Chapter 73: Stick Lanterns and the Sweet Taste of War

“The garden looks so lush and green.”

The sunflower stick planted in the middle of the garden turned its head to follow the sun.

Even though the weather was chilly, the crops in the garden were vibrant.

Ever since the sunflower greenhouse was built, I had fewer worries about the garden.

That didn’t mean I could just laze around.

I needed to gradually harvest the crops outside the garden and store them, and also prepare and stock up on items for the herb shop to sell during winter.

“The garden cleanup is done for now. Time to make that thing.”

I sat on the ground and started whittling wood with my dagger.

The bark peeled off smoothly.

“Uhaam.”

Elenia stretched and yawned.

“Good morning.”

“Good morning.”

“But what are you making so diligently from the morning?”

“Stick lanterns. The days are getting shorter lately, so the nights are long. I thought it’d be good to attach luminescent stones to sticks and plant them around.”

Until now, I’d relied on the moonlight at night, but even with my good night vision, on moonless nights, it’s pitch black.

Swish swish.

I tied the luminescent stones I mined from the cave to the well-whittled wooden sticks. 

They looked like crude stone spears on the outside.

“Let’s see, first, in front of the house and in the field?”

I planted two stick lanterns at the entrance.

“As expected, I’m smart.”

In emergencies, I could use the stick lanterns as torches. 

No worry about fire like with actual torches, and it’s practical.

“Moomoo! Burp!”

“Kyahaah!”

“Peep hee hee!”

What? That sound?

Noisy laughter and chatter.

I turned my head and saw the cow, Dorori, and Elenia gathered together.

“What’s so funny?”

“We’re having a contest to see who can burp the loudest after drinking carbonated water.”

Then Dorori shivered. Its throat twitched.

“Kreeeek!”

It let out a huge burp.

“Kyahahahaha! Too funny!”

“Moo hoo hoo hoo!”

Elenia and the cow clutched their bellies and rolled on the ground.

“Pfft.”

I couldn’t help but let a laugh slip through my lips at the sight.

“Then keep playing. I’ll prepare breakfast soon.”

While the three were boisterously enjoying their game, I headed off to prepare breakfast.

“What should we have today?”

I was heading to the field when.

Ding.

[An intruder has occurred in the field.]

[Activating defense mode.]

“Intruder?!”

I was dumbfounded by the sudden alert.

“Could it be Puu again?”

Creak creak.

Before I could even assess the situation, the scarecrow started moving first.

The scarecrow lowered its body with an expressionless face and scanned the surroundings.

Soon, something rose from the ground toward the field!

Poof.

A mole golem poked its face out.

Ding.

[Warning! Mole Golem’s attack!]

[The mole golem has attacked the field. Defend against the mole golem’s attack to prevent your crops from being stolen.]

“What? A golem?!”

Another golem?

That underground spirit! I didn’t expect it to come all the way to the surface.

Thud!

The scarecrow stomped on the mole with its foot.

Whoosh.

But the mole quickly burrowed into the ground with agile movements, then poof! reappeared nearby.

Thanks to the scarecrow guarding, it couldn’t easily steal the field crops.

“Good job! Our scarecrow!”

After wrestling for a while, the scarecrow caught up to the mole’s speed.

Thud, a chunky sound of something breaking underfoot.

Ding.

[You have caught a mole golem!]

“Success?!”

The joy was short-lived.

Rumble rumble.

A more intense vibration.

Ding.

[Multiple mole golems have appeared.]

[Mission! Please catch the mole golems. 1/30]

“Wh-what? Thirty of them?!”

Poof. Poof. Poof. Poof.

Without giving me time to be surprised, moles poked their faces out here and there.

The war with the mole golems had begun in earnest.

Creak creak. Thud. Thud.

The scarecrow chased them with flashy footwork, but it was insufficient to handle multiple alone.

I couldn’t just stand by and watch.

“A weapon! I need a weapon! Ah!”

I immediately pulled out one of the stick lanterns. I hadn’t made it as a weapon, but in an emergency, no choice.

“I’m joining too!”

With a spirited shout full of vigor, I charged into the field.

Sensing the crisis, the moles tried to hide back in.

“No way! Take this!”

I thrust one end of the stick toward a mole.

But the mole was faster.

“Faster than I thought?”

Already, holes where crops had been stolen were visible throughout the field.

“At this rate, the crops will all be stolen before I catch all the moles! Help!”

“I’m joining!”

“Peep!”

“Moo!”

Reliable reinforcements joined the mole hunt.

“Stop right there!”

Elenia flew around nimbly, chasing the moles.

Dorori pecked at the moles with its beak.

“Mooooo!”

The cow also stomped with front and back hooves, enthusiastically joining the mole hunt.

Ding.

[You have caught a mole! 2/30]

[You have caught a mole! 3/30]

[You have caught a mole! 4/30]

[You have caught a mole! 5/30]

With everyone’s combined firepower, the moles started being defeated quickly.

