Chapter 10

The next day, the man who came again introduced himself as Gil. Apparently, he operates several shops in town, such as a general store and a used bookstore. Incidentally, he doesn't run an inn.

I reported this important information to my parents. Gil, who is wealthy enough to have excess land, is quite well-known in the neighborhood. My mother said, "If you're being taken care of by him, you should go and greet him sometime."

And so, I'm back to working on the field today. I think using magic to make sand and dig soil is good training. Nicol is also here, acting as an advisor and the one to receive the snacks.

"Hey, don't you do any training?"

Nicol looked puzzled.

"What, no? My first goal is to parasitize my big brother. If by any chance my big brother becomes a good-for-nothing who can't earn a living, I plan to parasitize my parents by helping with the housework at home."

"That's a pretty unambitious life plan for a five-year-old. You even tell my mom, 'Nicol wants to be a princess!' Anyway, do we really have to take over the inn? I'm not absolutely against it, but I want to try various things while I can."

"Well, Dad and Mom are still young, so even if you become an adventurer and get an arrow in the knee, you can still take over the family business in time."

"Planning to retire, huh. Well, Dad and Mom are still young enough to have more kids, so I don't need to think about it now."

By the way, I'm now five and have my own room, but until then, I slept in the same room as my parents. They were quite active at night, treating me like a child who wouldn't understand. Nicol and I were extremely uncomfortable. I threw a tantrum, and Nicol cried, and we managed to get our own room.

While talking about this, we were doing magic training when Gil arrived.

"Hey, you kids are working hard. Here, little girl, have some snacks."

"Thank you, Uncle Gil!"

Nicol took the snacks with her usual smile. Gil's face was all mushy. It might look like he's training her, but in fact, he's the one being trained.

"The field is coming along nicely. You should start thinking about what to plant soon... Oh, by the way, your mother came to my place yesterday to greet me. You kids are from 'The Restful Journey Inn,' right? I've never stayed there, but I hear from my customers that the food is delicious and the rooms are clean, quite a reputable inn."

So that's how we're rated. I thought we were doing well just because of the location, but it's more than that. Hearing this, I feel a bit reluctant to let Dad end the business, but I'll put that off for now.

"I'm not sure, but we do get a lot of customers. So, Uncle Gil, what do you want to plant?"

"Hmm, let's see... Since it's a field you're making, how about planting vegetables that your inn can use? How about tomatoes? We can share some with you."

"Ugh, tomatoes!?"

I hate tomatoes. The grassy smell, the gross, squishy insides when you bite into them, and the way they're constantly promoted on health shows as a superfood—those devilish vegetables are my worst nightmare.

"Haha! Many kids don't like tomatoes! But how about tomatoes from a field you've cultivated with magic? They might taste different!"

"The tomatoes we eat at home don't taste good?"

"Vegetables from a field cultivated with magic are more expensive because of the effort put into them. Ordinary inns don't use them."

"Is that true? Really?"

I find it hard to believe, but it is magic power after all. I can judge after I taste them.

"Alright, I'll bring seeds and tools from my shop tomorrow. The field is big enough for now, so you can finish your practice early today."

"Okay. How long does it take for tomatoes to grow?"

"About a week in this field?"

Seriously? I'm already getting a glimpse of the power of magic.

And Gil left. Well, I'll wrap up my practice and have some snacks. ...Nicol, Nicol? Where's my snack?