9 years.

In total, I had spent nine years at the Scholar Association’s Side Branch No.1 of Mellawin city. Nine years mopping, dusting, wiping, sweeping, cleaning, fixing and labouring. But most importantly…

Reading.

I had spent nine years dedicated to reading and educating myself about this foreign world that I somehow ended up in so that I may learn how to survive it and finally, I felt myself ready.

At least for the next step anyway, because now…

I had a plan.

When I first started my literary journey I had been overwhelmed, but not dissuaded, by the sheer gargantuan amount of books that I had undertaken myself to read. But, filled with a burning desire to change and a need for knowledge, I had accomplished the remarkable and have now read over 90% of the books contained inside this otherworldly library.

At this point, though no longer really necessary I felt, I still went about trying to read through and finish the entire book catalogue. I was pretty sure that I could still eke out a couple more years for myself here and in that time could make it to the end and completely finish reading everything in the library. My reasons for doing this were not really because of the books though, but because of other causes that were twofold.

Number one. I had my course chartered out, but not ready.

Over the years and with the knowledge I had accumulated I had finally decided on what my next course of action will be. Not yet confident and eager to set out into the wider world I decided to remain here on this island and instead venture inland.

Though the Martial Association on this island was small, they had worked hard and consistently over the past two centuries and in that time had cleared the majority of the magical beasts that occupied this island.

As a result, there are now large swathes of land available that no one has bothered to go out to colonise and cultivate that, though are beast free, are still very much a part of the wilderness. Having this golden opportunity presented before myself, I wasted no time in seizing it.

Living out in the country, away from almost all of the people on this island may be isolating for some people but it's exactly what I’m looking for. Without anyone else around and making sure I keep my interactions with the outside world to a minimum, when gathering outside supplies and such, I’m pretty certain that I can remain undetected for thirty, maybe even forty odd years before I’ll have to move myself along into another life.

I had plentiful amounts of funds saved up after years of earning a high wage from the Institute too and having had basically no expenses I could easily afford to buy some land with some capital to spare.

Hence, using some of my days off, which even Kara grudgingly admitted I had earned, I recently went around the inner island, scouring the land for where best to plant myself for the future. It took me a few weeks but I eventually found what was completely and utterly perfect for me. An isolated valley between two mountains that has a large creek running beside it. It is large in area and almost completely secluded from the world so it suits my needs to the letter. I immediately seized on the chance and made my way over to the Town Hall where I paid in full the sum they required for me to purchase the land.

With this new property under my belt I then went about making a list of all the things I required to get my new farm up and running to make myself as self-sufficient as possible. I have started collecting the diversest range of crops I can plant as possible, materials I need to build a home and other buildings such as barns and outhouses, livestock I can raise to feed myself and also help plough the land, tools and whatever other equipment I will also need to put everything together, etc, etc.

However… My excitement didn’t distract me from the fact that all in all, this new farm was still at its core, a temporary measure.

But nevertheless, I had a solution to that.

I admittedly have no idea what my future holds and what I may end up being and what I will feel about myself in the years, no, centuries ahead, if I survive that long at all. But if I was going to go on there were two things I desperately needed if I wanted to make it happen.

The ability to make money on the fly, and the ability to defend myself.

Props to me, I have already figured out an answer to both of those problems.

I’m fairly certain the farm will workout fine. Even if it doesn’t though, and even then if it does, I’ll need something to rely on when I leave. Despite the Coalition not giving too much of a shit about the common people beneath them they still required regular tax submissions, so my long years there will eventually become an issue and I’ll have to move on to other pastures at some point down the road. Acknowledging this, I have gone through all the career paths I could come across and came to a simple conclusion about what was best for my future wandering lifestyle.

And so, in the tradition of upholding my own namesake, I am endeavouring to become a bard.

Looking through the books, despite how powerful civilization is (or maybe because of it) the only musical instruments in this world boil down to the flute, a circular xylophone thing that produces notes when you hit its metal plates, a few types of horns and the human voice.

Limited obviously, but that just makes it easier for me.

With the time I’ve got and the melodies I know from back home I’m confident I can shape myself up into a successful minstrel who can travel from town to town, inn to inn, singing songs and earning cash along the way while all the while keeping myself mobile and as low profile as possible.

With regards to defending myself, I have also had a very traditional idea.

One thing I have noticed about this world, despite how sophisticated it is in the art of war, is that an archetypical weapon of Earth that laid its foundation is actually not here at all.

The time honoured bow and arrow.

