“You’re so beautiful. Yes you are! Yes you are! Look at those pretty colors you haaaaave. Such elegance! There is nooooo other flower quite like you. Who’s gonna grow up to be a big beautiful flower. You are! You are!”

“Can you cut that out. It’s creepy. At least go do it outside.” Gramps complains from the kitchen table, where he is sitting eating breakfast I prepared a little while ago.

I’m sitting in the den, on some cushions we have on the floor, talking to a little potted flower.

“Gramps, you know I’m working on my Soothing Voice skill! I think baby talk makes it level faster!” I attempt to justify my ridiculous behavior.

“I don’t care. It’s too creepy to listen to you pine over that blasted flower every single morning. I can’t take it anymore.”

“You just can’t appreciate the good things in life anymore Gramps. Must be getting too old. How old are you again?”

He just glares back at me.

I obtained this embarrassing skill a little while ago. After practicing Inject Mana on the plants, I wondered if I could use Expel Mana close to them and have it help them grow. In my pleas during these experiments for the plants to grow, I gained a skill.

It helps me to talk in a calming manner, using mana with each word and it causes a sense of calm to develop in the person hearing them. I think it works on plants too, which is how I practice the skill because Gramps refuses to let me use it on him.

“I’ll have you know I think my experiment is working. This plant is definitely improving in Magical quality over time.”

“Hmph.” Is all the reply I get.

And I really think it is. Using Inject Mana on this little plant every single day, I think it is slowly improving. Soothing Voice may help, but I’m not sure yet, so to be safe I just keep using it. I can only add a small amount of mana to the little plant, out of fear I’ll poison it with mana, but even this little bit seems to make a difference. A small one. Over a long period of time.

It’s not really a mana or time efficient practice quite yet.

“You better get ready. We’re heading into the city today, remember?”

Of course, I remember, I’m both excited and nervous. I’ve long gotten past my anxiety at being found out and kidnapped. Even if I didn’t have my new Compress Mana skill, I’d have gone into the city sooner or later. Afterall, it’s not that uncommon for people to have put points into their mana in an attempt to become a mage, and still fail.

With Compress Mana, I don’t think any regular mage will even notice me, regardless of if they are on alert or not. It’s not a perfect skill, and not that high leveled yet, but it still works quite well.

In my attempts to hide my mana signature, I tried all sorts of different methods. However, the one that worked was quite simple, if extremely difficult to the point of impossibility. I still can’t always keep the skill up. It’s just not feasible.

After seeing the mana signature of those mages, and then comparing them to mine, I realized that there was already a significant difference. Theirs had a wild quality to it that mine was missing. It was like a lightbulb that burned a bit too bright, and your eyes were overwhelmed. Mine was much dimmer, if a higher quality in my opinion. This probably had something to do with how high their Magic attribute was, but there was something else at play as well.

I took this concept and worked on it for months. Until one day, I managed to erase almost all my mana signature from outside my body, keeping it contained within myself. That’s when I earned the skill. It is almost like a dimmer switch with an Edison light bulb.

Now, I can keep my mana contained in the main “filament” instead of filling the lightbulb and broadcasting light. In this case the lightbulb in my mana signature, and the filament is my body. Sounds simple and easy. And theoretically, it is. In practice, it’s like sucking your stomach in as far as it can go all day but multiply that by ten. And it’s not a real muscle; it’s a ‘magic muscle’.

Like I said. Difficult. Every time I relax for a moment, it releases. I suppose it’s not called Compress Mana for no reason. Also, it levels really, really slow, compared to many of my other skills.

On the plus side, my Mana Manipulation skill has finally started improving after a long period of stagnation. I guess what that skill really needed was a higher tiered mana related skill to improve.

Looking back at Gramps, I just roll my eyes and start to pack my things for the multiple day trip. He had quite a lot of fun at my expense during the days I holed up on the farm in fear. It wasn’t malicious, but I had been a little too proud about my abilities and skills in the past. I think the hormones of becoming a teenager had some effect and amplified all my emotions.

