What's wrong with me, a mage, loving to farm?

Chapter 293. Let's work, Lord!

As soon as the two people and the duck entered the bustling front-line base, a very pleasing-looking orc immediately came forward to greet them.

This is a female half-orc, whose race appears to be a hybrid of fox and human.

She has a pair of slightly pointed ears on her head, and a fluffy, soft tail behind her. Combined with her slightly squinted fox eyes, she looks exceptionally cute.

"..."

But when Chloe saw her, she immediately felt something was off.

Huh? How come I didn't know there were orcs here? Fox orcs? When did they appear?

Orcs are actually quite valuable. Many mages and nobles like this kind of thing. It is said that even the Holy See occasionally bestows a few orc maids or servants upon nobles of the Holy Kingdom to warm their beds.

The hybridity of humans and orcs gave them generally beautiful and handsome faces, as well as extremely strong endurance and physical strength, enabling them to do things that humans could never do.

Because of this special ability, orcs generally dare not appear outside, especially some of the races that are already quite good-looking.

For example, the fox-woman in front of me.

And for some reason, when this guy greeted him so enthusiastically, he always had a strange feeling that he was about to be scammed.

So he remained silent.

The young soldier next to him slapped his forehead: "You must be Miss Theo?"

"You know me?"

The young soldier was clearly well-educated, perhaps even educated; his speech lacked any rudeness and was instead polite and courteous.

"Of course, you are the golden recommender for the Western Frontier Expeditionary Team. I heard you even received praise from His Majesty the Duke?"

Kroya, who had been listening attentively, caught the words "Your Grace" and glanced thoughtfully at the fox-woman.

With his memory, it's not that he wouldn't remember who he had bestowed titles upon. The problem is that he genuinely doesn't remember this fox-woman. Even the Woody Vine King, disguised as an ordinary decoration by the roadside, shook his head slightly.

Upon hearing the phrase "praised by the Duke," the fox-woman's tail bristled instantly, and she waved her hands frantically, saying, "No! Who told you that nonsense!"

"I only came all the way from the grasslands because I heard from Brother Rimbaud that I could live and work here undisturbed."

She looked around somewhat panicked, then emphasized, "That's just a rumor! Okay, let's not talk about it anymore! I'll help you find jobs."

This explains why she was there; it turns out she was a companion summoned by Rimbaud, the "son" of the great sorceress Evelyn.

Kroya wondered if he should give Lambo a reward. If he could summon more orcs, it would add a splash of color to the monotonous human environment of the North.

Miss Fox was quite professional; she immediately took out a bunch of flyers for promotion and recruitment and began to introduce them.

Clearly, the Westerlands still has a high demand for strong warriors and other combat-oriented individuals. In just a short while, the fox-woman introduced six jobs, including bricklayer.

It covers almost everything from simple to complex.

Of course, Kroya didn't forget either.

The young warrior, Lopas, thought for a long time before finally choosing... to pilot the golem.

This refers to the ongoing development work in the western region.

Seeing that he had chosen this job, the fox-woman couldn't help but remind him, "This is the most difficult of all the jobs; you need to be trained to drive those big machines!"

The so-called golem piloting is actually piloting humanoid golems, which are over ten meters tall, to modify some terrains in the Western Regions that are unsuitable for human habitation.

For example, there are a series of troublesome engineering problems such as opening up channels between mountains and carrying out land reclamation projects on lakes.

It sounds glamorous, being able to drive a giant golem, but there's a lot to learn. For example, golem piloting, terrain modification, and even some basic rune systems.

Because this task was arranged by Kroya, he knew it very well and was aware of its difficulty.

The potential is indeed very high, but the difficulty is also very high.

If you can truly establish yourself in the Golem Team, you'll be able to pursue further studies at the Northern Academy, where the treatment and benefits are quite good.

He glanced at Ropas.

The latter stared intently at the tall, imposing metal object on the flyer, gleaming in the sunlight, his eyes already filled with anticipation.

Hmm... who can resist a tall, powerful toy?

That powerful and mystical beauty was truly irresistible—Lopas had been looking forward to working for the Golem Team from the very beginning.

However, he quickly calmed down and looked at Chloe: "Sir, bard, what do you choose?"

"If the distance is too far, then I'll quit this job!"

More than work, he looked forward to Chloe's piano playing; her music was truly unforgettable.

"Me?"

Kroya glanced down at the flyers in his hand, then simply pointed to one of the jobs called "Warcraft and Plant Chanter" and said, "This one will do."

This task was undertaken by the druids, who learned some nature magic to soothe the emotions of magical beasts and plants, helping them quickly adapt to the administration of the North.

He and Ropas belonged to the same Trail Blazers team.

Kroya chose this job not just because Ropas was indeed interesting, but because he wanted to see the most basic magical beast and magical plant structure in the Western Regions.