But looking back through Calzyn history I could actually make some sense out of this. From its tribal origins the people of Calyn have always fought as warriors, up close and using brute force. Though with the appearance of Sorcery this of course changed, as long distance and precise methods of attack started coming into their battle methodology. Due to this, magic obviously took the roles of long distance attack forces and so Warriors had no need to develop long distance methods for themselves. Therefore, a need for weapons such as bows never arose and therefore were never invented.

Having this new theory, I also took it further as I realised something in consideration of my new musical ambitions. Without bows, humans would not have had any taut strings and therefore wouldn’t have heard the twang bow strings made as arrows are released, and from there wouldn’t make the leap to making stringed instruments.

This anthropological epiphany felt very right to me and left me feeling pretty pleased with my scholarly prowess; however, I soon got over it as I came back to my final decisions about my future plans.

Basically, when I leave the Side Branch and move to my new farm I’m going to dedicate myself to three things. Developing my farm and making myself self-sufficient, figuring out how to make bows and arrows (I might not have any idea how to do that by I understand the basic principles behind it and I’ve got time abound to improve) then becoming able to use them while also figuring out how to wield other weapons such as axes and blades, and developing my musical talents in song, flute and Klo (what that xylophone thing is called) and maybe even try making my own kind of stringed instrument if I can make any headway with it.

I realise that the concepts of trying to be an inconspicuous minstrel while also travelling with a unique and never before seen instrument, not to mention weapon, don’t exactly match up, but I’m planning to sell my “inventions” across the years when I decide to settle down from time to time so that that problem will eventually solve itself out with the passage of time.

With my new plan, all I’m waiting on is the ironing out of some kinks as I purchase materials and build up a bit more cash before I leave.

But if I’m being honest with myself, I could really leave right now, and the reason I’m not leaving the side branch already isn’t because of a why.

It’s because of who… Kara.

My real reason for not leaving.

Over the past decade Kara and I have gotten very close with each other. As a matter of fact we’re each other's best and only friend in the whole world. But as time passed and I stayed the same, disguising it as best I could, Kara aged.

She was already old when I first met her but she was still sprightly and still very much alive. Now unfortunately, her years are finally catching up with her.

She’s still quick in her thoughts but her senses are getting cloudy and her strength is very much failing her, and we both know that despite her denials and reassurances that she’s fine, she hasn’t got long left until she returns to the Source.

We both know this. And we both know that I’m waiting here at the Side Branch with her until she passes on before I leave on my new venture, something that while she hasn’t talked about has made clear that she’s very touched and grateful for.

All these thoughts are swirling around my head as I go about my daily duties, going throughout the Side Branch, cleaning here, fixing something there. The old place hadn’t changed much over the years, only looking a bit shinier as I had gone about lacquering and revarnishing all the wooden surfaces in recent years while also making it look a bit nicer outside with the garden I had planted around the building.

My day was actually coming to an end and I was just about to have some dinner with Kara, but I wanted to put back my recently finished books and find something else to read before I retired to my room after dinner.

I had just finished some books on the tidal currents found around the islands between the Homeland and the new continent in the General Knowledge section and was now looking for something new to read.

It has actually been a while since I last revisited the Mana section of the library I thought to myself while putting away my books. So, after putting the last book back, I went over to browse through the Mana collection in the hope of finding something interesting that I hadn’t yet explored.

In front of these bookcases, my eyes travelled over titles and book covers that I recognised and remembered from previous readings through the years. Searching through the rows and shelves I had managed to find and pick up one book on aquatic mana resources and one on avian beasts when, quite unexpectedly, I stumbled across something very interesting. Something I couldn’t believe I had overlooked before.

Only when kneeling down at the lowest shelf of a particular bookcase did I come across it. With its cover a deep dark green and its size quite substantial, I pulled out the surprising find and read the silver title filigreed across the front cover, The Warriorhood Baptismal Technique Compendium Index.

It’s title was actually very surprising to me as there were absolutely no Path techniques listed in the Side Branch, all supposed to be held in the archives of Martial Association Branches across the world, and nowhere else.

I was running my hand over the cover and was just about to open the book up when I heard a sound coming from behind me, to which I turned quickly, only to find Kara there, coming closer as she approached, accompanied by the wooden thumping of her recent walking stick.

“Well, well. Isn’t that an interesting find you have there. But, your stew’s cooked enough now and we better eat it before it starts burning. Now bring your books along with you, I actually had something I wanted to talk to you about and that book might actually help a bit. Now come on.”

Receiving my new orders, I picked up my books and followed after her as I wondered what she wanted to discuss.