“How many days do you think it’ll take us to get there?” I ask. I knew the approximate distance, but having never traveled on foot long distances before, I didn’t really know how to estimate the time despite all my analytical skills.

“About three days at a good pace.”

Hmm. That’s equates to a bit under a hundred miles in three days. Not too shabby for also pulling a wooden cart ourselves, even if it was empty. Gramps would be doing most of the pulling, courtesy of his higher strength stat. He had about an even spread between vitality, endurance, and strength. This gave him loads of stamina, which was ideal for a farmer, and enough strength to get the job done. Gramps wasn’t nearly as strong as a lumberjack, who put almost all their points into strength, but he could also pull an entire cart for three days straight.

I’d like to think I’m about as strong as it gets, pound for pound, or pound for point in this world. Even though some young women who stay at home have as many points in the strength attribute as I do, but as I’ve discovered, there’s a lot more to strength than meets the eye.

I may not have the pure raw strength, but I probably could do more with my 56 strength than they can do with 75. However, I’ve given up hope of being stronger than the average 10-year-old in this world. I train as hard as I can, but my talents are in the mental attributes. I mean, I talk to plants and have the Magic-Farming skill; I’m not going to be impressing the ladies anytime soon with how much I can curl.

“Three whole days on the road, huh? This should be fun.” I say ironically. I’ve long grown used to the suboptimal living conditions in this world, which are eased with attributes and skills, but traveling by foot for three days doesn’t seem too awesome.

I need my baths! I can work hard all day, in the mud, rain, and cold, but I need to get clean at the end of the day!

That’s why I leveled up carpentry so much and built my own sauna. It saves on water and wood. Nothing like a long relaxing session in the sauna after a good day’s work. Can’t beat it.

“Hah! You’re just sad your cute little routine is going to be messed up!”

“I’m a man. I’ll tough it out.”

“Oh, really? I’m sure something will happen, but toughing it out? Ehh. I’ve seen you beat yourself with a stick to try increasing your Endurance, but if we run out of tea leaves it’s like the end of the world. Makes no sense.”

“Routine is extremely important in simplifying one’s life, Gramps. The world would be chaos if we didn’t have them. It’s how I stay so relaxed all the time, now.”

“You? Relaxed. If I live to see the day. There’s not one day you aren’t training one skill or another!”

“Being relaxed and training skills don’t have to be mutually exclusive, old man!”

He snorted.

“Well, this old man is pulling the cart for three days travel, what will you be doing?”

I didn’t really have a good response to that. Stupid physical attributes.

“Let’s just get loaded up. We’re losing daylight!” I reply, deciding to leave before I dig myself into a hole I can’t get out of.

Maybe I’m not quite as at peace as I thought. It’s an uphill battle, I guess.

We passed through the village, picked up a few supplies for the road, and continued. We didn’t start as early as we’d have liked. Doesn’t every road trip start out like that?

We tried to make as good a time as possible, with the roads being in better shape near the village, and our safety much more secure. Tomorrow would be the most dangerous time being the furthest from both the village and the city.

The city was called Portis, and was a sizable city, but nothing compared to the monstrous cities of the inner empire. This was a city on the outskirts, kept busy from the constant flow of the feeder villages, and a stopping point for anyone on their way to more wild territory. There were plenty of magically dense areas within the empire as well, but there’s something about the unexplored and the frontier that still attracts people.

Luckily for our village, we were situated in a nice spot. Secluded from most other villages, yet just about safe on all sides. We rarely were attacked by magical beasts. Although I know goblins exist, I’ve never seen one, even living outside the city. That’s why we are one of the biggest farming villages around. Even then, it’s still rare for people like Gramps to exist, living a few miles outside the walls.

I suppose I’m lucky in that regard. He’s the best family I could ask for. I don’t know what I ‘d have done if I grew up in a more normal household. Probably go insane from trying to pretend to be normal.

