Developing a Hidden Territory
Developing a Hidden Territory
I had been living all this time thinking the world was inside a romance fantasy novel.
Well, because there was an original work.
[The Villainess Does Not Tolerate Magic]
Fortunately, there's no world-destroying ending or war-like developments.
It's a refreshing story where a magic genius female lead handles everything, and I remembered enjoying it.
Well, they'll manage on their own.
But it seems there was something more in this world that I didn't know about.
Just when I felt like I absolutely couldn't take it anymore, a letter from Halabeoji arrived.
[Quest: A New Beginning]
Now it's been perfectly mixed with a healing game too.
Maybe me wanting to quit everything and return to farming was a kind of trigger.
'It's a fusion.'
Is this even possible?
But if you think about it critically, the very fact that this is a romance fantasy world doesn't make sense.
When faced with a miracle, don't think too deeply about how it's possible.
That's the attitude of a good wizard.
Instead, I should think about how to apply this first.
Kkeeeik!
Deolkeudeong!
Just then, the carriage stopped.
I was so focused on staring at the status window that I almost bit my tongue.
"Woah."
The coachman's jovial voice came from right in front.
"There we are. We've arrived!"
Hey, if you're going to stop suddenly, the basic thing is to say something first, mister.
Before I could say anything, Miroa immediately stepped forward.
"Miroa?"
"Stay here."
She flung the carriage door open and jumped out with a posture that clearly showed she was angry.
Taking a few quick steps, Miroa approached the coachman.
And looking up at him with cold eyes.
Tuk tuk.
Half-blocking the carriage, she spoke.
"It seems the journey was too smooth after all."
"Ah. I suppose so, right?"
What's that supposed to mean.
The coachman just lacks social awareness, but that's Northern-style speech.
"Since you haven't had many opportunities to make sudden stops, it has been a smooth road."
"Pardon?"
"If bandits had appeared along the way, I would have quickly recognized that you'd stop the carriage like this. Therefore—"
Sreung-.
The cold Northern maid Miroa drew her sword.
"I'll play the role of the bandit here."
"Hiccup."
This is a world where killing intent, pressure, and the spirit of the strong actually exist.
Ordinary people unfamiliar with it have no choice but to be momentarily terrified and back down.
"S-sorry! Please spare me!"
Only then did the coachman come to his senses and apologize.
"Miroa. That's enough, help me with the luggage."
"Consider yourself lucky."
After that, I paid the remaining fare.
"Um, I'm sorry, but the tip..."
Of course, no tip. Have some conscience.
I replaced unnecessary expenses with Miroa's sharp glare.
Having received all the luggage, Miroa extended her hand to me again.
"Take my hand. I'll help you down."
"Okay."
Romance fantasy guys always try to get down first while showing off next to the ladies, then slip up.
I don't do that.
'It's right to let someone better do it.'
Miroa looks like this, but she's incredibly strong.
There's no need for me to step in and protect her.
Chap.
I took her hand and safely descended from the carriage.
The surroundings are at the entrance of a very peaceful countryside village.
Leaving the departing carriage behind, dragging the luggage, we headed toward Halabeoji's hidden territory.
"If I hadn't stopped you midway, I could have even reduced the carriage fare."
"Were you really thinking of robbing him?"
As we chatted, we soon arrived at Halabeoji's farm.
The status window confirmed it.
[Halabeoji's Farm]
For now, it's still Halabeoji's farm.
After greeting the villagers, the farm name will probably change.
'But those weeds... '
Something doesn't seem right.
They're not the friendly weeds of an ordinary farm.
Is it because the world is mixed with romance fantasy?
I'm getting a strong feeling that this will be incredibly tough for a healing game.
Red Thorn Vine — a poisonous weed that causes blindness if the sap gets in your eyes and itching if the thorns touch your skin.
Motherless Hook — the king of weeds that ruined farmers' livelihoods with its incredible reproductive power, earning a remarkable name from botanists.
Wedge Berry — a parasitic plant that infests healthy trees and makes them bear strange fruits.
Et cetera.
"Master."
Miroa looked up at me with worried eyes.
'This is the best though.'
My thoughts are quite different.
'Those are things I've seen in books.'
Every single one of them is a valuable alchemy ingredient.
They can only be obtained from farms that have been almost abandoned, so alchemists sometimes buy farms and intentionally neglect them.
In the original novel, there was an episode where the female lead stepped in to teach someone a lesson.
She said she didn't like people buying up someone's precious farm at a low price and harassing others.
It was a transaction made based on each person's needs, so what's the problem?
But in the novel's depiction, it was portrayed as very cool and righteous, and I remember finding it absurd.
An experience so strange I remember it even 20 years later.
But well.
Whatever works.
'I can just clear out the weeds moderately and sell them off.'
A fusion of a fantasy world and a healing farming game.
It's not all bad.
'Because I can use magic too.'
Things that would have required manual labor can be taken care of with magic.
"Miroa. Go into the house first and unpack the luggage."
"Understood. But what about you, Master?"
"Even the entrance is full of weeds like this. I'm going to tidy up the surroundings a bit before going in."
"I can clean it up quickly."
Miroa tried to draw her sword again, but I stopped her.
"No. You'd get hurt."
"......"
Of course, she could cut them with a sword too.
That would speed up the work, but the plants would get damaged.
Not just damaged — they'd be reduced to mush.
