The Stonehearted Knight
Chapter 398: Competition: Druid Mode (2)

Chapter 398: Competition: Druid Mode (2)

Hex ploughed the field with the help of Curled-horned Oxes. Working with the rays of the sun beaming at him, filled him with joy and brought memories of old up.

’How long was it when I had to help Hestia around the castle?’ He cherished those memories. How he wished those times would return. Life had been simple then.

"Mister."

A small cry came from the side, accompanied by the sound of Baa. In the span of one hour he had been working in the field it was the umpteenth time he heard the same voice.

"Yes, Erina?" He tried to be annoyed by the girl but seeing her skip toward him, with the sheep copying her, he grinned.

"I brought mango yoghurt," she shouted, dangling a small wooden cup with a lid in the air.

The yoghurt tasted delicious. No surprise there. Erina’s mother and grandmother were experts in making tasty stuff with waste food and fruits. In the short hour he had been present on the farm he had tasted melon juice, a salad of fruit and vegetables, and now this yoghurt. Erina had been running between the house and the field, thoroughly enjoying being tasked with each delivery.

’I could get used to this,’ Hex thought, enjoying the lively yet peaceful atmosphere around. If only Erina’s father stopped spying on him all the time. The man distrusted everyone and everything.

...

"He is Whitey."

"She is Cuckoo."

"She is Dirty."

Erina introduced all the animals by name. She was too energetic this early in the morning. Her voice broke through the silence of dawn and rose the animals from their rest.

Hex followed her father and brothers into taking care of the animals. He had checked with the judges. In the first round Druids were required to demonstrate their ability to built empathy with animals.

Healing was just one way to do so. By observing Erina’s father, Hex understood what the judges meant.

’None of these people can be considered above the Squire stage but the bond between them and their animals seems stronger than what I have with them.’

The reason was simple. Animals were simple. As long as they were fed on time, housed accordingly, and felt warmth, they bonded with their owners.

’I think I understand how we will be scored this round. If I can sense the strength of all these bonds, the judges sure can sense it too. Maybe they even have tools to measure it accurately.’

"Bluey, look. Grandpa is coming."

’Grandpa?’

He had not met Erina’s grandfather nor had there been any mention about. Hex had assumed him to be dead. Afraid to open old wounds or memories, he had stopped himself from asking anything related to grandparents.

Curious, he exited the barn. Just as he reached the exit his senses picked up something unexpected.

’A Refined Knight?’ He immediately sharpened his senses, spreading them over the farm. With the barn placed right behind the house, he quickly found everyone.

The mother and grandmother were still inside. Erina’s brothers were behind the barn, probably stacking the hay. Her father was inside the barn, continuing to milk his cows. Erina was coming toward the barn with the Refined Stage presence close to her.

’The grandpa is a Refined Knight? Living like this?’

As someone who lived in a rundown box for the majority of his life, Hex didn’t look down on others. But he hadn’t been a Blessed then. Certainly not a Refined Knight. Even a place like Wrixia with its numerous powerhouses couldn’t be this bad for a Refined Knight, right?

"Grandpa, look. He is Mister. And Mister, this is my grandpa. He had gone away for some time. If he was here, Bluey would be okay ... .Grandpa, Mister healed Bluey."

Erina spoke in one breath, saying everything that came into her. Hex didn’t mind, though, even thanking her in his heart. She broke the ice and introduced them to each other without needing a lot of explanation.

"Then we must thank Mister," the Grandpa chuckled, giving Hex a polite nod. He, like Hex, seemed to enjoy his granddaughter’s bubbly personality.

"I just did what I could," Hex waved his hand. "For the ongoing competition. I am sure you are aware of its nature."

Hex made sure to leak a little energy as he spoke, revealing his stage. The dilation in the old man’s eyes showed that he picked up on the clue.

"Even then, we are grateful," said the old man. He sounded a little stiff, despite the smile not faltering even the slightest.

’There is something else going on here.’

...

For the rest of the day nothing strange happened or was discussed. The farm life took over.

Everyone worked to keep things in order. Hex, as per his request, took most of the work related to the animals on him. He could perceive his bond with a few animals becoming stronger. At the same time, he perceived a faint trace of some sort of blockade, working against his bond.

’What is this? Is there some sort of resistance animals have? Do other Druids experience this too?’

Hex stood beside the cows and oxes, observing them as he brushed their tails. He used his Nature element to remove scars and old injuries, hoping to gain bonus points with the animals. He could sense the animals loved the element but the blockade didn’t move. Not even in the slightest.

"Didn’t your master teach you about the Bond of Hearts?"

"Bond of Hearts?" Hex asked, looking over his shoulder at the approaching old man. He had sensed the man coming over since the old man had left the house.

"You really don’t know?" The old man saw the confused expression on his face and hesitated. "Any Druid in training is taught about it before their official training starts. Your master wasn’t serious with you."

"My master did everything. He wasn’t a Druid." Oh man. That sounded more snappy than he had intended to. "Sorry. My master is not around any longer. I–"

"Oh. Sorry young man." The old man scratched his chin with a sheepish grin. "He must have been great if you reacted so strongly to something so small."

"He was the best."

After a brief moment of awkward silence, the old man scraped his throat.

"Anyway, the Bond of Hearts is a concept. It refers to the level of familiarship between a Druid and an animal. The stronger it is, the lower the chance of any of the two betraying each other. In fact, I have examples of the animal sacrificing itself to dave the Druid and vice versa."