Chapter 5

Deciding to have Seram live in my house as an employee, I immediately set about starting work. However, Seram, who was supposed to help with the fieldwork, was inexplicably wearing a sword.

Wearing a red tracksuit and a sword was clearly strange.

"What's the matter, Jin-sama?"

"Why are you carrying a sword?"

"I just can't seem to settle without it... Is it not allowed?"

Seram said, fondly stroking the hilt of the sword.

If I said it wasn't allowed, she might leave it behind, but I felt she would look sad if I did.

It seemed that although she had decided she couldn't return to the other world immediately, she still felt lonely.

"Well, as long as it doesn't get in the way of work, it's fine."

"Thank you!"

"By the way, in Japan, there's a law called the Sword and Firearm Control Law, which prohibits carrying knives with a blade length exceeding six centimeters, except for legitimate reasons such as work."

"Really!? Wouldn't that be dangerous if monsters attacked!?"

"That's because there are no monsters in this world."

"Oh, right."

The fact that she asked such a question reflexively showed that Seram was still not used to this world.

"By the way, how long is six centimeters?"

The units of length in Seram's world must be different.

"About this long."

"Then wouldn't it be illegal to carry a kitchen knife!?"

"No, kitchen knives are essential for cooking at home, so it's fine to have them. It's just not allowed to carry them around without a reason."

When I explained this, Seram looked like she understood, but also like she didn't.

She seemed to understand the rules but wondered if they were really okay.

"This world is very peaceful. If you carry weapons, people might suspect you of having bad intentions."

"Then, it would be better not to carry it to avoid causing trouble, right?"

She said this piously, but her face looked very sad.

"Well, no one carries real swords, so you won't get in trouble for having one. It's fine."

"R-really!?"

She looked happy when I said this.

It seemed she really wanted to carry a sword daily.

Since Seram's appearance clearly showed she wasn't Japanese, no one would think her sword was real.

They would probably just think she was a foreigner obsessed with Japanese culture, carrying a toy sword like a samurai or knight.

I didn't want to explain all this and make her pout, so I didn't.

"Just don't draw the sword, okay? If you do, even ordinary people would realize it's not a toy."

I had lightly touched it before, and even as a layman, I could feel the weight and danger of a real sword. If she drew it carelessly, she would be in immediate violation of the law.

"I understand. I am a knight. I won't draw my sword recklessly."

"Right, but you almost drew it when we first met, didn't you?"

"That was Jin-sama's fault! You were mocking me!"

The female knight looked embarrassed as she recalled our first meeting. It would be very problematic if she drew her sword with such a low boiling point.

I would need to keep an eye on Seram's actions in the future.

"Let's leave the sword issue for now and get to work. Today, we're harvesting eggplants."

"Eggplants, like the ones we had for lunch yesterday!"

I told her about today's task, and we immediately moved to where the eggplants were.

"Jin-sama, what is this transparent house?"

"It's a greenhouse. We grow eggplants in here."

"For what purpose?"

"By using plastic to isolate the inside from the outside, we can control the external environment. It also makes it easier to control temperature and soil temperature, making it easier to regulate the growing conditions."

"Hmm, I only understood about half of what you said, but the agriculture in this world is quite advanced."

From what I heard, the civilization level in Seram's world was similar to medieval Europe, with the addition of developed magic. It was natural for her to find mechanized agriculture strange.

After explaining the greenhouse, we entered it.

"Wow! Are all these eggplants!?"

Seeing the eggplants spread out in the greenhouse, Seram exclaimed in surprise.

To me, it was a familiar sight, but for someone not used to agriculture, the sheer number would be impressive.

"Yes, they're all eggplants. By the way, this variety is called long eggplant. It's about ten centimeters longer than regular eggplants. The larger ones can grow up to thirty to forty centimeters. The flesh is soft, and they're especially delicious when grilled or cooked in stews."

"..."

As I explained, I noticed Seram staring at me intently.

"What's the matter?"

"Well, when you talk about vegetables, you become more talkative and lively than usual."

"Really?"

I hadn't realized it myself, but if she said so, it must be true.

This was the first time I had talked about agriculture outside of work, and maybe I had been craving such conversations.

"I think you should have a softer expression more often."

Does that mean I usually have a stern face?

Well, I do realize I'm not the most friendly person, so I can't really argue.

"Anyway, use the scissors to harvest the eggplants and put them in the container."

I pushed the cart and container back to the end of the greenhouse.

"Wow, it moves forward just by pushing! This is convenient!"

Seram seemed fascinated by the cart, pushing and pulling it playfully. Watching her, it felt like I had a big child.

"By the way, how big should the eggplants be for harvesting?"

"About the same length as these scissors. When harvesting, you can cut them from the base of the side shoot."

I demonstrated by picking an eggplant about the size of the scissors and cutting it from the base of the side shoot. Then, I separated it from the unnecessary side shoot and put it in the container.

"Is it okay to cut from the base?"

"If you only harvest the fruit, more side shoots will grow, and it will quickly become overgrown. So, it's fine to cut them without hesitation."

If you don't cut them, the side shoots will keep growing, turning the area into a jungle.

Additionally, removing overgrown leaves promotes growth.

"Got it. I'll give it a try."

Seram took the scissors and, with a serious expression, compared the size of a large eggplant to the scissors.

You don't have to be that careful...

When she found one that met the criteria, Seram nodded and cut the base of the side shoot with a snap.

At that moment, I deliberately made a tragic face and exclaimed.

"Ah!?"

"W-What? Was I not supposed to harvest this!? I'm sorry! This is my first time doing this—"

"No, it's fine. You did it correctly."

The moment I revealed this, Seram's expression turned serious.

"...Jin-sama?"

"Sorry. You seemed so tense, so I was just teasing you. The size of the scissors is just a guideline; you don't need to measure it so precisely."

When I explained that it was to ease her tension, Seram seemed to understand and relaxed, putting away her serious demeanor.

Her well-defined features made her glare quite intimidating.

Seram seemed to regain her composure, found the next eggplant, and cut it from the side shoot more confidently.

"Is this okay?"

"Yes, keep going at that pace."

She looked relieved and moved on to the next eggplant.

Watching her harvest the third, fourth, and fifth eggplants smoothly, I decided to move to a different row and start harvesting.

I pushed the cart, found eggplants that met the harvesting criteria, and cut them from the base of the side shoots.

After removing unnecessary side shoots, I put the long eggplants in the container.

I continued this process, finding the next and the next eggplants that met the criteria, harvesting them one after another, and pruning unnecessary leaves at the same time.

"Wow, you're fast!"

She must have seen me pushing the cart and harvesting quickly.

Seram looked at me in surprise.

"I've been doing this for years."

"Grr, I'll catch up to Jin-sama's harvesting speed eventually."

She laughed through her nose and, despite her frustration, continued the harvesting work.

She seemed to be quite competitive.

Still, I couldn't let a first-day farmer like Seram outdo me.

As an experienced farmer and employer, I needed to show my skills to the new employee.

I put more effort into the harvesting work than usual.

Pushing the cart, I found eggplants that met the harvesting criteria and cut them from the base of the side shoots.

After removing unnecessary side shoots, I put the long eggplants in the container.

I continued this process, finding the next and the next eggplants that met the criteria, harvesting them one after another, and pruning unnecessary leaves at the same time.