13-Is this seed good or bad?

"Hello, Firks-sama!!"

I already knew Firks-sama was a good-natured man so I greeted him enthusiastically. But the two brothers were all flustered at the sudden appearance of Firks-sama with his dazzling golden hair, that they tried to kneel right there on the field.

It seemed that Firks-sama was so famous that he was known even to kids.

"Oh, don't mind me, and continue on with your work. I've already sent out a proclamation that no one needed to prostrate to me, haven't I?"

Nott stayed stock still, his body bent as he'd been about to kneel down, and looked at me with a troubled expression. When I nodded to him, he stood back up and worriedly squeezed Marco's hand.

Marco peeked from behind Nott and looked up at Firks-sama's face.

Did he feel shy with all these unfamiliar adults around?

There were knights standing a few paces behind Firks-sama. Though they were all wearing armor, I instantly recognized the knight on the far right. It was Krish-san.

All the knights had the same build, but only he exuded an aura of a hero. It was like he was shining with it.

"Hello to you too, Krish-san!!"

He nodded back at my greeting. I knew it, it was Krish-san!

"Shinobu, are you tilling this field today?" Firks-sama asked.

"Yes, I'm helping these kids out."

"That's wonderful. It's important to be kind to children. You're planting those seeds, right? Let me see."

Firks-sama easily stepped onto the field. He took a single seed from the strainer full of seeds and put it to his ear. "Yes, this is a good seed."

"How do you know?" I asked.

"I can hear a bell-like sound from good seeds. It's like they're saying they want to hurry up and sprout."

"Amazing!! How about this one, Firks-sama? Is it a good seed?" Marco asked as he held out a different seed, eyes sparkling. Firks-sama took the seed and once again put it to his ear. He closed his eyes.

The brothers held their breath and watched as he made a slight frown.

"This seed is a bit shy. The sound it makes is a little quiet, but I can hear it. If you take good care of it, it will grow delicious vegetables."

Firks-sama was pretty good with children.

Though he looked only a little older than Norn, maybe he was already a father with his own kids?

If I had a father who was like Firks-sama, I'd definitely brag about him. He was so cool.

"Shinobu! C'mon, let's plant these seeds."

"Big brother, hurry hurry! Firks-sama says these seeds wanna sprout!"

Nott and Marco badgered me, suddenly full of motivation. I tried to think of a way to teach them how to plant the seeds.

It would be easier to do it myself, but I thought that I should teach them how so that they can do it by themselves without my help.

"Okay, I'll teach you. You poke a shallow hole into the earth with your finger, then drop the seed into the hole. Then you gently cover the hole back up with just a little soil. If you cover it up too much, the seed will have a hard time sprouting through the earth."

Nott made a hole in the soil, and Marco dropped the seed into it. I watched them work for a moment, then stepped back.

"Don't forget to ask them to grow into delicious vegetables as you sow the seeds, alright?" I told them.

The brothers peacefully worked together as they planted the seeds. From time to time, they handed seeds to the nearby Firks-sama and smiled widely when they were told the seeds were good seeds.

Just yesterday, Marco had been about to cry. Now he was happily sowing seeds and showing off to Firks-sama, asking him, "Aren't I good?" How cute.

I smiled as I watched Marco loudly tell the seeds to "Hurry and grow, okay!!" Then I realized that Krish-san had been standing beside me for a while now.

He asked, "You're not sowing seeds, Shinobu? Wouldn't the plants grow better if you used your plant cheat skill?"

That's true. But I didn't think I should do that.

I said, "It's true that they would grow faster if I planted the seeds myself, but that's not good, is it? After all, I can't help these kids with farming all the time."

For example, if these two were to leave home, move to a different town, and have their own farms. If they had gotten used to how fast plants grew using my ability, they'd experience problems.

Normally, a seed you just planted wouldn't fully grow by the next day. And it was impossible for normal tomatoes to grow fruits in five days.

I could just imagine them being incredibly puzzled when the fruits they were expecting after five days didn't appear. Therefore, it was better to leave everything up to them, starting from planting the seeds all the way up to harvesting.

I was basically cutting corners with my cheat skill. For these two who couldn't do the same, it was better for them to learn the proper way of growing vegetables and experience everything by themselves.

Watering the plants daily, weeding them, pruning them. Having them wilt if you forget to take care of them, or having them be eaten by pests.

These kinds of experiences would help them grow and think up their own solutions to whatever problems they'll encounter.

"For their sake, my help should be in the form of teaching them to do things by themselves."

Did he understand my reasoning? I looked up to Krish-san and saw that he was intently watching the brothers. I couldn't see his face through that helmet so I didn't know what he was thinking, but I hope he understood that I wasn't withholding my help for malicious reasons.

"Shinobu, you..."

I tensed a little, wondering what he was going to say. Because even though I've thought things through, other people would have their own opinions.

"You have a more adult way of thinking than I thought."

This was the first time I've heard Krish-san speak in such a gentle voice.

