The Demon Chef had prepared a generous buffet table filled with dishes made from our freshly harvested vegetables and wild demon game meat provided by Prince Baiyu’s hunting party. According to recent reports, the Vermillion Bird Clan had begun charging hunting fees on their land, with the exception of the hunting parties that were supplying my farm. There was demon pheasant, deer, bison, and, surprisingly, bear meat. For some reason, bear paws, in particular, were considered a delicacy.

“Teacher, try these.” Mo piled meatballs onto my plate. “They’re better than Four Joy Meatballs!”

“Because they’re made of vegetables, not worm meat?” I asked her teasingly.

“I can’t believe vegetables taste this good,” said Lari. He had also taken a huge portion of the meatballs.

“Okay, lemme try it.” I took a bite and savored the sweet and spicy tomato sauce. The meatball, made of potatoes, carrots, peas, zucchini, mushrooms, and onions, held together with egg and breadcrumbs, was incredibly flavorful.

That was a great appetizer. I followed it up with braised venison and roasted squash salad. I was so full afterward that I could only take small bites of the rest of the banquet. By the time dinner was winding down and guests were sipping juice or cocktails, I was pleasantly full. That was when I decided it was time.

I stood on a small dais and banged a gong to get everyone’s attention. “Peoples! Please gather round, I have a biiiiig announcement to make!”

My apprentices, guests, and staff crowded around, speculating about what the big announcement might be.

“This is too informal for it to be a wedding announcement.”

“Maybe it’s another farm expansion.”

“I hope it’s a salary increase.”

“Ahem.” I cleared my throat and gestured to my Farm Guide. “I’m thrilled to announce that Shuye has officially become Emberstone Farm’s Sales Manager! Let’s give him a round of applause!”

Shuye raised his arms and formed a diamond shape with his hands in a victory pose. “It’s my honor to help Emberstone Farm grow.”

Of course, Shuye was my Farm Guide, and he had always been in charge of selling crops for me until Fengying and Deming started helping me, too. After three rounds of negotiations, including when Shuye refused my offer to become my Farm Manager, I finally got him to agree to at least oversee all sales matters. I pointed out that people were already coming to him with their requests, so this would simply formalize our arrangement with a proper contract outlining his responsibilities, remuneration, and bonuses.

“Everyone, you know what this means!” I smiled, stepping down from the dais to be first in line for the traditional gift that newly promoted folks gave their coworkers.

“Lady Violet,” said Shuye. “The gift is only for subordinates.”

“What? Nooooooo!” I sighed and stepped aside.

Shuye then distributed walnut cookies to everyone lower ranked than him since it was customary for a newly promoted person to hand out something sweet to bring luck and happiness to the workplace in the future.

“My dear, I didn’t know you wanted to eat cookies. I can bake them for you later,” said Prince Baiyu.

“No, you’re wrong. It’s not because they’re walnut cookies. It’s because they’re free.” I pouted. “Free stuff always tastes best.”

Shuye finished giving away the cookies and went over to where we were and handed me a large box. “I was just kidding. This is for you. My wife made it.”

“Thank you very much.” I accepted the box and then hid behind a decorative fake tree to open it since it was rude to open a present in front of the giver. “Score!”

It was full of assorted cookies. There were walnut cookies, almond cookies, toasted sesame cookies, pineapple cookies, and spiced sugar rice cookies. I was still too full from the banquet food, so I put the box in my inventory for later.

Now that the banquet was over, it was time to enjoy the [Dinosaur Fun Park] rides and attractions. A decorative fence shaped like interlocking dinosaur heads bordered the entire park. I went to the wooden gates, painted over with cute, anime-style dinosaurs, and flipped a switch. Magical lights lit up all over the park, and speakers belted out a catchy tune played on the piano and accordion.

“Have fun, everyone!” I grabbed Prince Baiyu’s hand and stepped inside. Looking back, I called to Mo, “You want to ride a magic horse, right? Come with me!”

The park was small enough to seem intimate but large enough to have my favorite rides and stalls, each one paid for via the Cash Shop. All around me were human-sized wooden dinosaur figures wreathed in fairy lights. They were kiddy-cartoon style, not scary realistic ones. I’d explained before dinner that these “dinos” were fictional prehistoric animals who lived and became extinct before humans and clan members appeared. The ground was covered in pastel-colored pavement painted dinosaur footprints.

Ignoring the rest for now, I led my apprentices to the merry-go-round, my mother’s favorite attraction. An open booth outside the carousel held the control panel with the [Start] and [Emergency Stop] buttons. Scholar Wu volunteered to operate the ride for us.

“Come on, get on a horse!” I said to the others.

Whereas the other rides were dino-themed, this one was a classic-style ride. Each white horse was frozen mid-gallop, with gold-painted manes and tails streaming behind them, and elaborate, colorful saddles and collars. There were also fancy carriages, chariots, and swans. The platform was made of dark wood polished to a bright sheen, and the center pole was decorated with gold-bordered scenery panels depicting Victorian-style cute cherubs in a blue sky with fluffy white clouds.

“The horses will gallop. Those who are scared, ride the chariots and other non-horse figures. Those won’t move around too much,” I said to the others.

