The children marveled at the life-extending rings in their hands. Once the stuff of legend now something that was common. The sickly children immediately put them on, while the rest placed them in hidden places for when they became twenty.

Theanore had come back with Esmer, and she gave a small mana fountain to Elmar.

“You won’t be able to make many enchantments back to back.” She warned. “And you will need another four-leaf clover for the fountain. But this version is the best I can do.”

Elmar looked at the locket. He would only be able to place a single mana crystal inside. But it would still be enough, as he made level enchantments 9999 with a single crystal.

Then Theanore gave Elmar various enchanted trinkets. He had a grant time, enchanting and disenchanting the whole day. He found that if he worded his enchanting spell just right, he could warm the weather.

Furthermore, he had wanted to make spring come early, but Theanore had told him that crops required the cold during the winter. They also required snow to keep them watered and warm. That made Elmar return the snow pretty quickly.

They had a nice warm venison stew for dinner that night and many children looked at Elmar with envy. He had been given enchanting lessons while they have not. But that envy was good in nature, as the children stopped Theanore, and they all went to the mana fountain and practiced enchanting all night long.

The next morning, everyone was dead on their feet, but satisfied. Some children were disappointed that they couldn’t get level 9999 on their first tries like Elmar, but Theanore still tried to console them.

Many children wanted to learn the life-extending enchantment, but they were refused. It was Elmar’s, Theanore would say, and no one else’s. When some children protested, they were told they had been given life-extending rings for free, and they shouldn’t be ungrateful.

But Theanore was thoughtful. Marinus was five years old. He would always be five years older than her. He would need to wait for her for five additional years for her to grow up.

She tiptoed out of the house and went into the grotto. Then she regarded her sapling. It was cute and even though it was winter it had leaves. She touched one, and then she touched the ghost aura.

Theanore needed to grow up a little. Just until she became five years in appearance. Just so Marinus wouldn’t need to wait for her.

“Tania, I would like to grow up and become five years old.” Said Theanore, and she saw the black text before her.

That would be 500 mana. Spend it? Yes/No? But Theanore, I must warn you. Growing up too fast leaves negative effects. Why not wait to grow up naturally? Next summer, you will become three years old.

“Because I don’t want Marinus to wait for five more years. He wants us to make a best friend forever pact when we grow older, and I want to avoid making him wait.”

Theanore heard a giggle and then saw more text.

That pact is significant, Thea. What if you both change your minds during these three years? No, how about you buy a new animal for your farm? I have pandas.

“But, they were not in the selection when I reached level 20.” Said Theanore, and she heard another giggle.

Alina wants to make you a present. Pandas even come with bamboo plants. You have an empty clearing that can support a new bamboo forest and a couple of pandas. How would you like decorative pandas? They stay small and are very fluffy.

“Fluffy like what?” Asked Theanore, now curious.

Like clouds. Like cotton candy. And they are so lazy, they will let you hold one as you sleep. Well, provided you have bamboo in the bed with you for the panda to snack on.

“I want pandas! I want twenty pandas and for the empty clearing to become a bamboo forest. Tania, did you know that bamboo is a type of fast-growing grass? And it can be eaten by everyone.” Said Theanore excited. People who read her book send her many facts on plants. Soon, she would have enough to write a second book.

Light was taken from Theanore and she ran out. There, in the snow, she could see large bamboo shoots growing right before her eyes. Numerous pandas were mingling in the new forest and Theanore took one.

She kissed its head and marveled at how soft it was. Then she thought about growing up again. If she grew up too fast, she would still behave childlike because she wouldn’t know any better.

That would be strange for everyone. Theanore knew that Tania had just wanted to distract her with the pandas. That was a very grown up thing to do. Theanore wouldn’t have done it.

In the end, that was what being a grown-up was, thought Theanore. To outsmart and be responsible. Luca was a grown up in mind, if not in looks. He had held her back from staying small forever. Tania was the same, but she held her back from becoming a grown-up who didn’t know how to behave.

“There is nothing wrong with me staying small for a little while longer, eh, Mister Panda?” Asked Theanore the panda, then she let it down and began picking the greenest and softest parts of the bamboo shoots for the lunch.

Once she had a full bag, she went back to the house, and she woke Marinus.

“Mari, go and get some seaweed. Make sure it is the tastiest. I am making rice with bamboo and seaweed for lunch today.” She said, and Marinus stood up groggily to do just that.

She then boiled the bamboo shoots and then fried them with rice. Only the seaweed was left, and she went to sit by the window, thinking of how nice the lunch was going to be. She briefly felt guilty for taking the panda’s food, but shook her head. They had plenty still and were small. They would be fine.