Colby shot awake. Somehow, he had fallen asleep even though he was positive that he had spent the entire night tossing and turning, slowly marinating himself in self-pity until he had finally found the answer that had been with him the whole time.

  Looking around, he found the unnamed Thornwolf sleeping by his feet. Apparently, the bushy monster hadn’t felt like taking a nibble out of him, unlike the first time they met. When he tried to move his arm, he found it heavier than normal. A quick glance down, and he spotted his little sister Brie, hugging tight.

  When did she sneak into bed with him? What happened yesterday? Everything was a blur the moment he realised how much of an idiot he was.

  “Broby,” Brie softly muttered in her sleep.

  Tears welled up in her eyes, flowing down the dried-up streams that marred her cheeks. They dropped down onto half-dried stains already there.

  Curds!

  He had made Brie cry. And he couldn’t even remember what he did to make her worry like that. He really was a horrible brother.

  “Don’t worry, Brie,” Colby whispered into her ear. “Your Broby’s back up and running.”

  Oh gouda!

  How worried were his parents? Or even Elaine or Porter, for that matter. How much did he make everyone he cared about and cared for him worry? There were a lot of apologies in store today.

  Colby slowly slipped his hand out from Brie’s grip, careful not to disturb her sleep, before he slunk out of bed, quiet as a mouse. When he opened the door to his bedroom, he was assaulted.

  It was his father, Jack. Still in his pyjamas, a light blue with images of cheese wheels peppered all over, he was lifted off the floor into a death grip of a hug. Swinging him side to side, the hug only grew tighter.

  Behind him was his mother, Pepper. She, too, was in her nightwear, a simple nightgown. Though hers was just a calm pink.

  “Let’s do this downstairs,” his father whispered into his ear, before placing him back down.

  His father headed down the stairs, while his mother slipped behind him, gently closing the door and effectively sandwiching him.

  Yeah, he had really gotten everyone worried yesterday.

  Down by the kitchen, he spotted the window above the sink that he had snuck out from. Wooden boards were plastered against its frame. His mother stood behind him as his father pulled chairs over to the same side of the dining table. Colby sat, and his parents settled at either side of him as if they were worried he’d bolt and run again.

  He had royally screwed up. No, the Kingdom of Paralos had screwed up by starting this war. That was the royal screw up.

  Look at that. Here he was trying to deflect blame for some Gouda-forsaken reason. He truly was an awful son, brother, friend, and person.

  Colby was the first to speak up.

  “Sorry, Mom. Sorry, Dad. I didn’t mean to scare you yesterday. I was just… I don’t know. I was just stupid.”

  “No, you’re not,” his mother said, bringing his head to her shoulder and pecking the top of his head. “You’re Colby, not stupid.”

  “We heard what you did yesterday from Elaine, Porter and Ms. M,” his father added.

  Finally letting go, his mother continued. “Please, Colby. I know it's hard, but try to hold on. Once the war is over, you can make as much cheese as you like.”

  “We’ll even increase your allowance in the meantime. Two cheeses a day. How does that sound?”

  “Thanks, dad, but that won’t be necessary—I think.”

  “And why wouldn’t that be necessary?”

  “I was just thinking of a way to not rely on you guys anymore for my cheese experiments.”

  “And what is this method?” his mother asked. “It better not be something like going to war or the A word.”

  Colby shook his head. “Nothing like that. I’ve learnt my lesson.”

  “That’s good, son. But we have to know what you’re planning?” his father said.

  “Do I have to? What if I told you guys my idea and you immediately reject it? Then, I’m back at square one again.”

  “If we do something like that, it’s out of concern for you,” his mother said, rubbing his shoulder. “Please, Colby. We don’t want you to get hurt.”

  “What if I say it’s a surprise? Then can I not say it?”

  “Colby, yesterday was a day full of surprises. My heart can’t take much more.”

  “I’m sorry, Mom. I’m sorry, Dad,” he sighed.

  For his parents' sake, maybe he should tell them what he was planning. Even if it meant that the idea would get ripped away before he ever got a chance to execute it.

