Chapter 422: Working, but Relaxing
For the past few days, I’ve been diligently tending to the mountains, fields, and orchard of the House.
To prevent the mountains from becoming too dark, I’ve been cutting down poorly growing trees to let sunlight reach the ground, and adjusting the direction of branches to improve airflow.
—Pig-kun? You don’t have to desperately tell me where the mushrooms are, you know?
And Rishu doesn’t need to dig so fiercely either. Pig-kun is already covered in mud! Well, I guess he likes getting dirty.
While I’m pulling on a rope tied to a branch, Rishu is digging away, making a sound like “ba! ba!” And there’s Pig-kun, digging up the ground with his snout, showering himself with the dirt he’s unearthed.
A Spirit basking in the sunlight on a truffle stretched out, only to be startled and flee as Pig-kun snuffled at it. Must be a decayed leaf Spirit?
And then there are those glimmering eyes looking up at me. No, really. I’m not hungry anymore, so you don’t have to show off how useful you can be!
I informed the Spirits residing in the orchard and fields that anything that doesn’t resemble vegetables is a no-go, and decided to have the new Spirits receive some educational guidance. Anything that looks suspiciously like fruit or vegetables will be designated as snacks for the Ex-Staff.
I was wondering what to do, but since Retze seems to be feeding Vine-chan too, and the Ex-Staff was happy about it, I guess it’s fine.
I checked the waterway, cleaning up fallen leaves and debris. There are Spirits of pure flowing water, so it’s usually clean.
Still, after a strong wind, debris can accumulate in the waterway leading to the watermill, so I clean it occasionally.
I scooped up the trash floating in front of the board I had set afloat at the Water Gate and moved it to the spot where I had piled up dried leaves and cut grass for fertilizer. I took some rice bran from [Storage] and sprinkled it, then layered the scooped-up trash on top.
Even though I call it trash, it’s not like in Japan where there’s plastic. It’s just bits of broken branches that aren’t even small twigs and torn leaves.
The pumpkins are getting close to harvest, but I wonder how they’re doing? They’re cross-pollinating, but last time they were too watery and tasted rather bland. I’d be happy if this year they turn out sweet and fluffy.
I turned the growing pumpkins on the straw so that the underside gets some sunlight.
“Ten days~”
“Over here, fourteen days~”
“Thirteen days~”
The Spirits perched on the pumpkins informed me. It seems that about four to five days from the day of pollination is the guideline for harvest, but I’m relying on the Spirits for the ripeness judgment since I can’t tell just by looking! I can somewhat tell when the tendrils attached to the pumpkins turn cork-like and white.
I pinched off the side shoots of the pumpkins and guided the vines. I also thinned the leaves of other vegetables, laid down straw, and pollinated them, putting in the effort I had slacked on.
The leaves of the vegetables I picked are treats for Chicken-kun and Pig-kun. They’re quite popular.
I harvested figs and pomegranates, and picked tomatoes that will bear fruit one after another as it gets hotter.
The early tomatoes are plump and juicy, so I eat them raw, while the tomatoes at this time of year have less moisture and a richer flavor, so I make them into puree or canned tomatoes. I have [Storage], but I busily made jars of tomatoes to share with Shiva and the Butler.
By the way, the locals eat the seeds of pomegranates too. I was a bit surprised by the crunching sound. But the seeds have various beneficial components, so I thought I’d try… but it’s just not something I’m used to.
After working, I relax for the day at the Sanctuary House in the Forest. Unlike the House, which still holds the heat of summer, or the island that’s sunny all year round, it’s cool here.
Even in summer, it can be a bit too cool, but using the fireplace makes it just right. The large iron kettle steams, and the aroma of brewed coffee fills the air.
In the shadow cast by me in front of the fireplace, Rishu is gnawing on the Ex-Staff. Rishu prefers it a bit chilly, so he’s blocking the heat from the fireplace with me and my chair. Occasionally, he dashes outside through the door. He’s probably just trying to cool off.
I opened a book I borrowed from the Spirit Library. The reading room in the Spirit Library is cozy like a burrow, but sometimes I enjoy reading here while catching glimpses of the outside scenery.
It’s like the Spirits of roses, young leaves, blackberries, flower petals, and leaf sounds—this garden resembles a scene from early spring to early summer. It’s so cool that it feels like flowers would bloom even if snow piled up.
Originally, this spot was bathed in dappled sunlight, with beautiful underbrush and warm, soft rays, while the surrounding forest was cold to the point of being chilly—well, I guess this is how it turned out, influenced by my initial impressions.
I let the Spirits do as they please here, but it seems fortunate that there aren’t many noisy Spirits deep in the forest; it’s in a nice state. It maintains its beauty without any care.
And it’s not a stiff, organized beauty; the branches and leaves stretch freely, as if to say, “Should I trim them a bit more?”
On a slightly rainy day off, I played with Rishu by my side, reading a book and occasionally petting him. I spent the day leisurely.
The next day, when I went to the island, a self-proclaimed Knight or Sword Master was there, and it was quite bothersome!
I’ve gotten used to the noisy kind of loudness, since in the House I only interact with Spirits, so it felt strangely nostalgic to think, “Ah, this is the human world.” But the bothersome kind is something I can do without.
He seemed to be a famous person, and the island was buzzing with excitement, except for the uninterested Changelings around him. Well, yeah, there’s not much entertainment, so I guess it’s nice to have a change of pace… maybe?