Volume 5 Chapter 6 Farm Work After A Long Time II
In front of Cain and Gardy, three horned rabbits lowered their heads, ready to charge. Cain instinctively thought about retreating back to Baldish, but as he stepped back, his foot snapped a branch. The sound echoed—too loud.
The horned rabbits paused, taking two or three steps back. Their hind legs tensed as they gathered strength. Cain quickly began circulating his mana, ready to cast magic at any moment.
Just then, Gardy's hand moved to the short sword at his waist. That was all the trigger the rabbits needed—they lunged forward.
"Sir Cain, please step back."
Gardy drew his sword in one swift motion as he spoke.
"Yeah, huh? What—[Earth Wall]!"
Cain tried to step back as ordered, but the rabbits, while intimidating, weren't very fast. He summoned a wall of earth in front of Gardy to block the charge.
A heavy crash rang out. The dirt wall took three impacts before finally breaking apart. As it crumbled, two of the rabbits backed away, while the third lay unconscious on the ground.
"Sir Cain, can you take the one on the left? I'll handle the right!"
"Understood!"
Gardy gave his instructions without hesitation and turned toward the rightmost rabbit. Cain acted first, casting [Stone Bullet] toward the left.
Three round stones, each the size of a softball, shot out. One struck the rabbit in the head, another in the chest, and the third in the leg—sending the beast flying.
Beside him, Gardy chanted [Shield]. Another crash followed, and a painful cry echoed through the clearing. When Cain turned to look, the last rabbit was down—its head and body now separated.
Without wasting time, Gardy finished off the rabbit that had been knocked out earlier. He stayed alert, scanning the surroundings. But the forest was quiet once more. The battle had ended.
"Phew... That caught me off guard," Cain said, glancing at the broken remains of the earth wall. "My body felt heavy. I couldn't move like usual. Maybe that helped keep me grounded. But I didn't expect [Earth Wall] to break like that."
"I noticed it too," Gardy replied, sheathing his sword. "When I took the charge, I felt heavier. We should report this to the lord."
"Yeah."
Cain crouched beside one of the fallen rabbits and began to drain its blood. He planned to take it back as a souvenir for Chef Lloyd. After storing the horned rabbit in his magic bracelet, he and Gardy moved toward the forest's exit. Gardy led the way, clearing grass with his sword, and they made it out without trouble.
Outside the forest, Barvish had stopped the covered wagon some distance away and was tending to the horses, keeping an eye on the trees. When he spotted them, he waved. Cain waved back as they approached.
"Sir Cain, welcome back. You came from a different direction than expected."
Barvish tilted his head, curious. Cain explained what had happened in the forest, including their encounter with the horned rabbits. To make things clearer, he took one of the rabbits out of his bracelet and showed it.
"This is..." Barvish muttered, looking genuinely surprised.
Cain handed him the horn as evidence and asked him to check in with the Adventurers' Guild for more information. After that, they continued toward the town. In front of the guild, Cain and Gardy parted ways with Barvish and returned to the mansion to prepare for farming.
Beside the field, three large barrels filled with soil had been set down. Together, Cain and Gardy tipped the barrels and scattered the forest soil across the field. It was darker and richer than the regular soil—full of life. Cain took up a hoe and spread it evenly.
"Alright... [Earth Dig]."
He touched the field and cast the spell. The earth trembled slightly, forming four clean rows of furrows.
"It's amazing every time," Gardy said, carrying a basket filled with Satsuma seedlings. "Magic makes this so convenient."
Cain smiled and began creating holes in each row. Gardy followed, planting the seedlings with care. They left slightly more space between them than usual to increase the harvest. Throughout the process, Cain couldn't stop thinking about the roasted sweet potatoes they'd enjoy later.
Notes:
• Lloyd - Head Chef of the Family.
• Barvish - A slave dwarf with a muscular, compact physique, intended as Cain's retainer/bodyguard, brought via magical contract.
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