NOVEL NEXT 8: Level Up!
When I checked the status screen after lunch, I saw that two new 3×3 nine-square blocks had been added, making a total of three blocks.
The newly cultivable crop is corn. It’s a staple crop. Maybe because potatoes and corn are staple foods that can be harvested relatively quickly? In other worlds, food scarcity is often a problem, so perhaps there’s some consideration for that? Looking at the current meals, it’s clear that food isn’t abundant. If this is the diet of a noble family, commoners must be living even more frugally. They might only eat two meals a day at worst.
With level two, the task completion time is now 23 hours. It’s a subtle change, but time-saving due to leveling up is always good.
I’ll continue planting potatoes in one block, allocate another block for corn cultivation, and use the remaining block for testing plant creation magic. I’ll have to work hard to level up steadily.
Although I started with vegetables, my main focus in gardening in my previous life was on growing flowers. Of course, I did some vegetable gardening, so I have some knowledge. In this life, I want to try things I couldn’t do in my small garden in the previous life. Let’s consider this a step forward and keep trying.
By the time July arrived, Father also left for the royal capital. He’ll meet up with Ren at the marquis’ territory and head to the royal capital together. They’ll arrive in the royal capital in about three weeks, where Father will report taxes at the royal castle and then return to Radcliffe territory. It will take about five weeks, so he should be back by mid-August. I’ll be lonely, but I’ll wait like a good boy! By the time Father returns, we should be able to harvest plenty of summer vegetables. I’m looking forward to it!
By the way, Ren will be staying at the town house of the Lugnard family. We’re relying on our relatives again. The poor Radcliffe family can’t afford a house in the royal capital! We’ll cling on and not let go!
Before I knew it, it was the height of summer. The cicadas’ chirping through the open windows was deafening. They were singing in a grand chorus. The mornings that had been free were now study time. Thanks to an unnecessary comment from Riol, my free time disappeared. I’m frustrated. Two hours in the morning were allocated to studying. Since we can’t afford a tutor, Martha and Burton help me when they have free time. But since both of them are busy, I mostly self-study with a simple textbook.
The arithmetic in this world is at a basic level, so the multiplication table and simple calculations should suffice. But reading and writing are a bit challenging. I’m sure my flexible young mind will eventually learn it on its own! I have to believe that and keep going. Recently, I’ve finally been able to read picture books with a lot of text on my own. My writing still looks like a bunch of squiggles, though. Haha~
The potatoes we planted in the garden were harvested recently with the help of Tom and the attendants. We harvested so many large potatoes that it was hard to believe it was our first harvest. They were sweet and fluffy. They’re currently stored in a cool, dark place with dirt still on them. Since there aren’t that many, I might secretly replenish them from my storage before they run out.
The other vegetables planted in the garden are also growing well. By the beginning of August, we’re harvesting more than we can use every day. The vegetables are overall large and shiny. The tomatoes, shining like jewels, are so delicious! The cucumbers and eggplants are also incredibly tasty!
When the freshly harvested summer vegetables were served at our family’s table, Riol was speechless at their deliciousness. The family and retainers were amazed by their sweetness and juiciness. Watching them eat with pure enjoyment, I smiled. That’s right, that’s right! Enjoy and eat to your heart’s content!
A few days later, Father rushed back from the royal capital and said, “Delicious, delicious,” as he ate.
I know that Father has always prioritized our meals and eaten sparingly himself. If my skill can help the impoverished Radcliffe family, nothing would make me happier. Seeing Father so pleased made me very happy.
Besides what we ate at home, we shared some with the attendants, who were delighted.
With more ingredients and the ability to meet our needs, I think our nutritional balance has improved. Our meals were quite poor until now, but everyone’s skin has become more radiant. Dietary fiber and vitamins are essential. Martha was also excited to have more ingredients to cook with.
We are just a little while away from harvesting the melons. By the way, I accidentally forgot to plant watermelons, the quintessential summer fruit. I’ll have to make a note not to forget next year.
On a hot summer day, I saw the attendants replenishing themselves with tomatoes and cucumbers after their swordsmanship training. Tom also secretly gave some to the horses. It made me smile.
It was amusing to see the attendants being showered with water by Kuu, the cloud. It seems to serve as a makeshift shower. Kuu also happily rained down on them. Pikka-chan, the mini sun, works part-time as the entrance light at night. Burton was pleased with how bright the entrance became. Kuu and Pikka-chan have been fully accepted as part of our household.
During the peak of the day, Pikka-chan rests on top of Kuu, taking a break. On days with strong summer sunlight, Kuu naps under a big tree. My world is peaceful today as well.
We haven’t done much with the guest garden yet. Since I still lack stamina, I’m currently leisurely planning the plantings. I want to create a healing garden. As it’s the face of our home, I plan to build it slowly without rushing.
My plant cultivation skill is leveling up steadily. It’s now level four. The field has expanded to seven blocks, and the cultivation time has been reduced to 21 hours. We can now grow soybeans and wheat, which are staple crops, and they are in mass production. Carrots, cabbage, and radishes have also been added. The five types created with creation magic have already become regulars and are included in the cultivation rotation.
It seems the storage capacity increases with each new item. Doesn’t this mean it’s almost limitless? Will it max out someday? Since I haven’t had the skill for long, I’ll take it slow.
Besides plants, a whimsical burlap sack factory has appeared. The factory sign has a sack symbol, and the workers are little green people. Oh, the sacks aren’t made from hemp but from weeds and plant waste. Even in my previous life, I think weeds were the main raw material. The burlap sacks are convenient for storing root vegetables and grains. It’s helpful since it’s a problem if the harvested items roll out of the magic circle naked.
The fiber pot factory for seedlings is also running constantly. They decompose into the soil when planted! There were similar items in my previous life, so maybe they read my memories?
One day, I was surprised to find a plant oil factory suddenly in operation! Currently, we’re making a little soybean oil. The main purpose is to produce oil cake fertilizer from the pressed residue. We just need to supplement calcium and magnesium, right? What was magnesium again? Maybe the earth fairies know.
Eventually, I think we should manufacture cooking oil. In this world, plant oil is a rare and expensive item, so people generally use animal fat. Originally, there were no deep-fried dishes or oil-based cooking. If we can mass-produce plant oil, our diet will become richer and healthier. I feel like growing everything! I’m quite greedy, aren’t I? Hehe.