Chapter 16. First Job and Unexpected Situation

"Huh? Wait, where are you taking this water bucket?" 

As Ash and James entered the house, Linda, who had seen them from the kitchen, stopped them with a confused frown.

James said that there was a bathhouse under the stairs, so I brought water to take a bath. Is there any problem?" Ash asked hesitantly.

"No, no, there's no problem," Replies Linda with a chuckle. "It's just been a long time since we used it. I almost forgot about it, you see I am quite old and can't do much heavy work so I just take a simple bath in the toilet, while James is just a child, he doesn't mind doing it in the garden. Anyway, go ahead, do what you like, but be quick—breakfast is about to get ready." She chuckles and heads back to the kitchen.

Ash breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing Linda's reply and opened the door of the bathroom.

The entire bathroom interior is very small, probably 2x2 meters. There was nothing in it except a small hole on the ground covered with a stone, probably connected to the outside for water drainage, and a small window-like space for placing clothes. Other than that, there were also a lot of spiderwebs and dust.

With little hope, Ash while staring at spiderwebs with a frown asks James, "You probably don't have any soap or shampoo, right?"

"Soap? Shampoo? What are they?" And just as Ash predicted James replied confusedly clearly having no idea what he was talking about.

"Nothing. Now, if you don't intend to bathe with me, you can go and wait in the kitchen. I'll be there in a few minutes." Ash said with a helpless expression and walked into the bathroom with his water bucket.

"Okay, then if you need anything, just call me," James replies cheerfully, and hurries away, leaving cleaning work on Ash's responsible shoulder

"Sigh, this is why I never try to play any game in a nightmare mood; even normal work becomes difficult as hell," Ash muttered to himself as he closed the door.

...

"Are you sure you don't take lunch with you?" Linda asked with concern as Ash was about to go out to the farm for his first job.

"Yes, I don't need it. Farmer Uncle said that he would provide me lunch, so it should be fine. And even if he doesn't, your house is not far away. I can always come here to eat lunch," Ash replied gratefully to Linda, who was treating him as kindly as his mother back on Earth.

"Take care then, and if Jacob makes trouble for you, tell him you live with me. He understands everything," Grandma Linda advised with a serious expression, like every mother to her son who was going to work with relatives. Ash, who was very familiar with this tradition like most sons, could only nod his head helplessly with a forced smile while waving his hand.

...

"I didn't expect that you would come so early in the morning," Jacob, who had just come from the barn after milking his cows didn't expect to see Ash at the front of his house so early, with the same gloomy, expressionless face he spoke.

"A man with wisdom once said that the first impression is the last impression, and if you want to work under someone peacefully, then never leave your boss unimpressed," Ash flirtatiously replied, raising his hand for a handshake. However, he overestimated his own position, and what greeted him was an indifferent, disgusted sneer from Jacob.

"Anyway, since you are already here, let me explain your work," Jacob said as he placed a milk bucket at the entrance of his house and led Ash to his buck shed, where his sheep were looking at them curiously.

"Your work is simple. After I release my sheep from the shed, they will wander around the farm to graze. You just need to look after them so they don't run into the forest. Also, if wild dogs come near them, shoo them away. After 7 hours, help me move them back to the shed. That's it."

"Now, about your wage, I will pay you 15 coins for 8 hours of work, with one meal provided during lunch. If you don't have any place to stay as long as you are working for me, you can spend the night in my barn. Although the barn is not a comfortable place to spend the night, it is better than staying out in a random alley under the cold, starry sky, right? So, what do you say? Do you want to work for me?"

Sigh, as if I had any other option. If I want to become a powerful adventurer who can kill monsters like chickens, then at least I need proper basic equipment first. Otherwise, it won't be long before I am taking a bath in a goblin's food pot, Ash thought with a bitter smile, accepting Jacob's blood-sucking cheap offer.

"Great!" Jacob, who hadn't changed his expression throughout their entire conversation, finally a flicker of something resembling satisfaction crossed his face. "Also, be vigilant and keep your eyes open. If you hear some weird movement while watching the sheep, inform me. Recently, some of my sheep disappeared out of thin air, driving me batty. I have been investigating this matter, but there is no clue about that damn thief. God knows how that bastard is doing this. If you can find the culprit, I am willing to give you 50 coins as a reward."

As soon as Jacob's voice fell, suddenly, a transparent blue window appeared in front of Ash, visible only to him...

[ *Ding! New Quest:- Find The Poacher

Description: In the hope of finding work at Jacob's farm to earn money for your future dreams, you encounter an unexpected situation. It seems like someone is secretly stealing Jacob's sheep right under his nose, but he can't find the culprit, which makes him very angry. The angry farmer has asked you, his new worker, to investigate this matter and remove the source of the trouble.

Requirement:-

*Seek clues leading to the poacher.

*Eliminate yourself or report the poacher to Jacob.

Reward:-

*50 coins.

*10 Exp Point.

Failure Consequences:-

*Jacob's favorability decreases by 20 points with each loss of a sheep.

*There is a 50% chance of being kicked out from the job. ]

"Okay, if I find that poacher, I will beat the hell out of him for your sake. Just rest assured, nothing can escape from my hawk-like eyes," Ash declared confidently while tapping his chest after accepting the quest. The thought of failing the quest never crossed his mind, not even once. After all, he was a man with a cheat who could manipulate time. As long as the poacher dared to take action on his watch, Ash could go back in time, and try again and again. It was only a matter of effort; he could definitely catch this so-called poacher.

"Good, I like your confidence. Don't let me down, kiddo. Okay, let's stop this chit-chat; it's time to work. Follow me, I give you your tool, It will be useful for you to control the sheep." With that, Jacob quickly walked into the barn and returned with a one-meter-tall wooden rod. He handed it to Ash and led him to the sheep shed.

"I'll bring your lunch in the afternoon. Remember, no slacking, and be serious. As you said, first impressions are most important," With that, Jacob flung open the shed doors, releasing a flood of about a hundred sheep onto the shed.

Jacob then gave Ash some tips to manage the sheep, as well as a kind reminder that if he couldn't control the sheep, rather than doing something stupid in overconfidence, he should just call him. With that, Jacob returned to his house in a happy mood.