Now that Maria had returned to the royal capital, Claude's life should go back to how it used to be, with him staying in the attic after school.
But before she left, Maria left the wood in Claude's care. Even the caretakers, the Sioris, had to listen to Claude's orders.
After some thought, Claude decided to go home and tell his parents so that they wouldn't worry.
There were two horses in the stable. One was an old, docile horse named Tony.
The other one was the Big Black Horse, the one that had pulled the carriage to the foot of the mountain when it was frightened. Its name was Black Jamie.
Because of that incident where he couldn't find the reason, he was abandoned by Steward Luther and left in the wood.
There were two carriages parked outside the stable. One was a handcart without a roof.
The old carriage was usually used by the caretaker, the Sioris, to bring Tony to town to do business.
The other was a small two-person carriage. Even though it had a compartment, it had a front and back compartment. It was the same carriage Claude used when he first met Maria. It was the one Luther used to buy food from the tavern in town.
Maria would use that carriage to go to town sometimes to keep a low profile. Now, it was Claude's.
Claude had wanted to ride Jaime home, but after some thought, he decided to bring some clothes from home. So, he hitched Jaime to the small carriage and gave Siori a word before driving it home.
Only his mother, little brother and the snowhound were at home. It had been half a month since he last saw Claude and the chubby boy was very happy. He pestered Claude to play with him for the whole morning and only let him go after lunch when he was about to take a nap.
After telling his mother about his life in the wood, Claude returned to his attic and started packing his things.
Apart from a few clothes and some daily necessities like a towel and a cup, he didn't have much to take with him.
Of course, he had to take Landes' diary, notebook, the stone essence box and the bag of shaliuns.
These things were originally hidden under the bed, but he was worried that he would not live in the small attic in the future. If his mother came up on a whim to do some cleaning and found the stone essence box and the bag of gold coins, it would be terrible. He would have to rack his brain to come up with an excuse, so it was better to take it away.
He also wanted to take the three magic items he got from Wakri's shop with him.
Claude smacked his lips and felt a little regretful. He should've brought the three items to the wood to let Maria see what kind of magic items they were.
It was a pity that Maria had already left, and he could only leave these three items behind to slowly study.
Claude quickly packed up a huge bag and put the things he wanted to take away in the dining hall downstairs. He decided to return to the wood after dinner so that he could leave for school the next day and return to the wood directly after school.
After all, Maria had asked him to look after the wood, so it was his duty to patrol the wood every day after school.
After that, he drove the carriage to the fodder store in the open-air market to buy some oats and black beans for Jemmy to eat. He chatted with the owner of the fodder store for a while and bought a few eggs to mix with the beans for the horse.
After Jamey had its fill, Claude took it to the well to clean it up before driving the carriage home.
That night, Morssen returned home punctually. When he saw Claude's large bag in the dining hall, he didn't say anything.
Just as Claude was about to tell him that he would be staying in the wood, Morssen waved his hand and called Claude to him.
"I already know about you," Morssen said.
Claude was confused. I didn't even say anything and you already know?
What do you know?
Fortunately, Mr. Morssen's next words answered his doubts.
"Madam Maria wrote me a letter this morning. She told me that she's going back to the royal capital.
However, she's quite satisfied with your work. Since the Sioris are getting old, she's decided to hire you as a guard for the wood. You'll be paid three thales a month. "
Morssen paused and shook his head with a bitter smile. "Back then, I had to be promoted to chief administrator before I could earn three thales a month. You, on the other hand, actually have such a high-paying job before you even graduated from middle school. It's really infuriating to compare yourself to others."
He pointed at the bag on the ground and asked, "Is this what you're bringing to the wood?"
Claude nodded. "Yes. It's some of my clothes. The weather is getting cold, so I have to bring more. It's a little cold in the morning at the wood.
Also, it's my study books and exercise books. I'm going back to school tomorrow.
“
M. Morssen drew from his pocket his favourite black mulberry pipe, and, stuffing it with tobacco, said: "Now that you are a man who receives a monthly salary, the Baroness Maria has enclosed a bank-note of ten crowns in gold to pay you on the fifteenth day of every month in her stead.
Now that you're rich, you should buy a wicker trunk for your luggage when you have time. It'll look better and be more convenient than carrying a blanket like this. "
Claude really wanted to slap himself. Had it not been for his father's reminder, he really wouldn't have thought of buying a wicker trunk meant for traveling.
If he'd known earlier, he would've bought one when he went to the market to feed Jemmy the black horse.
The box, which was made of thin willow twigs and lined with sheepskin, was known for its lightness and durability. It was a must-have for travelers. It was said that it would not sink in water and could be used as a survival kit. It was not expensive either, only around one or two thales.
But he didn't care about it now. He could just leave it in the carriage when he returned and nobody would see it. He could wait until his father gave him his salary on the fifteenth before buying a wicker trunk. That way, he wouldn't find out that he had a lot of money on him.
"Baroness Maria seems to think highly of you. I wonder what she sees in you.
