I Transmigrated Into a Farming Sim, Turns Out It Was a 18+ Game-Chapter 19: The Calm Before the Sproutstorm

Day 11

There's something strangely holy about the morning of the eleventh day.

No, not because Eren was up early chanting mantras or bathing under a waterfall—he barely remembered to wash his face. But the silence that wrapped around the valley had the kind of hush that made you feel like something big was watching. The sky was wide and pale, clouds soft as sheep wool, and even the birds had decided to give him space.

Or maybe they were just scared of Lira's scarecrow drone that now stood guard over the main field with a rotating laser eye.

Eren rubbed the sleep from his face as he stepped out of the farmhouse, the wooden steps creaking under his bare feet. His linen shirt was half-buttoned, and his hair looked like it had declared mutiny sometime during the night.

"Morning," Mira called from the fence, already there with a basket of harvested red-shelled beans and her ever-present blush.

She was in her usual linen dress, slightly dust-streaked, sleeves rolled up to the elbows. Her braid swayed with her steps as she walked toward him. The girl had this knack for catching him off guard—not by doing anything dramatic, but by just... being there. Always warm. Always early. Always wearing that look like she couldn't decide if she wanted to hug him or run away screaming.

Eren offered a sleepy wave. "Did you sleep out here?"

"No," she said too fast. "I just... like being early. I watered the skyroot rows. And the mint-leafed radishes, too."

"You're not trying to outshine me at my own competition, are you?"

Her eyes widened. "What?! No! I mean—wait, your competition?"

He smirked and ruffled his hair. "Figure of speech. Still got the nervous energy?"

Mira bit her lip, then looked over the fields, now neat and glimmering in the morning dew. "I don't know. You've done everything. It all looks so healthy. I even saw a butterfly land on the silver pumpkin. Butterflies don't land on sick plants."

"That's probably just because it glows."

"Well, it glows nicely," she said with a shy smile.

Eren chuckled and stretched his arms over his head. His back popped in three different places, reminding him he wasn't built for this life. Not initially, anyway. But eleven days of nonstop prepping, planting, optimizing soil acidity with Lira's help, balancing compost ratios, and daily plant whispers—yes, literal whispering, because apparently that helped—had finally brought his little farm to its peak.

He glanced over to the corner of the field where the twin bloomclover bushes sat in full fluffy glory. Beside them, the dusk lilies were curling their petals shyly, and the frost-tipped bulbs had fully ripened. Lira insisted they had an 87% chance of blooming precisely on the competition day, right on cue.

"Everything's almost... too calm," Eren muttered.

Lira's voice chimed in, smooth and robotic as she hovered into view with a basket in each hand. "Do you require manufactured stress, Eren? I can simulate a crop disease outbreak for motivational purposes."

He gave her a dry look. "You're joking, right?"

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"You scare me."

Mira giggled. "She offered to shock a rabbit yesterday because it got too close to the fence."

"It was chewing on the vinefruit." Lira's tone was clinical. "A minor, localized jolt is an appropriate deterrent."

"It was eating," Eren said. "Like... a rabbit."

"Rabbits also carry disease."

"So do you, probably."

Lira looked positively pleased. "Technically true. But only in containment scenarios."

Eren sighed and waved her off, rubbing his temples. "Okay, let's not fry the wildlife before the competition."

Mira tilted her head, a little more serious now. "Are you nervous?"

He didn't answer right away. Instead, he knelt beside one of the silver pumpkins, gently brushing dirt from its base. The fruit pulsed slightly under his palm—something alive, like it was breathing.

"I don't know if I'd call it nervous," he said finally. "More like... the weight of the next Chapter pressing down a bit. Winning means more than just a title. It means attention. Visitors. Possibly nobles sniffing around."

"And... women?" Mira asked, looking anywhere but at him.

Eren chuckled under his breath. "Maybe. But I already have enough trouble with one farmhand randomly walking in on me when I'm shirtless."

