The moment Ben rested his butt on the driver's seat, he started the engine and glanced at the stats.

  *

  Vehicle: Valkyrie, Level 2

  Type: Camper

  Condition: 27%

  Fuel: 8%

  Power: 140HP (Mechanical)

  Mass: 1983KG

  Armor Rating: 49

  *

  The fuel and condition stats were getting low. There had been much to do, and he had left it too long. He first hit the refuel skill, then waited for it to complete a hundred percent before using the remainder to fix the condition.

  [Fuel: 100%, Condition: 85%.]

  [MP: 0/150]

  Good enough for now!

  With his magic pool dry as a bone, he closed his eyes to begin the meditation procedure. Having not practiced it much since his training with Hauxwell, it took a while to get used to the feelings again.

  Beyond the noise of the nearby energy, he felt two strong hums of magic in the distance. One of them had a rhythm Ben found familiar and knew it belonged to Hauxwell. The weaker one was a complete mystery to him. Often, the energies felt like they were colliding or clashing with each other.

  That must be coming from the north pasture, but what on Earth is going on there?

  Ben felt his curiosity reel him like a fish toward the north pasture. As much as he wanted to go there and investigate the commotion, he knew he needed to block the distraction and focus on the task at hand.

  It took some hard work, but Ben managed to connect with the nearby energy and absorb it.

  [MP: 150/150]

  Awesome!

  When Ben opened his eyes, a couple of hours had passed. With the sun in its mid-afternoon position, he figured he better set off to see what was happening in the north pasture. Although Ben knew the general direction of it, he wasn’t sure how to get there, and there was no way in hell he would be driving over the rocky cliffs on the way.

  After leaving the van, Ben found Har near the entrance, chatting with the new coachmen.

  Har noticed Ben was waiting for him and quickly finished the conversation before making his way. He glanced at the van before a smile emerged on his face. “Ah, Ben, you’ve made the van look new again. I can see her shine from here.”

  Ben scratched his head. “Just some regular maintenance that should have been done much earlier. I see you’ve gotten right to work with your duties as a steward.” He noticed the men had gotten to work and started clearing the loose rubble around where the new loading area would be built.

  “Oh, Aye. We don’t want them getting lazy with no work to do. We need to clear this area so the carts can be loaded before we set off in the morning.” Har explained.

  Ben nodded. “Keep up the good work.”

  Har bounced his eyebrows before crossing his arms. “From the look on your face, I know something is going on. Is everything alright?”

  “You’ve got me with that one. While meditating, I could sense Hauxwell’s energy interacting with another powerful one. It was coming from near the north pasture, but as you know, it’ll be impossible to get there in the van with the terrain. Isn’t there a trail that leads there?” Ben asked.

  “I’m afraid there isn't a proper trail that goes there, which was the reason for its abandonment. Hauxwell’s lot must have found it difficult to get everything over there in one piece. You’ll be better off walking beyond that hill there. A hilly path will take you through a small forest before you arrive at the stone walls separating the pasture.” Har pointed over a hill nearby that was across from the mine entrance.

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  “It looks like it’ll have to be a hike, then. I should speak with them about the food situation. Once the food storage hut is erected, maybe they can help us get stocked.” Ben said, giving Har a wave. I’ll see you later.”

  ***

  Ben trudged along the path. His legs had started to get sore from the uphill struggle, and he felt sorry that Hauxwell’s people had to carry their things over such terrible terrain. He vowed to instruct the builders to improve the road infrastructure once they finished the mining village.

  As Har had directed, a small forest filled with conifers flattened the terrain. It took Ben almost a quarter of an hour to arrive at a grassy opening where an old stone boundary separated the pasture from the wild. The clashing of steel erupted nearby, and Ben turned to see what was happening.

  What the heck?

  Ben used the remainder of his energy to run to where the sounds were coming from and prepared himself for a battle. When he saw what was going on, he almost stumbled over and came to a stop. Ben rubbed his eyes and wanted to ensure that what he saw was real.

  Hauxwell radiated energy like a storm lantern on maximum setting while swinging his sword in various combos. Alfred somehow extended his mana from his shoulder and used it like an arm to block the attacks and land some of his own.

  The bout went on for a few minutes before one of Hauxwell’s attacks hit Alfred's sword, causing it to get launched and shatter the mana arm out of existence.

  “Come on! I know you can do better than that.” Hauxwell yelled before his aura shifted away. “Still, it was better than the last time. You have to keep practicing the mana control.”

