The picturesque rice cakes are delicious today

Episode 2: Forests, Villages, and Walls * 1

"Remember King's Landing? Look, after the spiritual pulse incident, the place where the royal family misunderstood something and the spiritual pulse withered."

"Ah... yeah. I remember."

Remember, it might be a little different. I've never seen that place.... but I'm listening and remembering.

"The spiritual pulse died over there, right? That's why crops are not likely to grow at all this year."

I see. I'm sorry... for that.

"I went to see it with a flick, but I didn't have the energy to plow and sow the land in the wilderness... Yeah."

... what kind of land is this? Don't worry about it.

"... does that mean that the farmers there are about to be hired?

When Laocles heard that, Faye nodded.

"Oh, that's right. Since the land where they lived has withered, it seems that they themselves should cut off the land and move to a more affluent place."

That's it.... it's tough. A lot of things.

Fay sighed deeply when I knew why Fay suddenly offered.

"... if you farm under the direct control of the Royal Family, you get subsidies. I wonder when the tax will be reduced. That's why the farmers want to live under the Royal Family Homeland... but these people who want to come to our house this time, they want to come here even if they kick in that kind of incentive. They say the land over there is terrible."

"... I see."

Somehow, there are many things I think about. The Royals have been trying to bully the Red Gard territory, and they have begun to bully with theories that are not well understood even in their own territory, and I don't think that's a good idea. It would be premature to say that there are people who are bothering you because of that.

But, those annoying people... it's none of the farmers' business. They didn't do anything wrong, and I want to help if I can.

"Then I'll hire you. Farmers, hire"

"Oh, really? It would be helpful for me to say so.... we didn't do anything wrong with the Spirit Pulse, but, look, but we don't think the Royals did a lot of things because of us, well..."

Yeah, that's what I think. I don't think I've done anything wrong, but apart from that, I'm going to take a little responsibility. I'm the one who let out the dragon...

... so I quickly started building houses outside the woods.

"... I understood it with mochi, but if I look at it again, it's an incredible view."

"Am I right? This is what you are."

The house was supervised by Claire and Lyla. And as an audience, Faye is laughing and watching the construction site. And then Laocles, who was very helpful in moving the furniture.

"I knew I wanted to have a unified design. It's going to be one settlement."

"Yeah."

All the colors are different, and those are calm colors. The size is somehow matched. Prepare a variety of floor plans. And all the roofs have the same design. I thought it would be good if there was an attic room, so I made it a cutaway roof.

"If you have some furniture, you might want to have a home that you hardly leave behind. A lot of people will move in with furniture that they love."

"Yeah."

By the way, the furniture you'll need this time is a bit modest. I'm not as elaborate as I was when I built Mr. Claire's room. Functional, simple, and perhaps a little insufficient.

... but every piece of furniture has a point, a forest crest.

This forest crest was made recently. Since the Red Gard family crest is the dragon crest, this forest crest is the wooden crest wrapped in the dragon. Somehow, I thought it would be better to have such a thing, so I designed it. It was so fun!

"I could make a chunk of the house, but I need to think about the distance to the field. It's because the people who move here want to be in the field."

"Yeah."

In addition, we also make fields.

... when I built the field, Lyla stunned me. No, I painted a picture of the ploughed land and reflected it in the actual situation... 'If you can do that, do it from the beginning, idiot!'.

No, but I was able to paint the soil well because I cultivated it myself, and if I didn't see the actual thing, it would be difficult to paint this kind of thing... yeah. Um, I'm sorry.

"Oh, maybe if people move in, we need a place to sell groceries and household goods.

"Oh, I think that's going to be a street trip from the Red Gard city. Well, maybe we should have a store here sometime."

"Is this gonna be a town?

"Aren't you going to be? No, if the Spirit of the Forest forgives me, but..."

"Yeah, I think that's good."

I see. I wonder if this could be a town. Somehow, that might be... a little fun.

Then I decided to make a salary. [M]... that's a weird way to put it, but in fact, I can only say that.

In order to hire farmers, we need their salaries. And of course, I think it has to be money.

... Crowe is employed in one house so far, and Lyla works for free for the sake of paying off her debts, but that's not even possible for the farmers.

So we have to make proper money.

... no, I have some money. Because I sold my paintings. [M] However, it is not a stable income, and if my income affects farmers' salaries, I thought it would be better to prepare another salary.

"... if you're given a house, furniture and land, you can just work until you get the crops."

"I'm somehow not convinced....."

Necessary expenses are necessary expenses and I don't think they are salaries. That's why I want to keep it separate.

"But where are you going to sell so much quality jewelry?"

... yeah.

That's right. What I'm in trouble with right now... is that my means to make money are so limited...

