Chapter 41

Chapter 41

That afternoon.

[Potato target harvest has reached 5,000.]

[Next target harvest: 30,000.]

[Crop Understanding <Potato> increased.]

[Current Understanding: 80%.]

[Level Up! You have reached Level 12. Lv.11 → Lv.12]

[Level increase grants +1 Stat Point and increases Class Skill proficiency.]

[Available Farming Slots increased.]

[Active Farming Slots: 120 → 150.]

After returning from the difficult trip to the Western Volcano Tribe...

I finally returned to my real job.

Farming.

Standing on quiet soil.

Smelling fresh earth.

Planting seeds.

Pulling weeds.

No life-or-death battles.

No annoying political schemes.

“Haa...”

I inhaled deeply.

“This is it.”

This was the peaceful farming life I had always wanted.

After sweating through another harvest...

My accumulated Potato harvest finally passed 5,000.

Potato Understanding reached 80%.

I wiped sweat from my forehead.

Then stared happily at the blue system window.

Now I only need to harvest 30,000 more potatoes to reach 100% Potato Understanding.

Thirty thousand.

As a number...

It sounded ridiculous.

But once Potato Understanding reached 100%...

I would be able to unlock the Special Crop, Muscle Potato.

And after that...

Who knew what other potatoes would appear?

I wanted to reach 100% as quickly as possible.

Then...

I would feed Muscle Potatoes heavily to Zakan, our S-Rank potential Chief.

That should accelerate his growth.

Afterward...

I would give them to the other children.

Then create the ultimate Hercules Barbarian Army!

Strong enough to laugh at the enhanced Demon Beasts arriving during future Red Moon waves.

Then...

[Grade Increase! You have harvested a B-Rank Potato for the first time.]

[Achievement unlocked! Barbarian First! You are the first barbarian to harvest a B-Rank Crop. Experience gained.]

[Title acquired! ‘I Like Potatoes’. Stat Point +1, Fame +1, Potato Harvest Time greatly reduced.]

[From now on, the harvest time for Crop <Potato> is fixed at 24 hours.]

“...”

I silently read the messages.

Then laughed awkwardly at the last one.

Did I really like potatoes that much?!

Potato harvest time fixed at twenty-four hours.

After planting and harvesting potatoes again and again...

I had apparently evolved into Potato Master, almost.

So now...

If I planted potatoes today...

I could harvest them tomorrow.

This was an incredibly important title for preparing for the Great Famine.

As long as we had potatoes...

We wouldn’t starve.

Then another message appeared.

[Rumors Begin! Fame has reached 10.]

[Your name is beginning to spread.]

What is this now?

What good comes from becoming famous in the Frontier?

I scratched my head.

Then shouted,

“BARBARIAN!”

I wanted to examine the B-Rank Potato.

[Skill ‘Peeking’ activated.]

==========

【Target Information】

• Name: Potato

• Grade: B-Rank

【Details】

• Fullness x2: Keeps you full throughout the entire day.

• Calories x2: Contains twice the calories of an ordinary potato and provides long-lasting stamina.

• Storage Duration x2: Decays significantly slower than an ordinary potato.

==========

Excellent.

I rolled the B-Rank Potato across my palm.

This version kept all the advantages of potatoes.

It grew well in barren soil.

It had high calories.

But now...

One of the crop’s greatest weaknesses had been improved.

Normal potatoes contained a lot of moisture.

That made them heavy and bulky.

More importantly...

Compared to dry grains like wheat or rice, potatoes spoiled quickly.

But these B-Rank Potatoes lasted twice as long.

Of course, I have Gamjadori’s subspace Piggy Bank, so I don’t have to worry about spoilage.

Still...

In a world where refrigeration technology and magic scrolls weren’t common...

Doubling a food’s storage period was a logistics revolution.

It effectively doubled the distance over which we could trade potatoes.

I grinned.

“Good.”

I nodded.

“Topu can sell them farther away for even more money.”

I stored the B-Rank Potatoes inside Gamjadori’s Piggy Bank.

Enough potatoes for now.

It was time for today’s main farming event.

All right.

Let’s plant this cute little thing.

I carefully pulled the ugly gray stone from my clothes.

I had risked my life to obtain it in the Western Volcano territory.

A Legendary Item.

The treasure of the Volcano.

And...

Inside it slept an ancient Fire Chili Pepper seed.

My precious.

If I successfully cultivated this...

The light of civilization would finally descend upon the Rock Tribe’s dining table!

I suppressed a sinister laugh.

Then activated my skill.

“BARBARIAN!”

[Skill ‘Finding Prime Land’ activated.]

FLASH!

A blue grid spread across my Directly Managed Land.

Out of the fifty Directly Managed slots I possessed after excluding the hundred Tenant Land slots...

