Farming Life in Another World

Aneneko Miel was sprinting down the hallway of the mansion.

Full-speed sprint.

Strange.

Not only was it rare for her to be running, but it was also rare for her to be alone.

Normally, she would be with the tiger, Sougetsu, or the other anenekos…

Though I know the reason why Miel was running.

She was being chased by Fracia.

Fracia likes plumpness… My apologies.

She appreciates thickness.

And that Fracia is running with such a graceful form, it’s hard to believe she’s eight years old.

She moves like a short-distance sprinter.

At this rate, she’ll soon catch up to Miel.

Miel seems to realize this and is getting anxious.

As I watched, Miel changed her course.

I thought it might be a feint, but she came toward me.

And swiftly climbed up my body, positioning herself on top of my head.

She seems to recognize my head as a safe zone.

And she’s also trying to intimidate the pursuing Fracia.

Furthermore, she lightly taps my head, urging me to do something about Fracia.

In contrast, Fracia stands before me, silently extending both hands toward me.

…

I reach up and catch Miel on top of my head with both hands, then offer her to Fracia.

Miel looks at me with a surprised expression, but I pay no mind.

After all, when Miel climbs on my body, she claws me which is a bit painful.

And for the sake of her health, I don’t think being too overweight is good.

It would be nice if Fracia could massage that thick belly of hers.

By the way, Miel may scratch me, but she never lays her claws on the children.

She seems to understand who not to mess with.

Miel lets out a pitiful sound as Fracia dotes on her.

-0-

The snow falls heavily.

Winter has truly begun.

Yet, there is no sign of Alfred and the others returning from the royal capital of the Demon King’s Kingdom.

Tiselle is busy with nation-building work, and Alfred, Ursa, and Torain are assisting him, so it seems they won’t be coming back to the village.

What a pity.

Since Alfred and the others aren’t returning, Asa, Earth, and Metora won’t be back either.

I’ve advised them not to overexert themselves.

Also, since Ursa isn’t returning to the village, E3 won’t come either.

The gamblers, including Dors, were quite disappointed.

I don’t know what’s going on but it seems like they have become close.

I understand their feelings.

Will Gol, Sil, and Bron not return?

Apparently not.

Various reasons exist, but the primary one is that Gol’s wife, Enderi, and Kirisana are both pregnant.

A reasonable explanation.

Although I haven’t heard about Sil and Bron’s wives being pregnant, they are refraining from returning in sync with Gol.

Well, they’re only not returning for an extended vacation but we can easily meet through the help of the teleportation gates and reunite.

I’m not worried.

We’ve met several times in the Village Five after all.

Gol appears more dignified.

Sil seems to have lost some weight.

Is he busy?

Bron seems to have gained a little weight.

Perhaps his wife’s cooking is delicious?

That’s a good thing.

However, I’ve cautioned them to be mindful, lest Fracia be delighted.

-0-

While discussing matters related to weight, let’s proceed…

Early afternoon.

I placed sweet potatoes in a clay pot and roast them.

The pot-style roasting method involves placing burning charcoal at the bottom of the pot and positioning the sweet potatoes against the inner wall of the pot.

Given the continuous snowfall, I decided to roast the sweet potatoes indoors.

However, to ensure that the charcoal at the bottom of the pot doesn’t directly touch the sweet potatoes placed inside, I needed a pot with a reasonable depth and a sufficiently wide mouth for easy insertion and removal of the sweet potatoes.

In my mind, it resembled the shape of Jomon* pottery.

TN: Jomon period is between 14000-300 BC

I searched for such a pot, but unfortunately, it wasn’t available.

However, I did have a hibachi*.

TN: a traditional Japanese charcoal brazier

The hibachi shape is exceptionally suitable for pot-style roasting.

You could even call it the ideal form.

However, it’s still a hibachi.

Using it would result in roasting in a bowl, not the pot-style I desire.

Although I want to stick to pot-style baking…

The purpose is to roast sweet potatoes, not necessarily in a pot.

Internally, I resolved this by considering the hibachi as a type of pot.

So, I insist that I placed the sweet potatoes inside the pot, not the hibachi.

Well, since the hibachi is available, I could simply place a metal plate or something similar on top and bake conventionally. There’s no strict need to adhere to pot-style baking…

It’s not the primary goal, but since I thought of pot-style baking, I want to go ahead with it.

Hence, I’m using the pot (hibachi) for roasting.

-0-

Ah, since we’re using fire indoors, ventilation is crucial.

Of course, I’m conducting the pot-style roasting in a well-ventilated area.

Naturally, the aroma of the roasted sweet potatoes wafts through the surroundings.

Yes, I know.

The residents eagerly await the cooked sweet potatoes.

That’s what happened at the beginning of fall when I roasted sweet potatoes.

