Head Butler of the Fallen Villainess-Chapter 102 - 25th Days (1) | Progress on the (Magical) Farm

[Anastasia's Region, Garden of Hell, Northeasternmost Territory of Florentia—Bordering Carrionreach to the West and the Frozen Kingdom of Borealis to the North.]

To the east of Carrionreach lay the untamed, (mostly) ungoverned, godforsaken land known as the Garden of Hell… and within it was a region belonging to a young upstart noble—

Anastasia's small, walled-off sanctuary… a still-growing haven inside the perilous, dangerous frontier.

And inside this little sanctuary belonging to the red-haired noblewoman… life continued.

At the southwestern section of this small region, a humble patch of farmland stretched across the cleared earth—a testament to the effort put forth by its four current denizens.

Rows upon rows of tall crops stood neatly in place, their green leaves swaying gently with the breeze.

But… this charming little farm wasn't exactly as it seemed at first glance.

"…Is it just me, or do these look way too ready to harvest?"

Martha, still clad in her knightly armor despite working the fields, crouched near a row of radishes. She narrowed her eyes, a frown forming on her lips as she inspected the soil… then the plump, white bulbs peeking out from the ground…

And she was honestly baffled—she couldn't believe how fast these crops had been growing.

"…These should've taken at least a month, right?" she inquired to her fellow aides at her side—

Bella, the ever-diligent but-always-anxious maid.

The blonde maid had been crouching near another row of crops—the humble lettuces.

She brushed her hand against one of the heads of lettuce… and found herself experiencing the same kind of bafflement as Martha.

"Y-yes, Miss Martha… A-and yet, after only a few weeks, they've already grown this much…!"

She gave the leaf a slight tug… only to pause at the sight of the large head of lettuce. "...And why do they shine?"

Indeed, the many crops that had reached their full size seemed to be glistening under the sunlight…!

The radishes, smooth and firm, reflected a faint luster, while the lettuce leaves shimmered like polished glass…

"…Huh…" The knight muttered dumbfoundedly, realization finally hitting her as she witnessed the brilliant shine of the crops as well. "...That can't be right."

Both aides glanced at each other, the same look of concern etched on their faces… before they simultaneously turned their gazes—

Toward the red-haired lord of this land herself… and her loyal, smiling butler at her side, who was likely the culprit behind these unusual crops of theirs.

Anastasia, arms crossed, observed the sight of her humble farm with a mixture of awe… and then skepticism. She then turned her head to the side—to her butler—concern also etched on her face.

"…Sir Sebas?" she called, her voice laced with wariness. "I assume this isn't normal, correct…?"

And Sebas… chuckled at the absurdity of the situation, not to lighten the tension that everyone was feeling toward the strange sight before them. Eventually, he stopped his laughter… before shifting his attention back to Anastasia.

"Not in the slightest, my lady," he simply answered, his tone calm and composed.

Naturally, she frowned upon his simple, matter-of-fact answer, before she threw yet another question at the butler. "…Then how?"

There was a moment of silence, with the butler holding a contemplative expression, seeming as if he was thinking of an answer—an actual answer. And eventually…

Updat𝒆d fr𝒐m freewebnσvel.cøm.

"The soil," he answered simply, gesturing at the land they had been using as farmland. "I did mention before, did I not? The land here is heavily saturated with mana. It was only natural that whatever grows from it would be affected."

Anastasia's eyes widened for a moment—realization, and also memory, finally returning to her. She remembered!

The red-haired noblewoman finally recalled what her butler had mentioned before all of this… and how he had also taught her how to 'observe' the mana around them.

And naturally… she shifted her gaze back to the farm itself before closing her eyes for a moment… concentrating.

'Let it settle… Let it flow naturally… Look deeper…' she chanted the 'mantra' inside her mind—the 'spell' of sorts to access her enhanced vision…

Then… she opened her eyes—!

And she was met with the astonishing sight of mana—

A farm filled with rows upon rows of crops brimming with mana…!

Anastasia's breath hitched; stunned in disbelief. She had not expected to see that her precious farm, along with its crops, was glowing in her eyes with a somewhat ridiculous amount of mana…!

