Jonathan

Jonathan finished the bread he was eating right now, reclined, as far as it was possible with his non-reclining chair and asked Tablos: “Can I ask you a question?”

The Archmage answered amused: “You did right now… but yes, what is your question?”

“I have a few seeds with me. Could they still be usable after the transport?”

Heinrich Tablos was still for a while and put his hand under his chin. Then he answered: “It might well be possible. But I would be forced to ask one of the few mages that specialize in that direction.”

“This could be a great idea. Hey, how would you consider this: I go into my room and await you there while you bring the mage to it?”

Tablos thought for a while and answered then that this might be a good idea and asked if Jonathan did still remember the way or if he should send one of the maids with him. Jonathan agreed that this would certainly be a good idea.

One of the maids helped Jonathan find his room, which he opened and began to put the packs of seeds, as well as the four big potatoes he had, on the table. Then he waited until the door opened and two men entered his room.

He looked at them and said his greetings, which were returned.

Then he showed both of them the seeds. Tablos wondered, loudly, how these pictures were possible, he was especially interested in the writing.

Jonathan looked at the other mage and then questioningly at the Archmage. Tablos needed a second or two to understand what Jonathan wanted and then gave his acceptance to speak about Jonathan’s origins, he already had informed the mage.

He answered Tablos and the unknown person that this was normality in his world. They had machines, complex instruments that were able to do things like that. How exactly they did that he did not know, he was forced to admit.

But they were here to speak about the seeds. The pictures, as Jonathan explained further, were a show of the final fruit or, in some cases, plant. The unknown mage considered this for a while and then began abruptly to introduce himself because everyone had forgotten that in the heat of the moment.

He was called Heras Hager, a full-fledged mage with a speciality for life magic. Tablos corrected him, but it was clear that most simply considered elemental magic to be magic. In fact, he specialized in caring for plants. He was especially interested in strange, difficult plants and new many tricks to turn a small population into a large one.

Jonathan asked his questions if certain things were possible. Hager’s answers drew a certain picture. While he had no idea of genetics, he knew of a problem that could happen with too small populations and a great many generations of plants. He had one spell which was an answer to this problem.

After Jonathan heard this, he explained that this happened with most organisms if the population was too small. Even to humans. There was a number that showed how big the starting population must be, suppositional that the members of the starting population were not direct relatives, to be viable long term.

As far as Jonathan knew, in his world, this number was for humans around 5000, but he could also be wrong. So to be on the safe side, he concluded, that the spell should be activated for every one of these seeds if used. Also, it might be useful, if there were spells to rapidly increase the starting population of certain crops, especially the potatoes.

Hager confirmed that there was a spell like this and that it might be useful to use it. But he, as well as Tablos, also wanted to know what this was exactly and some of the uses of the crops as well.

Jonathan began explaining. Beginning with his four potatoes, he explained that those were useful stable food and could also be used as an animal feedstuff. He continued in explaining various usages in human consumption, and after that, he explained how they must be grown.

Hager had a spell active that put this information into a notebook.

After that, he took the first pack of seeds. It was tomatoes. Those, he explained, were mostly used as a base for sauces, but could also be consumed raw. This specific ones that would grow out of these seeds were quite large. He then dictated what was written on the backside of the pack.

After that Jonathan explained this for cucumbers, zucchinis, bell peppers, sunflowers, carrots as well as pumpkins. It became soon clear that cucumbers and carrots, even if there were differences, were known to Mage Hager.

But he went up, packed all of the seeds together and wanted to begin growing these as soon as possible, which would not be a big problem, because it was spring.

After the mage left, Tablos began speaking with Jonathan about a plan to give him a basic education in magic, as well as in the political and sociological in this world.

After a phase of discussion, they came to the conclusion that for a period of time, Jonathan would be getting privately tutored in everything a normal student on this school would learn, as well as on some specific topics, which would be of interest to Jonathan, like basic economy, how to behave in certain situations, formal as well as informal, how the politic system works, who is who in the kingdom and of course, the thing Jonathan wanted to have, how society uses technology and magic in everyday tasks.

After this period was over, most of the specific topics would be phased out, and he would be included in normal coursework soon after. In what for a class he would come was not clear right now, it would depend on the level he would be reached when, at the end of summer, the new classes’ started.

Jonathan also found out that before all this could happen, he would be introduced to the king. Tablos would organize this today. Tomorrow he would begin coming to terms with his summoner or at least find out where he stands in relation to her. As Jonathan thought about it, he was not certain what he should consider her.