Crafting my own Hunting Gear

Spring has arrived once again. The world around me was alive with vibrant colors and the sweet fragrance of blooming flowers.

Spring is probably my favorite season here. Everything looks so fresh and new.

As a first thing, I wanted to measure my progress with training my magic, as it was now my custom every spring. But this time I decided to stop using my first-ever spell [Stone Bullet] since it would take me a very long time to deplete my magic with it since I started compressing my mana.

I walked to the stream behind our house and utilized my [Water Manipulation]. This is because I got quite proficient with it all the time I was drying herbs in the forest.

It was still more difficult to use than manipulating air. However, that was due to the nature of water being much heavier, so there was nothing I could do about it other than train hard.

I used my [Water Manipulation] to create a small ball of water and lifted it gently from the surface of the stream. I found out that this consumed three times as much mana as a [Stone Bullet] would.

With this, I can keep my records consistent. Therefore, I jumped right at it and used it over and over until I was left gasping for air and totally exhausted a while later.

I calculated my mana consumption and recorded it on a piece of tree bark to keep track of my progress. This was my result as I mentally imagined it as a status screen.

STATUS:

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Name: [Darian]

Race: [Human]

Age: [6 years]

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Mana: 67 --> 136

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Spells: [Stone Bullet], [Small Flame], [Air Manipulation], [Water Manipulation].

As I reflected on my progress, I couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction at how far I had come.

Last year, I made a breakthrough in compressing my mana, leading to a significant increase in my abilities. This year, the growth was more linear but no less impressive. I smiled as I waited to recover my strength, wondering how much I could increase it further.

***

My father had made a full recovery over the winter, and I was grateful to see him back at work in the forge. Though I no longer needed to work there myself, I decided to follow up on my idea and make my own hunting traps. This will enable me to be independent of Old Sven.

I made my way back to the smithy, where my father was busy hammering away.

"Darian! I didn't expect to see you back here so soon," he greeted me with a smile.

"I've been thinking that since I've already learned how to work here, I want to expand my skills and learn to make my own animal traps for hunting," I explained.

My father's eyes lit up. "You want to learn more? I'm glad to hear that! I'll make a blacksmith out of you after all!"

I hastened to clarify. "I haven't given up on my plan to find work in the city, Father. But I do want to learn all that I can while I'm here."

With his blessing, I picked up a hammer and began my education in the art of blacksmithing. My father was a wealth of knowledge, answering all my questions and guiding me through the process with patience and skill.

As the weeks turned into months, I toiled away at the forge, honing my craft and perfecting my technique. By the time spring was coming to an end, I was starting to get the hang of it, and I felt confident that I could finish my project. With each strike of the hammer, I felt a sense of purpose, knowing that I was getting closer to my goal.

When the day I was ready to take on the task arrived, I walked into the smithy and the smell of burning coal filled my nostrils.

I made my way over to the anvil. The heat was oppressive, yet I had grown used to it over the months. As I picked up my hammer and tongs, I surveyed the materials in front of me: a pile of iron rods, a stack of wooden boards, and a few coils of wire.

My task was clear: to craft a set of iron animal traps.

I began by heating up the iron rods in the forge, stoking the flames until they glowed a bright orange. Once the iron was malleable, I took it out of the forge and placed it on the anvil, ready to shape it into the desired form.

The sound of the hammer striking the iron echoed through the smithy as I started to mold the metal into the intricate shapes required for the traps.

With each strike of my hammer, the metal changed and shifted, taking on a completely different shape with every blow. I worked with the iron until it was thin enough to be bent into the desired shape, yet still strong enough to withstand the weight of a struggling animal.

Once I had the basic shape of the trap, I began to add the intricate details that would make it effective at catching its prey.

Next, I moved onto the wooden base of the trap. I carefully measured and cut the wood to the exact size needed, then began drilling holes into it for the iron components to be attached. As I worked, sweat dripped down my face, mixing with the soot and grime from the forge.

