The calendar in that world was very similar to Earth's. The year had 365 days, each season lasted three months, and there were four seasons in total.
With the end of summer, autumn began, and the farmers started preparing new land for the final planting of the year.
Nothing new happened during the month Arthur was away.
Aron trained regularly, trying to get rid of his chubby arms and legs, always in moderation—he didn't want to harm his still-developing body.
He also continued transferring mana to the flax plant in the backyard.
The capsules hadn't matured yet, but they were close. Maybe in another week, they'd be ready for harvest.
Matilda would come play with Aron whenever Sabrina left to attend to someone in the village.
It wasn't free, but Sabrina didn't charge much either; after all, the village had taken her family in.
A month passed, and Arthur returned, bringing books and study materials.
Sabrina scolded him for teaching things too early, but Arthur accepted the blame without complaint.
After that, Aron began studying for real, learning how to read and write while Sabrina and Matilda took turns teaching him.
During that time, the capsules finally matured and dried.
There were a total of 134 seeds.
Visually, they weren't very different from the others, but some contained more mana, while others had less.
After further testing, the flax plant stopped absorbing mana from the environment… and died two days after the seeds were harvested.
The seeds were stored for planting the following year, to see whether they would inherit the same traits as the parent plant.
And so, a few more months passed.
With only one week left before the end of autumn, the village began preparing for the Harvest Festival.
---
"Come on, Aron."
"Put those books down."
"I'm taking you to meet the other kids in the village," Arthur said, taking the book he was copying from his hands.
"Okay…" Aron replied reluctantly.
"Kid, don't make that face. A few months ago, you got me in trouble… now it's my turn to throw you into the fire," Arthur said with a mischievous grin.
"I'm sorry…" Aron said, lowering his head.
"Rerere… kid, I'm not falling for your charm. I'll only forgive you after you burn a little too."
"Dad, don't be petty…" Aron said, making a near-crying expression.
"Petty? Do you know how long I went without even getting a kiss from your mom?"
"I don't want to know that!" Aron shot back immediately.
"Then let's go," Arthur said, picking him up and carrying him into the village.
---
As they walked…
"Dad, what about that boy who went with you to the city?" Aron asked.
"David? Well, he came back."
"He didn't get the class he wanted, but at the beginning of next spring, he's going to the city to study at the academy," Arthur replied.
"What class did he get?" Aron asked.
"I'm not telling you. You'll find out yourself," Arthur said with a mischievous smile.
A chill ran down Aron's spine.
'What kind of revenge is he planning for me…?'
---
Not long after, Aron found himself surrounded by several children.
They all talked at once, touched him, and squeezed his cheeks, making his head throb.
"Wait, wait! One at a time! And you, let go of my cheeks!" Aron said, irritated.
"Look how cute he gets when he's mad," Sophie said, squeezing even harder.
"Let me too, Sophie! I want to!" Kelly said eagerly.
"Hey, boss… I think I'm starting to get jealous," Jhonas said to David.
"You're not the only one," Marcus added.
"Hey, girls… let him breathe a little," David said with a tired expression.
"Look at his eyes—they're so blue… so pretty," Kelly said.
"And his hair is so nice and soft too," Sophie added, running her hand over his head.
"Hey, boss… I don't think they're listening to us," Jhonas said, almost crying.
"I'll go get him out of there," David said, stepping forward.
"What are you doing?" Kelly asked, blocking his way.
"I-I just wanted to talk to the kid," David stammered.
"Look, the kid's about to cry," Jhonas said.
"Y-yeah… let the kid talk," Marcus added.
"Alright… Sophie, loosen your grip on his cheeks a bit," Kelly said.
"But… I just switched with you," Sophie replied reluctantly, letting go.
"Thanks…" Aron said, quickly running over to the boys.
"Don't thank me. I did that more for us than for you," David muttered.
---
"So… what's your name?" Jhonas asked.
"Aron," he replied.
"That's a really nice name," Kelly said.
"Mhm," Sophie agreed.
"Let's introduce ourselves. I'm David," he said.
"I'm Sophie!"
"I'm Kelly."
"I'm Jhonas."
"And I'm Marcus."
"Nice to meet you," Aron said.
"The pleasure's ours! Aron, what do you like? What class do you want to awaken? What's your favorite color? And what do you like to eat?" Sophie fired off rapidly.
'Ugh… what kind of mess did my dad throw me into…?'
'How do I get out of this…?'
"Um… I'm learning how to read, and I think it's really interesting. I want to awaken as a mage… and I really like roasted meat," Aron replied.
"I want to be a mage too!" Sophie said.
"He already seems way smarter than Jhonas," Kelly added.
"Hey! Why drag me into this?" Jhonas complained.
"I wanted to be a warrior… but I ended up awakening as an archer," David said, sounding disappointed.
"What's it like having a class?" Aron asked.
"It doesn't change much. You feel energy flowing through your body—it's refreshing. But you get used to it."
"It's like breathing. You do it all the time, but only notice it when you pay attention," David explained.
"Do you have any skills yet?" Aron asked.
"Not yet. But Brother Arthur is teaching me archery and a skill called mana control," David replied.
"Nice! Well… I should go. My dad is calling me," Aron said, quickly making his escape.
"Wait! You're coming to the Harvest Festival, right?" Kelly asked.
"I think so… if my parents go, then I will too," Aron replied.
"Can I visit your house?" Sophie asked.
"Um… sure?" Aron answered hesitantly.
"Great! Then I'll go too," Kelly said.
"We'll go too!" Jhonas added.
"That's right!" Marcus agreed.
"Well… see you later!" Aron said, practically running back to Arthur.
---
"So, made some new friends?" Arthur asked with a mischievous smile.
"Dad… you're cruel. Now I'll have less time to study."
"Hmph. That's what you get for using me as a shield. Besides, you need to play like a normal kid."
"Maybe… but why didn't David get a skill when he awakened?" Aron asked.
"Every class has passives. But active skills need to be learned."
"I'm an Arcane Archer. When I awakened, I got two common passives and one unique one."
"The passives are [Steady Hands] and [Hunter's Eyes]," Arthur explained.
"And the Arcane Archer one?" Aron asked.
"[Arcane Sense]. I can feel fluctuations of mana around me."
"Cool… what about Mom's?" Aron asked.
"Curious? Then ask her. I bet you'll be surprised," Arthur said with a suspicious smile.
'Why does he always make that face when he's about to get me in trouble…?'
"Now let's go. Your mom should have lunch ready by now," Arthur said, picking up the pace.