Chapter 33
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 33
Chapter Title: Labor Song
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The sun beat down with a scorching heat.
In the suffocating swelter, the farmers of Lutetia were tending their fields once again.
"This year's a real scorcher."
"It's been three weeks now. I can barely breathe."
An unprecedented heatwave had persisted all year.
A farmer looked up at the sky and muttered in resignation.
"Well, I'll be. Last year we had torrential rains, and this year it's a heatwave..."
Last year, they were in dire straits because of the downpours; this year was the complete opposite.
Spending the day on a vast, shadeless plain was a hell in and of itself.
It was so bad he started to think that if farming was going to be this hard either way, he'd rather have the cool of the heavy rains.
"I think I almost preferred it when it rained."
At the man's grumbling, a fellow farmer murmured softly.
"Still, we've got to keep going. Think of our families waiting at home."
In truth, what did rain or heat matter?
The responsibility he had to uphold as the head of a proper family was far more important.
When he thought of his dear wife and children waiting for him at home, there was no time for complaints.
"It's about that time when everyone starts to get tired."
The farmer muttered, looking around.
With just a few hours left before quitting time, everyone looked utterly exhausted.
He thought to himself.
I heard the next village over received the goddess's blessing, didn't they?
From what he'd heard through the grapevine, the people of Hemona village were all smiles.
This year's a bountiful harvest, a real bumper crop!
They say you just have to sow the seeds and they grow on their own. Kehahat!
A place like that makes you want to farm for the rest of your life!
They said you didn't even break a sweat, didn't have to feel the humid heat.
It had even become a fantastical field where seeds grew the moment they were sown.
Of course, he figured there was some exaggeration involved, but...
"Doesn't anyone want to grant our village a blessing?"
"The lord probably wants to, but it must be difficult. Isn't the cost a huge issue?"
"That's true, but..."
The blessings bestowed by priests or bards were only temporary.
While the duration varied depending on their skill, at most, it would last from a few hours to a day.
Hemona village's blessing had been granted by the goddess herself, so it wasn't a fair comparison.
"It's hard to justify spending tens of gold on a blessing that only lasts a few days."
Farming wasn't a one or two-day affair; it was a year-long journey.
Everyone knew it was difficult to employ such high-cost talent, who charged tens or hundreds of gold, for such a long endeavor.
He was just envious because a large-scale blessing had been granted to the neighboring village.
They said a legendary bard made the goddess Cecilia manifest, didn't they?
He'd heard that a legendary bard had passed through Hemona village.
They said he gave an unprecedented performance at a ritual and even made the goddess herself appear.
It wasn't even that far away. Did he have no plans to visit here...?
"I'm so jealous."
The farmer said, his voice thick with disappointment.
But regardless of the situation, his duty was clearly defined.
"Hoo, well, what can you do? Working hard is the only answer."
Rather than complaining, it was better to finish today's quota as quickly as possible.
To get off work early, so to speak!
The one silver lining was that while Lutetia had no blessings, it did have labor songs.
"Let's sing a song!"
"Alright!"
They'd sung it thousands of times, to the point they were sick of it, but the moment they started singing, it never failed to give them strength.
Especially in moments like this, when they were growing tired with quitting time just around the corner.
With that thought, the man opened his mouth without hesitation.
"Today again we shed our sweat"
One man's strong voice cut across the plain.
"Shed our sweat"
"Shed our sweeeat! Hoi!"
At his lead, the farmers on the plain began to sing in unison.
Soon, the men's rough harmony slowly colored the plain.
"Our sweat ripens the golden grain."
"Riiipens the graaain"
"Keukkeuk, ripens the grain!"
As they sang the labor song, smiles bloomed on their faces as if their fatigue had never existed.
The hardship of farming, the excitement of the approaching end of the day, the image of meeting their dear wives and children...
The farmers' emotions gathered and began to mix into the labor song.
"Heave-ho!"
"Hup!"
Their bond gradually strengthened, and vitality began to surge within them once more.
At the same time, they even felt their forearms bulging with strength!
It was all thanks to the cheerfulness of the labor song.
It was then.
"Hello, may I ask you something?"
A stranger's voice came from nearby.
The farmer's gaze turned toward the source of the voice.
"Yes? Are you talking to me?"
A silver-haired man stood there.
He was dressed plainly like any other traveler, but he exuded a certain refined atmosphere.
"I just composed a piece of music."
"...A piece of music, you say?"
The farmer's eyes narrowed.
Music? What kind of strange question was this, coming out of the blue?
It was just when he'd felt a surge of strength in his forearms and wanted to get back to work quickly.
Just as he was hoping the conversation would end before his concentration broke...
"I was greatly inspired by your labor song, and it helped me create this piece. As a way of thanks, I'd like to play it for you."
An entirely unexpected offer came his way.
Haha, you see all sorts of things if you live long enough.
He wants to play a song he composed for the farmers here?
