After rummaging through the suitcase for a while, Furina finally found this monocle in a damaged glasses case.
The silver frame, paired with a gold chain, gave off a quite noble feel.
Furina examined it up and down, then fastened it over her right eye.
The worn glasses frame emitted blue streaks, and a search image appeared on the lens.
Furina watched this magnifying-glass-like small image spin within the frame, feeling a bit disoriented for a moment.
“About right.
Cissia should be back soon, let’s go upstairs~ I’ll start planting after I finish eating…
I’ll try to plant all these seeds and see how they turn out.” “Besides, Life Recovery Potions are bound to be very useful in a world plagued by disasters…
I should prepare a few more bottles to put on the shelves.” Having made up her mind, Furina closed the Medicinal Herb Manual and Guide in her hand, and the Omniscient Analysis Monocle was also fastened to her collar.
She tidied up the Alchemy Room briefly, then walked out, took a deep breath while looking at the vast underground vegetable plot, turned off the lights, and left the basement.
In the hallway, just as Furina climbed up the stairs, she heard Cissia’s unique voice coming from the hall.
“Hehehe~…
So many meat buns and freshly fried chicken drumsticks!” Leaning against the back doorframe, Furina watched the Blonde Snake wriggle and dance around the table.
She spoke up, interrupting the spectacle.
“What’s all the excitement?
You’re laughing like a maniac…” Turning to face the small white cat girl, Cissia rubbed her hands together in excitement.
“Haha~ Manager Furina~ The last batch of buns just came out of the oven, and since they weren’t selling, the shopkeeper let me buy them all at half price~ Look at this big bag!” “And these freshly made drumsticks…
they smell so good~” Furina stepped forward, her nose twitching.
The aroma of the meat buns and fried chicken was indeed mouthwatering.
It was a good thing, too, because she was actually feeling a bit hungry.
The tail behind her subconsciously started wagging lively.
Still, Furina maintained her composed facade and coughed dryly a few times.
“Ahem~ Well, you did a good job…
Let’s eat first.” Though the buns were delicious, she could only manage two or three for breakfast.
After taking a small sip from the water bottle she’d bought, Furina waved a hand as she watched Cissia continue to stuff her face with buns.
“Hurry up and eat.
We still have work to do after this…” With both cheeks stuffed full, Cissia nodded frantically.
But just then, her expression suddenly froze, her face turning a sickly pale as she pounded her chest wildly.
“What’s wrong?
You, you didn’t choke, did you?” Nodding frantically again, Cissia rose to her feet and spotted the half-empty water bottle in Furina’s hand.
Without a moment’s hesitation, she rushed over and snatched the bottle away.
She gulped the water down in large mouthfuls.
Gulp, gulp, gulp~ After draining the rest of the bottle, Cissia finally let out a sigh of relief.
The tail behind her snapped straight, then collapsed onto the floor like a liquid.
“Hah~~~ Burp~!
That’s better…” Blinking, Furina stared at her empty hand, then at the empty water bottle in the other’s grasp.
A faint blush spread across her face, but she said nothing.
When Cissia the little snake finally finished off the last of the buns and fried chicken, she rubbed her slightly bulging tummy and licked the corner of her mouth.
“Full now~ Hehe, it feels so good to have a full stomach.” “Now that you’re full, let’s get to work…” “Eh~ Manager Furina~ We just finished eating.
How about we digest for a bit?
We can start later, okay?” Approaching Furina, Cissia draped an arm over her shoulder, her tone incredibly soft and coaxing.
Swatting her hand away, Furina crossed her arms and turned her head to the side.
“Hmph…
Come find me in the water room in half an hour…” With that, the white-haired cat girl swayed her tail and turned to leave, tap, tap, tap~ The sound of her footsteps faded away.
Watching Furina, dressed in her blue-and-black gown, leave the main hall, the pouting little mouth of Cissia curled upward.
“Yay~ Thank you, Manager~” Lounging on the chaise longue behind the bar, Cissia hummed a little tune she’d heard in the Outer Ring.
She narrowed her eyes, taking in the slightly classical-style little shop.
Hmm~ I was planning to just visit the city and then head back to the Outer Ring, since I couldn’t afford anything and had nowhere to stay.
At least in the Outer Ring, I could find an abandoned house to settle into.
But with Furina around, things are different.
