Holding a basket in her hand, Libitina wiped away the sweat on her forehead with her backhand as she crouched in the sun. She was in the vegetable field behind the Odin Hotpot House, plucking weeds. It has been a few days since she had started staying in Odin Hotpot House.
Although she had been extremely cautious at the start, the warmth of the people at the shop finally allowed her to let her guard down a little. The kindness of Odin and Briar as well as the staff could be said to be the flame that allowed her to stay positive after coming to this foreign world.
Instead of her flimsy 'nightgown', she now wore what Briar had given her: an old scratchy blue overall made of elastic cotton and a pair of brown boots, perfect for farm work. Apparently, these were left behind by the stablemen of the customers.
The Odin Hotpot House was a beautiful and luxurious establishment. It even had a large vegetable field. It seems that the concept of organic homegrown food was fully endorsed by the shop as its mainstay brand identity. If Odin was the one who thought of this, his mind is far ahead of the times.
'Even though I actually get food from this, I really feel the motivation to pluck as many weeds as I can as repayment…,' Libitina thought as she admired the vast fields of cauliflowers, carrots, spices and other leafy greens. Clomodor was technologically advanced as compared to Auglarus, so she would have expected smart machines to do these laborious tasks. However, Briar had explained that weeding is still too delicate a task for current machines, even though the Magic Tower is likely to be experimenting on this area.
'Hmm, the Magic Tower…' Libitina leaned her chin on her clean palm. According to the game, to Clomodorians, the Magic Tower was an existence akin to the church in Auglarus; as Clomodor places emphasis on the sciences, many technological inventions and developments from the Magic Tower have successfully fused physical science with magic, spiritual strength and alchemy. 'Let's try to visit the Magic Tower if I ever get the chance to go to the capital city…'
So, again and again, Libitina tried to use her fingernails to grab the weeds whenever she saw them, before pulling their roots out. Although her fingers and back started to hurt after crouching and plucking for so long, she persevered.
Three hours later, she returned to Briar to report. Her basket was filled with weeds, and it was the sixth basket to be filled. Hiding her hands behind her back, Libitina swiftly passed the basket to Briar, who took the basket back.
"Lady Briar, most of the weeds are done plucking."
"Oh, Libby, good job."
As it was still in the morning, the hotpot store has not opened yet, and Briar was assisting the rest of the staff in preparing the restaurant for lunch hours.
"Isn't this the little creature picked up by Master Odin?"
A nasally voice sounded from the kitchen as a blonde lady walked out, drying her hands on her apron. Her hair was tied to the back of her head into a bun and her eyelashes were so long that they casted a shadow on her cheeks. Wearing a yellow dress beneath the apron, she had a refreshing countenance that was further accentuated by her sunny smile.
"Hi Crystal!"
"Yes Crystal. While little, her lungs must be mightily big, for how could snore til those roofs vibrate!" laughed Briar. "Right, Libby?" Briar winked at her and Libitina responded with a shy smile.
"Well, are these the weeds from the fields? Young 'un, you finished all of the fields?" Crystal wore an astonished look as she felt the weight of the basket.
"Yes," Libitina mumbled.
"Good job, truly! Bry, remember to get me some more potatoes, pork bones and pork, we seem to have run out yesterday and the potatoes in the field are still too small for harvesting. I've sent a Melody to Mr.Hots and the Butcher for a headsup."
In Clomodor, a Melody was a blue spirit that helps in delivering messages. It was a spell created by the Magic Tower and was especially popular amongst women who liked to buy different animal-types as their Melodies.
After Libitina rested and drank up, Briar took out a prettier and cleaner basket and handed it to Libitina, who hesitantly received it.
"Libby, accompany Brian to the market to get 5kg of potatoes, 10kg of pork bones and 20kg of lean pork. Lean pork, you hear me? Can you promise me to do the task well?" Briar looked into Libitina's eyes seriously.
Libitina gulped. "Sure." This would be the first time she would step out of the shop after the day she arrived here.
Briar smiled and patted her head kindly before turning her head towards the kitchen. "Brian! Come here! Got a task for you with little Libby!"
In the garden, the faint bloodstains from Libitina's injured fingers slowly faded away from the green veins and stems, as if they had never been there.