Chapter 18. Reward choice.

"One billion Farm points!" I called out for once I was outside.

Calculating.... Error. Please select a reasonable reward.

"Fine then! One million Farm Points!" I yelled. Maybe a few less points this time.

Calculating..... Error please select a reasonable reward. :(

I made the system mad.

That poses way more questions than I want to answer if the system is a living creature. Or well I guess it's the land? Hard to answer that.

"Hey system! Are you alive and can you talk to me?"

....Silence. Guess that answers that. Partially.

But what to get as a quest reward?

There was a few obvious things that would improve our comforts considerably like skipping the whole points and just asking for a house, but I held off on that in case I could think of something better. There was also the part were it would effect future quests and rewards. As funny as it would be getting nothing but houses for my rewards from now on would be counterproductive. Unless I wanted to give any future producers their own place, though I feel Zeldi would complain if I did that.

There was still I decent amount of sunlight left so I could do something physical while I thought and the perfect task came to mind when I saw the apple on the bench.

With the apple and pear in my inventory I searched the store for a seedlings tray, my mind wondering to what my quest reward should be. My last Farm Point got me a three by three seedlings tray that would need some fertilizer and good soil.

I slowly looked down the hallway at the last door. Please tell me I'm not thinking about doing that.

Unfortunately for me I knew it would be my best chance at growing the seeds as the land outside this house was pure dry dirt with only a few trees growing. The lack of grass did not bode well for seed growth. The failed long drop Zeldi had tried to make would ironically be the perfect soil to grow in. Well maybe not perfect but the best I had.

And if it succeeded I could explain that she had a hand in making it work. Well maybe I wouldn't tell her considering what part she had to play or the part of her I'd used. I don't think explaining manure and it's benefits would make her any less embarrassed that I'd used hers.

With that in mind I held my breath and opened the door, groaning as the smell assaulted my eyes. Just a quick in and out.

I quickly summoned the tray and started to dig hoping the further down I got the better the soil quality but I gave up pretty fast when my lungs decided to start punching my chest. Instead I dumped a decent amount in and on top of the tray before bailing making sure to close the door on my way out.

Thankfully Zeldi hadn't woken up so I took my spoils outside. I would need plenty of sunlight for the seeds but also somewhere that didn't have too much wind. I would have loved a greenhouse but that would have to be a future task if this didn't work.

As I started to wonder around the property for the perfect place I thought back to the quest.

How much would this affect future quests?

How much can I get away with?

Apparently one million Farm Points was asking too much even if it hadn't given me any requirements. But what did I really want?

That answer was simple. Zeldi.

She has had such a bad time with all this I want her to finally be happy here with no regrets. Could I ask for her freedom? A selfish part of me wanted her to stay mine.

Maybe for her to be able to leave the property like I can? No, that's just going to be a good way for Tilty or someone else to kidnap her. She's actually safer here as they know she can't leave and won't try anything. I would hate to see who comes out if they knew she could leave.

I found a spot behind the house that had a decent windbreak and put the seed tray down. I thought about eating the apple and pear but rejected that idea when I summoned them into my dirty hands.

Just breaking them open it was. Using the dagger I carefully cut into them while continuing with my train of thought.

What would Zeldi even want if she could leave?

Maybe to visit her family again? But even then they had to be at least a few days travel. Not something we can comfortably do with our current food stocks and little knowledge of the direction. Fantasy worlds tend to be dangerous from the stories I've read so traveling wouldn't be that good for us, not to mention milking her on the road.

The seeds came out easily enough and I tucked five apples and four pears into separate parts of the tray. The remaining ones I placed back in the fruit and dug a hole for. There was a low chance it would yield anything but low is still better than nothing.

Now for water. A good opportunity to look at the creak again. Making sure to pick up the bucket round the front I headed for the creak.

Could I just get a reward that lets us travel to her village and back at will?

"System. How about the ability to go to and from Zeldi's village at will? That a okay reward?" I felt a little stupid talking to myself like this.

Calculating.... Error request unreasonable.

Calculating better request....

Quest reward: Once per moon cycle the deed owner and all livestock may travel to livestock Zeldi's home village for twelve hours.

Would you like to accept reward?

That's... Not bad actually. I mean it's not perfect but it could work.

I was thinking more long term with this as if we could travel once a month we could stockpile Zeldi's milk and sell it. That would take care of her quest easily while bypassing Tilty's blockade.

Hopefully if we were lucky we could also get a few items from the village itself as well. As much as I'd like to buy clothes for my Centaur, her village would be much better in that regard. Also a meal or something like that instead of gruel.

I was talking myself into it more and more as I walked.

If the rewards from now on are similar then the ability to travel elsewhere would be great as well. Imagine traveling to the other side of the planet for a night then coming back. Would be very useful especially with my Void inventory. Don't have to use the store for all the small things and can save up for the more expensive items. Money would be a problem but I'm sure Zeldi's milk will be valuable no matter the town so any quests that gave similar rewards would be great.

Or if the rewards were all tailored to my livestock that could work as well. Admittedly I still didn't know how much of an effect it would have but this did seem like a good idea.

The creak came up and I let out a smile to see that it was deep enough I'd have to swim just to be able to get to the other side. Deciding I was a little filthy and wanting to test the depth I waded into the water after putting the bucket in my inventory.

It was refreshingly cold as I dunked my head under. The bottom was still visible so it wasn't that deep but way better than before, hopefully Zeldi would appreciate the change.

As I washed off and filled the bucket I just couldn't think of a reason to refuse this reward. With the fact the system had changed it ment it was probably all it was offering so it couldn't get better. And as tempting as it would be to ask to make Tilty my livestock right now I didn't particularly need that.

Revenge or Zeldi's comfort. That was an easy choice, plus Tilty was getting what was coming to her regardless. Hopefully the added dread was making it worse.

Shaking my head to banish the thoughts of the fawn I returned to the question at hand. Was there anything else better that Zeldi being able to see her family again?

No. Not really.

"Fine. I accept." I said to the magical system.

Reward accepted.

Travel to Centaur village now? Yes / No

No. I thought making my way back to the seed tray. Zeldi needs her sleep and it would be far better to go in the morning so we could spend the whole day as opposed to most of the night now.

The seeds hadn't mysteriously sprouted while I'd been gone so I gave them a quick water then dumped the rest of the bucket over the ones in the ground hoping some of it stayed in the soil long enough that they could germinate.

With the last of the sunlight I went back inside to whip myself up some of that gruel. It was still terrible.

If there was some way of making Tilty my livestock in the future she will be living exclusively off of this stuff as punishment though her quest will bind her to the land she owns not here. Still a tempting prospect.

Making sure I was dry I joined Zeldi in the bed thankful of the soft covers now. Zeldi responded to my presence by wrapping her arms around me and pulling me into her chest.

There are definitely worse ways to go.