After notifying the authorities about the dungeon, they assured me it would be handled promptly. I also asked about the seemingly tame creature—Dori. Apparently, any monster you take in must be reported as well.
Still unsure whether she’s actually a monster, I left a note at the dungeon entrance: *“Taking care of a lost girl found here.”*
「Papa!」
Dori came running to fetch me. Breakfast must be ready.
Since then, Grandpa has doted on Dori like his own child. He’s so attentive that she occasionally runs away to cling to Grandma instead.
Seeing the crestfallen look on Grandpa’s face at those times, I can’t help but laugh.
Does getting ignored by Dori really upset him that much?
Though his memory is often unreliable due to dementia, spending time with Dori seems to provide good stimulation for him.
「Naoki, now that you’re back, what do you plan to do?」
Grandma asked about my future. I originally intended to take over the farm here, but even the fields were gone now.
「I’ve got some savings, so I was thinking of giving farming another try.」
As a former corporate slave, I hardly spent any of my salary. I had enough stashed away to cover the tools I’d need, leaving only living expenses to worry about.
I decided to use up a year’s worth of savings. If things still didn’t work out, I’d consider finding another job.
「You’re going to work the fields? Alright, Grandpa will help you out!」
「Don’t push yourself too hard, dear.」
「What are you talking about? I’ve got to show Dori what I can do, ho ho ho—whoa!」
Grandpa stood up too suddenly and almost fell. I reached out to catch him, but before he hit the ground, he seemed to hover slightly in midair.
「Gramps!」
It was Dori. She had grabbed hold of his clothes, preventing the fall.
At that moment, I was reminded again—Dori wasn’t human. Grandma must have thought the same.
But Grandpa was unfazed. Smiling warmly, he gently patted Dori’s head in gratitude.
In the end, it didn’t matter whether Dori was human or a monster. Dori was simply Dori.
♢
Together with Grandpa and Dori, I headed toward the fields.
「What’s all those stuff for?」
「I thought I’d document the process as a keepsake.」
I decided to record everything. While researching how to revive neglected farmland, I’d stumbled across videos made by others streaming similar efforts.
**—Video Streaming**
Streaming had become as popular a profession as dungeon exploring. With fewer traditional TV shows, people had turned to creating and consuming video content online.
Revenue came from ads, viewer donations, and various other sources, prompting people from all walks of life to start streaming.
One particularly trendy niche was dungeon exploration. In fact, I recently saw footage from a streamer’s video featuring a monster just like the dog-like one I had taken down yesterday.
The creature was called a “Mitsume* Wolf.”
Its name matched its appearance so perfectly that I couldn’t help but laugh.
TN: 3 eyes like how the wolf looks like.
With no other source of income, I decided to jump on the streaming bandwagon. If I could earn even a little, it would help cover living expenses.
「Grandpa, what should we do first?」
「Gramps!」
To keep Grandpa safe, we had him sit in a chair as the on-site supervisor. Dori, meanwhile, put on a pair of shoes to help out—albeit slightly oversized ones I had worn as a kid.
The only clothing we had for her were old clothes Grandma had saved as a keepsake.
「First, clear out the stones and spread some herbicide.」
Even with his dementia, Grandpa’s episodic memory remained sharp. When it came to reviving the farm, his advice was faster and more practical than any video tutorial I could find.
「What’s wrong, Dori?」
As I reached for the herbicide, Dori grabbed onto my shirt and shook her head.
「You don’t like this stuff?」
She nodded emphatically. Without herbicide, the work would increase exponentially. Pulling weeds by hand was a monumental task, but something told me to listen to her.
「Big stones, roll roll」
「Roll roll」
We started removing larger stones, singing a little tune as we worked. Surprisingly, Dori joined in, mimicking the melody in her cheerful voice.
Once the stones were mostly cleared, we moved on to the weeds. Even with tools, progress was slow. But when I glanced over at Dori, I saw her pulling weeds at twice my speed.
「Haha, kids sure are energetic! You’re falling behind, Naoki!」
Grandpa’s teasing spurred me on, but it was clear my adult body wasn’t as resilient as it once was. Staying bent over for long stretches was harder than I remembered.
「Papa!」
「What is it, Dori—wait, are you done already?」
「Yay!」
The plot Dori worked on was completely weed-free, leaving bare soil behind.
Now it was my turn. The next step was plowing—turning and loosening the soil. This process made the earth more suitable for planting by breaking up the top layer and improving aeration.
After that came soil improvement. We added compost and leaf mold to enrich the nutrients, all under Grandpa’s instructions.
By this point, Dori had grown tired and was napping on Grandpa’s lap. Since only I appeared in the video feed, there was no issue with her resting.
I continued preparing the soil, applying microbial agents, and organizing the plots for planting. The work was grueling, but as I toiled away, I realized something:
Unlike my old job, no one here yelled at me or demanded apologies. That small freedom made the effort feel worth it.
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