Chapter 12: Using a Golem as a Scarecrow

“Ugh—again, they’ve done it!”

That day, I had gone to peek into the garden, thinking it might be close to harvest time, only to be startled into a shout.

Startled by my sudden exclamation, a flurry of black wings rose into the sky—the cursed, ominous birds.

Yes.

Crows.

Lately, they had begun to raid my garden with increasing frequency. Against birds, even the walls I had built were powerless.

Perhaps they could sense the deliciousness of the crops. After all, crows were supposed to be intelligent creatures.

And it wasn’t just one or two anymore—their numbers were steadily growing, as if they were signaling their friends to join the feast.

Of course, I tried to keep watch as much as possible, but I couldn’t stare at the garden every second of the day. The moment I looked away, even slightly, the crows would swoop in and devour whatever they could. Smart little devils, really.

Some of them were downright brazen. Even when I was right there, they would still come to raid the crops. Scolding them did little—they didn’t even flinch. Perhaps they thought me weak.

“Onii-chan, should I just wipe them all out for you?”

“Wipe them out?”

Sena, my ever-dutiful little sister, offered a rather violent solution. Well, from the perspective of an adventurer like her, crows were nothing but trivial pests.

“Yeah… I’ll leave it to you,” I said.

“Leave it to me!”

I entrusted her with the task, yet—

“They’re not coming at all…”

Of course. The moment she was around, not a single crow appeared.

“Do they sense danger instinctively…?” I muttered.

“Wow, crows are so smart, huh?”

Meanwhile, the moment I was alone, the crows reappeared without hesitation. The thought that they might perceive me as weak… it stung my pride.

“Don’t underestimate me! I can fight when I need to!”

Gripping a disposable sword, I resolved to challenge the crows myself.

Come at me—whenever you dare!

“Caw! Caw!”

Like moths to a flame, the foolish crows descended into my garden, unaware that I was lying in wait.

“Now!”

“Caw!?”

Startled by my sudden attack, they flapped frantically.

“Take this!”

I swung the sword with all my might!

…And missed.

“Huh?”

The crow effortlessly evaded, lifting itself into the sky.

“Idiot! Idiot!”

“Who’s the idiot here?!”

I roared at the crows, who circled above, their annoying cries grating on my nerves.

…No, calm down. It’s just a crow. Losing my temper over a bird would be embarrassing.

Though I had failed this time, the strategy wasn’t wrong. Next time, I would strike true—

“Caw! Caw! Caw! Caw! Caw! Caw! Caw! Caw! Caw! Caw! Caw! Caw! Caw! Caw! Caw! Caw!”

“W-what—they came all at once!?”

That day, I tasted bitter defeat at the claws of the crows.

“Onii-chan… what happened to this wound?”

“Ah… just a little scrape…”

I had been injured in the fray. I couldn’t possibly tell my worried little sister that I had been bested by a crow—it was far too humiliating.

Still, I needed a solution. Even with a few crops taken by the birds, I could easily produce enough to deliver to Alicia-san and Lilcarlia-san. But if the crow population kept growing… it would become a real problem. And, honestly, I wasn’t about to let them keep getting away with this.

There had to be a way…

“Oh, by the way, Onii-chan! I got another big magic stone today.”

“Thanks, Sena.”

Setting aside my worries for the moment, I absorbed the magic stone into the garden.

―――――――――――
Geo’s Home Garden
Level 10 0/50
Garden Area: 200/25000
Skills: Wall Creation, Guardian Creation
―――――――――――

〈Level Up!〉
〈New Skill Learned: Guardian Creation〉

A new skill, right after Wall Creation. Perhaps I gained it because my level was a multiple of five.

“But… what exactly does Guardian Creation do?”

〈Do you want to create a Guardian?〉

Yes. I didn’t fully understand it, but I decided to try anyway.

The soil of the garden heaved and rose, gradually taking the shape of a human figure.

“Whoa… a golem.”

Before me stood a golem made entirely of earth.

“Are you going to protect the garden for me?”

The golem nodded by moving its head forward and back.

“Onii-chan, who’s that? Where did it come from?”

“It’s not from anywhere—it’s a golem. Apparently, it’ll guard the garden.”

“Wow… that’s amazing!”

The golem thumped its chest in a gesture that seemed to say, Leave it to me.

The next day, after Sena left for an adventure, I decided to test the golem’s abilities.

As usual, the crops grew at an astonishing speed, nearly ready for harvest. Then, a few crows arrived.

Even with me present, they didn’t hesitate at all. It was clear they had completely underestimated me.

――

Sensing the intruders, the golem sprang into action. Faster than I had imagined, it closed the distance to the crows in an instant and swung its massive arms, striking with crushing force.

“Caw!?”

One crow was sent flying. The rest tried to flee into the air, but swooping attacks were useless. The golem remained completely unharmed. Without showing even a hint of pain, it struck down every crow that came near.

“Caw! Caw! Caw!”

The crows fled, unable to withstand the onslaught. This time, they didn’t even linger in the sky—they vanished far away.

“Well done!”

The golem raised its fists in a triumphant gesture. It didn’t speak, but its actions said enough.

From that day onward, the golem repeatedly defeated any crow that dared approach. Eventually, the crows realized they had no chance—and my garden remained safe.