I’ve been meticulous.

Before embarking on pot-style roasting, I instructed the oni maids to roast sweet potatoes.

So, even if the children escorted by the Fairy Queen arrive, we’ll be prepared.

There should be no shortage.

Hnn?

The oni maids not only roast sweet potatoes but also steamed pumpkins?

Did I ask them to steam pumpkins?

Perhaps that pumpkin is meant for tonight’s dinner.

I should stop the children from asking some or it might cause trouble.

Ah, you’ve already asked for them?

Since it wasn’t fully steamed yet, you were declined.

What a shame.

Well, it’s meant for dinner…

Understood, understood.

I’ll steam pumpkins here as well.

Could some of you fetch some pumpkins from the food storage?

The large pot is heavy, and knives can be dangerous, so I’ll go get them myself.

The Fairy Queen will keep an eye on the pot-style roaster.

You know when they’re perfectly cooked, right?

Good, that’s a nice smile and response.

The sweet potatoes the Fairy Queen watched over were sweet and delicious.

I’d like to think it’s the result of pot-style roasting.

-0-

Ririus, Riguru, and Ratte continue their training.

The purpose is to develop their strength for venturing outside.

They’ve been working hard, but unfortunately, they’ve faced defeat in all the martial arts competitions.

As a result, the mothers, including Ria, haven’t changed their opinion that it’s still too early for them to venture outside.

From my perspective, the quality of their opponents also played a role.

Ririus and the others had to battle the dwarves who desired carbonated water.

Their determination was evident even before the matches began.

Even an amateur like me could see it.

Under those circumstances, victory was unlikely.

However, I’ve witnessed Ririus and the others persevering day after day.

While results matter, I also understand the mothers’ desire for them to possess more than enough strength to face any challenge.

If they go outside and lose, they won’t just get hurt. They might die.

Therefore, although they are not allowed to venture outside, I’ve granted Ririus and the others permission for social learning under Youko’s guidance starting this winter.

In other words, they’ll assist Youko.

Consequently, they are free to move within Village Five.

Additionally, if Youko permits, they can participate in the security team’s combat training.

Of course, they’ll have escorts when moving within the village, and several high elves will accompany them as supervisors during combat training.

I’ve made it clear that Ririus and the others should not venture beyond the Village Five alone, so major issues shouldn’t arise.

I hope Ririus and the others continue to give their best.

By the way, although this trial is meant for venturing outside, some of the mothers, including Ria, expressed reservations about conducting training outdoors. However, Loo and Tier managed to convince them that it’s better than suddenly being placed in an unfamiliar location that’s out of reach.

This training is not only for Ririus and the others but also a test of the mothers’ ability to let go of their children.

…

While I believe it’s fine for them to stay in the village if they wish, if they want to see the world outside, I’d like to show it to them.

However, as a parent, I don’t want them to engage in dangerous activities or approach perilous places.

It’s a delicate balance.

Also, Youko has been subtly expressing her desire for Ririus and the others to work in Village Five in the future, which has made Mio quite angry saying it’s unfair.

「 I want the next batch of children after Ririus-kun and the others to be placed in Shashaato City. 」

Ehto, if that’s what the individual wants, I’ll consider it…

Ririus and the others will be followed by Hiichirou.

Most likely, he’ll be accompanied by Guraru and Raimeiren. Is that acceptable?

-0-

While observing Miel being chased by Fracia, village chief uttered a single phrase.

「On the run?」

Miel, who was handed over, responded to the village chief with a single word.

「I’ve been tricked, I’ve been backstabbed, and I’ve been quite possibly, bamboozled!」

-0-

Children of the Village Chief (Mothers, Ages):

Ursa (Adopted daughter, age unknown, approximately 14-15)

Alfred (Loo, 12 years old)

Tiselle (Tier, 12 years old)

Ririus (Ria, 10 years old)

Riguru (Rize, 10 years old)

Ratte (Rafa, 10 years old)

Torain (Ann, 10 years old)

Hiichirou (Hakuren, 9 years old)

Fracia Bel (Fraurem, 8 years old)

Sette (Senna, 7 years old)

Rananon (Rusuti, 7 years old)

Lupumirina (Loo, 5 years old)

Aurora (Tier, 5 years old)

– Seven others (??, 5 years old) whose names haven’t been mentioned yet

Roze Maria (Gran Maria, 4 years old)

Laladel (Kuudel, 3 years old)

Tormane (Corone, 3 years old)

Hikaru (Hakuren, 2 years old)

Himiko (Hakuren, 2 years old)

Kukulkan (Rusuti, 1 year old)

Sakura (Ann, 0 years old)

Ramuna (Ramrias, 0 years old)

Setto (Senna, 0 years old)

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