ALL NOVEL 14: It’s Radberry
I recently leveled up. I’m now at level ten.
When I checked the skill screen, I saw a new area.
Previously, each time I leveled up, I gained two sets of nine squares, so I had seventeen sets in total. But now, at level ten, the number has quadrupled.
Isn’t this too sudden of an expansion?
It’s called the fruit tree area, so maybe it needs to be this large? As for the fruit trees that can be planted… it’s the forbidden fruit, the apple. A classic choice.
First, I need to calm down and plant crops in the existing farm area. The cultivation completion time is now fourteen hours. If I plant at 8 AM, they’ll be ready by 10 PM. But since I’m a child, I’d be asleep by then, leading to some lost time until the next morning. However, with the new scheduled planting function, I can have seedlings ready while I sleep. It will also handle harvesting automatically, right?
The crucial point is that the number of reservations is three slots. This is a great feature! I can grow crops during the day and mass-produce seedlings for magic herbs and medicinal plants at night. Awesome!
In the future, cultivation times will likely get shorter, so efficiency is key.
Let’s check out the fruit tree area! Oh, there’s already a lumber mill. They’re thorough, even when nothing is planted yet.
With the increased planting area, I’ve become a large-scale farmer! Each fruit tree occupies four squares. Since it’s a tree, it makes sense. So, only two trees can be planted in nine squares, but the remaining square can be used for another crop. What was previously a fixed 3×3 grid can now be combined into flexible layouts like 4×4 or 3×5.
I immediately changed the layout and planted apple trees. The cultivation time seems consistent. Will the trees become unproductive after a few harvests? That’s how it was in games. I need to verify this.
This morning, I planted crops in the garden. The summer vegetables: tomatoes, eggplants, cucumbers, corn, bell peppers, and beans. Don’t forget pumpkins. What else? I asked Martha, who was outside hanging laundry.
“Leafy greens would be helpful,” she said.
Spinach, radishes, and leaf lettuce? They’re quick to harvest. Herbs like chamomile, lemongrass, and mint could be planted in containers, useful for making tea. And don’t forget lavender! Where should I plant it? Seeing me hum and get excited, Martha smiled warmly.
Our garden has now become a vegetable patch. I planted vegetables and herbs everywhere there was space. Tom grumbled a bit, but I didn’t mind.
My overzealous planting even left Riol bewildered, but now he’s helping me pollinate the strawberries. We’re growing strawberries in hanging baskets by the first-floor windows.
By the way, ensuring strawberries have a nice shape requires effort. If left to insects, they can become misshapen.
These strawberries were created using my plant cultivation skills, so they are giant, super sweet strawberries. You’ll be amazed when you taste them!
They are a bright vermilion red, shining like jewels. Aiming to make them a specialty, I named them “Radberries.” “Radcliffe Berries” is too long, so it’s “Radberries.”
Ever since I introduced these strawberries from my botanical garden to our dining table, they have become Riol’s favorite.
Strawberries propagate quickly through runners, so they can be mass-produced. I planted the flowering seedlings in larger pots, added fertilizer, and sent a large quantity to two villages. I didn’t think about whether it might be a nuisance!
It would be great if each household could grow them and enjoy the fruits. Strawberries aren’t very labor-intensive and are easy to cultivate. Even if their shape is imperfect, they are still edible, right?
“In the future, if we can establish strawberry farmers, making them a specialty product might not be a dream,” I said, grinning, and Riol nodded.
“In this region, rich in magical elements, plants also contain these elements. Even if the seedlings were planted elsewhere, they wouldn’t be the same. These Radberries can be our region’s high-quality specialty product.”
Riol’s love for Radberries is unstoppable. He is diligently pollinating them with a serious expression. I wish he would share a bit of that love with me!
By the way, I have a plentiful supply of the highest quality Radberries stored in my warehouse, so I can eat them anytime, anywhere, regardless of the season.
I quietly took some out from the skill warehouse and offered one to Riol. Of course, I ate one too.
“Munch munch. …The problem is the distribution route. Since they spoil quickly, the farthest we can send them is the margrave’s territory.”
“Is there something like a magic bag? Should I ask Grandpa for one?”
I mumbled as I looked at Riol, tilting my head.
A miraculous item from another world, that’s a magic bag! I want one!
“…Haku might be able to pull it off,” he nodded with a mix of exasperation and certainty. Imagining Grandpa being sweet to me, right?
“Yes. Riol, you’ll leave the territory next year, right? It would be great if you could take some with you then, like melons and watermelons.”
I said with a big, beaming smile. Having Riol on my side is beneficial. I need to butter him up!
Next year, Riol will go to the academy in the royal capital where Ren is for his studies. I’m sure he can’t imagine life without Radberries. They are so sweet and delicious, almost addictive.
You can honor me, you know?
Grinning smugly.
When I got carried away, Riol tapped me on the head!
Ouch!