It had been almost a week since he met the Elder.
In that short time, the forest had begun to change.
The air grew colder—sharper—with each passing day, as the last traces of autumn faded and the quiet breath of winter slowly settled in.
Jade had decided to spend his first winter with the elves after being warned that travelling during this season was far too dangerous.
Inside the guest house, warmth lingered against the growing chill outside.
"Mm… yeah, this is turning out better than I thought," he muttered.
He stood by the table in the living room, eyes fixed on his work.
Sheets of paper were scattered across the surface—rough sketches, corrected lines, layered designs. All of them pointed toward a single concept.
A carriage.
Something he intended to build.
A must-have for a travelling merchant.
After spending far too long fumbling with the designs, he finally threw on his coat and stepped outside.
"Now… where was I supposed to go again?"
He paused, pointing left—then slowly shifted to the right.
"…This way."
He nodded, fully convinced.
"See you later, buddy." He waved at the crimson manticore lounging on the grass.
Blaze answered with a low, rumbling growl.
Jade left the guest house behind and crossed the plaza, exchanging casual greetings with elves who had long since grown used to his presence, before slipping into a narrow alleyway.
After a few minutes of walking, he arrived at his destination—a brewery.
The building stood out among the surrounding village structures, its scale noticeably larger than most. Warm air seeped faintly from within despite the cold outside.
A few days earlier, Jade had asked Aerilyn and the village chief to help him find work in the village. Eziel had initially urged him to reconsider, but Jade had been stubborn—spending the entire winter idle wasn't an option for him.
In the end, Eziel gave in.
With his permission, Aerilyn introduced him to the village brewer.
The man was hard to miss—a broad-shouldered elf with a thick beard and a well-built frame. Even then, the rugged look did little to hide his striking features.
Jade recalled him as he approached the building.
"Hello," Jade greeted as he stepped inside.
A few workers looked up, offering brief smiles before returning to their tasks.
He continued deeper into the brewery, passing rows of carefully stacked barrels.
Despite the cold outside, the air here was warm—steady, controlled, carrying a faint scent of fermentation and wood.
Soon, he reached a door.
A single knock—then he pushed it open.
"Oh, you're here." The brewer stood and stepped forward to welcome him.
He slung an arm around Jade's shoulder and guided him toward the sofa.
"Come, come… have a seat."
Jade's gaze briefly drifted to the desk nearby, where stacks of papers lay neatly arranged—order forms, by the look of them.
After offering him tea, the brewer returned to his seat.
"Are you sure you want to do this?" he asked.
Jade nodded.
"Well then… as agreed, you'll receive ten bottles a week as payment."
Jade had refused payment in gold, so they had settled on something else.
Still, the arrangement felt overly generous. The village chief had insisted on fair compensation, and even the brewer himself had offered more than Jade expected. In the end, they settled on ten bottles.
He didn't know the exact value of wine in this world—but he knew enough.
A few bottles alone could be worth a fortune.
And this wasn't ordinary wine.
Elven wine was rare.
A drink sought after by nobles and royalty alike.
"Yes, boss, I understand." Jade bowed lightly as he answered.
"Good."
The brewer rose and gestured for him to follow.
For the next few minutes, he led Jade through the brewery, allowing him to familiarise himself with the place, the equipment, and the workers he would soon be working alongside.
As they moved deeper inside, the scale of the building became clearer.
It was spacious—far larger than anything Jade had expected to find in a village like this. In fact, it was likely the largest structure in the entire settlement.
That alone was telling.
This wasn't just a simple brewery.
It functioned more like a factory—
A place of constant production, where the village's most valuable trade good was made. It was the only commodity they exchanged directly for gold coins—silk coming in second.
For a settlement that looked cut off from the outside world, almost like a place one might stumble upon by accident and never find again, it was surprisingly wealthy.
They stopped at a corner where several large barrels were stacked loosely together, their lids resting slightly askew.
The brewer placed a hand on one of them.
"Here… this will be your first task."
Jade followed his gesture to the barrels.
"Move them to the room over there." The brewer pointed toward a closed door a few meters away.
Jade nodded.
"Don't forget to keep the lids loose," the brewer added, his tone firm but habitual—like this was routine work.
"Yes, sir." Jade answered immediately.
"Good. Any questions?"
"No, sir. Everything's clear."
The brewer studied him briefly, then gave a small approving nod.
