We each took a corner of the field and sowed as many seeds as we could. Since I was much higher level than my apprentices, I was able to plant a larger area. We kept part of the field free so that we had room to walk and tend to the crop.
I used my hoe, fertilizer sacks, seed dispenser, and watering can to good effect as usual. This was my third year on the farm, and my hands moved with practiced ease.
Once we finished, I wiped nonexistent sweat from my brow and said, “Done! Let’s all go back to our rooms to rest. I need a few more hours of sleep.”
Kharli and Mo giggled.
“Someone didn’t let someone rest last night,” said Mo in a singsong tone.
Kharli fluttered her eyelashes in a comically flirtatious way. “They must have been too busy to sleep.”
Lari just rolled his eyes and pretended he didn’t hear anything.
I pinched the girls’ cheeks lightly. “Oh, you!”
“Teacher, when is the prince coming back to visit you?” asked Kharli.
“No idea, but he’ll send word soon.”
Prince Baiyu and I were now going steady. One might even call it an unofficial engagement though that seemed to me an oxymoron. Due to the current state of war that the Westerlands were in because of the descent of the Demon Monarch, most celebrations were put on hold. The money that would have been spent on elaborate weddings, anniversary parties, reunions, etc. was supposed to be donated to the upcoming demon extermination campaign. This meant that we didn’t have any big announcement, but his parents had privately indicated their approval, so we were in the process of getting to know each other better in preparation for a life together.
During wartime, clan members, who normally took a slow approach to relationships, preferred a much faster pace, but I still wanted to take my time and enjoy the sweetness of a slow romance.
“May I have another soda, please?” asked Lari.
“No, you guys already had one today! Just sleep…” As I was talking I realized that the [Kola-Kola Soda] was caffeinated. Would they even be able to sleep right now? “Or soak for a bit in the hot spring before resting.”
“Teacher, can you give me a few more [Ageless Beauty Essence]? I ran out,” said Kharli
“How can you run out? What are you doing with it?” I asked her.
[Ageless Beauty Essence:
This potion is formulated with natural ingredients to restore your skin's youthful vitality.
To use, simply apply a few drops of the potion to your face and body after cleansing. Gently massage it into your skin until it’s fully absorbed. For best results, use this potion morning and night.]
“I pour a vial of it into my bath.” Kharli held up her arm for me to inspect. “Look, my whole body has soft skin like a baby now.”
“What? I’ve only been using a few drops like the instructions say!” I said.
“One of the maids gave me the idea,” said Kharli. “She’s too lazy to massage it into her skin, so she puts a few drops into a dipper of water and pours that over herself. I thought soaking in it would be better.”
“Okay, I’ll give it a try.” I handed her more vials.
Come to think of it, this was a great idea if it worked for me since I was also too lazy to use the beauty potion every day.
Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.
The vials vanished into Kharli’s inventory. “Teacher, what about the pocket dimension we unlocked? I thought we were going to go back there after we finished?”
“I’m too tired…” I yawned again. “Tomorrow should be soon enough.”
We walked back to the house while chatting about this and that.
***
The next day, we planted another field with assorted root vegetables - [Carrots], [Sweet], [Potatoes], [Beets], [Parsnips], [Turnips], and [Cassava]. It was pleasant work and our energy bars were now back to normal.
“Ready for some adventure?” I asked my apprentices when we finished planting the seeds. “Shall we go to the tree?”
“Yes!” Mo was the first to reply with an enthusiastic exclamation.
“I’ve been waiting for it. Last night, I could hardly sleep because of the excitement,” said Kharli.
“Race you!” With that, Lari ran off.
The girls ran after him, but I took my time walking to the tree’s location. They wouldn’t be able to enter without me anyway, since I had locked the door in the System settings.
“So who won the race?” I asked when I got there.
We stood in front of the so-called "tree." It looked like a paper cutout of a child’s crayon drawing of a tree with a wooden door on its trunk.
[Mustard Tree Pocket Dimension:
A tree grown from a special mustard seed. The tiniest thing can grow into a mighty force of nature. Enter the door into space and time for a whole new adventure!]
Kharli raised her hand. “I did.”
“Do you want to go first?” I put a hand on the door’s handle and pushed it open. Though it looked like paper, it felt like plastic to the touch.
“Yes!” Kharli stepped through right away.
Lari, Mo, and I followed behind her.
We found ourselves in a vast land of open fields covered in wildflowers and green grass, with the occasional strand of trees scattered here and there. The blue sky above us was dotted with fluffy white clouds, and in the distance were green hills. To my left was a winding river.
“Wow.” After saying that one word, I fell into a reverent silence.
This was going to be awesome!
The pocket dimension I had mysteriously acquired was huge, and as I browsed the System tabs related to this space, I saw more and more outrageous functions that would be available to me once I completed a couple of quests, starting with the introductory one, [Awaken the Spirits of the Land].
[Awaken the Spirits of the Land:
Find the five bells, mallet, and frame. Ring the bells to awaken the Spirits of the Land.
Reward: ???]
That sounded easy enough!
We wouldn’t even have to fight any monsters or spend a lot of money.
The kids wandered off to check the nearest open field. Mo daringly plucked some flowers while Lari and Kharli poked at the soil to check its condition. I joined them, and we explored the nearby area, examining the plant life, insects, and soil more closely. Everything seemed normal but of the highest quality.
Kharli reached up and pulled a tree branch down closer to her eye level. “Teacher, please take a look at this tree. The leaves have no brown spots or any flaws. It’s like something from a dream…”
We all went over to check.
“No, look!” Mo pointed at a spot. “The two sides of this leaf are uneven.”
Lari nodded, his expression solemn. “You’re right, but it’s very slight.”
I made a sound of agreement. “Okay, let’s look around a little more, but we should return to the house at least an hour before lunchtime and rest. We have plenty of time to plan our future farm in this place. You know what they say, ‘haste makes waste!’ and I want to map this place out before we start.”
“The area right in front of the door should be kept clear,” said Kharli. “That way, we get a good view of everything, and we’ll be able to see the crops’ condition at a glance.”
“We should keep an eye out for a good place to put the house,” I said. “The planting season comes first, and then we should take care of the [Greenhouse] and [Herb Garden] before we take care of the quests here.”
“I never imagined I would be impatient for the planting to finish!” Mo smiled, her expression softening as a soft flush of excitement colored her skin.
“No way!” I shook my head. “Except for the harvest, this is the best time to get Farming experience.”
“Mo isn’t close to leveling up. That’s why she’s not excited,” said Kharli. “Mo, Lari, let’s go offer some flowers to the [Vineheart Fairy House] later. Maybe the fairies will give us another bonus.”
“I’m going to pick more flowers!” Mo scampered off in the direction of a patch of white starflowers.
“Meet up at the door one hour before lunch!” I said to her departing back.
“Yes, Teacher!” she yelled back in acknowledgment.
We each went our separate ways. I headed north to a small grove of birch trees that I thought looked interesting. I was shocked when I examined a tree and got a System popup asking if I wanted to insert a [Tapper].
[Would you like to use a Tapper on this tree to receive Mystic Tree Sap?]
Of course, I clicked on the [Yes] button and mentally sighed in disappointment when I got another popup.
[Spend 12 Dragon Scales to buy Tapper?]
Who even had [Dragon Scales] in this day and age?! They were replaced with credits years ago!