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5.59% Learning To Live As A Cultivator / Chapter 18: Chapter Eighteen - I have ended up with a room mate?

Chapter 18: Chapter Eighteen - I have ended up with a room mate?

As they were approaching Leon's small hut, Leon felt that he was beginning to grasp this man's character. He was a child in a man's body, unlike himself. Well, strictly speaking this body was about eighteen or nineteen, but still a few years younger than his former self.

"This Lord feels as if we have walked far enough," the man complained. He seemed to have lost much of his grace as they trudged onward, but none of his arrogance. "Take out your flying sword and transport us to your abode."

"I d-don't have a flying s-sword," Leon replied, with a sigh. He might not know what one was nor have seen one, but he could tell from the man's words what it was for. If he actually had a flying sword, he would have long since left this man behind. "W-w-what about you?" If he could speak so freely about such a thing, surely he had his own.

"This Lord is weary, does not feel like taking his sword to the skies," he evaded. "And I do not know where it is you are leading us." Leon rolled his eyes, not convinced by the man's explanation. And then he noticed the wind chimes, the first sign that indicated they were almost to his clearing. He touched the bark of the tree that held them aloft, before stepping onward.

The little hut was exactly as it was when he had left it the day before and the shed beside it was as much undisturbed. He watched as the man approached his small territory with a mix of interest and horror in his dark eyes. The man glanced at the hut made of wood and clay and the creaking shed and the strange little pieces of wood attached to both. He noted the small garden, which was now covered in various common herbs and the fire pit that was nothing but ashes.

"You jest right?" The man said, suddenly. "No man would live like this!"

No Lord perhaps, Leon thought, but welcome to the world of the commoners!

"Y-you don't have t-to stay!" Leon replied, in the loudest voice he had spoken yet. The man even rose his eyebrows in surprise, causing Leon to tremble slightly, the fear rising in his chest. He swallowed it down and walked past the man to unlock the door to his home. Relief of familiarity relaxed him as he entered and he placed the basket upon the countertop as the man entered.

"I have decided that this Lord will stay here," the man said, shucking his boots and sitting upon the bed. Leon quickly grabbed the fallen boots and placed them beside the door with a sigh. The light was fading beyond the horizon and his food supplies were now scarce. It looked like tonight's meal would consist of just fruit. The roots would need to soak a while before he could cook them and he did not fancy a meal of just onions.

As he grabbed a few fruit from the bottom of the barrel, he realised that this source was almost redundant as well. Well, they would not last much longer even if there were many, he mused, they were no longer so sweet and fresh. It was harder and harder to swallow their flesh. He took the fruit into his hut and saw that the man had fallen asleep upon his bed, taking up the majority of it. He frowned, then sighed and simply resigned to his fate, taking to sitting upon the floor, where he consumed one of the fruits before settling to meditate.

****

Leon roused much sooner than his house guest, whose name had not yet been shared. He decided for now to call him Little Lord sarcastically in his heart as he potted around the hut, placing the onions outside to dry out less they rot and washing the mushrooms so he could take them to claim the bag of rice. His mouth drooled at the thought of being able to eat rice daily… until he realised that he didn't own a pot.

Perhaps he could enquire at the kitchens how to get one for his rice when he took them the mushrooms. It was they who had placed the request and asked for them to be delivered directly.

In the meantime, he decided he would go fishing and wash his inner robes and self. Seeing that the Little Lord had removed his outer robe, he took that also, before leaving a note that in carefully styled calligraphy, that he would be at the lake and indicated where it was.

At the lake, he fished for a while, his luck providing a couple of reasonable sized fish, before scrubbing the clothes and himself in the cold lake water. He felt that it was somehow warmer than usual, but he was not certain. The weather had never seemed warmer than mild and the rain was yet to form a storm. The wind, no matter how it howled was not cold either. Overall, the season could be considered pleasant. Shrugging off his thoughts, he ducked under the water to rinse the sand soap from his long hair, before rising to the surface and swimming lightly through the water.

