Chapter 683: A Day That Didn’t Need to Be Useful

Kael woke up without pain.

He remained lying down for a few seconds just to make sure he wasn’t confusing the absence of movement with improvement. He rotated his left shoulder, moved his ankle, and took a deep breath until he felt his mana channels expand through his chest. There was a slight sensitivity in the center of his sternum, but no noticeable resistance while breathing.

Two days.

He remembered perfectly the deadline Sylphie had given him.

There was still one left.

Kael got out of bed without testing his mana.

When he finished putting on his shirt, he noticed Sylphie watching him near the window.

"Aren’t you going to ask?"

"Ask what?"

"If you can use the Step."

"You said two days."

She remained silent for a few seconds.

"All right."

Kael adjusted his sleeve.

"Why do you sound disappointed?"

"I had an answer prepared."

"You can use it tomorrow."

Umbra emerged from the shadow of the wardrobe.

"She probably prepared several."

"I prepared three," Sylphie replied.

Kael looked at both of them.

"Let’s check the garden beds."

The garden was still damp in some places, although the surface of the paths had already dried. The first sprout in the man’s garden bed remained firm and had opened two tiny leaves. Beside it, a second green bump was beginning to break through the soil.

The nameless man hadn’t arrived yet.

Kael crouched down.

"Two."

Sylphie approached.

"The second one isn’t completely out yet."

"It’s coming out."

"Yes."

Kael checked the other garden beds. The bellflowers still showed no sign of growth, but in the space beneath the tree there was a small irregularity in the soil that might simply have been caused by the rain.

He didn’t touch it.

Sylphie noticed.

"I’m impressed."

"Why?"

"You looked and didn’t touch."

"We’ve already established that digging doesn’t help."

"Yes."

He stood up.

"They don’t need water."

"No."

"Then we’re done."

A voice came from the path.

"There’s another one."

The nameless man approached faster than he normally walked through the garden. Seraphine followed behind him, carrying her own bag and trying not to laugh at his haste.

He knelt in front of the garden bed.

"Did this one appear today?"

"It’s just starting now," Sylphie replied.

The man took out the sheet of paper.

Kael watched as he added the date and wrote:

SECOND SPROUT BEGINNING.

Then he counted the days since planting.

"Five."

"Five," Kael confirmed.

The man put the sheet away.

"Are we really going to the city?"

"After breakfast."

"I want to buy another notebook."

"For the plants?"

He hesitated.

"Maybe for everything."

Kael nodded.

"Then the bookstore is our first stop."

Seraphine approached.

"I’m not going to complain."

This time, no one needed to study the map before leaving.

The man already remembered the way to the main square, where the bakery was, and which street led to the bookstore. Seraphine still carried the map in her bag, but she didn’t open it once during the first twenty minutes.

Sylphie wanted seeds.

Seraphine wanted books.

The man wanted a notebook.

Kael didn’t want anything in particular.

He discovered that this made the outing considerably easier.

They entered the city through the same side road they had used before. There was less movement than on their last visit because the caravan had already departed, leaving the main square occupied once again only by the usual merchants.

The man recognized the bakery when they passed it.

"Can we come back later?"

"We can," Kael replied. 𝑓𝑟ℯℴ𝓂

"I don’t want to buy anything now."

"Then why come back?"

"Maybe I’ll want something later."

Kael nodded.

"Good reason."

Sylphie looked at him.

"You’re teaching someone to postpone decisions."

"He asked."

"I’m not criticizing."

Kael distrusted her smile but kept walking.

The bookstore was open.

The bookseller recognized them and, this time, showed no surprise at the group’s presence. He simply greeted Kael and turned his attention to Seraphine.

"Did you finish the book?"

"I did."

"Did you like it?"

"Very much. I want something similar."

The bookseller pointed toward a section on the second floor.

"I have a few travel accounts written by merchants, healers, and two naturalists. The styles are different."

Seraphine immediately headed for the stairs.

The nameless man remained near the counter.

"Do you have notebooks?"

"I do."

The bookseller opened a drawer and took out several different kinds. Some had leather covers. Others were simple, bound in cloth or merely stitched together.

The man examined them one by one.

Kael remained beside him without interfering.

After a few minutes, he picked up a medium-sized notebook with a dark blue cover.

"This one."

"Would you like to check the paper?"

"Do I need to?"

"No. But some people prefer thicker paper."

The man opened it.

He ran his fingers over the first page.

Then he looked at Kael.

"How do I know which one is better?"

"Depends on what you intend to do with it."

"Write."

The bookseller smiled faintly.

"Then any of these will work. The rest is preference."

The man touched the paper again.

"I prefer this one."

"Then it’s settled."

He checked the price.

This time, he didn’t ask Kael whether he could buy it.

He simply opened the pouch containing his own coins, counted the amount, and paid.

Kael didn’t comment.

He didn’t need to.

The man put the notebook away beside the animal book, but then seemed to change his mind. He took it back out, opened it to the first page, and stood there with his pencil in hand.

"Are you going to write now?" Kael asked.

"I want to mark when I bought it."