Three glowed bright gold.

Prime Land.

Places where Special Crops could grow.

I walked toward the golden slot in the center.

Then knelt.

I carefully dug into the soil.

Placed the Primordial Dragonblood Stone inside.

Covered it.

Packed the earth firmly.

Then shouted Warrior’s Roar again.

“BARBARIAN!”

[Skill ‘Growth Acceleration’ activated.]

[Special Crops require an enormous amount of energy from the earth.]

[Growth will require a long period of time.]

[Primordial Dragonblood Stone - Time Until Harvest: 6 days 23 hours 22 minutes 59 seconds]

“...One week.”

Compared to potatoes...

That was incredibly long.

But this wasn’t an ordinary seed.

This was a Legendary Dragonblood Stone containing a Fire Chili Pepper.

I clenched my fist.

I stared happily at the little mound of earth.

Then...

“MOOOOOO!”

CRUNCH-CRUNCH-CRUNCH.

GULP.

“Damn it! You scared me!”

I jumped.

The cow-headed creature had silently approached from behind.

My loyal field guardian.

The Moo Flower.

A huge cow head sat on a thin vine-like body.

It had been wandering around my field hunting pests.

When it saw me...

Lick.

Its huge tongue swept across my cheek.

Then...

It casually grabbed a grasshopper running nearby.

CRUNCH.

GULP.

“...”

The Moo Flower shook its giant cow head.

It seemed to want praise.

I forced myself to smile.

The system warning suddenly returned to my mind.

When hungry, it may fail to recognize even its owner.

A chill ran down my back.

“Uh...”

I carefully nodded.

“Good work today, Moo.”

I pointed toward the fields.

“Eat plenty.”

Then I emphasized,

“A lot.”

I pointed at a nearby insect.

“Look. There’s another one.”

The Moo Flower seemed disappointed by my weak reaction.

It snorted.

Then slid away.

Its tongue snatched a flying Three-Stripe Piercing Mosquito from the air.

Crunch-crunch.

It swallowed.

“Oh.”

I shook dirt from my clothes.

“I don’t have time for this.”

Today wasn’t only about my Directly Managed Land.

It was also a historic day.

The first harvest from the Tenant Land I had given the children.

I immediately summoned my four precious and useless Tenant Farmers.

They gathered.

I stared at them solemnly.

“The day has finally arrived.”

Then I asked,

“Are you ready?”

Malko had been picking his nose.

He immediately snapped into an attention pose.

Then screamed at the top of his lungs.

“I! Malko! Great Warehouse Leader of the Rock Tribe and Guardian of the Potato, am ready!”

One child panicked.

“Uh...? M-Me too! I think I am ready!”

Another shouted,

“POTATOOO! WAIT FOR ME!”

I covered my forehead.

We seriously need to recruit talented people.

The only adult in this tribe was Jack.

Everyone else was a teenager or child.

So whenever we created any position...

Malko, the oldest of the kids, somehow became leader.

My first Tenant Farmer.

Absolutely loyal.

Unfortunately...

His intelligence was tragic.

I looked at him uncertainly.

Then pointed toward their Tenant Land.

One hundred slots were covered in healthy green leaves.

I had personally designated the land.

I had appointed them as Tenant Farmers.

So...

Plump potatoes should be waiting beneath the soil.

“Carefully loosen the soil around the plant.”

I demonstrated.

“Do not damage the potato skins.”

Then I pointed toward the stem.

“Once the soil is loose, pull the stem.”

“POTATO!”

Gamjadori walked around with its hands behind its back.

It gave advice like an experienced supervisor.

Malko and the children lay down beside the field.

Their faces were tense.

They carefully dug through the soil.

Then...

Potatoes appeared.

Malko’s eyes widened.

“I-It’s true!”

He lifted one.

“Izak! I became a potato mage too!”

Then he shouted,

“BARBARIAN!”

Another child raised a potato.

“Me too!”

Their faces were covered in dirt.

“Potatoes were born in my field!”

Another shouted,

“I made potatoes like Izak!”

[Farmhand Malko harvested 21 E-Rank Potatoes.]

[You have harvested a crop from Tenant Land for the first time. Experience gained.]

[Farmhand Malko’s proficiency increased.]

Amazing.

I watched the blue system messages appear.

I didn’t even need to move.

Whenever Malko and the other children worked and harvested potatoes...

Both crops and experience accumulated.

Ahhh.

This is the life of a building owner...

No.

A farm owner.

I enjoyed the sweet happiness of being a landlord for several moments.

Then inspected the crops.

The harvested potatoes ranged from F-Rank to D-Rank.

So that’s how it works.

Unlike potatoes cultivated personally by me...

Tenant Land didn’t guarantee a specific grade or effect.