We walked until it was almost dark, and then setup for the night. It was nothing fancy. Bedrolls on the ground, and a fire to cook a small meal, right next to the road. This was some real camping.

I cooked some fresh meat we bought in town. This was going to be the only night we could eat a good meal, most likely, so we made it count. Just a little bit of salt and seasonings I brought along, and a few sticks I quickly debarked, and we had some shish kabobs.

“It really is handy to have you around sometimes.” Gramps commented, as he gnawed on his current stick.

“Yeah, yeah.” I replied. “You know you’ve gotten spoiled with me cooking every day. I bet you don’t miss the days back when you still cooked that slop you called stew.”

We shared a look, and then both started cracking up. I let him try to prove himself as a cook for the last time a few years back, and ever since then he hasn’t touched a stove. After eating my cooking for so long and getting annoyed at me bragging about how good my cooking was, he had enough. He tried to prove that he wasn’t such a bad cook.

Neither of us could eat what he had attempted. It was awful. I suppose skills can get rusty.

Later, as we were falling asleep, I glanced at the stars. It wasn’t a common past time for myself, usually I was too tired from either work or training. They weren’t so strange anymore, if anything, they felt a bit like home. I had enjoyed most of my days beneath these new stars.

I plan to keep that trend and enjoy a peaceful and fulfilling life. Of course, I was still excited to see what more this magical world has to offer. How could I not? A planet with magic? C’mon son.

Many people would probably kill to be in the same situation. They would immediately run off, become a soldier, big game hunter, or a mage’s apprentice. They would shoot through the normal ranks most people struggle through. And, during that process, probably make a lot of enemies. They would either die, or just keep getting stronger, and stronger. Until they reached the top.

Perhaps then, they could enact some world changing revolution. Or perhaps not. They might get to travel the world and see amazing sights. Able to demolish whole platoons of soldiers with a flick of their fingers.

Sometimes I ask myself if I haven’t taken the easy way out, the lazy way. I know I have the both the potential and the head start to make my way to success beyond measure. My talent with magic may not be the absolute best in this world, but it sure is up at the top somewhere.

However, in the end, wisdom always comes back to me. At least I think it’s wisdom.

There are multiple metrics for success in a life, but I was a follower of the Stoic philosophy in my last few years on Earth. Stoicism gets a bit of a bad rap, being thought of as the philosophy of being an uncaring, emotionless stone.

That’s not close to the truth. The true goal of Stoicism is to teach oneself to live the good life. It might be different for everyone, but the virtues and principles still have value no matter the situation.

My favorite quote, and one that now gives me encouragement in my path in this life is from Seneca.

“The primary indication of a well-ordered mind is a man’s ability to remain in one place and linger in his own company.”

It helped allow me to live on my own once again, to not fear waking up by myself every single day. It still holds quite true, living with Gramps by ourselves and isolated from the village.

When most people think of success, they think of the wealthy, the powerful, and the famous. However, isn’t there more than one version of success? What about the pioneers of old, those who kept pushing forward into the wild frontier? Some forced to live in complete isolation for decades before civilization was able to catch back up.

I like to think that they may have reached the ultimate success in life. Contentment and mastery of themselves.

Nevertheless, I’m not quite that strict. I doubt I could live without some social interaction. Even living with Gramps, I still crave to head to the village occasionally. Maybe one day I’ll enjoy the sole company of my plants, at the rate I’m headed there, talking to my potted flower every morning.

Heh. Not likely.

Gazing upon the amazingly clear field of starts, I fell asleep, completely content with my choices.

Waking up the next morning, I could feel the Spring sun on my face, beginning to warm up the earth. I smiled and stretched, enjoying the feeling.

Splash!

That is until Gramps poured a bucket of cold river water right on my face.

“AGHGHGH!” I coughed, choking water out of my lungs and half screaming from surprise.