  Alfred approached his sword and picked it up with his other arm. “It’s hard to keep balance when missing an arm.”

  Hauxwell shook his head. “Yeah, but you need to change the properties of the magic forming the arm. You must learn to add weight to it. That’s enough for today. It seems we have a spectator.” He turned and motioned towards Ben.

  Ben made his way over there. “It’s good to see you both. I was wondering what was happening here. You both nearly rocked my socks off with that display. I didn’t think creating an entire arm out of mana was possible.”

  Hauxwell let out a slow chuckle. “Hah, do you feel left out? I don't think Alfred will mind if you join in. I hope you’ve not been slack off with your practice.”

  Alfred smiled. “Good to see you’re doing well. I don’t mind seeing how far you’ve come regarding combat.”

  Ben shrugged. “So the two of you can wipe the floor with me? I’m alright, thanks. If you're interested, I’m here to discuss some business with the pasture.”

  “Business, huh? We’ve been out here training for hours. I think the first thing we need to do is eat something. You’re welcome to join us.” Hauxwell motioned towards the farmhouse in the distance.

  Ben held his stomach as it grumbled. “Now, that sounds like a great idea. I haven't had anything to eat since the morning.”

  ***

  After eating the bread and cheese sandwiches he had created, Ben washed the food with some honey and camomile tea.

  “The best cheese sandwich I’ve ever had. Where I come from, we add some pickles there, too.” Ben stated.

  Alfred and Hauxwell glanced at each other before Ben, giving Ben a funny look as if to say he was mad.

  Hauxwell shook his head. “I don’t know what a sandwich is, nor do I want to know how a pickle tastes good with my cheese.”

  Ben shrugged, “Look, when you combine two pieces of bread with something like cheese to fill it, it’s called a sandwich. This is a popular food in England; we normally add some pickles. It tastes amazing. I wish I had some with me so you could figure out what I was saying.”

  Hauxwell nearly burst into laughter and turned to face Alfred, looking like he was about to say something. He stopped when he saw the look on Alfred’s face. “Don't tell me he’s actually from England, where some of our ancestors came from.”

  Alfred nodded. “It’s true. He used an artifact to get here. Well, talking of pickles, he got himself in one with the scorpion riders. Nearly wiped an entire nursery out before Blue found him and brought him to us at the Hollow Keep.”

  Hauxwell’s mouth dropped open, almost hitting the table below. “No wonder you drive that van thing. Technology on Earth must have advanced way beyond us.”

  Ben nodded. “It had indeed. But with the mine up and running again, maybe I can help get things progressed here so you can also have machines like we do on Earth. But before we do that, there’s a food situation we need to get sorted.”

  Hauxwell nodded. “Ah, I understand. With the population rising, there will be more mouths to feed. I’m assuming you’ve instructed the builders to erect a food hut where you can store the food. We can send you a delivery down there within a week. Milk, cheese, bread, and honey. When we slaughter an animal, meat can also be provided.”

  “I’m certain everyone will appreciate that. However, there are a few other things we’ll need, too. We have a few more horses now, and they must also be fed. Since we’re selling ore, we can pay for the supplies to reimburse you.” Ben explained.

  Hauxwell stroked his chin before being stuck in deep thought for a moment. “It sounds like something we can do, but first, I need to speak with you about something. We only have space on the pasture for our cows and apiaries. The west of here is a small valley that leads into the mountains. I believe that is also included in the deed to the mine, as it sits directly behind it. If you allow us to clear it and use it to grow wheat and vegetables, we can pay you a share of what the farm makes.”

  Ben thought about it for a moment before giving his answer. “Alright. We have a deal if you don't claim the other resources there. I’m looking to turn the mine into a prosperous business, which will require us to use all the resources the land can give me.”

  Hauxwell chuckled. “We just need the land suitable for farming. Only you are at liberty to take advantage of everything else there. I’ll ask one of the farmhands to give you a few things to take back with you, as we’ve got plenty here.” He paused before looking like he remembered something and added. “The next time your people go out to sell ore, ask them if they can buy some chickens. We could do with regular eggs and poultry.”

  “I’ll let Har know about that,” Ben said, scratching his head. “I should get going now.”

  Hauxwell shook his head. “Don’t be ridiculous. It’ll be nightfall soon. You’re more than welcome to stay here the night.”

  Ben shook his head. “I would love to, but Har is leaving first thing in the morning. I need to tell him about the chickens.”