Is there any reason to refuse?
There was no reason to say no, especially since he was offering it as a token of gratitude.
Besides, it was a rare chance to hear a song other than their usual labor songs.
With that thought, the man replied cheerfully.
"Oh! If that's the case, we'd be grateful. Please, feel free to play."
"Thank you."
The farmer didn't interpret this as him casting a buff on them; he was purely happy that someone was going to perform just for them.
"It's nice to have more than one labor song today."
The man hummed as he picked up his farming tool again.
The tone of a recorder echoed across the plain.
A light, ear-tickling melody caressed the golden plains.
A pleasantly bouncing tone and a simple, repetitive rhythm.
Hmm?
For a moment, the farmer's eyes narrowed.
Was the recorder an instrument capable of producing such a refined tone?
All he could remember was the playful 'piriri' sound the village kids made with them.
This is good.
Since it wasn't an ensemble of various instruments, there were no layered harmonies.
Instead, the melody was consistent and simply repetitive.
And yet, why was it so...
Incredibly catchy?
Moreover, it felt like the rhythm would more or less match if he sang the lyrics of their original labor song over it.
No, to be precise, he even felt a sense of déjà vu, as if he could hear their song overlapping with it.
With that thought, the man gently laid the lyrics over the performance.
"Today again we shed our sweat"
"Shed our sweat"
An orchestra of farmers and a bard soon began.
"Our sweat ripens the golden grain."
"Ripens the grain!"
The farmers' sturdy voices filled the gaps in the instrument's simple melody perfectly.
The deep, heavy baritone tones and the high melody of the recorder met to build a harmony.
"Haha, this is exciting, isn't it?"
"You can say that again!"
A crystallization of harmony, created by the purest and most passionate voices.
Brighter smiles than ever before bloomed on the farmers' lips.
And the moment the performance came to an end.
T-ring!
The farmers' chorus and the heavenly performance have created a synergy.
Yuhyeon's 'Labor Song' grants a special buff to the Lutetia Plains!
"Wh-what?"
The farmers' eyes widened in unison.
Buff: The Joy of Labor
Stamina required for farming is reduced by 30, and stamina recovery rate is increased.
Labor efficiency is enhanced, reducing the time required for farming by 20.
You will not tire easily, and mental stress is reduced.
The probability of heatwaves and torrential rains is reduced.
Repeatedly singing the labor song will enhance these effects.
The buff lasts for 24 hours.
Description: The first sheet music created by player 'Yuhyeon'. It is a cheerful song that combines the farmers' hardships and joys.
"Wh-what is this...!"
"A-am I seeing this right?"
It was because they were seeing an unbelievable buff granted to the plains.
Its effects were on a completely different level from the buffs they'd received from priests and bards before.
It was as if they were witnessing the goddess's blessing that had descended upon Hemona village.
At the same time, a single possibility flashed through their minds.
C-could it be...
The thought that the man before them might be the legendary bard who had passed through Hemona village.
It was the moment Yuhyeon's recorder stopped moving.
T-ring!
The farmers' chorus and the heavenly performance have created a synergy.
Your Charm has increased by 10 due to the special performance.
Yuhyeon's 'Labor Song' grants a special buff to the Lutetia Plains!
A flood of notification windows appeared before his eyes.
The farmers' chorus was added to the performance?
Yuhyeon's eyes widened.
It was because he saw the notification stating that a special effect had been created by adding a chorus to his performance.
At this rate, it's on par with the blessing Goddess Cecilia granted...
Soon, his mouth fell open as he read the buff's effects.
The labor song boasted effects similar in kind to Goddess Cecilia's highest-grade blessing.
There was no direct increase in harvest yield, but it enhanced labor efficiency and reduced stamina consumption.
Being able to work more was, in essence, an indirect increase in yield.
"A-are you the legendary bard? The one who made Goddess Cecilia manifest in Hemona village..."
Just then, a farmer approached Yuhyeon and spoke with a trembling voice.
"A legendary bard... I wouldn't call myself that, but I am the one who performed at the ritual in Hemona village."
As Yuhyeon answered bashfully, the farmer's eyes sparkled.
"G-good heavens! I-it's an honor. By any chance, could you teach us this labor song?"
T-ring!
A quest has been generated.
Sub Quest: Teach the Labor Song
Grade: D
Requirement: Yuhyeon
Reward: Drastic increase in farmers' affinity, Skill Point Potion
Failure: Slight decrease in farmers' affinity
Description: The farmer is certain that your labor song will bring a new change to the farmers of Lutetia. Provide them with the sheet music. Something special might happen.
What...?
Yuhyeon's eyes grew round as he read the quest window.
Something special might happen.
This was a phrase that implied a chain quest or a hidden, unconventional reward.
But aside from that, he was being asked to provide the sheet music he had just created to the farmers.
Provide the sheet music?
He found himself in quite a difficult situation.