Tap tap tap! Tap tap!

The scarecrow, which had been tap dancing, mobilized hands and feet, eventually showing off flashy breakdancing.

The cow’s face flushed red as it panted heavily.

Dorori, after pecking the ground for a while, swayed dizzily.

Grunt grunt.

“Let go of this!”

Elenia was wrestling with a mole over a radish.

The mole golem stubbornly pulled the radish into the ground.

“Take this!”

Thwack, I smacked the mole’s head with the stick.

“Aaah!”

Then the mole golem shattered, and Elenia bounced back with the radish.

Ding.

[You have caught a mole! 21/30]

[The moles are retreating!]

Amid the fierce battle with the moles, the welcome news of retreat came.

“Huff huff. They ran away.”

I breathed heavily.

“Elenia! You okay?”

“Ungh. I’m fine.”

Elenia got up with a tired expression.

Dorori and the cow flopped down on the spot. “Oh dear….”

The field after the battle was a complete mess.

The plundered field was riddled with holes, and most crops were stolen.

Fortunately, since the autumn harvest was done, there weren’t many crops left in the field.

The garden could be regrown quickly with the greenhouse.

Still, I couldn’t help but get angry.

“Ah! So frustrating!”

“Look at this.”

Elenia flew over to me holding something.

“I found this inside one of the moles.”

It was a note.

“Just a note.”

“It’s written in spirit language. Spirits can recognize it. It must be from the underground spirit.”

“Really? What does it say?”

“Revenge for invading the underground without permission and stealing minerals! How does it feel to get a taste of your own medicine?”

“R-revenge? Ha….”

“There’s more. Absolutely no compromise! Kneel before me, beg sincerely, and surrender!”

I was speechless from the absurdity.

“Even so, declaring war?”

I couldn’t just take it lying down. Did it think I’d back down first?

“No compromise? That’s what I want to say! I’ll mine all the minerals in the underground, so be prepared!”

An eye for an eye! A tooth for a tooth! If it comes out like this, I have no choice but to go strong!

“Hehehehe. Feels so refreshing!”

The gnome cackled.

***

Just looking at the piled-up crops in the storage made me feel secure. 

This should keep me full for a while.

“Hmm, what should I eat first?”

I had to pick a crop to celebrate the victory.

Last time it was a carrot, so this time a sweet potato would be good.

The gnome lifted a sweet potato.

Slurp. Licking its lips, it was about to bite into the sweet potato when.

“Puu?”

Puu, who had approached unnoticed, stared at the gnome.

Puu with its characteristic clear, sparkling eyes.

“…Ahem. You want some too?”

“Puu!”

Puu took the sweet potato the gnome offered.

Crunch crunch.

It chewed the raw sweet potato deliciously.

“Then, me too. Aam.”

As the gnome chewed the raw sweet potato, its eyes widened.

“Mm! Mmm! Mmmmm!”

With each chew of the mouthful of sweet potato, the reaction intensified.

The carrot was really tasty, but the sweet potato was indescribably delicious.

“Puupuu!”

“What? You say it’s even tastier if baked?”

“Puu!”

“The human eats it that way? You’re telling me to imitate the human?”

“Puuuuuuu!”

“What? Really really really tasty? ……”

Nod nod.

Puu nodded strongly.

“Ahem, if you insist, maybe I’ll bake just a little?”

The gnome pretended to reluctantly detach coal from the wall. 

Using the precious mineral it cherished so much felt quite reluctant, but the gnome was already feeling an irresistible pull.

Tap tap. Whoosh.

Striking flint, the coal quickly caught fire.

It tossed the sweet potato onto the coal and retrieved it after a bit.

“Ah hot!”

The gnome, trying to grab the sweet potato, brought its heated fingers to its earlobe.

“Too hasty. Need to let it cool a bit.”

The gnome smacked its lips and waited for the sweet potato to cool slightly.

“Ahem….”

The gnome, trembling its legs in patience.

“Ah! Can’t wait anymore!”

Finally reaching the limit of patience, it split the sweet potato in half.

Steam steam.

White steam rose from the yellow, well-baked sweet potato. 

The inside was perfectly cooked.

“Hoo hoo. Aam.”

After quickly cooling it with breaths, it took a bite.

“…Ah!”

The gnome froze for a moment.

The sweet potato that had been crunchy just before now melted softly in its mouth. 

Moreover, the sweetness had doubled, and the fluffy texture was artistic.

“…Just baked over fire.”

The taste had transformed completely.

“Puu!”

“Cooking? This is ‘cooking’?”

A miraculous technique like magic that changes flavors.

Now it understood why the human was so desperate for coal.

Cooking required coal.

Last time, when it obtained pink salt, the human had shouted in joy.

“I see.”

This underground was full of things the human coveted.

The gnome realized anew how precious and valuable its territory was.

“Absolutely! I won’t let it be taken!”

The gnome bit into the sweet potato and munched away.

Contrary to its determined eyes, its mouth corners kept twitching up.