... Fay looked at the jewelry I gave him and said, "Maybe we can buy territory on the border with one of these." Hmm...

"It was the same when I painted magic paintings, but I think I've become a spiritual person and I'm getting worse at controlling magic."

"I guess so...."

In the meantime, I tried to draw a jewel from one end, but... it seems like it would be enchanted by magic. Even when I was new to spirits, I was rehabilitated by drawing out jewels like this, but at that time I also made very good jewels. Mm-hmm.

Do you want to put a seal on it again?

"I've already done it....."

Yes, and I showed Faye the seal.... no, I showed you the "wreckage" of the seal.

"... I'm sorry. I broke it."

"No... when you think about it, you can seal the magic of the Spirit with a human seal..."

Yeah. Looks like we're over capacity, and the seals are broken. I got a corner. I'm sorry.

"Well, I can't help it. I've become a ghost."

"Mmm...."

"Because the Spirit does it, the magic digits are all different. If you make a gem into a real thing, you'll make magic stones, and you'll have enough magic to seal it with seals....."

I wonder what to do while listening to Faye's comfort.

It's fine if I'm just inconvenient, but I can't do that this time. [M] This time, we have the goal of getting the salaries that farmers pay properly. So....

"Ah. So, why don't you draw your own seal and let it out?

... hmm?

I tried it like Faye told me... and I feel really good.

I drew my own seal and found someone to match my magic. When I put it on, it looks like I finally got back to my human size magic... and thanks to that, I can draw a jewel that won't be a problem to sell. I'm glad!

"Now your salary is fine! And then... seeds?

"Well, I think we should leave that to the farmer. Last year, I would have picked as many crop seeds as I had grown under the Royal Family."

I see. Well, yes. Well, I'll leave you to it... ah, but I like Edamame. With lots of Edamame beans, you can feel happy, so let's make Edamame beans. So I'll just prepare the seedlings of the edamame.

"For now, I need agricultural equipment....."

"It's the end of the line....."

I think so. I think so. Draw something like that out, then build a common barn where you can store your farming equipment...

... this kind of thing is fun when you're preparing.

"When you move in to explore, do you come out of the fields that have already been opened and cultivated, and the houses, and the agricultural machinery, and the salaries? The conditions are good... Wow, there might be a lot of applicants coming!

Yes. If you come many times, I'll have you do the Sawayama field and help the Red Garden.

And... well, just one compartment, please, Edamame Special Zone.

I wonder if we need something to separate the farm.

Soil-planted fields, houses, barns, and agricultural equipment are ready. And the seedlings of the edamame.

I've got my salary, and now I just need the farmers to come...

Do I need a fence or something?

"Hmm?... Ah, like King's Landing?

"Yeah."

And the king's city was round and round about, and surrounded by walls. It seems to be a preparation from the outside enemy... but in that case, there are a lot of walls and it feels good, and it is easy to distinguish between land that can be used as a field and land that is not.

... hmm?

Ah, is that...?

Hold on a second. The land that can be used as a field...

"Isn't that nice? Why don't you surround the woods?"

That's what Faye says... but I thought about it.

"Ah, you know, Faye."

"Hmm? What's wrong?

I forgot something terrible! This is the forest, and I am the spirit of the forest... but the forest is in Red Gard territory, right? So, Red Gard territory is not mine...

"Can I make a field or a town out of the woods?"

That doesn't mean that this is my property... right?

... I opened it up on my own!

"What should I do? I've already built a house!

When I panic, Faye laughs sharply.

"Oh, that's fine. Either way, the area around this forest is a land that I couldn't even develop. Why don't you make an exterior wall all around this forest and apply for it as a" cornfield "?

"Yes, I don't like that...."

Independence for boulders is a bit...

"Ha ha ha. It's a joke, but it's okay. Even in the woods."

... mmm. I'd like to get out of the wall someday, but to surround the forest, too.

"Well, no. You can do whatever you want around the woods or in the woods. Rather, it's my position to ask the spirits and live next door."

"Even if they say so...."

... I didn't become a spiritual spirit in the forest, but I don't think that's why I became a forest rights holder, and I'm resistant to acting like that...

"Well, if you insist, I'd be happy if the path passed through the middle of the woods. But, well, the middle of the forest is your home, and if there's a boundary in the forest, it's better not to put people near that device...."

I see. Hmm... this forest, in the middle of Red Gard territory, is in the way. I know that.

However, as Fay said, passing people through the middle of the forest is likely to cause a lot of trouble, but the current state of affairs is inconvenient...

"... um, can I think about this for a second?

"Hmm? No, you don't have to. You can't just walk through the middle of the woods, right?

No, that's right... but I guess I do care.

I've been taking care of Faye for a long time.

That's why I want to give Faye back what I can.