The magical beasts and plants that can live and grow on this unstable land must have special methods.

He didn't want to transform every place into the North; each place should have its own characteristics and unique scenery. If they all became like the North, it would be monotonous.

Therefore, he had to venture deep into the unexplored and primitive western frontier to explore it personally before he could arrive at the answer that best suited this land.

"Excellent!" Lopas exclaimed upon hearing Chloe's choice, then suddenly asked curiously, "Mr. Bard, what's your name yet?"

"Well……"

After thinking for a moment, Chloe simply said, "My name is Aroc."

"Oh, Mr. Arocus," the fox-woman said, as if she had just thought of something, "I'll take you to the job fair now. The sooner we go, the better the dorms might be!"

"Then let's go." Chloe didn't care whether she was thinking about something or not. This fox-woman was indeed very smart, and smart people don't do foolish things.

……

The three people and the duck quickly arrived at the job posting location.

This tall building has several windows providing all the services available to the Western Frontier, including status and rank information, job placement, and accepting donations, etc.

It was bustling with people coming and going, very lively.

The process went very smoothly—the person recruiting was one of Kroya's apprentices, who immediately recognized her lord.

Of course, she immediately knew that the lord had his own plans after seeing Kroya wink at her.

Since the lord is unwilling to make a fuss, she certainly can't say anything either!

So she remained very calm, just like she always was when she was working, but her actions were extremely efficient, and she approved Chloe and Ropas's applications immediately.

— In this respect, Chloe is not so rigid. Once she has decided what kind of job she wants, she will just start working.

As she handed over her work ID, she added, "You've come at just the right time; we need a batch right now. Hurry up and choose your dorm rooms!"

"After choosing your dormitory, you can go directly there. The training will also be conducted at the frontline pioneer team."

"We're in luck!" Ropas smiled happily as he looked at the work ID card with his picture and special anti-counterfeiting features.

He seems to have had great luck all day; he actually solved his work problem just like that. It must be the blessing of the Mother Goddess.

"Hmm, not bad, let's go."

Kroya now wants to experience firsthand the living environment under his rule.

The two quickly arrived at the dormitory building under construction and randomly chose two adjacent rooms that were neither high nor low.

To be fair, the dormitory building is actually quite nice.

It strictly adheres to the standards originally proposed by Kroya—each room is about forty square meters, with a minimalist decor and a fully equipped kitchen and bathroom. Although it is not large for superhumans, they will not feel cramped living there.

He wandered around the room and unexpectedly felt like he was going out to find a job and rent a place after graduation.

Although he didn't have much money back then and could only rent a very small room, he furnished the room himself, and he really misses those days.

"Should we renovate it too... I remember that during the construction period, the house was supposed to belong to the tenants."

After a brief moment of thought, he decided to make some necessary renovations to his room and simply stay there for the time being.

When it's time to leave, take any things you don't want to leave behind, and the rest is up to luck to find the treasures they left behind.

Back when he was in college, he often saw "treasures" left behind by his seniors in the dormitory.

Just consider it a little bit of fun for him.

He acted immediately, starting to renovate the room—just some basic modifications, like adding some handy gadgets and a few life-sustaining magic runes…

These seemingly insignificant little things can greatly improve his quality of life.

Just as he finished, there was a knocking sound at the door.

"This guy really has a lot of energy."

Kroya knew that Ropas had arrived. He glanced at the dormitory, which looked much the same but was clearly more convenient and comfortable, then packed his things and went to open the door.

Sure enough, Ropas, now dressed in work clothes, was standing outside the door.

He couldn't wait to get to work: "Aroc, let's go!"

"Okay." Kroya nodded and followed him out of the dormitory.

Through a long-distance teleportation magic circle, the two arrived at the true front line of the west—deep in the mountains of the west.

Compared to the North, which is mostly plains with only a few mountains, the mountains in the West are significantly taller, with some even appearing shrouded in mist and clouds, half of them seemingly pierced by the clouds.

Tall trees and vines, which had been briefly ravaged by locusts, have stubbornly survived and are now scattered among the mountain peaks.

You can also see some human figures appearing and disappearing in the green forest.

That is……

"It's a rock ape!"

As the two were looking at what was in front of them, a middle-aged man with a resolute appearance walked over and said, "You have just arrived in the Western Territory, so do not leave the pioneer team and venture deep into the forest."

"The forest is home to the most abundant magical beast in the Western Region, a dominant species of magical beast: the Rock Ape."

"Each of them has a magic level of level two or above, is skilled in earth magic, and is very strong. Although their temperament is relatively docile, they are still magical beasts after all."

He gave the two clearly "newbies" a warning before smiling and saying, "Welcome to the Western Frontier Pioneer Corps. Come on, I'll take you there."

"Thank you for your help." Ropas was very polite.

Kroya chimed in, "This is troublesome."