And not to mention—

'Why are they even brighter than the rest of the land…?!'

The ethereal glow that accompanied the farm was brighter and more vibrant than the rest of the land around it… as if the farm itself was like a sacred sanctuary untouched by the corruption of the outside world.

Everything about this was unnatural… and naturally, her concern rose with each second she continued to witness these glowing crops that looked like twinkling stars in the sky. So she quickly 'turned off' her enhanced 'mana vision' and reverted her eyes back to normal…

Before directing her concern toward the butler with a wary expression.

"Sir Sebas…" she called, her voice hushed.

"Hmm? What is it, my lady?" He blinked, seeming as if he had yet to realize the full extent of the problem.

"Why are these crops… filled with such an abundance of mana?" she questioned, her voice firm yet uncertain.

"…Like I said, my lady—the crops here were bound to be affected by the mana-rich land you now own," Sebas explained patiently, his tone steady. "So… given that these crops have been feeding on soil teeming with mana, it would be natural for them to also develop—or perhaps absorb—an abundance of it."

"Y-yes, I also came to that conclusion, but…" She hesitated, furrowing her brows, "is this even normal…?"

"…Certainly not, my lady."

"…"

An uneasy silence ensued following his blunt confirmation—something that was also affecting both the knight and the maid, who had been quietly listening to their conversation.

"…And what about that magic fertilizer you got from your friend…? The one made from monster dung?" she finally asked, glancing back at the gleaming crops. "Did that also affect the farm as well…?"

"Hmm… yeah, those likely contributed as well," Sebas admitted nonchalantly, crossing his arms in thought, "but I'd wager it had more effect on the speed of their growth rather than their… quality and mana-storing characteristics."

The two of them exchanged glances before scanning the rest of the field... and they could clearly see the effect of this magic fertilizer.

Beyond the radishes and lettuce that were already nearing the harvest stage, the other crops had also grown to an almost absurd degree.

Some were already towering over the usual height, with some even surpassing the expected size of common crops they would usually see on a normal farm.

For example, the legumes—such as peas and the like—a supposedly normal, common crop that would usually grow as tall as a child's waist... they had all shot up to an alarming height, with some nearly reaching the height of Anastasia—a grown woman.

Martha and Bella continued to wander through the fields, checking on the other plants, and every now and then, they murmured something about how concerningly well everything was growing...

And that left Anastasia with a long, contemplative pause… thinking about what had become of her farm...

But then, she finally broke her silence with yet another very important question for her butler:

"…Are these even safe to eat?"

A heavy silence followed, with the butler's expression remaining neutral as he continued to observe the farm with careful eyes...

And then... he broke his own silence.

"Probably."

"…P-probably?!" Anastasia snapped her head toward Sebas, her expression immediately twisting into an incredulous look toward her butler. "…Please be honest with me."

"I am being honest with you, my lady."

His answer was met with the same disbelief as before... which elicited another chuckle from his mouth.

But seeing that nothing he said would convince his redheaded mistress, Sebas could only offer her a wry smile.

"…It should be fine," he tried to reassure her, but to no avail, as Anastasia still held deep skepticism over his answer.

"Should, huh..."

"If anything, I imagine consuming them would be no different than drinking a mana potion."

Anastasia squinted at him. "Drinking... a mana potion..."

His comparison was not reassuring at all, only adding to Anastasia's concern...

Anastasia was about to press Sebas further, her concern far from settled—

But then—

"Hey, guys, I'm back~!"

A voice suddenly interjected them, cutting through the tension like a blade.

Both of them snapped their heads toward the source, their expressions shifting into one of surprise—

A voice they knew all too well...!

And sure enough—

There she was.

"Miss Vivian???"

"Vivian...?"

The lively adventurer stood at the edge of the farmland, grinning ear to ear. But it wasn't just her unexpected return that left them stunned—

It was what—or rather, who—she had with her.

Slung over her shoulder... was an unconscious woman.

Anastasia's eyes widened. Sebas raised a curious brow.

And the Sonic Thief Vivi smirked grew wider by their surprised expression.

"I brought someone really important~."