Oliver is crouched next to me, dirt painted onto his face, and a bow on his back. “I see it, big brother.”
Ahead of us, there’s a rabbit lazily chewing on grass.
I crouch, then lower my voice. “Drop the bow, Oliver.”
“Huh?” He slowly drops it on the ground, then takes the knife I hand him.
I reposition behind him, grab his collar and leg, then YEET! “STAB THAT FUCKER!”
“WAH! THIS ISN’T HUNTING!!!!”
Ehehe. Ehehehehe. It’s more fun up close and personal.
***
While Oliver wasn’t impressed with his first time, he stuck with our hunting trips for years, but that’s coming to an end. I leave for the academy in a month, and am on my first solo trip in a long time.
My stated goal is to reach the cliffs bordering the ocean, but my real purpose comes from a breakthrough I had while playing with spatial storage magic a few weeks back. It’s possible to make multiple instances of spatial storage or healing magic. And I yearn for the teleporting sword.
I set up my portable house and descend to my forest training area. I retrieve the sword I won in Calcust, which has been strengthened with magic for the last seven years. Inside a five-meter radius, roughly the size of my room in the estate, I can easily manipulate a second spatial storage opening.
But what about when I’m moving?
BANG
My feet shatter the ground on takeoff, and a black tear in space appears next to me. I pull the magic along with me, and it follows perfectly, so I stop.
“I thought that’d be harder…”
I plop down and fill my training area with magic. Storage opens in several spots within fifty meters of me, then I stand and jump laterally, but it’s pretty stable. It’s a bit hard to keep a space open without it moving when I am, but not hard enough to concern me.
Letting my magic fill an area like this has another use; I can see it perfectly with my eyes closed. But I thought this would be more fun.
I make an opening in front of me, then one further away. I dig my right foot into the ground, grab an apple from storage, and lift my left knee across my body in a pitching form.
THOOOM
I fire the apple into the distant opening.
THWACK
It rockets through the closer one and into my hand. I hold it up to my face and examine it, but it seems fine.
“What about a teleporting Alfred…”
I enlarge both openings, then jump!
Reality skips like a damaged tape, and I pop out of the far one, but-
“BLARGH!”
Oh, I don’t like that. Emergency use only.
I spend the rest of my two-week trip stocking up on the things that’ll be difficult to obtain in the capital. I catch enough crab and lobster to reduce their carbon footprint before making my way closer to home. When Mother and Father return, I plan on asking for permission to hold a small feast for everyone in the estate.
It’ll be a great chance to unveil my newest creation. Hard apple cider. But there’s no feast without boar.
I make my way down the mountain and into the forest south of the family’s estate before releasing magic to search the area. Deer in the west, small game scattered all around, and a family of boar to the east. It’s not their usual territory, but they don’t seem distressed – maybe they’re just bored.
I approach to a distance of eighty meters before taking my magic-hardened short knife out. I make a spatial opening just below my knife hand and just above the head of a mid-sized boar up ahead of me. With a firm thrust, I sink the blade through the top of its skull and into its brain. It falls over without even distressing the animals around it. To scatter them, I use earth magic and shake the ground at their feet, then take my harvest to process it into the cuts needed for a feast.
***
I hear Shayna greeting my parents the day after returning from my hunting trip – I’ll join in the pleasantries.
“Welcome home, Father, Mother, how was the capital?”
Mother wraps me in a hug like I’m a much younger child. “Alfred sweetie, thank you for greeting us. I’m so sad you’ll be going away…”
“Dear, don’t smother him; he’s grown into a wonderful young man, and he’s already promised to visit when he can,” Father chimes in to help me escape Mother’s stranglehold.
Things were a bit touch-and-go with Father after forcing my way out of the family line, but money heals all wounds, and Father is making a lot of it.
“It’s alright, Father, I’m blessed to have a family that cares for me so deeply. Which reminds me, I had a request if you’d be willing to listen. We can talk later if you wish to get settled first.”
“Request away, though I can’t imagine what you’re looking for just before leaving for the academy. Shayna has assisted in gathering your schooling materials, has she not?”
“She has. I am more than prepared. I’d like your permission to hold a meal for the family and all of our attendants. I harvested a boar on my hunt that needs to be cooked, and Ricardo has been working with me to develop something new I’d like to introduce. It’s my way of thanking everyone who has cared for me since I won’t be home for some time.”
It’s part of the truth. I’m grateful to this family and those employed by it. But it will also serve as a reminder to Father that my greatest asset is the information I can bring back to my family. And a novel new alcohol should accomplish just that.
Father smiles and pats me on the shoulder. “It’s atypical for us all to break bread that way, but it’s a magnanimous idea that suits you. Though the servants may not feel comfortable in the dining room… let’s move tables to the garden and hold it there. There’s ample space to move around as well, so we can serve ourselves without issue.”
