Novel Name:
chapter: 14
Land Improvement with Devil eye
Estimated reading time: 7 minutes.
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Episode 14: Land Improvement with Devil eye
With Benjamin in tow, I came to a village called Bok, not far from Fuharden.
Located in the western part of Besjövel territory, this village can be said to be the entrance to the territory, but it is also quite deserted. Even the corn growing in the field looked very thin.
I knock on the door of such a corn farmer's house with a thump and say.
「Helloー」
「Yes, yes, who 」
When I called out to her, a lizard woman, the wife of the house, came out from inside. The scrawny woman shudders when she sees my face.
「Hee?」
「Oh, I'm sorry, no offense or malice intended, I swear.」
I said, waving my hand at the obviously frightened woman. I didn't mean to scare you. I just came here to try it out.
I was so happy, said Benjamin behind me with a sigh.
「Ms. Nora, I am certain that this person was surprised to see the colour in Nora's eyes.」
「Oh, I see.」
His words make me gasp. Speaking of which, yes, these lustrous Black eyes are the best proof of being a witch. Would that scary if I didn't hide it?
I speak to the woman as I bow my head to her.
「It’s fine, Devil eye is closed for now. We won't break anything.」
「eh......」
My statement increasingly confused the woman. This seems like a conversation that will not proceed without revealing the identity of the person. Showing a brooch attached to the breast of my blouse. It bears the coat of arms of the Besjövel territory.
「I am Eleonora, 12th Earl of Besjövel, Lord of Besjövel territory. 」
「Hiaah」
At my words, the woman finally began to tremble. Her voice completely drawn out.
「feu, fu, fuedal lord,Is it you, my lord? um new? 」
「"Yes, it is."」
I nodded nonchalantly, as the woman asked me a question, wobbling and shaking.
That was the end, apparently. The woman collapsed as if a thread had severed.
「Oh, ......."」
「huh!?」
「Oh, oops. ......."」
Benjamin quickly jumped out and supported the woman's body. He turns a critical eye on me as he positions himself.
「 Ms. Nora, don't surprise the people too much. If a lord comes to a villager's house without prior notice, it's only natural that this should happen.」
「But if you don't say hello, you can't touch the fields. That's her family's field, right there 」
Benjamin complained but I replied defeated, pointing my finger at the field behind me.
The field over there is in the care of the owner of the house, a man named Diede. So, I wanted to try a little Devil eye's power and this is why I did.
Then, hearing the commotion that Mr. Diede came over.
「Anne!」
「Oh, just as well. Let's see, Mr. Diede of Bok Village, right? 」
When I approached him, Mr. Diede's big eyes also a lizard person turned a colour of fear. Pupils narrowed like needles and grabbed a rolling pin that was nearby.
As he held that rolling pin against me, Mr. Diede raised his voice.
「What have you done to my mother? 」
「No, no, no, I didn't do anything. I didn't do anything.」
I hurriedly spread my hands out in front of me to placate Mr. Diede, who was clearly in a fighting mood. Benjamin, who has put Anne on the sofa inside the house, calls out to Diede.
「 Mr. Diede, this is indeed a witch but she is also the new lord of Besjövel territory. I swear to you, we have not touched Lady Anne.」
「aTo ......」
Mr. Dide taken aback by the words Benjamin spoke. While lowering the rolling pin, he looks alternately at me and at Mr. Benjamin many times.
「So, the new lord that the Van der Hulffs came and talked to me about the other day is .......」
「Yes, it's me.」
At the words uttered in confusion, I once again showed him the brooch on my chest.
Diede's body trembles a little at the sight of it. He put the rolling pin back on the desk and he went straight to his knees in front of me and got down on his knees.
「Well, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, I'm sorry ...... 」
「No worries, it happens all the time.」
I tried my best to speak softly to Mr. Dede as I soothed him.
I'm used to people being surprised to see me and surprised to find out I'm a lord, both of which I'm used to. After Mr. Kass collapsed, he repeated the same thing repeatedly.
Dede looks up and says, looking at me as if she is sullen.
「Yes, and what in the world is a lord doing in a deserted farmhouse like ours? 」
That's Dede asking me as he speaks. That would be true, a lord would not come to an ordinary farmer's house without any context. There is a good reason why I have come this way.
「Yes, I have heard that the people of Besjövel have no major industry, the number of people in the territory is small and without any support from the lord, the people in the territory live a meagre existence by ploughing the barren fields. So I thought I would help enrich your lives. 」
「Heh."」
At the word "enrich," Mr. Diede jumped up a little. He rubs his hands and says he's in trouble.
「With all due respect my lord, I have lived in this village for 50 years and in all that time I have never had a single sorghum crop not even a sorghum crop. Now you're talking about enriching our lives? 」
「Yes, I have heard about it from my former associates.」
I nodded to Diede's words. Stefan and Ellen have told me a decent amount about the situation in the Besjövel territory over the past few days.
That the situation accelerated because Mr. Kas was lazy and did not do his lordship's work properly, but recorded that the devastation in the territory had been terrible since the time of his father's generation, i.e., Mr. Kas's predecessor. How could Mr. Diede live here for 50 years?
Sighing inwardly, I said while holding up my finger.
「In other words, we should be able to harvest more crops in the fields and to do that we should be able to thicken the magical paths of this land, right? 」
「Heh, heh, well, I guess so.」
When I said it like it was nothing, Mr. Deedee nodded his head in confusion. Well, I can't help but imagine that it has been this wilderness for 50 years and suddenly crops can be harvested.
Then it would be faster to do it.
「Yes, it is. Then I'll do some work on the fields.」
「Heh.」
With that said, I quickly left the house and headed for Diede's field. The soil is hard, stony with no nutrients. This will not grow well, even though it is corn.
After touching the soil, I stand to take the entire field into view.
「All right, then. ...... yeah.」
With a lot of energy, I activated Devil eye and "destroyed" some of the soil in the field. Bakon," a game-like sound heard and the ground in the field jumps up for a moment. Mr. Diede, who had been following us, jumped up in a small way when he saw how much was happening.
「there is it!」
「I think it's like this. Benjamin, what do you think? 」
When I closed Devil eye and called out to Benjamin, who was touching the soil in the field, he nodded his head.
「Yes, it is a good soil, soft and well aerated. With the magic running deeper, it would have been easier for the magic to flow. 」
I am the one who is relieved to hear those words. If this one shot can soften the soil in a field, the applications would be quite broad. Now we need to get nutrients into the soil but for now, we should be able to get by with compost, humus, and wood ash.
Dede, who had been standing there with a frown, said as she gently approached me.
「Yeah... was that Devil eye? 」
「Yes, we have 'destroyed' some of the soil. This would have made it easier for the crop to take root and should improve drainage and the passage of magic. 」
I nodded at his words and replied. The soil was prepared. The next step is to get the farmers to do their best.
Mr. Diede, who was shaking with emotion bowed his head to me.
「Oh, oh ...... ah, thank you, my lord!」
「 No, no, if you have any trouble, just let me know! 」
I smiled at his happy face said a few words and walked away. There are other farmers in Bok Village. We cannot give special treatment only to Mr. Diede.
「Come on, Benjamin, let's go to the next farmer! 」
「Yes, this time I'll handle it first.」
While complaining to me, Mr. Benjamin chases after me. Behind him, Dede was sobbing with tears of joy as he scooped up the fresh soil from the field.
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