The S-Classes That I Raised

Chapter 658: Farming Is the Foundation of the World (3)

“What?”

“Look at this.”

There really was a melon–sized strawberry in Yuhyun’s hand. It wasn’t even fully grown yet, with a lot of white still left on it. And even though Yuhyun’s hands are pretty big, he couldn’t hold it in one hand. What the hell is that.

“This really seems off… I think we shouldn’t eat it. Even if you have Poison Resistance, you never know. Should I burn it?”

Yuhyun looked worried, like he thought I might try to eat it. No, your big brother doesn’t even like strawberries that much, okay.

“What a waste. The bigger, the better.”

“But the other crops are smaller than normal, not bigger.”

True. Maybe because this place was trying to accommodate us, the crops had different names, but weren’t really any different from what we already knew.

“Whoa, that’s huge!”

Yerim, who’d been watering the field, teleported over here and gasped.

“It’s still unripe, huh? Do you think it’ll taste good?”

“Who knows.”

More importantly… don’t tell me.

‘…Is it because of a skill?’

Because the growth buff from my Perfect Nurturer title kicked in? No, come on, it’s not like they’re puffed snacks. Just how many times bigger did they get? The effect’s way too good.

“It could be dangerous, so I’m going to burn it.”

“What? Mister, you’re not really going to burn it, right?”

Yerim turned to look at me with a face that screamed what a waste. Other than me telling them I loved them and giving them a kiss… there weren’t any other variables. We were even in a greenhouse, so outside factors were unlikely. So yeah, it had to be that.

“Uh, so… I think it’s because I told them to grow well?”

“You did?”

“Huh? I’ve heard plants grow better if you play music for them, but seriously?”

“I’m the administrator of this place right now, remember? So I think my words have a big effect here. Saying nice things makes them grow better too… probably?”

Anyway, plants are living things too, so if they get good vibes they’ll be healthier… This is starting to sound like a scammy cult seminar.

“Even if that’s true, don’t eat any until we know for sure.”

Yuhyun said firmly. You’re not going to drop dead from eating a freakishly big strawberry, you punk. I am curious how it tastes though.

[Crop 91 is dry!]

More messages started popping up in a stream. Yerim flew up to water them and shouted down to me.

“Then should we just run around yelling, ‘Grow well!’ now? Or does it only work when you say it, Mister?”

“P–probably just me?”

My ability is probably the only one that works. I did wonder if it was okay to use a growth buff this blatantly, but the Nurturer title itself was actually pretty common. I was only unique in that I’d raised a born S–rank in our world; the system administrators had seen plenty of others.

This much should be fine. Which means, to the crops…

“First, I’ll tell them to grow well and…”

…Do I have to kiss them too? It had been one thing inside the greenhouse earlier, showering them with cheesy lines, but doing it outside in broad daylight made me feel a little self–conscious. Still, I had to pass this assignment. They said we could sell them for a good price if we raised them well, too! This was work. Work. I took a deep breath, walked up to the patch of poorly developing watermelons, and yelled at the top of my lungs.

“Watermelons, grow big and strong! I loooove you!”

“…Mister Yujin?”

“Honey, what are you doing?”

Noah and Liette, who’d been hunting monsters down by the beach, turned toward me at my shout. Ugh, so embarrassing. Yerim, flicking water everywhere, yelled, “When Mister tells them to grow well, they really do grow well!”

I tugged my straw hat a little lower and cleared my throat. Be shameless. It’s not like I’m cursing at them, I’m expressing affection. It’s fine! It’s a good thing!

“Aw, my cabbages, look how green you are, your heads look so full. Yeah, you’re growing so well! Good job!”

I even kissed a cabbage leaf that was wilting a bit from the harsh sunlight.

“Tomatoes! Look at all that fruit you set! Good job, you’re growing great, what good kids!”

I clapped for the tomatoes that were drooping without stakes and told them to grow well too. I kissed a stem that looked like it might topple over at any moment. You get used to it once you start.

“My corn babies! This time, pack those kernels in nice and tight~ I love you~”

“Mister, you’re so funny!”