Once the wooden base was ready, I attached the iron components, making sure each piece was securely fastened in place. I then took the wire and wound it around the trap, creating the intricate mechanism that would spring the trap shut when triggered. It was a delicate process, requiring skill and precision to get it just right.

Finally, after hours of arduous work, the traps were complete. They were sturdy, well-crafted, and ready to be put to the test. My father checked my work and nodded approvingly. I felt a sense of pride as I looked at my handiwork.

I was happy with the result and wanted to test it out in the Forest.

But first, I walked to the village to look for Old Sven and to tell him that I wouldn't be joining him anymore. I thanked him for all the valuable advice he has given me over the years. But I felt he didn't have anything more to teach me.

I was, of course, nowhere near as good as he was, but that wasn't the point. I wasn't planning to become a hunter in the first place. I was just using it as a cover for my herb-gathering.

However, since I was older and my father trusted me since I helped Rolf out last year, I now had more of a free hand so I didn't need to continue with it.

I can now start hunting by myself. Obviously, I won't tell my parents about it. However, as long as everything stays the same, they won't suspect a thing.

I can venture deeper into the Forest to both hunt and gather herbs while freely practicing my magic.

***

The crisp air of the Forest filled my lungs, and the rustling of leaves and chirping of birds was a soothing symphony to my ears. I felt alive and energized, ready to test out my newly created traps and see if they would yield any results.

As I made my way deeper into the woods the next day to once again look for umbrifila, I couldn't help but feel a sense of independence and freedom. This is something that I haven't enjoyed for a long time. I was no longer reliant on Old Sven, and I had proven to myself that I was capable of hunting on my own.

Now that I know more about the difference between real herbs and regular herbs from Isadora, I am even more eager to gather as many as I can. For the rest of the spring and the beginning of summer, I scouted the Forest while testing my traps.

I was happy that I managed to catch 5 rabbits on my own during this time. I also gathered 48 umbrifila and 31 regular herbs. I was getting a bit concerned since I was finding less and less umbrifila every year. It seems they can't repopulate so fast, but I'm hoping it will stabilize soon and not decrease any further.

Lost in my own world, I completely forgot about helping Myra with her studies. I mastered both writing and reading during the winter and was confident in my ability, so I didn't need to study anymore.

It wasn't until she showed up at our doorstep one morning with a pouting face that I realized my grave mistake.

"Darian! I heard you're helping your father now, but you never came to see me once!" Myra exclaimed in anger.

"I'm so sorry, Myra. I was so engrossed in learning so many things that I completely forgot about our study sessions," I apologized.

"You're terrible! I waited and waited, and you never showed up!" She scolded me.

Feeling guilty and wanting to make it up to her, I quickly offered to show her my latest creation—animal traps I had crafted on my own—and suggested we play in our garden by the stream.

"Hmm, fine, but you must promise me that you will never forget our playtime ever again!" she demanded.

"Of course, I promise." "Now, come with me," I said, trying to ease her anger.

In the garden, we were soon joined by Helga, who had come to investigate the commotion.

"Oh, you are the Vogt's daughter," Helga tried to sound polite as soon as she spotted Myra.

I introduced the two girls, surprised that they had never spoken before despite being of similar age.

Helga was now eight years old and Myra was a little over seven.

Although Helga initially kept her distance like the other children, when she saw me acting informally around Myra, she quickly warmed up and started playing with us.

Helga was getting older and spending most of her time helping our mother with cooking and household chores. However, she was becoming more proficient at them, which gave her more free time now.

As the summer progressed, Myra started coming over to our house more frequently, and we spent our time playing in the garden. It wasn't long before Myra and Helga had become good friends, and I was happy to see them enjoying each other's company.

I didn't mind spending my time with them since I had already finished my business in the Forest. I was waiting with expectations for the autumn market when I would go back to the city. I didn't visit this summer since I was very busy gathering herbs, so I was even more expectant.

But luckily I won't have to wait much longer because the summer was coming to an end and the harvest season was once again upon us.