Chapter 46: Let’s Finally Start A Farm!
I was finally back in the game, and like always, there were many things I wanted to do! It was like real life, but I actually enjoyed doing these types of work instead of tiring myself in the real world at work. I just wished I could live in this world instead, things would be way more fun… Oh well, I still prefer the commodities of the real world though, living in the wild would be a bit uncomfortable, I guess it seemed refreshing because it was a game.
And now, I want to make my own farm. I have healed the squirrel-folk so there's nothing that's hurrying me as much! …R-Right? I did have to help the fairies though, but at least give me a week to make my farm! It had been the thing I've been wanting to make for so long, it was unfair that I was not being given the chance to make it! And therefore, I was going to make a beautiful farm, so beautiful that… Erm, well, I will grow a lot of vegetables…
Anyways! I need Acorn! Where is he? I arrived inside his house after logging in but he's nowhere to be seen… I walked outside of his house and found the squirrel-folk people walking around the town atop the trees, they seemed to be as healthy as ever. Wow, this was really an interesting sight, seeing all these people that were all confined inside their houses walking around happily, it made me feel like I was in a completely different town now.
What surprised me was how active they are at night… Are squirrels in real life also super active at night? I can see them all doing their daily lives chores as if it were just another day, at which hour do they even go to sleep?
Oh well, it really doesn't matter that much, I shouldn't bother overthinking things up so much. For now, I should really just try to see what I can do.
"Do you know where Acorn is?" I asked, as the squirrel-folk finally noticed me and looked at me.
"Ooh, Lady Dryad!"
"It is Lady Planta…!"
"How are you, Lady Planta?"
"You've come to bless us one more time with your wonderful presence?"
"She's as radiant as ever, even at night!"
"So cute!"
"Eeeh?!"
The Squirrel-folk all began to swarm me, walking around me and waving their tails adorably, many of them began grabbing my legs and hugging me, they seemed to be all very affectionate with me. Wait, was this because I got their trust now? But wasn't this too much?
Actually, they all feel as if they were…
Adorable squirrel pets!
Ahh~ They're cute, aren't they? Like… I want to pet them all!
"Okay you guys, stop being so clingy, hehehe… Your fur makes me tickle…" I giggled. "A-Anyways, have you seen Acorn around?"
"Yes! He is with the chief inside the house!"
"I think Acorn said something about… making potions."
"We'll lead you there, Lady Planta!"
"No, no, don't worry you guys, I can go on my own…" I sighed. I sneaked away from the grasp of the squirrel-folk who simply couldn't get enough of me for some reason, and reached the two-floor house of the tribe chief, who was awake with his grandson, Acorn, the two were around the big cauldron, preparing some potions.
"Hey!" I said.
"Ohh, Lady Planta!!!" said the old Chief. "You're back today as well? But quite late…"
"Lady Planta! I was wondering where did you go!" said Acorn, rushing to my side and hugging my thighs. "I thought you were going to move over to another place where you were needed… Seeing how you managed to help us…"
"Ah, but this is like my second home now, I would never leave you behind. I will pay you a visit as much as I can, even at night," I said with a smile. "So what are you guys doing?"
"Lady Planta…!" said the chief, almost driven to tears.
"You're such a nice person, Lady Planta…" Cried Acorn.
"Y-You two stop crying! Geez… Just tell me what you're doing." I sighed.
The two squirrels quickly looked back at the cauldron.
"We are trying to make some new potions," said the chief.
"We are using the leftover materials you gave us that were from the Dark Beasts," said Acorn.
"I had the sudden inspiration to make a potion that can heal even the forest itself, by pouring it around an area, it can heal the forest that has been infected from miasma! How amusing, isn't it? Although we are still in its development stages… So it is going to take some time to figure it out." said the chief.
"I see… That sounds pretty interesting! With that, we could quite possibly heal the forest from all the bad miasma it has, and bring it back to how it used to be!" I said with a smile. "Anyways, I don't want to interrupt you anymore, I was just wondering something… Do you think you could help me with this question I got?"
"Yes, please ask away, we'll try to answer however we can." said Acorn.
"Ask away, beloved lady Dryad," said the chief.
"Hehe, well… I was wondering what sort of monster do you think I could tame easily? I have the Taming Skill, but it says that just beating a monster won't really make it 100% a catch, and that it could even make a tamed monster hate me… Do you know of a way to tame a monster that is easy going or something? Some monster that won't mind getting tamed if I gave it some little snack?"
