With morning came pain but not the familiar hangover Linus was accustomed to. In fact his head and his stomach were pretty much the only parts of his body not aching. Instead it felt like every major muscle group of his had been lightly beaten before being partially frozen. The combination of soreness and stiffness made it a struggle to liberate himself from his tent. Naturally his less than graceful exit was being carefully observed by Luke and Archie as they enjoyed their morning meal beside a cozy fire in the middle of the campsite.

“Good morning sir, care for a cup of tea and some porridge?” Archie greeted him.

“That sounds delightful. I’m glad to see someone is enjoying their morning more than I am. My body is making me almost regret not picking up [Horse Riding] as a child like my father wanted, and it didn’t even get offered again after those long hours yesterday. I do have two free skill slots now after moving one into the Rogue class and getting another for an additional total tier, maybe I’ll take it when it’s offered.”

“Yeah, yeah, sounds great. Now enough chit chat and start eating so we can get back on the road. We’ve got even more distance to cover today if we plan to stay on schedule.”

At that Linus dug into the tea and porridge while also casting a round of [Minor Heal] and [Invigorate] on himself then Archie after receiving the puppy eyes from him.

“Ah, I’m so glad you took that class. You weren’t the only one hurting this morning. I could barely move before sitting by the fire for a bit.”

“Well stick by me today and I’ll heal us up as we go along. No need to suffer another day and wake up in pain.” Soon after they had finished up their meal and put the fire out. While Archie decided he should keep up his skill grinding from the day before.

First he activated [Sneaking], toning it down and focusing it only on the sound around his feet. Then he started exploring the plants around their campsite, allowing his passive skill [Plant Lore] to point out anything edible. Once he found something worth gathering he’d use [Enrich] on the soil surrounding it, [Growth] focused on the edible components then [Precision Pruning] and his small scalpel like [Mana Blade] to harvest. The quick chaining of so many different skills drained him rapidly and he had almost hit his limit before Archie announced the packing was complete.

With a sigh and one more request to Archie to double check the luggage for any wine Linus resigned himself to another boring day of riding. He broke the boredom by playing with [Sneaking] while riding and using [Minor Heal] on himself and Archie. Whenever they stopped to take a break from riding he utilized his skills to find some extra herbs and vegetables to add some variety to their meals and a couple of clippings he’d be able to plant once he reached this godforsaken outpost.

How he already missed his gardens. His one at their property in the capital was limited to a small greenhouse on one of the roofs but it was a haven during the winter months. Meanwhile at their estate he had several gardens that covered all his needs. There was a garden so large it made up a good portion of their vineyard fields, filled with rare grapes he’d pestered his contacts to bring from around the world and unique ones he’d produced with his [Mutation] skill. Another was a magical little oasis, filled with mushrooms of various effects, the softest moss sprawling around a babbling brook and breezy trees that were known for attracting butterflies and lightning bugs. There was the lush lawn, with bushes shaped into numerous animals, for luncheons and the secluded park perfect for romantic trysts or furtive meetings or even the one that kept the kitchen well stocked. Such beauties that he may never see again.

His daydream broke when they stopped for the night. Once more he had failed to get [Horse Riding]. The dinner was much better this evening with some of his findings seasoning or complementing a juicy rabbit Luke had come across.

The next day was more of the same, and the next until they started to blend together. Horse riding, skill grinding and superficial small talk broken up by the occasional break or falling of night. At least he was making progress on his skills and future garden.

Sneaking has increased (6/10). Minor Heal has increased (7/10) Enrich has increased (9/20) Minor Heal has increased (8/10) Sneaking has increased (7/10). Plant Lore has increased (17/20). Minor Heal has increased (9/10)

Initially he couldn't wait to be offered and accept the [Horse Riding] skill. By the time it was offered on what Archie confirmed was their sixth day riding, and not an eternity like Linus thought, he had sworn he was giving up riding after they reached their destination. Moving forward he'd be traveling by carriage or foot. Despite routinely using [Minor Heal] on himself, or because of it according to Luke, he was still often sore during and after riding. It got to the point where he reduced the power on the skill to the level where it was barely a drain and he could have it on constantly for chunks of the ride.

On their seventh day in the early afternoon they came across the most glorious sight Linus had ever seen.

“A town?! I thought we’d never see civilization ever again” proclaimed Linus. “We’ve been avoiding all the towns so far.

“Don’t get too excited, we are only stopping long enough to resupply and then we’ll be back on our way.” Luke responded. Archie stayed quiet, planning to avoid involvement in the upcoming argument.

“Absolutely not. I refuse to pass through here without staying at least a night. Honestly I don’t know what the rush is, we should really spend several days to fully recover before continuing on with the rest of our journey.”

“The Duke requested I get you there safely and quickly. A multiple day vacation is not part of that plan.”

“Well I wasn’t involved with the planning process. Now shall we book you a room as well while you get the supplies or are you going to camp out here?”

Luke tried to continue to argue but Linus was already headed to the gate with Archie in tow. His shouts were ignored by the pair and he was forced to rein it in as they got to the gates. It looked like they’d be staying the night.