  “You know how I wanted to do quests so that I could have some extra gold to buy the ingredients by myself. I thought, why not cut out the middleman and get the ingredients myself?”

  His parents glanced at each other, silently communicating through facial expressions honed through years of being married together.

  “And where did you get this idea from?” his father asked.

  “Myself and, technically, a little bit of help from Ms. M. She told me there were multiple paths to the same destination.”

  “Colby…” His mother paused, biting her lip.

  “Please, Mom. Please. I can do it. I’ve been into the forest twice. I’ve even collected Butterfly Gingers for Ms. M. I know how to run away if things get dicey. Please, Mom. Dad, please.”

  She sighed, bringing him close to her neck once again.

  The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  “There comes a time when every cheesemaker desires to go out and procure ingredients. I guess your time has finally arrived.”

  “Colby,” his father said. “Do you know why we don’t go out and gather our own ingredients even though we can?”

  “Because we’re lazy?”

  “Your mother might be, but you know I’m not.”

  “Jack, not now,” his mother snapped at his father, glaring at him.

  “Sorry,” he said. “The reason we don’t do that is because it’s not worth it.”

  “What do you mean?” Colby asked.

  “Gathering these ingredients ourselves takes time. And even then, the quality usually isn’t that good. That’s why we purchase them instead. With some gold, we save time while ensuring high-quality ingredients to make the best cheese possible.”

  “I get that, Dad. But right now, I don’t have gold. What I do have is plenty of time. Please, Dad. Let me do this. I need to do this.”

  “We know, Colby. We know that no matter what we say, you’re still going to do it anyway.”

  “So you’ll let me go get ingredients by myself?”

  They shared another look before his mother said, “Colby, we want you to be happy. But we also don’t want you to get hurt. The moment you sense any danger, you just run. Got it?”

  “That’s it? You’re just letting me do it? Even after what I put you through yesterday.”

  “Yes, Colby. The difference is that we know what you’re doing. Not leaving us in the dark and making us worried.”

  “You’re serious? You’re not just playing a cruel joke on me, right? This isn’t some dream.”

  “No, Colby. It’s not.”

  “You’re really okay with me going out into the forest alone to get ingredients so that I can make as much cheese as I want.”

  “In all honesty, we’d rather not. Colby, the only spells you can use are cheese-related.”

  “So?”

  “They’re not exactly the best at gathering ingredients from monsters.”

  “So what? I managed to defeat a Thornwolf. I managed to get Butterfly Gingers for Ms. M. I managed to pass that guild test thingy too. I can do this.”

  “We know, Colby. But we’re your parents. We’re always going to be worried,” his father said.

  “Also, could you explain to us why you brought a Thornwolf home?” his mother added.

  “It kind of just followed me home after I fed it some cheese.”

  “Told you,” his mother said, stretching her arm and flicking her husband's hair.

  “Yes, hon, you got it right.”

  “Still, it’s better for everyone that the Thornwolf goes back to the forest,” his mother said.

  “But it’s not like we can make him go back into the forest. Brie seems to have taken a liking to him.”

  “She did?” Colby asked.

  “Yeah, she did.”

  So much of last night was a blur that he could hardly remember anything.

  “I still insist that the Thornwolf should go back to the forest,” his mother said.

  “Okay, while you two are discussing about the Thornwolf, I’ll go start gather ingredients.”

  “No, Colby Tyro. Right now you are heading to the shower. You reek.”

  Colby looked down. He was still in yesterday's clothes, covered in dried sweat, grass, dirt, and some sticky slobber.

  After one quick shower and a helping of his mother’s famous scrambled cheddar and eggs, he ran out the door, set on gathering ingredients to make his own cheese.

  The basic ingredients for making cheese were: milk, rennet, and salt. Additionally, depending on what cheese he was making, he’d need either a starter culture or citric acid—the latter being simpler to procure.

  So what cheese did he want to make? Mozzarella. It was his most comfortable cheese. And for that, he required Daisy Cow milk.

  Good thing for him, unlike the Butterfly Gingers or the Sp-arrow, this was a monster he was actually familiar with. It was important to know the source of one's cheese and the specific qualities they provided.