Now I have a place to live, a place to eat, and a beautiful, kind-hearted, slightly tsundere cat girl as my boss~ Why the heck would I go back to the Outer Ring now?
I’m a city snek today, a snek with a home in a luxurious area like Lumina Square.
I’m a high-end snek-izen.
Lost in thought, Cissia the Blonde Snake started giggling foolishly.
Little did she know what kind of work awaited her…
After her break, Cissia arrived at the water room.
She saw Furina leaning against a table, scrolling through her phone.
Before her stood five or six 15-liter water buckets.
Right now, they were filled to the brim.
“Yo, little Snakey, you finally showed up.
Come on, grab a bucket and follow me to the basement.” “Ah…
okay, alright.” With a twitch of her mouth, Cissia approached a bucket of water and strained to lift it with both hands, then wobbled along behind Furina to the basement.
Going down the stairs, she set the bucket down next to a watering can.
Afterward, the little snake’s expression became quite strained.
She bent over, hands on her knees and mouth open, tongue lolling out as she gasped for air.
“Hah…
huh…
hah…
This…
this is a bit heavy, huh~” “Is that so?
Then you can take a break.
Go fetch the next bucket in five minutes.” “Am…
am I the only one carrying them?” Blinking her eyes, Furina waved her hand dismissively.
“Of course~ Look at my thin arms and legs.
With such a delicate figure, how could I move this?
Besides, did I feed you all that food for nothing?” With a twitch of her mouth, Cissia didn’t argue further.
She raised her eyes to observe the surroundings, seeing that the basement, measuring about sixty square meters, was divided into very neat plots.
“…What…
what is this for?” “Um…
just growing some flowers and plants~ That energy lamp, by the way, is a special bulb this Manager spent a huge sum of money to buy.
Its light is powerful enough to rival the sun’s rays.” “That’s how you can farm in a basement.” Snakey, of course, didn’t have much knowledge or education, so she believed Furina’s nonsense right away.
“Whoa~!
Manager is amazing…
Can I take a closer look?” “Go ahead, but only look.
If you break it, your life probably won’t belong to you anymore~” Hearing Furina’s warning, Cissia trembled all over and hurriedly nodded.
“Ahaha, then I won’t look for now…
I’ll just keep carrying water buckets.” With that, Cissia slowly slithered upstairs with her little snake steps.
Not long after, she swayed back down carrying another bucket of water.
Just like that, after about two hours, the five big buckets of water were finally moved.
Collapsing completely on the small path paved with stone bricks nearby, the Blonde Snake felt her stomach churning, as if she was about to vomit out those twenty-eight buns.
“Hmph~ You’re already done for after doing so little?
What a total loser~” Hearing the white-haired cat girl’s taunt, Cissia immediately bristled.
She glared at the other’s back and retorted, “You’re just talking big because you’re not the one doing the work!
This is exhausting, okay…?” Furina ignored her, walking over to the bucket.
She reached out with both hands, lifted one, and then, her body trembling, slowly poured it into the large water vat nearby.
Splash!
The water rushed into the vat.
After a while, all five buckets were emptied, and the vat was about half full—not completely filled, but enough to get by.
Shaking out her numb arms, Furina turned around to face the blonde Snakey, who had been staring at her the whole time.
“Hmph~ It’s not even that heavy…” “Your hands and feet are still shaking~ If I’m not mistaken—” “Ahem~ You’ve rested enough, haven’t you?
Here!” Tossing three seed packets into Cissia’s arms, Furina—who had donned a monocle at some point—pointed authoritatively.
“Take the hoe, till these three plots of land, and then plant one packet of seeds in each.” “Ah~!
And there’s also…” Seeing the cat girl in front of her assigning her more work, Cissia was, of course, stunned.
“What else?
Hurry up, or you’re not invited to the hot pot buffet tonight.” “Hot pot buffet?!!” Thinking of the fragrant hot pot from last night, Cissia unconsciously licked the corner of her mouth.
Shaking her head, she quickly saluted Furina.
“Yes!
Mission guaranteed to be completed!” The little snake quickly started tilling the land, planting seeds, and watering according to Furina’s instructions…
About ten plants of each medicinal herb were planted.
Not too many and not too few, just right.
After all, Furina had never refined medicine before, so planting these was enough for practice without it feeling like a waste.