Chapter 12: Returning First Customer

From here on out, Rowen just needed Fern to feed on mana crystals. As long as Fern had enough energy, he could take care of everything—monitoring mana levels, managing crops, and even harvesting when needed. Rowen wouldn’t have to keep going back and forth anymore. It made things simpler. He still had to plan and grow, but the pressure of watching over the field every hour was finally gone. Now, he could focus on what came next. After that, Rowen gave Fern one more instruction—"When it’s time to harvest, just do it yourself and hand them over to me outside the portal." Fern yawned and gave a lazy salute. "Got it. I’ll drop the basket right in your room." That was all Rowen needed to hear. With Fern handling the farm directly, Rowen didn’t have to waste time jumping in and out of the portal just to check crops. He could manage everything else from the outside. Now, he could finally shift his focus—to himself and to the shop. After that, Rowen left the space and told Fern to close the portal behind him. This time, Fern didn’t disappear. Instead of vanishing to sleep like he usually did, he floated along behind Rowen, arms crossed and eyes half-open. "Can’t nap today," Fern muttered. "Gotta keep an eye on the farm." Rowen glanced back at him. "So you’re staying outside now?" "Yeah," Fern said with a shrug. The two of them made their way downstairs, heading back to the shop together. Rowen glanced at the wall clock—it was already past 2:00 PM. All that work had made him hungry. He grabbed his phone and ordered from a local food delivery app. Nothing too fancy—just a mana-rich meat dish he’d seen before but never had enough mana crystals to try. This time, he could afford it. When the delivery arrived, he paid with two low-grade mana stones and took the bag inside. The smell hit him right away—warm, savory, with a faint mana signature that made it feel like the food itself had energy. Rowen sat down and started eating slowly, really tasting it. After a few bites, he noticed Fern floating nearby, staring at the food with wide, drooling eyes. "...You want some?" Rowen asked. Fern didn’t answer—but the look said everything. Rowen sighed and passed over a small portion. "Just this much." Fern snatched it out of the air and stuffed it into his mouth. "Finally!" he said between chews. "About time you shared real food." After eating, Rowen cleaned up the utensils, rinsed everything in the small sink, and wiped down the table. Then he walked over to the corner behind the counter and sat down, letting out a quiet breath. "Fern, go ahead and put the harvested potatoes on the wooden shelf," he said. Fern gave a small nod, still chewing the last bit of food. "Yeah, yeah." He floated over, lifted the basket, and carefully stacked the potatoes onto the shelf near the front window—just where customers could see them. Once he was done, he drifted back over to the counter and plopped down on the table, arms crossed and eyes half-lidded. Rowen looked at him, a little amused. "Sleepy?" Fern didn’t answer. He was already snoring softly. Rowen leaned back against the wall, eyes starting to close as well. For now, everything was quiet. Suddenly, the front door swung open with a sharp ring of the bell. Rowen opened one sleepy eye and glanced toward the entrance. Four people stepped inside. He blinked, straightening up when he recognized them—it was the same group from before: the two knights, the mage, and the young master. Darian Velastra. But this time, they looked completely different. Their clothes were dirtied, scratched, and covered in dried blood. Mana traces clung faintly to their armor and cloaks. They didn’t look injured, but it was clear—they had just come back from a fight where they almost didn’t make it. Rowen immediately understood. They’d figured it out. They knew about the effect of the potatoes. He didn’t say anything yet, just stood slowly and waited for them to speak. This time, it was Darian Velastra who stepped forward. His posture was still proud, but his tone was different—calmer, more polite. "We’d like to buy the potatoes you have for sale," he said, glancing toward the wooden shelf. Rowen didn’t miss the change. Last time, they had barely looked at him and tossed mana stones without a second thought. Now, they were speaking properly—like customers who understood the value of what they were buying. Rowen nodded slowly. "Take what you need. Price is still the same—ten low-grade mana stones per batch." Darian walked over to the shelf, examining the glowing potatoes carefully. He turned back to Rowen. "We’ll take them all." Rowen nodded and accepted the mana crystals from Darian without a word, quickly counting them before placing them into his table drawer. After a brief pause, Darian spoke again. "My name is Darian Velastra," he said, voice calm. "I’m currently attending Westlight Academy, but I’m preparing to take the Federal University entrance exam this year." Rowen listened and simply nodded. He wasn’t sure why Darian was offering that information, but he didn’t ask. "Rowen," he replied plainly, keeping it short. "That’s all." He reached out, and the two shook hands—just a quick, firm grip. Darian gave a polite nod in return. "Thanks again." Then, without dragging out the moment, he turned and left the shop with his group, the doorbell ringing softly behind them as it closed. After Darian left, Rowen stayed behind the counter, watching the door for a few seconds. His thoughts drifted to someone else—Calen, his friend from school. Calen was probably preparing for the same entrance exam. He was awakened as a tamer. But Rowen didn’t feel jealous. Not before. Not now. He simply acknowledged it and moved on. He had his own path now, and that was enough. Then something clicked in his mind. Fern was there the whole time, sleeping on the main counter like usual—but Darian didn’t react at all, not even a glance. Rowen nudged Fern, frowning. "Hey. Why didn’t they notice you?" Fern lazily stretched in the air. "Unless you give me permission to show myself, no one else can see me." Rowen blinked. "So... you can just stay invisible like that?" "Yup," Fern said. "I’m only visible to others if you want me to be." Rowen leaned back in his chair, thinking it over. "Alright. Makes sense now."