NOVEL NEXT 5: The Little Person in the Poncho
Speaking of which…
In farming games, depending on the game, there are often characters responsible for cultivation, right?
Yes, like animals holding watering cans and various others.
It seems my botanical garden has something similar.
Next to the field, there’s a little figure in a green poncho, resembling a two-headed Teru Teru Bozu, taking care of the potatoes.
When it waved at me, I waved back, and it started hopping around, flickering softly.
It seemed happy.
So cute~
So fluffy.
Next to the field, there was a fairy-tale-like building that looked like a compost factory, where a little figure in a brown poncho was busily working inside.
Hmm. Are they spirits or fairies or something?
I couldn’t figure it out, so I just bowed my head and said thank you.
Yes, it’s important to always show genuine appreciation to the staff.
Since the weather was nice today, I dashed outside.
Since they were practicing swordsmanship in the front yard of the mansion, I headed to the backyard to avoid getting in the way. A little kid running around would be a nuisance, you know?
The backyard was vast, with just a large stable and a small field, and some mowed weeds. It’s unnecessarily spacious.
The area is immense.
This place is also used for carriage maintenance and training of the retainers.
When there are guests, their horses and carriages are managed in the stable.
The horse pasture is outside the wall and can be seen up close from the back gate.
The estate is surrounded by high, sturdy stone walls.
The main entrance gate and the back gate are made of sturdy metal.
In the corner of the backyard, near the stone wall, I found an area densely covered with low weeds.
I crouched down and stared at the grass.
Well, mostly weeds.
Stubborn ones that are hard to pull out. Those are the ones that make weeding a struggle.
Oh, sometimes there’s medicinal herbs.
There are things like dokudami, mugwort, and purslane, which also existed in the other world. There’s thyme too.
Oh, there’s mint as well. If you find mint, pull it out immediately. If planted in the ground, it spreads rapidly!
It grows back no matter how much you pull it out, becoming a nuisance, so it’s best to plant it in pots.
Dokudami and mugwort can be used as medicine, and thyme and mint have various uses. I think purslane is edible too?
Speaking of medicinal herbs in this world, they refer to ingredients for potions.
‘Heal Grass,’ which grows in sunny meadows and has blue undersides to its leaves, is used for hemostatic and regenerative ointments.
Similarly sun-loving ‘Mana Grass,’ with orange leaves, is used for physical recovery and magic enhancement.
‘Moonlight Grass,’ which blooms white flowers at night and grows deep in the forest, is used for antidotes.
‘Clair Grass,’ which only grows by pure waters and bears blue crystalline flowers, has very high exorcism and purification effects.
These four are well-known medicinal herbs, and combining them for preparation is the job of pharmacists and alchemists.
Of course, there are many other medicinal materials, but I’ll leave that to the professionals.
As for me, I think it would be great if I could eventually cultivate these four types of medicinal herbs.
Because it seems profitable, right?
Hehe.
That’s some wishful thinking.
By the way, Heal Grass and Mana Grass grow abundantly around here. Because this is a remote area with dense magic, they thrive and can be easily gathered in the grasslands and shallow parts of the forest.
They can even be found in the corners of our garden.
In fact, they’re the main ingredients in our family’s herbal tea.
Martha’s special blend is a refreshing, crisp tea that keeps you healthy and energetic with just one sip!
Ah! That’s not the reason I came to the garden!
I keep getting sidetracked.
I put my hands on the hard ground scattered with stones, a bit away from the stone wall, and infused it with magic, imagining it being cultivated.
This is the earth magic specialized for plant cultivation!
“Hey!”
And then, what do you know!
A square meter of soil lifted up!
“……”
Wow… super plain.
But doesn’t it feel fluffy? Isn’t this kind of nice?
Wouldn’t it be great to remove the stones and weeds from here?
So I tried it, and it worked!
The annoying weeds and stones were tossed into the skill storage.
Hooray for magic! Am I a genius!?
While I was basking in my success alone, suddenly a voice came from behind.
“Oh, young master, are you planting something?”
When I turned around, Tom the stableman was standing there holding a wooden bucket. He was looking at me with a very amused smile.
“Yes. I dug it up on my own. Is that bad?”
“I don’t mind, but maybe you should ask the master just in case?”
“Got it. I’ll ask Father later. So please leave it as it is!”
It would be a big deal if all my hard work was undone!
“Sure, understood. If you need any help, just let me know, young master.”
Tom walked towards the stable, smiling with deep wrinkles at the corners of his eyes.
I watched him go while still crouching.
Is he cleaning the stable?
Thanks for your hard work.
It can’t be helped.
I’ll stop here for today and go ask Father for permission.
I stood up, dusted off my clothes, and ran to the mansion. Of course, I didn’t forget to wash my hands at the well.
I’ll also gargle while I’m at it. Gurgle, gurgle, gurgle.
Wait, come to think of it, isn’t this a job for life magic?
Since I went to the trouble of obtaining life magic, I should use it.
Alright then, Clean!
Soft light enveloped me and sparkled as it fell away like fragments.
I felt refreshed and clean!
It was like I had just taken a sparkling bath!
When I asked Father during lunch, he readily gave his permission.
“Do it where you won’t be in the way of the retainers or Tom. Be careful not to get hurt.”
Father was looking at me with a fond smile.
He probably thinks it’s just an extension of my play since it’s my first time using skills to work the soil.
I’ll show him a splendid field!
But I’ll continue tomorrow.
After lunch, it’s nap time.
I must have been a bit tired because I fell sound asleep.
Overexertion is prohibited, right?