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  Sakura rubbed her eyes and then patted away the chill from her cheeks. Sitting up on the narrow bunk bed, she raised an eyebrow at her sleeping companion. Tresses of curled sunshine draped across the sheet while the owner hogged the fur covers like a selfish mummy. Twisting her lips, she poked a finger at the packaged blond-haired girl.

  "Hey, Sahara. How long do you intend to bunk with us? Don't you have a large courtyard of your own?"

  The mummy groaned and wormed on the bed. A sleepy face of unblemished skin, manicured eyebrows, and vibrant hair forced its way out from the thick furs. An equally jaded palm emerged to wipe a clear stream of saliva from the edge of the smooth lips.

  "It's not my fault this bed is so small. I keep telling you to move across to my residence. It's hard for me to eat my meals here and walk home in the cold. Besides, if Aust and Hank happen to see me after I use the skincare potion, they would throw a fit."

  Sahara mumbled while stretching across the bunk. Her exposed arms slid over the furs to display the unblemished, goddess-like skin. A startling contrast to the blotched, swollen limbs and face from yesterday. Sakura threw up her hands in frustration on hearing today's excuse.

  "Then, from tomorrow, go beg Big Sis for a squeeze in her bed. Dyna flings herself all over me while you steal the covers. From tomorrow, I'm sleeping alone."

  The ringing of a bell interrupted Sakura from laying down the law. The smaller brunette turned to the pouting blonde as she continued.

  "Breakfast is ready. Hurry and get dressed or Mrs. Thomas will throw you out."

  ***

  A rectangular table occupied the small hall, with a pair of benches and chairs to complete the furniture. Sahara seated herself on one chair with Mr. and Mrs. Thomas on the left and right benches. Sally and Bella share one bench with Sakura and Sue, opposite them. Amanda completed the setting while sitting in the other chair.

  "Grandmaster Sue, you have outdone yourself again today! The bread feels softer than wool, while this vegetable soup tastes divine. I can't wait for the evening to try Lady Thomas' meat buns."

  The girl occupying the seat at the head table cooed. If not for her gray eyes and wavy blond hair, she could have substituted as a double for Lucy.

  "Hey, stop bringing over ingredients for my mom to cook. Don't you have Cooks at home?"

  Amanda replied while slicing into a loaf. She smothered the wisps of rising heat by buttering the bread. Given the circumstances, Sue or Mrs. Thomas would bake bread and simmer a thin soup in the hearth. The meal would last the family for days.

  This freeloader, however, walked with her own ingredients while insisting on having a sumptuous meal daily.

  "Nobles might have the freshest ingredients, but most of our food is boiled, stewed, or roasted. Didn't you remember the birthday banquet and the rare meats, fruits, and vegetables? This is the first time I have ever seen food prepared in this manner. Grandmaster Sue and Lady Thomas undoubtedly must be food gods who descended from heaven!"

  Sahara praised as another piece of bread, coated with soup, disappeared inside her small mouth. Amanda scowled on seeing her chew blissfully. Since the departure of Chu and the others, Sahara frequently visited their small courtyard in the Outer Circle. On one of those meetings, she sampled a stir-fry combination of vegetables and meats.

  Attracted by the food and the amazing beauty products the girls shared during the past months, she then practically migrated across to their courtyard. The sizzling and roaming fragrance of fried vegetables from the tiny kitchen also baited other guests. A knock interrupted from the wooden door.

  "Uncle Aust, the door."

  Bella called from the table. The scraping of a chair from the kitchen table preceded heavy footfalls. A grizzled man engulfed the doorframe leading to the kitchen as he then squeezed across the hall towards the door.

  Pausing their meal, the diners witnessed an old, thin man entering the front door while bringing the biting wind. The door shut swiftly behind him as the warmth from the kitchen lethargically conquered the cold.

  "Elder Shi, what brings you here?"

  Sue asked while rising from the table. The old man quickly waved his hand to halt her actions.

  "Grandmaster Sue needs not to interrupt her meal since this old man can find the kitchen. I take it Old Hank didn't wait for me? Breakfast smells wonderful today."

  Elder Shi answered as a chuckle emanated from the kitchen. The burly doorman made a slight bow to Sahara and Mrs. Thomas before retreating to the kitchen. Elder Shi followed him but paused near Mr. Thomas.

  Mr. Thomas shook his head while eating. Within Limerock City or even among the small courtyards bordering the Outer wall of the Tower Academy, no one enjoyed this sort of recognition.

  Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

  As a person holding onto the occupation of a rural farmer, he dined with a high-born noble in his small hall. A pair of Sersens and a Tower Elder jostled over the round table in his cramped kitchen.

  When a man can boast of having a Sersen answer his door like a footman, he truly arrived at the pinnacle of society.

  If he hadn't placed his foot down, then maybe half of the Alchemist Guild would be eating here while begging for recipes. He had learned over the past few months that Alchemists dabble in all sorts of recipes.

  "Ah, Mr. Thomas, the Military outpost of the city delivered this to the Tower. Forgive us for having opened it, but the Tower browses across any correspondence unless addressed to a Mage."

  Elder Shi removed a small, narrow wooden tube from his sleeve and then handed it over. Mr. Thomas received it with slightly shaking fingers as his eyes fell on the broken blob of wax. Ignoring it, he popped open the lid and then pushed a finger inside the hollow section to remove the rolled parchment.

  When he held it up to unfurl it, a thick silence descended on the small hall.