Her cheeks instantly lit up like a tomato in midsummer. "I—I didn't mean to! It was hot and the window was open and—"

"Relax. I'm teasing."

Mira puffed her cheeks and kicked at the dirt. "You always tease me..."

He looked over, smiling gently. "Because you're easy to tease."

She looked up, soft green eyes catching his for just a second too long. The world around them faded just a bit. The rustling wind. The slow swaying of the crops. The sun peeking higher above the trees. It was one of those moments Eren knew could turn into something else if he let it.

But instead, he stood and wiped his hands on his shirt. "Come on. Let's do a final walk. One last check."

She blinked out of her daze and nodded, following close beside him.

They made their way through the full stretch of the property.

Lira floated just behind, scanning with her internal system. "Nutrient levels optimal. Zero pest signs. Moisture levels stable. Crop presentation above regional standards. Forecast for tomorrow: sunny with a 10% chance of public chaos."

"Public chaos?"

"Exaggeration. Most likely just gossip and minor jealousy."

Mira snorted. "You're way too good at reading people for a machine."

"I am not a machine. I am an advanced autonomous cohabitation assistant—"

"She means you're sassy," Eren cut in.

Lira made a beep that sounded suspiciously pouty.

They passed the ridgeberry trellises, then the wormroot beds, and finally the small greenhouse where Eren had tried cultivating a rare blue-tongue herb that responded to music. Mira hummed near it as they passed, and to no one's surprise, it bloomed just a little brighter.

"You're like a cheat code," Eren muttered. "I work twenty hours a day, and you just have to smile at a plant to make it happy."

Mira laughed. "Maybe they just like me better."

"Unfair."

She tilted her head, grinning. "Maybe you should try smiling more. You always look like you're one tax away from exile."

"That's because I probably am."

They reached the back of the property, where a newly added fence marked the end of their domain. Beyond it, the forest rustled. And from its edge, a pair of eyes watched them.

Eren froze.

The figure stepped forward.

A young man, not much older than him, wearing a noble's riding cloak and polished boots—far too clean for the countryside.

"Eren, son of... whoever you used to be," the man said with a smirk. "We've heard about your little farming miracle."

Mira stepped slightly behind Eren. Lira's body floated forward, scanning immediately.

"Identity unknown. Fabric grade noblewear. No visible weapons. Caution advised."

Eren narrowed his eyes. "You're not from the guild."

"No. But I represent someone who will be watching closely tomorrow."

"Watching what?"

The man's grin widened. "To see if your little roots can grow beyond the soil of obscurity. Or if they'll be crushed under the weight of something far, far heavier than compost."

He turned and walked off without waiting for a reply, disappearing into the trees like a bad stage magician.

Eren stared after him, frowning. "What the hell was that?"

"A threat," Lira said. "Or a poorly delivered riddle. Shall I tail him with the drone?"

"No. Let it go."

Mira clutched his sleeve. "Do you think... they'll try to sabotage you?"

"Maybe." He looked down at her hand, then gently pried her fingers loose. "But I've got a garden full of plants, a half-cyborg AI, and a mysterious farm girl who can charm weeds into obedience. I think we'll manage."

She laughed softly, then stepped back, biting her lip again.

"I should head home and make sure Grandma doesn't eat all the good bread before the big day."

He nodded. "Thanks for all the help, Mira."

She lingered a moment longer. "You're... welcome."

Then she turned and walked off, braid swinging behind her.

Lira floated beside him in silence for a few seconds.

"You know she likes you."

"I'm aware."

"She'd be an optimal breeding partner."

"Lira."

"Emotionally. And genetically. Her affinity for flora is unnaturally high."

"I'm still not—ugh, never mind."

He looked back out at the fields. The sun was now fully above the horizon. The leaves shimmered. The air buzzed.

Tomorrow, the kingdom would descend upon this humble plot of land.

And either they'd walk away laughing...

Or he'd prove that even a commoner with nothing but dirt, luck, and a few good women could make something that grew beyond expectations.