GalaxyTL
* * *
A month had passed since then.
Today, I’m walking through the forest enveloped in the yellow-glowing morning mist bathed in sunlight, heading toward Grounoddka Village.
Dragging along an impressive catch.
“O-Oh my! Miss, you’ve bagged another huge one today!”
“…………”
The one I encountered at the forest’s edge was the villager Ronte, a former adventurer.
His field is located closest to the forest in this village, so I usually cross paths with him when returning from my hunts.
An early riser and hardworker, his face is covered in scars with a stern look, but he’s also a kind person who doesn’t discriminate against me.
“It’s thanks to you working so hard like this, Miss, that the rest of us can focus on growing wheat! Thank you, Miss!”
Saying that, he thanks me with a smile.
He’s thanking someone like me.
The people of this village are truly kind.
Leaving the waving Ronte behind, I proceed toward the village center’s plaza.
To offer my catch.
Today’s catch is a Small Giganto-Boar.
Called a Giganto-Boar since it’s as large as a small hill.
Though in reality, it’s only about the size of a hut, the amount of devastation it causes to sustain its massive body naturally has it classified as a monster by humans.
This Grounoddka Village is a pioneer village located near the demon realm Kaise Forest.
“Near” being a relative term, as it’s dozens of kilometers away (I confirmed that with a short run), with a regular forest spanning the distance between the village and demon realm.
And inhabiting that regular forest are animals like the Giganto-Boar, easy game for me to hunt casually.
The mana transformation caused by taking in the Black Dragon’s blood has left me with an unabating hunger.
Living in this village without the mana-rich “blessed bread” would be quite difficult.
But simply eating bread without doing anything doesn’t sit right with me either.
So as thanks for taking me in, letting me sleep on their bedding, and providing me meals, I spend my days hunting, helping with pioneer work, assisting in the fields, and so on.
“Oh! Another magnificent boar indeed!”
“…………”
The one calling out to me now is Tardatta, the village chief.
An elderly man with a long white goatee as his charming point.
“The gods must be delighted as well! Leave the offering to me, Emi. Us old geezers will butcher it later!”
I give a firm nod before parting ways with the village chief.
* * *
Exchanging morning greetings with the villagers along the way, I arrived at the village center’s plaza.
Here stands a single wooden statue and a slightly small shrine building.
According to the villagers, this statue depicts the god they enshrine in this village.
To me, it just looks like a twisted, dirty log, but since these are the kind people hosting me, I don’t voice such thoughts.
In any case, I place the boar before the statue, completing the offering.
Mimicking the villagers, I clasp my hands before my chest in prayer.
With this morning task complete, my next commitment is assisting in Otta’s fields.
Otta is also a hardworker, so she’s likely already out in the wheat fields by now.
I had already eaten the blessed bread after waking up this morning, and truthfully consumed around three of the Giganto-Boars I hunted on the spot, so while I’m hungry, it’s not to a debilitating degree.
I start walking toward Otta’s fields.
“Ah, welcome back Emi! How was the hunt?”
The one welcoming me to the fields with a bright smile is Prough-kun, who lives in the same house as me.
I’m currently living as a resident in Otta’s home, the one who took me in, along with Prough-kun.
A freeloader, basically.
“Boar.”
“I see! You got a Giganto-Boar! Thanks to you, everyone can have meat again. Thank you, Emi!”
His praise makes me feel a bit embarrassed, scratching my cheek.
Though my expression remains unchanged.
“Anyway, Emi, I’m currently weeding the fields, so could you lend a hand?”
I nod in response.
“Alright! Then let’s have a competition to see who can pull more weeds, okay? Ready, go!”
Saying that cheerfully, Prough-kun proceeds into the fields.
His pace, however, is anything but ordinary.
Despite crouched in a weeding posture as he advances, his speed is nearly an all-out sprint.
That speed is thanks to his mastery of 【Body Strengthening】.
I had felt this village seemed to have quite expansive fields compared to its population, but it seems the reason is that nearly all the villagers are proficient in 【Body Strengthening】, just like Prough-kun demonstrated.
They’re compensating for the lack of agricultural machinery from my previous world by relying on 【Body Strengthening】.
Fantasy agriculture, I suppose.
The villagers’ depleted mana from using 【Body Strengthening】 is fully replenished by eating the “blessed bread.”
Hence, the villagers of this village can cultivate far larger fields compared to other villages like the Trash Village or Baron Martz’s territory.
Well, while I’ve been spacing out, Prough-kun has already advanced quite far ahead and vanished from sight.
At this rate, I’ll lose the weeding competition.
I’ll weed at full force too.
In addition to the 【Body Strengthening】 I always maintain, I circulate even more mana throughout my body to further enhance it.
Alright, let me show you!
This is the full weeding power of a girl who survived the demon realm!!
* * *
Once I got serious, I finished weeding at around five times Prough-kun’s pace.
This extreme high-speed weeding might make decent training.
Distinguishing the wheat sprouts from weeds in an instant, only pulling the latter.
Quite difficult, actually.
It feels like it’s honing my judgment and physical control (I think).
“Hah, hah……geez, Emi is just too amazing! Way too fast!”
Prough-kun arrived, looking completely exhausted.
“Fufun.”
I unconsciously placed my hands on my hips, puffing out my chest in victory (with my usual blank expression).
“Oh my, Prough……looks like you missed your chance to show off, how disappointing.”
From over there, Otta came with a teasing smile while wiping her sweat.
“Show off” what?
“M-Mother! What are you even talking about? I don’t get it at all!”
“Ufufu, yes yes……Anyway, good work you two! Let’s take a lunch break, come over here!”
Ignoring the flustered, grumbling Prough-kun, Otta takes my hand and leads us to the field’s edge.
There’s a fallen tree trunk here that we normally use as a bench.
“Here you go everyone~ Bread delivery~!”
As I sat on the trunk, drinking from my water canister with my legs swinging, Fetti-chan arrived with a basket full of bread.
I’ve been waiting for this! The blessed bread!
“Now, let us gratefully receive this divine blessing!”
While Prough-kun and Otta each take one loaf to eat, for now I take around five.
I want more, much more, but I’m restraining myself to avoid eating too much compared to the other villagers.
Under the warm spring sunlight pouring down, I leisurely nibbled on the bread while plucking bamboo shoot-like plants growing nearby, gazing absentmindedly at the thin white clouds drifting across the blue sky.
The occasional gentle breeze carries the scent of soil.
A sense of fulfillment.
Peaceful.
An indescribable feeling of satisfaction.
For some reason, I feel incredibly happy.
Living diligently in this warm, tranquil village surrounded by kind villagers who accept me.
What was the purpose of my previous life, constantly fighting, killing, being killed?
Could living really be this happy?
And yet, for some reason.
A vague, inexpressible unease constantly swirls in the depths of my heart.
“Is it okay? For me……to be this happy?”
Those words accidentally slipped from my mouth.
Prough-kun, who had momentarily paused eating his bread, gave me a puzzled look and said:
“Don’t we all deserve to live like this?”