In fact, when he arrived here, he already sensed that something was wrong with the environment. Although the earth's rhythm was still very abnormal, it was being suppressed by a strange force.

This force was sharper than the heavy earth; if the earth was a blunt weapon, then this was a heavy greatsword, barely maintaining the environment within the mountains.

"This is truly interesting. You certainly wouldn't see such a peculiar power in a laboratory."

Kroya looked at the distant mountains and forests, her eyes narrowing slightly, and continued walking forward.

The two followed the man to the site where pioneering work was underway—tall humanoid golems were using various tools to transform the earth and mountains, and the hard rocks were as fragile as tofu in front of them.

Such a unique mountainous environment is certainly an excellent environment for breeding and planting. Some basic modifications are necessary, at least roads and bridges need to be prepared.

At the same time, this is also one of the areas in the western region where crops can be grown. Finding out what secret it holds that allows it to ignore the influence of the earth is one of the pioneers' tasks.

A group of mages stood nearby, casting spells to soothe the magical plants and beasts. The two sides cooperated very well to ensure that the modification would not have too much impact on the forest.

Seeing this, Kroa and Ropas separated and headed towards the golem team and the nearby team of magical beast and plant chanters, respectively.

Coincidentally, the leader of this singing group...

It turned out to be a mermaid.

She was stunned for a full three seconds when she saw Chloe before she came to her senses and smiled, "Welcome to the team."

Kroya returned the smile, subtly observing the other exhausted mages present who possessed some knowledge of druidic and musical magic.

"Is it difficult?" he asked curiously.

"Of course it was difficult!" a middle-aged man said, panting. "The forests and monsters here are very special. It took us a lot of effort to barely calm them down."

In their eyes, we are the culprits who destroyed their home!

The others nodded solemnly in agreement.

After a brief silence, Kroya realized that what he said was indeed true.

Even if Kroya ordered the pioneering team to be extremely careful, some things are always inevitable when it comes to modifications.

Those who can communicate with magical plants and beasts also endure the most misunderstanding, pain, and even malice. This job may seem easy, but it is more painful for people with higher moral standards.

The problem is that this is unavoidable.

No capable lord would abandon the treasure trove that is the mountains; the development of the mountains is inevitable.

What was presented to Kroya at this moment was not the Tower Spirit's report or cold numbers and reports, but the real trouble he was facing.

"Then we'll figure out a solution."

He didn't feel discouraged or annoyed. He gently played the harp, and the clear sound was like a breeze brushing across a stream, instantly dispelling all his worries and confusion.

He walked directly to the front of the group, looking at the forest ahead: "The problem we're facing now is those rock apes, right? They probably won't be willing to give up their territory."

The question was asked casually, but it inexplicably gave off an irrefutable feeling, and someone immediately replied, "Yes, those rock apes are really difficult to communicate with!"

As a beast whisperer, he hadn't encountered such a troublesome magical beast in a very, very long time.

Those monkeys were really as stubborn and unyielding as rocks; they wouldn't listen to any attempts at soothing or communication.

If it weren't for a merman mage present, they would probably have been beaten to a pulp and fled in terror.

"Is that so?" Chloe nodded slightly, gently playing her harp, and slowly walked forward.

He didn't use any special magic; he simply conveyed his desire for friendly conversation through the music.

The beast-speaking druids behind him hesitated for a moment, but followed him nonetheless, each using their own methods, such as splashing out a green mist of light or playing their harmonicas.

Anyway, the music and magical fluctuations were trying to communicate with the rock apes lurking in the surrounding forest.

—They had tried this before, and almost got knocked out of their bodies by those rock apes.

They were quite apprehensive this time, as they gradually approached the forest where the rock apes lived, and surprisingly, not a single rock ape launched an attack.

The rock apes all gathered together and hid in the woods, watching these people—or more precisely, watching the young man dressed as a bard who was in charge.

They tilted their heads and scratched their scalps with their paws, clearly puzzled.

Why didn't they show any desire to attack this time?

As Kroa continued forward.

suddenly--

With a "bang," a giant ape, over four meters tall, landed in front of him.

The towering rock ape's muscles bulged high, truly resembling a rock, standing silently before him, radiating powerful magical energy.

It stood there, seemingly waiting for something.

Gradually, more rock apes came up behind it.

A peculiar mist gradually filled the air, wisps of silvery mist descending rapidly from the depths of the mountains as if they were alive, covering and enveloping the surrounding environment.

The fog didn't appear gloomy; instead, it possessed a hazy, ethereal beauty, as if some sacred being was about to descend.

The merman mage drew his staff and became alert, while the others also felt uneasy, as the mist had actually blocked their mental energy fluctuations.

At this moment, they were trapped in the fog, not only disoriented but also experiencing some sensory confusion.

Only Chloe continued playing her harp, freely expressing her own unique music, until...

A colossal creature, over twenty meters tall, appeared before him.

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(End of this chapter)