Chapter 1

Nanaz Village

Nanaz Village is a small village located east of Fruth Empire. Most of the villagers were farmer while some of them works as an adventurer. It might be a small village but Nanaz Village was quite well known around the area. They specialized in planting a fruit called nanaz thus how the village got its name.

Nanaz fruit looked a lot like pineapple which is common fruits but nanaz fruit is actually a magic fruit. They have the same skin color as pineapple but their flesh is yellowish green. Though it is a magic fruit, it didn't have much use other than replenishing small amounts of Hp. It might be useful for people at Rank 0 but once the warrior or magician reach Rank 1 the effectiveness decrease a lot.

"I did it!!", a young boy shout and jumping with both his hands in the air.

"Eiii~ this is not even worth celebrating. I think everyone in this village can do this. This is easy" said another boy who was standing beside the happy boy.

"Well~ it's not that surprising but he still accomplishes it without anyone help. So, it's worth a praise. Good job, Ethan" said a young girl to Ethan, the happy boy.

Ethan, the happy boy was one of the many children living in Nanaz Village. He was 6 years old and had short, brown hair. Ethan smiles a lot and always happy. There were some villagers who sometimes thought that he was weird because he was always happy but they all knew why Ethan was like that. Ethan's family was just like any other family in the village but his parents gave him lots of love. It can be said that they were model family. His parents were always busy with the farm but they will always set aside some time to spend with Ethan.

"Ahaha, there is no need to get jealous Luke. Be a good boy like June. I'm sure you can do this too but with some guidance from me", said Ethan happily bragging about his achievement.

"I'm a girl. I'm not a boy. How many times must I tell you?" said June pouting.

"I'm not even jealous with this. Sigh, shouldn't you focus on something much more important than this?" said Luke while shaking his head.

Luke and June were Ethan's best friends. They had been friends since they were babies.

"If you want me to stop calling you a boy, you should wear more girly clothes," said Ethan

"It is not that I don't want to wear girl's clothes but it is easier to move in boy's clothes," said June retorting to what Ethan said.

June was a girl but she always loves wearing boy's clothes that was why Ethan loved teasing June. If June wore girls clothes she will be really cute. Due to wearing boy's clothes most of the time she ended up acting like a boy. Other kids in the village fear her a bit too. There was actually another reason why she acted like a boy, her hair and the nanaz fruit had similar color. Due to that, she got nanaz as a nickname. Many kids mocked her and she wore boy's clothes to be stronger.

"Yeah, easier for you to get in a fight," Luke added.

Luke on the other hand always moody and unhappy but he was a nice boy. Luke was an orphan. When he was still a baby, the village chief found him in the forest while he when hunting. There were a lot of corpses at the location where the village chief found him. It seems like the corpses belong to a bandit group that resides in that forest. There were signs of claws on their bodies. The monster in the forest must have attacked the bandit group. The village chief lose his family a long time ago so he decided to raise Luke as his own grandchild.

"...," June went silent while furiously staring at Luke.

"If you keep talking like that to each other, you might end up fighting each other," a sweet and soft voice coming from behind them.

They looked behind them and a beautiful woman around late 20's walking towards them. That voice belongs to Ethan's mom. She was smiling looking at them because their bickering was funny.

"What are you kids doing? Oh, you plant the nanaz's seeds that I gave you before and it is fully grown now and it even bear fruit. That's impressive, good job Ethan," she praised Ethan and rubbed Ethan's head. Ethan smiling proudly.

"Is it really that impressive?" asked Luke.

"It might seem easy to grow a nanaz plant but nanaz plant is hard to grow. Nanaz plant is not normal fruit plant, they are magic plant. Growing magic plant is not the same as normal plant. They are delicate and needs a lot of care. It's not just that, even if you manage to grow the plants from the seeds, it doesn't mean that it will bear fruit," explained Ethan's mom.

"If it is that hard to plant them, then doesn't that mean that it is a waste of time growing them? Their fruits are not that useful either to adventurers," asked June.

"If it is a waste of time, why do you thinks our parents and the villagers planting them? That is because nanaz plants and fruits have many other use," said Ethan.

June and Luke went blank. They have never heard the adults said that nanaz plant and fruits had any other use. They only know that the fruits restore some hp but ineffective when you reach Rank 1.

"The fruit might be ineffective after you reach Rank 1 but how many people do you think able to reach Rank 1? There are a lot more people who never reach Rank 1 for their whole. People with Rank 0 populate 70% of Fruth Empire. Only 30% of Fruth Empire citizen manage to break through to Rank 1. Nanaz fruits is really useful for Rank 0 and with that many Rank 0 in the empire we profit a lot," said Ethan's mom.

"Then how about the plants? You said they have other uses," asked June again

"I mention before that they are magic plant," June and Luke nodded. "They are classified as a magic plant because they contain magic. It is not only the fruit that contain magic, the plant also the same. Magic have their own elements, nanaz plant contain wind elements magic. Their leaves are used to make accessories that boost wind magic, their roots are used to make pills to help cure disease cause by wind elements and many more," answered Ethan's mom.

"WHOA~" June and Luke impressed.

"But to make all that only magician above Rank 1 with wind elements talent and crafting and alchemy skills are able to produce that. We Rank 0 farmer only responsible in planting and harvesting them," added Ethan's mom more.

"Aww~" June and Luke disappointed.

"That's why you should read more books," added Ethan more to tease June and Luke.

June snapped and chased Ethan who already run away after he said that. Luke stayed calm and watching his two best friends, one chasing and another one running away.

Ethan's mom smiling while watching them. Wind blows, her long beautiful hairs blowing in the same direction as the wind. "The wind is quite strong these few days"

***

Meanwhile, standing on top of a tree in a mountain near Nanaz Village, a mysterious Ranker in a black robe watching Nanaz Village from a far "The time is almost near"