"Makes sense."

He wrote the date.

Then added:

MY FIRST NOTEBOOK.

He closed it.

Seraphine came downstairs shortly afterward carrying four books.

Kael looked at the stack.

"Do you intend to read all of those?"

"Yes."

"Today?"

She looked at him.

"I recently learned that I don’t have to."

The nameless man smiled.

Kael recognized his own words and decided not to comment.

Seraphine brought the books to the counter. There was an account written by a traveling healer, two travel journals, and a volume about popular festivities in small rural communities.

"That last one seems specific," Kael said.

"That’s why I chose it."

"Fair."

While the bookseller wrapped their purchases, Kael noticed a small section near the wall that he hadn’t seen during their last visit.

Cookbooks.

He approached.

Sylphie noticed immediately.

"No."

Kael turned his head.

"What?"

"You found a dangerous shelf."

"They’re recipes."

"Exactly."

He picked up a volume.

The title indicated that it contained household recipes from different regions of the empire, with notes about local ingredients and possible substitutions.

Kael opened it to a random page.

Mushroom stew.

He turned to another.

Spiced honey bread.

Another.

Pear tart.

Sylphie stopped beside him.

"Are you going to buy it?"

"Maybe."

"Your recipe notebook has one recipe."

"That’s why I need more."

"That is dangerous logic."

Kael took the book to the counter.

When they left the bookstore, everyone was carrying something except Sylphie.

She pointed toward the square.

"Now seeds."

Kael looked at her package.

"You still have seeds at home."

"Not these."

"Naturally."

The stall she chose was on the other side of the square and larger than the one where Sylphie had bought the previous seeds. Packages hung in rows, alongside small pots, tools, and containers holding already-germinated seedlings.

Kael immediately realized he would be making a mistake if he asked how long she intended to take.

So he didn’t.

He sat down on a nearby bench.

The nameless man sat beside him and opened his new notebook.

Seraphine stayed with Sylphie.

Umbra appeared in the bench’s shadow.

"You’re learning."

"About what?"

"She walked into a shop with seeds and you sat down before asking how long she would take."

Kael watched Sylphie compare two packets with absolute concentration.

"Experience."

The man beside him raised his head from the notebook.

"What should I put here?"

Kael looked.

The first page contained only the date of purchase.

"You don’t have to put anything."

"But I want to use it."

"Then write something you want to remember."

The man thought.

"About today?"

"Could be."

He put the pencil to the paper.

Then stopped.

"I don’t know how to start."

Kael remained silent for a few seconds.

"Start with what happened."

The man slowly wrote.

Today I went to the city for the second time.

He stopped.

Then added:

I knew the way to the bookstore.

He reread it.

"Does this work?"

"If that’s what you wanted to record."

"It is."

Kael looked at the notebook.

"Then it works."

The man wrote another sentence.

I bought this notebook with my own money.

This time, he didn’t ask whether it was correct.

He continued writing on his own.

Kael leaned back against the bench.

Sylphie took twenty-six minutes.

Umbra counted.

After buying the seeds, they stopped by the bakery.

The man stood in front of the counter and looked over the options. Kael noticed there was less hesitation than during their first visit.

"I want two of those."

He pointed toward the walnut pastries.

"And a small pear tart."

The attendant wrapped them.

"Anything else?"

The man looked at Seraphine.

"Do you want something?"

"Choose for yourself."

He thought.

Then pointed toward another sweet.

"One honey one too."

He paid without checking the change three times.

The attendant handed him the package.

When they returned to the street, Kael asked:

"Why the pear tart?"

The man looked at the package.

"I want to know if I like it more than the plum one."

"Important research."

"I think so."

Umbra appeared behind them.

"I want to participate too."

"Buy your own," Kael said.

Umbra pointed at him.

"You have money."

"And you can travel through shadows to reach the kitchen."

"That isn’t the same thing."

Sylphie started laughing.

Kael bought another tart.

They decided to have lunch in a smaller square near the artisans’ district. Instead of entering an inn, they bought food from two stalls and took everything to a public table beneath a shelter.

Kael chose seasoned meat with flatbread.

Sylphie bought rice with vegetables.

Seraphine chose soup.

The man bought the same dish as Kael but added a spicy sauce after the vendor explained its flavor.

The first bite made his eyes water.

Kael watched.

"Strong?"

"Yes."

"Bad?"

The man took another bite.

"No."

Seraphine laughed.

"You don’t have to keep eating it just because you paid for it."

"I know."

Another bite.

"But I like it."

He opened his notebook and wrote something.

Sylphie tried to look.

The man partially covered the page.

"It’s mine."

She raised both hands.

"All right."

Kael smiled.

After lunch, they shared the pear tart. The man ate slowly, comparing the filling with the tart they had made at the mansion.

"Less sour."

"Because pears are sweeter," Sylphie said.

"So it needs less sugar?"

"Usually."

Kael took out the cookbook he had bought.

"We can find out."

Sylphie looked at the package.

"You really are going to make another one."

"Yes."

"When?"

"Not tomorrow."

She looked surprised.

