For several days straight, Tori hunted oil toads, piling their bones into a heap about half the size of a person. Then she waited in silence for bone worms to take shape inside.

During that time, she came to Hatras Village alone. The village chief, Sharid, had taken an interest in her rat-poison business, and the old man had profited from it too.

She thought the people in the nearby villages were pretty decent, with simple, honest ways. Everyone took their work seriously, so plenty of villagers came back to buy more rat poison later. After all, it really worked.

Tori had come to Hatras Village mainly to buy some moon grass. The village chief’s notes didn’t say what moon grass extract actually was.

Moon grass was a cash crop, but unlike red peppers, you didn’t need to know the first thing about them to grow it. Its main selling point was how hardy it was. It was easy to cultivate, hardly any trouble at all, and the yield was pretty good too.

A village chief was either the most respected person in the village, or someone with connections to the nobles in town—or even in the city.

Of course, even if they had connections, they weren’t usually close or particularly strong ones.

Buying moon grass was certainly important. But Tori didn’t really want to buy the plants themselves. Each one cost a copper coin, and if she was willing to put in the effort, she could find plenty in the wild. They just weren’t as good as the ones grown by hand.

After all, wild moon grass didn’t get fertilizer, and no one carefully cleared away its pests. Tori was wondering whether she should grow some herself when she went to the home of Village Chief Sharid, whom she’d already visited once.

Oh, Tori! Village Chief Sharid looked delighted. Come in, come in. I just made some flatbread with moon grass powder. It tastes wonderful—everyone loves it.

Moon grass could be dried and ground into powder for making flatbread. It was a local specialty around Blackwater Town, though Tori had never tried it. The flatbread was a bluish green, and her gut reaction was that it looked poisonous.

But since Village Chief Sharid had already made some, there was no harm in trying it. The old man was being so enthusiastic that Tori felt a little uncomfortable. Village Chief Sharid, is there something you need?

After eating two pieces of moon grass flatbread, Tori finally asked.

Village Chief Sharid rubbed his hands together, looking a little embarrassed. I heard you’ve started brewing alcohol. I mean, that white stuff, the foreign liquor that’s different from the grape wine we usually drink—the kind called spirits. Is that true?

Are you looking to buy some?

Tori thought Village Chief Sharid wanted to do business with her. If you want to buy some, I can give you a better price. If you’re buying a lot, we can work something out. I could sell it to you for ten copper coins a jug. This liquor gets you drunk faster, so one jug is enough for several people.

I do want to buy some, of course. The price is fair, and I’ve heard about it. I can pay that much. But… there’s something else I’d like to ask you for help with.

Help?

That was unusual. What could someone need an eight-year-old girl like her to help with?

Tori blinked. She didn’t want to give him a definite answer just yet. As she’d said before, she didn’t have any great secrets, so she still needed to maintain certain connections. Why don’t you tell me what it is? If I can help, I definitely will.

In other words, if I don’t want to help, then I can’t. Don’t blame me for it.

Village Chief Sharid understood, of course. He was still surprised by how worldly this girl was for her age, but he went on. Well, there’s a child in our village. Her mother died in childbirth, and her father was a hunter. But a while ago, he went into the mountains and—he must have been attacked by a monster. The other hunters from our village only found his torn clothes…

There were plenty of hunters in the villages around Blackwater Town. The area lay right beside the mountains, and in a way, that meant it was rich in resources.

Usually, the women and children in a family worked the fields together, while the men took up different jobs. They might be blacksmiths or bakers, or they might do what Tori’s father did and repair houses for people. And then there was the best option of all: becoming a hunter.

If they were lucky, hunters could strike it rich.

Some materials were worth a lot of money.

But if they weren’t lucky, things could go like this. They might run into a powerful monster and be dead in a flash. Still, hunters were usually experienced, so accidents weren’t all that common. Anyone with sense avoided areas where powerful monsters had made their lairs…

She’s about your age, and she’s very sensible. But now she has no one to rely on. She’s capable, though, and can manage her family’s fields on her own. Still, life must be difficult for her in plenty of other ways. What I mean is… He seemed to struggle with how to say it, but his duties and responsibilities as village chief pushed him to finish. Would you be willing to hire her?

Hire her? Tori thought for a moment. What about her family’s fields?

I’ll redistribute them.

Tori gave a soft laugh. Village Chief Sharid, if you and I weren’t already acquainted, I’d think you were trying to take someone’s land while their family was in trouble. But I believe you really do have her best interests at heart. And you’re right—I need someone capable to help me with a few things. From what you’ve said, she sounds like she can work hard.

