Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 31: A New Familiar
Five days have passed since Mika-san arrived.
During this time, there have been no particular incidents, and we’ve been able to enjoy peaceful days.
It’s been fun having Velvet-san and Mika-san visit, causing a bit of chaos, but these calm, peaceful days working on the farm with Sheila-san are truly soothing.
As I was enjoying this sense of tranquility, I noticed that my NP had reached 8000.
While I wanted to save some NP for when Velvet-san or Ren and the others might visit, I also felt it was about time to increase our workforce.
Thread has been helpful, but since he can only work at night and can only focus on one task at a time, it’s a bit limiting.
“Sato-san, let’s do our best today, too.”
“Oh, Sheila-san, before we start working, I wanted to tell you—I’ve saved up enough NP and was thinking of purchasing a new monster.”
“That’s great! What kind of monster are you thinking about this time?”
“I thought about adding another undead type, but I’ve decided to go with a Matango this time.”
“Oh, the one I suggested! I hope it doesn’t have any drawbacks like Thread… If it can’t help with the farming, I’m sorry.”
“You don’t need to apologize. I’d already been considering a Matango even before consulting with you.”
“Really? That’s a relief.”
Sheila-san placed a hand on her chest and let out a small sigh. She still seemed to feel bad about recommending the Wight Knight, who could only work at night.
Ultimately, I was the one who made the final decision, and Thread has been very helpful, so there’s no need for her to worry.
Thinking about this, I operated the tablet and purchased the Matango.
Just like with Lime and Thread, the new monster suddenly appeared right before my eyes.
The creature looked exactly as I imagined—a monster that resembled a mushroom with arms and legs.
It had a face, but it couldn’t be called cute by any stretch of the imagination… If anything, the best description would be “a human-faced dog.” Its size was surprisingly large, about one meter tall.
“I shouldn’t say this, but… it’s neither cool nor cute. It reminds me of when I was attacked by a group of Matangos.”
“You were attacked by a group of Matangos, Sheila-san?”
“Yes, they inflict status ailments, so they’re very troublesome. And with that appearance, it might have left me a bit traumatized.”
It’s rare for Sheila-san to speak so openly about something like this. This Matango might be more formidable than I expected, even as a combatant.
“If it managed to traumatize you, Sheila-san, it must be quite the monster. I was terrified when I faced a Fang Deer, so I definitely don’t want to encounter a wild Matango.”
“If it’s just one, it’s not so bad, so you’ll be fine. Besides… I’ll protect you.”
If I were a bit younger, I might have fallen for her right then and there—such reliable words.
Since I can’t fight on my own, I have no choice but to rely on Sheila-san to protect me.
Anyway, getting back on track, I decided to give the Matango a name as I did with the others. Something simple and easy to remember… “Mush” would be a good fit.
“Sheila-san, I’ll be counting on you. And let’s give the Matango a name. How about Mush?”
“That sounds great. It’s easy to remember and simple to call.”
“Alright, Mush it is. Mush, I’ll be counting on you from now on.”
As I spoke to Mush, I reached out my hand. I considered petting him but remembered that the cap of a Matango might be poisonous, so I just held out my hand instead.
Mush lightly touched my outstretched hand, raised the corners of his mouth, and nodded. It looked like he was smiling as much as he could, and I already started finding Mush endearing.
“First, let’s see what you can do, alright?”
I showed Mush how to plant seedlings, water them, and harvest crops.
He quickly got the hang of it and began planting the unplanted seedlings one after another.
Unlike Sheila-san and me, who had to crouch and stand repeatedly, Mush could plant without bending down, working at an incredible speed.
The same went for harvesting. Mush harvested crops at twice my speed and placed them neatly in the baskets.
Mush also seemed to have considerable physical strength, which was even more than I had expected. He looked like he would be a valuable addition to our team.
“That speed is incredible. Since it’s a nature-type monster, it must be fast even on uneven soil. Sato-san, this… this is a major asset for us!”
“It’s quick to learn too, so making it a familiar was absolutely the right choice. It might be worth continuing to add more Matangos.”
“Having a field full of Matangos might look a little eerie, but if they’re this productive, it’s definitely worth considering.”
We clasped hands and celebrated the Matango’s performance, which exceeded our expectations.
Mush looked at us with a puzzled expression but kept on diligently working on the farm.
Although we had just purchased Mush, as Sheila-san suggested, it might be worth considering getting another Matango.
I opened the tablet and navigated to the Matango purchase page, but reality wasn’t as kind as I had hoped.
Just like skill upgrades, the price for a second Matango had jumped to 30,000 NP, far beyond what I could afford.
Out of curiosity, I also checked the prices for Slimes and Wight Knights. The Slime’s price had risen to 2,500 NP, and the Wight Knight was now 10,000 NP—five times their original prices.
It seemed the price for a second monster increases by roughly five times.
Perhaps the first purchase has a discounted bonus price, or maybe the price will rise even higher for a third monster. Either way, the dream of having a workforce of countless Matangos was shattered in no time.
While the “Otherworldly Farming” skill seems like a dream-like ability, it clearly isn’t designed to make life too easy. Whether it was the gods who designed this system or not, I had to admire how well-balanced it was.
“Sheila-san, it looks like buying Matangos in bulk will be tough. The price for a second one is significantly higher.”
“Is that so… I thought we’d achieve a super comfortable farming life all at once, but it seems things won’t be that easy. …Still, thanks to Mush, our work has sped up considerably, so let’s do our best to keep up.”
“Right. Plus, we still have the opportunity to make different monsters our familiars. Let’s shift gears and keep at it.”
Sheila-san and I quickly adjusted our mindset and got back to work with Mush.
As a result, we finished our usual tasks before evening and even managed to plant some new vegetable seedlings with the extra time we had.