Timeline:
Donna, age 16-19
Hinata age 22-25
The Earth Girls at age 19 and 25 is when Mikami Satoru reincarnated in this world, and had Equal Naming Status with Veldora
Donna is now sixteen years old, a beautiful maiden thanks to her potions. She has a petite figure with narrow shoulders, but flared hips. She has slender arms, closet-set, full Ds and shapely legs with small feet at 5'2.
She's here for sixteen years now, from rebirth to present.
Her current job is now working in the Fabric Factory, for 8 silver a month due to her experience and her ability to make the quotas on time she could bring home extra fabrics...and chucking said fabrics to her mother for dyeing to smartly get free goods for making clothes at home. The reason Donna began working, was because people were wondering why she doesn't have a job yet when even little Melvin has a job.
'Donna hunts in the forests for meat and wild fruit since there's no way we can afford meat.' said Martin to his fellow farmers, 'That's her job so when we go home, we have meat to look forward to. She's good with her bow and arrow.'
But the fact remains that neighbors say Donna having no job will affect her future and social standing for marriage. What about womanly skills for use as a wife one day? So at 13, Donna had to get a job just to shut up the neighbors. She has womanly skills, thank you very much, as she complained to her parents.
'What the hell! I can do chores, take care of little kids and make clothes! How does my job make me 'less womanly'?!' she was livid, understandably.
'We know you better than they do dear, but the fact remains that Hunting is not a legal job as they put it.' said Martin patiently to his annoyed daughter. 'And because of taxes, everyone must work to make it in time. That was how it was before life got better for our family thanks to your brothers.' he said. 'Privately speaking, it's jealousy talking. Their daughters probably complained you're not working while they work, that they're so gaunt and skinny from overwork while you grew up beautiful from ahem, relaxing too much.'
'That suddenly makes more sense!' Donna said in hot sarcasm, fuming with a grumpy armfold. 'How on Earth and I relaxing when I do the housework and hunting?!'
'We're fine with how things are for our family, it's everyone else who's the problem and we'd rather avoid trouble.' said Elma with a sigh. 'Let's just shut them up. We're outnumbered dear. That's a fact.' she said in resignation.
Peer Pressure is the most evil thing in the world in her opinion. Its like Hogwarts all over again.
Elma Kleine quit farming as she's too old for back-breaking work now thanks to Kevin's 10 gold which they'd rather use for tax and food, but unlike adults her age with hunched backs, she and her husband's spines remained straight. She took to working as a dyer while Donna took weaving...and her spiteful daughter ensured she makes extras just so she could dye it, so their family can make better clothes. Not womanly enough, is she when reality was its because of jealous girls?! Elma sighed as her daughter ran on anger fumes to make her fabric bolt quotas, but even she can admit Donna's situation was out of jealousy. By the end of the day, Donna cheerfully gives her, her extra fabrics for dyeing, so they can take it home!
And she spitefully makes cute dresses for herself and her mother too, upon seeing fashion standards in Marris which she combined with what Earth Fashion she can remember and conforming to skirt length standards, no longer holding back.
Donna started training Melvin in magic when he turned ten much to her brother's delight. Donna had asked her brothers for a 'Magic Book Basics' so she can legally train Melvin and 'herself' in magic at home. They sent her a book for basic training and E-Rank Spells as a start. But it'll be harder without a magic weapon so they'll be reliant on a magic foundation they must build to gain an innate magic pool. But to increase their pool capacity, they need rare-grade equipment and actually fight monsters to gain experience and levels. So they'll have to deal with what they can get.
Only Melvin used said books, by the way, and Donna was a much more better teacher. Thus after work, Donna trains Melvin in E-Rank Magic, along with some of her Hogwarts' know-how that's useful in both life and battle. However, for Melvin to get stronger, he needs a Rare-Grade weapon and with Donna's support by protecting him, battle monsters by himself. Thus while doing magic training at home, he also trains as a swordsman using a 3 kg wooden sword Donna made for him for training as let's face it, what can a cheap weapon do to monsters?
But Rare-Grade Weapons are highway robbery in costs. The reason the Kleine Brothers know about that, was because Kevin is in the Royal Knights Corps that he's leveling up in missions. He was granted Rare-Grade Equipment upon his Graduation-Promotion and he got wind the costs of his equipment that got him nauseous when the school admin gave him his gear and told him what it was and the costs.