This was how the Little Lord found him.

The wet clothes had been rung until damp and dripped quietly over the branches of trees, the two fish were pierced with sticks and placed at the base of the tree, for Leon had yet to come across large animals so he did not fear them being stolen. His interspatial bag also hung from the tree, his glasses safely tucked inside and his outer robes folded and placed on a rock near the lake. Naturally, without his glasses, he did not see the other man approaching.

The Little Lord had initially been angry, how dare that peasant steal his outer robes leaving him in a state of undress! The note did not exactly modify him. He was slightly pacified to see that the boy had at least attempted to serve him and clean his robes, so he would forgive him this once. He paused when he caught sight of the boy swimming in the lake. What girly arms that fellow had! Was he really male or actually a girl with an unfortunate voice and appearance. He answer was met when the boy stood up in the water as he neared the edge of the lake.


Chapter 19: Chapter Nineteen - I learn the Little Lord’s name

"So skinny."

Leon winced but squeezing his lids together did little to improve his fuzzy vision. He sighed, it's not like he couldn't recognise the poisonous voice. He waded out of the lake, his cheeks turning a slight shade of red as he thought of his nakedness being exposed. Not that he could do much about it. He couldn't cover those parts and drag his feet through the muddy basin of the lake and he didn't want to tell the Little Lord to turn around as he couldn't be sure that he was even bothering to look at him.

His dual coloured hair coated his back like a soaked cloak, shielding him to some extent as he stretched his arms out to locate the tree where he had placed his things. Its rough bark appeared at his fingertips as a thick line of darkness altered the brown and green mess in his vision.

"What are you doing?" That man asked as Leon recalled the position of his interspatial bag and reached towards it.

"I can't s-see," Leon replied. "I n-need my glasses." He frowned. Where was the bag? This was the correct tree… wasn't it?

"You mean these?" Leon turned toward the sound of his voice. Again, he futilely squinted, barely making out where the little Lord was by the splash of red in his vision.

"P-please give them t-to me," Leon said, his body shivering as the cold water mixed with the breeze upon his naked skin. He reached out with one hand, even as his other became tucked against his body, curling further beneath his hair as he stood. It was wet and heavy, yet so thick to provide some shelter from the wind.

As if bored of trying to tease him, the glasses were thrust upon his face. His vision focused immediately and he could see the man standing in front of him, arms crossed and looking displeased. Leon thanked him but this only caused this displeasure to increase for some reason. "Yes, well," he said. "You should put clothes on." Leon silently agreed and put his outer robes straight over his wet form, before straining water from his hair as best he could.

****

Leon lit the fire and began to roast the fish over the flames. He hummed contentedly as he sorted out a few pills that he would take to the Herb Hall when he took the mushrooms to the kitchens of the Food Hall. The Little Lord was rummaging through his small possessions. "Have you no spare clothes?!" He seemed incensed when his search revealed nothing.

"No, I h-had to get r-rid of them," Leon replied.

"Why?"

"B-b-blood stains w-wouldn't c-come out," a pained expression fell over Leon's face as he spoke. The Little Lord stared at him, but did not pester him further. Instead he chose to complain about something else.

"Ah, I am hungry."

"B-breakfast w-will be ready s-soon," Leon advised him and went outside to check how the fish were cooking. He sat upon the weathered stump beside the fire and turned the fish, before withdrawing his carving knife. Without thought, he took a larger piece of wood from the pile and began to carve away the bark. He began to hum again as he did so, not noticing that the Little Lord had sat cross legged upon the ground close to him. His elbow rested upon his knee and hand clenched in a fist supported his chin as he glared at Leon with impatience. Leon sighed, inwardly. "What is your n-name?" Leon suddenly asked him.

The man looked slightly startled, but hid it swiftly. "Since you have served me well, so far, this Lord will honour you with my name. I am called Jin Li."

"Jin Li," Leon echoed as he picked up one of the cooked fish from the spit. "B-breakfast is ready."


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