Then they'd be useless as alchemy ingredients.
"It's better to avoid dangerous work here if possible."
Other farm work would probably be similar.
Smashing everything doesn't solve the problem.
"Master..."
What. Why.
Why are you looking at me with such moved eyes?
"Thank you for worrying about me... but I'm very strong."
But plants are fragile, unlike Miroa.
The farm is the same.
If I said that here, the atmosphere would get even stranger.
While I was pondering an appropriate response, Miroa nodded first.
"But I'll follow your will, Master."
"Yeah, let's work hard."
After giving Miroa the important task of organizing the house first,
I exercised the magical skills I had honed at the Academy.
I reestablished the formula in my mind.
The attributes I recalled were Destruction and Preservation.
And the two symbols to bind these conflicting attributes: Earth and Plant.
A calculation formula to properly coordinate everything related to magic.
Thus, like two straight lines drawing parallel lines even if their colors differ, I moved my heart and chanted.
'Let what must happen happen.'
As the faint light extending from my fingertips swept across the field,
Sseuk! Passeuk!
The plants separated from the soil and were pulled out roots and all.
Red Thorn Vine — which would have caused hours of itching if touched directly.
Motherless Hook — the king of weeds that would revive countless times unless the roots were completely extracted.
Et cetera.
Sushuk!
One by one, the notorious weeds were pulled out and laid neatly on the grassy ground.
How long would it have taken to pull them out one by one with a hoe?
Not just time, but the tremendous labor involved.
Incredibly inefficient — I don't even want to imagine it.
On the other hand, now I'm perfectly and efficiently clearing the farm, producing the best results.
[Perfect Harvest! (Additional Harvest EXP +20%)]
[Perfect Harvest! (Additional Harvest EXP +20%)]
Watching the status window rapidly rising before my eyes, I thought,
'Haven't I passed 15 by now?'
It was around this time that a new message appeared.
[You have completed the intermediate quest.]
[Weed Pulling (15/15)]
[Abnormal work speed detected.]
[Unexpected Perfect Harvest! Bonus EXP and hidden reward granted.]
[Hidden Reward: More Harvest EXP!]
Very neat.
Harvest EXP — I suppose it's used for leveling up harvesting-related skills, given the genre.
By the way, the magic I just used was the first spell I developed after entering the Academy.
[Gardening Tool 1.0]
Related thesis:
[On the Possibility of Using Symbol Binding for Efficiency Improvement When Coordinating Two Conflicting Attributes in Magic]
Author: Liberio von Solanium.
...The romance fantasy people didn't like it very much.
They love spells that turn plants pink and let them wither a few days later, but they coldly ignore an efficiency-packed spell like this.
Unbelievable.
Buseureok.
I decided to have Miroa move the harvested weeds later.
But the quest clearance path required visiting the warehouse at least once.
Carrying an armful of Motherless Hook stems, I headed to the large building behind the farm.
[Behind the Farm - Warehouse]
After storing the harvested items, I rummaged through the back of the warehouse and pulled out a rusty hoe.
Only then was the quest objective [Obtain Hoe from Warehouse] fulfilled.
[Quest Complete!]
▶ Quest: A New Beginning
▶ Content: Halabeoji's farm is overrun with weeds. Pull the weeds and prepare to cultivate the field.
▶ Objectives: Visit Halabeoji's Farm (Achieved), Obtain Hoe from Warehouse (Achieved), Weed Pulling (15/15)
▶ Rewards: 15 Parsnip Seeds, Farm EXP +10
As soon as the status window appeared, seed pouches plopped down in front of me, which I neatly placed on a shelf in the back of the warehouse.
EXP... I'm not sure yet.
'I'll check it slowly when I get home.'
After stacking the materials and coming out, I spotted Miroa's figure through the window.
She was looking out from afar, bouncing up and down.
It seemed she thought I couldn't see her.
Deureureuk-.
The sound of a window opening.
"Uh."
Miroa opened the second-floor window and jumped down.
After flipping several times in the air, she completed her landing like a feather with a Northern-style landing technique.
A stylish entrance.
"Master. There's something you must see."
"What is it?"
"Please come inside."
Entering the house, I looked around.
No, even before that — the moment I first saw the interior, I couldn't hide my astonishment.
"How can this be."
The house was amazingly and completely clean.
Though it must have been abandoned for several years, the floor was spotless without a speck of dust.
The furniture was not eaten by bugs or rotten, but rather gleamed as if polished yesterday.
"It's a preservation spell."
Halabeoji had demonstrated amazing foresight.
He thoroughly neglected the farm to secure alchemy ingredients, but kept the house cleanly preserved with magic.
Thank you, Halabeoji.
If I ever meet you again, even in a dream, I'll repay you.
That night, Halabeoji appeared in my dream.
"My beloved grandson Rii. Was your first day in the hidden territory enjoyable?"
"Yes. But first, I have something to thank you for. Leaving all those alchemy materials by preserving the house while neglecting the surrounding farm. I admired your insight, Halabeoji."
But at my polite words of gratitude, you only scratched your sideburns.
"Hm. Uh. What's that? Does that work that way?"
"Pardon?"
"I couldn't handle those damn weeds even with my magic, so I just put a barrier around the house and ran away. How did you deal with them, grandson?"
"......"
Perhaps it was because it was a dream.
I was dumbfounded.