Chapter 7

Thanks to everyone, we're now ranked 4th in the daily rankings. Thank you very much.

After finishing lunch, I start the sorting and adjusting work for the long eggplants.

For that, I need to move the containers holding the eggplants. This is quite a heavy task.

After all, each container weighs more than ten kilograms.

Carrying several of them with a tired body from the harvest is quite exhausting.

"Lord Jin, should I move these?"

"Yes, we'll be working at that table over there. They're quite heavy, so don't overexert yourself—"

I was about to give a warning, but Seram effortlessly picked up six containers stacked together.

"…What?"

I was speechless at the sight of Seram, who has a more delicate build than me, lifting the containers so easily.

Even if one container weighs ten kilograms, that's sixty kilograms in total.

It's not an impossible weight if you're well-trained, but it's practically impossible otherwise.

"What's the matter, Lord Jin?"

"No, no, each of these weighs more than ten kilograms. How can you carry so many?"

"I'm a knight. This weight is nothing. Well, to be honest, I'm using a body-strengthening magic."

"Magic…?"

"I'm reinforcing my muscles with magic power. With this, I can run fast, jump high, and perform other amazing physical feats."

So, that's why he could run as fast as a car on the first day when he ran out of the house.

I was convinced by Seram's words, but there was something else that caught my attention.

"Can you even use magic here!?"

"Yes, the magic power here is thinner compared to the world I came from, but it's sufficient."

I thought magic and magic power were products of imagination, but it seems they exist even in modern Japan.

"Then, can I use it too?"

"…I don't think so."

When I asked with a bit of hope, Seram shook his head.

"Why not?"

"Neither you nor anyone else in this world has any detectable magic power. It's likely that you don't have the magic organs necessary to sense and refine magic power. Even if magic power exists, you can't do anything without those organs."

It's like having energy but no engine to use it.

It seems that magic power is a useless byproduct for Earthlings.

"To be honest, even if you had magic organs, it would be difficult to learn magic at your age. Magic training starts from a young age and takes a long time."

That makes sense. Seram said he spent so much time practicing swordsmanship and magic that he didn't even have time to cook.

It would be difficult for me, who has no background in such specialized skills, to learn them quickly. Even if I could, I'd probably be quite old by then.

"That's true. I thought it would be convenient to use magic for growing vegetables."

"Hearing that, the first thing that comes to mind is agricultural use, which is very much like you, Lord Jin."

Seram chuckled at my muttering.

Well, I can't think of any other uses.

"Hey, can you use magic to grow vegetables?"

Can you use magic power to promote the growth of vegetables?

"If I could, I would have offered it long ago. Unfortunately, magic isn't as convenient as you think."

It seems there's no such convenient magic.

Well, if it were possible, it might reduce the fun of farming. But it would be wonderful if I could control the growth rate with magic. That way, I wouldn't have to rush to harvest in a short period.

While silently complaining like a farmer, I carried the containers to the workbench.

Usually, it would take several trips, but thanks to Seram, it only took two.

This will make the loading work much easier.

"What do we do for the sorting work?"

"We wipe off the dirt and sort them by size. At the same time, we check for any damage or misshapen ones."

"What do we do with the damaged or misshapen ones?"

"Misshapen ones can be sold at a lower price, but badly damaged ones are hopeless. We either remove the damaged parts and eat them at home or throw them away. This long eggplant, for example, is no good."

"Does such a small damage make it unsellable?"

From my perspective, it's quite bad, but for Seram, it might be within acceptable limits.

"We have to deliver safe and delicious products to our customers. We can't give them anything that might compromise safety."

"I see. Prioritizing customer safety! You're thorough, Lord Jin!"

Seram looked at me with admiration.

It's not just me; it's the standard for agricultural cooperatives. But let's leave it at that to avoid overcomplicating things.

After teaching Seram how to sort, we started the selection process for the long eggplants.

We wiped off the dirt with a cloth and checked the entire eggplant carefully.

Once the dirt was removed, the eggplants shone even more.

The clean eggplants were very beautiful, like jewels.

"Lord Jin looks so calm."

While working silently, Seram looked at me as if I were a rare sight.

Is my face that calm right now?

"Polishing the harvested vegetables calms my mind."

"Indeed, I agree. It's nice to do a task that doesn't require much thinking."

"Hey, pay attention to the sorting. That size goes in the other container."

"Sorry."

When I pointed it out, Seram quickly corrected the sorting.

He's reliable for heavy work, but I can't take my eyes off him when he's doing these detailed tasks.

Still, considering he's a beginner in farming, he's doing a great job, so I'll forgive the occasional mistakes.

After finishing the sorting, the next step is bagging.

"Seram, can you put these stickers on the bags?"

"Stickers?"

I demonstrated the sticker application for Seram, who didn't know what stickers were.

It's just peeling and sticking, so he understood quickly.

"Is this good!?"

"Yes, that's perfect. Keep going."

"It's fun!"

Seram happily stuck the stickers, like a child discovering the joy of stickers for the first time.

While watching Seram's enthusiasm, I started filling the bags with eggplants that had stickers on them.

"Hmm? No more stickers?"

"The sticker application is done. Can you help with the bagging?"

"Got it."

We paused the sticker application and Seram helped with the bagging.

"Is it 500 grams yet?"

"Almost, I'm short by about 50 grams."

"Haha, then try with another eggplant."

"Lord Jin hasn't used the scale at all. How do you know it's the right weight?"

I laughed, and Seram looked at me with a doubtful gaze.

"Don't underestimate an experienced person. At my level, I can tell the weight just by holding it."

"Show me."

I put the bagged eggplants on the scale as Seram requested, and it was exactly the right weight.

"Exactly 500 grams… You're truly an experienced person."

"Of course."

Though I said that, I was secretly relieved by the precise weight. A few grams less, and I would have been embarrassed.

After finishing the bagging, I sealed the bags with a packaging tool.

"Lord Jin! What's that!?"

"It's called a bag sealer. Want to try it?"

"Yes!"

Seram nodded with a bright smile.

He's so curious.

"Twist the end of the bag to make it thin and insert it into the gap here."

"Like this?"

When Seram inserted the twisted end of the bag into the bag sealer, it made a "click" sound and sealed the bag.

"Wow! Lord Jin, this is fun too!"

"If you like it, keep going."

For Seram, who finds the tools in this world novel, the packaging work is very fresh and enjoyable.

I let Seram handle the sealing while I put the finished bags into cardboard boxes.

Before I knew it, the work was done.

"Can you load this box onto the light truck's bed?"

"Yes, the white iron carriage! Got it!"

When I asked, Seram carried the cardboard boxes in one go.

While he was doing that, I cleaned up the tools, covered the stacked boxes on the truck bed with a sheet, and securely tied them with a rope to prevent them from falling during the drive.

"All that's left is to ship them."

"Can I come with you?"

When I got into the light truck, Seram approached the driver's seat and asked.

There's nothing for him to do from here on out.

Seram has worked more than I expected. It would be unfair to keep him here unnecessarily.

"No, I can handle it from here. You can rest at home."

"O-Okay…"

"Are you feeling lonely being alone at home?"

"It's not that! I'm not a child! Go ahead!"

When I teased him, Seram walked back to the house with a dejected look.

He still acts like a child sometimes.

Still, I'm a bit worried about leaving him alone for a long time, so I'll come back early.

With that in mind, I started the light truck.

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【Author's Note】

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