  "Look! The ink stamp on the back. It says 'Bai'. That's ours, it must be from Chu!"

  Bella blurted out on seeing the familiar seal. That seal could only originate from the farm and from one hand. Mr. Thomas flipped the parchment over to scan the print. With a long breath, he exhaled all the worries from the past months.

  Glancing across the table at the pairs of bright, excited, and even glazed eyes, he scanned the contents of the letter. Without further delay, he read it out loud.

  'To my family, the journey was without incident for most of the way. We encountered a Military Patrol that escorted us towards Karst. There we parted and made our way towards our home. We later learned that the Demon Beasts were decimated by surviving villagers on a farm. Because of their bravery, we arrived home unscathed. The experience proved how fragile our home is to uncertainties under Heaven.

  I have decided that, come spring when the roads are passable, I will journey to Frost City to join you. I hope to visit and learn from the Tower Mages within that great city. Hope you continue to learn from the Tower, especially Sakura, since she has always been slow with numbers and letters.'

  Mr. Thomas looked over the palm-sized parchment when he completed reading. Elder Shi, who remained standing near Mr. Thomas, sighed.

  "We received reports that a Military patrol to Karst encountered Bitzers but defeated them. The scouts also mentioned about a victorious battle between mercenaries, garrison soldiers, and villagers against a Bitzer horde. Luckily, the Heaven's gifted avoided those calamities. Mage Tarot was pleased to read that the genius decided to leave for Frost City. From the exquisite border around the letter, it seems the Heaven's gifted is away from harm."

  "Haha, Elder Shi flatters the boy too much. Grandmaster Sue is more of a talent than that foolish brat. Luckily, he will soon join us in Frost City."

  Mr. Thomas replied.

  With a mountain lifted off their shoulders, the breakfast ended on an enjoyable note. Elder Shi departed first after finishing a meal in the kitchen. Sahara placed her arms on the armrests of the chair.

  "This one has to attend a meeting with the nobles of the city, regarding compensation and rebuilding the nearby villages. Most likely, this one will return for supper."

  Mrs. Thomas saw the young lady out to the prepared carriage with her Sersen escorts. By the time they found themselves alone, the table had been cleared as they gathered around.

  "That brat really knows how to tug my strings. From his letter, it seems like they're safe. I guess he didn't want to reveal too much since he figured the Tower might intercept the letter. No need to make it so fancy though, crazy blockhead."

  Mr. Thomas handed over the letter to Amanda, who browsed over it before passing it to Sakura. The younger girl browsed through the letter thoroughly since Chu mentioned her name. Naturally, like Elder Shi, her vision fell on the surrounding border. She twisted one side of her lips while narrowing her eyes. A hint of recognition flashed across her brow.

  "Wait, I want more light, crack open a window shutter for me."

  Clutching the letter, she hastened towards the side window. Ignoring the invading chill which followed the sunlight, Sakura focused on the pattern at the top. Sure enough, it was no random doodle. Chu had once taught her mathematics using a number system totally different from what he called similar to Roman Numerals.

  Arabic Numerals.

  Ink dots separated the numbers while solid strokes seemed to clump different groups together. In neat lines, they bordered the letter like a pattern along the outer perimeter.

  "Numbers and letters, numbers and letters... Wait, bring me a quill and parchment! I played this game with Chu during the first winter in the barn."

  Moments later, Sakura naturally began from the top left-hand side as she followed the marked asterisk. Changing the number to the corresponding letter of the alphabet, she soon completed the first three words. The black pupils glazed over while her hand holding the quill trembled.

  Sakura wiped an eye as she smiled on discovering a secret known to only her. Her face flushed red on receiving the unexpected compliment, which bounced from the parchment.

  The onlookers who circled around her sighed in amazement on reading the cipher.

  /g.o.o.d/j.o.b/s.a.k.u.r.a/

  "Good Job Sakura..."

  Before the morning was over, the hidden message had been revealed. Mr. Thomas lit a candle in the bedroom as Sally and Bella acted as guards as they peeked from behind the closed doors and shutters to the outside.

  The closed windows and doors didn't attract attention since this was the norm in winter. To avoid the chill, most houses returned to a fate similar to a cave.

  "He did it. The brat really did it. A Sersen..."

  Mr. Thomas gasped while clutching the parchment. The rest of the contents of the letter had flown from his thoughts. His mind swirled on the only sentence that mattered while it seemed to overheat his brain.

  The one-handed man breathed as if struggling for breath before sitting down on the bed. His eyes glazed over on remembering the past.

  Mrs. Thomas shifted within the cramped bedroom she shared with her husband to sit beside him. Rubbing his back with a reassuring hand, she looked at her daughter.

  "He really has a knack for danger, doesn't he? Thank the Heavens he arrived in time, though, otherwise, I can't imagine what would have happened to May and the others. That boy risks his life too much, especially considering he already has enough money to live a peaceful life."

  "Hehe... Chu knows exactly what he is doing, Mom. He can't help it if the Bitzers attack him, but he won't take risks unless he thinks it through. Your daughter will be a full-fledged mage soon, and possibly even a Sersen when Chu meets us. As for money, younger brother is working hard for this big sis."

  Amanda grinned. Chu warned them about casting magic before igniting a hundred stars. He also imparted the tips of using constellations to help map their starfield. Chu didn't mention the potion since he knew those in Limerock could only rely on luck and perseverance.

  She looked at the brunette standing next to her. Sakura remained motionless while deep in thought.

  "So, how are we going to do this?"