Waking up the next morning was a struggle; she was unusually sore from giving her all to improve this place, and now her muscles were pleading for rest. Nevertheless, she sat up, her stomach growling. Glancing at Zily, who was still asleep, she quietly took out two potatoes and restarted the fire to cook breakfast. In the cottage corner that served as a makeshift kitchen, she served the potatoes on plates for a touch of normalcy and set the rickety table, making a mental note to fix it later with her woodworking skills. Her system indicated her mana was fully restored, but her woodworking skills remained at zero. She knew that honing this skill could yield more gift packs, which would be quite beneficial.
Zily starts to stir, her nose twitching as she awakens. Once I've finished setting the table, I look over to see her sitting up, observing me. "Good morning," I say, gesturing for her to join me at the table. Zily hops onto the table, replies "Good morning," and begins to eat. Looking down at her, I begin to inquire about her master's house, such as what's inside and the distance to it, trying to gauge the time this will take. "Amelia, it won't take long at all. I'll enter the house, grab the magic bag, and show you how to seize the house. Then you can collect the remaining plants in the garden, and we'll return," Zily explains with a hint of annoyance in her voice.
"Sorry, I'm just nervous. I've never ventured deep into the forest before; I've only ever gone as far as the lake and then returned," I say, attempting to make Zily less annoyed with me. After breakfast, I meticulously cleaned the plates and then cast a spell in the garden, harvesting another batch of potatoes. This brought my stock to 45 magically grown potatoes. I then moved to the trees, casting a spell on each one and on several branches. I watched different flowers come to life on each tree, which filled me with excitement. I believe by day's end, I'll have enough mana to repeat the process and harvest some fruit from each tree. Observing the banana trees, I noticed the absence of familiar flowers; they appeared almost alien.
Looking at property, I find myself oddly excited; it reminds me of my grandmother's place from my childhood, minus the house itself. My grandma lived in a modest trailer because after my grandpa passed away, she didn't see the need for a large house where she would be all by herself. She had sold it and added the proceeds to her retirement savings, but unfortunately, she passed away at the age of 65 due to heart complications before she could retire. My parents had used the money to help me buy that apartment I was fixing and to help pay for my college. Reflecting on it, my grandmother may have included that stipulation in her will, as I doubt my parents would have acted on guilt alone.
After everything, I search for Zily and find her nearly finished with the start of her burrow. "Almost done?" I inquire, approaching but keeping a respectful distance. A faint response comes, "Yeah, almost. Give me like 20 minutes, and then I'll be ready to go to my master's house." With this, I needed an activity to pass the time, so I used the axe to chop the trees I had found fallen in the forest into smaller pieces. By the time Zily comes over, I've gathered a small pile of logs, and my hands are red and sore from handling the wood, much like the rest of me.
Mana 78/250
Woodworking 23/100
To my surprise, I notice that handling the wood contributes points to my woodworking skill, and my mana increases slowly, unlike the rapid replenishment during rest, which is makes sense. Before getting a drink of water, I make sure I'm ready for the walk. I change into my old clothes, opting for pants which I think are better suited for the journey. Once changed, I approach Zily, who, with a tone of surprise, exclaims, "You're dressed like a human male!". Mentally, I'm saying no, I'm just wearing pants, but since this world seems less advanced, I'm guessing that women here don't wear pants, which is disappointing. "I'm ready to go, Zily!" I say, attempting to sound excited, but my worn-out body can only muster a pitiful tone. Zily ignores this and begins heading toward the lake, chatting away.
"My master lives on the other side of the lake, just a few minutes into the forest," she said, seeming energized at the prospect of going to her master's home. "Why don't you live at your master's house?" I asked, driven by curiosity. She paused her hopping and looked at me before responding, "If I had stayed, my master's house would have crumbled with time. By leaving, the property was sealed, and everything remains unchanged, even though half a century has passed." Amazed, I replied, "How old are you?" The idea that a rabbit could live so long was astonishing to me. "Amelia, I'm blessed with magic, so I live much longer on this planet than a normal rabbit. But to answer your question, I believe I'm close to around 90 years now," Zily explains in a saddened tone, still looking forward.
The shift in her tone abruptly halts my admiration for her enduring spirit, suggesting she has been lonely for quite some time is quite saddening. "Must have been quite the bore, old lady," I say, attempting to lift her spirits with a little teasing. I observe her closely for her reaction. Zily makes a funny noise in the back of her throat, denies being old, and loudly proclaims, "I want you to know that I'm still considered young, and now that I've evolved thanks to you, I'll live even longer!" she declares. Glancing at her, I can't help but burst into laughter and respond, "I'm just teasing you, Zily; you don't sound like an old rabbit at all," as I send her a playful grin.
