The Normal Farmer - Completed

Chapter 15 - Learning swordmanship

Ronald remained in silence. After some time, he called the others for lunch. Ovaidel frowned at the first bite, but his face lightened up at every swallow.

Duza was munching with a smile, and Ini was looking at the dish with a puzzled look on his face. “This is very good… I never tasted this type of seasoning before. What did you use?”

“Just some herbs I gathered around here, while the water was boiling. That small bush over there, it’s rosemary, to give a little saltiness. Near that rock, it’s sage, a little spicy herb that makes wonders to preserve meat. I also found some wild lettuce to make this salad as a side dish.”

Ini was puzzled. “That’s strange… I never heard that sage could be used to prepare food. It’s mostly used as an ingredient in some poisons.”

“Really? I always used sage as a seasoning for red meat! Using it to make poison is very weird. But I guess it could be used like that, perhaps to disguise the flavour. Especially if you put the poison in the food. Don’t worry, I didn’t poison yours. I don’t want to kill you so soon. Maybe next year or next month, but not on our first day of travel! Who knows? I may need your help against some bandits. I am not going to get rid of you if you can save me one of these days!”

Ini smiled at the sarcastic joke. “Yeah, and Duza would be mad with you if you poisoned us so soon! But jokes aside, this tastes very good indeed! A wonderful improvement from Ovaidel’s cooking, that’s for sure!”

Ovaidel spoke with his mouth full of food: “Don’t… know… what… you… talking… about…”

Reylom choked on the wine he was drinking because he started to laugh. “Cough… cough… Yeah, if all our meals are going to be as tasty as this one, by the end of this journey, we will be as fat as a big farm pig! That would be good for Ini because he is so thin, but not for me or Ovaidel! I bet Duza will get even better with more curves, but it may give her trouble during a fight if her boobs and ass get any bigger!”

Duza smacked Reylom’s head with a stick she picked from the pile that Ronald was saving for the fire. “What do you mean by that, you ‘frilt’? Are you saying I already have huge boobs and ass, or what?”

Reylom protected his head while continuing his teasing. “No, but maybe Mister Ronald wouldn’t mind if you got a little chubbier, for him to have more meat to hold! You are more muscular than the average woman; not every man likes a woman like that!”

Duza stopped the smacking with a surprised look. It seemed she never thought of that. Ronald shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t know what you are talking about, Mister Reylom. Miss Duza looks just fine to me. I bet there are a lot of men in Durant already in love with her.”

Ini answered with an evil smile: “Maybe, but most of them are afraid of her. There aren’t many men in Durant who dare to court her and have their necks chopped off because she thought they were being too frisky. And don’t make me say anything about the Guild Master! There is not one single man in Durant that wants to have him as a father-in-law!”

Duza’s face became bright red, and she continued to eat in silence. Ari and Taly were laughing, and Ronald replied, “Well, she doesn’t scare me. As for the Guild Master, I don’t see any problem there. He may look terrifying because of his looks and seriousness, but I like him.”

Ini answered while looking at Duza from the corner of his eye: “Yeah, a lot of people think that, but then they get on his bad side because they see him as a mere father concerned about their daughters and forget he was once the most powerful Adventurer in this region. It would be better if you don’t underestimate him, or you are in for a surprise. Or Duza. She could teach you a thing or two about swordsmanship. And judging by the way you so carelessly left your sword near the carriage, you could use some lessons.”

Ronald looked back at his sword, which was on the ground against one wheel of the carriage. It indeed looked as if it had been carelessly abandoned. “I see what you mean. It does look like I don’t even respect my sword. I may need some lessons…”

Duza swallowed her food and quickly raised her right arm. “I can help with that! I mean… if you don’t mind me teaching you…”

Ini made an evil smile again. “Only if he were a fool, would he deny the teachings of Duza Sonanji, the best swordswoman in this region. She can teach you a lot of things… a lot indeed… Hehehe!”

Duza quickly lowered her arm and continued eating. Ronald wondered what he was implying, but Duza’s sudden silence made him suspect it was something kinky.

After lunch, Ronald was tidying things up and wondered how he could wash the dishes, pots, and tableware. He had soap, which he took from his bag, but no water.

While he was putting out the fire he used for cooking by throwing some soil over it, Ari threw a Card next to him. A small pond appeared with frogs on top of water lilies, and she pointed at it. “You can use that water to wash everything. When you are done, tell me, and I will make the pond disappear again.”

“Cool, thanks. I have a Card similar to that, but mine is a little different; it looks like an ocean.”

