Chapter 44 - Field Cleared, and Hero Returned
Chapter 44 – Field Cleared, and Hero Returned
Translator: Ranzaaaaaaan!
The next day. As I made my way to the field, Vi-Vi asked me,
「Al! Shouldn’t you guard?」
「Yeah, I should.」
「Right?!」
It was ass-backward to dig up a field first and guard later.
I was a bit flummoxed, so I asked Millet.
「I think if you work the field from afternoon to twilight there should be no problem.」
「You think?」
「Yes. As long as you know which villagers go out, there’s no issue.」
Now that I think about it, being a guard is a pointless job without that.
But that’s why I chose it.
「In the case that monsters or bandits DO come, even if you’re not at the gate, you’re nearby, so it’s okay.」
Just like Millet suggested, I sat at the gate all morning long.
From afternoon, after eating lunch, I started with the field.
「You got rid of the trees and burned up all the roots?」
「Just as expected. This field clearing was so fast, it should be a record.」
Millet looked very happy.
「So, next is plowing, right?」
「Yes, with an ox.」
「Maybe we can ask Moofy?」
「No, Moofy is too big.」
I tried thinking of a more effective way to plow the field.
「Maybe I can do it with magic?」
「How would you do that?」
「Well, maybe I could explode the ground…a small one?」
「No way!」
Vi-Vi refused my idea loudly.
「Why?」
「Because there are important things like worms and so on that provide nutrition! If you explode the field, they’re all going to die!」
「I see…didn’t burning all the roots hurt them yesterday?」
「They’re fine. I mean, the bugs and stuff that were near the roots were…it’s sad to say…but it’s a big field.」
I guess quite a few died then. I guess if you plowed the field by cow quite a few would die too.
「Either way, I think we should kill the fewest worms and so on possible. Some bugs are going when you’re planting a field though.」
So we chose to use an ox instead to just hand-plow the field.
By the time we were a third done, the night was upon us.
I went back to the guardpost, made sure all the villagers had returned, and finished my work.
——————————————
I went to the hot springs before turning in.
The hot springs is the best when you finally get all that grime off of you. As soon as I get in, my knee stops aching as well.
「Ruff Wuff Waof!」
Femm seemed pretty excited as well.
It was always a habit for us to get in together.
I started going to the hot springs near Millet’s house.
「This hot springs is great, Femm.」
「Rawf」
Femm loved it too.
It was beautiful, and the bath was wide.
It wasn’t inside either – the whole bath was outside.
「Femm, you’re covered in mud.」
「Wuffuff」
While we were plowing the field with the ox, Femm and the other wolves were digging holes. They were having a blast.
Even the baby wolves were digging, imitating the others.
I bet they thought they were helping the plowing.
First, I made sure that Femm was cleaned off.
「Femm, do moles taste good?」
「Wuff」『Not really…』
Femm barked while dismissing my question in spirit speech.
Femm and the other wolves had caught several moles and ate them.
「Millet told me that if you leave the moles untouched, that they’ll damage all the crops, so eat all you can.」
『Understood.』
Moles don’t eat up the crops in the field, but their holes damage the roots of all the crops.
Then the mice end up using the mole’s holes and eat up all the crops later.
「Okay, you’re all clean.」
After washing all the soap off, I put my nose on its back and smelled it.
「Ruff?」
「Good, you smell fine.」
Femm wagged its tail happily as it went into the bath.
Then I washed off, and got in too.
Femm quickly moved over to me.
『Is your knee okay?』
「Yeah, it’s fine.」
I thought it would hurt after all the plowing, but it turned out okay.
It just throbbed like it always did.
「This hot springs really heals it though.」
『I have no idea what that means…』
We both were enjoying the bath, when the front door to the hot springs opened.
「Ah, you’re in here Al.」
Cruz had come through the door, completely naked.
「Hey! Wait…why are YOU here, Cruz?!」
「Eheh heh heh…」
She covered her naked body, embarrassed.
I wish she knew a little more about being modest.
「Cruz, wait a second!」
Behind Cruz, a completely naked Yureena appeared.
Yureena was my old party’s healer.
「Kya, Kyaaaaaaa!」
She screamed.
「Thanks for the appropriate reaction.」
I said without thinking. Yureena scrambled, grabbing Cruz’ arm and pulling her back.
「Cruz, get yourself back here!」
「What? Why?」
「You need to have some modesty!」
「Huh?」
Yureena yanked Cruz back to the changing room and they both disappeared.
「Cruz is so cute, but the fact that she still acts like a child sometimes is scary.」
『Who was the other girl?』
「Yureena, a friend.」
『Why is she here?』
「Who knows.」
I was filled with questions.
Even so, I hung around and enjoyed the bath until I was done.
As I exited the changing room, Cruz was waiting with Yureena.
Yureena approached my with her cheeks red from blushing.
「Forget EVERYTHING YOU SAW BACK THERE!」
「Sure.」
Then I asked Cruz.
「Cruz, why are you here? Did you leave something behind?」
「I just came back from the capital.」
That wasn’t answer.
It was only two days since Cruz went back to the capital.
It took me three days and two nights to get here from the capital. Cruz was so fast, she could have done the same and made it in only one day.
「There’s no way you could have gone there and got back.」
「Well, to be honest…」
Cruz beckoned me to come with her.
As I did, we left the village. Then Cruz entered the storage shack.
「Here in the storage shack. I drew a transport magic circle!」
Cruz said proudly.
It was a magic circle that was linked to another by magic that allowed for immediate transportation.
A normal person could use it, but it cost so much, almost no one did.
It was such a hard process to make a new one that it was nearly impossible.
「So you asked Vi-Vi to do this?」
「Yeah. Vi-Vi did it for me the day before I went home.」
I remembered that just before she went home, Cruz and Vi-Vi whispered to each other. That must have been what they were talking about.
「I was also able to make a transport circle in my house with no problems.」
「You two did a good job…」
「All I had to do was carry back an item that draw it for me.」
「So what scrawled the circle into the ground?」
「Um, a moderate amount of dragon scales that I had in my bag.」
How do you count a moderate amount of that?
「I was thinking of taking Yureena to the hot springs since she feels better.」
「I see. I’m glad you’re better Yureena. Take your time in the hot springs.」
It was because Yureena had just recovered from the mumps. I was glad she had recovered.
Her cheeks were still red.
「Hm? Your cheeks are still red. Are you okay?」
「I’m fine!」
Yureena’s cheeks got even redder.
「What a turn of events. To see a holy maiden naked before she’s married…」
「We’ve seen you naked over and over before while adventuring.」
「We’re not adventuring now!」
「Yeah…sorry.」
Yurenna grabbed Cruz’ hand and dragged her into the hot springs.
『She’s a holy maiden?』
「Well, that’s what they call her.」
「Ruff.」
I was glad that she seemed so lively.
I went to tell Millet that there would be two more people eating with us tonight.