ALL NOVEL 13: I’m a Workaholic
Hmm, maybe one more push is needed?
“We don’t need to plant everything at once. You can plant them during your free time. Also, I’ll give vegetable seedlings, compost, and fertilizer to those who help!”
It’s hard to get people to work for free. If there’s compensation, it’ll be easier to participate. My skill storage is overflowing with stock anyway. This way, the Radcliffe family won’t be financially strained.
Riol, who had been silent, finally spoke up.
“There are various concerns, but it’s definitely reasonable.”
Wow. Even the critical Riol gave a positive comment. With that, everyone began to voice their opinions.
“Isn’t it good? The effect of the magic weed is proven, and it should be planted outside the outer protective wall too.”
“I’d like to plant it along the highway as well.”
“We need it around the pasture too.”
“If we can mobilize people under the lord’s order, there won’t be any complaints if there’s compensation.”
“If it allows safe travel to Camille Village, interactions will increase…”
“Also, if we can consistently get magic weed, we can process and sell it!”
“Yeah, we can sell it to the Adventurer’s Guild!”
That last opinion caught my attention, but it seemed like everyone agreed.
“But,” my father said, looking slightly concerned, “It’s true that having the magic weed will make things safer, but we rely too much on Haku’s skill. You’re still young. Won’t it be a burden?”
It’s so kind of my dad to worry about me first. He should be prioritizing the villagers and the territory. It makes my heart warm.
“It’s okay. Other than the magic weed, I’ve been working hard to save up since last year. I’m your son too. I want to help the village and eventually support my brothers!”
When I proudly declared that, Martha started crying, saying, “You’ve grown up so well.” Burton and Tom were also wiping their eyes.
Huh? Isn’t everyone a bit too emotional?
Riol, as usual, was looking at me with a cool expression. I never know what he’s thinking.
After that, I don’t know about the discussions. It seems they worked out the details with the village chief and the local leaders.
My job was to bring out and load the seedlings onto the cart. Ideally, I should be the one doing it to avoid waste, but since I’m still a child, my safety as the lord’s son is a priority. Tom transported the cart filled with magic weed seedlings to the village square. Thanks for going back and forth so many times. I also gave special carrots to the horses for their hard work. So please, don’t eat my hair!
The villagers planted the magic weed seedlings when they had free time. Within a few days, the planting around the village’s stone walls was completed. I instructed them to leave plenty of space between the plants. My special seedlings grow into large plants! Plus, the gaps can be filled later. We can even plant flowers between them to improve the scenery.
Planting in other areas is more dangerous, so it seems the men and retainers will handle it. It’ll probably take several years to complete this public project. Let’s all work together for a safer life!
I made sure to properly thank the participants too.
Upon request, potatoes, wheat, vegetable seedlings, fertilizers, and compost were distributed.
The meat from the magical beasts that Father and his retainers defeated was also well-received. The children of the village participated eagerly because they also received some shares. Moving forward, those who work will be compensated. Aim for a white domain. Absolutely no black!
I also planted the magic weed in a zigzag pattern, two rows front and back, along the village path. My laid-back self was always with Guri and Poko. It’s fun for the three of us to work together happily!
By the way, the spirits weren’t visible to passing villagers. It’s natural to be wary of humans seen for the first time from a distance. On the contrary, I might have looked like a weird kid talking to myself from afar. I think it’s a loss to worry about it. Well, I’m just a child, so it’s forgiven, right?
Also, Riol occasionally helped me.
“When Ren comes back for summer vacation, he’ll be surprised,” he laughed with a beautiful smile.
Oh! The power of a pretty boy! The spirits and I gaped in astonishment.
While planting the magic weed, the field preparation was completed. Poko the earth spirit worked hard. It’s amazing. In no time, the soil became fluffy, and neat ridges were made. The three of us did a little dance. Joy should be shared.
After planting the magic weed, potatoes come first. Let’s plant seed potatoes normally. It’s the end of April, so I thought it would be unnatural to plant seedlings. In my previous life, I heard you plant when cherry blossoms bloom, but there are no cherry blossoms here. Even if the planting time is slightly off, it should be fine since they’re seed potatoes from my botanical garden! I’ve already exposed them to sunlight for sprouting!
The field has wide paths. The planting space is also wide, so visibility is great. Even when the vegetables grow big, anything moving should be visible. Of course, my spirits are watching, so there’s no place for intruders to hide. They shouldn’t lose sight of me either… Please! Don’t lose sight of me!
The planting work took several days. For some reason, besides Guri and Poko, many small spirits appeared. They sparkled in the sunlight, flying around like colorful spirit troops. Some looked like balls of light, some were palm-sized little people, and some were small animals.
These spirits seemed to be lower-class spirits originally drifting around Luke Village. Newborns and weak ones drift mixed in the air. Guri and Poko befriended them, and now they all help. Thank you!
These spirits are invisible to Father and others. Only I can see them among humans. They communicate by flashing, but it’s a bit dazzling. I’d appreciate it if they could tone it down a bit!
After potatoes, it’s time to sow turnip seeds. Then, we’ll plant cabbage, watermelon, and melon seedlings. Don’t forget to lay straw for the cucurbit vegetables. The spirits and I worked diligently. I’ve worked the hardest in my life!
Then I suddenly realized. What about pumpkins, the representative of storable vegetables? They should’ve been a priority over fruits! Haku-chan, big mistake!!
But it was too late to realize it. I’ll have to plant them with summer vegetables in the backyard. That’ll be after this is done. Inside the wall, cheating won’t be noticed, so I’ll go all out with magic!
Lastly, I’ll sow edamame and soybeans. They’re the same beans. Edamame is just soybeans harvested while still green.
By the time the planting was finally done, I was exhausted. It was tough for a small, slow-growing child like me. Even though over ninety percent of the work was done by the spirits.
After that, I was bedridden for two days and got scolded by Father and Martha. During my bedridden period, I reached level ten.
‘Level up. Reached level ten. A new area has been unlocked. Fruit trees can now be cultivated. Reservation planting is now possible.’
It echoed in my feverish head without restraint.
I wish it had happened when I was healthy…