Petit-Barley Field Expansion Plan
I am in Helios Village now.
I went to Savai Village, explained that we needed a large amount of petit barley, and asked them to expand their petit-barley fields. I also treated every villager to taiyaki-shaped cakes.
Though each person only got half of one…
After eating them, the excited villagers said that if we could produce a huge amount of petit barley, “Let’s have a taiyaki festival in spring,” and their intensity pushed me into agreeing with “Let’s do that.”
Well, they seem motivated now, so it should work out… right?
Since I wanted to try growing it on other land, I received a handful of petit barley still in husk to bring back.
They had already prepared petit-barley dishes for five hundred people before, and I was asking for more field expansion, so I couldn’t take too much.
And so, I came straight to Helios Village.
I treated everyone here to half a taiyaki-shaped cake too, and when I asked them to grow petit barley, they asked if they could have more to eat.
When I told them they could once we had a big harvest, the five people with the Plant Goddess’s blessing thumped their chests and said to leave it to them.
Before that, we needed to plant these petit-barley seeds and multiply them using my own Plant Goddess’s blessing.
Since I always use my blessing freely here, and they also have the blessing, it’ll be fine.
My parents made it very clear that I must not make it ripen in a single day, so the plan is five days.
That’s still fast, though.
Since there’s no cow dung, we’re using Goosh dung instead.
The dried Goosh dung looked like a large version of chicken manure and was easy to carry into the fields.
Using grass seeds I had already grown with magic and stored in the Magic Bag, Hamilton and Kamuela mixed the grass and Goosh dung into the soil with earth magic.
I instructed the five people with the Plant Goddess’s blessing to sow the grass seeds over the petit-barley fields so the grass would grow.
Once only the knights—Meyer and the others—and I remained, we sowed the petit-barley seeds.
“Growth acceleration, bear petit barley in five days,” I said, sprinkling magic water with water magic.
I had been told by Captain Kyle that the growth-acceleration phrase must not be known to anyone outside the family, but my parents allowed it for Meyer and the knights.
For the next five days, except for watering, it seemed like we would have plenty of free time.
I didn’t think about what to do for those five days.
I planned to spend them reading nonstop in the village.
I had prepared everything for that.
Time to have Meyer and the others start working.
We set up the tent used for the exhibition—the kind often used at school sports days in my previous life—where we could see the Goosh.
Why?
Because the Goosh had recently given birth, and there were lots of baby Goosh now.
When we told Helios Village about what the Goosh boss in Lax Village had said, they built simple shelters where the Goosh could give birth safely, and most Goosh ended up using them, resulting in many baby Goosh.
It was a good thing that they were born safely.
To be able to read while watching them, I pulled Lana’s reclining chair from the Magic Bag—usually kept in the greenhouse—and set it on top of a sheet spread on the ground.
Atre and Lucas brought two of Lana’s cradles.
With cushions inside, they looked quite comfortable.
Partway through, Atre said he wanted to exercise and go into the Great Forest, so he took off his neck scarf and hung his Magic Bag.
I had made that Magic Bag just for him because he begged for one.
I wondered how she would put things inside, but she used wind magic skillfully to tuck items in.
To take things out, he had registered it so that he could retrieve items by touching his chin to the Magic Bag.
I had thought only hands could be registered, so when I learned that any body part could be used, I was shocked.
“I’m going!”
“Be back by evening.”
“Okay!” he said cheerfully as she entered the Great Forest.
Lucas was sleeping inside the cradle.
So peaceful…
When Atre returned and I asked if he had fun, he said,
“It was fun. Look at the results.”
What he pulled from the Magic Bag was eight orcs, twelve black wolves, two black bears, and one ice spider.
An ice spider?
Atre… just how far did you go?
It was only half a day.
Well, he enjoyed herself, so I won’t question him…
We’ll give the orcs to Helios Village as payment for staying here.
The next day, Atre went into the Great Forest to hunt magic beasts again.
When I told him it wasn’t good to hunt too close to Helios Village, he said he had gone somewhere else, so it was fine.
Where exactly was she going?
I was perfectly satisfied, spending the days relaxing.
This was the life I wanted. I planned to enjoy all five days… but it ended in three.
Atre and Lucas said they were bored, and though Meyer and the others didn’t say anything, they looked bored too.
Since the five with the Plant Goddess’s blessing said the petit barley was growing well and could probably be harvested in a few days, and told us to leave the rest to them, we left Helios Village.
What do you think about this chapter?
