Arcane Innovator

I didn't have the time to look around the market any further, but I wasn't too discouraged as I will have a whole day tomorrow.

Sooner or later, I will have to disclose my herb-gathering business to my family, but I want to wait until I'm older and they are more comfortable with me traveling to the woods.

I need to be more low-key and not draw too much attention. I already do too many things that other kids my age wouldn't even think of doing.

But I can't wait until I'm an adult because, by then, my poor villager's fate would be sealed and I would lose all opportunities to advance my status.

I returned to my uncle's house to spend the night, happy with the knowledge that I had learned many useful things today.

The next day, I woke up before the sun had even risen, excited about the day ahead.

Today, I was heading to the market with Rolf to buy what we needed before the crowds arrived. It was always wise to get there early, while the stalls were still being set up and the merchants were eager for business.

As we walked through the market, I scanned the stalls for the goods we needed.

I did a mental calculation in my head and figured out that we wouldn't be able to buy much with the money we were given. With our father unable to work during the harvest season, we didn't have much money left.

I decided to splurge slightly and use some of my money to make up the difference just so that we wouldn't have to eat plain porridge all winter. I'd tell my parents I had managed to get some favorable deals if they asked.

But even with that, we will have to be quite frugal this year. I couldn't be too reckless with my spending. I had to be careful not to arouse any suspicions about where I was getting the money from. I made sure to keep my purchases modest and within reason.

Once we had finished our business at the market, I went to sell my rabbit hides to the tannery. Rolf followed me silently while being overwhelmed by the hustle and bustle of the city, but he was slowly getting used to it. We headed back to Uncle's house for dinner before returning to our village the next morning.

The rest of autumn was filled with preparations for winter. My parents were pleasantly surprised by everything we had managed to buy, and my father looked at me with a proud smile. It seemed that from now on, I would be in charge of all future purchases.

As my sixth birthday in this world approached, I didn't expect any grand celebrations or lavish presents. Given our circumstances, we had to be grateful for what we had—each other's company and good health. I was content with that and looked forward to the future with optimism.

Winter was harsher and colder than I was used to, but we managed to withstand it by mostly huddling around the hearth, and we waited eagerly for the first signs of spring.

***

When spring arrived once again, the world around me became alive again with vibrant colors and the sweet fragrance of blooming flowers. Spring is probably my favorite season here. Everything looks so fresh and new.

As a first step, I wanted to measure my progress with magic training, as it was now my custom every spring. But this time I decided to stop using my first-ever spell [Stone Bullet], as it would take me a very long time to deplete my mana with it. I now have quite a large amount of mana since I started compressing it.

I walked to the stream behind our house and utilized my [Water Manipulation]. This is because I got quite proficient with it all the time I was drying herbs in the forest.

It was still more difficult to use than manipulating air. However, that was due to the nature of water being much heavier, so there was nothing I could do about it other than train hard.

I used my [Water Manipulation] to create a small ball of water and lifted it gently from the surface of the stream. I found out that this consumed three times as much mana as a [Stone Bullet] would.

With this, I can keep my records consistent. Therefore, I jumped right at it and used it over and over until I was left gasping for air and totally exhausted a while later.

I calculated my mana consumption and recorded it on a piece of tree bark to keep track of my progress. This was my result, as I mentally imagined it as a status screen.

STATUS:

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Name: [Darian]

Race: [Human]

Age: [6 years]

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Mana: 67 --> 136

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Spells: [Stone Bullet], [Small Flame], [Air Manipulation], [Water Manipulation].

As I reflected on my progress, I couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction at how far I had come.

Last year, I made a breakthrough in compressing my mana, leading to a significant increase in my abilities. This year, the growth was more linear but no less impressive. I smiled as I waited to recover my strength, wondering how much I could increase it further.

***

My father had made a full recovery over the winter, and I was grateful to see him back at work in the forge. Though I no longer needed to work there myself, I decided to follow up on my idea and make my own hunting traps. This will enable me to be independent of Old Sven.

I made my way back to the smithy, where my father was busy hammering away.

"Darian! I didn't expect to see you back here so soon," he greeted me with a smile.

"I've been thinking that since I've already learned how to work here, I want to make use of my skills, and I was thinking of trying to make my own animal traps for hunting," I explained.

My father's eyes lit up. "You want to keep working at the forge? I'm glad to hear that! I'll make a blacksmith out of you after all!"

I hastened to clarify. "I haven't given up on my plan to find work in the city, Father. But I do want to learn all that I can while I'm here."

With his blessing, I picked up a hammer and began my education in the art of blacksmithing. My father was a wealth of knowledge, answering all my questions and guiding me through the process with patience and skill.

As the weeks turned into months, I toiled away at the forge, honing my craft and perfecting my technique. By the time spring was coming to an end, I was starting to get the hang of it, and I felt confident that I could finish my project. With each strike of the hammer, I felt a sense of purpose, knowing that I was getting closer to my goal.

When the day I was ready to take on the task arrived, I walked confidently into the smithy.

I made my way over to the anvil. The heat was oppressive, yet I had grown used to it over the months. As I picked up my hammer and tongs, I surveyed the materials in front of me: a pile of iron rods, a stack of wooden boards, and a few coils of wire.

My task was simple: to craft a set of iron animal traps.

I began by heating up the iron rods in the forge, stoking the flames until they glowed a bright orange. Once the iron was malleable, I took it out of the forge and placed it on the anvil, ready to shape it into the desired form.

The sound of the hammer striking the iron echoed through the smithy as I started to mold the metal into the delicate shapes required for the traps.

With each strike of my hammer, the metal changed and shifted, taking on a completely different form with every blow. I worked with the iron until it was thin enough to be bent yet still strong enough to withstand the weight of a struggling animal.

Once I had the basic shape of the trap, I began to add the intricate details that would make it effective at its supposed job of catching the prey.

Next, I moved onto the wooden base of the trap. I carefully measured and cut the wood to the exact size and then began drilling holes into it for the iron parts to be attached. As I worked, sweat dripped down my face, but I persisted, happy that I was just a short moment from completing it.

Once the wooden base was ready, I attached the iron components, making sure each piece was securely fastened in place. I then took the wire and wound it around the trap, creating the mechanism that would spring the trap shut when triggered. It was a delicate process, requiring skill and precision to get it just right.

Finally, after hours of arduous work, the traps were complete. They were sturdy, well-crafted, and ready to be put to the test. My father checked my work and nodded approvingly.

'I guess he can't wait to eat some rabbit stew,' I thought amusingly. I, too, was happy with the result and wanted to test it out in the Forest right away.

But first, I walked to the village to look for Old Sven and to tell him that I wouldn't be joining him anymore. I thanked him for all the valuable advice he had given me over the years. But I felt he didn't have anything more to teach me.

I was, of course, nowhere near as good as he was, but that wasn't the point. I wasn't planning to become a hunter in the first place. I was just using it as a cover for my herb-gathering.

However, since I was older and my father trusted me since I helped Rolf out last year, I now had more of a free hand, so I didn't need to continue with it.

I can now start hunting by myself. Obviously, I won't tell my parents about it. However, as long as everything stays the same, they won't suspect a thing.

So with that done, I can now finally delve into the Forest to test out my new traps and also gather some herbs for sale in the city while freely practicing my magic.