Shigenobu-san’s field wasn't particularly large, but he grew a wide variety of vegetables. It had the quintessential atmosphere of a rural vegetable patch, exactly like the ones I’d always pictured.
I often see characters in "slow life" novels wanting to take up agriculture, but in reality, I think farming is incredibly demanding work. In Shigenobu-san’s case, he only enjoyed it because it was a hobby supported by the savings from his past travels. Trying to make a living this way would be another story entirely.
For instance, even if you sold a single carrot for 100 Yen, it was hard to fathom the sheer volume you’d have to produce to cover a year’s worth of expenses. Between that and the physical limits of land ownership, it seemed like a daunting prospect. Vegetables don't grow overnight, after all. Factoring in the time required and the measures needed to protect against disasters, insects, and wild animals, the labor involved must be immense.
"I’ve always had a bit of interest in farming, but it looks quite grueling," I remarked.
"Well, no job is easy if you're trying to earn a living," Shigenobu-san replied. "But magic makes things a lot more manageable in this world. They’re pricey, but you can buy Barrier Magic Tools to keep pests and beasts from invading your crops."
"I see... I have an acquaintance who manages a massive plantation despite her small stature. I suppose that’s only possible thanks to magic."
Actually, Raz-san was strong enough to be at the top of the Count-class, so her capabilities were probably in a completely different league to begin with.
"Everyone, I’ve prepared some pickles using our home-grown vegetables. Please, help yourselves."
"Oh, thank you so much! I love pickles!" Hina cheered.
Hanna-san brought the dish out, so we moved to the engawa overlooking the fields to eat. The light pickles weren't too pungent; they were delicious and had a satisfying crunch. It was simply in a Japanese person’s nature to crave white rice when eating something like this. Anticipating our needs, Hanna-san had also prepared a large batch of onigiri, which we all began to tuck into.
"...This place has a really strong Japanese feel to it," I said.
"Hahaha! Well, it might be a rare sight in this world, but as a Japanese person, you can’t beat this kind of atmosphere."
"I agree. This veranda is wonderful," I added.
It was a strange feeling, but being here felt exactly like visiting my grandparents in the countryside. Perhaps it was the age gap between us and Shigenobu-san’s couple. They probably viewed us like visiting nephews or grandchildren.
As I pondered this, I noticed Aoi staring intently at the field in silence.
"...Aoi? Is something wrong?"
"Eh? Oh, no... It's just that the soil looks like it’s in poor condition."
"Heh, you can tell? You’re right—it hasn’t rained lately, so the earth is looking a bit sluggish. It shouldn’t have a major impact on the harvest, though."
Prompted by Aoi’s remark, I turned my attention toward the soil. Even though I knew nothing about farming, I could somehow sense its state... It was an intuitive feeling, like the earth was tired.
"You’re right. I get this feeling that the soil is... exhausted."
"Yes! That’s exactly it," Aoi agreed.
"Really? I don't get it at all," Hina said, tilting her head. "It just looks like normal dirt to me."
"Aoi, you're good at Earth Magic. Can you sense information from the ground now?" I asked.
"No, I’ve never been able to do anything like that before... Oh!"
"What is it?"
"Wait, is this an effect of Gaia-san’s blessing? Gaia-san is a goddess of the earth, so it would make sense if I could understand the state of the soil now. Kaito-senpai probably understands it because he has Shallow Vernal-sama’s blessing, while Hina can't tell because hers is from Sky-san."
That made perfect sense. Aoi had received a blessing related to the earth, granting her this insight. Since Shiro-san’s blessing was a superior version that encompassed all gods, I could perceive the same thing. And since Hina’s was a blessing of the sky, it didn't cover terrestrial matters. Thinking back, the reason Hina was so perceptive of the wind during the Flying Board Tournament was likely due to that very same blessing.
Shigenobu-san and Hanna-san were staring at us, looking utterly blindsided.
"...Wait, I just heard something incredible. Don't tell me it’s not just Kaito—you two have received massive blessings as well?"
"Um, yes. Aoi has the Provisional Blessing of the Earth God, and Hina has the Provisional Blessing of the Sky God."
"...Those are High-ranking Gods... Good grief, what’s going on with the latest batch of juniors? Is everyone a monster these days?"
"Please don't group me with Kaito-senpai," Aoi muttered.
"Yeah, Kaito-san’s rank is on a whole different level," Hina added.
"Hey, come on..."
Well, they weren't wrong. My common sense had been thoroughly warped, but by any normal standard, receiving even a temporary blessing from a High-ranking God was an absurd achievement.
Aoi Kusunoki: Provisional Blessing of the Earth God
Hina Yuzuki: Provisional Blessing of the Sky God
Kaito Miyama: Affection of the Creator God (Superior to a True Blessing) Affection of the God of Fate Love of the Great Evil God Insane Love of the Machine God Divine Protection of the Ultimate God
Serious-senpai: "Yeah. It's rude to compare them. Even if you only count the divine blessings, this guy is fundamentally broken."