Germination (Battle Mage Farmer #2)

by Seth Ring

“It is, but when I left tensions with Allera were causing the peace to start to break down.” “Allera? Aren’t they our ally?” “Sure, but they don’t have any food either, and the only land that still works for growing edible food is here in Lepiera. We’ve been sending them as much food as we can, but honestly, there’s not enough to go around, so tensions have started ramping up. I’m sure that the empress of Allera has no desire to go to war, but the nobles under her seem to really like the idea. Hah, as if killing each other might actually help us. That’s one of the reasons I retired and left for the valley. I have no desire to rejoin the war.”

“I hope not. Otherwise our blades will be wet with your blood,” the Khan said, grinning. “We’ll go make camp, but before that, I would like to know how you understand our traditions well enough to call for a feast that did not insult us.” Straightening, John returned Zayaat’s smile. “A blood-bound brother who was a hankhu, an outcast prince of your people. His eyes have been open to the sky for six years, but his spirit remains with me.” “Your memory of him brings honor to his tribe,” Zayaat said, bowing his head to John.

Looking across the table at the young woman, Cormick’s mind spun. On the way here, his friend had warned him over and over again that he couldn’t afford to miss out on this contract, and while Cormick was not particularly sure why a small farm out in the middle of nowhere was so important to him, Gofreid had been making big moves over the last year and Cormick wanted a piece of whatever it was his friend had found. For a second, his eyes shot over to the calm-faced farmer who was eating his breakfast and then darted back to the young lady. “Ah, unfortunately, despite the fact that it’s illegal to sell grain for more than one gold per bushel, many of the grain merchants find ways to do it. Some of them require that all their customers pay a certain amount of gold each month to be on the list of approved buyers, some accept expensive gifts. The Ecclesia does its best, but it’s a corrupt world we live in.” Looking up from his breakfast, John cocked his head to the side. “How much are you paying for wheat? We have seven hundred and fifty bushels.” “Well, that’s a good question. If I’m being honest, currently my biggest customers are other merchants who can buy my wheat at a gold per bushel and still sell it for a profit. I’ve typically been buying at four bushels of wheat for three gold coins.” “We’ll sell at one gold per bushel,” John said calmly, sticking his fork into a bit of egg on the edge of his plate. “One gold? Are you serious?” Cormick asked, turning to glance at Gof...

“Merchants who are corrupt rarely only represent their own interests. There are almost always corrupt nobles behind them who give them the courage to practice their corruption.

Just like politicians, lobbyists, and billionaires.

“Well, regardless of how much of a big shot you were, I’m glad you did something about it,” Ellie said, her expression serious. “In my experience, those who climb the ladder of society rarely remember what life is like on the bottom rung.”

Tru Dat, gurl!

“As you grow in experience, you will learn that some people are too far removed from reality to bother with. Their minds have grown addled, and nothing you do or say will be able to cut through their warped perception of reality. Though all people deserve a chance, when you encounter this sort of person, the only real option is avoiding them or dealing with them directly.”

“I’m sorry. I’ll get used to it eventually.” “I sincerely hope you don’t,” John said, shaking his head. “Nothing good comes from violence, but this world seems to have been dragged into a descending spiral of conflict. Every moment you live without losing yourself to it is a win.”

“Heh. If there’s one thing guaranteed in this stupid world, it’s problems,”

As much as he wanted to rush into his room and crack open the books, life on a farm required nearly constant work and he didn’t want to leave anyone hanging.

The silly bird made a grand entrance but quickly ran out of energy, forcing him to retreat to his master’s side. To his delight, however, he quickly realized that his mana-reinforced feathers were too tough for the insect’s claws and mandibles to get through, allowing him to fight with impunity. As soon as the rooster discovered this, his courage returned and he rushed out to kill any nearby insects, always returning to strut in front of Ellie before fluttering after his next target. Resigning herself to playing audience for her stupid familiar, Ellie reserved her magic, watching for any major threats that might arise.

This was not the first time he had experienced this strange phenomenon around Ellie, but just like the meal he had once shared with her at the farm, her simple action completely destroyed the intense mental turmoil that plagued him, blowing it away like dandelion seeds in the summer wind. Warmth from Ellie’s arms spread through his chest, thawing the heart he was so desperately trying to keep frozen. As it thawed, John found tears springing to his eyes. Though they evaporated before they could fall, he knew that they weren’t just for Sven who lay on the ground, but for every single person he had lost or failed to save since coming to this world. The feelings he had sealed away so long ago boiled up and flowed out of him as the heart he was so afraid would break was held together by Ellie’s strong grip. In silence they stood there, not moving even when the wolves crawled out of the rubble to greet Haver, who had been brought up by the wooden cage, or when the grimm emerged from where they had been hiding. The silence continued to stretch, but no one moved. Even the flower monsters who lined the tower, their flower faces staring up at the platform at the top of the tower, remained silent, standing perfectly still.

You may not remember me, but I was one of those rescued from Gelvin’s prison when the old national army set fire to the city. You led the Ecclesia through the fires to rescue us even though the warden and guards had already fled. As I watched you carry the wounded out of the burning city, fighting through the enemy to save even one more person, I vowed that day that I would devote myself to living as the Ecclesia did. We are the flame that burns for the people, the flame of hope. I have no one in this world but my brothers and sisters in the Ecclesia, and when I saw you again I knew my chance had come to repay you for the life you gave me. I have a feeling I am not long for this world, but even if that’s true, I know the flame that burns in my heart cannot be extinguished. It will continue to burn long after I am gone, bringing the hope and light and warmth it gave to me to others. All hail the eternal flame. Taking a deep breath, John closed his eyes and placed his forehead on the edge of the table, covering his face with his hands. Feeling a soft hand on his shoulder, he took another breath and straightened up, doing his best to hold it together. It had been a long time since he had thought of the term “eternal flame” as anything but his title, but reading the letter had brought with it a flood of memories.