Still...

The potatoes were large.

Healthy.

Their surfaces were smooth and glossy.

The quality was far better than ordinary potatoes grown in the North.

It’s a little disappointing.

But if Gamjadori uses its deliciousness skill, they’ll definitely have market value.

And...

As my level increased...

And the Tenant Farmers’ proficiency improved...

There was a good chance better crops would eventually appear.

I praised the happy Tenant Farmers.

Then carefully stored the potatoes they harvested.

Slowly but steadily...

We were preparing for the approaching Great Famine.

Beyond the boundary of the Northern Frontier.

The Empire’s northernmost defensive territory.

Teren.

Inside Baron Ruonic’s castle.

Ruonic looked toward the knight standing before him.

“Sir Bern.”

He stroked his beard.

“If I understand your report correctly...”

His expression became thoughtful.

“Other than our Teren territory, there is no civilized human village anywhere beyond us.”

He looked directly at Bern.

“Is that correct?”

Bern nodded firmly.

“Yes, my lord.”

He continued.

“I led the knights through a complete search near the Northern Frontier and also sent scouts.”

His expression was serious.

“There are no settlements or territories where humans could live.”

Bern added,

“Some tribes crossed the forest long ago, but that happened far in the past.”

Then he concluded,

“At present, Teren is the only human settlement in this northern region.”

Ruonic fell into deep thought.

Not long ago...

A young traveling merchant had brought him a miraculous Magic Crop.

Its flavor and ability to fill the stomach were far beyond ordinary potatoes.

More importantly...

That young merchant had also brought the hide of an unknown monster.

He had said...

A northern Shaman cultivated those crops.

And the same Shaman had killed the monster.

But no matter how much they searched...

There was no civilized village beyond Teren.

Certainly nothing that looked capable of producing a Shaman with enough knowledge to cultivate Magic Crops.

So...

Where was this mysterious Shaman?

Ruonic frowned.

Then asked,

“Could there perhaps be a village beyond the Shadow Forest?”

Bern looked confused.

Ruonic continued.

“What I mean is...”

He hesitated.

“Could there be a hidden human settlement somewhere within the Northern Frontier?”

Bern blinked.

“My lord...”

He sounded almost baffled.

“You know what lies beyond the Shadow Forest.”

He pointed north.

“The Northern Frontier.”

His expression hardened.

“The region directly before the Black Wall, where hellish Demon Beasts pour out whenever the Red Moon rises.”

Then he said with certainty,

“No human could possibly live there.”

Ruonic sighed.

“I know.”

He leaned backward.

“Logically, I understand that.”

Then he rubbed his forehead.

“But is there truly no possibility at all?”

Bern shook his head.

“My lord, the Northern Frontier is far more barren and dangerous than most people imagine.”

He continued,

“That is exactly why the Empire closed the region long ago.”

Ruonic sighed again.

“I know.”

Then he muttered,

“But if so, where exactly is this northern Shaman?”

Bern saw his lord’s frustration.

He tried to reassure him.

“My lord.”

His voice softened.

“Most likely, the young merchant invented the entire story.”

Ruonic looked toward him.

Bern continued.

“Exciting stories make merchandise seem more valuable.”

He smiled coldly.

“When that boy returns, I will question him properly and make him tell us the truth.”

Bern waved one hand dismissively.

“A Shaman living in lands inhabited only by barbaric barbarians?”

He laughed.

“Surely it is an exaggeration.”

Ruonic suddenly froze.

His eyes widened.

“...”

Then...

“That’s it!”

Bern nodded.

“Exactly, my lord. We should discipline the boy for daring to...”

“No!”

Ruonic jumped to his feet.

“Not that!”

Bern stared.

Ruonic pointed at him excitedly.

“Bern!”

His voice grew louder.

“What did you just say?”

“...My lord?”

“Barbarians!”

Bern blinked.

“What?”

Ruonic hurried toward the map.

He placed one finger on the Northern Frontier.

His expression resembled someone who had finally solved a difficult puzzle.

“Why didn’t I think of it?”

He stared at the map.

“The Northern Frontier isn’t truly uninhabited.”

Bern frowned.

“My lord...?”

Ruonic turned.

“Barbarians.”

His eyes shone.

“Barbarians live there.”

Bern stared at his lord in disbelief.

Barbarians?

Those ignorant, stupid savages...

Growing Magic Crops?

Hunting unknown monsters?

That was about as believable as an ogre composing poetry.

Bern opened his mouth.

“But, my lord, barbarians are...”

Then...

Knock. Knock.

A servant’s voice came from outside.

“My lord. A merchant named Topu requests an audience.”

Ruonic’s head snapped toward the door.

“Topu?!”

He shouted,

“Bring him in immediately!”