trees."
Rowan finished feeding Capper, who gave a happy, appreciative snort. The horse then dived straight into his feed bucket to lap up the sweet water. Capper snorted even more enthusiastically as he liked the taste,
Rowane stood up, leaning against the stall, and nodded at Selene.
"Still talking to your horse like she's a person?" he teased gently.
Selene looked up, her gray eyes shining with genuine contentment. "She is a person, Rowan. A much more intelligent, honest person than half the fools in the Capital. And she agrees that your jokes are terrible."
"Glad to know my jokes are disliked by even horses," Rowan chuckled. "Come on, let's head inside."
Selene sighed, giving Shiori one last pat. "I wanna see what the kids have been upto."
They walked back through the farm and toward the main farmhouse where Rowan and Selene spotted the children playing an intense game in the front yard.
Darius was standing, holding his small wooden sphere out in front of Lucia. The little girl, her brow furrowed in concentration, was emitting a soft, reddish glow from her hands. She was directing a subtle stream of blood magic into the wooden ball.
Beside her, a small box of the blood mana crystals Rowan had received last week stood open, but she was drawing only a tiny amount of supplemental energy from them.
Darius, satisfied with the infusion, weighed the ball in his hand. The increase in weight was obvious.
He turned and threw the ball with a hard, underhand swing toward Lilly, who was waiting a distance away, her wooden rapier held like a bat, her eyes alight with competitive focus.
She swung hard, the wooden sword connecting with a sharp thwack. The magically enhanced bal flew off into the farm's expansive front field.
Alexia and Alex were spread out in the field, acting as outfielders and trackers. The ball soared toward Alexia. The girl, prepared for the catch, quickly uncorked and drank a small, light blue potion. A moment later, she began to float a few feet off the ground, executing a perfect catch just before the ball could fly past her.
"That's 20 meters!" yelled Alex, who was dutifully keeping track of the distances Lilly was scoring on his ledger.
Darius, already walking up to retrieve his ball, announced, "Okay, my turn to hit! Lilly, you throw it this time!"
Rowan and Selene just watched in amazement at how the kids used their skills and talent for playing games. Though, as kids, this is exactly what they should be doing anyway.
The kids then noticed the adults and called out to them.
"Father! Aunty! You should join us too. We need more catchers." said Darius as he ran up to them. The boy wanted everyone to play together so they could cover more ground.
The kids wanted to hit the ball as far as they can. They wanted to see just how far they could hit the ball.
Rowan and Selene shot each other a look.
Rowan grinned. "Alright, I'm in. Can't let them win all the glory." He started to remember that his last life had a game like this too. Baseball was cool but he preferred soccer, basketball and volleyball.
Selene was already getting into position, scanning the field like a hawk. "Yeah, we definitely shouldn't be the hitters. That would be a massacre."
"Catchers only," Rowan agreed, already turning toward the house. "Give me a minute, let me make some refreshments."
"Treats?" Darius bolted over, eyes wide.
"The best kind," Rowan promised. "Coconut meat and water. Courtesy of your Aunt Selene's, uh, exotic adventures." He pointed towards his burlap sack.
Selene, who had been using her rapier like a pointing stick, dropped it and gave Rowan a mock glare. "Hey! Coconut water is liquid gold. Don't you dare drink it all before I you back."
Rowan just laughed and disappeared inside.
Selene turned back to the kids, the competitive fire in her eyes kicking on. "Listen up, little monsters. I'm going deep. Hit it past me if you can manage."
She took off, moving so fast she was almost a blur, settling way out in the deepest part of the field. She looked like an eager cat, ready to pounce.
Lilly was practically buzzing with excitement. She grabbed the wooden rapier. Darius stepped up, holding the ball out for Lucia to give it a little magic kick. The reddish glow flared up. This time, they made the ball lighter.
Lilly had warmed\ up enough and was ready to beat her instructor.
THWACK!
Lilly swung hard, and the heavy ball shot high into the air, heading straight for the horizon where Selene was waiting.
…
Rowan strolled back out a minute later, carrying a big wooden bowl full of fresh white coconut meat and a pitcher of the clear water, along with some cups.
He set the haul down on the picnic table just in time to see Selene execute a ridiculous, full-out sprint. She used a quick flash of magic to push her speed, leaped impossibly high, and snagged the ball right before it hit the dirt.
She landed, holding it up like a trophy. "You're out, kiddos!" she yelled, sounding utterly satisfied.
Rowan poured himself some coconut water, leaning against the porch railing. "Looks like someone's still got it."
"Please," Selene scoffed, jogging back, a little winded. "It's called setting a high bar. Alright, pit stop! I need that water, Rowan."
The kids, totally pumped by her insane catch, rushed the table. They clustered around the exotic fruit.
Rowan passed out the cups and the meat. "This is what travelers use to survive the tropics, guys. It's a sweet and energizing boost.."
Lilly took a huge slurp. "Oh my god, Father! It's like drinking a cool cloud!"
Darius, ever the analyst, chewed a piece of the meat. "It's sweet, but it's cold. It feels... refreshing, like the air after dad casts a big water spell."
Alexia, after tasting hers, looked at the empty coconut shell. "Is the shell strong enough to be a container, Father? I could use a small sample vial."
"Everything is useful, Alexia," Rowan said, giving her a wink. "Now, finish your power-up. I think it's my turn to show Selene what a real catcher looks like."
Sugared up and feeling the kick of the coconut, the game was back on. Rowan headed out to the deep outfield, ready for whatever magic enhanced ball the kids threw at him next.