I Grow Crops with a System

"We use monster flesh and blood to make fertilizer!"

Their timing was perfect — the Canine Beastmen were making a batch right now.

Several of them were breaking down the corpses, separating flesh from blood. They ground the monster cores into powder, mixed everything together, and finished by sprinkling in plant ash and bone meal.

"Put it all in a wooden barrel, seal it up to ferment for a while, and it becomes fertilizer!"

"So that’s how you make it..."

"Do you have another method?"

"We usually use animal manure, soybean cake, fish bones — things like that."

"I see. Sounds pretty similar."

"Speaking of which — why do you make fertilizer at all? You don’t farm."

"Scattering it at the roots of fruit trees and other plants helps them grow! It’s the teaching of our ancestors — we must never forget it!"

Put that way, there was nothing more to say. Ethan nodded, and Vargan grinned and threw open the warehouse door.

"So much... is all of this fertilizer?"

"We can’t use it all anyway, so take as much as you need!"

"But... there’s so much, I can’t carry it."

"Don’t worry, I’ll help you carry it!"

"Thank you. Let me take half for now."

He’d be farming for the foreseeable future, so fertilizer was essential — and wheat would demand a large tract of land, which meant a lot of it. He made a rough estimate, and Vargan agreed without hesitation.

"I’ll deliver it to you by tomorrow!"

"Thank you so much! When my Honey Sweet Potatoes, Vitality Cabbages, and Sweet Beets mature, I’ll share some with all of you too!"

The kobolds erupted with joy.

"That’s wonderful!"

"We’re going to have a Honey Sweet Potato party!"

"Sweet Beets too! You truly are a good person!"

They really did love those crops. Watching their delighted faces, Ethan nodded.

Then Pearl piped up. "Weren’t you going to trade with Zharok, meow? If you give away this much, won’t it be a problem, meow?"

"It’s fine. This isn’t much."

He considered it an investment. With the Canine Beastmen’s fertilizer, the next crops were guaranteed to grow even better.

"It’s getting late. I should head back."

"Alright! I’ll take you!"

Vargan scooped Ethan up and called to the others, "I leave the fertilizer to you guys!"

"Leave it to us!"

With farewells said, Vargan sprinted off — and his speed truly lived up to his name. In no time they were back at the shelter, where the kobold gazed at the lush green field and broke into song.

"Hon-ey~ Sweet~ Po-ta-toes~ Hon-ey~ Sweet~ Po-ta-toes~"

"You really like Honey Sweet Potatoes, don’t you?"

"There isn’t a beastman alive who doesn’t like Honey Sweet Potatoes!"

Popular indeed. Vargan went on admiring the patch, still humming his little tune.

Ethan glanced around, then pointed at one of the vines. "Give it a try. See if you can pull it out."

"This one?"

Vargan seized the vine and heaved. A massive Honey Sweet Potato burst up out of the soil.

[Blessed Honey Sweet Potato]

[A Honey Sweet Potato blessed by the Goddess Gaia. It is much sweeter and more delicious than an average Honey Sweet Potato.]

[Recovers stamina upon consumption.]

[Recovers magic power upon consumption.]

"Hm? What’s this?"

Information had popped up the moment it was harvested. While Ethan puzzled over the text, Vargan stood dumbstruck for a different reason.

"Wow! This is my first time seeing a Honey Sweet Potato this big!"

The thing was fully the size of Ethan’s head, its color and shape beautiful beyond the ordinary. The Goddess Gaia’s blessing was clearly at work.

"How about we eat this one today?"

"Yes!"

"I want some too, meow!"

They decided to roast part of it and turn the rest into something else.

Pearl watched the chunks roasting golden over the fire. "What are you making, meow?"

"I want to try Candied Sweet Potatoes."

Sweet Beet juice could stand in for syrup. Ethan chopped up the beets he’d pulled earlier and squeezed out their juice, then cut the remaining Honey Sweet Potato into chunks and set them soaking in water.

"This removes the starch."

"How amazing, meow!"

"It’s just a very common dish."

He poured oil into the pot, fried the chunks to a golden brown, then added the beet juice and simmered it down into syrup. A quick taste — not bad at all.

"Now for the fried sweet potatoes..."

He tipped the chunks into the pot and tossed them through the syrup. Crystal-clear sugar coated the golden pieces, glistening temptingly in the firelight.

Vargan’s eyes sparkled. "Shiny and sparkling — it’s so beautiful!"

"The taste should hold up too. Let me see..."

[Delicious Candied Sweet Potatoes]

[Candied sweet potatoes made from Honey Sweet Potatoes. Sweet and delicious.]

[Delicious Effect: Upon consumption, stamina increases for one day.]

[Delicious Effect: Upon consumption, willpower increases for one day.]

[Delicious Effect: Upon consumption, magic power increases for one day.]

[Recovers a massive amount of stamina upon consumption.]

[Recovers a massive amount of magic power upon consumption.]

[Crafting Difficulty: ★★★]

[You have acquired the Cooking skill!]

[Your Cooking skill has leveled up!]

"Hm?"

Ethan froze all over again. Candied Sweet Potatoes with the Delicious effect attached — though exactly how much stamina, willpower, and magic they granted, he had no idea.

"Wow! Can we eat now?!"

"Careful, it’s hot."

Vargan couldn’t wait. He tossed a piece into his mouth — and then:

"Waaaaahhhhh!!"

The howl of amazement startled Ethan and Pearl both.

"It’s so delicious! My attributes went up, and my stamina and magic recovered by a huge amount!"

"That’s good."

"I’ve never eaten anything so delicious and miraculous! What did you call this again?!"

"Candied Sweet Potatoes. Is it too sweet?"

"Not at all — the sweetness is just right! Crispy outside, tender inside, sweet and delicious! We Canine Beastmen love sweets more than anything! And my whole body feels full of strength!"

"It’s delicious, meow! Truly super delicious, meow! Ethan, make another portion, meow!"

Pearl was clearly a convert too.

Watching them wolf it down, Ethan tried a piece himself. The rich sweetness of the Honey Sweet Potato and the fresh sweetness of the beet blended perfectly — better than any candied sweet potato he had ever eaten. Even he had to marvel.

’Is it the Handiwork skill? Or just better ingredients...?’

Probably both. He looked at his hands, then down at the pot.

The pot, meanwhile, was emptying at an alarming rate.

"Eat slowly. I’ll make more if it isn’t enough."

"Really?!"

"Following you is absolute bliss, meow!"

Only then did the two of them slow down. It took a second pot before they were finally satisfied.

"I bet no other beastman has ever eaten a dish this delicious!"

"Even at the Lady Witch’s side, I never ate anything this good. This vacation is truly amazing, meow!"

"I’m glad you like it."

"By the way — if you see something like this while hunting, could you bring it back for me?"

"What is it?"

"An iron plate shaped like this, or a monster’s carapace. Something along those lines."

Ethan drew the shape of a plowshare in the dirt. A simple stone plow was within his means, but large-scale farming demanded proper tools.

"You’re talking about Trisel scales, right?"

"What’s a Trisel?"

"A giant snake with three heads! Don’t worry — I’ll definitely find one for you!"

"Then I’ll leave it to you."

"In exchange..." Vargan smiled slyly and pointed at the cooking pot.

"Make me another serving of Candied Sweet Potatoes!"

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!