[Farmer] Mage
B2 - Chapter 22

Cal stood in front of a nondescript warehouse surrounded on both sides by even larger warehouses. Then again, the whole town was like this, so it was nothing strange.

He didn’t doubt where Bran had led him. After he detected the Masters in town, he had contained [Mana Sense] to avoid antagonizing them by accident. Still, the frequent use of the spell had made him sensitive enough to know there were weak beasts inside the warehouse before him.

“The last three times I’ve been here, this is where they kept all the beasts. If you want to see anything else, we’lll have to ask someone.”

Cal acknowledged Bran with a nod. “For now, let’s focus on the beasts.”

Bran opened the door, allowing a wall of stink to slam into Cal. If he hadn’t been prepared for it from the faint scent that encompassed the whole town, he might have gagged in disgust.

Cal ignored the livestock that was meant for slaughter, like fattened pigs and surprisingly meaty cows to focus on the draft beasts that he was interested in. Bran showed his worth by going into detail about each one.

“These are domesticated giant boars.” Bran pointed at huge, formidable beasts covered in the course bristles, featuring powerful tasks and muscular frames. “A favorite of mine, but I think they’re more suited for wooded areas than the Northern Wastes.”

Cal found himself in a stare down with one of the giant boars who refused to look away from him. It wanted to fight him, which was the opposite of domesticated.

“They’re pretty common,” Bran said, motioning at horses that resembled the ones that Tavia had for her carriage. “The draft horses can pull heavy loads, but they’re not that suitable for farm work.” He moved on to the next pen and spoke much more favorably. “Out of all of them, oxen are what we should get, Apprentice Cal. Not only can they work tirelessly, these oxen are specifically bred for agricultural work. There’s a reason we Farmers choose even regular oxen over other draft beasts of any other species. With these oxen, I think we’ll have no trouble covering a field ten times the size of your current farm.”

Cal wasn’t that knowledgeable about these matters, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t sense the power that these oxen held within their bodies. They were bigger than the giant boars, with massive builds, thick hides, and impressive horns, and all built for time-consuming, hard work.

“How much do you think they’ll sell for?” Cal asked as he inspected the oxen. They weren’t as combative as the giant boar. In fact, they couldn't care less about his presence.

Bran hesitated before he answered. “I want to say around five gold, but these look better than what I saw action in the past. Maybe it will go up to seven?”

Cal didn’t really care about spending an extra gold or two, not when he already forked over six gold because of Bran’s blunder. “And how many do you think we should buy? More than the two you recommended before?”

“No, two is more than enough,” Bran said, then paused. “It might help with the synergy if you buy more, but it would be overkill for the farm. And who knows, maybe the farm’s requirements will change if you decide to use it for something other than crops.”

Cal raised a brow. “What else can I use it for?”

Bran shrugged. “Flowers, experimental crops, potion additives. All of which oxen would be useless for.”

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Cal’s interest piqued, and he made a note to speak with Fintan about it the next time they met. Overall, Bran’s reasoning satisfied him.

“Then two it is. Let’s check into our rooms and wait for the auction tomorrow. I don’t want to make any unnecessary movements while we’re under the watch of the Masters here.”

Bran didn’t argue, and they left the warehouse. Right before they exited, Cal noticed a mule tracking his movements. It was giving him an odd look, as if it was trying to make itself cute. It failed miserably, but he found it charming.

He considered asking Bran about the viability of using mules instead of oxen, but that was his impulsiveness talking. He tore his gaze away from the mule and made his way to the inn.

***

Cal sat by the window as he looked out into the moonless night. He couldn’t sleep… well, to be more accurate, he wasn’t willing to go to sleep.

There were too many unknown Masters nearby, and he had never felt so paranoid. Not even when he faced the guildmaster. At least then, he had Overseer Marek in his corner, giving him some sort of reassurance he wouldn’t end up a smear on the ground.

Cal had told Bran that they would remain at the inn until the auction, but he wanted to break his own rule. He mostly put that rule in place to prevent Bran from sticking a foot in his mouth, but exploring by himself shouldn’t be much of an issue.

He hesitated and opened the window before hopping down from the third floor. He would broadcast his location to make himself known, so a Master wouldn’t think he was doing anything nefarious.

Cal made his way out of the town, interested in looking at the farms surrounding it. He wasn’t foolish enough to enter the fields directly, but standing by the road would be enough to satisfy his curiosity.

The most puzzling thing about the farms was the lack of a visible water source. As far as he could see, crops covered the land—dense, sprawling fields with no sign of rivers, canals, or irrigation systems to sustain them.

He wanted to find out how that was possible. If he could implement the same thing on his farm in the future, it would probably be of more help than buying a few oxen.

Cal had barely moved a few feet past the town’s exit before a figure blurred into existence in front of him. He had recently gained pride in how fast he was, but he wasn’t able to comprehend the speed at which the Master moved.

“Now, why would you leave the inn when you told your companion to do the exact opposite? You wouldn’t haven’t to be the world’s worst spy, are you?”

Cal should be worried that a Master blocked him when he had barely done anything, but he was more stunned at the Master’s image.

He was used to seeing them with flawless appearances, perfect grooming, and carefully chosen clothes. All to project their power and status.

The Master standing before Cal was nothing like he had expected. Callouses covered his fingers, soil stained his clothes, and his demeanor was far too casual for someone of his stature. If Cal hadn’t known better, he might have mistaken him for an ordinary mortal farmer.

The thing that stood out the most in Cal’s mind was that this was a Master whose class was likely [Farmer]. He wasn’t ashamed to say that he was starstruck.

“Hey kid, I’m not gonna bite. If you want to look around, I’m not gonna stop you, but I need an answer before I let you go.”

Cal cleared his throat and said, “I’m not a spy. I saw the farms on the way here and I was curious about how it worked. I was just going to take a quick look.”

“A quick look?” The master laughed. “You really are the world’s worst spy to just admit it. But I have a soft spot for you outsiders that made something of yourself as a Farmer. I’ll tell you what. How about I give you a little tour? As a bonus, I won’t kill you for trying to steal our secrets.”

Cal stepped back in shock. He never had a mental lapse like he just did. Telling another guild’s Master that he was going to look at their guild speciality would have been an instant death sentence in most territories. Somehow, he escaped that fate because this Master likely thought he was an idiot.

I’ll accept playing the idiot if it lets me live.

“Thank you, Master,” Cal said with a slight nod.

The Master grimaced. “Call me Arhan. None of this Master stuff that you Celestial Order members are so fond of.”

“Um, yes… Arhan,” Cal said. He almost expected an immediate consequence for saying a Master’s name with so little respect, but it never came.

“Great! Let’s see how far your knowledge is about farming and go from there.” Arhan led Cal towards the fields.