Under the pale morning sky, Yanz sat on the ground, leaning against the wall beside the door. He pulled out the diary, flipping through the pages in search of something useful. But after turning a few pages, he stared at the text in confusion.
-"I can't read this…?"
Yanz muttered, eyebrows furrowing. The words on the pages were oddly shaped, in a language unfamiliar to him. He flipped back to the first page—the one he had read before without any issue. The script was different.
-"What's going on?"
he wondered. The frustration was building inside him. First, his healing magic hadn't worked the way he'd hoped, and now this—the one thing he thought could give him answers was unreadable. With an empty stomach gnawing at him, his irritation only grew.
Yanz shut the diary with a huff and went back inside and shoved it back under his pillow. He needed food. He stood up, heading outside to search for something to eat. Hazel, his squirrel companion, chirped softly from his shoulder.
-"I know, Hazel. I'm hungry too,"
he sighed, walking through the uneven village streets. The houses weren't in any particular order, scattered randomly like pieces in a puzzle thrown together without care. As he wandered, something caught his eye—a patch of white near the bottom of an old wooden house.
Curious, Yanz approached and knelt down. Mushrooms. A couple of them were growing in the damp corner of the house. He didn't know if they were poisonous, but desperate times called for desperate measures. He decided to test something.
Yanz knelt closer, extending his hand over the mushrooms. He whispered the healing spell, hoping to see some sort of reaction. What happened next left him completely stunned.
-"What…?"
His eyes widened in shock as the mushrooms began multiplying before his eyes. Where there had been only a few, now there were many—fresh, new mushrooms sprouting out of the ground.
-"So…..my healing magic can make plants grow?"
Yanz whispered to himself, trying to wrap his mind around this strange discovery. He cast the spell again, pouring more mana into it this time, and watched in amazement as the mushrooms nearly tripled in number.
-"At least the food problem is solved,"
he muttered, plucking the clean ones while leaving the dirty ones behind to grow more. Yanz hurried back to the house, cautious not to let anyone see him. If the villagers knew he had food, they might try to take it by force.
Once inside, Yanz shut the door tightly, climbed up to his bed, and spread the mushrooms out on the mattress.
*Grrrrowl*
Hazel chirped as her tiny stomach rumbled.
-"Yeah, I know, but we have to make sure they aren't poisonous first,"
Yanz said, breaking off a small piece of the mushroom and biting into it. The taste was bitter, unpleasant, but nothing happened. No dizziness, no numbness—he was fine.
-"They're safe,"
he said, handing one to Hazel. The squirrel nibbled happily while Yanz ate a few more himself, trying to ignore the taste.
The floor creaked suddenly. Yanz glanced down and saw Ceph's mother slowly waking up in her bed.
-"You're awake? Good morning,"
Yanz greeted.
-"Ah… Yanz, was it? Good morning,"
she replied in a frail voice.
-"Did you sleep well?"
Yanz asked, climbing down the ladder with a handful of mushrooms.
-"Yes, thank you"
-"You must be hungry. Here, you can have these,"
Yanz offered, holding them out. But her eyes widened in horror.
-"Don't you know? Those mushrooms are poisonous!"
she exclaimed, alarmed.
-"Don't worry, these ones aren't. Look, I've already eaten a few,"
Yanz said, popping one into his mouth to show her.
-"No! Many people have died thinking they were safe…"
she began, but then stopped, watching in disbelief as Yanz chewed calmly, unharmed.
-"See? They're fine. Please, have some. You look like you haven't eaten much lately,"
Yanz insisted, handing her a few mushrooms.
She hesitated but finally took them, too hungry to refuse.
-"They're a little tough to chew, though. Do you have any water?"
-"Ceph usually brings water from the farm, but we've run out for now,"
she explained softly, still looking at Yanz with a mix of awe and gratitude.
-"Thank you, son. You're like a blessing to us. Yesterday you brought us food, and today again, you've shared what little you have with me. I don't know how to repay you."
-"You don't need to repay me. I'm just doing what I can, living under your roof. It's only fair,"
Yanz replied with a kind smile.
-"May god bless you, Yanz. You're like the son I never had,"
she said, her wrinkled face softening into a gentle smile.
-"You should rest now, Mother. Your health isn't great,"
Yanz urged.
-"Mother, huh? I like that," she chuckled weakly.
-"Call me that from now on, if you wish."
-"Of course, Mother,"
Yanz said with warmth in his voice. After ensuring she was comfortable, he left her to rest.