“I’m going to kill you GRAMPS!” I fumbled out of my bedroll, rolling around in a tangle with my feet caught in the blankets. I fell over onto my face. Straight onto the muddy road.

We may live alone out in the boonies, but we still have fun, mostly at each other’s expense. There really isn’t any better entertainment out there. Hence, I’ve kept my room barred from entry during the night, usually. Gramps could easily break in, but at least I’d have proper notice.

“Isn’t it a great day, Dan? I’m sure there’s nothing better on a crisp spring morn’, than to have a refreshing bath in the morning, ehh?” Gramps smiles from beside the cart, already loading up his things.

“When you finally pass on old man, I’m going to bury your ashes in the outhouse.” I aggravatedly reply. Almost completely sincere.

“Oh, well at least use me as fertilizer for the crops, okay? That way I can grow back up as a weed and continue to annoy you for the rest of your life.” He jokes. I can’t penetrate his thick skin.

“You. Are. Ridiculous.” I say, while taking a few deep breaths. No matter how much fun we have with each other. That water was cold. It’s the body’s natural response to be pumped full of adrenalin and other hormones. “One of these days, Gramps. One of these days.”

“Oh, what? What are you gonna do with that pitiful strength stat of yours?” His smile is as bright as the sun, knowing full well how annoying it is for me to still be overpowered by an old man like him.

“All that work, and only 56 strength to show for it. Should’ve just distributed a few points to it like a normal person!” He says, with jokingly, but also with some seriousness.

“You’ll see someday, and tremble at my very name!” I snarkily reply. Smiling despite myself. We’ve had this same discussion countless times. Mostly when I don’t have quite enough strength to pull a stump out by myself, or some other strength intensive task.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. I’m already quivering.” We both laugh at that. This old man is such a pain to live with, but at the same time, we share an extremely close bond. Even though he isn’t my father, and I wasn’t a traditional kid, I’ve always felt like we were cut from the same cloth.

“I’m going to head down to the stream to take care of my business. We can eat a few left-over kabobs from last night for breakfast.”

I grab one of those same kabobs for myself before heading towards the trickling sound of the nearby stream. After relieving myself of a large burden, I make my way back over to the road. Gramps is leaning against the cart, whistling some tune I don’t know.

“Took ya long enough. Let’s go. Daylight won’t last forever.”

“Can’t rush a man’s business.”

All I get in reply is a scoff. Today, we’re hoping to cover a good bit of ground, and probably keep moving until darkness completely descends. It’s more dangerous, due to wild monsters and bandits, being over a day’s walk from either the city or the village.

Walking is a peaceful activity, and boring. It’s quite difficult to get used to the quiet and the endless road. Yesterday, I could keep my mind busy, working a bit on Mathematics, or using Analyze on various things as we walk down the road. Today, it’s much more important to pay attention and keep an eye out for any signs. Considering the level of my Senses and Clarity attribute, this is primarily my role. If I can’t pull the cart, the least I can do is keep an eye out for trouble.

Using my senses, a serene walk through nature almost sounds like a roaring crowd in my mind. Countless birds chirping and singing, forming a cacophony of discordant melodies. The buzzing sounds of various insects comes alive in its own way and attempts to drown out any other sounds.

Piercing through the white noise and listening for clues is difficult, even with all my skills. I’m used to a more delicate touch with my high sensitivity. Feeling the soft hairs on a flower petal or sensing minute changes in the earth’s mana.

In the village I learned to tune most sounds out, but in this case, that’s not going to work for our purpose.

“I guess my training really doesn’t ever stop.” I say to myself.

Gramps, not hearing what I said, turns his head to face me with a questioning look.

“Nothing, Gramps. Just talking to myself.”

With a shake of his head, he once more focuses on his task. He’s got some straps around his front, and he’s steadily pulling the cart, one step at a time.

Focusing on my own task, I begin to try to parse through the complex hum of nature.