I woke up.
After washing my face as usual and eating some grilled rabbit for breakfast, I took care of my business and psyched myself up for the day. My immediate objective was to find some plants to cultivate in my fields. Gripping the [Universal Farming Tool], I crossed the moat in high spirits.
When I reached the fields, however, I froze in shock.
Tiny sprouts were poking out from the furrows. What’s more, they were growing at perfectly even intervals.
........................
Had someone sown seeds for me? But who? Even if they had, the growth rate was impossible. Was it God?
I looked down at the [Universal Farming Tool] in my hand.
........................
I hurried into the woods, processed a large tree into lumber, and set to work carving a statue of the God I’d met before arriving here. Looking back, his appearance was strange—he had looked like an old man and a young man all at once. He was a mysterious deity. My craftsmanship probably wasn't perfect, but I managed to produce a statue that captured his likeness.
Come to think of it, he had mentioned that the one who arranged the [Universal Farming Tool] for me was from a different department. Since I didn't know what the God of Agriculture looked like, I had to rely on my imagination. Would they be plump? Or would someone who actually worked the land need to be lean and fit? After mulling it over, I ended up with a statue resembling Hanasaka Jiisan.
I then hollowed out a section of the large tree I used for a bedroom to create a crude but functional Shrine. There, I enshrined the two wooden figures.
"God, thank you!"
After a long prayer, my goals shifted. I would protect these fields.
First, I needed to assess the current state of my homestead. There was the large tree that served as my bedroom. Then there was the well, the fire, and the toilet, all enclosed by the log fence and the moat. Around that perimeter lay my fields—twelve plots, each fifty meters square. The layout was a four-by-four grid where the center four squares were my living space, surrounded by the fields.
Field Field Field Field Field ◇ ◇ Field Field ◇ ◇ Field Field Field Field Field
And small sprouts were appearing in every single one of those plots. I was the only one who could protect them.
I started by preparing a fence around the outer perimeter of the fields. I wouldn’t let anything get near them. Beasts? I’d just turn them into fertilizer with my [Universal Farming Tool].
Heh heh heh...
In high spirits, I constructed a log fence to enclose the entire area. I dug a new moat as well. Furthermore, I tilled the areas where the forest grew too close, clearing the trees away entirely. While this would make gathering lumber more of a chore, it was a necessary sacrifice to prevent intruders from dropping in from the canopy. I designated spots on all four sides to serve as entrances and prepared boards to bridge the moat.
Those tasks took about five days. During that time, the sprouts grew healthily. Six Fanged Rabbits and one Puppy-sized Rat that tried to invade the fields were promptly turned into fertilizer. I didn’t even consider eating them. I didn't need to—not when I had a Giant Boar for food.
Standing roughly two meters tall and wide, and stretching four meters in length, the beast had been terrifying. I was genuinely shaken, but the moment it approached my fields, my resolve hardened. Shifting the [Universal Farming Tool] into its Hoe form, I decapitated the boar with a single stroke. I decided to show my gratitude by making a proper meal of it.
Heh. I felt truly fulfilled. I was happy.
For the time being, my measures against beasts were solid. However, beasts weren't the only enemies of a farm. There were birds and insects as well. I hadn't seen any oversized versions of them yet, but they were certainly present. The only reason they hadn't descended on my fields was likely because there wasn't anything worth eating yet. Once the plants started to bear fruit, they would attack. I had to think of a countermeasure...
Wait. Come to think of it, what exactly were these sprouts going to be?
Each plot contained a different variety of plant. They had to be edible. I really hoped they were edible. If it turned out I was growing nothing but ornamental flowers, I was certain I’d collapse right then and there. And I wondered if they would need stakes for support?
Dammit. For someone who just wanted to farm based on a vague whim, my knowledge was far too lacking. If only I had studied more while I was lying in the hospital...
Well, there was no use regretting it now. I would do what I could. For now, maybe a Scarecrow would work against the birds?
As I was lost in thought, the sound of an animal reached me from the direction of the fields. It sounded like a dog—as if it were desperately trying to put on a brave front. Gripping the [Universal Farming Tool] in its Hoe form, I moved toward the source of the noise.
On the other side of the log fence and moat, there was a large dog. A pitch-Black Dog. It was definitely a large breed; its head reached the height of my chest, and if it stood on its hind legs, it would easily tower over me. The massive dog was barking in my direction.
What was this? Strangely, I didn't feel any hostility coming from it.
Behind it stood another of similar size. Upon closer inspection, I realized both were covered in wounds.
...
I opened a nearby entrance and laid a board across the moat. The barking dog went silent and glared at me. It was a little intimidating. I readied the [Universal Farming Tool], and naturally, my heart began to calm.
As I observed them more closely, I noticed something. The dog in the rear was female—her belly was noticeably swollen with pregnancy. That meant the one in front was the male. Judging by the way they stood together, they were a mated pair.
Uh... I probably shouldn't drive them away, should I? The female dog was already unsteady on her feet. The male glared at me, occasionally looking back at her with deep concern.
...
A dog is a farmer’s best friend. When I was a child, I’d always wanted one, but that wish had never come true.
Having found a reason to side with them, I lowered my Hoe. The male seemed to understand, as he stopped glaring. I didn't know if they understood human speech, but I used gestures to invite the two of them inside the fence.