And for three years, Melvin is a very reluctant master of E-Class Magic, but he understood that Rare-Grade goods is beyond family finances at the moment.
He consoled himself that 'Some magic is better than none.' he said glumly.
Donna was magically-powerful on the get-go as she was reborn with her magical strength prior to her death, plus the energies that gave life to her skills, increasing her innate magical pool even if she was a Level 1 Human. For a Level 1 Human, she has the magicule level of a wealthy Graduate Student at Mage Academy who would have been Level 50. In contrast, Melvin had enough magic pool to fill a wooden barrel...which wasn't much, as expected of a Level 1 mage when he built his foundation with his sister's guidance.
Martin took to crafting work instead for his age with Melvin before he trains after work. They can also enjoy better food legally, no longer having to hide as of Kevin's graduation and he gives them money at the end of the month when Donna was 12 last year. Starting with Kevin as he graduated first at age 20, his prowess got him promoted upon graduation he sends home ten gold a month after his starting salary of 30 gold and he went home for his month-long vacation before duties officially begin for him. Two years later Jackson, adding additional 10 and when Donna turned 16, Andre. Its only Gilbert left in training now.
30 gold a month that Donna travels to Marris for as they can't leave that easily as travel hours from Marris to Northdale? Not realistic. It takes three days back and forth thus travel time totals a week, and they only have weekends off!
She was also able to help her brothers cheat in their careers with her potions now that they're in the know too, that they have 'superhuman strong bones and extremely healthy organs' that they have perfect 'Archer Eyesight'. Their nerves and brains are in prime condition as well. Donna also supplies them with healing potions, giving them eighty High Potions for their keep, twenty each brother as its normal for families to support their military sons.
The Kleine Brothers are now members of the Royal Knight Corps, enjoying a salary of 30 gold a month. They also remained unmarried as yeah, they have a great job, but their career is highly-unstable as they get chucked on dangerous missions, while the wealthy nobles among them are coddled that they have no experience in combat or any mission yet has to be mission leaders and they're all expected to obey orders that can get them killed. They dare not marry because their superiors are doggone STUPID IMBECILES they wished they were under 'this and that guy' instead.
End result, Donna tweaked a few needed brains on the sly, and 'reinstated the brothers elsewhere' under a competent commander who gave a damn about his men and it got her brothers happier. But they were still iffy about marrying so they said in a letter, 'don't expect in-laws and grandkids from us yet.'
She keeps in touch with Hinata whom she supplies with 100% Full Potions, 500 gold coins each per barrel of the stuff, and she gives Hinata's retinue of selected trusted ten barrels a year to protect Donna from unwanted attention when Hinata turned 21 years old last year, now a member of Ruberios' Ten Great Saints. That select few knows who their supplier is.
Those accompanying Hinata, are called Arnaud Bauman and a guy named Fritz. And this is Donna's first year of selling her Full-Potion Barrels to the Saints, and she has ten, so her first profits are 5000 gold coins or 50 star-golds. Which she requested in silvers by the way, as its impossible for very-poor-folk to even TOUCH a gold coin in their lifetime, Donna feared robbery issues if neighbors get wind her family possessed gold coins through the market. In taxes, to pay off 2 gold a year, they pay it as 200 silvers and Hinata knows it.
Because Donna feared a Witch Hunt or forced into the military due to her skills, Hinata had explained to the family five months into her stay with the Kleine Family about Magic and Unique Skills, but the only skill revealed to her family was her Pharmacist so she can openly practice pharmacy at home, but only little Melvin knows she can do magic. But Hinata knows all three, and the fact she has a lot of Resistances!
'Wow, I can't believe you're a Reincarnator.' said Arnaud Jester, having heard of her from Hinata that they don't have to go through the eastern borders of Falmuth and pay expensive travel pass fees to get to Dwargon and by dealing with Donna, they pay only for Full-Potions now, MINUS TAX. 'How come you won't leave this dump for a better pasture?'