Yerim was floating in the sky clutching her stomach, laughing. Yerim, it’s work, work! People, animals, plants, it’s all about love and care! As I wandered around the wide fields giving them pep talks, I did my best to pipe my growth–buff skill through the island management system.

“My beloved, hoo. This isn’t easy either…”

At this rate my throat was going to give out. I straightened from bending over to kiss things and patted my back when Yerim started waving both arms at me.

“Mister, Mister! Look at this watermelon!”

“Huh?”

Yerim teleported over, grabbed me, and took off into the air. The wide fields spread out in one glance, and in the middle of the watermelon patch over there—

“I–”

I sucked in a breath.

One watermelon had puffed up like Cinderella’s pumpkin carriage, jutting out from the rest. The other watermelons were already big enough to fill both arms, but they couldn’t compare. What kind of watermelon grows to human height…

“That’s the watermelon you kissed, Mister. And that cabbage and those tomatoes too.”

When I turned my head that way, sure enough, there was a particularly huge cabbage and tomato stalks that had grown like pine trees. Whoa…

In the meantime, Yuhyun, who’d harvested the ripe strawberries, came out of the greenhouse pushing a handcart. Among the melon–sized strawberries, there were watermelon–sized ones dotted here and there. Apparently every single one was something I’d kissed…

“Wow, the strawberries are really ripe.”

“Yeah…”

They were a glossy, vivid red that made my mouth water just to look at, but they were way too big! Yuhyun dumped them into one of the boxes lined up in the clearing. The boxes looked normal–sized, but the inner space was expanded, so the entire cartload of strawberries poured in. Even from a distance, the rich, ripe strawberry fragrance seemed to stab at my nose.

“Mister, shouldn’t you go be a farmer or something?”

“It’s all thanks to the system, the system.”

Even if I used my skills, I couldn’t apply keywords to plants out in the real world. Right now I could pipe the effects in directly because I was acting as a system administrator. But still, how were they growing this ridiculously fast? Was it because plants were simpler than animals? Since they didn’t have any other ability–related features, was everything just getting poured into physical growth?

…And what the hell did the kissing have to do with it. Did the physical contact just make it easier for my skill to apply?

Anyway, unlike the first batch we’d harvested, we diligently picked and stored these beautifully grown fruits, and while we were at it—

[Eight hours have passed! You are given one hour of rest. Time will not pass for crops during the break!]

“Let’s take a break before we get back to it!”

I said, setting down the cabbage I’d been hugging. No snack break with refreshments?

[The crops are harmless to humans! Eat as much as you like!]

Yessir!

We chopped the forearm–thick corn into chunks, and cut the washed potatoes and sweet potatoes into suitable sizes, skewering them. Whoosh– the flames Yuhyun conjured wrapped around the skewers stuck upright in the ground. Before long, a savory smell began drifting through the air.

Next to them, on a mat, we set down a watermelon the size of a human torso, and Liette brought her hand down in one smooth motion, fingers and thumb pressed together like a blade. Craack– the watermelon split cleanly in half, revealing its bright red insides. Noah and I washed strawberries with the water Yerim dragged over and piled them onto plates.

“Camping’s all about meat, though!”

Yerim said wistfully, and Liette nodded in agreement. Tell me about it. With a spoon carved from wood, Yerim scooped up a big bite from the halved watermelon and shoved it into her mouth. Her eyes went wide.

“It’s basically sugar!”

At her squawking about how good it was, I picked up a strawberry myself. Never thought I’d have to hold a strawberry with both hands to eat it. The seeds were huge too; was it okay to just eat them? I hesitated a bit and then took a bite.

“…Whoa.”

So sweet! The juice that burst out was slightly tart, yet incredibly sweet. Soft flesh filled my mouth, and a fresh, grassy sweetness bloomed with every chew. Even the strawberry seeds weren’t hard; they crunched lightly, actually improving the texture.

“…It’s good.”

Good grief. Strawberries were already tasty, but this was strawberry perfection.

“Hyung, you need to get some carbs too.”

Yuhyun piled well–roasted potatoes, sweet potatoes, and corn onto a plate and handed it to me. Steam billowed up, making my mouth water.

