Chapter 22

"Although I wish the burned field could come back to life just like that, it's impossible for Carmilla to do so, so I'll have to ask her to cultivate it."

With that, I handed Carmilla the homemade sickles and hoes.

The handles are made of wood, but the blades are made from processed stone.

Compared to divine tools, these are ordinary tools with much lower performance, but they are sufficient for field cultivation.

"Wow, these are the tools farmers use. I've never held them before."

Carmilla, who had never held a hoe or sickle, looked at them with great interest.

As the daughter of the Demon King, she is, in a sense, royalty. It's unlikely that someone like her would ever have to cultivate a field.

"I'd like to start with soil preparation, but first we need to clear the weeds. Please pull out the weeds in this area."

I'm not so cruel as to order a beginner to cultivate a vast area.

I planted trees to mark a five-meter by five-meter area, visually indicating the range for the ridges. This way, Carmilla will understand clearly that this is the area for the field.

"Hmm, weeds. I could burn them with magic—no, never mind."

When I gave her a stern look, Carmilla hurriedly started the task.

I was relieved that she wasn't so clueless as to use fire magic, which would damage the land and create a dangerous situation.

Carmilla began cutting the weeds with the sickle, making a zack-zack sound.

"Wow! Cutting grass is actually quite fun!"

Carmilla, holding a bundle of weeds, said with a smile.

At first, it is fun, but after a while, the back starts to hurt from bending over.

Also, some people find this kind of repetitive work tedious.

I could finish this task instantly with my abilities, but then there would be no point in teaching Carmilla the beauty of field cultivation. I have no intention of doing that.

"Please remove any small stones as well. They will get in the way of soil preparation later."

"Got it!"

Because it was a new experience, Carmilla seemed to be enjoying the task of cutting weeds.

She cut and gathered the weeds with a zack-zack sound, then tossed them to the edge of the field. Her movements were very agile.

I had expected her to be less enthusiastic or to complain, so I was pleasantly surprised.

Still, it's only the beginning of the work, so I'll keep an eye on her. Field cultivation requires patience.

As I was monitoring Carmilla's work, I felt something tap my shoulder.

"Huh?"

When I turned around, I saw that a vine had extended from the Kira Plant.

This is a signal that the Kira Plant needs water.

"Leidia, can you water the Kira Plant?"

"Sure."

When I called out to Leidia, who was tending the field, she immediately appeared and responded.

Leidia chanted a spell, and a large water ball appeared. She poured it over the Kira Plant.

The sound of water splashing, like a bucket of water being thrown, echoed.

The Kira Plant, which uses water as its energy source, did not show any signs of anger but rather swayed happily.

"At first, a cup of water was enough."

"It has grown so much."

When we started growing the Kira Plant from a seed, it was only ankle-high.

However, thanks to my growth promotion and the adaptability of the monster, it quickly returned to its original size.

It is now larger than the house we live in.

Its branches and leaves have grown large, and it has buds and thorns on its stem.

It has regained its aggressive appearance from the depths of the forest, but now it is a reliable family member.

The Kira Plant rubbed its head against us affectionately, and we petted it.

When we lightly applied the growth promotion power, the Kira Plant was delighted.

Perhaps because we have provided it with a good environment, water, and growth promotion, it has become very attached to us.

"Hey, Hashira, can I give it a magic stone?"

"Sure, go ahead."

For an Insect Killer, a small magic stone or a scrap magic stone would be a good snack, but for a Kira Plant, it needs a larger magic stone to be a snack.

While giving magic stones is not necessary for care, such treats are important for life. Also, monsters become stronger when they absorb magic stones.

Leidia took a magic stone the size of a fist from her pouch and fed it to the Kira Plant.

The Kira Plant swallowed it with a "chomp" and crunched it.

"Watching it eat the magic stone, it almost looks delicious."

"We definitely couldn't eat it."

In the past, several people who ingested magic stones met tragic ends.

It seems impossible for the human body to absorb the magic of monsters.

Well, I have no interest in such things and have no intention of doing it.

"Hey, you two are having all the fun over there! That's not fair!"

While I was taking care of Leidia and the Kira Plant, Carmilla complained with a pout.

"I'm not playing around. Stop complaining and keep working."

"Still, I'm getting a bit bored. And my back hurts."

It seems the constant bending has taken a toll on her back. She was rubbing her back in pain.

The back takes a lot of strain from maintaining the same posture for a long time.

"Farmers all over the world endure this and work hard. Bear with it. I'll let you take a break once the weeds are cleared."

"Can I play with that monster during the break!?"

I had intended to offer a break as a reward, but she unexpectedly asked for something else.

It seems she wants to play with the Kira Plant more than take a break.

"Sure, go ahead."

"Got it! I'll work a bit harder!"

With permission, Carmilla increased her speed in cutting the weeds.

I'm not sure if it's due to her species or her youth, but she has incredible stamina.

If I or Leidia were to do the same work, we would be exhausted much sooner.

"Look! I've cleared the weeds!"

Carmilla proudly puffed out her chest.

There are still a few small stones left, but considering she is a beginner and the speed at which she worked, it's a passable job.

"You can take a break now."

"Yay! I get to play with the Kira Plant!"

At the mention of a break, Carmilla put down the sickle and ran to the Kira Plant.

However, a vine from the Kira Plant slapped her cheek.

"Ouch! Hey, what are you doing!? It hurts! Stop it!"

Carmilla looked shocked, but the Kira Plant relentlessly slapped her with its vines.

Unable to withstand the storm of vine strikes, which had the destructive power of a whip, Carmilla ran back.

"Hashira! The Kira Plant is being mean to me! Why?"

"Well, Carmilla did burn the field and the house. I think the Kira Plant doesn't like it."

Leidia and I, considering that Carmilla is a child and the daughter of the Demon King, have forgiven her through penance.

However, the Kira Plant doesn't care about such circumstances.

It sees Carmilla as an enemy who harmed its territory. It doesn't have a good impression of her and hasn't forgiven her.

"That's... What can I do to become friends with the Kira Plant?"

"I think the best way is to work diligently and take care of it to regain its trust."

"...I see. I'll work harder."

She's a bit unusual but easy to handle. Despite being the daughter of the Demon King, to me, she just looks like an energetic girl.

She's honest and has a good heart, so I hope she keeps working hard.

Thank you for reading.

If you think:

'Looking forward to the future!'

'Can't wait for the next part!'

'Keep up the good work!'

Please bookmark the story and press the star at the bottom. I would be very happy. Thank you!