Lunch winds down at an unhurried pace. Sylphaeris finishes her bowl and sets it down with a satisfied sigh.
[Sylphaeris] "I have to say, your cooking is exquisite. I've eaten for centuries, but this..." She gestures at the empty pot. "This is something else entirely."
I shrug, a bit embarrassed.
[Wright] "Just practice."
Thank you, cooking manga. Truly the greatest teacher.
[Sylphaeris] "Well, you certainly have a gift for it."
I lean back, thinking about the task ahead.
[Wright] "So... what should I actually grow? What do people need to survive long-term?"
Sylphaeris tilts her head thoughtfully.
[Sylphaeris] "The vegetables you used in the stew are a good start. Root Tubers, Wild Onion, Carrotroot—those are common staples. Easy to store, filling, nutritious."
[Wright] "That makes sense. Keep it simple."
I pause, then grin.
[Wright] "Still, we should add something sweet. Life's miserable if it's all roots and grit."
Sylphaeris lets out a bright laugh.
[Sylphaeris] "Oh, I definitely like how you think."
[Wright] "Golden Grapples. Sunfall Fruit. Wild Strawberries. Citruspear. Enough variety to keep morale intact."
I glance toward Donny. He's sprawled out on his back in the grass, completely at peace with the universe.
[Wright] "Donny. Think you can handle hunting monsters?"
His head lifts immediately.
[Wright] "Not too much. Don't overdo it—just enough to supply meat."
Donny churrs enthusiastically and flips upright in one smooth motion.
I smile.
[Wright] "Knew I could count on you."
Jyne, who has been listening quietly, speaks up.
[Jyne] "How long do you think this will take?"
I scratch my chin, doing the math.
[Wright] "Two days. Three, at most. Clearing the land and preparing the soil are fast with magic, and I can accelerate growth as well. But planting and harvesting? Those need a delicate touch. Can't force those with magic."
Jyne blinks.
[Jyne] "That's... already pretty fast."
[Wright] "Magic makes things easier."
She nods, standing from her chair. The wooden body moves more naturally now, less stiff than before, as if she's growing accustomed to inhabiting it.
[Jyne] "Then I'll begin the divine proclamation. I'll also send oracles to neighboring kingdoms and instruct them to coordinate with the elves for food distribution."
I pause.
[Wright] "Elves?"
Oh, elves. Of course there are elves. Manga never lies.
Sylphaeris chimes in, grinning.
[Sylphaeris] "High elves, to be specific. The followers I mentioned earlier."
She gestures toward the forest.
[Sylphaeris] "This forest is home to one of their settlements. They live here because it's dense with high-level monsters—excellent training grounds and abundant resources."
[Wright] "High elves... what sets them apart?"
[Sylphaeris] "They're a race capable of rivaling heroes and demon lords. Vast mana reserves, natural magical affinity, and advanced physical reinforcement techniques."
I take a moment to process that.
[Wright] "So they're strong."
[Sylphaeris] "Very."
[Wright] "Perfect. Strong workers who know the land."
Sylphaeris laughs brightly.
[Sylphaeris] "Oh, I'll be sure to phrase it just like that when I gather them. They'll love it."
Jyne steps toward the edge of the clearing, sunlight catching her form and lending her already divine presence a quiet brilliance.
[Jyne] "Then we each have our tasks. I'll handle the proclamation and the oracles. Sylphaeris will gather the elves. Wright—"
[Wright] "I'll get the farm ready."
She nods.
[Jyne] "Good luck."
With that, her consciousness withdraws in a soft shimmer of divine light, leaving the wooden body standing still.
Sylphaeris dissolves into a playful breeze, leaves rustling as she vanishes deeper into the forest.
I'm alone. Well, almost. Donny is already trotting off toward the forest to begin his hunt.
I stand and stretch, then carefully carry Jyne's wooden body into the cabin. She'll want it intact when she returns.
Stepping back outside, I take in the land around me.
Time to get to work.
—
The first step is clearing space.
I scan the area and settle on a wide, flat stretch near the cabin—close enough to keep an eye on, far enough that I won't be tripping over crops every time I step outside. It's thick with trees, tangled undergrowth, and decades of accumulated debris.
Perfect.
I raise my hand and call on Elemental Magic.
Wind blades form in the air—dozens of them, sharp and precise. I send them forward in controlled arcs, slicing cleanly through tree trunks at the base. The trees fall in organized rows, crashing to the forest floor with rhythmic thuds.
Once they're down, I store the lumber. Good building material.
Next, Earth magic.
I reach into the ground, feeling the soil, the roots, the stones embedded beneath. With a thought, I pull. The stumps tear free from the earth, roots and all, floating upward in controlled levitation. These go into Storage as well. Good firewood.
Now I need to break up the soil.
I kneel and press my palm to the ground, channeling magic into the earth. The soil responds, loosening and turning itself over. Rocks rise to the surface, which I remove and add to my growing collection.
The field begins to take shape—dark, fertile soil spreading wide and flat.
But clearing land isn't enough. Farmland needs proper preparation.
I activate Alchemy.
The soil's composition becomes visible to me: clay content, organic matter, mineral balance, pH levels. I adjust it, breaking down compacted areas, adding nutrients where they're lacking, and redistributing minerals for optimal growth.
Then comes aeration.
I use Earth magic again, this time more gently. The soil churns and turns, air pockets forming throughout. The field breathes, loose and fluffy, ready to receive seeds.
Next, leveling.
With a sweep of my hand, the ground evens out, smoothing ridges and filling shallow dips. Water will drain properly now—no pooling, no dry patches.
Finally, irrigation.
I carve shallow trenches across the field in a clean grid, each angled to guide water naturally. Then I extend a canal from the nearby river, shaping its slope with care to ensure steady flow without erosion.
At the field's edge, I create a distribution point where the canal branches into the irrigation channels, along with a small reservoir to control the flow. Can't have everything flooding during heavy rain.
Water begins to flow immediately, trickling through the trenches and soaking into the prepared soil.
Perfect.
I step back, surveying my work.
The field spans several acres. Dark, rich earth stretches out before me, irrigation channels catching the afternoon light as water moves steadily through them.
It's beautiful.
Just like in that farming manga I read. Except this time, it's real.
And it only took a couple of hours.
I wipe my brow, satisfied.
[Wright] "Not bad."
I'm just starting to plan the planting layout when I hear it.
Footsteps. Many of them. Moving through the forest with practiced coordination.
I turn toward the sound.
Figures emerge between the trees, tall and slender silhouettes slipping into the clearing with ease.
There are a lot of them.
The high elves have arrived.