“You roasted these well! You eat plenty too, Yuhyun. Yerim and Mister Noah too. You too, Liette.”

“Careful, it’s hot.”

My little brother said as he peeled a sweet potato for me. I can do that myself, you know. I blew on the bright yellow flesh and popped it into my mouth. The sticky sweet potato clung to my teeth and was literally like honey.

“I can’t believe we don’t have kimchi!”

“Seriously, this needs kimchi!”

Yerim was just as regretful. Liette, shoving hot potatoes into her mouth without even peeling them, looked thoroughly satisfied.

“These are the best potatoes I’ve ever had! Maybe you’re cut out to be a farmer, honey?”

“The corn’s great too.”

Noah bit into the neat rows of kernels with his neat teeth and smiled. Everything tasted this good without a single bit of seasoning.

“Here, you too, Yuhyun. Have a strawberry.”

I cut a bite–sized piece off and fed it to my little brother. Made me think of when he was tiny for no reason.

“It’s good.”

Yuhyun said with a smile. Since everything we’d grown was so big, just a few pieces filled us up. Come to think of it, how was the other side doing? I pulled up the window I’d minimized.

‘Wow, they farmed well.’

Their fields were lush with all kinds of crops, and their greenhouse looked way more legit than mine. The crops were normal in size, but all of them were fresh and vibrant. If it weren’t for the growth buff, Seong Hyunjae would definitely have beaten me. They were on their break too, eating in front of a campfire set up by a little thatched shade.

‘…What’s with that dining table.’

I could see a surprisingly decent–looking table, chairs, and even a tea set. And on top of that—

‘A brick oven?’

What the, did he bake bread? Seong Hyunjae was taking freshly baked bread out of the oven. They had no milk and probably couldn’t ferment things properly, so it looked rustic, but still pretty appetizing. Did he plant wheat?! There were also rough–looking, but definite, cookies stacked on the table. Chief Song was wearing plastic gloves and pressing down some reed–like plant to squeeze its juice. Thin, pale yellow juice trickled into cups.

“…Hey, Mister Seong. I’m saying this because I want to give some to Chief Song and Hyunah, not you.”

[Want to try some bread? The sugarcane juice is good too. Hunter Park Yerim can make ice, so you can drink it cold.]

Sugarcane? He planted that too?

“If you’re offering we’ll take it, but you really grew all sorts of things. No rice?”

[There wasn’t much suitable for side dishes. At best we’d have salted cabbage or radish.]

“That’s true. Anyway, our harvest turned out great. We’ll send some over, so Chief Song, eat up, okay!”

They’d worked hard already, and it was obvious they’d be working a lot more going forward.

[Thank you.]

Chief Song, having heard what I’d said, dipped his head slightly. Hyunah waved and mouthed, Big bro, you doing okay?

Seong Hyunjae first teleported over bread, cookies, and sugarcane juice. Then I sent strawberries, watermelon, corn, and such over to them too.

[Kyaa! The strawberries are so pretty!]

[Wow… Hyung, what did you do to these? They’re not genetically modified, right?]

One hundred percent natural, pesticide–free produce here. Chief Song looked pretty surprised as he stroked the watermelon. Please eat lots, they taste great even without salt or sugar.

“These are cookies with fruit in them! Is there sugar too?”

“They taste like store–bought cookies,” Yerim said, tilting her head. The bread was rough but tasty. They must have made salt by evaporating seawater; it was perfectly salty, and more than anything, since it was flour, it felt like we were having a real meal.

“This one has garlic in it too. Seriously, you could throw that guy Seong Hyunjae anywhere and he’d still eat well and live well.”

“I like what you grow better.”

Ignoring the food Seong Hyunjae had sent, Yuhyun spoke. Our crops were delicious too! In terms of pure flavor, nothing could compete. Hyunah, Mari, and Samir kept exclaiming in delight. Even Chief Song’s expression relaxed a bit as he ate his potato, so it must’ve been to his liking.

“Now taking orders for refreshing fruit juice~”

After the meal, Yerim said this as she created and floated ice cubes.