'Not like I know where to go until I got geographic help.' said Donna wryly with an armfold before glancing at Hinata from whom she got a map. 'For me this village was my whole world because we're too poor to go anywhere until Hinata planned this business with me.' she said. 'And I keep an eye out for my brothers with magic. And to live in Maybelle Village in Marquis Muller's territory that bordered Blumund, we need a lot of money. I'm traveling back-and forth to make arrangements to legally relocate.' she said. 'Not to mention Mayor Richard Bates tried to extort me with highway robbery fees to move our citizenship to Maybelle till I magicked my way through instead for fair prices.' she told them.
'Take a look at Northdale after doing business with me...in ten years this place is goners as poverty is too much, and people are starting to die from severe malnutrition. Everyone's skin and bones except my family, the officials, the merchants and the medical employees. Forget me marrying here, nevermind Melvin! Might as well get out as soon as possible.'
'So have you found a piece of land in Maybelle now?' Hinata asked her, frowning in concern at Donna's words.
'Yeah, the one closest to Blumund Borders and I'm gonna buy it as soon as I get my stellar paycheck from you guys.' said Donna. 'We can find better jobs in Maybelle.'
After receiving 5000 gold from the Saints in a heap of silver that made her parents faint, Donna proceeded to Maybelle, traveling for days back and forth.
She talked to the Architect how she wants the house done. Because he was from Blumund, he charged 60 gold for his work. He didn't see it coming that he got paid in silver he had to buy a bigger money pouch to contain it all.
Donna requested a wide enough space for eight people in the living and dining room, two bathrooms with the larger one for men and the smaller one for two women in the house, and eight bedrooms upstairs, made of sturdy reinforced, but well-insulated materials that it can be warm in winter, comfy in summer.
The land Donna purchased cost 5 star-golds with an annual tax of 5 gold a year to pay that off over time, purchasing the land off of the Real Estate Office, and Citizenship from the Village Mayor that cost 50 gold per head. Ouch. Moving was only for the wealthy that commoners who sometimes wanted out of their miserable lot, was forced to stay till they die.
But at least Marquis Muller's nicer and he was a relative to Blumund's Royal Family who were benevolent monarchs themselves. That annual tax will cease to exist, IF the land is fully-paid for, so she paid it in one lump sum in an instant while in Baron Arden's territory, you pay forever for generations.
Normally, such prices would freak out her parents, but as they now have a stable livelihood, they can manage.
As for materials, it used up 30 star-golds in total, because Donna requested engraving magic regarding the kitchen stoves and water for their house for convenience's sakes.
The house will take a year to build by six craftsmen who charged 10 gold a month for their work.
All in all, the costs are:
Land: 10 SG
Architect: 60G
Citizenship: 4 SG
Materials: 30SG
Craftsmen: 7SG and 20G
Total Sum: 51SG and 80G
So yes, that first batch of 50SG from Hinata flew away instantly, while the remaining 180 gold coins can be paid by selling Full Potions to Marquis Muller to cover the remaining costs as Full Potions cost 5 gold coins, and she sold thirty bottles of the stuff under another identity to pay that deficit, with the extra money for her family.
They moved into their new home when she is 18 years old. That 40 gold a month from their brothers now that Gilbert graduated, plus Hinata's annual supply which Donna saved up? Went to better furniture and home decor, as they saved up enough money for that, and she had gone to Dwargon to buy Melvin and herself a rare-grade weapon so he can catch up to her in magic and so she can FINALLY level-up. But she let Melvin level-up first.
In a party of two with Melvin doing most of the work, he gets 80% of the benefits while she who does rear support, 20%. She can catch up on her own later.
With a supply of Full-Potions from his sister and her rear support, Melvin can fearlessly fight to level up as his motivation was magic in getting stronger. It helps that broken Magisteel weapons can be 'fixed' with a Full-Potion that he can fight at his full potential fearlessly when normal people would have to hold back BECAUSE of fear of crippling injuries or worse, getting killed.
For Melvin, injury is OK even if it hurts like hell, but he draws the line at dying. He wouldn't fight the way he does without his sister. Thus Donna 'disciplined him well'.
He started off with...Goblin Monsters in the forests and other weak species. Donna finds prey that matches his level on weekends because they have jobs. But come winter? They can go all the way.
It was also around this time, that a new organization started gaining fame, and organization called Free Guild Association...founded by Yuuki Kagurazaka.
