Chapter 55: Lucio

Three days later, when I had time, I went to Paul-oniisan’s place by myself. There, I talked about what Alexei-oniisan did.

“Goodness, big brother is really acting like an immature person.”

“I think so too.”

“On the other hand, Cedie lacks childishness.”

Paul-oniisan smiled wryly.

“Is that so? Hmm, it can’t be helped because I was kicked out of the mansion at the age of twelve. I wanted to stay as an innocent little boy too.”

“That’s what I’m saying, it’s not what a child would do you know. But you’re doing well.”

I was praised.

“By the way, Brother, do you have a donkey? We will be shipping to Polymer this time, so we need a donkey to pull a cart.”

“I do have some but….…”

Paul-oniisan looked hesitant.

Does he think that I don’t have any money?

I’m making a decent amount of money now though.

“I can pay up to 400,000 crown coins. You can sell me a donkey worth that amount.”

“No, it’s not about money.”

“What’s wrong?”

“It will be quicker if you to take a look. Come with me for a minute.”

Paul-oniisan took me to a livestock shed. There is an old donkey in the shed.

“It’s the only donkey I have right now.”

I see.…

Paul-oniisan had an apologetic look on his face. It was a donkey that is far from lively. Its fur is pale gray and not shiny at all. The eyes are lifeless, and the eyes are full of discharge.

This donkey may not be able to pull heavy loads….

“How old is it?”

“Thirty years old. The life expectancy of a donkey is between 25 and 50 years, in human terms, it is old enough to be called an old man. As you can see, it looks depressed.”

In fairy tales, donkeys are often depicted as brainless animals. But they are actually smart animals. Even human instructions can be understood by them.

“Brother, what’s the name of this donkey?”

“It’s Lucio.”

I turned to Lucio.

“Hi there, Lucio. I’m Cedie. I’m actually having trouble at work. I’d like you to pull a cart for me, what do you think?”

Lucio looked at me and bleated, “Kuuoooo”

Its voice was much higher-pitched than I expected.

So donkeys sound like this huh.

Somehow, I feel like it is saying, “I can go and do it.”

“Brother, how much will it cost to buy Lucio?”

“It’s free. It’s a thank you for the enjoyable banquet the other day. I was given a lot of rare food, and my friends were very happy too. I’ll also give you a used wagon and you can take it with you.”

“But….…”

“The ranch and the village are doing well here. Don’t be shy with me.”

I sat on the wagon and Lucio drove me back to Gandalcia.

Some older brothers are cruel, and some are kind. The saying “good fortune and bad luck are like a twisted rope” really rang true.

✲✲✲

The reaction of the islanders who saw Lucio were mixed.

“Can it really pull the goods?”

Cawsill keeps scratching his head. He felt that Lucio can’t do it. Bottled goods are heavy after all, so it’s understandable that he is worried.

Well, I’m also concerned about Lucio’s health.

But Char is very excited. She looks very happy and welcomes Lucio with a smile.

“Welcome. From today, Lucio will be a member of the team. As a big sister, I’ll teach you all sorts of things.”

She’s much younger, but she seems to want to make herself look like an older sister.

“Lucio, are you hungry?”

“Kuooo!”

“Okay, I’m going to give you some delicious grass now. Father, can I feed it some grass?”

“Of course. Let’s harvest it right away.”

I sowed the seeds three days ago, so today is the harvest day. We went to the field to harvest it, and we were surprised by what we saw.

“Father, the grass is sparkling!”

“Does it look like that to you too, Char? So it’s not just my imagination huh.”

Oh, I remember!

This is an effect that was also present in Island Maker. Crops that are particularly good will sparkle like this. Dishes made from these crops can be very valuable and have excellent effects.

“Lucio, eat lots of high-quality grass and you’ll feel much better!”

“Kuo!”

The sparkling grass seemed to be very tasty, and Lucio just kept on munching on them.

✲✲✲

The next morning, I was woken up by Char’s screams.

“Father, wake up! Hurry, hurry!”

Her excited voice came from outside the house. Rubbing my eyes, I decided to head outside only to see Char and Lucio standing in front of the door.

“Good morning!”

“Kuoo!”

“Yes, yes, good morning. Both Char and Lucio are full of energy this morning—”

Hn? Full of energy?

It’s normal for Char to be like that. But Lucio…….

I checked Lucio’s appearance again.

The fur that was stiff has gotten better! The eye discharge has disappeared, and his eyes are now full of life.

“Maybe it got better from eating the sparkling grass?”

“I’m sure it did. Because the vegetables in Gandalcia are delicious! I’m going to feed him corn kernels this morning.”

The corn kernels are nutritious and our goats love it. I’m sure Lucio would like it as well.

“Kuo! Kuo!”

Lucio happily ran out of the square in front of the cottage.

“What is he saying?”

“He is saying that his body felt light and relaxed. And that he can now run.”

He really has become energetic. If this is the case, it would be okay for Lucio to pull the wagon all the way to Polymer town.

After planting new grass seeds in the fields, I start preparing breakfast.

This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.

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