Mr. Morssen went on with a touch of jealousy: "The Baroness Maria says in her letter that you may continue your studies until you graduate, and that you will be in charge of everything in the wood.
She's entrusting the forest to you, so don't let her down. Do you understand? "
Claude nodded to show that he understood.
His mother, on the other hand, seemed a little reluctant to see him live in the wood in the future. She reminded him for quite a while that he had to wear warm clothes and eat well.
Claude noticed that Arbeit, who had been sitting there silently, had a hint of jealousy in his eyes. It was as if he was dissatisfied that he was able to win Maria's favor.
"I've been learning herbalism from Maria. She said that I have a talent for herbalism," Claude said.
He felt that he had to find an excuse to get Maria's favor so that he wouldn't have to worry about it.
"So that's how it is …" Morssen suddenly understood. "Now I'm starting to regret my decision to send you to the army after you graduate. If you could get Baroness Maria's help, perhaps you wouldn't have to be a soldier. Becoming a pharmacist would be a good choice.
It's a pity that you started learning too late. The herbalist exam is in November and you have to register a month early. It's a little too late for you. "
The herbalist exam was only held once a year and the three southwestern prefectures were no exception.
It was said that the exam was extremely strict. Apart from memorizing a large amount of knowledge about herbalism and pathology, the examinee also had to pass three tests.
The three tests involved identifying and processing medicinal ingredients, synthesizing five types of beginner concoctions on the spot, and finally diagnosing the patient and recording the treatment plan.
There were many people who took the exam each time, but only a few managed to become a beginner herbalist.
Becoming a herbalist in the kingdom granted one many privileges, such as not having to serve in the army. Even if the army wanted to recruit herbalists to treat wounded soldiers, they would have to pay for it.
At the same time, they had to ensure the safety of the herbalist and not send him to the frontlines.
But for Claude, it was all too late.
Everyone knew that becoming a herbalist required a lot of time to memorize medicinal ingredients and pathology, as well as practical skills.
Processing medicinal ingredients and synthesizing concoctions weren't simple tasks and required a long period of training and practice.
Claude, on the other hand, had only just started learning herbalism, so Morssen felt that it was quite a pity.
After dinner, Claude grabbed his bag and boarded the carriage to return to the wood. Saying goodbye to his parents was simple. Arbeit, on the other hand, had long since gone to his room and didn't pay attention to Claude at all.
Angelina and Blok, on the other hand, couldn't bear to see Claude leave. Even the snowhound bit on Claude's trousers, refusing to let him go. Claude had no choice but to make a few wishes and promise to visit them when he had the time before leaving on the carriage.
It was almost eight in the evening when he returned to the wood. Sioris were still waiting for Claude's return on the lawn in front of the villa.
That was what Claude had agreed to do with them before he left. Claude was in charge of the wood now and the couple could only listen to him.
Claude stopped the carriage and Sioris hurriedly pulled Jemmie down from the carriage.
"Wait a moment, Uncle Sioris. I'll go to the guest room and pack my stuff into the carriage. You can take the carriage to the backyard," said Claude as he jumped off the carriage.
"You're packing your stuff in the guest room?
You're not staying there anymore? "Sioris asked.
"Yes, I'm not staying in the guest room anymore. I'm going to seal up the main house and move to the backyard from now on."
The manor in Normanley Wood was said to have been designed by a famous master architect in the royal capital. The main house was entirely white and had two floors. It had two bedrooms, six guest rooms, three servants' quarters, a large living room, a large kitchen, a large dining room, and two utility rooms.
Now that Maria and Ludian had left, Claude didn't feel comfortable living in such a big house alone. So, he decided to move and seal up the main house, as he had done in the past.
Behind the main house was a large courtyard. On the left was a row of two-storey tube-shaped buildings. This was the warehouse and the servants' quarters. Wayne, the coachman that Lady Maria brought with her, used to live here. There was also the Siori couple who looked after the forest. Now that the coachman, Wayne, had returned to the capital, only the Siori couple was left.
Claude naturally wouldn't stay with the Sioris. He chose to stay in the two-storey wooden house opposite the tube-shaped building, which was about twenty meters away from the courtyard.
Maria said that the wooden hut was the oldest structure in the wood. Later on, when the main house was being built, it was torn down and replaced with a new one. She even brought Claude in and had him use Magus' Hands to clean up the hut.
Claude fell in love with the wooden house since then. There was a small terrace on the roof that was suitable for him to meditate under the moonlight.
He had wanted to move in a while ago, but Maria told him to wait until she left. The main house was too big and there weren't many people there. If he moved in, it would seem even more deserted.
"You're going to stay here, Young Master Claude?" Sioris asked as he looked at the wooden house.
"Yes." Claude nodded. "Uncle Sioris, just call me by my name. I'm not a young master.
Also, I have to go to school tomorrow and will only be back in the afternoon. Everything in the wood will be handled by you and your wife.
If there's anything you can't handle, just come to me, alright? "