Ari looked at the others, who were preparing the horses for departure. “Do you mind showing me? I am always curious about Magical Cards. I understand if you don’t want to, because Magical Cards are a personal thing, and most people prefer to keep to themselves what they have and what they can use. Your secret is safe with me…”

Ronald frowned. “What secret? I don’t…”

“The kind of secret that lets you use a Magical Being like the Big Rat until now. If your level was low, he would have disappeared hours ago instead of being right there, playing with Woof. You may pretend to be a Farmer as much as you like, but I know you are more than meets the eye….”

Ronald took one Card Box from one side pocket of his right leg and showed Ari his Card. Ari nodded with a serious look. “Oh, you have one ‘Infinite Water’… A very special, rare, and powerful Spell. With it, you can drown your opponent, whether a Human, a Monster or a Magical Being. I’m afraid it’s not suitable for dishwashing. Let me see… Where is it…”

Ari started to search her Card Box for a specific Card. “Here, see if you can use this one. It’s the children’s version of mine, the ‘Pot of Water’ Spell Card. Very good for washing dishes, giving water to a horse, or throwing at an opponent as a distraction. Or as a joke. Normally, I use this one to wake up Taly in the morning, but you can have it if, by chance, you can sync with this Card.”

Ronald touched the Card and felt the familiar tickling. He smiled at Ari. “Yup, it works. Are you sure I can have this?”

“Yeah, consider it payment for showing me your Spell Card. It will help with your job to clean things up. I don’t know if anyone ever told you, but Magical Cards are very personal, and sometimes, when facing an opponent, a surprise attack might save your life. For that, the fewer people who know your Cards, the better.”

“Yeah, I heard something like that some time ago… I would appreciate it if you didn’t share your suspicions with the others; I don’t want to call out too much attention.”

“Okay, but when you go with Taly to Zakrosia, you will not be able to hide your Level from the others. How do you intend to explain your Mana, if you kill a lot of Monsters? And how will you distribute your points among your Attributes? If you do that in a Guild in another City, you will draw too much attention to us. But for that, I can help you. I have a Status Sphere if you need it.”

“Really? I was told those things are extremely expensive.”

“Yeah, I know. But you can use it whenever you want. I will give you privacy, of course, because, for distributing Attributes, it’s also a personal thing that…”

She made an eye signal to him, and Ronald continued, “… that one day can save my life. Thanks; I will remember your advice. So, let me take care of this so that we can continue our voyage.”

After cleaning up everything, Ronald mounted again on his Big Rat with Duza looking at him and wondering how he managed to get such a rare Card.

For the rest of the afternoon, they travelled by making the horses walk and, from time to time, trot quickly. They saw a village at a distance by the middle of the afternoon, but they continued. There was no need for a stop so soon, they just started the voyage. At that time, Ronald was in the driver’s seat of the carriage, with Ari and Taly inside so that Taly could rest and keep Ari company.

The Big Rat was at the front, walking next to Duza and sniffing the air from time to time as they travelled. Up in the air, a Hawk was flying, summoned by Ari so that she could have a look from above. She explained to Ronald that because she had a high level and high number on her Intelligence, she could sync with the Magical Being and see through its eyes.

Riattus confirmed that to him, with the sudden information that, with his Intelligence as it was already, he could see things through the Big Rat’s eyes and even control him, as if Ronald were in the Rat’s body. That made him shiver. Becoming a Rat was not in his plans.

By the end of the afternoon, they found a field next to a side road where they could camp for the evening.

While the meat was roasting over the fire and Ovaidel was taking care of it, Ronald was face-to-face with Duza for his first sword lesson. The others were watching them, with Woof seated next to the Big Rat.

Duza bent her knees, and he imitated her. She then raised her sword a little and warned him: “Hold the sword with both hands, or you will lose the grip as soon as I hit it. I am going to do a side s***h. Defend it, okay?”

“Yes… I guess…”

Duza rushed to get to him at high speed. The others only saw her distorted image disappear from her position, and when they saw her again, she had her sword stopped by Ronald from his left side. She jumped back with a surprised look. “No way… How did you manage to guess at which side I was aiming?”

Ronald shrugged his shoulders. “I could see you perfectly. You were too slow. I had time to blow this stubborn piece of hair in front of my eyes before stopping your sword. Are you going easy on me? You can be faster, okay?”

Duza blinked a few times. “I… went all out… I know you are fast, so I didn’t underestimate you. Okay… this time, you do a side s***h and I defend.”

“Okay… Here I go…”

The others didn’t see Ronald move; he was in the same place but with a sword in each hand while Duza was unarmed. She touched her lips. “Did you… just kiss me and steal my sword?”

Ronald winked with one eye. “Yeah, and I even fixed the collar of your combat suit; it was a little bent. This is not working; we are too far apart in terms of speed.”

“Okay… So, let’s just use the swords. I hit; you defend. Slowly, so that you can see my movements and practice all alone next time. Now… Side s***h! Good… Head s***h!... On your legs!...”