Her meaning was clear enough. But it’s not up to me, is it? Whether she wants to work for me is another matter. I’ll need to see what she’s like too. You could call it an interview. What do you think?

Of course. Village Chief Sharid let out a breath of relief. I’ll take you to meet her in a little while.

Tori discovered that moon grass flatbread really did taste good. It was mostly because it had a sweet flavor, which was rare in a village. Sugar was an expensive seasoning, after all.

Could moon grass be grown as a sugar crop?

As she considered the question, she decided that making Miniature Meditation Potions would definitely earn more than making sugar.

Tori studied Village Chief Sharid. You seem to care a lot about what happens to that family.

Her father was a real troublemaker when he was young. He used to sneak into my house and steal an egg or two, or a piece of moon grass flatbread I’d put away. A wistful look crossed his face. I was furious back then. But little by little, that brat grew up, got married, and had a child… He became steady and reliable. Who could’ve imagined he’d be gone just like that?

Tori followed his lead and sighed. That’s just how fate is. No one can escape it. Village Chief Sharid, I hope you won’t let it weigh on you too much.

No, I’m getting on in years. I’ve seen plenty in my time. But you, Tori—you’re so young. Why do you talk like an old man like me?

I don’t think I’m quite as old as you.

The girl stood up from her chair. Let’s go, Village Chief Sharid. I’d like to meet the girl you told me about.

…

Moon grass usually grew to about an adult’s knee. For an eight- or nine-year-old girl, it came up to around halfway along her body. Girls were usually a little taller than boys at that age, after all.

From a distance, Tori spotted a silver-haired girl carrying water and sprinkling it over the moon grass. Clearly, her magic wasn’t strong enough to water the plants with a spell, but she had the stamina to do it by hand.

Silver hair…

She murmured under her breath.

Village Chief Sharid looked a little embarrassed. Her parents didn’t have that hair color. The doctor in town said it was an illness, but it wouldn’t affect anything else. Silver hair just isn’t considered attractive. At least not in this country—I’ve heard there are plenty of silver-haired people in other countries. In our country, silver hair is mostly associated with our history… Village Chief Sharid tried to explain.

Tori shook her head. That doesn’t matter. I’m not going to judge someone based on how they look. What matters is how she sees me, and what she can show me—her talents, for example.

Of course. Village Chief Sharid agreed. He called out from afar, his voice still strong despite his age. Lydia! Over here. Come over for a moment.

At his call, Lydia set down her work and jogged over. She looked puzzled. Is something the matter, Village Chief?

Sharid nodded and introduced Tori to Lydia. This is Tori from Lusaka Village. You know the rat poison we handed out before? She invented it. And the spirits Lusaka Village has been making lately are her work too. Lydia, why don’t you introduce yourself as well?

Lydia looked incredulous. Really?! Hello, it’s very nice to meet you. My name is Lydia.

Tori smiled and nodded.

I’ll get straight to the point. If Tori here wanted to hire you, would you be willing? Village Chief Sharid didn’t think there was any need to beat around the bush with the two girls. Looking after the fields on your own is hard work. More importantly, you’re old enough to start learning things.

Now Tori understood what Village Chief Sharid was aiming for. Working for Tori might not earn Lydia as much as working that plot of land—not for now, at least.

But one job would be a lot easier. And besides… Tori was definitely going to the Magic Academy. A girl like Lydia wouldn’t be able to cover her living expenses if she went to the Magic Academy. Tori wasn’t necessarily planning to pay for her to go, but if Lydia worked for her, Tori could teach her skills that paid better than farming. After all, Tori knew how to make rat poison and spirits.

Old ginger really was spicier. The village chief had been setting this up all along.

And the village chief had probably noticed that Tori was good at making money. He was hoping that once Lydia and Tori got closer—after all, they were girls of the same age—Tori might pay to take Lydia along to the Magic Academy.

Once Tori figured it out, she gave Lydia a gentle smile. Yes, Miss Lydia. Would you be willing to work for me? The pay won’t be very high for now. The most I can offer is four silver coins a month. Over a year, that should be a little less than what you’d earn from farming. But the work would be much easier.

Forty-eight silver coins a year. An income of 4.8k. A household in a village that grew moon grass earned around sixty silver coins from its fields alone. That was about how it went. Tori’s own family earned 8k a year from their fields alone by growing red peppers, and a household in Lusaka Village made about that much more than households in other villages. It took several years of saving to send a child to the Magic Academy.