An S-ranked adventurer's countryside retirement

With a new set of equipment at hand, I could finally start working on the house itself. I have completely demolished the house and sorted the materials. As for the land where the house stood, I started by compacting the ground using the EARTH MAGIC <> which was commonly used by the carpenter's guild back in the city where I came from.

[Hello] (??)

I could say... this could take me weeks, heck, even months to get the house into the state I had in mind. And—

I have a couple of visitors.

[Hello to you too. I'm sorry for the state of the house. I can't possibly welcome you in such a condition...] 

Well…the house is no more except for the roofing that was still attached to the pillars of the house.

[No, no, it is fine. We're just checking who the new guy is that Ernie was bragging about in town.] (??)

It was a couple of elderly townsfolk. I recognized them from yesterday when I arrived—they were among the farmers I had greeted on my way in.

[Well... bragging?] 

I couldn't imagine why the town mayor would go around bragging about me.

[Hahaha, that guy is definitely happy because someone is finally taking care of this place] (??)

[Umu. He was going around talking about how a handsome young man became a new resident and took up the property at the outskirts] (??)

Handsome? Hehehehehe. At least they didn't have a negative impression of me. That's good. That's good~

[I feel embarrassed being told that, but I'm happy that the mayor has a good impression of me] 

I said with a sheepish chuckle.

[It's not just him, lad. We've been curious about you. Not many folks move in these days, especially not to fix up an old wreck like this] (??)

[That's right. It's been an eyesore for a while, so it's nice to see someone putting in the effort. If you ever need advice on farming or anything, don't hesitate to ask.] (??)

Their words were warm, and for the first time in a while, I felt welcomed somewhere new.

[Thank you. I'll definitely keep that in mind.] I gave them a polite nod.

[By the way, son, do you have a way to clear all these weeds and debris? It looks like a lot of work for one person.] (Old Man)

[Well, I was thinking of doing it bit by bit. I got this axe and pick from Gerald, so I'll start with chopping down some of the overgrown brush and fixing up the structure first.] 

I gestured to the tools leaning at the side of my tent.

[Good thinking, but it'd be a shame to waste all this wood and stone. Some of the villagers might be willing to lend a hand if you ask] (Old Woman)

That... wasn't a bad idea. I was used to doing things alone, but having a bit of help would definitely speed things up.

[That's true. I'll think about it] 

I nodded, considering my options.

[Well, we won't keep you long. Just wanted to introduce ourselves. I'm Bert, and this here is my wife, Hilda] (Bert)

[A pleasure to meet you both. I'm Scott.]

I shaked the hands of the old couple.

[Likewise. And Scott, don't be a stranger! If you ever need fresh produce or some advice on growing crops, come visit us at the farm] (Hilda)

With that, the elderly couple waved and left me to my work.

It was nice to have someone visit you. Having that feeling makes me happy for a reason, probably because those old couples remind me of my grandpa who always teaches me a lot of things.

[I kind of miss him…]

I exhaled deeply and turned back to the house. There was still a long way to go, but at least I was off to a good start with the townsfolk.

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A few hours passed as I began chopping away at the weeds and clearing more of the yard. The steel axe Gerald sold me was sharp, making the work easier than I expected.

I sorted through the collected wood, stacking what was usable and setting aside the rotted pieces for burning.

As I wiped the sweat off my brow, I heard the sound of footsteps approaching once again.

[You really are working hard] (??)

I turned around to see Manna standing there, arms crossed, watching me with a curious expression. In her hand was a basket, a big one.

[Well, I can't exactly sleep in a pile of rubble, can I?] 

I smirked, leaning on the axe.

[Pfft, fair enough. Anyway, I came by because my dad said you might need some nails and basic supplies. He figured you'd forget something important.] (Manna)

Gerald, huh? Grumpy as he was, I appreciated the thought. 

She handed me the basket, and along with those was a lunch box.

[Mama wanted to help you, so please take those sandwiches] (Manna)

Her mom? Her figure definitely overlaps with the innkeeper. They might be related–

[That's actually really helpful. Thanks, Manna.]

[Don't mention it. Mom was worried that you might not be eating properly and Dad says you can pay him back later. He's not one to offer help for free, but he respects hard work.] (Manna)

[Well, I'll make sure to earn that respect, then.] I grinned, feeling a little more motivated than before.

Manna rolled her eyes but smirked. 

[Good luck with that. Just don't die under a collapsing roof, yeah?] (Manna)

And with that, she left, leaving me chuckling as I got back to work.

Bit by bit, I was starting to feel like I truly belonged here. And–

I have definitely started to like living here because of the good people that have treated me well.