In order to sign an exclusive contract with Gregory-san, the strongest human rights character in Fantasy Farm Story, I decided to wait for the harvest day.
――But it seems that day will come soon.
That’s because when I returned from town and checked on the farm,
「Whoa?!」
I found myself exclaiming.
The sight that spread before me was breathtaking.
It was the sight of the crops that had grown magnificently.
「So much growth in such a short time… The benefits of the underground lake is really greater than I expected.」
I had originally thought that the material crops, which grow quickly, could be harvested immediately, but the growth rate of the vegetables also exceeded my expectations. At this rate, I should be able to deliver all the crops by the day after tomorrow at the latest.
「Uwaa! They’ve grown so much already?!」
Martina seemed to be surprised by the growth rate as well.
「Among these… I think I’ll take the Flame Tomatoes and Thunder Paprika, which have grown especially fast, to Gregory-san.」
「Both are magical power-boosting ingredients that would be a delight for any mage. I hear that there aren’t many farmers who cultivate them, so I think they’d be quite valuable.」
「The problem is… the taste.」
The words that Gregory-san had said were burned into my mind.
『However, I’m a somewhat well-known merchant around here… I won’t compromise on taste. Just remember that. 』
Right.
The effect of the vegetables is not the only thing that matters – they also need to taste good in order to be handled by the Rymar Company.
So I decided to take another look at the cultivation conditions here.
Sunlight is no problem.
Even now, the sunlight is so bright that I have to squint my eyes. It shines through the hole that has opened in the upper part of the dungeon and illuminates the lake and the farm.
There is also no damage from pests or insects.
The nutrients in the soil (the magical power seeping out of the underground lake) are also sufficient.
There are no problems.
Everything is going smoothly.
If this is the case, I can expect the taste to be good as well.
「Let’s harvest the Flame Tomatoes and Thunder Paprika tonight and see how they taste.」
「Leave the cooking to me!」
「I’m counting on you.」
Martina has completely settled down here.
Well, she seems to be motivated herself, saying “fuhn” and all, so I guess it’s okay?
「Let’s just organize the stuff I bought in town.」
「Yes!」
「You guys can help too.」
「「「「「Kiiikii!」」」」」
I carry the bags full of daily necessities that I bought at Gregory-san’s store and head for the tree house. Thanks to that, my funds are almost depleted… I have to get these crops handled by the Rymar Company no matter what.
――As I was thinking about this, someone tugged hard on my sleeve.
I turned around and saw Woodman Aaron there.
He seems to be trying to tell me something desperately, but…
「?Is there something wrong with the underground lake?」
Screeching “Kii!”, Aaron points not to the underground lake, but slightly above it. …Above?
「Uwaa?!」
I couldn’t help but exclaim in surprise.
That’s because I saw someone falling from the hole in the ceiling. Judging by the length of her hair, she’s a girl?
The height is easily over ten meters – if this keeps up, she’ll die at worst!
「Kuh」
I put down the bags I was carrying and ran towards the underground lake.
Behind me, Martina is shouting 「Bale-dono!? What’s wrong!?」 but I don’t have time to stop.
「I have to make it in time!」
To save the falling girl, I thrust the Dragon Tree Sword into the ground.
Immediately afterwards, the giant vine that appeared when I sealed the movement of the monster that attacked Martina earlier shoots out towards the girl.
Soon, the vine takes the form of a large hand and gently wraps around the falling girl.
She must have taken some damage, but… it’s better than being slammed into the lake surface.
「Bale-dono!」
「It’s okay. The girl is fine. ――It seems that she lost consciousness while falling.」
I pull the vine closer and check the girl’s condition… There doesn’t seem to be any noticeable injuries.
「But still…」
I am captivated by the girl.
The girl with long lavender hair tied in twintails and wearing a black pointed hat is ―― very cute. She looks like a doll.
And then, one more thing.
There is a staff near her as she lies down.
Could she be… a mage?
「? Bale-dono?」
「!? Ah, ah, sorry.」
I was so engrossed in her that I lost consciousness.
「For the time being, let’s put this girl to bed.」
「In that case, let’s carry her to my room.」
「No, Martina will be using that room, won’t you? There are still spare rooms in the tree house, so let’s put her to bed there.」
I had the Woodmen make the necessary furniture in anticipation of something like this. Unfortunately, we only have sheets for me and Martina, so I’ll have to let her use mine first. It’s still unused, so that’s okay, right?
I entrusted the fallen girl to the Woodmen, and Martina and I focused on harvesting.
That said, since it was just for a tasting before tomorrow, we limit ourselves to two of each and tasted them.
「Tomato and paprika… Let’s eat them as they are first, and marinate the rest.」
「Eh? You can do that?」
「Yes. I bought the necessary ingredients as well.」
「Oh! You’re well-prepared.」
「It’s a menu I came up with when I saw the lineup of vegetables we’re cultivating.」
……It seems that Martina is really good at cooking.
And she should have been doing it for a long time given how skilled she is.
Could it be that she was aiming to be a chef before she became an adventurer?
As I was wondering about Martina’s past, it was time to taste the harvested vegetables.
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