I Thought It Was a Healing Farming Game Chapter 16

1. Do not go outside after midnight. The roads are dark and dangerous.

If you must go out, be sure to bring a self-defense weapon in case of an emergency.

We recommend taking care of your business as quickly as possible and returning home.

2. Please use the mailbox at the Town Hall to send personal letters, gifts, and other mail.

Even when the Town Hall is closed, you can send packages by placing one gold in the mailbox in front of the building.

All mail in the mailbox will be delivered at nine in the morning.

3. Unauthorized entry into another person’s private space is prohibited. You must obtain permission before visiting.

Violators will receive a warning notice and a fine, and further penalties may be imposed depending on the circumstances.

4. If you take on a part-time job without going through the Town Hall, you must obtain a contract and submit it later for your income and creditworthiness information to be updated.

The guide meticulously listed all sorts of information about everyday conveniences.

“Garbage collection is on Tuesdays… Bags are provided free of charge at the Town Hall. The regular village meeting is every Sunday… Regular village meetings!”

My eyes lit up. This was the most important part!

I grabbed a pen, rushed over to the calendar, and drew a star on every Sunday.

Most of the villagers attended the regular village meetings.

Of the five villagers classified as romanceable characters, none had ever missed a meeting.

It’s the one day I can meet everyone, so I can’t afford to miss it.

Determined to attend without fail, I went over the stars several times before returning to the rules guide.

6. The regular village meeting is held every Sunday.

Residents are encouraged to attend voluntarily to review the week’s agenda. However, visitors are required to attend to help them adjust to village life.

“Huh? Visitors are required to attend?”

Of course, that was a hundred times better than worrying that I might not be allowed into the village meetings.

Residents can attend voluntarily, but visitors are required to show up? It feels like the roles have been reversed somehow.

7. A trading ship visits Node on the third Wednesday of every month.

You can purchase special goods from the merchants aboard the ship or sell items you’ve crafted yourself at good prices.

Try visiting the harbor early on the day the trading ship arrives.

8. Peddlers appear throughout the village. They will not force you to buy anything, so feel free to browse.

If they behave suspiciously or threaten you in any way, report them to the Town Hall immediately.

The guide was surprisingly considerate.

It feels like they’re going out of their way to emphasize things that should be obvious…

In particular, the ninth and final rule had a thick line under it, as though it were a warning.

9. Any disturbances or crimes committed within Node will be dealt with according to established procedures.

Please familiarize yourself with the rules above and enjoy a beautiful and pleasant stay in Node.

“All done organizing!”

I dusted off my hands and stretched.

I’d also finished making a rough plan for how to use all these items.

First, I’d start farming with the vegetable garden ownership pass and seeds I received at the Town Hall.

Then, I’d use the money I earned from part-time jobs to buy fertilizer and growth accelerators!

The crops should be fully grown in about a week, and I should be able to make a decent amount of money.

With that money, I could start farming on a larger scale and earn enough for the deposit.

One advantage of living in Node was that each season lasted about a month, meaning crops grew quickly.

“I’ll definitely have my own place before spring ends!”

Just as I rose to my feet with that ambitious declaration—

Crack!

“Ugh! Ow!”

My bones cracked.

“I must’ve been concentrating too hard.”

Just in case, I checked my stamina bar.

Stamina: 44/100

Watching the stamina bar slowly fill up made me sigh.

My whole body ached just from sitting for too long, and I’d completely run out of stamina and fainted just from pulling a cart.

I don’t feel any pain anymore, but my stamina is still terrible. If only my strength were higher, I’d recover much faster.

This wouldn’t do.

I should at least exercise before bed!

I immediately lay face down on the floor and got into a plank position.

Then I started counting in my head.

One, two, three.

“Hwaaaagh!”

Before ten seconds had even passed, I collapsed flat on the floor.

Still, exercise was something you improved at with practice, so I refused to give up and tried another two sets or so.

I should keep at it whenever I have some free time.

Rubbing my abdomen, I opened the bedroom door.

When I sprang to my feet and opened it, I saw that the living room and kitchen were empty. Siad must have gone into his room.

The fruit basket Priam had given me caught my eye.

I walked over and peered inside. Then I picked up a cluster of cherries.

“…He even gave me so much fruit.”

The thought that I’d completely ruined the first meeting I’d been looking forward to made me sad.

How should I apologize?

Still pondering the question, I carried the cherries by their stems to the kitchen and gave them a quick rinse.

Then I plucked off the stems and popped the red fruits into my mouth one by one to taste them.

The ripe red cherries practically collapsed under the slightest touch of my teeth.

Their taste reminded me of the cherries Grandma used to give me to try during our walks when I was little.

I used to scrunch up my face because they were so sour.

Whenever Grandma saw me acting that way, she’d laugh at how dramatically I complained, pinch my cheek, and give me a piece of candy to comfort me.

Since Priam gave me such lovely fruit, maybe I should give him a gift in return?

If I sent him an apology letter along with a present, perhaps he’d feel better about what happened.

Tap, tap.

As I stood by the window watching the sun set, popping cherries into my mouth one at a time—

“Miss Miel.”

“Mwah!”

Siad glanced at my face, then at the cherries soaking in the water.

“Siad! When did you get here?”

I hurriedly scooped the cherries out of the water.

“Would you like some cherries? I was only going to have one cluster, but they were so delicious that I kept eating them.”

“…I can see that.”

I took out a bowl, arranged the drained cherries neatly inside, and hurriedly set it in front of Siad.

“Oh, you don’t dislike cherries, do you?”

“I rather like fruit.”

Siad popped a cherry into his mouth.

I watched to see if he liked it, but as soon as his teeth touched the fruit, it burst, quickly staining his lips red.

I blinked at the sight, then cautiously wiped the corner of my own mouth with the back of my hand.

My hand came away covered in red juice.

“Gasp!”

“Would you like some cherries? I was only going to have one cluster, but they were so delicious that I kept eating them.”

“…I can see that.”

Was that what he meant by that?!

I hurriedly turned on the tap and washed the corners of my mouth.

You could’ve just told me…!

I scrubbed my mouth vigorously with a towel.

Then, after watching Siad pick up and eat another cherry, I casually slipped in a question.

“Siad, what kinds of things do you dislike?”

“When you say things you dislike, what exactly do you mean? Food? Objects?”

“Not necessarily material things. Like people with certain personality traits, or behaviors you dislike…”

“That’s rather vague. Do you have any specific examples?”

I fidgeted with my fingers, hesitating before starting to list whatever came to mind.

“Like someone who asks too many personal questions, or someone who tries to get close to you and hugs you… or does something else that makes you uncomfortable. Something like that?”

At my words, Siad gave a small nod as though he understood what I meant.

“If this is about what happened with Priam, please don’t worry too much. I’m happy with things just the way they are.”

I’d tried to be subtle, but Siad had seen right through me.

Wiggling my toes awkwardly, I mumbled, embarrassed.

“I just… don’t want to do anything you dislike, Siad.”

“If I dislike something, I’ll tell you directly.”

Siad answered as though it were no big deal.

“Really?”

“Yes. So don’t worry about things before they happen.”

His firm answer put me at ease.