A Peaceful, Life in the Village

A month has passed since then.

Right now, I'm walking through a forest wrapped in a morning mist that glows yellow in the sunlight, heading toward Grounoddka Village.

Dragging a fine catch behind me.

“O, ooo!? Missy, you landed a big one again today!?”

“............”

The person I ran into at the forest's edge was Ronte-san, a villager and former adventurer.

His field is the closest to the forest in the village, so we usually cross paths whenever I come back from hunting.

He's an early riser and a hard worker; his face is scarred and stern, but he's also a kind person who doesn't discriminate against me.

“It's thanks to you working so hard like that, missy, that we can focus on growing the wheat! Thanks a lot, missy!”

Saying so, he thanks me with a smile.

He's actually thanking someone like me.

The people of this village are truly kind.

Leaving Ronte-san behind as he smiles and waves, I head toward the plaza in the center of the village.

To offer up my catch.

Today's catch is a Hill Boar.

A boar as big as a small hill, hence Hill Boar.

In reality, it's only about the size of a hut, but the amount of crop damage it causes to maintain that massive body is staggering; naturally, humans classify it as a monster.

Grounoddka Village is a pioneer village located near the demon realm of Kaise Forest.

Even if I say ‘located near’, it's actually dozens of kilometers away (I ran over the other day to check), and an ordinary forest stretches between the village and the demon realm.

And in that ordinary forest, there's plenty of meat like the Hill Boar that I can hunt on the side without even trying.

Thanks to the mana transmutation from taking in the Black Dragon's blood, my hunger still hasn't let up.

Living without the magic-rich “blessed bread” available in this village would be a bit tough.

But I'd feel guilty if I just ate and ate the bread without doing anything in return.

That's why I spend my days hunting, helping with the pioneering, and assisting with field work, as a way to repay them for picking me up, letting me sleep in a bed, and feeding me.

“Ooh! Another splendid boar, I see!”

“............”

The one who just called out to me is Tardatta-san, the village chief.

He's an old man whose charm point is his long, white beard.

“The god shall be pleased, no doubt! I'll leave the offering to you, Emi. We old geezers will handle the butchering later!”

I give a small nod and part ways with the village chief.

◇ ◇ ◇

Exchanging morning greetings with the villagers like this as I go down the country road, I arrive at the plaza in the center of the village.

Here stand a single wooden statue and a smallish hut...... a shrine.

According to the villagers, this statue is the image of the god they enshrine in this village.

To me, it looks like nothing more than a twisted, dirty log, but since the people of the village who take care of me pray to this statue so fervently, I keep that to myself.

For now, I place the boar in front of the statue, and with that, the offering is complete.

I fold my hands in front of my chest, mimicking the villagers, and pray.

Now then, that's one morning chore finished.

I've promised to go help out in Otta-san's fields now.

Otta-san is a hard worker too, so she's probably already out in the wheat fields.

I've already eaten some blessed bread since waking up, and I actually ate about 3 Hill Boars on the spot right after hunting them, so while I still feel hungry, it's not to the point where I can't work.

I start walking toward Otta-san's fields.

“Ah, welcome back, Emi! How was the hunt?”

The one welcoming me into the field with a big smile is Prough-kun, who lives in the same house as me.

Right now, I'm living in Otta-san's house along with Prough-kun, who was the one to pick me up.

I'm a houseguest, I guess.

“Boar.”

“I see! You got a boar! Thanks to you, Emi, we can all eat meat again. Thank you, Emi!”

Praised yet again, I feel sort of embarrassed and end up scratching my cheek.

Though my expression doesn't change.

“Well then, Emi, I'm weeding the fields right now, so would you help me out too?”

I nod in response.

“Alriiight! Then let's have a contest to see who can pull the most weeds! Ready, set, gooo!”

Saying that so innocently, Prough-kun heads off into the field.

His speed is simply extraordinary.

Despite moving half-crouched while pulling weeds, he surges ahead at a pace close to a full sprint.

That speed is only possible because he's mastered 【Body Strengthening】.

I'd felt that this village's fields seemed awfully large for its population, but apparently, that's because almost every villager has mastered 【Body Strengthening】, just like Prough-kun.

It seems they use 【Body Strengthening】 to make up for the lack of agricultural machinery like in my previous life.

Fantasy farming, huh.

The magic power the villagers burn through with 【Body Strengthening】 comes all the way back once they eat “blessed bread.”

That's why the people of this village can till much larger fields than other villages, like the lot in Trash Village or the villagers of the Martz Barony.

Well now, while I was spacing out like this, Prough-kun shot off over there in the blink of an eye and disappeared from view.

At this rate, I'm going to lose the weeding contest.

I'll give weeding my all, too.

I always keep 【Body Strengthening】 running, but now I circulate even more magic power through my body and crank up the boost.

Now, let me show him!

This is the all-out weeding of a girl who survived the demon realm!!!

◇ ◇ ◇

Having gotten competitive, I finished weeding at roughly 5 times Prough-kun's speed.

This super-speed weeding might actually be pretty good training.

Distinguishing between wheat seedlings and weeds in a split second, and plucking only the weeds.

It's quite difficult.

My judgment and body control are getting a workout (I think).

“Haa, haa...... jeez, Emi, you're amazing! You're too faaaast!”

Prough-kun came over, looking completely worn out.

“Fufun.”

In spite of myself, I put both hands on my hips, puff out my chest and gloat (still expressionless).

“My, my, Prough...... too bad you couldn't show off your good side, huh?”

Otta-san came over from the other side, wiping away her sweat with a smug grin on her face.

What's a ‘good side’?

“M, Mom! What are you talking about!? I have no idea what you mean!”

“Ufufu, yes, yes...... Now then, good work, you two! It's time for a lunch break, so come over heeere!”

Ignoring Prough-kun, who's red in the face and grumbling about something, Otta-san takes my hand and leads me to the edge of the field.

There's a trunk here from a tree we cut down a while back, and we always use it as a bench.

“Everyooone, good wooork! Bread deliveryyy!”

As I sat on the log, drinking water from a canteen and swinging my legs, Fetti-chan arrived carrying a basket full of bread.

I've been waiting for this! Blessed bread!

“Now, it's a blessing from the god! Let's be thankful as we eat!”

Prough-kun and Otta-san each take 1 and eat, but I start off with about 5.

Truthfully, I want way, way more, but I think it wouldn't be good for the other villagers if I ate too much, so I'm holding back and making do with just a few.

The warm spring sunlight pours down, cozy and bright.

I leisurely nibble on my bread, plucking at some horsetail-like plants growing nearby, while vaguely gazing at the thin white clouds drifting across the light-blue sky.

Every now and then, a gentle breeze brings me the smell of the soil.

I feel fulfilled.

It's peaceful.

An indescribable sense of satisfaction.

Somehow, I feel so very, happy.

In a warm, tranquil village, surrounded by kind villagers, accepted by everyone, I work hard and live.

My life until now, fighting every day, and fighting, and killing and killing and killing, what was it all for?

Was living always meant to be this happy?

But, I don't know.

An indescribable, vague anxiety is somehow always swirling in the depths of my heart.

“Is it okay? For me...... to be this happy?”

Before I could stop them, the words slipped quietly out of my mouth.

“I think everyone should live like this, though?”

Hearing that, Prough-kun stopped nibbling his bread for a moment and said this with a puzzled, blank look.