5 CHAPTER 5: PLANS IN MOTION

Tapiwa returned inside the home after inspecting the estate because it was futile to linger outside when it was already dark.

When she got back inside, she went into the store space again, but this time she wasn't looking for food. She hurried straight to the bathroom to relieve herself before taking a long-overdue shower.

She, who was used to fetching water and bathing in a bucket, showered under the showerhead for the first time, using aromatic soap and a nice and fluffy towel that didn't scrape her skin and made her feel uncomfortable.

She changed into nightwear, set away the dirty clothing, and brought her blankets into the store's bedroom, where she slept that night.

Why would she torture herself by sleeping on that hard bed now that she had a free bedroom?

She was going to sleep inside the store space till she made it, unless she bought a new bed.

She slept extremely well that night and didn't dream about anything. She took a shower and changed her clothing first thing in the morning. When she was finished, she went into the store and took a box of cereal and a carton of milk from the shelves before leaving.

She exited the bedroom, holding her meal, and proceeded to the other room, where she kept all her food and cookware. She believed they were safer in the main house rather than in the kitchen.

And, because she cooks with fire, she didn't want her utensils and pots to be covered in smoke even when she wasn't using them.

Tapiwa cooked herself a unique meal that didn't exist, at least not among the people she knew; she wasn't sure about the rest of the world.

She got a paper and a pen from the store and sat beneath the unstable shade to scribble down her plans after filling her tummy.

She chose to make plans because the future seemed to be waiting for her to act. She didn't want to wander aimlessly and cause havoc.

"I need to be strong first if I want to put my plans into action. It won't matter how much knowledge I have if I can't protect myself. That would be a tremendous loss, and I still want to live for a very long time."

Tapiwa was still rational enough to recall that the strong usually prey on the weak, and if she wasn't strong enough to safeguard what she owns, someone else would gain from her hard work, and she didn't want to suffer as a result.

What is hers should be enjoyed by her, and if she wants the benefits to flow, it should be on her terms, not because someone had power over her.

So, after much thought about what to do, the first thing she put down in her notepad was.

GOALS

1. Awakening an ability, no matter how trashy it is.

Tapiwa was an average person, and no matter how wealthy she becomes in the future, she will be doomed as long as a mage forces her to hand over everything.

Because she lacked mystic veins, her initial plan was to awaken an ability. It wouldn't matter if it was low or high. In this society, when mages were scarce and may be extinct in a few centuries, one more trashy mage was better than a thousand normal people.

"I don't have to worry about where I'm going to get the resources that I need to do the awakening. All I need to do is carry my basket, prepare some water, and then climb the mountain," she said to herself, smiling.

Unlike in that world, where awakening supplies were rare and expensive, Tapiwa didn't have to worry about anything, and it was also because of this that she was prepared to lay aside any other thoughts of gaining money and focus on strengthening herself.

She did not add another objective after this since she planned to do so once the first one was fulfilled.

Tapiwa didn't waste any time after reaching her decision and prepared all she needed.

She wasn't concerned about robbers breaking in because she didn't have anything expensive at home.

The mountain she was headed to was two kilometers away and generally takes fifteen to thirty minutes to get there, depending on her speed.

She didn't see anyone along the road, which was normal because people from villages normally leave early in the morning and return late. And this was for the peasants who ran stalls in town; for those who didn't, they were busy plowing the fields, tending to the gardens, herding cattle, gathering firewood, bringing water from the rivers, and whatever other jobs that came along.

There was no rest for peasants; only the wealthy and townspeople fared better. There was no time for play, and even children were included in this.

'I didn't imagine that my salvation was right in front of my face all these years,' Tapiwa thought, looking at the mountain she had grown fond of and knew well over the past three years.

'How would those folks react if they discovered this secret?'

She had no intention of telling anyone about this. She was not going to reveal this kind of information to anyone unless that person was absolutely dedicated and loyal to her. She was no fool to put herself in danger due to this.

She needed to harvest two items from the mountain, the most essential of which was duartz, a type of stone abundant in her country. Duartz was a type of stone that appeared greyish with dark and light grains on it.

Even if you closed one eye and opened another, you'd still see it. The stones were that bountiful. Tapiwa chose a basketful of duartz and kept some of it in her store because she didn't want to keep returning and wasting time.

The second item was daisy blossoms, which were in abundance, and in villages, people didn't bother with them because they were useless.

So Tapiwa gleefully gathered the flowers, storing some in the store and keeping others in the basket.

She didn't bother with any wild vegetables on this day because, as someone with a store full of food, she wasn't going to upset her stomach and make herself suffer.

'Life will continue to improve. This is only the start.'