First Farming, Logging, and Monster Hunting

It is said that about one in twenty people in the Lordberg Kingdom are granted a magical talent when they undergo the Blessing Ceremony at the church at the age of ten.

Many only possess the talent to start a small fire or create a cup of water, but some can master powerful magic and become what are known as "mages."

Perhaps because excellent mages often rise in status and intermarry with nobles, the proportion of those granted talent is higher among nobles and lower among commoners.

The "Talent for Puppet Magic" that Noein was granted was certainly better than nothing, but it wasn't something that was particularly welcomed by nobles.

If he had been granted a clearly powerful talent like fire magic, water magic, or healing magic, his treatment in the Earldom might have been different.

Puppet magic, as the name suggests, is magic that allows one to control puppets at will. It is generally recognized as the magic of controlling "golems," large wooden puppets engraved with magic crests.

However, its drawback is that it is "extremely difficult to handle."

Normally, golems cannot perform very complex movements. At best, they can carry heavy loads or serve as shields on the battlefield.

If one were to undergo extensive training, they might be able to make golems move as complexly and smoothly as humans, but only those with a lot of free time would be able to undertake such training.

And Noein had that "lot of free time."

After learning about his talent at the age of ten and saving up the allowance his father gave him to buy a golem (wooden golems are not that expensive for a nobleman), Noein spent a long, long time mastering golem manipulation.

Thanks to that, now, at the age of 15, two golems were performing complex movements that would normally be impossible, such as "holding hoes like humans, digging up the soil, and cultivating the field" in front of Noein.

"As expected of a forest untouched by human hands. The soil is fertile. This will make a good field."

"You even have the knowledge to discern soil quality. As expected of Master Noein."

To be honest, Noein didn't know anything about the quality of soil, so he was just making things up. He was speaking based on knowledge he had read in books and his general impression.

And Matilda would praise him no matter what he said.

Even so, the two of them were enjoying this unstable frontier development by amateurs.

...

"Well, Matilda. We've managed to create something that resembles a field."

"Yes, Master Noein. Are we going to plant this... potato crop next?"

Matilda was staring at a yellowish-green lump that looked like a plant stem that had become swollen.

"That's right. In the Lordberg Kingdom, this is only imported for the ornamental value of its flowers, but its true value lies in its usefulness as food. There was a farming guide from the Southern Continent that described how to cultivate and eat it."

Knowing the true value of potatoes from books, Noein had made a special trip to the market near the port to buy them before leaving his father's territory. This was also fortunate because the Kivileft Earldom faced the sea, had a port, and served as a trading base with the south.

"I see. The fact that you chose to cultivate this strange crop first instead of wheat must mean that you have a reason that I don't understand."

As Matilda said, potatoes looked strange to those who didn't know what they were.

When he bought them at the market over a month ago, they had been more yellow and glossy, but now they were slightly greenish, and sprouts were starting to grow from them.

If you didn't know that this was a crop, it would honestly look like nothing more than a grotesque, mysterious object.

"That's right, Matilda. It's almost unknown in this country, but potatoes are apparently called the 'savior crop' in a certain country in the south. They're easy to grow, easy to multiply, and nutritious. They're perfect for our frontier development."

That being said, Noein only knew about potatoes from books.

"That's wonderful. As expected of Master Noein, you have an eye for such crops."

Following Noein's instructions, Matilda cut the potatoes with a knife.

Noein then planted them at equal intervals in the furrows that the golems had dug.

If they watered them, several potatoes would apparently grow from each piece.

"For now, the planting in this field is finished. This is the birth of the first farmland in the Arkwright territory."

"It's a momentous farmland, Master Noein."

...

Having finished planting in the small field of about 5m square, Noein immediately started the next task. However, it was the golems who were doing the work.

First of all, they needed flat land that could be used for farmland. So, Noein had the golems hold iron axes and cut down trees.

A blow from a golem, with its massive body over 2m tall and its corresponding weight, using its entire body. This created deeper and deeper cuts in the tree trunk, and eventually, it fell in the direction where the undercut had been made.

Thanks to the golems, the time it took to cut down a single tree was far shorter than it would have been for a human.

Furthermore, they split the felled trees into pieces of a certain length and pruned the branches.

"I'm glad I'm a puppet mage... It's much more versatile than being able to breathe fire or water from my hands."

Noein muttered to himself.

He was probably the only one in the entire Lordberg Kingdom who could control two golems simultaneously and have them perform such detailed tasks.

With Noein's dexterity, he could have the golems do everything from farming to logging, wood processing, and even combat if he wanted to. It wasn't as flashy as other famous types of magic, but it was the perfect power for someone in his position, "developing a frontier."

"...!"

Matilda's ears twitched.

"Master Noein, something is approaching. Probably a monster."

"I see. Well, it's only natural that they would notice with all the noise we're making."

This was an untouched forest. Of course, there would be monsters.

Noein stopped the golems from pruning the branches and had them stand in the direction Matilda was pointing, to act as shields for him and her.

"Master Noein, if it's not a powerful monster, may I take it on as practice?"

"...Alright. Only if it's not a powerful monster. I'd be troubled if my beloved Matilda died."

"!? Understood!"

Matilda stood in front of Noein, trying not to let her face blush at the words "my beloved Matilda." The source of the presence she had sensed was approaching in front of her.

What jumped out of the bushes with a rustling sound was—a Gluttony Rabbit, a monster about 1m long that looked like a giant rabbit.

Compared to ordinary rabbits, its legs were slightly longer, its fangs were sharp, it was extremely belligerent, and it ate anything, plants or meat.

Even so, it was one of the weakest monsters.

"I'll do it."

"Alright."

Having obtained Noein's permission with a brief exchange, Matilda used her rabbitman leg strength to jump like a spring.

She delivered a roundhouse kick to the Gluttony Rabbit that had also jumped and charged at her.

She was wearing combat boots, sandals designed for the long feet of rabbitmen, with iron blades attached to the tips.

The roundhouse kick, with the momentum of her jump and her weight behind it, hit the Gluttony Rabbit's face directly, and the iron blade shattered its skull in one blow.

The Gluttony Rabbit fell to the ground, dead.

"...I did it, Master Noein!"

She turned to her master with a bouncy smile, which was rare for her, who usually didn't show much emotion. She seemed very happy and proud to have finished her first real battle against a monster so cleanly.

"Yes, I was watching closely, Matilda. That was splendid. Well done. Good girl, good girl."

He said this to Matilda, who was showing a cute smile, approached her, who was taller than him, and patted her head. Pat, pat, pat, pat.

"Ah, um, Master Noein..."

"Good girl, Matilda. You're my pride. Good girl, good girl."

Yes, she was his pride. His prized follower.

He was only praising her as a reward for her successful first battle.

It wasn't that he was being mischievous, wanting to tease her until she blushed bright red because her face when she turned around was just too cute.

"Um, Master Noein, we need to bleed and butcher the prey..."

Matilda, who had become a completely innocent maiden, unlike her usual cool self, said this. Indeed, it was time to get back to work.