“Thank you, Father, I’ll begin food preparations today. Can we hold the meal tomorrow, an hour before sunset?”
“That’s fine, Alfred. The afternoon light will be comfortable, and it won’t be too cold at that time. I’m looking forward to it.”
Father walks off with Mother, and I move to begin preparations.
***
The next day, Ricardo is waiting for me by the stove. I think he appreciates my interest in cooking since most born into nobility never touch a kitchen. It’s nice of him. Cooking this spread alone would be a lot of work.
We prepare a selection of estate favorites: sweet boar ribs, sweet and savory roast boar, dokitsu fried and breaded loin with sweet sauce, along with plentiful sides. After a full day of cooking, the meal is ready, and Ricardo helps me place everything into the garden. There are two tables set up with chairs. Each has a large bottle of water and hard apple cider at the center. At the edge of the garden is a third long table with plates at the front, followed by a plethora of food for everyone to enjoy. It’s like a barbecue from my past life.
I gather everyone to start the meal, and Father takes the initiative to make his plate as soon as the smells reach his nose. The family and servants follow suit, with Ricardo and me making plates last as any proud chefs would.
I pour a glass of the hard apple cider for myself before addressing everyone in attendance with a bow. “Father, thank you for allowing me to hold this meal. I want to extend my thanks to the people who have taken care of me for the last eighteen years. Father, Mother, Oliver, and Sara, thank you for being a wonderful and loving family. Shayna, Celia, Anna, and Ricardo, thank you for staying with our family and serving us loyally. I’m sad to be leaving for so long, but I promise to learn more about the world and bring back any tasty creations I find.”
Everyone has soft expressions except Father, who knows how I plan to learn about the world.
“YAY! NEW FOOD!” Sara yells as soon as I finish my spiel.
“Yes, and I’ll find something special for you, Sara. But I have something special for today as well. The dark bottle on everyone’s table is a brew I’ve been working on, made from apples. It’s sweeter than your typical beer, but it can get you drunk all the same. If anyone would like to partake, I would like to propose a toast to the wonderful people gathered before me. I’ll be eternally grateful for the upbringing you all provided me with.”
Everyone except Sara raises a glass.
“CHEERS!”
Mother’s drink disappears, and she grabs the bottle to pour more. “OHH, it’s so sweet!”
Father stares into his cup, then smells it. “Is it really alcohol?”
Ricardo answers for me, his smile shining. “It is. I’ve been testing Master Alfred’s experiments with fermented apples, and the final result is truly excellent.”
“I can never enjoy beer, but this is delicious,” Anna adds.
She sat with Celia, Oliver, and me. The other table has my parents and Sara along with Shayna and Ricardo. I was worried the family and servants would split from each other to eat, but it seems everyone read my intention to have us intermingle.
“Master Alfred, is this another creation you read about?” Celia asks.
“Many travelers wrote about their favorite drinks, but I got the idea after first working with Ricardo in the kitchen. He can make incredible sweet sauces and combine spices to make meat roasts sweeter than fruits. I thought it could be nice to have an alcohol for those with a sweet tooth.”
A lie. A fib. A total fabrication. I loved hard apple cider in my last life, and I did a lot of DIY during that pandemic. We wrap up the meal, and my table is the first to stand.
But Anna can barely stand on her wobbly legs. “Huwaoh.”
I hardly interact with Anna, but her appearance is lovely. And as I catch her against me, I feel curves I never intended to.
Celia takes Anna’s other arm to steady her.
She goes a bit limp, accepting our help. “Apologies, Master Alfred, Miss Celia. I’ve never had a taste for alcohol before, so I must not handle it well...”
“No need to apologize, Anna, I’m glad you enjoyed the drink. And it’s better to find out about your tolerance while among friends than out on your own.” I saw lots of this in my short college stint; hopefully it eases her embarrassed expression, and frees my flustered personal space.
“Celia, can healing magic help with drunkenness?” I ask.
It should - stimulate the liver and kidneys, then focus on the alcohol in the person’s blood. But medical knowledge in this world is lacking, and magic works as an extension of the imagination, so understanding human anatomy is key to healing effectively.
“It can do a little, but it won’t make Anna feel sober...” Celia watches Anna while bobbing her head, then steadies. “But I can try.”
As soon as she starts, I activate magic of my own, focusing on the important organs and removing the alcohol from Anna’s blood.
Sweat drips from Celia’s brow as she focuses her magic. “Th-There, that should help a little, Anna.”
“Thank you, Miss Celia.” Anna takes a step forward out of the arms that were holding her steady, but she doesn’t wobble like before. “Wow, I really do feel better, Miss Celia. Thank you so much. I’ll remember to be careful the next time I drink.”
She looks sober as can be. I’ve run a little too much magic through my own liver to feel a decent buzz without downing a barrel, so I’m glad to have the practice healing a bad drunk.