She blushed. Idelt glanced away. But she could have sworn she saw him smile. Cara smiled too. She had another thought.

“You know, I also know how to play the cello.”

He gave her an incredulous look. Cara winked at him as she found Violetta’s cello, temporarily put in its case. She opened it, sat, like Violetta, with grace, experience, and set the bow to the strings. Then she realized something else. She gave Idelt a look after a long minute.

“Er…but I don’t know any songs.”

Violetta giggled herself silly when she heard about the cake and cello incident. The cake was well-received though, and the day was filled with packing and the villagers contributing items or wish lists.

For the next day—Violetta, Idelt, and Cara were headed to town.

1.09 P

“So, explain it to me again. Like I’m a child.”

“No one told you? Not ever? Not once?”

“I think I must have missed this part of it.”

Violetta’s eyes were frankly disbelieving, but after a second she nodded and explained once more the basics of everything.

“It’s luck, Cara. Well, some people say you get better Skills for secret reasons, but no one knows what they are. And there’s still luck. Each time you level up, you might get a Skill. A rare one, a normal one—

but every ten levels, you’re guaranteed to get something special. Father says he got [Enhanced Strength]

at Level 20. Isn’t that right?”

“Mhm.”

Idelt placidly watched as the landscape moved by. The plough horse did likewise as the wagon rolled along. Cara scratched her head.

“Right. I knew that. Just—why at Level 10 and every ten levels?”

“Because they’re special? Anyways, if you’re really lucky, you can even change your class! You…did know that, right?”

Another look. Cara nodded.

“Obviously. It just hasn’t happened to me yet. And I was, um, wondering when.”

“Me too. I didn’t even start as a [Fiddler] or [Musician]. I became a [Cellist] straight off. Father says that was because I was taught well. Right, father?”

“Yes, Violetta. Your mother taught you so you got a better class.”

“But I could have consolidated my class. Hernon got a party when he became a [Harvester] from a

[Farmer]. I was so jealous.”

“Don’t be jealous, Violetta.”

The young woman’s face twisted into rebellious sulking. And it was funny to see this after the zombie siege two nights ago. Like this—they were father and daughter.

And Cara, who was wishing she had somewhere to write all this down. Well—she had a good memory.

But what a weird, almost arbitrary, system.

Leveling up was still weird to Cara. She’d been probing Violetta and Idelt for more knowledge. Dalius had explained a bit, but he’d been dead and lost his Skills.