"Hmmm, an easy to tame monster…" said the chief.
"We used to tame some monsters we kept as cattle back then…" said Acorn. "But they all died due to the miasma disease…"
"Oh, which ones?" I wondered.
"Oh right! I suppose Horned Rabbits are pretty easy to catch and tame, they get happy with just a carrot or some acorns, give them some food and they'll stick with you," said the chief.
"Yeah, we also used to raise Small Walking Mushrooms and… Forest Rats." said Acorn.
"Uhuh… I don't know if I would want a mushroom…" I sighed. "Especially with the Mushroom King Soul I got… But aside from that, what else could I have? Oh, I guess… a Horned Rabbit doesn't sound so bad! And Forest Rat? Well, rats are cute…"
"Honestly we have thought about beginning to raise cattle again, so if you can bring me some horned rabbits, forest rats, and mushrooms that are alive and slightly docile, I'll give you a nice reward for it," said the chief.
"Oh really? Nice!" I said.
The guide quickly whispered to me.
"That's a hidden quest, bring him cattle monsters and the chief will give you something!"
"Okay then, what are you doing now though? Just hunting at this hour?"asked Acorn.
"Yeah, I'll go alone with Belle and Loki, I am protected by those two, so don't worry about me." I said with a smile.
"I-I guess…" said Acorn.
"Do you want to come?" I asked.
"Can I?!" he asked.
"Sure! But I am worried about your safety, so you'll remain on top of Belle, I am sure the goat can protect you." I said with a smile.
"Ahh! Nice! Thank you, Lady Planta!" He said with an adorable smile.
Seriously, Squirrel-folk were so cute, I feel like I was living in a dream I had as a little girl where I dreamed of visiting the towns of beast people from books like Narnia.
So now what should I do? I had to go out to make a farm and also catch a creature along the way? Well, it sounded like a good plan! Let's just do that then.
"Let's move out then, we don't have any more time to waste!" I said, quickly grabbing Acorn with my hands and putting him on top of Belle. Meanwhile Loki tightly wrapped her vines around him and Belle's back so he wouldn't fall from her so easily.
"Eh? You're going out already?" asked the chief.
"Yep, see you later!"
"W-Wait, Lady Dryad, this is a bit sudden!!!" Acorn cried, but it was too late. Belle and I jumped out of the tree tops and landed majestically into the forest floor!
BOOM!
"Uwaahh…! Ugh…" Sighed Acorn.
"Here we are! Good as new, now let's get things done," I said with a smile while nodding quite confidently. "Go on, Belle, rush! Rush!"
"MEEEE!"
Bell quickly began to gallop across the forest, carrying all of us over her back, her powerful legs crushed the plants or anything below us with ease, she was a fierce goat even at night!
"Where are we going though?! Aren't we moving too far away from the forest?!" He asked.
"Yes!" I said with a smile.
"B-But why!?" Cried Acorn.
"I wanted to build a farm! You know that my Job Class is Farmer? So it is only natural that I want to build my own farm!" I laughed.
"F-Farm?! You're serious?" He asked.
"Yep! I-Is there something bad with it?" I wondered.
"But there are many monsters around… And the miasma… And then everything else…" he said. "Also the forest has too many trees blocking the sunlight so anything you try to grow by yourself in here won't mature…"
"I know! This is why we are moving towards the forest outskirts, or near them," I said. "I had already planned what I would do. I will take over the territory there, manipulate the soil, and create seeds to plant stuff."
"Plant stuff… In the forest outskirts?! …Certainly, it is far away from the forest enough for sunlight to reach it, but the outside has even deadlier monsters! A-Are you sure?" asked Acorn.
"Come on, Acorn, you're being a bit too cowardly today, it is fine," I said. "I am sure the forest will protect my plants… And if not, then Belle and Loki can crush anything that gets close. And if that doesn't work, I will… Erm, I guess I could just thin out the monster population myself!"
Acorn looked at me with eyes wide open.
"Y-You've changed a bit… Lady Planta. Although I guess that's for the best," said Acorn. "Well, let's give it a try anyways, I am willing to help! But it is night, it is quite weird to set up a farm in the middle of the night though…"
"I know, sorry about that…" I sighed. "But it is what I wanted to do, and I'll do it! I will build an amazing new farm, and everybody will be able to enjoy the veggies I will raise there… Yes, yes I will!"
"I-I have never seen Lady Planta so motivated ever before!" said Acorn.