Old Thom spoke up before his young friend could get too dejected.
"Don't worry, I can still make use of his inscription skill. These types of enchantments are hard to come by, even for me. Sorcery is not the type of magic that is really able to be channeled that way."
This made Arthur smile.
"Then, perhaps there will be ways for him to earn more money in the future?"
Old Thom nodded his head.
"Of course. As long as I can sell what he enchants, I have a feeling that we will have a good partnership. However, bulk enchanments are out of the question. My clients are only interested in quality. The rest, you will likely have to take him to Spring City."
They were heading to the gate now, and Arthur still looked a bit uncertain.
"Thank you for today, Thom. The money will go a long way in helping with his current studies. The things he can practice on will be basically unlimited. Then we can get that dagger enchanted for you."
They stopped walking just before the gate, and Arthur thought for a second, Thom letting him gather his thoughts.
"We do still have a farm to run, though, so this might all take a bit of time."
Thom had a bit of a deep chuckle, obviously slightly amused.
"That's the point, my friend. I don't want to hear about some tyrant kid magician in Ruvka village. The slow progress will be good for someone like him."
Arthur was still visibly uncomfortable with holding his own son back. Especially considering the low status his family has had to endure for as long as their history was known.
"You know, you didn't get to speak with him much. But he does seem to have been given that magical wisdom blessing some get when awakening their magic. I still think you are wrong about his ability to handle his own power."
Thom patted Arthur on the back again.
"Let's hope you are the one who is right here, my friend. I hope that wisdom serves him well and helps him look at the bigger picture. Perhaps the guidance of the system will become a boon in that respect."
Arthur gave old Thom a solid nod with those parting words and stepped through the gate. He emerged on the other side of the door to see his kids waiting in the wagon, still looking a bit dazed.
When he climbed back up into the wagon and took the reins, Arthur looked at Jacob and Caleb. They had a confused look on their faces, so Arthur chuckled a bit and addressed Jacob.
"Well, son, it looks like you've got a bit more than just a touch of magic. It seems Old Thom was interested in making sure you had enough supplies to learn everything about the inscription process that we know."
Jacob knew that was not all there was to it, given the troubled look on his father's face.
'That magic was powerful, and I felt him touch my magic with his somehow. I need to learn how to do that . . . I bet he was telling my father how it would be impossible for me to attend an academy. I remember that old man in the clouds saying only nobility was allowed to go.'
While Jacob was taking a second to think to himself, Arthur gave the reins a flick to get the wagon moving down the road. They moved on from the hidden gateway disguised as a house and headed back to the village.
As they were moving along, Jacob decided to address the situation.
"Did Mister Thom give us more money than that shovel was worth?"
Arthur had to think for a second before answering.
"That is a hefty sum, as I am sure you have realized. It could run the farm for at least three years at our current capacity. But I will say this about old Thom: He never pays more than something is worth to him. You can take it as a compliment."
Hearing the truth of the matter, Jacob was a bit smug. Though he didn't let it show on his face.
'Hah! So it turns out that the shovel I turned into a weapon is actually useful! This is good. And I didn't turn out like dad after he enchanted his shovel. I could probably make a hundred little enchantments like that. This means we could probably do much more than just farming!'
With the future looking bright to Jacob, Arthur filled in the silence.
"Alrighty, we are going to stop by the blacksmith to grab a couple of things for you to enchant. Then we can head home to make sure the farm is in order, and you boys can do your chores before anyone tries their hand at inscription again today. That includes you, too, Caleb."
Caleb looked at his dad and gave him a firm nod with serious eyes.
"Of course, father. I will make sure my duties are attended to as they have been assigned."
Jacob decided he would also chime in. Sounding more like a child at the moment.
"I'll make sure the chickens are taken care of!"
Arthur smiled at his boys, both in joy and pride.
Jacob thought to himself during the ride. 'When the hell did my older brother get so prim and proper? Actually, it's been since he turned 12 if my memory serves me correctly . . . must be some puberty thing in this world if my dad doesn't think it's weird for him to act that way.'
They quickly made it to the blacksmith, where Arthur purchased a few tools that were not exactly needed at the farm, so Jacob could get some practice. The assortment included small tools and large tools like shovels.
The blacksmith also had to personally help Arthur load a large frame of some sort, though Jacob was unsure if that was going to be used in the inscription training.
Then they were off to the farm, back home once more.