Chapter 56: New Crops

Unexpectedly, new companions had joined us. However, since slimes couldn’t help with farming, there wasn’t a significant change.

That said, their ability to dispose of waste was exceptional. They could easily handle the amount of garbage produced by the two of us.

In fact, it wasn’t even enough for them. We could probably take in more residents.

Well, the only candidates were Velvet or Ren and his group, but neither could move in, so it wasn’t a realistic option.

As I continued my farming life, the crops I planted on the first day had finally matured.

Not all three types ripened at once—today, only the Moafull was ready for harvest.

It looked somewhat like a cucumber, but its bright yellow color resembled a bell pepper.

I was curious about the taste, but it was probably not great, so I planned to convert all of it into NP (currency).

“I wasn’t sure what you planted, but so it was Moafull.” 

Sheila said.

“You know this vegetable?” 

“Of course. It’s a fairly common ingredient for soups. It has almost no flavor, but it doesn’t lose its texture even after boiling, so it’s actually quite useful.”

Hearing that, it seemed like a vegetable with potential uses.

There were times when only texture mattered. It might go well in rich soups.

But I could already see myself feeling a bit disappointed since it wasn’t what I had hoped for.

“If you’d like to cook with it, I can leave some for you.” 

“No, I don’t need it. While it keeps its texture when boiled, it’s so tough that it’s inedible unless cooked for a long time. Preparing it is a hassle.” 

Sheila explained.

“I see. Sounds like a pretty disappointing ingredient. In that case, I’ll convert it all into currency.”

“Yes, I think that’s the best choice.”

Since I had Sheila’s approval, I decided to convert all the Moafull into NP.

I carefully checked the selling price per unit and planned to compare it with the two other crops that would mature later.

I didn’t know about those two yet, but my main goal was to convert crops into NP efficiently.

So, I wanted to grow the most profitable ones.

With that in mind, I placed one Moafull into the shipping box.

I immediately took out my tablet to check my NP balance.

The increase was… 15 NP.

It had taken five days to mature, and each seed yielded three to four fruits, meaning I made about 40 NP in profit.

Considering Crackdraff only made 17 NP in profit, Moafull was more profitable despite its longer growth period.

However, since upgrading the soil quality and growth speed to Level 2, Crackdraff might now grow faster, potentially changing the results.

Even if Crackdraff matured in three days now, Moafull would still be the better choice financially.

Plus, shorter growth cycles meant more frequent harvesting and replanting, adding to the workload.

It was only natural to prioritize the more efficient five-day cycle of Moafull.

Endlessly growing Crackdraff would have become tedious anyway.

It was a huge relief that the new crop was more efficient in multiple ways.

“How was it, Sato?” 

Sheila asked.

“It sold for more than Crackdraff. I think I’ll grow Moaful instead from now on… Well, that could change depending on the results of the other two crops.”

I was eager to see how much Sea astera and Brightvoice would sell for.

Their selling price was important, but so was their growth time.

“I’m glad it sold for a good price. By the way, you’re really quick with calculations. You don’t even write anything down—are you doing all that in your head?” 

Sheila asked.

“Yeah. I roughly calculate the profit by considering growth time, yield per seed, selling price, and initial seed cost.” 

I explained.

“…Even if I wrote it down, I don’t think I could come up with the answer. You could make a great merchant, Sato.”

“Really? I thought you’d be able to do this too, Sheila.”

Given her noble background and magic training, I assumed she had studied from a young age.

Maybe Japanese education was just more advanced.

It felt weird to be praised for something this simple, but if mental math was rare, then it might actually be a valuable skill.

“No way, I could never do that. Only a limited number of people can calculate like you. Is this common in your world?”

“Yes. In my country, at least half the population can probably do this, even with a low estimate. Our world didn’t require as much physical strength as this one, so education was more important.” 

I explained.

“Huh, so that’s how different environments shape people. That’s really interesting.”

If this world were constantly plagued by monsters, it made sense that studying would take a backseat.

Education flourished in peaceful places.

Of course, some nations in my world were still at war.

“Anyway, back to the main topic. We’ll be growing new crops from now on, so please keep that in mind.”

“Understood. I’ve been reading the farming books you bought, so I’m ready for anything.”

Sheila clenched her fists enthusiastically as she spoke.

Feeling reassured by her enthusiasm, we returned to harvesting the Moaful.

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