TMOWM~35

 Chapter 35

Of course. Life seemed far too easy. It was only natural that the little breadwinner had to step up now.

“Ahem.”

I cleared my throat softly and raised my hand.

“I think I can help.”

All eyes turned to me.

“I can sneak out of the estate. I can buy food and supplies.”

“…How?”

Hilton’s suspicion was cut off by Lady Luella’s sharp interruption.

“Have you forgotten? Lord Tybern strictly ordered that no one ask Laney anything! He also said that if we face difficulties, we should ask for her help!”

So… Grandpa trusted me that much? I couldn’t betray that trust.

My eyes flicked to my status window.

[Name: Tybern]
[Status: Recovering. Still seriously injured. Fatigued.]

Tybern was alive. As for Herden… his fate remained unknown.

I bit my lip. All we had to do was hold on until Hyder officially became a Sword Master and claimed all his rightful powers. That point wasn’t far off in the original storyline.

“Ahem. That’s true… Laney, it’s fortunate you can help. But we’ll need money to buy anything, my lady.”

“There is an amount Lord Tybern left behind for emergencies,” Lady Luella replied. “But it won’t last long, as you said.”

“Ahem,” I cleared my throat again, raising my hand once more.

“I think… I can help with that too.”

“How—no, never mind.”

“You just have to do as I say.”

Yes, it was time to put the almighty maid skills to use. It had been a while since I last flexed them.

“First, Master Hyder.”

I racked my brain for a quick way to make money. Of course—it had to be selling something valuable. But to do that, we needed valuable things. Selling the duke’s property would be illegal—practically a confession of trafficking stolen goods. So it had to be something that wouldn’t cause any problems.

“Could you search the study for a plant encyclopedia? We need to find herbs that are traded at high prices.”

Since I didn’t know this world’s market trends, I needed information first.

“I’ll go to the market to see what items are most valuable. Lady Luella, please assist Master Hyder.”

“I will.”

“Next, we’ll buy those seeds and start growing them.”

“But some of them may take a long time to mature, Laney. The idea is wonderful, but…” Lady Luella said cautiously.

“There’s no need to worry about that, my lady.”

I smiled sweetly.

My eyes flicked back to the glowing status window. It was gleaming brightly, almost like it was bragging.

[New Update]
You can unlock a new skill by spending experience points.

• I Am a Druid v1
  Any crop will grow quickly and healthily with the blessing of the Earth Spirit.

Cost: 30,000,000 EXP

Perfect timing.

“I’ll give it a try.”

I smiled again, this time with confidence. The matter of gathering enough EXP had also been solved—my status window had already offered a solution.

[Would you like to sell “Garden v.Max”?]
Selling Price: 30,000,000 EXP

It was time for my little garden to fulfill its destiny. Grinning broadly, I pressed “Yes.”

“Just trust me! Lord Hilton, could you gather the servants to help make a field? Of course, I’ll help too!”

“With those dainty arms of yours? What do you expect to do?”

“Come on, I have to help too.”

Just wait and see what these dainty arms can do. Hyder gave me an odd look.

Don’t worry, Hyder.

If I’ve done it once, doing it twice is no big deal.

Hilton and the servants stared at Laney, dumbfounded.

She was a small girl, with thin arms and a delicate frame.

And yet, she was holding a pickaxe almost as big as her body, and swinging it like a rampaging bull, tearing through the frozen earth like it was cotton.

The ground was frozen from the snowfall, but it barely slowed her down.

What was hard labor for grown men looked like child’s play in her hands.

One servant managed to speak at last.

“…Is that even humanly possible? Lord Hilton, I think my eyes are deceiving me.”

“Mine too. That tiny girl… is she really… what the…?”

“Shh. Say nothing.”

Hilton’s voice was solemn.

He now understood why Tybern had said to seek Laney’s help in times of need.

“We can’t fall behind. Let’s get moving.”

He rallied the servants into action.

Meanwhile, Laney’s cheerful humming filled the cold air.

Thanks to her, what should have taken all day was over in less than two hours.

The muscular servants looked at her in disbelief. Laney wiped her brow and flashed a beaming smile.

“Glad we finished quicker than expected, right?”

Well, yes… but still, something felt oddly unsettling.

This was no ordinary field—it was a goldmine.

My ever-helpful status window allowed me to register Hilton and the other assisting servants as contributors.

Meaning, I now received all their experience points too. Lucky me.

My “I Am a Druid” skill was leveling up rapidly. For once, I felt fulfilled.

“Laney!”

Dania came running over, waving her hands excitedly.

“Look! Just like you said, the sprouts have already popped up! I heard this type of seed rarely germinates easily. You’re amazing!”

She pulled me over, her face flushed with excitement.

Hyder, Lady Luella, and I had carefully chosen three kinds of herbs:

One that promoted youth and vitality, one that enhanced intelligence, and one good for back pain.

All three were known for their miraculous effects—and their high market value.

The problem was they were notoriously difficult to grow.

But that didn’t matter to me. I had a skill. And that skill came with secondary blessings—one of them was the “Blessing” sub-skill.

“Look at this! Lady Luella said she’s never seen kito leaves this thick and healthy!”

Kito was the herb for youth. The leaves fluttered under Dania’s excited breath.

It was worth giving up my garden for this.

“Ahem, well. It’s all thanks to everyone’s hard work. We’ll be ready to plant by tomorrow.”

“They’re really growing fast, right? I feel like a divine power is watching over us!”

Not divine power, sweet Dania. Just me. Whatever you desire, it shall be granted.

“If we harvest them and sell them as processed herbs, how much can we earn? Do you think we could buy some meat?”

It had been a long time since anyone in the mansion had tasted meat.

Dania rubbed her belly, her expression pitiful.

Meat, huh. I wanted some too. And Hyder was at a crucial stage in his growth.

We’d had some money left over after buying seeds. And everyone had worked so hard. They’d need strength for the farm work ahead.

“I’ll speak to Lady Luella.”

“Really?”

“Of course. You all worked hard. And there’s more to come. Meat should be the least of our rewards.”

“Wow! Laney, you’re the best!”

Basking in Dania’s praise, I gently stroked the baby kito leaves with my fingertips.

They almost seemed to giggle beneath my touch.

I smiled contentedly as they swayed beneath my fingers, growing greener by the second.

Oh, you adorable little things.

In my eyes, you all looked like sweet, sweet money.

Once we harvested and sold the kito, we’d buy the next herb—Rops, the one for boosting brainpower.

After Rops, we’d move on to Nephra, the herb for back pain.

Rinse and repeat, and eventually, we’d have enough to live comfortably.

Goodbye, poverty!