"Just being kind to them all the time isn't good for children. You have to guide them so that they'd be self-sufficient once they grow into adults. I know that in my head, but with how few children there are, I tend to end up spoiling them. There are a lot of people always carrying candy around to give to children, wanting to make sure that they wouldn't grow hungry, but... the children might get used to charity and be too dependent on them. So your way is correct. The people of this world, including me, have a lot to learn from you."

Krish-san raised a hand as if to pat me on the head. He hesitated, then changed directions and patted me on the shoulder instead.

Did this mean that he was acknowledging that I was not a child?

If that was the case, that would make me happy. The thought made my face heat up.

Krish-san was like my ideal dependable adult. If I were to liken him to a character of that sentai series I used to watch as a child, he'd be the Black Ranger. Compared to the hot-headed Red Ranger, the Black Ranger was always calm and composed. Just like Krish-san.

It felt like I'd been praised by a hero I admired. I was simultaneously happy and embarrassed.

"Krish, we should head back," Firks-sama called.

"Yes."

The brothers, who'd grown much closer to Firks-sama, let out a disappointed "Eehhh?!" Firks-sama patted both of them on the head before getting back into his carriage.

The knights also went on their horses. I looked up at Krish-san who'd gotten farther up than I could reach, disappointed.

I'd wanted to talk more with him.

"Good luck, Shinobu."

Just like before, he spoke with only his head turned to me. Then he raised a hand to signal the carriage to move.

Krish-san looked so cool as he left. He really was like a hero.

I waved my hand goodbye as I watched them leave. Marco tugged at my clothes and asked, "Big brother, why is your face all red?"

I inwardly screeched. It was really embarrassing to be seen getting shy about being praised by someone I admired.

"R-really? Maybe I'm getting sunburned?"

"Yeah, your face is red. Want a hat?" Nott took off the hat he was wearing and offered it to me.

"No, I'm fine," I refused. "Let's continue! You guys go on sowing the seeds. I'll water them after," I loudly declared to distract them from my embarrassment, then hurried away with the bucket.

Nott and Marco exchanged confused looks but soon were too concentrated on planting the seeds to mind my actions.

I wondered when I would next meet Krish-san. Maybe when these seeds have sprouted?

What would he say if he saw this field full of growing vegetables? Imagining that moment made me feel very excited.

As evening approached, the brothers finished planting the seeds and started making a fuss about being hungry.

They said their mother would only return at night.

After having tasted my sandwiches, they insisted that I make them something, even pulling on my arms.

I didn't really want to enter their house without their parents there, but I couldn't leave them hungry until nighttime. That would be too pitiful. They said they had some bread, so I made some soup with the vegetables and smoked meat that I'd brought.

When Nott inadvertently bit into an onion, he made such a ridiculous face that Marco and I burst into laughter.

"You could've eaten with us," Nott said.

"Thank you. But Hanako and the others are waiting for me, so I need to get home."

I was thankful for Nott's invitation, but I'd already left my home empty for two days straight. So I wanted to come home early. Besides, Pochi had worked hard today too, and I wanted to let him rest.

Marco asked, "Who's Hanako, your brother?"

"Hanako is the name of one of my cows. I don't have any family with me."

"You live alone? That sounds lonely."

Did it? I was often alone in my previous world too, so I didn't really know.

My parents were always busy with work, and they usually got home late. It'd been like that ever since I was a kid, so I'd already gotten used to it.

"I'm an adult, so I don't feel lonely. I'll come to visit sometimes. If you see weeds growing, you need to take them out, okay?"

The brothers sent me off, waving their hands as I rode home with Brian and Pochi.

I fell into thought as the wagon rattled from the bumpy road.

I'd never thought I was lonely ever since I came to this world. Because I had a family in Pochi, Hanako, and the others.

It was true that I was alone in the house at night, but just the knowledge of the animals being nearby erased any sense of loneliness I had.

Back in my previous world, I didn't typically entertain such thoughts. But when I got home from spending my vacation with my grandma, I did feel a bit lonely.

Grandma...... It was almost Grandma's death anniversary.

I want to visit her grave.

I want to tell her how I was having fun here every day, and that I've made friends with Norn and Couge. I want to tell her that I've made a family, though they were just the animals that I was raising.

I want to tell her a lot of things.

I wonder how expensive the toll would be if I wanted to go through the gate between worlds? I didn't spend money on anything but food, and I'd been putting it away into an empty bottle, but I didn't know if the amount I'd been able to save was enough.

If I remembered correctly, the other world tour was pretty expensive. I think it was more than three hundred thousand yen for a four-day, three-night stay.

I didn't think the amount I had in the bottle reached three hundred thousand...

I'll ask Norn. If the money I had right now wasn't enough, then I'll just continue to save up until Grandpa's death anniversary.

Then, I'll write a letter to my parents too, and tell them how I've been doing.

Have they already read the letter I'd sent before I moved here?

But knowing them, they were probably jetting around the world and hadn't even gotten the letter yet.

I'm sure they would just say, "Do whatever you want." Though they were rarely home, they always allowed me to do what I wanted.

"I'll tell them about Pochi and the others too. They'll definitely be surprised once I tell them that Pochi is the size of a lion or a tiger."

Seemingly tired, Pochi remained with his head resting on his front paws. A wag of his tail was his only response to my words.