“Melon for me!”

“Watermelon for me, please.”

“I’ll take strawberry–”

“You’ll have tomato.”

Yuhyun cut me off. I don’t hate tomato, but still, Yuhyun!

“You’ve had way too many strawberries, Hyung. I’ll have tomato too.”

“Yeah yeah, Mister has to watch his health! Mister, ask Big Sis Hyunah’s side what they want too~”

Fine, tomato is at least drinkable. As long as it’s not, like, cabbage juice. Seong Hyunjae and Mari picked strawberry, Chief Song wanted tomato, and Hyunah and Samir asked for watermelon.

After eating our fill, we sat in the pavilion, sipping juice full of clinking ice and looking out over the fields, and my chest swelled with pride. My precious babies.

‘Even if the creepy part is still the same.’

What are the Mermaid Queen and the Unfilial Children trying to do with me. There was a time when I honestly thought they were helping me to protect the world. But now…

‘…It’s obvious to anyone that I’m the real objective.’

This bet alone showed that. They were already in a favorable position, yet insisted on making a bet like this. The only way to interpret that was that they had a goal beyond just saving the world. And they were training me as a temporary system administrator.

The fact that one part of that training just happened to be farming was suspicious too. A class on raising crops.

A perfect Nurturer.

The Unfilial Children—especially the rookie in charge of our world, the Mermaid Queen, and Senior Tree—knew about my title and skills. How exactly were they planning to use that? Or do I have some other ability I don’t know about? As far as I can tell, I’m not special beyond being a Nurturer.

‘Hopefully this doesn’t end with me being dragged off by the Unfilial Children and Seong Hyunjae being dragged off by Crescent Moon.’

But it’s not like I can just slack off in class; it’s not like I have any other options. The best I can do is raise my stats and look for ways to pull information out of the system.

“Mister.”

As I was staring at the fields, lost in thought, Yerim came up with an expression like she’d made a huge decision.

“Please kiss my cheek too.”

“…Huh?”

“I hate the idea of sharing Mister’s lips with Han Yuhyun, but you disinfected them with watermelon and tomato and stuff, so… You never know, maybe I’ll grow a bunch too.”

“Me too, me too!”

Liette shot her hand up and cut in.

“If darling kisses me, do you think I can hit three meters tall? I want to be a dragon one kilometer long!”

“…Liette, you’re already big enough.”

I’d already used a growth buff on Yerim, anyway. It wasn’t like she’d suddenly sprout up more now, but whatever.

“My beloved Yerim, grow big and strong.”

I pressed a light kiss to her forehead. Then moved on to Liette–

“Hey! Don’t stick your lips out!”

“Anywhere’s fine, isn’t it?”

“Forehead, forehead!”

“Here~”

Liette swept her hair back, baring her forehead.

“Grow well.”

“Do it properly, honey.”

“My beloved Liette, grow and grow until you become a huge, king–sized dragon.”

Grow into a giant monster and conquer the earth. Go get ’em.

“Um, Mister Yujin. If it’s alright, could I…”

Noah, who’d been watching, spoke up hesitantly. No reason to say no. Come here, Noah!

“My beloved Noah, grow bigger and cooler than Liette!”

“And sparklier.”

“Right, grow even more sparkly.”

Liette requested extra sparkle. She’s so very dragonlike at times. An evil dragon, at that.

Lastly, Yuhyun looked at me quietly. Of course I had to do my little brother too.

“My beloved little brother, Yuhyun! Grow up healthy and strong, shoot up nice and tall!”

“Yeah. Thanks, Hyung. I love you too.”

Since he was my little brother, I kissed not just his forehead but his cheek as well. I’m going to get used to kissing people at this rate. How many times has it been in just one day. My lips are going to wear out.

When the break ended, we spent the remaining eight hours farming hard. After kissing until my lips were chapped and shouting “grow well” until my voice went hoarse—

“Team Han Yujin’s total score is 156,999 points.”

“As expected, I win, Mister Seong!”

We breezed through the class with a lead of a full hundred thousand points over Seong Hyunjae.