It was a better and much more organized organization than its parent organization called Adventurer's Association. Under Yuuki's leadership, monster-related deaths decreased dramatically and a new system of ranking monsters based on their amount of magicules was established. It's a recently-built organization he created through politicking in The Council of the West.
The Council of the West was originally founded as a cooperative effort to deal with the threat of monsters, before growing into a force devised to keep the Eastern Empire in check. It has become an organization of great absolute power, ruling on international matters between members.
The Kingdom of Ingrassia lay at the core of this Council. Geographically, Ingrassia was the easiest central point for Council members to assemble at. It naturally followed that the Free Guild would set up its headquarters here as well. You could say that the most powerful Council member nation was the Kingdom of Falmuth, but in order to prevent any one nation from having too much clout over the assembly, the nations agreed to set up in Ingrassia for logistical reasons. Ingrassia was the only Council member nation that didn't share a border with the Jura Forest giving it an extra measure of stability and protection from monsters. That was another factor that led to its selection as Council HQ.
The Council acted as a mediator between nations, weighing each member's interests against the others' and managing them to prevent conflict. It held power in both economic and political circles, making it a strikingly influential group in the region.
The Council had no standing military force as it didn't need one. That's because, in a way, the Council formed the higher bureaucracy of the Free Guild itself. The money paid to adventurers for slaying monsters came from Council funding—and in exchange, the Council had the right to give orders to the guild.
This funding came from contributions provided by each member nation, which varied depending on how much speaking rights each one had. Refusing to pay these meant leaving the Council. It was a way for the Council to gain a louder voice in local affairs, using the shield of security it offered members. Many nations relied almost wholly upon the guild for monster management, and that meant there was no choice for them but to support the Council.
Compared to normal laborers, their lifestyle is not guaranteed. However, basic social status was, moreover, they were granted appropriate land. Thus, they at least had the duty of paying taxes.
An adventurer is a Freedom Guild member who either goes foraging, subjugating, or hunting on request.
There are merits to becoming an adventurer. While every Free Guild Branch is affiliated with a specific country, its members are able to change countries easily.
Leaving the city or even crossing the border is far easier for an adventurer. Of course, this may not apply during wartime, but this allows for greater mobility. In other words, compared to people with clear allegiances, Guild Members are able to freely select a country where they want to live. There isn't a big difference other than the tax one would have to pay. The origin of the name Free Guild comes from adventurers who wanted to be able to freely move between countries. Even so, there are not that many people who constantly switch countries.
Hinata got wind of it and told her by letter if she's interested to join someday as it would be a better occupation for her and her youngest brother. She was wasted at home, basically in Hinata's opinion. Donna could have been the world's greatest mage if she tried. She just lacked power and level to earn it.
When things are fully-secure?
Both siblings decided to be Adventurers. With their strength, they can rise in rank in no time flat.
This was when Donna was 19 and Melvin, 17.
'So that's your decision you two?' Martin asked his two youngest who had a sudden career change in mind.
'Yeah. You and mother should retire now.' said Donna. 'You've suffered the most out of everyone in this family due to life in Northdale. Leave the rest to the brothers and us, and you and mother just relax.' she suggested. 'You've more than earned it.' she said. 'I get annual 5000 from Hinata so I'm effectively the biggest earner in the family as a Pharmacist.'
'I wish we can say the same to your grandparents who died at our age now. We only lived this long and stayed strong thanks to your hunting of meat and your skill.' said Elma, going teary-eyed as she looked back to her past. 'Life Expectancy in Northdale was 50 or less, and your father and I are 18 when we married for love...right now Kevin is eight years older than you, and we're both 45...my mother died at 39 while Martin's mother died at 35...our fathers went not long after.'
'Normally its the mother who dies first because of the Arden Barony. Suffering from hunger and forced to endure so much pregnancies just to have five sons.' said Martin glumly. 'We survived up to 45 thanks to a good daughter.' he said with a sad smile. Donna was overwhelmed by her parents' gratefulness to her. 'Maybe your mother and I can live past 50 and enjoy a longer life and taste what it means to relax. We'll retire.' he decided. 'I wonder if your brothers married by now...you should go check before you and Melvin join the guild in Blumund.'
'OK dad. We'll go check on the big brothers.' Melvin promised their parents. 'Then sister and I can go with our jobs.'