Guardian's Farm 16

As spring turned to summer, the construction of the homestead had been completed, slightly ahead of schedule even with the farm life’s tendency to create unexpected emergencies every single day.

“And, it looks even better than I could have hoped,” I said as I examined my cozy cottage.

Carving the statue of the flame lion had marked a point of sudden breakthrough for me. Somehow, I had turned into a better woodworker.

Admittedly, I wasn’t unfamiliar with the concept of sudden epiphanies, turning complicated, stubborn topics into easily understandable concepts. I experienced many of them. However, in every other instance for me, it had been about combat.

A surprising, but very welcome development. I had accepted living in a simple home, as purchasing decent furniture from an established expert would have been impossible. The money was easy to come up with, as all I needed was to travel deeper into the mountains and hunt a few large beasts. I could even conceal the sale by bringing them to a distant town.

Unfortunately, the same didn’t apply to the other things. A bed large enough to hold me was not something that could be carried easily. But, creating them myself was different.

That didn’t mean it was easy work. While I was able to use internal energy without restriction for a small figurine, the same wasn’t as easy for the larger pieces, not without some very expensive medication that hastened the recovery of such energy.

Luckily, I had nothing but time, allowing me to work on my land as well as my house, and complete the work just as the heat of summer got domineering.

I paused at the threshold of the cottage, enjoying the afternoon sun spilling around me as I took a moment to appreciate the house. Sometimes, it felt as though the whole world was suspended in a gentle hush, where only the soft hum of the nearby forest could be heard. No monsters, no emergencies, just the calm caresses of passing time.

“One last check before marking it complete,” I said as I moved to my living room. It was a small, cozy space. A tiny fireplace to keep the cold of the winter away, a rocking chair large enough to hold my weight, and some figurines that reminded me of my adventuring days, whether it was the monsters I had fought, or places I had visited.

 Along one wall stood an oak table that I had crafted, edges of which took days to carefully work to shape, and sanding down the imperfections, knowing it would function both as a dining table and a study desk — as much as I wanted to have a separate study, that would have been too luxurious for a farmhouse.

The effort I had put into it was not for nothing, as the surface gleamed with a polish that highlighted the wood’s swirling grain, a natural tapestry of chocolate browns and lighter tans, beautiful in its simplicity. In the capital, a minor noble would have been happy to display it.

In here, it would pass for another handmade table.

The only problem with my sitting room was my bookcase. It looked nice, but it was mostly empty; my book collection was one thing I regretted not bringing with me as I escaped. Luckily, unlike furniture, carrying books could be done without alarming every observer glancing at me.

“It needs a rug near the fireplace,” I decided. Something colorful to lighten up the monotony. Though it needed to be easy to clean, I had a feeling when the winter came, Sage would turn it into his favorite place.

Continuing my self-guided tour, I made my way down a short hallway lined with small windows, and a small trap door leading down to the cellar, which was half filled with meat from the beasts that I had hunted, preserved in various forms dried, cured, smoked, ready for the winter — which could also be sold in the market for a quick cash if necessary.

When the autumn came, those stores would be enriched further with dried herbs and wild fruits, some for their taste, others for their medicinal value. While I had time to collect them, now that my farm was in order, letting them mature for another month was the better idea.

I wished to add some cheese to my stores as well, but it turned out to be a more difficult task. Access to milk was the biggest trouble I faced at the moment, especially since I had no intention of actually raising animals.

The idea of fresh milk was nice, but cows and sheep required constant supervision, which meant I couldn’t simply take a trip if necessary.

I could ask Sage to keep an eye on the place and scare any interlopers, but I doubted he would be equally successful milking cows.

However, the idea of my annoying lupine companion trying that was an amusing image.

I chuckled as I stepped into my bedroom, still feeling proud as I looked at my bed frame. It was one of my proudest works. It was carved from a surprisingly large pine I had discovered deep in the woods, and bringing back logs large enough to carve into singular pieces had been a challenge.

However, it was worth it. Since my bedroom would stay in a private spot for a long time, I had allowed myself to be showier as I carved. Each bedpost was unique; rolling clouds, gentle waves, flames, and stylized rocks, representing the four main elements.

It looked truly like a spectacular display of my growing skills, combining well with the walnut wardrobe, each door covered with complicated patterns I had carved.

Though, the true masterpiece lay under that wardrobe. Another trapdoor, this one far more intricate, leading to a small underground space, reserved for my personal notes on martial techniques … and one certain portrait, too risky to have out in open display.

There was nothing to say about the existence of the portrait. It was a remembrance of what could have been, one that needed to stay hidden. Comparatively, the martial techniques were the more complicated issue.

Putting those pieces of knowledge on paper was risky, but it helped me pass the time. Sometimes, I worked on the theory, but most of the time, I worked on two techniques. Eternal Sun Spear … and Serene Leaf.

The former was rather obvious. Eli continued to visit me once every three days as we agreed, never skipping a day. More importantly, he made no complaints even as I made him work on his balance for five lessons straight, all without explaining the reason.

Admittedly, there was a method to that particular madness, even with the likelihood of making him give up being there. One, a stronger balance was absolutely needed to perfect his stance before we could move on to developing internal energy; which could have catastrophic consequences if placed wrongly. However, most young warriors turned their nose at it — myself included back in the day when I counted as at their ranks — too fascinated by the idea of fancier attacks.

And, despite the surprising skill he was showing, Eli was quite behind when it came to proper technique, and extra dedication was needed if he were to ever achieve something worthwhile.

Building a strong foundation for true moves wasn’t the only reason. It was also a test of his patience. While the beginning stages of Ember Jab and Eternal Sun Spear looked quite a bit similar at the beginning, there would come a point where it wouldn’t be the case anymore.

Then, I would either decide he wouldn’t keep his mouth shut about the source and stop teaching him, or reveal the truth — well, at least a less shocking version — and move into the more advanced aspects of the technique. Nothing truly devastating, but enough to keep him safe once he started traveling.

And, his performance over the last month was enough to make me believe that he deserved further tutelage rather than being ignored. It was not without its risks … but the whole point of moving to the middle of nowhere was to have the freedom to act however I liked.

If I were to measure every single act I would do obsessively to completely eliminate risk, I would have stayed in the capital.

“And, now that the decision has been made, I can make some proper training equipment,” I decided. Some balance poles were a must, made from hardwood to carry the load as we moved on to more advanced techniques.

Maybe some complicated weight trainers, to strengthen parts of his body that were harder to focus on; some rocks and ropes balanced over wooden scaffolds should work. Maybe even a device to help him practice dodging … one that could also help me practice Serene Leaf.

Two months in, and the progress of it was still next to nonexistent, which was a personal worst for me.

Maybe, now that the hardest part of the farm work was done, I could focus more on it…