"I was saying goodbye to my daughter," Nathaniel replied.
"...what do you mean?" Isaac asked.
"Don’t worry. I don’t intend to kill myself anymore. There is something else I intend to do. But first, I wanted to thank you. I don’t think I’ve thanked you yet. I also wanted to apologize. You were quite angry when you left the hut in the morning," Nathaniel said.
Isaac just gave a nod.
Nathaniel smiled wryly, seeing Isaac didn’t want to talk about the morning anymore.
"Can you follow me?" the old man asked, as he stood up. He entered his hut with Isaac in tow.
The old man opened the mattress made of patched clothes and reached into it. He pulled out a silver coin. He gave it to Isaac.
"I know it isn’t much for someone like you. But this was the savings I had prepared for my daughter. She used to say she wanted to be an adventurer when she was a child, but she stopped saying that after my wife passed. The child had decided to stay by my side. But I still hoped she would one day go and live her own life, instead of looking after me. So, I saved this money for her initial adventure gear. I want you to have it."
Isaac took the single silver coin.
One hundred Bronze Coins equaled one Silver Coin. The farmers earned around 40-50 Bronze Coins per month, and almost all of it was used for living expenses. Yilla Barony had been facing low yields in the past years, so the finances of the farmers were even more tight.
Saving one Silver Coin in that condition was no small task.
Isaac looked at the silver coin for several seconds. It wasn’t just money, but the farmer’s feelings for his daughter. The hardships he had endured and the sweat he had shed for her were all contained within that single coin. Now he was giving it to Isaac.
"Thank you," Isaac said.
He kept it in his inner pocket.
"So, where are you going? If you said goodbye to your daughter, I believe you intend to leave Yilla Barony?" Isaac asked.
"Yes, I plan to travel around and train. I heard that you split the Baron’s mansion with a single strike. It made me realize that only strength can support justice and ideals. I wish to be like you, sire. So, I hope to train, become strong, and help others in need," Nathaniel said.
"I can train you if you want," Isaac said.
"That would be my pleasure, but you have given us too much. Anymore will be a debt that I cannot hope to repay in this life," Nathaniel replied.
His eyes were resolute. Isaac could tell that he would not take Isaac’s help.
’I suppose I don’t need to worry about him dying to monsters or bandits. He is someone who reached the level of Ten Stars in a few years.’
’The only reason he is Unawakened at this age is because he was born as a commoner. If he was a noble, he might have been the current strongest Ten Star.’
The thoughts made Isaac wonder how many geniuses were never able to achieve anything because they were born as commoners.
"Alright, then. I will respect your wishes. But—" Isaac raised three fingers. "Only if you vow to listen to three of my demands. If you do, I will consider the debt with the Baron’s matter repaid."
"How can just three demands be enough to repay your help with the Baron?" Nathaniel asked with a wry smile.
"You will understand in the future," Isaac said. "One, never join hands with the Human King."
"Human King?" Nathaniel asked.
"As I said, you will know in the future," Isaac said.
Nathaniel nodded.
Isaac wasn’t worried about him breaking his word. He had already seen the old man’s character. Despite having every reason to kill the Baron, Nathaniel had held back because doing so would cause trouble for Isaac. A man like that was worthy of trust.
"Two—this is not a demand, but a suggestion—If you want to train, go to the empty Veins of the World and fight monsters there," Isaac said.
"Is there a particular reason for that?" Nathaniel asked. He was a farmer, and the Veins of the World enriched the lands with the mana within them. Since they affected his business, he knew about them unlike most commoners.
"You have high Talent with the Death Element. The best training method for you is to surround yourself with Death. Kill as many as you can. The number of monsters in the empty Veins of the World is much larger than on the surface. It’s the best training ground for you," Isaac said.
The old farmer looked amazed Isaac could tell his element. Though he felt bitter in his heart. How high could the talent of a farmer be?
Isaac could tell what he was thinking by judging his expression. He didn’t comment on it and gave his last condition.
"Third, I want you to come and find me when the time is right."
"Time is right?"
"There will be a war in the future. Tens of thousands will die. I want you to help me then."
Nathaniel stiffened. From a farmer to... helping in a war? Him?
"Sire, I think that’s a bit too much to expect from me."
"I told you that you have high Talent. If you train seriously, you will be able to stand on par with Ten Stars."
Nathaniel became dazed. Him? Ten Star? Those high and mighty existences that were no different from legends for people like him?
Isaac could’ve lied about the reason, but he purposefully gave Nathaniel the truth and put him under pressure.
Diamonds were formed only under pressure.
"And take this," Isaac said. He pulled out a small booklet from his inner pocket and a slip of paper. "The slip of paper is the license to use a noble-level Mana Breathing Technique. The booklet contains information about how to learn the Mana Breathing Technique."
"Mana Breathing Technique!? Isn’t that the thing that allows people to breathe Mana? I— I heard it’s 10 Gold Coins just for a commoner-level one. This... this is too much. I can’t accept it," Nathaniel said.
"Take it. It’s not a gift or debt. It’s an investment. I need you to fight alongside me. Obviously, I need you to get stronger before that. If you just depend on hunting monsters to earn money, then use that to buy mana potions to gather enough mana for your Magic Core creation, it would take years. I don’t have time to wait that long," Isaac said.
"But still..."
"Take it. If you feel burdened, then train more seriously," Isaac said.
He stuffed the things into the old farmer’s hands and left the hut before he could give them back.
’With this, I don’t have any reason to stay in Yilla Barony.’
’I can leave now.’
There was just one thing that was bugging him.
Why did Nathaniel join the Human King’s side in the last life? Isaac could tell the old farmer was kind to a fault. Even if the Knight of Famine avenged him by killing the Baron, the old farmer would be livid after the rest of Yilla Barony was slaughtered at the Knight’s hands.
There was no way he would agree to work with the Knight of Famine and the Human King, then go on to slaughter the kingdom.
Suddenly, Isaac was reminded of the Knight of Death’s words from the last life.