They continued the same movements until Ovaidel announced the meat looked ready, and Ronald quickly made a salad to accompany it.

While they ate, Duza couldn’t stop thinking about what Ronald did. Such speed and easiness in stopping her attacks were unheard of. How could he be a mere Farmer? There was something else about him that she couldn’t put her finger on, but she would not rest until she found out! But even as a Farmer, he was so amazing that she couldn’t almost stop herself from ripping off his clothes and r****g him. That sudden thought made her tremble.

She took a slow, deep breath to calm down and mumbled, “Easy, Duza… Slow down… Calm yourself…”

Ari was at her side and noticed the way she was trying to disguise her looks towards Ronald. “Yeah, if I were older, I would for sure rival you because of him. But I already know I would lose, because he seems to like you. As do you…”

Duza whispered back: “No, I am not… I mean… You see, I…”

Ari smiled and whispered, “Don’t worry; you have plenty of time to decide about your feelings and conquer him. Well, the conquer part, you don’t need to do much; I think he likes you already. But you have to be pretty sure about what you feel because if you are not in love, and it is just because you are curious and amazed by him, things could turn out bad for you. From what I could tell about him until now, he may take his feelings towards you a little too seriously. Like if he put his very own soul into his feelings. I don’t know if you can understand what I am saying or if I am expressing myself properly.”

“Like… If he is way too serious, and I could hurt him if I wasn’t sure about what I felt for him?”

“Yes, that sounds about right. Look at him… He finished eating, and he is already practicing the movements you showed him. I am almost sure he isn’t doing that because of him.”

Duza whispered with a puzzled look on her face, “What do you mean?”

Ari smiled. “You saw it too. He is way faster and stronger than any of us. He didn’t need to train the movements of his sword. But because you taught him, he is trying to improve and make you proud. He will be a fine husband one day. I just don’t know if he will be yours…”

Duza nodded and finished eating while looking at him. Ronald was repeating the movements she taught him, over and over. When everyone finished eating, he cleaned up, and after washing the dishes using the ‘Pot of Water’ Spell Card, he continued his practice.

When Duza was seated on a rock near Ari and watching him, she realized it. She looked at Ari with her eyes wide open. “He can’t use that Spell Card to wash the dishes because he shouldn’t have any Mana after summoning the Big Rat! And why didn’t the Rat disappear until now?”

Ari put one finger over Duza’s lips: “Shush!… I don’t think he wants everyone to be aware of that. He is very secretive. He may have his reasons for that, and maybe it’s best if you wait for him to explain everything instead of making a fuss about it.”

Duza whispered back while taking a look around at the others: “If they didn’t find out already, they will for sure…”

Ari continued whispering, “Or they did it already, and they are pretending not to because they know Ronald prefers not to talk about himself. As should you…”

Duza nodded and bit her lip. Ronald continued his practice routine, unaware of Duza’s findings. At least, until Riattus talked to him: “I just heard some interesting facts. Your friend Ovaidel was just saying to Ini that it was weird that you could summon the Big Rat and that he didn’t disappear until now. And Duza reached that same conclusion, along with the fact that you shouldn’t have Mana for using that Spell that Ari gave you.”

“What do you suggest I do now? Too late for an excuse, right?”

“Yeah… And now it’s not a very good idea to make him disappear. We need him during this night to keep watch. That kind of Magical Being has good hearing and a good sense of smell. They can warn you if some danger approaches us tonight, way before Woof has time to notice.”

“Well, that settles it then. Maybe it’s better to stop this and get ready to sleep. We need to wake up early to continue, right?”

Ronald put his sword in the sheath again and walked towards Duza. She got up when he got close and forced a smile. “All done? We need to get ready to sleep. I take the first night shift; you will be the last, right after Ovaidel. Do you think Woof and the Rat can help?”

“I don’t see why not. Woof can warn us, even if he is asleep. And I don’t think the Rat sleeps at all.”

Duza took a deep breath and asked, “Will he disappear during the night? I need to know to see if we must take measures for that.”

“No need. He will stay all night. But tomorrow morning he vanishes.”

“Okay… cool… And… anything else?”

“Not really. Why?”

“Just wondering if you had something else to talk about… if not… that’s okay…”

Ronald was wondering what she meant, but Riattus pointed him in the right direction. “She is either asking you if you want to say that you like her or she wants an explanation for your Mana. I bet it’s about the Mana.”

Ronald forced a smile and went to the Rat, telling him to stay alert for any danger or strange noise and to warn them if something was suspicious. The Rat nodded while licking one of his front paws.

Ronald then went to one mule to get a mat for the floor and a thick blanket, asked Ovaidel to call him when his turn came up, and went to sleep near the campfire after putting more wood on it to increase the fire.

Duza watched all that in silence. He covered himself and went to sleep, pretending not to notice Duza’s puzzled look.