"Why?"

"Tomorrow I’m going to test the Step."

Sylphie immediately became serious.

"If your channels are fine."

"If they are."

"One step."

"One."

The nameless man looked between the two of them.

"What is the Step?"

Kael rested the book on the table.

"A movement technique."

"Like running?"

"Faster."

Umbra appeared behind him.

"Much faster."

"Is it dangerous?"

Kael answered before Sylphie could.

"If used incorrectly, yes."

"And do you use it correctly?"

Sylphie crossed her arms.

Kael looked at her.

"Most of the time."

"Terrible answer," Seraphine said.

"Honest."

The man seemed to think about that.

"Can I watch?"

Kael hesitated.

Sylphie answered:

"If he’s recovered and the test happens in the courtyard, you can."

"I want to."

Kael nodded.

"Then you’ll see tomorrow."

The man opened his notebook and wrote something else.

Kael didn’t ask.

They returned to the mansion during the afternoon.

The man’s first destination was the garden.

Not his room.

Not the library.

The garden bed.

He crouched beside the small wooden marker and counted the sprouts.

Two.

Nothing had changed since morning.

Even so, he took out his new notebook.

Kael stood a few steps away.

"Are you abandoning the old sheet?"

"No."

The man took the folded sheet from his pocket and placed it inside the notebook.

"I’ll keep it here."

Kael watched as he smoothed the paper between the pages.

Then the man wrote:

I CAME BACK FROM THE CITY.

BOTH SPROUTS ARE STILL HERE.

Kael looked at Sylphie.

She smiled faintly.

Seraphine carried the books inside, promising to return later. Sylphie began sorting through the packets of seeds she had bought. Kael opened his cookbook on the bench.

There were dozens of recipes.

Sauces.

Breads.

Soups.

Meats.

Preserves.

Sweets.

He reached the tart section and found a pear recipe.

"Found it."

Sylphie sat beside him.

"Already planning?"

"I’m reading."

"That’s what you said about the travel book."

"And I was reading."

She rested her head on his shoulder.

Kael continued.

The recipe was similar to the plum tart, but used less sugar and added a small amount of spice to the filling.

"Cinnamon," he said.

"It goes well with pear."

"You already knew?"

"Yes."

"You could’ve told me."

"You bought an entire book to discover it yourself."

"That’s also true."

He closed the volume and spent a few minutes watching the garden.

He didn’t open a single report.

He didn’t go looking for Amelia.

He didn’t ask how the First Archive negotiations were progressing.

It was Amelia who appeared near the end of the afternoon.

She came along the path carrying only a small folder.

Kael raised his eyes.

"Do you need me?"

"No."

"Then why the folder?"

"Because I was on my way to a meeting."

"Oh."

Amelia looked at the book on his lap.

"Recipes?"

"Yes."

She fell silent.

Kael waited.

"You can laugh."

"I’m trying not to."

"It isn’t working."

"No."

Amelia sat down for a few minutes.

"How was the city?"

"Good."

"Any incidents?"

"A spicy sauce."

"Serious?"

"The survivor is writing about it in his notebook."

The man raised his head from the other side of the garden.

"I heard that."

Amelia smiled.

Then she looked more closely at Kael.

"How are you feeling?"

"Good."

"Sylphie?"

The elf answered:

"If he’s still like this tomorrow, I’ll allow the test."

Amelia nodded.

"Then perhaps we can discuss your gradual return to your responsibilities afterward."

Kael didn’t reject the idea.

He also didn’t immediately agree.

"Gradual."

"That’s the important word."

"No handing me fourteen folders on the first day."

"I can limit it to two."

"One."

"Two."

Kael looked at Sylphie.

She replied:

"Two."

"Did you negotiate this beforehand?"

"No," Amelia said.

"That’s worse."

Amelia stood.

"Tomorrow, after the test, if everything is fine."

Kael nodded.

"All right."

She continued toward the mansion.

Kael returned his attention to the cookbook.

Sylphie touched his hand.

"Are you worried?"

"About the Step?"

"About going back."

Kael thought before answering.

"No."

"Then?"

"I don’t want to go back exactly to how things were before."

Sylphie remained quiet.

Kael continued:

"I still have work. I’ll still fight when I need to. I’ll still use the Step, travel, solve problems, and probably get myself involved in things that will irritate you."

"Probably."

"But I want to keep coming here."

He looked toward the garden beds.

"I want to finish that book. I want to make another tart. I want to see what those flowers look like when they grow."

Sylphie tightened her fingers around his.

"One thing doesn’t have to replace the other."

"I’m starting to realize that."

Umbra emerged from the shadow of the bench.

"And the stone competition?"

Kael looked at her.

"That too."

Sylphie smiled.

"Then tomorrow, after the test."

"If I’m fine."

"If you’re fine."

Kael accepted without trying to alter the condition.

The next morning, he would use the Celestial Step for the first time since he had begun recovering.

But that afternoon, there was still a cookbook open on his lap, two sprouts growing in the garden bed, and half a pear tart waiting to be shared.

None of those things needed to end before he could move forward.