Zily thumps the ground loudly and yells, "Well, stop it, child! Your teasing isn't appreciated." Sending me an angry look, she says, "You are very much a young child compared to me, human," she said as we reached the edge of the lake's other side. "I'm sorry, Zily. You just seemed down; I was trying to distract you," I replied. Looking around, I noticed the scenery had changed, now surrounded by more pine trees and a more open space. "Are we almost there?" I ask, scanning the surroundings for a glimpse of the house. Zily responds, "We are, but you won't be able to see it since it's sealed. Once I'm inside, you will be able to enter."
After a few more minutes of walking, Zily proclaims that we have arrived, but I see absolutely nothing in front of me until she hops a few more times, and a shimmer passes over a large space before me. The scenery in front of my eyes shifts; where there were trees, now stands a large wooden house on a platform, surrounded by a garden. My eyes widen in amazement, and I stand agape, still unaccustomed to the magic of this world. I cautiously step onto the property as if it might vanish should I approach too hastily. The house, which I had imagined to be a modest wooden cottage, stands before me, grand and imposing, reminiscent of a Victorian manor, leaving me in awe.
As I stand there, perplexed, Zily bounds toward me with a leather bag clenched in her jaws, dropping it at my feet. Casting another glance at her, I pick up the bag and ask, "Is this the magic space bag?" while inspecting it. Zily gazes back and replies, "Yes, that is the storage bag. Now, walk up the steps, touch the house, and say 'grab.' This will make it go into the bag." The rabbit nods toward the house. With a skeptical look, I ascend the wooden steps and follow Zily's instructions. To my astonishment, the house vanishes before my eyes. The bag's weight remains unchanged, and the house has simply vanished. I gaze down at the platform, contemplating whether to add it to my inventory as well. However, glancing back at Zily, I decide against revealing the extent of my inventory space.
I return to Zily and inquire, "So, do I need to construct a platform?" expecting her to decline, suggesting we return later. To my surprise, she affirms, "Yes, once we take the house containing the power stone, the claim left by my master will vanish, and the land will absorb the residual magic, consuming everything to enrich this place magically and foster the growth of magical plants." Watching her with wide eyes, I observe as she hops to the garden. I follow and gather various plants there, placing them in my space.
The walk home felt surreal, my mind teeming with plans for managing my inventory. A past conversation with Zily revealed that everyone in humanoid form is born with a personal space, accessible only upon turning 13. This space is quite limited, prompting many who need to transport large quantities of goods to resort to magical bags. Once you reach 13 the only thing in your inventory is a crystal which is a claiming stone, every person has the opportunity to claim a piece of land in this world. Most people's stones are small, and therefore their claims are modest. The nobility of this world became "nobles" by being among the first to possess large claim stones. One can expand their claim stone by acquiring stones from the deceased or through soul marriage.
Soul marriage in this world occurs when two individuals unite and intertwine their mana pools, which the inhabitants believe to be their souls. Some darker realms of this world resort to warfare to acquire claim stones and expand their territories, while the more ethical kingdoms utilize the legacies of deceased family members to extend their lands. The persistence of available land can be attributed to surprisingly low birth rates, with many considering themselves fortunate to have three children. Additionally, it's common for those of lower socioeconomic status to sell their claim stones for extra money. It was unexpected to hear this from Zily, but she mentioned learning it from her master. She revealed that she and her master's wife frequently quarreled over finances because her master used to earn significantly more as an adventurer. His wife was discontent with the reduced income after he retired and started selling low-level pets.
After returning home, I made a list of tasks to complete. I can't start on placing the house until the platform is constructed, which requires large trees. The optimal choices in the area are oak or pine. There is a plentiful supply of oak, but their thick canopies present a danger when cutting them down. Pine trees, on the other hand, would be less risky to fell, but their location far from home increases the chance of encountering wildlife. The scarcity of pine trees in this vicinity is aggravating; it would be wise to introduce some pinecones and cultivate pines nearby for future use. For the present, I will focus on planting the new food items I have collected and continue to accumulate more wood.
That's exactly what I did for the remainder of the daylight. I planted all the plants I could and ended up with another two vegetable plots growing little sprouts. I opted to save some food instead of cooking it right away, but by nightfall, I was utterly exhausted and my body ached. As I climbed into bed with my unwashed body, foregoing dinner, I resolved that tomorrow would be a day of rest.