  Daisy Cows were just one of the many cow species in the world; they also happened to be one that naturally roamed in the forest around Brinebrook. There was even a farmer nearby who raised them.

  Should he try and convince the farmer to let him milk his cows? Asking wouldn’t hurt—maybe.

  But the last time he visited Farmer Hound was with his Dad many years ago. The farmer was a hairy man with canines so large they gave him nightmares for a whole month.

  Yeah, he did not want to go anywhere near that man. That avenue was closed.

  During his internal monologue, Colby heard a bark. He turned around to find the Thornwolf running down the cobblestone streets towards him.

  “What are you doing here?” he asked, patting the Thornwolf’s leafy head. “Do you want to help me gather ingredients? Or did my Mom chase you away?”

  He barked, tail swishing back and forth, panting happily.

  “You’re more than welcome to join,” he said, scratching the Thornwolf’s neck. “And thank you for not eating me last night.”

  The Thornwolf barked once more. He got up on his hind legs, pressing his front paws against Colby’s thighs as he covered his shirt with that sticky sap.

  Together, the two of them headed out of town, veering off the dirt path and heading deeper into the forest. If only the Thornwolf were bigger than he could've ridden him. Also, he really should give him a name—unless his little sister had already named him.

  Looking down at the Thornwolf running circles around his leg, only to dive into a bush and run back out just to do more circles, he asked, “How do you like the name, Thornelius Wolfenius Forestius?”

  The Thornwolf barked and hopped up and down multiple times, showing off that sap-slicked tongue of his.

  Colby was going to take that as a yes.

  As they ventured deeper into the forest, eventually Colby found what he was seeking: a herd of wild Daisy Cows.

  Like Thornelius Wolfenius Forestius, they were some sort of plant-animal hybrid. Unlike his new friend, the Daisy Cows were more plant than animal–more daisy than cow.

  The head of a cow right in the centre of a great white flower, dozens of white petals ringed its face like a floral mane. The creature moved using its roots, dragging them along the ground, creeping towards any spot where the sun managed to pierce through the forest canopy.

  One of the best things about Daisy Cow milk was that it had a natural floral sweetness, which enhanced the mozzarella he made. And the way to milk these cows was simple. One just had to pluck those white petals surrounding their head—those were the milk petals. Once removed from the cow, they’d quickly lose their form, melting into liquid Daisy Cow milk.

  Colby slowly inched closer to the herd, using the bushes and trees as cover. Thornelius had sensed his intention, slinking into a nearby bush and completely blending in with it.

  No wonder he could never spot him whenever it felt like something was stalking him.

  He needed to go closer.

  What he needed to see was which Daisy Cow to milk. The whitest petals had the highest quality milk. And unlike a regular, boring, normal cow, Daisy Cows constantly produced milk—not just after giving birth.

  If only he had binoculars. He cupped his hands over his eyes, hoping for some sort of vision boost, but all it did was cut off his peripheral vision.

  It was worth a shot.

  After moving closer by another ten paces, he spotted a Daisy Cow with exceptionally white petals—either that or it was a trick of the sun.

  The herd had stopped moving, planting their roots in a spot where the sun peeked through the canopy.

  Coby opened up his Inventory and grabbed an empty glass bottle that previously stored Daisy Cow milk.

  That’s when he heard another sound. Definitely flowery, but more of a grunt than a moo.

  Amongst the herd of stationary Daisy Cows, there was one slowly moving towards him. Great, that meant less work for him.

  Come to Papa.

  Instead of petals, a ring of long, white, sharp horns surrounded its head. That was a Daisy Bull.

  Don’t come to papa. Don’t come to papa.

  He had been so focused on the Daisy Cows that he had forgotten about the Daisy Bull. It roamed around the herd protecting them from any potential threats, like a certain petal-harvesting human.

  It had apparently sensed him and was coming closer to investigate. Good thing he was still hidden within the bush.

  But how could he harvest the Daisy Cow milk and avoid becoming plant food for the Daisy Bull, all while using as little cheese as possible?

  He looked down at Thornelius. The Thornwolf looked up, tilting his head.

  An idea had just blossomed in his mind, a devilish grin spreading across his face.