I Thought It Was a Healing Farming Game Chapter 10

“Oh, right… This place has a good work-life balance.”

I’d forgotten that the doors wouldn’t open unless it was exactly opening time.

“I have some time to kill. In that case…”

I pulled the map out of my inventory.

This time, I decided to go meet one of the romanceable characters myself.

Since it’s morning, maybe I’ll bump into him if I pass by his house!

I wandered around the area near the location I remembered, and soon spotted a house with a red roof.

“Here it is.”

I got my bearings and turned around.

It was the home of Priam, a villager who ran an orchard and a wheat field.

I should go see Priam, too.

Priam was a villager with a bright, cheerful aura, like a little ray of sunshine. His personality reminded me of a dog wagging its tail enthusiastically.

“Hello!”

Even on my way to his house, I greeted people here and there, making sure to introduce myself and leave a good impression.

Although most people barely acknowledged me.

“Oh my! You must be the new visitor. Welcome!”

Every now and then, someone would wave at me and greet me warmly.

“I look forward to getting along with you!”

As I politely bowed to everyone I met, the older villagers seemed to take a liking to me.

I was walking along a winding dirt path bordered by fences when I spotted someone approaching from the opposite direction, pulling a cart.

It was an elderly woman with a cart full of metal milk cans.

“Hello! Good morning!”

After greeting her with a bright smile, I naturally approached her, grabbed the handle of her cart, and offered, “Where are you headed? Let me pull it for you.”

“Oh my, how kind of you! I was on my way to the Town Hall. Where do you live, dear?”

Villager Affection +5

I briefly explained to the elderly woman where I was staying and how I’d ended up in the village.

“Is that so? …Still, I’m glad to hear you’re healthy now. My name is Mael. I live at the end of that road.”

“My name’s Miel! Oh, now that you mention it, our names sound similar.”

“Why, they really do! Isn’t that something? My daughter usually pulls this cart, but she’s busy cleaning the barn today, so I brought it myself. Where were you headed, dear?”

“I was going to vi— the house with the red roof! I heard a boy around my age lives there.”

I hadn’t even introduced myself to Priam yet, so I couldn’t act as though I knew him.

When I gave her a vague answer, Grandma Mael sighed.

“Oh dear. If you mean Priam, he went to the orchard early this morning. You won’t find him even if you go to the house with the red roof.”

“Oh. Is that so…?”

My spirits sank a little. I’d wanted to meet him today.

“Hmm, I’m sorry. I feel bad for making you go out of your way.”

“It’s okay. I had business at the Town Hall anyway. It was closed, so I was on my way back…”

As we pulled the milk cart together and chatted, we gradually drew closer to the clock tower.

The villagers passing by recognized Grandma Mael and began greeting her one by one.

“Who’s that girl with you? Have you taken in a granddaughter?”

“She just arrived in the village. And would you believe it? She kindly offered to help me pull the cart.”

Villager Affection +1

Villager Affection +2

Perhaps because I was with Grandma Mael, the villagers’ affection toward me increased more easily.

By the time we reached the Town Hall, it was already past 9:10 a.m.

“Should I leave it here, Grandma?”

“Yes, that’ll do. Thank you for helping me, dear. Come visit our farm sometime. I’ll bake you a pizza topped with well-aged cheese.”

“Really? I’ll definitely come!”

Just imagining it was enough to make my mouth water.

After exchanging a final farewell with Grandma Mael, I stood in front of the reception desk at the Town Hall.

“Hello.”

Choices

1. Apply for resident registration.
2. Learn about the village.
3. Look for work.

“I received a letter from the Town Hall. It said you could provide various kinds of help to make settling into the village easier.”

“To receive that assistance, you’ll need to register as a resident first. Could you fill out this simple form?”

“Yes, of course.”

The employee handed me a sheet of paper.

It asked for very basic personal information.

Full name, height and weight, age, and blood type.

In the game, this information had been filled in automatically based on how I’d set up my character at the beginning.

This time, I have to fill everything in myself. And there are questions about my hobbies, skills, likes, and dislikes… The questions have become much more varied, too.

I’d never been able to see these kinds of details while playing the game, so discovering them was another unique experience.

I carefully and sincerely filled out every question.

Please write down anything you’d like to try or any requests you have for the village.

Without hesitation, I picked up my pen and scribbled down my final answer.

I want to become friends with the villagers.

Owning a house, farming, and relaxing were all secondary goals.

What I truly wanted was to become close again to the friends who had been with me throughout my illness.

“I’m finished.”

I submitted the form.

“Please wait a moment.”

The employee went behind the reception desk, then returned with a box that looked as though it had been prepared in advance.

“Here you are. It contains several items that will help you settle into village life. Instructions on how to use them are included inside.”

“Thank you.”

I accepted the box with both hands. It was quite a large gift box.

Node Welcome Package: A gift prepared to welcome a new resident. Contains various useful items.

Just as I was about to untie the ribbon, barely able to contain my excitement, the employee at the desk continued.

“Is there anything else I can help you with?”

Choices

1. Learn about the village.
2. Look for work.
3. Ask for assistance.

“Oh, I was hoping to look for a job.”

I promptly selected the option and tucked the box into my inventory.

I could open the package at home later, but I could only check the available jobs while I was at the Town Hall.

“I’ll register you as a job seeker. Do you have any skills at a high level?”

“Ah… no? I think they’re all Level 1.”

All my skills had been reset.

I used to be good at things like this, you know…

I couldn’t even make that excuse to plead my case, and I felt like crying.

“I’ll look for jobs that match your skill levels and creditworthiness.”

As someone whose skills were all Level 1 and who had only recently arrived in the village, there probably weren’t many jobs I could do.

They’d either be exhausting or poorly paid.

“Would you like to see the list of jobs you can take on immediately?”

As the employee asked, a hologram-like display of part-time job listings appeared.

Part-Time Job Listings

• Weeding Job: Pull out the weeds by hand in a 50-pyeong yard.
• Rocky Field Tilling Job: Till a rocky field using a hand hoe.
• Fishing Boat Construction Job: Seeking someone willing to live and work together for five years while building a pleasure boat.

“Good grief…”

That was a list of jobs so miserable that even Kongjwi would burst into tears.

I couldn’t help sighing.

“You don’t have to take a job immediately, so could you also check whether there are other places I can apply to?”

The employee continued speaking while rapidly tapping away at the keyboard.

“A milk delivery job was just posted. If you have experience working at a dairy farm or a villager who can vouch for your creditworthiness…”

“Oh, dear, are you looking for work?”

Just then, Grandma Mael appeared between the employee and me.

“Yes, Grandma.”

With a pleased smile, she turned to the employee at the reception desk.

“Please make sure this girl can take the job posted by the dairy farm. I’ll vouch for her creditworthiness.”

Tap, tap, tap.

The employee’s fingers moved quickly across the keyboard.

“Would you like me to remove both the creditworthiness and skill-level requirements?”

“Yes. Skills can be taught.”

I clasped both hands over my mouth, overwhelmed with emotion.

“Grandma Mael…!”