Lari, Kharli, Mo, and Shuye eagerly mounted horses, as did the prince and I. Most of the younger staff chose horses too, while a few opted for the stationary seats.

Scholar Wu pressed the button, the calliope music began playing, and the carousel began to rotate smoothly.

“Yahoo!” I yelled out as the ride started.

I gripped the brass pole with both hands as the painted horse I was riding rose and fell in a steady mechanical rhythm. Lari, Kharli, Mo, and most of the staff were grinning and hooting in delight, while others looked uncertain. Prince Baiyu, who was riding a horse beside me, was clearly enjoying himself, and he was leaning forward as though to urge his mount to go faster.

The ride ended all too soon.

“Again! Again!” they clamored. I hopped off to let someone else take a turn. We exchanged places with those who had been in the stationary seats. I settled on a pretty little chariot drawn by two lions and enjoyed another ride with everyone around me smiling and having the time of their life.

“What an interesting mechanical contraption,” said Prince Baiyu after the ride. “Scholar Wu will want to inspect its innards.”

“Nope. I already told her she’s not allowed to do anything but enjoy herself tonight,” I said. “Guys, let’s go to the next one!”

Everyone followed me to the food street, where I’d bought popcorn, cotton candy, and funnel cake stalls from the Cash Shop. I didn’t mention that I had to pay the Shop for each item they took off the counter.

“Oh, this fairy sugar is sticky!” said Mo.

“Try the fried cakes,” said Kharli.

Lari was munching on popcorn, juggling three buckets in his arms, one for each flavor: salted, caramel, and cheese. “Needs a spicy type.”

Spicy popcorn? I winced inwardly at the thought. To me, popcorn should either be salty or sweet, not spicy!

After that snack break, we headed to the Ferris wheel which had gondolas shaped like dinosaur heads.

“This one also rotates. It’s a very simple ride,” I said to the others.

“Aren’t you afraid of heights?” Prince Baiyu asked me.

“Yes, but this is different. I guess because-” I stopped. I had almost said it was because I had enjoyed riding Ferris wheels with my parents, but that was still a secret. “Because this is System magic.”

We boarded, and Scholar Wu once again volunteered to man the control booth. This time she had to help us get on by starting and stopping the ride to bring each gondola down to the boarding platform. After everyone got on, Scholar Wu started it, and I leaned against Prince Baiyu as we gazed dreamily at the stars. Here in the desert, the night sky was especially dark and the crescent moon and twinkling multicolored lights that shone in it looked spectacular.

“Ah, this is a quieter, more contemplative experience.” Prince Baiyu put his arm around my shoulders.

“I knew you would like it.” Giggling, I waited until we were at the highest point where no one could see us, before kissing his cheek. “This is a romantic ride for couples.”

He returned my kiss, and we both blushed happily. When the ride was over and we all got off, I found out that I was wrong, and people did see us.

Lari threw his hands over his face, fingers parted over his eyes. “I didn’t see anything!”

Mo turned away from us and looked up at the sky. “No one saw anything!”

Kharli put a finger on her lips and winked at her fellow apprentices. “Yes, I’m sure I didn’t see a couple of sweethearts enjoying an intimate moment on the Ferris wheel.”

Shuye didn’t say anything, but his amused expression spoke volumes.

The next and last ride was a kiddie coaster, smaller and less intense than an adult roller coaster. The front car was shaped like a triceratops.

“I’ll run the booth this time,” said Shuye.

We all got on, Scholar Wu included and had a great time.

“This is the best one!” said Lari.

“No, I still prefer the one with the horses,” said Mo.

“I like the wheel,” said Kharli.

“Shall we go on all the rides again?” I asked them.

And so we spent the night having fun in the theme park.

***

The next day was the beginning of the planting season. While the harvest rituals were the most elaborate, planting season also had its traditional observances. Earlier, my apprentices lit incense sticks and prayed for good luck and a bountiful harvest in front of the [Vineheart Fairy House]. Now it was time to get to work.

“How are your levels today?” I asked my apprentices.

They read their stats out loud for me.

[Apprentice Name: Kharli

Farming Skills:

Farming Level 26→30, Fishing Level 15→18, Woodcutting Level 22→24, Cooking Level 2→5, Herblaw Level 1, Foraging Level 12, Hunting Level 6]

[Apprentice Name: Lari

Farming Skills:

Farming Level 25→30, Fishing Level 17→19, Woodcutting Level 21→23, Cooking Level 1, Herblaw Level 1, Foraging Level 4, Hunting Level 12→13]

[Apprentice Name: Mo

Farming Skills:

Farming Level 25→30, Fishing Level 4, Woodcutting Level 21→23, Cooking Level 2→6, Herblaw Level 1, Foraging Level 17→20, Hunting Level 4]

“Nice! Mine is good, too.” I had gotten a lot of Farming levels this time, and I expected to level up once more after the planting season was over.

[Player Name: Violet

Farming Skills:

Farming Level 35→38, Fishing Level 20, Woodcutting Level 28, Cooking Level 10, Herblaw Level 35→38, Foraging Level 11→12, Hunting Level 8, Mining Level 8]

“I’m also really close to a Farming level,” said Mo.

“Me, too,” said Kharli.

“I’m not that close, but I think I’ll level up soon after the planting season,” said Lari.

“Okay, time to till!”