"Alright. Get to it."
Jade stepped forward.
The barrel was heavier than it looked.
He crouched slightly, testing its balance before adjusting his grip. The wood was smooth from constant use, faintly damp near the seams.
When he lifted it, a soft sloshing sound came from within—muted, contained, like something in motion held carefully in restraint.
The scent followed soon after. Faint at first, then lingering—sweet fruit layered beneath something sharper, almost fermenting.
Carefully, he steadied his hold and carried the barrel across the wide floor toward the indicated room, following the brewer who led the way.
As they walked, the brewer spoke without turning back.
"I heard you wanted to become a travelling merchant."
Jade glanced at him briefly.
"That's unusual for someone like you."
Jade gave a small, polite smile.
"Yes, sir. It's still just a plan for now… but that's what I intend to do."
He exhaled softly as he set the barrel down where indicated.
For the past week, he had been hearing variations of that same reaction from the villagers he met.
Not disbelief.
More like… expectation.
And Jade understood why.
The ones who came before him—the otherworlders—had left behind achievements too large to ignore. Their names had become stories. Those stories had slowly turned into standards.
They had set the bar too high.
After making sure Jade understood his task, the brewer returned to his work without another word.
Left alone, Jade continued with his task.
One barrel at a time.
Lift. Adjust. Carry. Set down.
The rhythm slowly settled into his body, turning repetition into something almost meditative.
Time passed without him noticing.
By the time he set down the last barrel, a light sheen of sweat clung to his skin.
He checked each one again, ensuring the lids were still loosely placed, just as instructed.
Only then did he step back.
Satisfied, he closed the storage room behind him.
After that, he moved through the brewery, offering help wherever he was needed.
Carrying. Sorting. Simple tasks that required no explanation.
Just work.
And just like that, his first day at the brewery passed.
No tension.
No danger.
No sudden turns or unexpected events—only steady labor beneath steady hands and an even rhythm.
Peaceful.
Ordinary.
But for Jade, it carried a quiet satisfaction.
Going to work in the morning, returning home physically tired in the evening.
Simple exhaustion.
The kind he once could only watch from a distance.
Something that had belonged to other people's lives… not his.
He fell flat onto his bed—smiling… satisfied.
He was already drifting toward sleep when a knock at his door pulled him back.
Toktok… tok.
"Yes, coming." Jade called out.
Still half-asleep, he pushed himself up and shuffled to the door. He opened it just a crack—staying mostly behind it as he peeked out.
Aerilyn stood outside.
"Need me for something?" he asked.
"I was just checking if you're still alive." Her tone remained flat as ever.
Jade blinked at her for a moment.
His gaze drifted over her briefly.
She was still in her combat outfit—light armor fitted for mobility, worn like second nature. For elves, patrol duty meant full readiness at all times, since monsters often wandered in from the other side.
Aerilyn stood there like she had just returned from routine work.
"Have you eaten yet?" she asked.
"Not yet," Jade yawned. "Too tired… too lazy to cook."
The village chief had already made sure his kitchen was stocked, like always. He simply didn't have the energy to use it after a full day of work.
"Figures." Aerilyn turned slightly, then added, "Put some clothes on and come downstairs. Eziel's wife asked me to bring you some food."
"…Really?"
A pause.
Then his expression lit up.
"Oh—yeah."
Aerilyn was already walking away.
Jade closed the door and quickly got dressed.
A few moments later, he hurried downstairs, a faint hum slipping out of him without him noticing.
The moment he reached the dining area, the smell hit him first.
Warm food. Freshly prepared.
His eyes moved to the table.
Dish after dish, neatly arranged.
"…Whoa," Jade muttered, almost unconsciously licking his lips. "Looks good."
He sat down, rubbing his hands together in anticipation.
He had always liked Eziel's wife's homemade cooking.
Which was why he was so eager to eat it again.
As he reached for the containers, Aerilyn joined him at the table.
Without much ceremony, she sat across from him.
Together, they began eating.
The room was filled with the soft clink of utensils and the faint steam rising from the dishes. Warmth lingered in the air, mixing with the quiet rhythm of chewing and the occasional brief remark.
Nothing important.
Just the night slowly stretching on.
A comfortable silence settled between them—broken only by the subtle sounds of a shared meal.
Outside, winter pressed quietly against the walls.
Inside, the warmth held.
An end to an ordinary day.